Baby's palm struck the stone egg where Ba Jiu resided, causing Mingyue and Ji Shiyou's hearts to clench.
Ba Jiu had overexerted himself to prevent the survivors from freezing to death.
Now, he could only depend on the stone shell formed by the Yan Yang Pearl to avoid dissipating.
If the Yan Yang Pearl shattered, Ba Jiu might vanish instantly.
But Baby's sudden move left them no time to intervene.
However, as Baby's palm descended, the two breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hahaha, Sister, Brother-in-law, were you scared to death?
Just kidding, I'm not a five or six-year-old child anymore.
How could I not know my limits? I already communicated with Brother Ba Jiu.
I'm helping him recover; look how scared you were!"
Seeing Mingyue and the other's fright, Baby burst into laughter.
After her transformation, she seemed to have automatically disregarded Jinwu Fairy's memories.
It was as if she had grown directly from a little sparrow, hence her insistence on calling Ji Shiyou "Brother-in-law."
"You naughty girl, you really scared me.
Playing pranks on your sister, do you want to be punished?"
Mingyue playfully tapped Baby's smooth forehead with a finger, scolding her with a smile.
Baby, meanwhile, acted spoiled and cute, begging for mercy.
Ji Shiyou stood by, a smile on his lips, gazing at Mingyue with a hint of wistfulness.
The Mingyue of the past was aloof and rarely smiled.
She usually exuded an aura of distance, like a celestial being from the nine heavens, untouched by worldly affairs.
But after three cycles of reincarnation, Mingyue had changed.
She had become more grounded, interacting with people with laughter and scolding, her expressions more lively.
Yet, no matter what form Mingyue took, he loved her.
She was the treasure of his life, worthy of being protected with his life.
For he had experienced a hundred lifetimes of reincarnation and understood a truth.
A person, no matter how their outward appearance or personality changes.
Their heart, however, remains the same.
Mingyue's heart hadn't changed, and neither would his.
"Sister, Sister, please spare me! Brother Ba Jiu is about to come out.
I need to get ready so he sees a beautiful Baby."
Baby, who was playfully wrestling with Mingyue, saw the red light flashing on the crimson stone egg.
She immediately stopped, saying coquettishly.
Then, a small mirror and cosmetics suddenly appeared in her hand.
It was unclear where she got these items after her recent transformation.
Her previously mischievous demeanor instantly shifted to that of a young lady.
Her palm strike earlier, which she claimed was to shatter the stone shell formed by the Yan Yang Pearl, was not just a prank to tease Mingyue and Ji Shiyou.
In reality, she had injected a stream of pure solar energy, the Jinwu Fire, into it.
The purpose was to help Ba Jiu recover his vitality and awaken.
Mingyue looked at Baby's behavior and winked at Ji Shiyou.
They exchanged a knowing smile, both with the expression of proud parents watching their daughter grow up.
The red light intensified, and the stone shell formed by the Yan Yang Pearl began to melt.
However, it did not flow down like lava.
Instead, it gathered into a sphere, slowly circulating.
A scorching aura filled the Purple Gold Palace, drawing everyone out of their rooms to witness the spectacle.
Their faces were filled with fear, thinking something else had happened.
"Don't panic, it's Ba Jiu recovering."
Ji Shiyou, seeing the anxious expressions on everyone's faces, announced loudly.
These people had been through so much that they were like startled birds, easily unsettled by the slightest disturbance.
Now that they had the Purple Gold Palace, they were content.
They truly feared losing their last refuge and returning to the cold world.
With Ji Shiyou's explanation, the crowd calmed down somewhat.
Their expressions relaxed, and they stood watching from a distance.
Ba Jiu had saved each of them.
Therefore, no one left, their faces etched with concern.
Everyone prayed for Ba Jiu's recovery.
About five minutes later, the scorching red light dissipated.
The lava-like liquid coalesced, forming an egg-sized bead.
It was the Yan Yang Pearl that Mingyue had stolen from Qi Wu and then had Ba Jiu merge with.
The Yan Yang Pearl spun a few times in the air and then flew directly towards a young man revealed by the dissipating red light, entering his body.
The young man appeared to be fourteen or fifteen years old, with a slender build.
He possessed an ethereal aura, like a clear sky after rain.
His face had baby fat, and his thick eyebrows were rebelliously tilted upwards.
He had a sharp nose and lips as tender and pink as rose petals.
Beneath long, slightly curled eyelashes, a pair of eyes as clear as morning dew.
He looked at everyone with a dazed expression, then suddenly noticed Mingyue watching him.
"Sister!"
"Close your eyes, don't look!"
Ba Jiu, now in the form of a young man, showed surprise and joy upon seeing Mingyue.
He then belatedly realized he was completely naked.
His original clothes had been completely burned during his recovery.
Ba Jiu's fair face flushed red.
He hunched over, covering his private parts, and cried out in shame.
Everyone was amused by his predicament and complied, closing their eyes.
Everyone, that is, except for the excited Baby.
"Brother Ba Jiu, do I look prettier now?"
Seeing Ba Jiu recovered, Baby darted over.
She posed in front of Ba Jiu like a peacock displaying its feathers.
"Go away!"
Ba Jiu roared, his face turning pale.
He quickly turned his back to Baby.
Then, realizing his mistake, he reached back to cover his rear.
But this left his front exposed.
Thinking that covering one part would leave another vulnerable, Ba Jiu sought help from Mingyue and Ji Shiyou.
"Sister, Brother-in-law, help me!"
Seeing Ba Jiu's disheveled state, Ji Shiyou let out a chuckle.
He grinned mischievously and then waved his hand.
A stream of moonlight enveloped Ba Jiu, obscuring him from everyone's view.
Mingyue, suppressing a smile, found a set of clothes from her spatial storage and threw it over.
"Sister, I've missed you so much!"
Under the moonlight, Ba Jiu put on his clothes.
He rushed to Mingyue's side, clinging to her arm.
Tears welled up in his clean, clear eyes.
After Mingyue disappeared, everyone thought she was merely missing, never imagining she had died.
Only Ba Jiu knew that Sister was dead.
He and Mingyue were connected by their minds, and he could no longer sense her presence.
But he didn't say anything, only grieving silently.
He had exhausted his cultivation to provide warmth for everyone.
In truth, Ba Jiu had already resigned himself to death, no longer wishing to remain in this world.
Now, seeing his sister standing before him, alive and well.
Ba Jiu felt wronged. He wanted to ask his sister why she had abandoned him.
But holding Mingyue's hand, he couldn't utter a word.
A thousand unspoken words converged into one: I've missed you so much!
"Brother Ba Jiu, you haven't answered me yet.
Do I look prettier than before?"
Baby, her face beaming with excitement, chased after him again.
She shook Ba Jiu's hand, pouting and demanding an answer.
"Baby, you've grown up now.
We can't hold hands like when we were little, understand?"
Ba Jiu's face turned red again. He said with a helpless expression.
He gently pulled his hand from Baby's, not daring to look her directly in the eye.
"Why? I've grown up.
You've grown up too, it's normal.
Why can't we hold hands? I don't care.
You still haven't answered me, do I look prettier?"
When Baby was little, everyone told her she was ugly.
Only Ba Jiu told her she was beautiful, which gave her confidence.
Now that she had grown up, she still wanted Ba Jiu's approval.
"You were pretty when you were little, fresh and clean.
Now you look a bit gaudy."
Ba Jiu, unable to refuse, stared at Baby's face, which had blush, eyeshadow, and lipstick applied. He looked for a few moments and said softly.
"Brother Ba Jiu, you don't like me anymore.
Are you disgusted with me? I don't like you anymore!"
Baby hadn't expected Ba Jiu to say this after her careful preparations. She was so angry she almost cried.
She stomped her foot and stormed out of the Purple Gold Palace in a huff.
"You dense man, you'll be single your whole life at this rate."
Ji Shiyou playfully tapped Ba Jiu on the head, scolding him with a smile.
"However, why do I feel like Master isn't quite right?
After all, she's still in the Moonflower Realm and is hundreds of years old.
Why is she acting like this, so immature?"
Ji Shiyou watched Baby, who was sobbing as she ran out of the Purple Gold Palace, and turned to look at Mingyue.