"Grandpa, has your immortal realm truly stabilized now?" Zhou Hong asked.
"Alas, it's basically stable, with just one uncertain factor," Zhou Sheng Gu sighed.
"Which uncertain factor?"
"In our immortal realm, there are over a hundred Immortal Emperors. Among these, one is exceptionally special. This Immortal Emperor has no immortal kingdom of his own, yet his status in the entire immortal realm is incredibly high. Almost every Immortal Emperor frequently pays him a visit. Now, I've already made arrangements with the other Immortal Emperors. The former Nine Dao Immortal Emperor had no close friends, so no one is saying anything about me taking over his body. However, this special Immortal Emperor is a bit difficult to deal with."
"How so?"
"I specifically visited him before. If I could gain his approval, I would be completely stable in the immortal realm. But I never expected he wouldn't even see me. So, I waited at his doorstep for an entire year. I thought that perhaps, seeing my sincerity, he might grant me an audience. If he saw me, it would mean my Sheng Gu Immortal Kingdom was firmly established. Sadly, he never saw me. Helplessly, there are many matters in the immortal kingdom that need attending to, and I couldn't just wait at his doorstep indefinitely. I had to return. After I've handled everything else, I'll visit him again. Even if I have to wait at his doorstep for another ten, twenty, or even a hundred years, I will wait until he sees me. I had originally planned to go to that Immortal Emperor's home right after this morning's court session to wait, hoping to move him with my sincerity."
Zhou Hong chuckled inwardly and asked, "What is this special Immortal Emperor called? How strong is he? He puts on such airs that you waited at his doorstep for a year and he still wouldn't see you."
"Hush! Speak softly. If others overhear and it gets out, it will be troublesome. I just need this one person's nod for my Sheng Gu Immortal Kingdom to be firmly established."
"Alright, what's his name? And how strong is he?"
"Everyone calls him Emperor Long Wei. As for his strength, I'm not entirely sure. I've heard others say he's around 600 to 800 stars. With such immense power, I, at only 80 stars, could be crushed with a mere flip of his hand." Zhou Hong's grandfather said with a wry smile.
Zhou Hong couldn't help but smile. This Emperor Long Wei's status in the immortal realm was probably equivalent to that of the Super Heaven Demon Emperor in the demon realm.
If he guessed correctly, above Emperor Long Wei, there should be even stronger beings, the so-called Primal Immortal Emperors.
This time, coming to the immortal realm, Zhou Hong was determined to meet the Primal Immortal Emperors of the immortal realm.
"Grandpa, since you were already planning to go to Emperor Long Wei's doorstep, I'll accompany you," Zhou Hong suggested.
"That's fine. If we, grandfather and grandson, kneel at his doorstep together, our sincerity should be even greater. After all, you are now a Demon Emperor, not some nobody. I don't believe that if we, grandfather and grandson, kneel at his doorstep for ten or eight years, he still won't be moved."
Zhou Hong's lips curved slightly, and he remained silent, a flicker of disdain in his eyes. The thought of kneeling at a doorstep, he couldn't believe his grandfather would even suggest such a thing.
"However, since you're here, there's no need to rush off immediately," Zhou Hong's grandfather suddenly said.
"Not leaving immediately?" Zhou Hong thought they were departing right away, as he was rather eager.
"Hehe, it's rare for you to visit Grandpa's immortal kingdom. I should host you properly. How about this, stay here with me for half a month or so first, so we can catch up. It won't be too late to go and kneel at Emperor Long Wei's doorstep afterward."
Zhou Hong nodded and said with a smile, "That's fine. I have other things to attend to in the immortal realm anyway."
Zhou Sheng Gu looked up at Zhou Hong, asking with a hint of confusion, "What other matters do you have?"
"Grandpa, do you remember what I asked you before, about my past life."
"Oh, I recall. You did ask me before about a girl you deeply loved in your past life, and you wanted to know who she was, because even in this life, you are still bound by the emotions of your past life. When you were on Earth, you often felt inexplicably melancholic, as if an important person was lost, yet you didn't know who it was, right?" Zhou Hong's grandfather let out a wry smile. He found it hard to believe how intensely he must have loved in his past life to still be affected in his current one. However, he did know that in his past life, Zhou Hong was famously devoted, loving only one woman his entire life.
"Yes, I have nothing pressing in the demon realm, so I came to investigate. Perhaps I can find her."
"Zhou Hong, although I don't understand how matters of a past life can still entangle the present, even if you find her, what then?"
Zhou Hong smiled faintly, "I don't intend to do anything. I just want to resolve a past connection. I have an intuition that the reason why the karmic ties from my past life still affect me in this life is twofold. First, I was too devoted in my past life. At the moment of my death, I couldn't let go of her, constantly thinking of her, forming a strong obsession. This obsession imprinted itself on my soul. That's why, when I reincarnated and became a nobody on Earth, I often felt inexplicable sadness."
"And the second reason?"
"Yes, the second reason is, I suspect that woman, like me, loved only one person her entire life. For her, after I died in my past life, she never forgot me, and continued to love me. Therefore, this is also one of the factors influencing my current life's lingering past-life emotions. So, it's necessary for me to find her and resolve this past-life destiny."
Zhou Hong's grandfather nodded and chuckled, "You're right. If that girl loved you in her past life, it means you were kindred spirits. In your past life, you were a devoted lover, so that girl must have been equally devoted. When you died in your past life, she certainly couldn't forget you and is surely still thinking of you every moment."
"Mm-hmm, that's why I'm still affected in this life."
"In that case, it is indeed necessary to look for that girl. Even if she doesn't fancy the current you, we can still bring closure to the past-life romance."
Zhou Hong didn't speak further, only offering a wry smile. He himself couldn't understand why, after being so devoted in his past life, he had changed upon reincarnation into a man of many affections on Earth.
It was just a pity that the present life was the present life, and the past life was the past life. He had so many women he loved in this life, and couldn't possibly return to being the devoted man of his past. Even if he found that girl from his past life, Zhou Hong and she would likely have fate without a future.