Marrying the Crown Prince

As Li Ziyan watched Zhou Zhou's life force gradually dissipate, he subconsciously tried to cast a spell to transfer his own blessings to him, but he saw Zhou Zhou staring at him with piercing eyes.

He was stunned.

So, Zhou Zhou's soul slowly separated from her body and finally drifted to his side.

Each time the soul separates from the body, it is a new beginning, so Zhou Zhou's entire soul's mind is in a state of chaos, and his memories are also fragmented.

Li Ziyan knew that things would gradually return to normal once he reached the underworld. When he remembered everything, it would be time to drink the Meng Po soup and enter reincarnation again. However, before that, he needed to recuperate in the underworld until his soul was in its best condition.

Zhou Zhou carried a sweet and fragrant scent that only Li Ziyan could detect, because it was the wisp of immortal soul that he had separated from a thousand years ago.

The immortal soul recognized its master and was overjoyed to find Li Ziyan beside it, its light twinkling.

The palace servants and their descendants who were wailing nearby were all stunned into silence when they saw the dazzling scene.

"Mother, is that you, Mother?" Li Changrong even forgot to wipe away her tears, her mouth agape.

"Is that Great-Grandmother?" The younger generation had no sense of life and death, but when they saw the flowing light, they stared wide-eyed with curiosity.

"It must be the Empress Dowager manifesting her spirit."

"Yes, this is the Empress Dowager, it must be the Empress Dowager."

Li Ziyan sighed, reached out and beckoned, and Zhou Zhou drifted away with him.

The crowd followed the flowing light out of the hall, where the clouds on the horizon were shimmering.

Everyone knelt down and bowed, saying, "Respectfully sending off the Empress Dowager/Grandmother/Great-Grandmother."

The palace servants also knelt down in unison, saying, "Respectfully seeing off the Empress Dowager."

Back to Li Ziyan, he brought Zhou Zhou to the Bridge of Helplessness, where they encountered the ghost messengers.

Upon seeing Li Ziyan, the ghost messenger quickly bowed and asked, "Immortal Lord, is there anything you require?"

The gods in heaven each have their own duties and do not disturb each other. It is rare for other celestial beings to come to the underworld to play. The ghost messenger found it quite novel and kept looking up to steal glances at Li Ziyan. He thought to himself: This celestial being who stays in the Heavenly Palace all year round is different. He looks kind and gentle, unlike his dead boss, who is gloomy all over. If you didn't know better, you would think that his mother had died.

Li Ziyan pursed her lips—yes, what is he doing here?

"Immortal Lord?" The ghost messenger, receiving no answer, spoke again.

Li Ziyan lowered his eyes and replied, "I just encountered a soul on the road and brought it over."

After his reminder, the ghost messenger finally looked at Zhou Zhou.

He took out the Book of Life and Death and shone it on Zhou Zhou, revealing Zhou Zhou's birth date, time, and achievements.

The ghost messenger clicked his tongue in amazement, "This old lady is so blessed, no wonder she was able to meet a celestial being to guide her."

"Well, now that the person has been delivered, I'll be going." Li Ziyan nodded and was about to leave.

"Lin'an." A voice came from the distant Shen Valley.

Li Ziyan stopped in her tracks.

Upon hearing the gloomy voice, the ghost messenger knew it belonged to his dead superior.

He stiffened and looked back with difficulty—thank goodness, no one was there, that was terrifying.

"Immortal Lord Lin'an, now that you have returned to your position, it is no longer appropriate for you to interfere in the affairs of the mortal realm. Quickly remove the immortal soul that has been left in another person and return to the Heavenly Palace."

Upon hearing this, an indescribable ache surged in Li Ziyan's heart, rising to her throat, and a bitter taste spread across her lips, as if the world's most bitter snake gall had gathered in her throat.

He couldn't bear it any longer and wanted to vent his bitterness, but in the end he could only clench his fist tightly, his tone calm and devoid of emotion, and say, "Okay."

Li Ziyan reached out and drew a talisman, withdrawing the immortal soul from Zhou Zhou's body.

The immortal soul reluctantly left Zhou Zhou's body and struggled to merge into Li Ziyan's body.

As for Zhou Zhou, his soul instantly faded because the thing that had been with him for thousands of years was taken away.

In the blink of an eye, a cloud of black mist from the depths of the underworld instantly enveloped Zhou Zhou, covering him completely and carefully.

Li Ziyan opened his mouth, but didn't finish speaking.

He knew that this fog was the magic of the Immortal Lord Moyu of this underworld, whose magic could repair injured souls.

"I take my leave of Lin'an."

"Ah."

Li Ziyan practically fled back to the Heavenly Palace.

Upon entering the Heavenly Palace, he immersed himself in the pool.

His true form is a phoenix tree, which loves water and sunshine. Because he is the only spirit in the world to ascend to immortality, Emperor Suhe specially waved his hand to create a branch in the waterway of the Milky Way, directing the water into his heavenly palace.

Li Ziyan immersed himself in the water. The water of the Milky Way was the purest, full of vitality, and it felt so comfortable that every pore on his body opened up.

Li Ziyan simply cleared his mind and slowly exhaled.

And so, he fell asleep again.

After learning about this, Emperor Suhe did not say much, but simply cast a spell to ensure that Li Ziyan would come to find him as soon as he woke up.

For immortals, time is the least valuable thing; twenty years can pass in the blink of an eye.

Li Ziyan was soaking in the water, staring blankly at the fluorescent lights swirling in the air.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he hurriedly emerged from the water. The moment his feet touched the void, the water stains on his body disappeared, replaced by clean and tidy robes. With another step, his figure vanished, and he arrived at Emperor Suhe's side.

"Not bad, you've recovered very well." Emperor Suhe looked you over and nodded in satisfaction.

As he was nodding, he saw Li Ziyan's bitter expression.

His expression was quite rare in the Heavenly Palace. Emperor Su was both curious and wanted to laugh. "What's wrong?"

“Your Majesty,” Li Ziyan said, his head drooping, “I have a question that I do not understand. Please enlighten me.”

No one knows how many years Emperor Suhe lived; all that is known is that he was already an emperor when he ascended to heaven.

The Emperor treats all living beings, including the immortal lords who have ascended to heaven, with gentleness and love, just like his own children.

"Oh? Is there anything you don't understand, Lin'an?" Emperor Suhe said, and the decorations in the main hall began to change, with tables, cushions, and a pot of tea appearing.

He gestured for Li Ziyan to sit down with him, "Alright, take your time, no rush."

Emperor Suhe's words calmed Li Ziyan's agitated heart, and he began to recount the unusual events that occurred when he returned to his position.

Li Ziyan had no talent for storytelling; he could only narrate in a flat and monotonous tone, which was quite boring to listen to. It was only because Emperor Suhe was good-natured that he did not interrupt him and listened quietly.

Finally, Li Ziyan brought up the parting with Zhou Zhou in the underworld.

He said, "I know that when I was in the mortal realm, I had feelings for Chongming because of that wisp of immortal soul. But why did I feel so sad when I took the immortal soul back?"

"My immortal soul is stable; I should be happy about that."

"But I just can't be happy, and I even want to take Chongming away from Moyu."

In the end, Li Ziyan seemed a little guilty.

This feeling is like having done something wrong and having your teacher find out.

Well, it's quite amazing, since I've never experienced anything like it before.

"Lin'an, why do you think that you were attracted to Lady Zhou when you were in the mortal world because of your celestial soul?"

Li Ziyan opened her mouth—isn't that right?

"Furthermore, Madam Zhou is Madam Zhou, and Chongming is Chongming; they should not be confused."

"Back then, the earth's crust shattered, and Chongming's divine status was broken. All the blessings returned to heaven and earth. Even if Lady Zhou were to cultivate a divine status and ascend to immortality in the future, it's hard to say whether she would be a martial goddess or a civil goddess, let alone Chongming. Do you understand?"

Back then, so many immortals and celestial beings had their divine essence shattered. Some of them vanished into nothingness, returning to the heavens and earth. Others, like the vast ocean, lost their blessings and returned to the mortal world.

In any case, Suhe Dijun is right. They are no longer themselves. Their mission has been completed, and they, as newborns, should not be bound by the constraints of the past.

Li Ziyan was dejected. "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

"Yes, good child." Emperor Suhe never hesitated to praise.

Li Ziyan: "..."

You are indeed very old, but I am not a child.

After recounting Chongming's story, Emperor Suhe began to enlighten Li Ziyan, "You were born by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. You do not know what love is, nor do you understand what desire is. As for human nature, you are even more clueless about it."

"Later, you ascended to immortality and followed the laws of heaven and earth. Although you developed a heart of benevolence, you probably didn't know what joy or sorrow was before when it came to the seven emotions and six desires."

“A thousand years ago, your immortal soul was damaged. With no other choice, I had to send you to the mortal world. Your immortal soul can only be slowly repaired through reincarnation.”

"And in the cycle of reincarnation, you transform from a spirit into a human, experiencing all the ups and downs of human relationships hundreds and thousands of times, and emotions slowly sprout from your heart."

"You say you were attracted by that wisp of immortal soul, but I have a different opinion."

"Lin'an, you fell in love, and after meeting Lady Zhou, you were able to find your love."

Upon hearing this, Li Ziyan's breathing suddenly became rapid, a surge of heat rushed through him, his cheeks flushed red, and his heart pounded heavily, as if it were about to burst out of his chest.

So this was love?

So, he loves her?

Feeling unacceptable, going deeper.

Seeing his reaction, Emperor Suhe was also in a good mood.

He looked at Li Ziyan tenderly, "Although twenty years have passed, it's not too late. Do you want to go to the underworld to see Lady Zhou?"

"Is it okay?" Li Ziyan's eyes were bright and sparkling, filled with joy, anticipation, and also nervousness and helplessness.

Emperor Suhe nodded.

Tens of thousands of years ago, to avoid unrest in the world, it was a capital offense for gods to fall in love, and they would be stripped of their divine status. Nowadays, even if gods fall in love, they cannot stay in the Heavenly Palace. They must step down from their divine positions and make way for gods who will ascend to heaven in the future.

But over tens of thousands of years, few deities have been moved by love. After all, they are people who have experienced countless tribulations and lived for hundreds or thousands of years. What have they not seen and experienced? How could they possibly develop feelings for something so trivial?

Returning to Li Ziyan, a thousand years ago, when he entered the mortal world, his divine position had long been revoked; since his return, he has either been in seclusion or on his way to seclusion, and Emperor Suhe has not yet had time to assign him a divine position.

Therefore, it is perfectly understandable that Li Ziyan wants to find his sweetheart now.

"Good boy, go ahead."