Fifty years later, in the Yuehua Area.

“Draw a tile!”

“Hey! I won.”

“No way! It doesn’t count, Shi Zhao, you’re cheating! Let’s start over!” Little Shuiyang swiftly disrupted the tiles on the table.

Shi Zhao protested, “You two are ganging up on me. Who’s really cheating here?”

Feigning innocence, Zhen Yin said, “Little Shuiyang and I are fair and just. We’re not cheating at all.”

“Exactly. Shi Zhao, you’ve won a few rounds already. It’s normal to win one or two rounds, but winning every single round? There must be something fishy!”

“I agree with Little Shuiyang!”

The two of them were completely in sync, making Shi Zhao realize they wanted Little Shuiyang to win.

“Get out of here, you blind fool. Blind and full of lies.”

Shi Zhao, resigned, said, “Fine, fine. One more round.”

Little Shuiyang and Zhen Yin secretly rejoiced at their successful scheme.

In the Gaoshang Land.

Amidst the yellow wind and flying sand, a slit appeared at the horizon’s rainbow light, with a wisp of dark green mist flowing out of the crack.

The mist formed and quickly flew toward the Nine Heavens.

Suddenly, the Three Deities, who were playing cards together, felt a strong, familiar divine presence.

The Three Deities stood up as a star in the sky lit up with dazzling brilliance, outshining the sun and moon.

At the same time, both the Ghost Deity Li Yan and the deity Chengqi sensed it too.

Soon, the divine light summoning the Five Deities reached each of them.

Without saying much, the three deities hurried to the Heavenly Realm, to the First Heaven.

Heavenly Realm, Fusheng Land, Zipei Hall.

“Where is this place? Where am I?”

As far as my eyes could see, it was pitch black. I had no idea where I was. I struggled to walk toward the light. I didn’t know how long I had been walking when I vaguely saw a human figure ahead.

Slowly moving forward, that figure became clearer under the dappled light.

Suddenly, I stopped, because there was no figure more familiar to me than this one.

My eyes burned, and tears slid down uncontrollably like broken pearls, scorching every inch of skin they passed.

It felt as if a fireball had lodged in my chest, heavy and burning.

But more than anything, my heart was filled with anticipation, excitement, and grievance. I lost control and started running like mad, falling and getting back up repeatedly. Even though I was battered and bruised, it felt as if I had grown numb to the pain.

Desperately, I fixed my gaze on the figure ahead, fearing that he would vanish if I looked away for even a second. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but here it was as if a thick wall blocked my voice; it simply couldn’t get through.

So close, yet why could I never reach out and touch him?

My pale cheeks were smudged with dirt, and my long black hair was a tangled mess. I looked utterly disheveled, but my eyes were resolute and stubborn.

Finally, I grabbed the corner of my daddy’s robe and crashed into his embrace with a powerful tug.

The warmth and scent were still familiar. Through my tears, I sobbed and called out, “Daddy.”

Lifting my blurred vision, I saw his kind, smiling face.

Now that I have found him again, I would never let go. Never!

Suddenly, Daddy disappeared.

“Qian’er, you must live well!”

“Qian’er, live well!”

…

The voice disappeared, and so did Daddy.

The view was overtaken by a dark mist, countless shadows swarming around me like ghosts. They howled in my ears, tightening their grip. My bones felt like they were about to snap, and my flesh seemed ready to be devoured.

“Daddy!”

I jolted awake from the bed, a thin sheen of sweat covering Bai Qian’s porcelain-like forehead.

Taking in the plain and orderly surroundings, Bai Qian let out a slight sigh of relief.

Her soft and charming eyes held a pair of gleaming dark jade, her gaze light but deep.

Bai Qian rose from the bed, her tiny jade-like feet touching the ground. A string of pink bells adorned her ankle, and the pleasant chime accompanied her gentle steps, filling the room.

As she walked out the door, a refreshing breeze tousled her silky black hair, making her white gauzy dress flutter. The dark blue embroidery along the hem danced like butterflies.

The bell on Bai Qian’s ankle chimed again. She lightly leapt onto the desolate, towering Lanshan Tree in the courtyard, leaning lazily against a branch and closing her eyes.

The gentle breeze warmed Bai Qian, and she instantly felt her body relax, completely at ease atop the Lanshan Tree.

A dark cyan glow fell into the courtyard. As the light faded, a man stood there looking up. His roguish yet cold and handsome face was captivating, with a golden crown binding his long, black chestnut hair. Stray strands fell over his forehead, and his bewitching fox-like red eyes seemed to pierce through souls.

The man had a face like the pale moon, serene and immaculate, with a golden cloud pattern on his left eyebrow.

He wore red tassels dangling from his ears and was dressed in a black and red dark floral robe, exuding elegance and charm.

His gaze upon Bai Qian was warm and gentle, with a playful smile tugging at his lips.

Bai Qian hadn’t noticed his approach, and he didn’t wake her. Quietly, he chanted a spell, and in the blink of an eye, the Lanshan Tree where she lay grew vibrant red leaves. Amid the lush crimson, clusters of blue flowers bloomed, their petals glowing softly with golden veins.

Bai Qian sensed something amiss and opened her eyes. Clusters of Night Bloomers vied for attention, and she found herself wrapped in their fragrance, a mix of temple incense and the scent of burning paper that brought a sense of calm.

She suddenly felt a gaze on her and looked down. Their eyes met.

“Bai Qian!” she exclaimed instinctively.

Whoosh!

With a gust of wind, the Night Bloomers’ petals scattered from the tree. In the midst of the falling petals, her pupils captured the image of a man as perfect as jade, his smile ebbing and flowing with the breeze as if a single drop of water had shattered the stillness of the sea.

“Furen, it has been a long time!”

His voice was husky and rich, as pleasing as a downpour, thoroughly unsettling the ocean of tranquility.

Bai Qian’s mother, Miaohua, was a Deity of the First Heaven, a celestial being who ascended from the Bai Xian Bird.

Her father, Bai Zhi, was Deity Lord Xingxiu of the Third Heaven, bearer of the Xingxiu Token, capable of summoning and commanding the army of twenty-eight celestial constellations.

Even before Bai Qian was born, her father had arranged a marriage for her.

Her future husband was none other than Lord Feng Ang, a Deity Lord of the Third Heaven.

Bai Qian’s deity title was Xijing. When she was ten thousand years old, upheaval broke out among the Devil Clan, leading to the tragic fall of Miaohua and Bai Zhi in the Battle of Gaoshang Land.

Following Deity Lord Bai Zhi’s last wishes, Bai Qian was to marry Feng Ang without mourning for her father, directly entering Zipei Hall.

However, using numerous excuses, Bai Qian delayed the marriage again and again. It wasn’t until ten thousand years later that she finally wed this Deity Lord whom she had never met.

Yet, on their wedding night, chaos erupted once more in Gaoshang Land, and Feng Ang, along with other Deity Lords, went to combat the unrest.

This turmoil concluded with Lord Feng Ang sacrificing himself to seal Gaoshang Land.

Feng Ang did not return.

Since then, Bai Qian had spent nine thousand years alone in Zipei Hall within Fusheng Land in the Heavenly Realm.

She never expected he would come back.

As Shuiyang, one of the Three Deities, saw that dark green beam of light heading towards Fusheng Land, she swiftly flew in that direction, her lips curving in a slight smile. The other two Deities followed immediately.

Along the way, they encountered Li Yan and Chengqi. Now five Deities in total, they dared not delay and hastened towards Fusheng Land.