As Siming’s voice fell silent, all the gods and Buddhas remained quiet.
She was the first person in heaven and earth who dared to challenge the Heavenly Emperor, but when the assembled deities thought carefully about it, they realized there was nothing wrong with what she said.
The Heavenly Emperor remained silent for a long while before speaking coldly, “A thousand years of cultivation, and yet it has shaped you into such a rebellious spirit…”
“I quite like the way I am now. Even if I defy the laws of heaven, I’m merely following my heart’s choice,” Siming smiled gently, her gaze softening as it fell upon Changyuan. The sunlight in her eyes seemed to shatter into warmth as she continued, “When I was Er Sheng, Changyuan never abandoned me even when I fell into demonic cultivation. In this world, someone is willing to endure pain to spare me suffering, willing to sacrifice eternal solitude to commemorate my mortal death. How can any amount of love and devotion be too much to repay such deep feeling?”
So she remembered. She knew everything…
Changyuan stared at her in amazement, his heart feeling as if it was being tickled by soft foxtail grass, warmth threatening to overflow from his chest.
“If he becomes a demon, I would gladly forsake my divine status and fall into demonic cultivation with him. What of it?”
The celestial soldiers surrounding Changyuan lowered their weapons, exchanging glances before turning to the Heavenly Emperor. “Very well, very well,” the Heavenly Emperor laughed in extreme anger. “Since you’re already prepared to abandon your divine status and fall from godhood into demons, I shall grant your wish today and scatter your divine soul!”
As his words fell, he clenched his palm, and the curse mark on Siming’s forehead suddenly deepened.
Her expression changed as she struggled to endure the pain, her lips trembling uncontrollably. “My lord has sat in his position of power for too long, becoming increasingly heartless and despicable…”
Seeing this, Changyuan erupted in fury. The assembled gods heard an earth-shattering dragon’s roar as Changyuan transformed into his true form, charging straight toward the Heavenly Emperor.
The celestial soldiers moved to protect their emperor, but those who rushed forward were instantly scattered into dust, their souls dispersed by a single sweep of the dragon’s tail.
All the gods and Buddhas were shocked. If such overwhelming divine power were to fall into the hands of demonic cultivation, the consequences would indeed be unthinkable.
Seeing Changyuan charging toward him, the Heavenly Emperor remained calm. While slowly tightening his grip to make Siming writhe in pain below, he strengthened the barrier around himself. This barrier was a divine protection passed down through generations of Heavenly Emperors. No matter how overwhelming Changyuan’s power might be, breaking through it in one strike should be impossible.
Dragon claws grabbed the outer layer of the barrier, creating turbulent energy that made even the Heavenly Emperor uncomfortable within. Moments later, a crack sound rang out as the outer barrier developed a long fissure. The Heavenly Emperor’s brows furrowed – he hadn’t expected the ancient divine dragon to possess such heaven-defying power at this moment.
Crane Immortal, standing behind the Heavenly Emperor, was greatly alarmed. He called for more divine generals to step forward, using various immortal techniques behind Changyuan to try to distract him and save the Heavenly Emperor. However, Changyuan remained motionless, his lantern-sized dragon eyes fixed intently on the Heavenly Emperor: “Remove the curse, or I’ll ensure no one in the Heavenly Realm returns alive today.”
Having reached this point, how could the Heavenly Emperor back down? He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a female voice shouting from above: “Fight? Fight your sister! The Heavenly Realm’s back courtyard is on fire, being attacked by the Demon Realm, and you, as Heavenly Emperor, are here fighting over jealousy!”
The assembled gods and generals recognized this manner of speech – it was Three Lives, the wife of the War God Mo Xi. Her hair disheveled, she arrived hurriedly on a cloud, somewhat out of breath: “The Demon Realm has launched a full-scale invasion. By order of the War God, one hundred thousand celestial soldiers are to return to the Heavenly Realm immediately!”
In matters of war, Mo Xi’s authority far exceeded the Heavenly Emperor’s. When the general’s order was issued, the soldiers responded in unison and quickly prepared for departure.
All the gods and Buddhas were shocked, never expecting the long-dormant Demon Realm to choose this moment to attack the Heavenly Realm. With their home under attack, everyone became somewhat panicked.
The Heavenly Emperor’s expression grew serious as he withdrew both the curse mark and the barrier’s power. Changyuan, however, paid no attention to the war between gods and demons. He shattered the Heavenly Emperor’s divine protection with one claw swipe, transformed back into human form, and held the Scale Sword against the Heavenly Emperor’s throat: “Remove the curse.”
The Heavenly Emperor remained silent, his expression grave.
Knowing Siming was no longer in pain, Changyuan was content to wait him out.
Three Lives, who had rushed over in such a hurry, nearly tore out her precious hair in frustration. Thinking of her husband Mo Xi still fighting a bloody battle against the Demon Realm forces above, while this Heavenly Emperor shamelessly entangled himself in personal affairs, her anger flared. She charged forward and kicked the throne without hesitation: “You awful man! My husband is fighting your enemies in a bloody battle, yet you’re here making eyes at a dragon! We know your tragic love story is deep, but this isn’t the time to show it! If you don’t return to the Heavenly Realm now, I’ll cut off your root and make you an eternal bottom!”
Everyone wore expressions as if struck by lightning.
Only those directly involved remained calm. Changyuan looked at Three Lives and said seriously, “I’m not interested in him.”
Siming laughed heartily below, despite her lingering headache: “Oh Three Lives, Three Lives, today this scoundrel of a Heavenly Emperor won’t be going anywhere until he removes the curse from me. Changyuan won’t let him leave.”
Three Lives’ expression tightened: “What curse? Where is it?”
Siming pointed at the Heavenly Emperor: “There, in his hand.”
Three Lives drew out the dagger Mo Xi had given her and gestured at the Heavenly Emperor’s wrist: “Since you’re unwilling to leave, for the sake of the Heavenly Realm and Mo Xi’s safety, you might as well not have this hand. Let me chop it off.”
The Heavenly Emperor closed his eyes in patience. He knew the Demon Realm’s invasion must have been thoroughly prepared. Now that he had brought out one hundred thousand celestial soldiers, leaving the Divine Realm vulnerable, Mo Xi and the remaining troops couldn’t hold out for long. He must return quickly.
As for Siming and this dragon…
When he opened his eyes again, they were clear. He opened his palm, and the curse text rose into the air and gradually disappeared. The mark on Siming’s forehead also faded away.
The Heavenly Emperor issued his command solemnly: “Return to the Heavenly Realm. Repel the enemy.”
“Yes!” the gods responded in unison, and moments, the oppressive black clouds disappeared without a trace.
Changyuan returned alone to Siming’s side, seeing her face full of bright smiles. She said, “See? Life teaches us that when you do too many bad deeds, karma will eventually explode.”
“Indeed.” Changyuan felt warmth filling his heart. He crouched down and stroked Siming’s head, his eyes curved in a smile: “From now on… we’ll have a very long time. This time, don’t let the egg-laying be empty words.”
“I know.” Siming hugged Changyuan’s neck and nuzzled against him. “But before that, we still have something to do.”
“Oh?”
“When I was still Er Sheng, there was a disgusting peacock demon who always bullied me and made trouble for me, even indirectly or directly causing our tragedy. The more I think about it now, the more uncomfortable I feel. Knowing they want to invade the Heavenly Realm to do bad things, I think now that I have the ability, I can’t let him be comfortable…”
Hearing this, Changyuan focused on something else: “Siming, you remember.”
“Yes, I remember, and I’m thinking about getting revenge…”
“Bearing grudges.”
“Hmm?” Siming raised an eyebrow. “You don’t like it?”
Changyuan blushed slightly and smiled: “I like it.”
Seeing his expression, Siming’s heart warmed, and she hugged him closer, happily licking his ear. This made Changyuan blush furiously: “This… is better done in the bedroom…”
Siming giggled as she bit his ear. Feeling her breath on his ear, Changyuan felt a tingle in his heart. His hand pressed against the back of Siming’s head, turning her face toward him. His lips gently pressed against hers, teasing for a moment before he bit her lip and murmured, “Don’t bully me about this.”
“Changyuan, how could I bear to?” Siming laughed. “But I’m generous – you can bully me about this, I don’t mind…”
So, Changyuan obliged and bullied her.
The two remained entangled for quite a while before Siming finally pulled at Changyuan’s sleeve: “Let’s go to the Heavenly Realm. Once we settle this matter, we can live our own life.”
“Alright.”
When Siming and Changyuan returned to the Nine Heavens, everything was in chaos. The Heavenly Realm, peaceful for too long, had forgotten how to resist powerful enemies. The demons were fierce warriors by nature and showed no mercy, leaving the white cloud paths within the Heavenly Gates stained crimson with blood. Siming was shocked at the sight, then became furiously angry. This place had been her home for thousands of years. She could complain about it and mock it, but she absolutely wouldn’t tolerate outsiders violating it.
She took the Scale Sword from Changyuan’s hand and said coldly: “The Demon Realm goes too far…”
“Whimper…”
A familiar crying sound reached Siming’s ears. She turned to look and saw that Orchid had somehow hidden behind a broken pillar at the Heavenly Gates, red-eyed and looking at her pitifully: “Whimper, whimper.”
Siming was startled: “You’re still alive?” As soon as she said this, she slapped her mouth. Thinking of how she had left Orchid alone in the Heavenly Realm to face this disaster, Siming felt very guilty and called out softly: “Don’t be afraid, Lan. Tell me who bullied you, and I’ll go beat them up.”
“Mas… Master. Whimper, I thought you didn’t want me anymore…” She cried until her nose was red. “The people who attacked are so fierce. They killed the people guarding me in the Astronomical Temple. I hid in my true form, and they didn’t find me. I… I barely escaped, and I was about to go down to the mortal realm to find you, but… but you left me behind before, and I was afraid you wouldn’t want me down there. Whimper, if you don’t want me, I won’t want you either. Humph!”
Seeing her still throwing a tantrum even now, Siming didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. With no time for jokes, Siming asked: “Where did the demons go?”
“Hmph, I won’t tell you that they’ve attacked the Celestial Palace!” Orchid pouted. “And I definitely won’t tell you they were shouting about reviving the Demon Lord!”
Siming’s expression changed, and even Changyuan furrowed his brows. They exchanged glances, seeing doubt in each other’s eyes.
Before the ancient divine dragons disappeared and were exterminated, the Nine Abyss Demon Lord had been jointly slain by the ancient gods and Buddhas due to his brutal nature and overwhelming power. Now these demons were shouting about reviving the Demon Lord and attacking the Celestial Palace – what for?
Siming patted Orchid’s head: “Be good and hide. I’ll go with your… uncle-in-law to fight the bad guys.”
Orchid’s eyes bulged as she stared at Changyuan beside them. Soon tears began falling again: “You really, you don’t want me anymore. You found a man and don’t want me anymore!” Saying this, she wiped her bitter tears and ran away in anguish.
Changyuan watched Orchid’s retreating figure: “Your pet?”
Siming nodded, smiling: “Her crying is quite interesting, isn’t it?”
Changyuan nodded: “It is rather interesting.”
“I think so too. But let’s hurry to the Celestial Palace, lest the Heavenly Emperor gets his vitals opened – that would be a loss of face for both the immortals and me.”
The Celestial Palace, situated at the highest point of the Heavenly Realm, had lost its usual tranquility. Layers of black demonic energy rose and swirled above, while the sounds of battle and the flashing lights of magical weapons assaulted everyone’s senses. Blood flowed everywhere, emanating a nauseating stench.
A demon soldier, blood-crazed, charged straight at Siming. She raised an eyebrow, catching in her peripheral vision Changyuan’s Scale Sword turning – the charging soldier instantly turned to ash. But the sword energy didn’t dissipate there. It grew faster, transforming from invisible to visible, like an ever-growing blade cutting through vegetables, cleaving through all obstacles before finally striking the high cloud stairs before the Celestial Palace with a thunderous boom before dispersing.
This sudden move stunned both the gods and demons locked in a fierce battle.
All eyes focused on the suddenly appearing man and woman.
Siming hadn’t expected Changyuan’s single sword strike to create such a spectacle. She coughed lightly and whispered in his ear: “We should keep a lower profile.”
Before she finished speaking, a figure in rainbow-colored robes suddenly appeared at the peak of the Celestial Palace. Standing against the wind, his colored ribbons dancing, he held up a black spirit tablet above his head. A green light suddenly shot down from the black clouds above, striking directly into the tablet.
He shouted: “Welcome the Demon Lord’s return to the world!”
The demon horde immediately became excited: “Welcome the Demon Lord’s return to the world!”
The assembled gods’ expressions changed dramatically. Suddenly, sounds began emanating from within the Celestial Palace. Initially barely audible, they gradually grew louder. Everyone listened carefully and realized it was the Buddhist chant of the Heaven Purification Technique – a skill only the Heavenly Emperor possessed and could use.
Cleansing the world’s filth, washing away all demonic energy. It was an extremely powerful demon-suppressing technique.
But using this technique required sacrificing one’s life.
The gods who heard this Buddhist chant felt both joy and sorrow. Some even burst into loud tears, calling out that the Heavenly Emperor was benevolent to sacrifice himself to save all living beings.
Siming lowered her eyes, feeling emotional, when she heard Changyuan say “Not good.” Her heart jumped as she looked up, seeing another beam of green light shoot down from the black clouds of concentrated demonic energy, striking directly into the Celestial Palace. The Buddhist chants faltered, and when they resumed, they were much weaker.
The black clouds above grew denser. Some demon soldiers even sacrificed themselves, transforming into streams of demonic energy that shot upward, all to help their Demon Lord return to the Three Realms. Lightning flashed within the black clouds, mixed with rolling thunder. More and more green lights shot downward, striking randomly. Anyone hit immediately turned into black smoke and vanished.
Changyuan held Siming close as they dodged a randomly falling green light. His eyes darkened as golden light covered his black pupils. He created a barrier around Siming, enclosing her inside.
Siming protested: “I’m not weak. I don’t need such protection. I want to fight alongside you.”
Changyuan patted her head soothingly: “I want you to be protected like this.” With those words, he took up the Scale Sword and left the barrier. Siming tried to grab him but couldn’t hold him back. She pounded on the barrier, cursing loudly.
Though Changyuan was now incredibly powerful, the Demon Lord had been famous for his combat prowess in ancient times. Even before fully materializing, he could already resist the Heaven Purification Technique… There was no guarantee Changyuan wouldn’t be hurt…
The more Siming thought, the more frightened she became. Her gaze followed Changyuan’s figure as he plunged into the black clouds without looking back. Her heart rose to her throat. Afterward, she could only see lightning and thunder in the sky, unable to make out what was happening inside. Siming thought that if Changyuan came out of this safely, she would make him kneel on a nail board for three days and three nights before forgiving him.
The lightning within the black clouds grew more intense, but no more green lights struck downward.
After what seemed like an eternity, the peacock beauty standing at the peak of the Celestial Palace grew increasingly pale. His hands holding the spirit tablet trembled violently. Suddenly, he coughed up black blood, staining his gorgeous robes. As he fell from the peak, no one paid him any attention. The black clouds in the sky suddenly dispersed, vanishing as if shattered.
Only a tall figure holding a black sword stood proudly in the sky. Though his face was somewhat pale and blood lingered at the corner of his lips, no one could deny his power at this moment.
The Demon Lord, whom even the Heaven Purification Technique couldn’t defeat – this dragon… had beaten him.
Changyuan removed the barrier and walked slowly toward Siming. When he reached her, he said quietly: “See? You’re safe, so I’m safe.”
Siming raised a claw, initially intending to hit him, but hearing these words made her heart soften. Instead, she hooked her arms around his neck, burrowing into his embrace while fiercely saying: “When we get back, you’re going to kneel on the nail board!”
“Back where?” Changyuan asked.
Back where… Siming suddenly realized that although they had vowed to travel the world together, they should also need a home – a home that could accommodate both of them and their many future dragon eggs.
Siming poked her head out of Changyuan’s embrace to see the demon soldiers retreating in defeat, while the heavenly gods merely watched them warily, their expressions suggesting they feared Changyuan might turn to destroy the world at any moment.
Not one person truly wanted to trust Changyuan or her. Their life together would likely face suspicion every day.
Siming felt exhausted at the thought.
“Siming,” Changyuan suddenly said, “I suddenly want to return to the Void of Ten Thousand Heavens.” In such a place, there would be no disgusted looks, no wariness, and suspicion, nothing except loneliness…
But with each other for company, what loneliness could there be?
“Good, let’s return to the Void of Ten Thousand Heavens,” Siming paused before continuing, “Though half of it has been destroyed, and even with Long An’s life sacrifice for the seal, it can’t return to its former state… If we want to repair the barrier, we’d need the Heavenly Emperor’s help.”
Changyuan frowned: “Then let’s not return. I won’t accept his help.”
Siming laughed: “Silly, he’d be eager to seal us in. We’d be doing him a huge favor.”
As they were talking, they saw Crane Immortal supporting the Heavenly Emperor as he emerged from the Celestial Palace. He stood on the high cloud stairs, looking down at Siming and Changyuan. Siming smiled up at him: “My lord, what do you think?”
After a long silence, he spoke coldly: “As you wish.”
Repairing the barrier of the Void of Ten Thousand Heavens took considerable time. Siming used this period to take Changyuan around. They went to the mortal realm and saw that Chen Zui and Ji Ling had finally broken through worldly constraints, left Wu Fang, and gotten together. They saw that Chang Wu had given up cultivation, choosing to be reborn as a mortal in the next life. The only regret before entering the Void was that the little Orchid, who had cried about not wanting her master anymore, had truly disappeared. No one knew where she had gone. Siming thought that with her temperament, she would probably suffer quite a bit out there.
But isn’t suffering also a form of tempering?
The Void of Ten Thousand Heavens lay far on the horizon. The Heavenly Emperor dispatched Mo Xi and Three Lives to escort them.
Before entering the barrier, Three Lives said to Siming: “If you want to escape now, I can be responsible for covering both my and my husband’s eyes. We won’t see anything.”
Mo Xi sighed but didn’t object.
Siming held Changyuan’s hand and smiled, saying: “Even if we escaped today, the Emperor would eventually learn of it and come trouble us again, as he’s determined to believe Changyuan will destroy the world… But can everything be arranged by fate alone? Like the three lives you and Mo Xi experienced – my fate was predetermined early on, yet you disrupted it. And like the fate I wrote for myself, I wanted the dragons to return to heaven and earth, but now I’m staying in the Void with Changyuan instead. Who says fate must always come true? We’re returning to the Void not just to keep ill-intentioned people from slandering us, but also hoping that from now on, we can live peacefully together.”
Changyuan stroked Siming’s head: “Along with our dragon eggs.”
Three Lives smiled and pulled out a brush from her robes, placing it in Siming’s hand: “I admire you. Here’s a small farewell gift.”
Siming accepted it without ceremony: “Farewell then.”
Watching their figures gradually disappear into the darkness, Three Lives suddenly felt her eyes stinging. She suddenly called out loudly: “Hey! There’s nothing in there – aren’t you afraid?”
But the voices from inside could no longer reach outside.
Entering the Void of Ten Thousand Heavens, all outside sounds vanished, leaving only Three Lives’ question echoing in their ears: “Aren’t you afraid?”
“We’re not afraid.”
Siming looked at Changyuan beside her, holding the brush Three Lives had given her, playfully drawing flower petal shapes on his face. She laughed softly:
“With you here, everywhere is peaceful, everywhere blooms with flowers.”
Suddenly, the flower petals Siming had drawn appeared in mid-air. Pink petals fell softly from the brush tip, floating in the darkness of the Void.
Siming was startled, staring blankly at Changyuan, who also looked somewhat surprised: “This brush…”
After thinking for a moment, Siming burst into hearty laughter: “In the mortal world, they say my brush determines life, while the Judge’s brush determines death. When I was Siming, I wrote fates with divine power, but when Three Lives served as the Star Lord of Fate, she must have lacked divine power and tricked the brush from the Judge of the Underworld. Now with one stroke of my brush, there is both life and death – what in heaven and earth doesn’t exist between life and death? Oh Three Lives, Three Lives, you’ve given me the power of creation – what a grand gift indeed!”
“Changyuan, shall I use this brush to compose a painting of the floating world for you, to recreate the splendor of the mortal realm?”
“Good.” Changyuan held Siming in his arms. “But first, we need dragon eggs.”
“Oh… now?”
“If you want…”