Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

The moonlight, as clear as water, spilled over the massive canopy of the Myriad Spirits Tree, making each leaf seem to breathe, exhaling a pale green glow.

Beneath the sacred tree, Jiang Yining leaned against a soft couch.

She wasn't wearing her usual comfortable outfit today, but instead wore a shimmering red silk dress.

The red was extremely vibrant, yet it couldn't suppress the coolness between her brows; instead, it exuded a breathtaking allure.

On the table, two jars of "Drunken Immortal Brew" have been opened, their rich aroma mingling with the fresh scent of the sacred tree, fermenting in the air.

Ji Lingxiao stopped three steps away.

He stared at this familiar scene, his breath catching in his throat.

This scene was just like the first time he saw her in the forbidden area of ​​the Sword Sect.

She was also dressed in fiery red back then, but she was the hunter who planned every step of the way, while he was the prey waiting to be slaughtered.

"What are you standing there for?"

Jiang Yining swirled the white jade wine cup in her hand, tilted her head slightly, and glanced at his restrained figure out of the corner of her eye. A half-smile curled at the corner of her lips. "Afraid I'll eat you? Sword Master?"

This address of "Sword Master" was uttered with a lingering, slightly tipsy languor.

Ji Lingxiao's Adam's apple bobbed.

He stepped forward, lifted his shirt, and sat down opposite her.

"A-Ning."

He called out, his voice already somewhat hoarse.

"drink."

Jiang Yining didn't give him a chance to get emotional and pushed a glass of wine directly in front of him.

Ji Lingxiao picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. The spicy liquor slid down his throat, but it couldn't extinguish the ever-burning fire in his heart.

"Three years ago..."

Alcohol emboldens the timid. After a few drinks, a ripple finally appeared in Ji Lingxiao's usually icy phoenix eyes.

Fueled by alcohol, he boldly traced her features with his gaze.

"If I hadn't cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness, if I had acted as freely as Ye Wuhen... would things be different between us?"

Over the years, he has watched her navigate the complexities of various factions and how meticulously she manages her finances for the sake of her child.

He hated his own restraint; he was even careful when holding her hand in public.

Jiang Yining put down her wine glass, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at him.

Under the moonlight, this man's handsomeness was beyond reason.

The hint of melancholy about impending parting between his brows made him even more captivating.

There are no "ifs".

She said calmly, "Besides, Ji Lingxiao, I don't like making assumptions."

Ji Lingxiao's eyes darkened, and his hand, which was about to reach for the wine jar, froze.

next second.

A cool, soft hand covered the back of his hand.

Jiang Yining leaned forward, her eyes, which reflected the starry sky, were now filled only with Ji Lingxiao.

I don't talk about "what ifs".

She spoke softly, her fingertips sliding up his hand, little by little, until their fingers intertwined.

"At this moment, you are mine."

"It can only be mine."

"Ah Ning!!"

Ji Lingxiao could no longer care about restraint and forbearance.

He grabbed her hand in return and pulled her forcefully.

The wine glass overturned, spilling the wine.

Jiang Yining fell into that broad, warm embrace.

"Well……"

The unspoken words were swallowed up by a domineering and urgent kiss.

This kiss was unlike the usual fleeting encounters; it carried the madness of an impending separation, as if trying to meld the other person into one's very bones.

Over the years, those who ascended to heaven have never returned, and everyone previously thought it was because they didn't want to come back.

The clues we've obtained from Xingjue indicate that those people either couldn't return or had already perished long ago.

The sacred tree seemed to sense this intense emotion as well.

The branches and leaves of the tree shyly curled up, and countless vines hung down, like a natural curtain, completely covering this area of ​​sky and earth.

"Sizzle—"

Overwhelmed by emotion, Ji Lingxiao could no longer suppress the sword intent within him.

The sharp sword energy spread out, tearing through the surrounding air and emitting a piercing explosion.

"Don't press down," she commanded breathlessly between their lips, "I can take it."

Before she finished speaking, the primal power of the Myriad Spirits Divine Tree within her body emanated.

The green life force, like a gentle tide, instantly enveloped the raging silver sword energy.

This was an unprecedented dual cultivation.

It is no longer a simple exchange of spiritual energy, but a deep fusion at the fundamental level.

The pure Yang sword intent at the peak of Mahayana cultivation nourishes the myriad spirit divine tree.

The ever-renewing vitality of the sacred tree soothed Ji Lingxiao's hidden injuries and stabilized his soul.

"Ah Ning...look at me..."

Ji Lingxiao's voice was tinged with intense lust, his usual aloofness completely gone.

He was like a child who was anxious and insecure, constantly seeking her response.

"Don't look at Bai Ze's tail..."

"And you're not allowed to accept Chu Jinglan's fan..."

"And you are absolutely forbidden from cutting any meat for Ye Wuhen..."

He kept rambling in her ear, listing all the vinegar he had accumulated over the years, each sentence accompanied by a possessive gesture.

Jiang Yining was both angry and amused by him, and could only tilt her head back and endure "one strong complaint after another".

"Shut up... You're the Sword Master... not a complaining woman..."

She ran her fingers through his dark hair, her red lips parted slightly, and she let out a broken moan.

boom--

At that moment, their souls collided without reservation.

Ji Lingxiao felt as if a crack had opened up deep within his soul, and something had shattered completely.

That was the bottleneck in his Daoist mind that had troubled him for a thousand years.

In that instant, he completely entered into "the deepest emotion".

A miniature silver sword phantom slowly appeared in Jiang Yining's sea of ​​consciousness.

That was Ji Lingxiao's natal sword seal.

He transformed it into the strongest shield, deeply imprinting it into the deepest part of Jiang Yining's soul.

This is the oath of the Sword Master Lingxiao, and also the last mark he left in this world:

This woman is my wife.

Anyone who harms her, whether in the highest heavens or the deepest hells, will be killed by my sword.

……

Its daybreak.

As the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds, a deep rumble of thunder followed.

"Boom!"

This thunder was louder than ever before, as if the heavens were roaring angrily: The time has come!

The sacred tree curtain slowly unfurled.

Ji Lingxiao opened his eyes, the madness in them long gone, replaced by an unprecedented clarity and sharpness.

He looked down at the woman who was still sleeping in his arms.

Jiang Yining seemed extremely tired, with tear stains still clinging to the corners of her eyes, and her body covered in ambiguous red marks and faint lingering sword intent.

Ji Lingxiao twitched his fingers slightly, and a cleansing spell was cast, washing away the stickiness from his body.

He got up and gently picked up the clothes that had been tossed aside, dressing her piece by piece.

Every button was fastened meticulously.

Then, Ji Lingxiao took out a prepared snail-shaped ink stick from his storage ring.

The Sword Master, who had never done anything like this before, could hold the sword that had killed countless people with unwavering composure, but now he was holding a thin eyebrow pencil, and his fingertips were trembling slightly.

He held his breath and carefully traced the shape of her eyebrows.

One stroke, two strokes.

As the last stroke was made, Jiang Yining's long eyelashes trembled, and she opened her eyes.

Their eyes met, but there was no lingering, poignant attempt to keep them apart.

The farewells of adults are often silent.

"It's drawn crookedly."

Jiang Yining took out a mirror at some point, glanced at herself, and then criticized her mercilessly.

Ji Lingxiao's hand froze, somewhat at a loss: "I... I'll practice next time."

"Where to practice?" Jiang Yining put down the mirror and stared at him intently. "Up there, to find other women for you to practice with?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Ji Lingxiao straightened up, and the arrogance that belonged to the Sword Master returned to him.

At this moment, he no longer needed to suppress his cultivation.

The surrounding space began to distort, and a huge vortex appeared in the sky, with golden pillars of light faintly visible.

"A-Ning."

He stood with his back to the light, as if at the crossroads of two worlds.

"I'll go ahead and scout ahead."

Ji Lingxiao's voice was calm, yet carried a convincing power, "You can cultivate peacefully in the lower realm and make arrangements for the children before coming up."

"Wait until I... slaughter those guys up there who treat us like pets."

Jiang Yining gripped the jade slip in her hand, which still held his warmth.

He couldn't resist giving it to her last night; it contained all the savings he had accumulated in his life and all the land deeds of the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Her eyes were slightly red, but the corners of her mouth stubbornly turned up, revealing a wild and arrogant smile.

"Fool."

"Who's going to wait for you?"

Jiang Yining smiled confidently: "Those people should wash their necks clean and wait for me to come up and collect protection money!"

Ji Lingxiao smiled.

That smile was like ice and snow melting away, like spring flowers blooming.

He gave her one last, deep look, as if trying to etch that smile into his very soul.

Then he turned around, drew his sword, and strode towards the sky filled with lightning.

The desolate square was packed with people.

Today, the entire city of Desolate Abyss is under martial law.

Tens of thousands of cultivators, dressed in uniform armor, stood in formation, ready to fight.

This is not for war, but for a farewell.

Send the strongest man in this world to another battlefield.

The news that the Upper Realm was using the Floating Cloud Realm as a "pasture" had already been spread by the cultivators of the Desolate Abyss, and everyone knew about the hardships after ascension.

Below the high platform, five little dumplings cried so loudly it shook the heavens and the earth.

"Daddy! Waaaaah!"

Jiang Lei cried the most, snot bubbles coming out of his nose, and he clung tightly to Ji Lingxiao's leg.

The cool little swordsman image from last night has long since crumbled; now he's just a child who can't bear to part with his father.

Even when facing the heavenly tribulation, Ji Lingxiao remained calm, but now he was at a loss for what to do because his son was crying.

"I don't want you... Let go, Lei is coming down."

"No! Unless you take me with you!"

"Wow—I want to go too!"

Sanbao pounced on him, hanging onto the other leg: "I want to go to the Upper Realm to eat big birds too!"