Chapter 729: Chapter 156: The True Spirit of Gles
Zhou Yan almost never panicked in the face of anything.
But when Ping’er knelt before him in repentance, his heart fluttered, even turning his mind blank for a moment, leaving him somewhat at a loss.
It took quite a while before he came back to his senses, hurriedly wiping Ping’er’s tears—flowing down her face like rain—with his sleeve, and then he said earnestly, “Alright, don’t cry anymore, or you’ll turn into a little ‘flower cat’. If you keep crying, father will have to record this crying visage of yours in the Sword Illusion Realm and show it to Chen, so he can see the little ‘flower cat’.”
Zhou Yan watched Ping’er’s expression, seeing that she gradually managed to compose herself, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Indeed, the ‘Senior Brother’ was the most reliable.
Sending him to battle, Zhou Yan never felt tired, but soothing his daughter, he really felt quite helpless.
“Father, you will always be Ping’er’s father, always.”
Ping’er’s words were very sincere and firm, her gaze unclouded, as if there had never been a moment in her life when her eyes were purer or clearer than at that moment.
“Ah, Ping’er, father is very happy, truly very happy. Today, let’s have a good drink together, ‘no return until drunk’!”
“En, father, Ping’er wants to drink with father, get thoroughly drunk together.”
The father and daughter gradually became joyful and harmonious.
…
In the Goddess’ bedroom.
Zhou Yan, carrying Ping’er, both reeking of alcohol, arrived here. Neither of them was actually drunk but instead felt very clear-headed and pleasantly drunk.
Those who drink hoping to get drunk often won’t, becoming clearer with every drink. Only those who do not wish to get drunk tend to become helplessly intoxicated.
When Zhou Yan arrived at the Goddess’ bedroom, Ping’er immediately pulled Gles aside to avoid him, Gles’s young face at that moment also showed a shy blush, obvious that she had been enlightened by Ping’er on certain matters she did not understand.
So that Gles’s inexperienced face was filled with bashfulness.
Seeing this, Zhou Yan, while finding the scene a delight to watch, also felt his heart swell with inexplicable excitement.
It was a feeling of possessing one’s self and having control over the world as if born anew, able to step into a new sky more brightly from now on, no longer confined by restrictions.
At that moment, Zhou Yan really wanted to laugh heartily three times to express the boldness in his heart.
“husband, you seem to be in a good mood today. It looks like Ping’er is completely better. Oh my, both father and daughter went and got themselves smelling of alcohol, which really isn’t proper at all.”
Mu Qingyan couldn’t help but chide.
Upon seeing Zhou Yan, Mu Qingyan revealed a gentle smile. Originally an Extraordinary Woman of the Ten Thousand Realms, now showing her best side to Zhou Yan, making every one of her smiles deeply tug at Zhou Yan’s heart.
The affection of the past life, interwoven with the emotions of this life, made him extremely content with Mu Qingyan, feeling that having such an extraordinary woman as a wife, and such a devoted Holy Daughter, what more could a man ask for in life?
Zhou Yan’s affectionate gaze, and the subtle emotional changes within him, did not escape Mu Qingyan’s notice.
Being so clever, Mu Qingyan understood Zhou Yan’s mood in a brief moment, which made her heart sweet, her eyes turning tender and affectionate.
“Yes, Ping’er has recovered. Soon, I’ll teach her the secrets of the Nirvana Scripture and the methods of comprehending the Taiyin Talisman Scripture, so she won’t have to worry about getting hurt anymore.”
Zhou Yan stroked Ping’er’s black hair, feeling a tender warmth in his heart, happily speaking.
“That’s great, really great. husband, now that we have no threats from the Jiang family, and Yanyan is completely safe. She has also put her mind at ease, knowing that her father is living well, and she can cultivate in peace. You don’t need to worry about her safety, Qingyan has removed the potential problems for her. husband, you can focus on your cultivation without concerns.”
Mu Qingyan came to Zhou Yan’s side, her tone equally tender.
Although Ping’er possessed memories of her past life, this life held the dominant position, needing a normal growth, and she wouldn’t deliberately cling to every detail of her past life; instinctually, her soul would forget all about her past life to protect her development in this one. So, Ping’er was still a child, and both Zhou Yan and Mu Qingyan treated her as such.
Hearing Mu Qingyan’s words, Zhou Yan gently nodded, saying, “Yes, this heavy burden I’ve carried on my shoulders has truly been lifted this time, all thanks to Qingyan’s efforts. The emotions in my heart have already overflowed, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt so moved.”
“husband, things will get even better from now on.”
Mu Qingyan spoke with a touch of shyness.
Facing Zhou Yan’s passionate and affectionate gaze, Mu Qingyan also gradually felt her body heat up, becoming somewhat uncomfortable.
Her past life was as the wife of Zhou Yan’s past life. Yet in this life, she remained an unmarried virgin, a pure and innocent girl with an innate modesty that made her inevitably bashful.
“As for the path ahead, I still don’t know for sure, but the toughest years have passed. The future should not be worse, especially now that I have recovered my memories from my past life. Although I relied on brute force to break through realms without much Enlightenment last time, this life is devoid of such barriers, and there will be no cultivation obstacles all the way up to the Realm of the Nine Heavens Sword Venerate.
Actually, I already have a significant advantage compared to others,” Zhou Yan said with a confident smile.
Hearing this, Mu Qingyan was incredibly excited, “Husband, do you mean you have no barriers at all in your cultivation realm now?”
“Yes, there are none. As long as the realm is attained and the energy is sufficient, I can break through indefinitely. Put it this way, once my Demon Heart Sword Body returns to its place, and I make use of the Devouring Sword Body’s devouring power, hehe, I can surge through realms in a short time by depleting endless vigor and blood without any discomfort afterward—just a bit of exhaustion. The greatest hidden danger of my last life has been completely eliminated in this one,” Zhou Yan explained.
Husband… you truly are amazing. This is far better than directly receiving inheritance or being imbued with powers from various realms. It’s a capability countless cultivators dream of! In every life, only what one cultivates oneself truly belongs to them. ‘Sword God Nine Transitions’ is about taking all the learning from one’s cultivation experiences and undergoing a transformation—a ‘rebirth’—that’s akin to a comprehensive evolution of one’s abilities, so it’s particularly demanding of the cultivator’s insights and understanding. Now that my husband even possesses the embryonic form of the Soul Sea… it’s simply unbelievable.
Husband, on the outside, your talent in the Upper-class Plane may seem average or even below, but when it comes to hidden talent, you are truly unprecedented and incomparable,” a gleam of intense excitement and enthusiasm shone in Mu Qingyan’s beautiful eyes.
Zhou Yan felt warmth in his heart. He had long been aware of the situation described by Mu Qingyan, but hearing her express it with such excitement still filled him with a sense of achievement.
“I really look forward to competing in the Upper-class Plane. But right now, I truly don’t qualify yet.
I have not become a Tribulation Realm powerhouse, nor have I achieved the status of Sword Ancestor, undergone Saint Transformation, or become a god. My path is still very long. Moreover, I need to return to my Ancestor Star and will have to part with you for a while.
Also, the Sword Burial Ancestor Star has my relatives and friends, but it’s merely a prison and a Breeding Ground for the Jiang family of the True God Plane. They might not be able to find me, but they can certainly control those friends and relatives. As soon as I appear there, I’ll definitely be targeted—although it will be somewhat more difficult for them than before,” Zhou Yan said thoughtfully, sharing his inner thoughts.
“Husband, don’t worry about this matter. The Sword Burial Ancestor Star isn’t solely controlled by the Jiang family. The Blood Barbarian Clan of the Ancient Witch Demons is also one of its rulers, as is the Returning True Clan, now betrothed to the Holy Daughter Jiang Yuning, another power on the Sword Burial Ancestor Star. The Returning True Clan is a natural Heavenly Spirit Race; their Souls are Innate Spirits of all things, making them very powerful. They advocate the Natural Dao and promote peace. They are the major contributors to the Breeding Ground’s operation.
“Furthermore… Qingyan doesn’t want to hide this from you, Husband. The Young Master of the Returning True Clan has been proclaimed with a ‘Supreme Bloodline’ and titled ‘King of Heavenly Spirits.’ He harbors the Divinity of a natural divine being, wields the power of an indestructible Divine Soul, and has the Soul Sea with anomalies like the ‘Three Ponds Reflecting the Moon’ under the Heavenly Dao Laws and Heavenly Punishment—truly an outstanding talent.
“Moreover, he’s not duplicitous like Jiang Tianling and those people, but an excellent person indeed. If it were anyone else, Qingyan wouldn’t worry, but with him, I am somewhat concerned. He has always focused on cultivation, and his strength is unfathomable. Should he actively seek a Daoist couple, countless extraordinary women would flock to him, yet he has shown no such intent. However, it seems he has now fallen for the Holy Daughter at first sight, and the Holy Daughter… might find it hard to resist his charms,” Mu Qingyan contemplated deeply before deciding to be honest and share this with Zhou Yan.
Given the status of both Mu Qingyan and Zhou Yan, it wasn’t about envy or jealousy, but about being genuinely sincere.
After all, in any Plane, a Cultivator has Three Souls and Seven Spirits, and it’s quite normal for each will associated with them to correspond to a Daoist couple—both male and female Cultivators follow this custom.
However, men tend to have a higher status and a stronger possessive nature, so women often choose a single husband and don’t stray. But should they meet someone they desire, it’s a different story.
Zhou Yan’s Soul did not belong to this world. Instead, he harbored ancient thoughts like his brother Lee Ran’s, accepting of men having multiple women but unable to accept the notion of a woman having multiple male consorts.
Thus, as Mu Qingyan spoke, Zhou Yan trusted that Jiang Yuning did not harbor feelings for others, yet felt pressured by ‘Gles”s might and ability.
This was the second time he had heard the name ‘Gles’ from two close women.
“It’s a shame he met the Holy and Divine Maiden later than me. Otherwise, I really would have to feel sorrow now. But as it stands, I already hold a Divine Maiden in my arms for two lifetimes,” Zhou Yan said quite ‘self-satisfactorily.’
Mu Qingyan chuckled lightly, “Don’t worry, Husband. Qingyan understands your character quite well, so I will not overstep and will follow the ‘Way of a Wife’ that you established in your past life.”
Mu Qingyan, sharp as frost and brilliant as snow, understood Zhou Yan’s thoughts and quickly spoke obediently.
Zhou Yan felt extremely pleased and was about to say more when Si Si cleverly said, “Father, Si Si is going to go enjoy nature with Auntie Lycyis and Auntie Ping’er. Father, and Lady Qing Yan, you two can continue talking.”
Si Si said this while hugging Zhou Yan’s neck, planting a kiss on his cheek, then wriggled out of his embrace.
“Go on, but be careful.”
Zhou Yan said with a laugh.
“Mhm, Si Si understands.”
With a wriggle of her eyebrows and a giggle, Si Si flew off, leaving Zhou Yan and Mu Qingyan alone together.