Beneath the night sky, clouds shrouded the stars, dimming even the moon's glow. Soon, all light in the heavens faded into darkness.
Inside a room at the Nine Treasure Pavilion—a man and a woman lay entwined beneath silken sheets, wrapped in each other's warmth.
Even as dawn broke and sunlight crept through the window the next morning, the couple showed no desire to rise.
Not until past mid-morning did Chen Junting finally stir.
The moment he opened his eyes, Ning Tian's serene sleeping face came into view.
Not wanting to wake her, he gently lifted her head and carefully withdrew the arm she'd been using as a pillow—every movement deliberate, silent.
But the moment his feet touched the floor—
"You woke me up."
Sensing movement behind him, Chen Junting let out a soft, resigned chuckle.
He turned to find Ning Tian already awake—her eyes glistening like dewdrops, gazing at him quietly from where she lay on her side.
"No, you didn't," she murmured. Realizing she'd been caught watching, she sat up slowly, wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, and pressed her smooth chin to his shoulder. "We're in tune—when you wake, I wake."
Chen Junting reached up, gently brushing a strand of golden hair that had fallen across her chest. His voice was laced with concern. "It's nearly noon, and we haven't eaten breakfast. Are you hungry? Should I have the chef prepare something?"
"I'm not hungry."
In one swift motion, she spun around and settled into his lap.
"I'm a soul master—skipping a meal means nothing."
"I just want you to stay with me today," she added, her tone sweetly pleading—impossible for him to refuse.
Not that he wanted to. He'd planned to spend time with her anyway. After their formal confession yesterday, abandoning her today—without urgent cause—would make him a fool.
Besides… there were things he needed to confess.
"Xiao Tian… remember when I told you I had a secret?"
"Yes… but why bring it up now?" Ning Tian tilted her head, puzzled. She didn't understand why he'd suddenly mention it.
"I'm sorry I've kept it from you all this time."
"What's there to apologize for?" Her palm caressed his cheek tenderly. "I told you before—everyone has secrets. It's fine that you kept yours."
"But I don't want to hide it anymore."
He took her hand in his, warmth flowing from his palm straight to her heart.
"You're my destined wife. Half my life from now on will bloom for you. So… you deserve to know my secrets. Don't you think?"
As the words left his lips, a wisp of gray energy seeped from his forehead.
Ning Tian watched the eerie sight without a trace of fear.
"Xiao Tian," Chen Junting said, "this is my other master—apart from my martial soul teacher."
The gray mist coalesced, shimmered—and formed a faint, elderly figure. Before Ning Tian stood a kind-faced man in a gray robe embroidered with golden patterns.
"Greetings, child. I am Electrolux," the old man said warmly.
True to his word, Chen Junting intended to hide nothing from Ning Tian—save his true origin. After Electrolux sealed off all external perception, Chen Junting laid bare everything:
—His ambition to ascend through faith
—His chosen path to godhood
—The divine attention already upon him
—And, most crucially, Tang San's true nature and hidden agenda.
"I never imagined the Sea God was like this," Ning Tian murmured—though her tone carried no real surprise.
And that was understandable.
After their recent journey to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, many of Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sharpest minds—including Ning Tian herself—had already deduced who was truly responsible for the Sunset Forest's current desolation.
"But I truly didn't expect Dong'er to be the Sea God's daughter—and that he'd treat his own child with such cruelty! And Yuhao… the Sea God actually wants to make him a slave to the Tang family?!"
Hearing Ning Tian's voice drip with disgust toward Tang San, Chen Junting fell silent.
Make him a Tang family slave?
In Tang San's eyes, Huo Yuhao might not even be worth that much.
Perhaps… he was just a dog.
Once her initial fury subsided, Ning Tian grew quiet—then anxious.
According to Chen Junting's plan, if he pursued faith-based apotheosis, he had to cross paths with Tang San. But to overcome Tang San, he needed to become a god first.
Wasn't that a dead end?
"Don't worry—it'll be alright," Chen Junting soothed, his voice gentle. "I told you—I have a god backing me. Playing along with Tang San for now is just to keep him from sabotaging me… and maybe even turn him into a stepping stone for my ascension."
"Mm."
Ning Tian nodded, careful not to voice fears like "this is still so dangerous." She simply listened as he continued.
Seeing her worry persist, Chen Junting smiled faintly.
"Besides… I still have Teacher."
At that, Electrolux—who'd remained respectfully silent—finally spoke:
"In my lifetime, I could have become a god—I simply refused. Though now I'm but a wisp of divine consciousness… I still have my tricks."
Clearly, this wasn't entirely true.
Tang San's character was despicable—but as a God-King, his power was undeniable.
To put it bluntly:
If Tang San and Electrolux ever met face-to-face in earnest, this fragment of consciousness would be nothing but a toy in Tang San's hands—unless Electrolux fully resurrected and attained godhood himself.
But to spare the girl's worry, Electrolux played along with his student's narrative—spinning a compassionate lie.
…
For the next three days, by Chen Junting's insistence, they abandoned all cultivation, research, and study—choosing instead to live a quiet, intimate life as lovers. He either took Ning Tian strolling through the streets or simply sat with her, sharing tender, silent moments.
No one disturbed them.
It was, in every sense, a blissful time.
Until—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A sudden pounding shattered their peace.
Yet neither Chen Junting nor Ning Tian showed annoyance at the intrusion. The urgency in the knocking spoke volumes.
"Brother Junting! Sister Xiao Tian!"
"That's Yuhao's voice," Ning Tian said, perking up from Chen Junting's chest. "What's wrong with him? He sounds so frantic!"
Chen Junting sighed softly, as if long expecting this.
"What must come… has finally arrived."
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