Huang’er nodded lightly in contemplation. She’d figured out what Jiang Chen meant in an instant.

To put herself in her beloved’s shoes, she would’ve been unhappy her entire life if he’d prevented her from returning to Myriad Abyss. That had her destiny back then. No one could avoid or resist the call of fate. There were realities and duties everyone had to attend to.

Huang’er looked up with her bright eyes into Jiang Chen’s determined face. “Are you going on your own, Brother Chen, or taking us with you?”

“This is about my past life. I don’t want the fate of this present life to be dragged into it. I mustn’t bring trouble to you and the Divine Abyss Continent. I’ll take only the four sacred beasts and a confidante with me.”

“Do you mean Senior Jiang Yuan?”

Jiang Chen started. “You know?”

“Ever since his appearance, I’ve sensed the changes in your mood,” Huang’er responded seriously. “You were sometimes happy, then solemn, and later contemplative... The demons have been eliminated. I can’t think of anything else that would make you react this way.”

Apologetically, Jiang Chen said, “No matter where I go, Huang’er, I’ll never forget the family waiting for me on the Divine Abyss Continent.”

“Brother Chen.” Huang’er burrowed into Jiang Chen’s arms, reluctant to bid him farewell. This was different from the previous goodbyes. This departure meant so, so much more.

“May I ask about your past, Brother Chen?”

“Of course you may. The story of my past life is a complicated one. I was fortunate to be born as the son of the Celestial Emperor, but unfortunate to be cursed with a yin constitution. I was only able to live millions of years because my father went against heaven’s will to refine a Sun Moon Pill. He was also the one who sent me into the cycle of reincarnation. Everything I am in this life is thanks to him. Without his support and planning, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

There was no reason to keep these secrets from Huang’er now. They were dao partners and spouses. Their lives were intertwined.

Her charming eyes widened with surprise. She knew her husband must have been someone important in his past life, but she hadn’t expected him to be this important.

The son of the Celestial Emperor! That was a remarkable position of unfathomable heights.

“Has the Celestial Emperor himself summoned you, Brother Chen?” she asked curiously.

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

“No, father’s gone missing. I know he’s still alive, but nothing else. In my past life, the order of the Taiyuan Plane was disrupted after the collapse of the heavenly planes. I’m going to Taiyuan to reclaim our territory and save my father.”

“What?!” blurted out Huang’er.

“Don’t worry. Father left me with many treasures and means to establish myself. I’m not starting from scratch.”

“But there must be many great masters in the heavenly planes. Those who managed to plot against even the Celestial Emperor must be remarkably powerful.”

Jiang Chen smiled to assure Huang’er. “That’s right. They must be godkings, among whom the celestial emperor was selected from. A godking without a creation token is nothing but a false emperor.”

“Godking... is that the peak of the divine realm? Are godkings the rulers of the gods?”

“You can say that. Of course, there are many heavenly planes in this vast universe. Even godkings can’t defy destiny and the heavenly law.” Jiang Chen offered some comfort. “My father didn’t lose his creation token, which means it’s not yet the end of his rule. This is going to be a dangerous journey, but I will return!”

This was goodbye. He wanted his family to be reassured.

After a long stretch of silence, Huang’er came to accept the reality. She managed a smile. “I’ll be alright, Brother Chen. I’ll take care of our children and wait for your return. Your parents, however, you’ll have to persuade yourself.”

His parents would be the trickiest.

It wasn’t fair that Jiang Chen had another pair of parents from his past life. However, that was what destiny had in stall for him. He couldn’t go against it.

Unlike the others, whose past life and current life were divided, his presence was a direct continuation of his past.

Without the foundations laid down in his past life, he would never have achieved what he had in this life. He couldn’t break away from his past.

“I don’t plan on telling my parents just yet, Huang’er. Please take care of them for me. I’m not sure how long this trip will be. It may take centuries, millenia, or even more. No matter what, my heart will always be with the Divine Abyss Continent. That will never change.”

That was Jiang Chen’s promise as a man. As long as he lived, he would never forget the way back home.

“What should I say when they ask?”

“Tell them I’m off on an adventure.” Jiang Chen smiled. “The trajectory of the Divine Abyss Continent has been changed after the demonic invasion. The spatial currents and mist will keep the continent safe. No crisis should arise in the next hundred thousand years. There may be a few minor adventurers, but they won’t pose that much of a threat.”

The Divine Abyss Continent wasn’t the world of yesteryear. Jiang Chen had turned it into an impenetrable fortress. His family alone possessed great strength. His large number of confidantes were also the continent’s most reliable guardians.

Even if he ended up departing the continent for a hundred thousand years, the legacy he left behind remained.

That night, sleep was scant for Huang’er.

......

The cultivation levels of the four sacred beasts were almost synchronized with Jiang Chen. Long Xiaoxuan was the first to ascend to ninth level divine realm. The Vermilion Bird and the Black Tortoise also approached their breakthroughs shortly thereafter. The Astral White Tiger wasn’t far behind either.

Everything was headed in the right direction. The ones making the greatest progress however, were the Goldbiter Rats.

The rats had gone through transformation after transformation. What they gained from the demonic war, especially, had significantly boosted their power. The rat king had reached advanced divine realm.

A stunning thirty of his descendents had ascended to divine realm as well. Naturally, Jiang Chen wasn’t going to leave such strong forces behind.