At this moment, the heavens and earth fell silent.
All the clamor and slaughter did not enter Jun Xiaoyao's ears.
Before him, there was only that peerless figure in snow-white robes, walking out from within the endless, hazy radiance.
Her robes fluttered, her skirt gently swaying.
Her hair, white as Cang Xue, cascaded over her fragrant shoulders.
Her bright eyes were like water, her immortal face like a painting.
She was beautiful, dreamlike, and illusory, as if she would shatter at a single touch, not belonging to this mortal world.
There was an even more transcendent immortal charm flowing from her, as if she might ascend to immortality at any moment.
It was her.
Even though that immortal charm made the person before him seem as if she might ride the wind and leave, the familiar aura, the familiar face, everything—it all made Jun Xiaoyao feel as if he had returned to yesterday.
From the Desolate Heaven Immortal Domain all the way here, to when Jun Xiaoyao entered the Bronze Immortal Palace and her life tablet shattered, causing Jiang Shengyi's black hair to turn white overnight.
Then to the Dark Turmoil, where she resolutely sacrificed her heart, allowing Jun Xiaoyao to achieve the perfect Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo.
This woman had run through the entirety of Jun Xiaoyao's journey.
Those sorrowful yet unforgettable words still faintly echoed in his ears: "May you be like a rock, and I like a reed. The reed is tough as silk, the rock does not shift."
Jun Xiaoyao was not the type of person to easily be moved by emotion.
But at this moment, seeing that long-lost figure appear, Jun Xiaoyao also felt a stirring of emotion in his heart.
That kind of sentiment, those who have not truly experienced the parting of life and Death, would not understand.
"Xiaoyao..."
A voice, clear as heavenly music and gentle as water, rang out.
Jiang Shengyi looked at the man in white robes, her eyes, like autumn waters, fixed on him.
Her tear-filled gaze intertwined with Jun Xiaoyao's.
She knew.
She knew everything.
Because, after fusing the four Souls—Yiyi, Li Xianyao, Xia Guihua—their memories, their thoughts, and every scene of their time with Jun Xiaoyao, Jiang Shengyi knew them all.
It was precisely because she knew that she understood just how much Jun Xiaoyao had done for her.
To find her, he reincarnated into the Boundary Sea.
Except for her life Soul, her three Souls all had Karma and trouble.
In the Xuanhuang Multiverse, to protect Yiyi, he stood against the heroes of the Boundary Sea.
For Li Xianyao, he fought Saint Li and destroyed the Li Clan.
For Xia Guihua, he ignited an Immortal war and wiped out the Holy Dynasty.
All of this, in truth, was for her!
Jun Xiaoyao had paid far too much to find her back!
Yet Jun Xiaoyao still felt guilt in his heart!
Jiang Shengyi's love was uncalculating; even if she were to sink into eternal darkness, it would not matter to her.
But Jun Xiaoyao, the man she deeply loved and who was carved into her Soul, had forcefully pulled her back from the Realm of Death and brought her back to this mortal world.
What kind of perseverance and steadfastness was this?
Looking at Jun Xiaoyao, Jiang Shengyi's vision blurred.
Jun Xiaoyao, however, smiled slightly and said, "Shengyi, welcome back."
There was no moving sentimentality.
Just one simple sentence, "Welcome back," which said it all.
Simple, yet not simple.
How long had Jun Xiaoyao waited to say these words?
Jiang Shengyi walked towards Jun Xiaoyao.
Jun Xiaoyao reached out and pulled Jiang Shengyi into his embrace.
There was no earth-shattering scene.
Separated by life and Death, looking back now, it was merely a simple embrace.
It seemed that this was enough.
"Xiaoyao, I feel as though I've had a very, very long dream, so long that it seemed to have no end..."
Jiang Shengyi, in Jun Xiaoyao's arms, pressed her flawless cheek against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"I know..."
Jun Xiaoyao hugged Jiang Shengyi tighter.
Between life and Death, there is great terror.
Jiang Shengyi had resolutely sacrificed and given for him.
For a woman to face the change of life and Death alone, that was definitely a memory carved into her bones and blood.
No matter how strong Jiang Shengyi was, she was still just a woman after all.
There were times when she would be afraid.
But for Jun Xiaoyao, Jiang Shengyi would not allow herself to feel the slightest bit of cowardice.
"However... it's so good to see you after waking from the dream."
Jiang Shengyi's beautiful eyes were glistening, but her lips carried a smile.
This dream might have been very long and very dark.
But to be able to see the person she wanted to see most after waking up, then all of this was nothing.
Having experienced life and Death and meeting again, although there was sentiment, there was even more joy in breaking through life and Death to reunite.
The greatest regret in the world is the permanent separation of life and Death.
And Jun Xiaoyao had forcefully broken through this boundary of life and Death, pulling Jiang Shengyi back from Death.
Even life and Death could not separate them?
What else was there to fear?
The two embraced, feeling each other's heartbeats.
Although Jun Xiaoyao also wanted to sink into this long-lost gentle embrace, he knew this was not the time to reminisce.
"Shengyi, your cultivation..."
Jun Xiaoyao was surprised when he sensed Jiang Shengyi's aura.
Because at this moment, Jiang Shengyi was already at the Quasi-Emperor Realm!
And not just an ordinary Quasi-Emperor, but a high-level Quasi-Emperor, not far from proving the Dao!
Jiang Shengyi smiled slightly, took Jun Xiaoyao's hand with her jade-like hand, and pressed it against her chest.
"Because of this..."
Jiang Shengyi's delicate body had been reshaped, becoming even more perfect.
And also excessively good!
The soft jade and warm fragrance were indescribable.
It was simply testing Jun Xiaoyao's willpower!
What Jiang Shengyi was referring to was naturally not her chest, but the Great Dao Immortal Heart beating vigorously within her chest!
One must know that even the former Yaochi Holy Lord, the Dao Companion of Wuzhong, the Queen Mother of the West, had only cultivated the Twelve-Orifice Immortal Heart.
Although the Queen Mother of the West had the hope of refining a Great Dao Immortal Heart, she had severed her path of Cultivation for the sake of Wuzhong.
The Twelve-Orifice Immortal Heart had a slight possibility of Immortal Ascension.
But above the Twelve-Orifice Immortal Heart, there was another Realm.
That was the Great Dao Immortal Heart!
This was a Realm that few had ever reached in the past.
Yet Jiang Shengyi had reached it.
This was not because Jiang Shengyi was cheating.
It was because she had truly experienced the great terror of life and Death.
Then she had split into four Souls.
Finally, the four Souls merged into one, which allowed Jiang Shengyi to possess the Great Dao Immortal Heart.
It could be said that just the experience of life and Death alone was something few people throughout history had ever achieved.
Not to mention the four Souls separating and then returning to one.
Thinking about it this way, it was only reasonable that Jiang Shengyi had cultivated the Great Dao Immortal Heart.
Jun Xiaoyao recalled that the Yaochi Holy Lord had once said that if Jiang Shengyi could merge her four Souls and return, she would very likely condense a Great Dao Immortal Heart and reach a Realm that even the Queen Mother of the West had not reached.
And what kind of Aptitude was the Great Dao Immortal Heart?
The Aptitude for Immortal Ascension!
In other words, if there were no accidents in the future, Immortal Ascension should not be a problem for Jiang Shengyi!
This was perhaps also an unexpected harvest Jiang Shengyi gained after paying so much.
Thinking about it this way, it was reasonable that Jiang Shengyi now had a high-level Quasi-Emperor Realm.
Also, don't forget.
Jiang Shengyi's Souls all had origins.
Yiyi had a portion of Empress Ba's power.
Li Xianyao was a Supreme Dao Body, and her strength was also impressive.
Xia Guihua was the Reincarnation of Empress Xihuang and had a portion of Empress Xihuang's power.
As for the life Soul, being inside the Immortal Spirit Emperor, it would also be tainted by the Immortal Spirit Emperor's power and Qi.
The four Souls returning to one was equivalent to four types of power all returning to Jiang Shengyi's body.
It would be strange if she weren't strong!