Chapter 1090: A Thousand Turns, Until Death Do Us Part

"Dao friend, have we met somewhere before?" Zi Ling Gongzhu probed as she looked at Ye Chen.

"Indeed, we have," Ye Chen smiled, and a strand of divine light flew from his brow, entering Zi Ling Gongzhu's sea of consciousness.

Immediately, Zi Ling Gongzhu's delicate body trembled, and she staggered in place. Her expression turned pained in an instant. Her clear, watery eyes gradually dispelled their ancient confusion as the divine light merged into her sea of consciousness, unlocking a segment of her sealed past-life memories.

What...?

Seeing Zi Ling Gongzhu like this, Mu Wanqing and the purple-robed elder both frowned, unsure what Ye Chen had done to her.

Soon, Zi Ling Gongzhu's trembling body stilled. She suddenly lifted her face, letting the breeze tousle her purple hair. Her eyes brimmed with mist, slowly crystallizing into frost under the gentle moonlight.

In that moment, the last trace of confusion vanished from her beautiful eyes, and tears blurred her vision.

What... what's going on?

Mu Wanqing and the purple-robed elder stared in astonishment at Zi Ling Gongzhu, her eyes full of tears.

"Disciple Nian Wei, greets the Shengzhu!"

Under the shocked gazes of Mu Wanqing and the purple-robed elder, Zi Ling Gongzhu stepped forward abruptly and knelt on one knee before Ye Chen.

What...?

Mu Wanqing and the purple-robed elder were completely stunned.

Instinctively, they both turned to Ye Chen. What on earth is this? The noble Zi Ling Gongzhu of the Zhu Que family is kneeling to you, a Tianjing cultivator? And what's this "Shengzhu" she's talking about?

"A hundred years, and you still remember me!"

Ye Chen smiled with a touch of weariness and helped Zi Ling Gongzhu to her feet.

"Hundred turns and thousand returns, never forget until death!"

Zi Ling Gongzhu's eyes were tearful, and she choked back sobs.

She, the Zi Ling Gongzhu of the Zhu Que family, was the reincarnated Nian Wei.

A hundred years ago, she was just an ordinary disciple in the Da Chu Xing Yue Gong. It was because Ye Chen brought Ye Xingchen to Xing Yue Gong for a marriage proposal that the mighty Tian Ting Shengzhu and a minor sect disciple formed a connection.

At that time, Ye Chen used a Ding Shen Pearl to exchange for a broken jade fragment in Nian Wei's possession. That fragment was part of the Di Jue, though Nian Wei had no idea.

A hundred years ago, during the invasion of the Tian Mo, Da Chu fought valiantly in a bloodbath. Out of ninety million Da Chu cultivators, only ninety-three survived. Nian Wei was one of the ninety million heroic souls, her name etched on the Hero's Tomb.

A hundred years later, with her past-life memories unlocked, Nian Wei remained Nian Wei, still unwavering in her loyalty to the former Tian Ting Shengzhu.

"Shengzhu, may I hug you?" Nian Wei (Zi Ling Gongzhu) asked, her eyes filled with tears.

"Of course," Ye Chen smiled.

Tears streaming, Nian Wei stepped forward and threw herself into Ye Chen's arms, pressing her face tightly against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as if it were the heartbeat of Da Chu itself.

Ye Chen smiled again and wrapped his arms around her in a wide embrace, devoid of any romantic feelings. This hug was simply a reunion after a century of hardships, a reflection on the past and a tribute to bygone times.

The two held each other for a long time without letting go.

This scene left Mu Wanqing and the purple-robed elder on the side utterly bewildered. What on earth had happened?

After a while, Nian Wei reluctantly released Ye Chen. Her cheeks still bore glistening teardrops. She lowered her eyes, and a faint blush of a young woman flashed across her face beneath her hair.

In the past, as a mere junior disciple, she would never have had such an honor or the courage to hug the Tian Ting Shengzhu of Da Chu.

Yet, now, this embrace felt like a dream from another lifetime. The person before her, the events unfolding, everything seemed surreal. Having lived two lives, in this moment, she had found her true roots.

That...

Mu Wanqing stepped forward, opening her mouth but not knowing what to ask or where to begin.

"Mu Jiejie, could you give us some time alone?" Nian Wei turned her head, wiping away her tears as she looked at Mu Wanqing.

"Of course, of course." Mu Wanqing coughed awkwardly and immediately turned to leave, with the purple-robed elder following suit. Before they left, both cast highly puzzled glances at Ye Chen. Everything that had happened today left them completely in the dark.

Once they were gone, Ye Chen and Nian Wei sat down.

This spacious private room on the third floor became their own world.

Ye Chen sighed with emotion, never expecting that the minor disciple from Xing Yue Gong in the past would reincarnate as the noble princess of the Zhu Que family.

Nian Wei felt the same, never imagining that after a hundred years, someone from her previous life would cross boundless darkness to find her here, bringing an unprecedented warmth to her heart. For Ye Chen had not forgotten them, even on a path of no return, he had not given up.

The two seemed to have endless stories to share, talking from night until dawn.

During their conversation, Ye Chen spoke of many things and many people, like an elderly man recounting glorious tales to the younger generation. Each sealed memory carried familiar faces.

Nian Wei never stopped her tears as she listened to Ye Chen's stories. She learned of events that occurred after her death: the near-total annihilation of Da Chu's cultivators, and how the ninety million heroic souls had fought for a chance that their Shengzhu ultimately did not waste, saving the myriad realms.

Nian Wei was overjoyed to reunite with someone from her past life.

But she was also sorrowful, for up to now, Ye Chen had only found two reincarnated individuals on Zhu Que Star: one was Xiao Ying, and the other was her. Many others remained unfound.

Ye Chen and Nian Wei talked through the night, while outside, Mu Wanqing and the purple-robed elder stood guard all night.

The two scratched their heads more than once, still unable to make sense of it all. What intrigued them most was Ye Chen's identity—a Tianjing cultivator, a young man barely over a hundred and thirty years old. How could he be so extraordinary that even the noble princess of the Zhu Que family knelt to him?

Precisely because of this, Mu Wanqing's resolve to win Ye Chen over grew stronger. She was certain he was her benefactor and also a stroke of luck for the Ninth Prince, Xuan Yu. He was a true blessing.

As dawn broke, Mu Wanqing received Nian Wei's divine sense transmission and entered the room.

"Can you tell me exactly what your relationship is?" Mu Wanqing asked eagerly as soon as she walked in, then glanced at Ye Chen. "And you—who exactly are you?"

"It cannot be said." Ye Chen smiled slightly, as he didn't know how to explain matters of past and present lives.

"Hmph!" Dissatisfied with the answer, Mu Wanqing shot Ye Chen an annoyed look.

"Mu Jiejie, I'll explain it to you in detail later." Nian Wei took hold of Mu Wanqing's hand. She was both Nian Wei and Zi Ling Gongzhu, her body now holding memories of both lives.

"Alright, alright, so mysterious." Mu Wanqing pouted.

"He's quite the benefactor, you know!" Nian Wei smiled mysteriously. "Do you know what bloodline he has?"

"What bloodline?" Mu Wanqing glanced at Ye Chen. "Could it be the legendary Huang Gu Sheng Ti?"

"Congratulations, you're correct."