Saint Emperor Devourer of Heaven

That humanoid being has awakened!

In an instant, the wisps of aura emanating from it transformed into terrifying order dao patterns, sweeping outwards with overwhelming ferocity.

Jun Wuxie felt a sense of horror, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

At this moment, not to mention moving, even his soul was imprisoned, and his thoughts had ceased.

“Emperor-level fluctuations…”

Ji Yinlan, unlike Jun Wuxie and Ling Qingyu, was not completely immobilized.

Her expression changed instantly, and her body moved as if teleporting, blocking Jun Wuxie's path.

Her entire being was radiating light, with ten thousand streams of celestial radiance. Her past life's Dao Fruit bloomed, passively awakening under the pressure of this aura, and a majestic celestial goddess figure emerged.

Almost simultaneously, a figure in white, purer than snow, suddenly appeared before them, gently flicking its flowing sleeves.

A wisp of order ripples spread out, surging forward.

The terrifying murderous intent released by the being being suppressed silently annihilated in the void.

“Seal! Heaven! Extinguish! Earth!”

The figure in white, purer than snow, formed hand seals, and brilliant celestial light bloomed. A massive sealing array diagram condensed, flying into the sky and pressing downwards, with waterfall-like order celestial light cascading down, enveloping the entire corrosive area.

In an instant, the terrifying world-destroying fluctuations vanished.

Jun Wuxie abruptly awoke, like someone who had been holding their breath for too long. His body swayed, his chest heaving violently, and a fierce gasping sound came from his throat.

He coughed heavily several times before returning to normal, his entire body already soaked in cold sweat.

Beside him, Ling Qingyu was also in the same state, her entire body slumped on the ground.

Jun Wuxie, still shaken, took two steps forward, grasped Ji Yinlan's hand, and, looking at the woman in white who was facing away from them, called out, “Ye Qingxue.”

The woman in white, purer than snow, slowly turned around, wearing the bronze mask on her face, revealing only those deep eyes that seemed to contain the stars of the heavens. Who else could it be but Ye Qingxue?

She calmly looked at Jun Wuxie, her gaze falling on their intertwined hands. Suddenly, without warning, she removed the mask from her face and threw it directly at Jun Wuxie.

Caught off guard, he was struck in the face by the mask, leaving several red marks.

Without the mask, Ye Qingxue's face was shrouded in the mist of the Great Dao, still only revealing her eyes.

Jun Wuxie was completely stunned, not knowing why she had suddenly lost her temper.

In his memory, no matter what the situation, even when he had angered her to the point of demanding the return of the mask, she had never laid a hand on him.

Now, she actually used the mask to hit him directly!

This kind of action was simply too inconsistent with her identity…

“What's wrong with you?”

Jun Wuxie's mind couldn't process it. He really didn't understand what he had done to offend her, causing her to be so agitated.

However, she still maintained enough rationality, perfectly controlling her power. Otherwise, that blow would have shattered not just him, but the entire universe.

Ji Yinlan looked at Ye Qingxue, then looked at Jun Wuxie, whose hand was intertwined with her own. Suddenly, she understood something, hastily separating her hand from his and pushing him towards Ye Qingxue.

Jun Wuxie came back to his senses, bent down to pick up the bronze mask, carefully wiping away the dust on it, and walked to Ye Qingxue.

He handed the mask to Ye Qingxue, saying, “I heard from Aunt You that you left for a while. Seeing you back, I feel relieved. Did things go smoothly?”

Ye Qingxue didn't speak, only looked at him.

Her eyes were deep and boundless, with endless stars twinkling within, making it impossible to see what she was thinking.

“It's been a long time since we last met. Do you have to be like this as soon as we meet?”

Jun Wuxie sighed. The former Nannan was so well-behaved, it was impossible for her to treat him like this.

The little girl had really grown up, become stronger, and her temper had also grown.

Ye Qingxue waved her hand, and a flash of light formed a barrier, enveloping Ji Yinlan and Ling Qingyu, isolating them from seeing and hearing everything outside.

At this moment, the mist of the Great Dao on her face dissipated, revealing a face that eclipsed the sun and moon.

“I shouldn’t have bothered with you. I should have let you die.”

Her tone was calm, but her words didn't sound that way.

“No, what exactly did I do to offend you?”

Jun Wuxie was speechless. Her temper was flaring up somewhat inexplicably.

“You didn’t offend me. I offended myself.”

Jun Wuxie: …

He shook his head and put the bronze mask on his face, revealing only his eyes.

Looking at Ye Qingxue in front of him, he suddenly called out, “Nannan.”

Ye Qingxue’s delicate body trembled slightly.

The face before her overlapped with the face in her memory.

Her red lips trembled, and those star-twinkling eyes gradually gained a human touch, even becoming slightly moist.

“You…”

She reached out to touch the mask on Jun Wuxie's face, her hand trembling slightly, but stopped just before making contact.

“Don’t think that I’m still the little girl in your memory. I’m not anymore!”

She suddenly withdrew her hand, then stretched it out again in front of Jun Wuxie, saying, “The mask, give it back to me!”

Jun Wuxie took off the mask, but instead of placing it in her hand, he grabbed her hand instead.

“Let go!”

Ye Qingxue’s delicate body trembled slightly, she said coldly.

“Let’s take a walk.”

Jun Wuxie ignored her, saying it to himself. He glanced at the corrosive area that she had sealed off, and regardless of whether she was willing or not, he pulled her towards the strange riverbank.

Ye Qingxue didn’t struggle, only letting him pull her along with a cold expression.

They quickly arrived at the edge of the dark green river, strolling along the bank.

For a long time, they remained silent.

Finally, Jun Wuxie broke the silence, sighing, “Are you still blaming me?”

“I’m not. I’m not worthy.”

Ye Qingxue said faintly, her words sounding somewhat resentful no matter how one listened.

At this moment, she no longer seemed to be the aloof, untainted Celestial Emperor, but an ordinary woman with worldly emotions.

Jun Wuxie smiled wryly, “Back then…”

“It’s not about back then.” Ye Qingxue interrupted him, saying, “I’m just angry at the current you!”

Jun Wuxie paused, suddenly seeming to understand something.

He couldn’t help but smile, saying, “I understand.”

“What do you understand?”

“I just understand, but I won’t say it. Otherwise, where would the face of you, the Emperor-level powerhouse, be?”

Ye Qingxue was slightly silent, then stopped walking, turning to gaze at him, saying, “Do you think I’m ridiculous?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Where in the world is there a Celestial Emperor who can’t even control their own emotions?”

“Because you’re Nannan, so in front of me, you’re destined to be unable to control your emotions. That’s not ridiculous. Celestial Emperors are also powerful individuals who cultivated from humans, possessing human emotions, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. It’s only natural. Should Celestial Emperor powerhouses always put on airs? It’s just that upon reaching that realm, their thoughts, their pursuits, are different. But if there’s always an obsession in their heart, then that’s another matter…”

Ye Qingxue remained silent, not speaking.

Then, she silently used her slender, soft fingers to pry open Jun Wuxie’s fingers, passing through the gaps between his fingers, intertwining her fingers with his.

“Do you know, I’ve never forgotten this feeling, even if that memory was sealed by my father. When I remembered it, it was still so familiar, as if it were yesterday…”

Jun Wuxie's heart trembled slightly, saying, “I’ll have more time to accompany you in the Town Spirit Pagoda in the future.”

Ye Qingxue didn’t respond to his words, murmuring to herself, “For you, it’s only been a little over twenty years, but for me, it’s been a full 160 million years…”

Jun Wuxie didn’t reply, only silently intertwining his fingers with hers, strolling along the riverbank.

His heart was heavy, filled with guilt.

Although he knew that even if he hadn’t fought that battle back then, he still wouldn’t have been able to keep Nannan.

But she had endured such torment for such a long period of time. What a lonely and desolate time it must have been.

One hundred and sixty million years was an unimaginable length of time for him…

Looking back at these twenty years, he felt as if he had lived another life. One hundred and sixty million years… what kind of concept was that?

As they walked, he felt the slender hand in his was rapidly shrinking.

He couldn’t help but be startled, turning his head to look, but Ye Qingxue was no longer there.

He was holding the hand of a little girl, about four or five years old, with pigtails, a dirty face, wearing tattered little clothes and small shoes with toe holes.

In that instant, he seemed to have returned to the past, to those beautiful days.

“Nannan…”

His voice couldn’t help but choke, his eyes welling up with tears.

“Big brother.”

The little girl looked up, her big eyes bright and clear, pure and innocent.

He took off his sword robe, wrapped it around her, and picked her up, just staring at her blankly.

“Big brother, Nannan misses you so much, so, so much.”

Tears welled up in the little Nannan’s eyes, her small arms hugging his neck, pressing her face against his, rubbing affectionately.

Tears flowed from her eyes, wetting her own face and his.

“Big brother knows, big brother will never leave Nannan again, never will, but Nannan, don’t always be angry with big brother, okay?”

“Mmm.”

She smiled through her tears, planting a kiss on his face.

Jun Wuxie smiled, gently scratching her little nose, saying, “Nannan will eventually grow up, will eventually grow into a big girl, but no matter what Nannan becomes, in big brother’s heart, you’ll always be the little girl who makes my heart ache.”

He knew that Ye Qingxue’s obsession with the past was too deep, which was why she had transformed herself into her childhood appearance.

But she didn't want to be constantly trapped in the past, as that wouldn't be good for the state of mind of an Emperor-level powerhouse.

“Big brother has protected Nannan for so many years, so when Nannan grows up, she will protect big brother too. Only when Nannan grows up can she protect you…”

There was a deep reluctance in Nannan's eyes, but her body was gradually changing, and soon she transformed back into Ye Qingxue's appearance.

Since she was in Jun Wuxie's arms when she transformed into Nannan's form, she was still in his arms at this moment, being held by him.

“Open your heart and don't separate the past too much from the present. It's all part of your life, and it should be complete. Whether you are the fragile little girl from back then, or the Heavenly Emperor powerhouse of today, in my heart, there has never been the slightest change. You are you, the person who once spent day and night with me, and even more so, one of the most important people in my life.”

Jun Wuxie enlightened her. He was just a Saint Realm cultivator, and even adding his previous life, he was only a God Realm cultivator, yet here he was, enlightening a Heavenly Emperor. It was quite laughable to say the least.

But this Heavenly Emperor indeed had a knot in her heart, a knot that should be impossible for a powerhouse of the Heavenly Emperor Realm to have.

This knot in her heart, only he could untie it. It had nothing to do with the level of cultivation, only because it was him, and that was all…

“Meeting you back then was both fate and calamity, and I will spend my entire life to face this calamity…”

Ye Qingxue came down from him, interlocking her fingers with his, and walked side by side.

Jun Wuxie could feel that the knot in her heart seemed to have been untied a lot, at least she was no longer as tangled as before.

“I disappointed you once before, and there won't be a second time. In the future, I will definitely stand at the same height as you, or even surpass you. At that time, I will still stand in front of you, shielding you from wind and rain, just like back then…”

His voice was calm, but very firm, as if he was making a vow and giving a promise.

“I will wait for you, and I will assist you, protect you on your path, until you surpass me. I will always wait for that day to come, when we fight side by side, carving out a prosperous world. Then, the rest of our lives will be eternal…”

Ye Qingxue said softly, clasping his hand even tighter.