“Yan Zhen? Is that you?”
Zi Xunyi’s expression brimmed with anticipation and tension. Her gaze swept around the room, and her divine sense spread outward.
Seeing this, Yan Zhen did not hesitate to reveal himself.
“Zi Ji!”
Their gazes collided with that single call, and they stared at each other in a daze.
It had been three years since they last met. Zi Xunyi had shed her girlish innocence, blossoming into an even more noble and beautiful woman. The mature allure between her brows was particularly captivating.
“Zi Ji, I’m here.”
“Yan Zhen!”
Zi Xunyi could hold back no longer. She flung herself at him like a swallow returning to its nest and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
Yan Zhen caught Zi Ji smoothly, embracing her just as tightly.
Feeling each other’s familiar scent and warmth, their hearts drew closer and closer until they melted into a long, loving deep kiss.
When their lips finally parted, the young couple gazed at each other from mere inches away, neither willing to look away.
Zi Xunyi murmured, “You’re finally here, Yan Zhen. I’ve been waiting for you all along.”
Yan Zhen gazed at her affectionately. “I’m sorry, Zi Ji, for making you wait so long. We won’t be parted again.”
“You came here—does that mean you’ve become the Saint Son?”
“Yes. This time, I came with my master to propose marriage to the Heavenly God Clan.”
At the mention of the proposal, a shy smile bloomed on Zi Xunyi’s face, joy mingling with her bashfulness. But she quickly remembered her current situation, and her expression turned to worry.
“They didn’t give you any trouble, did they?”
Yan Zhen looked a little embarrassed. “We’ve only met Zixiao Saint Lord once, and she doesn’t seem to approve.”
“Sigh, I knew it,” Zi Xunyi said apologetically. “After I returned to the clan, I underwent the baptism of the Bloodline Awakening Ritual. My bloodline evolved to ninety-nine percent god-level. Now the clan elders don’t want me marrying out, and they’ve been restricting my contact with outsiders. Wait—that means you snuck in here?”
“Yeah,” Yan Zhen admitted weakly. “I wanted to see you. Zixiao Saint Lord wouldn’t allow it, so I came on my own.”
Zi Xunyi’s heart sank at his words. She grabbed Yan Zhen’s hand and hurried him deeper into the hall, then shut the door behind them. As they made their way toward the bedroom, she said, “You’re insane, Yan Zhen! Trespassing in the Celestial God Palace is a grave offense. If anyone discovers you, it’ll be disastrous.”
Yan Zhen scratched his head. “I just couldn’t wait any longer to see you, Zi Ji—and Ling’er, too.”
Her heart touched, Zi Xunyi’s beautiful eyes filled with even deeper affection. She said coquettishly, “Who did you want to see more—me or Ling’er?”
“Both of you,” Yan Zhen said with a grin. “How’s Ling’er doing, by the way?”
“She’s sleeping.” Zi Xunyi touched her belly. “This little one is a real night owl for some reason—sleeps all day and only wakes up at night to chat with me.”
“That makes sense. Her divine soul is probably too strong, so she sleeps a lot.”
“I think that’s it, too. I just don’t know if it’s a good thing or not.”
“Of course it’s good! When Ling’er is born, she’ll already be a Divine Soul Expert—a perfect seedling for a Pill Refiner.”
Zi Xunyi smiled softly, her eyes brimming with hope for her daughter’s birth.
Under Zi Ji’s guidance, Yan Zhen stepped into her boudoir for the first time.
The script had described it in detail, so the room felt familiar to him at first glance. It was, overall, an incredibly luxurious space.
The dominant color was still purple. In the center stood a nine-tiered dais, upon which lay a round princess bed draped in flowing curtains. At the foot of the bed curved a glass stool.
Yan Zhen looked around curiously, but Zi Xunyi gave him a light swat. “Don’t go staring at everything in a girl’s room!”
Unfazed, Yan Zhen sat with Zi Xunyi on the glass stool at the bed’s foot. They shared another deep, passionate kiss—one that left her cheeks flushed and her eyes dazed—before he reluctantly pulled away.
Deprived of intimacy for so long, Zi Xunyi found herself lost in the sweet tangle of their lips and tongues. But she didn’t dare indulge. Instead, she turned to serious matters.
“Yan Zhen, have you reached the Mystic Venerable Realm?”
He nodded. “That’s right. I’m a One-Star Mystic Venerable now—just a tiny bit behind you, Zi Ji.”
She laughed despite herself. “I’m a Nine-Star Mystic Venerable. But a One-Star Mystic Venerable is plenty. Once you’re in the Mystic Venerable Realm, you’ll have the chance to take the clan’s test. Pass that, and no one can oppose our marriage.”
Yan Zhen wrapped his arm around his God Maiden wife’s slender waist. “That’s exactly my plan. Don’t worry—I’ll pass the test and bring you home, Zi Ji.”
“A normal test probably wouldn’t stump you. I’m just worried they’ll make it deliberately difficult.”
“Even if they do, I’ll get through it. Don’t underestimate this One-Star Mystic Venerable of mine. I could hold my own against a Supreme in a straight fight.”
His confidence lit a sparkle in Zi Xunyi’s eyes. “I can sense more than five powerful forces in your body. Are they all Extreme Flames?”
Yan Zhen hummed in affirmation. “I’ve refined seven Extreme Flames in total. The strongest is the Xuan Huang Dual Qi Flame. Thanks to it, I was able to break through the Restraint Seal and slip in here.”
“The Xuan Huang Dual Qi Flame ranks eighth on the Extreme Flame List—even higher than my Jade Firmament Purple Dome Flame. How did you get it, Yan Zhen?”
“I fused it from the Taiyin Primordial Fire and the Solar Essence Flame.”
“Fusing Extreme Flames? Wasn’t that incredibly dangerous?”
“It wasn’t too bad. The result was a success, anyway.”
Zi Xunyi fell silent. She finally realized just how much effort Yan Zhen had poured into coming to the Heavenly God Clan to propose.
Three years ago, he had only been at the Mystic General Realm. Now he was in the Mystic Venerable Realm—an ascent of four major realms in three years. The astonishing speed came at the cost of his reckless adventures in cultivation.
With his talent, he hadn’t needed to push himself so hard.
“You’ve worked so hard, Yan Zhen.”
“I’m not the one who worked hard—you are, Zi Ji. Bearing the stress of pregnancy alone, hiding it from everyone around you… That was my failure.”
“Don’t say that.” Zi Xunyi gently covered her lover’s mouth. “If you hadn’t shown up when you did, Ling’er’s consciousness might have faded away. I never could have forgiven myself.”
“That’s all in the past.” Yan Zhen took Zi Ji’s jade hand in his. It felt soft as boneless jade, tender and smooth. “Ling’er’s doing fine now. When the time comes, you’ll give birth to her safely.”
Blushing, Zi Xunyi nodded. Then she asked suddenly, “By the way, how’s Sister Cai Lian? Has she had Yan’er yet?”
Mentioning his eldest daughter brought a wry smile to Yan Zhen’s face. “Yeah, Yan’er was born almost a year ago. But she used the Three Flowers Gathering Spirit Fire to grow super fast right from birth. She looks four or five years old now.”
“She can do that? That’s so like her.”
“Isn’t it? She’s charging around Holy Son Peak like a wild bull these days. Even Little Long Ying finds her exhausting.”
“Little Long Ying? Haha, she gets along great with Yan’er and Ling’er.”
Yan Zhen looked into Zi Xunyi’s eyes. After a brief hesitation, he asked, “Zi Ji, have you fused with your past life’s self yet?”
She shook her head. “No, I only viewed my past life’s memories once. But back then, I kept the same schedule as Ling’er—sleeping in dreams during the day.”
