The power of the soul explosion dissipated, turning the entire Gobi Desert into a vast crater. Underground water surged forth, instantly transforming it into a shimmering lake.
On the shores, green shoots were visible to the naked eye, plants taking root and sprouting from the earth.
Soon, buds appeared, and countless flowers bloomed, painting the landscape with a myriad of colors.
Ji Shiyou knew this was the five-elemental energy released by Mingyue and Qibao after their explosion.
The energy left behind was more than just this. The green rapidly spread outwards, soon enveloping the entire world.
The environmental impact of the apocalypse was completely eliminated. The land, once crimson red, turned into fertile black soil.
The polluted waters of rivers, lakes, and seas became clear, teeming with fish and shrimp.
Plants and trees regained their vitality, branching out and becoming full of life.
Everything was restored. The apocalypse was gone, and the world returned to its former state.
However, in this world, Mingyue was gone. Ji Shiyou had lost his entire world.
He knew that Mingyue had saved this world with her life, protecting the myriad beings within it.
But his own world had collapsed. He had lost the one he loved most, lost everything.
"No! Mingyue, we had only just begun. Why did it end so soon?
I swore I would always be by your side, protect you, but I failed.
It was all my fault, letting you face this alone. I am ashamed of you.
Without you, what meaning is there in my living on?
Mingyue, wait for me. I'm coming to find you! We will never be separated again.
Not even death can keep us apart. If you live, I will laugh with you at the winds and clouds.
If you die, I will perish with you. Wait for me, I will come to guard this world with you!"
Ji Shiyou now understood that the initial mushroom cloud was Mingyue's self-detonation of her physical body.
As long as her soul remained, he could still reshape her body and they could continue to be together in this world.
But the immense power just now was Mingyue's self-detonation of her soul. Mingyue had completely vanished.
In other words, Mingyue was now everywhere in this world, using her entirety to protect it.
Since that was the case, he would follow Mingyue, vanishing into smoke and dust, to guard this world with her.
Ji Shiyou's entire magical power surged, as he intended to die for love.
Since Mingyue was gone, his own life had no meaning.
This world was bought with Mingyue's life. He couldn't bear to harm even a single blade of grass.
Fearing that the force of his self-detonation would affect the world, Ji Shiyou chose to disband his body.
His body slowly began to dissipate, becoming transparent.
The energy contained within his physical form rapidly merged into the mountains, land, plants, rivers, and seas of this world.
The already vibrant world immediately became filled with spiritual energy, resembling a fairyland.
Ji Shiyou had disbanded his physical body, leaving only his soul. He did not stop.
"Mingyue, I'm coming. Wait for me. We'll never be apart again!"
Ji Shiyou's soul cried out, and brilliant light shot from his spiritual form.
He was about to scatter his soul throughout every corner of this world.
"Nonsense!"
A majestic voice, filled with anger and urgency, spoke as the figure of the Moon God appeared.
Following him, a beam of moonlight bound Ji Shiyou's soul.
"Brother, let me die. I want to go be with Mingyue.
She's dead, and I refuse to live alone. Release me!"
Ji Shiyou struggled violently, like a maddened tiger, but how could the Moon God's restraint be easily shaken?
"Brother, I beg you, let me go, let me die!
I beg you to grant my wish. Without Mingyue, what is the meaning of my existence?
Her soul is now scattered everywhere in this world. She must be very lonely.
I want to be with her. Let my body and soul also dissipate, merging with hers, never to be separated.
Brother, Lord Moon God, I beg you!"
Unable to break free, Ji Shiyou wailed, kneeling and begging the Moon God to release him, his heart set on death.
"Foolish child, in this life, you have accompanied her to the end. Keep your promise and return with me!"
Looking at his brother kneeling on the ground, weeping uncontrollably, the Moon God's usually cold face showed helplessness.
"No, when you resurrected me, I didn't agree to only accompany Mingyue for one lifetime.
I want to accompany Mingyue for all lifetimes. Now that Mingyue has no afterlife and has completely vanished, I will disappear with her.
You can restrain me now, take me away, but can you restrain me forever?
My mind is made up. I will not break my promise to Mingyue. You cannot stop me!"
Ji Shiyou wiped the tears from his face, stood up, and looked at his brother with determined eyes.
"Misfortune. Mingyue's soul did not dissipate. She has gone to reincarnation.
Do you still want to self-destruct your soul and vanish into thin air?"
The Moon God sighed, looking at his unpromising brother, and said hatefully.
He understood his brother's resolute nature. Once he made up his mind, he would not change.
As Ji Shiyou said, he could only restrain him for a moment, not forever.
As long as an opportunity arose, Ji Shiyou would still seek death for love. He could not prevent it.
"Really! Brother, you're not lying to me?
Impossible. You must be lying.
The explosion just now was caused by Mingyue's soul self-destructing.
With such immense power, her soul must have long since turned to nothingness and vanished.
If her soul is gone, how can she reincarnate? You're lying to me to make me live, aren't you?"
Hearing that Mingyue still existed, Ji Shiyou was overjoyed, then calmed down to analyze, believing the Moon God was deceiving him.
"I am not lying to you. It was your blood oath that saved her, allowing her soul to be preserved.
You made a vow in the Primordial Era, with blood as the contract and the Dao as the alliance, to reincarnate for a thousand lifetimes.
Including this life, it is already the nine hundred and ninety-seventh life, with three more lives and three more rebirths to complete the oath.
What you established then was a Heavenly Dao oath. As long as the oath is not fulfilled, she cannot disappear.
Therefore, the Heavenly Dao protected her soul and sent her into reincarnation to fulfill the oath.
Once the three lives and three rebirths are completed, her soul will then dissipate."
The Moon God had not wanted to reveal the truth, but to stop his brother from dying, he had no choice.
He could only tell him what he knew, to ignite Ji Shiyou's will to live, at least so that Ji Shiyou would temporarily stop seeking death.
"Still here? That's wonderful! Mingyue hasn't vanished. She's gone to reincarnation!
No, I must enter reincarnation. I must go find her.
Only three more lives and three more rebirths left? No, that's too short.
Brother, what should I do?
I want to break the time limit of three lives and three rebirths. I want her to live forever."
Mingyue had not truly disintegrated, but she only had three more lifetimes. In a state of extreme grief and joy, Ji Shiyou became frenzied.
He stood in place, speaking incoherently, wanting to enter reincarnation to find Mingyue, yet also wanting to beg the Moon God to break the limit of three lives and three rebirths.
"Foolish child, wake up!"
Seeing Ji Shiyou's state, the Moon God raised his hand and sent out a cool moonlight that enveloped him.
The moonlight was like water, chilling to the bone, like a basin of cold water poured over him.
It made Ji Shiyou, whose mind was in turmoil and on the verge of becoming a demon, lose his original heart and awaken.
"Brother, I want to enter reincarnation, to find Mingyue and complete the thousand-lifetime oath."
Ji Shiyou knelt down again, his gaze firmly fixed on the Moon God.
"Why bother? Even if you reincarnate, the two of you will have no outcome.
It would be better to let her peacefully live out these three lives and three rebirths. You will also suffer less, and you can part ways.
This is your fate. You cannot change it. Why not let go?"
The Moon God knew this would be the outcome, but he still frowned and tried to persuade him.
"We are in love. Why would there be no outcome? Brother, is there something I don't know?"
Ji Shiyou, having calmed down, heard the unspoken meaning in the Moon God's words and asked with confusion.