PS: Catching up with yesterday's triple update. Brothers, don't forget to cast a few recommendation votes after reading—much appreciated.

The night was as deep as water, and the Great Evolution Hall was brightly lit. Mu Lengxing, Mu Tianfei, and the others had departed, leaving only Nie Kong and Mu Xueyi in the tranquil room. Mu Xueyi still lay motionless on the **. When Nie Kong first saw her there, an inexplicable surge of excitement welled up within him.

Nie Kong knew that fluctuation of emotion stemmed from the memories imprinted on this body. However, after so long, he and those memories had long become indistinguishable, and he held no desire to resist this emotional shift. Since he had become the Nie Kong of this world, letting things flow naturally was the most suitable path.

Nie Kong took a deep breath, and his slightly turbulent feelings gradually settled. Then, Nie Kong extended his index finger and gently touched Mu Xueyi's brow center.

With that thought, the blood in Nie Kong's entire body began to boil, surging toward his right index finger.

"Huh?"

Nie Kong suddenly lifted his hand in surprise, staring intently at the pad of his index finger. Beneath the skin there, a faint green shadow began to emerge, becoming clearer and clearer. In an instant, the shadow permeated the finger pad—it was a mass of completely ink-green **.

"This is my blood?"

Looking at the small, round bead of liquid on his fingertip, Nie Kong felt quite astonished. He hadn't expected that after the integration of vitality and death energy gave rise to the new "Spiritual Treasure Essence Qi," the color of his own blood would change from the previous red to the current ink-green, identical to that "Spiritual Treasure Essence Qi."

He wondered if blood like this would still serve its purpose?

With that thought, Nie Kong's index finger fell once more upon Mu Xueyi's brow center, and the small mass of ink-green blood instantly spread rapidly under the pressure of his touch.

"Buzz!"

A subtle, vibrating sensation emanated from Mu Xueyi's brow center.

Nie Kong rejoiced inwardly. It seemed that although the color of the blood had changed, the inherited power of her bloodline remained unaltered. As long as this point was preserved, his blood would be sufficient to awaken his mother's bloodline power. Without the slightest hesitation, blood continued to pour from Nie Kong's fingertip.

As more and more of the blood within him entered Mu Xueyi's brow center, Nie Kong’s face gradually grew pale, and the dizziness in his head intensified.

Simultaneously, the vibration in Mu Xueyi's brow center grew fiercer.

"Buzz!"

Suddenly, a resonant hum burst forth, and a powerful force erupted from Mu Xueyi's brow. Nie Kong's finger was flung away. Immediately afterward, a trace of color bloomed—an imprint appearing on Mu Xueyi's brow center, precisely in the shape of the "Ancestral Heavenly Luo Tree."

As time passed, the "Ancestral Heavenly Luo Tree" imprint grew increasingly distinct.

Seeing this, Nie Kong finally relaxed. His mother, after all, was a Heaven Spirit expert, the foremost figure in Yin Ruins besides the Wood Ancestor twenty years ago. If not for being in her most vulnerable state then, even Mu Qingyi, whose power had skyrocketed after being possessed by a spiritual thought, could not have matched her. Now, as long as her dormant bloodline power was awakened, she could rely on her own strength to awaken and recover.

Relieved of this worry, Nie Kong’s spirit slackened, and his body swayed, nearly causing him to collapse onto the floor. Only then did Nie Kong realize that nearly eighty percent of the blood in his body was gone. If this had happened in his previous life, he would likely have fainted long ago, risking his life.

Fortunately, Mu Lengxing and the others seemed to have anticipated such a situation. They had stacked hundreds of "Yin Moon Stones" throughout the room. These stones could enhance the bloodline power of the Half-Spirit clan members. Though they lacked the function of hematopoiesis, they could accelerate the speed of blood regeneration.

Nie Kong immediately sat down cross-legged, placing his right palm directly onto one of the "Yin Moon Stones" at the edge...

The night was deep, and the "Ancestral Heavenly Luo Tree" imprint on Mu Lengxing’s brow grew brighter. Gradually, wisps of green began to spread from Mu Xueyi's brow, creeping across her entire body like a spider web. Each strand of green corresponded to a blood vessel within Mu Xueyi.

"Thump! Thump..."

The green threads vibrated faintly, resembling beating blood vessels, the deep, heavy sounds echoing in the room. In an instant, amidst the shimmering, vibrating green glow, wisps of black energy began to rise.

This was the death energy that the "Nightmare Spirit Black Demon Vine" had permeated into Mu Xueyi’s body over the past twenty years. The rate at which they seeped out constantly accelerated, while the rate at which they dissolved into the void remained constant. Consequently, the room gradually dimmed, and soon, the lamplight was swallowed by the darkness.

In the room, only the naked Mu Xueyi and the pile of Yin Moon Stones still emitted a green radiance.

Time flowed like water until the sky outside brightened completely. The last trace of death energy finally floated out of Mu Xueyi's body and merged into the darkness within the room. Immediately, the green glow that covered her body retracted like a receding tide, shrinking instantly back into the "Ancestral Heavenly Luo Tree" imprint on Mu Xueyi’s brow.

"Mmm!"

Mu Xueyi let out a soft, sleep-mumbling hum, as if just waking from a dream. Then, her delicate eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her eyelids instantly snapped open, revealing a pair of dark, clear eyes. The confusion in her gaze vanished abruptly, and Mu Xueyi sat bolt upright, her heart instinctively turning toward the bedside.

As the first light of dawn faintly appeared on the horizon, the death energy emanating from Mu Xueyi's body began to diminish. By this moment, the room had become significantly clearer, and Nie Kong's figure, sitting cross-legged on the floor, was faintly visible.

"Hoo!"

With a gentle wave of her sleeve, the black energy swirling around surged out through the open window, and the room instantly became bright and clear. Nie Kong's figure came fully into Mu Xueyi's line of sight.

Upon meeting that young face, Mu Xueyi could no longer bear to look away. Her lips trembled, unable to utter a word, yet her expression grew increasingly emotional. Unconsciously, the corners of Mu Xueyi's eyes became moist, and two hazy pools of water formed in her eyes.

After a long while, Mu Xueyi’s emotions finally settled slightly. She gently slipped off the bed, making almost no sound, as if afraid of startling Nie Kong awake.

Sitting quietly opposite Nie Kong, she carefully studied his features. The excitement and joy in Mu Xueyi's eyes had entirely transformed into tender affection. After an unknown duration, Mu Xueyi quietly raised her hand toward Nie Kong's cheek, but halfway there, she let it fall again.

A moment later, Mu Xueyi’s right hand lifted again, and fell again...

Lifted, and fallen...

After repeating this hesitant motion several times, Mu Xueyi's palm finally made gentle contact with Nie Kong's cheek. The warm sensation transmitted through her fingertips stirred the softest chord within Mu Xueyi's heart. A flush of excited crimson rose across her pale complexion, and her gaze was filled with the radiance of motherhood.

"This is my child!"

This thought echoed incessantly in Mu Xueyi's mind.

During this recent period, although she had lain silently on the bed without any response, her consciousness had not truly been asleep; she had maintained a vague awareness of external movements. From the words of Mu Qingyi, Mu Lengxing, and the others, she already knew that her second child had returned to Yin Ruins—whether he was the one who expelled the spiritual thought possessing Mu Qingyi, or the one who broke through the "Nightmare Spirit Black Demon Vine" outside the Wood Spirit Hall...

Thus, Mu Xueyi had been waiting.

Now that her wish was finally fulfilled, feeling the connection through their bloodline, Mu Xueyi gazed at the delicate face opposite her. The scenes from the past involuntarily flashed before her eyes: when this little one was born, he wasn't as fond of crying as his older brother, nor as quiet; he was especially mischievous and active. Even before he could open his eyes fully, he would often grin, scratching at her face with his chubby little hands...

Recalling the comical scenes of her child, a faint smile touched the corners of Mu Xueyi's lips. But the good times were short-lived. Not long after, the upheaval occurred in Yin Ruins. She was sealed within the "Wood Spirit Hall," slowly approaching death. Her two children were taken away by Mu Shang, their fates unknown... She hadn't expected that when they met again, he would have grown so tall.

"..."

After stroking Nie Kong’s cheek a few times, Mu Xueyi’s hand slid away very gently. Her vision blurred, and tears were already streaming down her face. A moment later, Mu Xueyi's expression suddenly grew flustered. She quickly turned her head, wiped the tears from her face, and then turned back to look at Nie Kong, whose eyes were now open.

Nie Kong was stunned to see Mu Xueyi sitting opposite him the moment he awoke, his gaze immediately becoming somewhat complex. Watching her demeanor, images of his mother from his previous life involuntarily flashed through his mind, and the two entirely different figures seemed to momentarily overlap.

A surge of excitement rose from his chest. Nie Kong could no longer distinguish whether the current emotion stemmed from himself now, or from the memories of before.

In his past life, his mother had passed away many years ago, and Nie Kong had constantly missed her. In the memories of this life, Nie Kong had also always thought of his mother. Now that he had finally met her, the longing from both lifetimes erupted completely at this moment, so intensely that it was hard to suppress.

"Mother."

Nie Kong whispered the name subconsciously.

Now that Nie Kong’s memories from both lives had fully merged, calling Mu Xueyi this did not feel the least bit awkward to him. Firstly, although Mu Xueyi appeared young, her age definitely surpassed that of Gu Changgong in Spirit Command City, and furthermore, she was the mother of this body.

"Nuan."

This address was something Mu Xueyi had imagined countless times when she was still fully conscious in the Wood Spirit Hall. Hearing this unfamiliar voice utter this familiar term, a tremendous wave instantly crashed through her heart, and large teardrops involuntarily welled up in Mu Xueyi's eyes again.

"Mother, I'm back." Nie Kong's voice suddenly held a touch of sorrow.

"It's good that you're back, just being back is enough..." Mu Xueyi hurriedly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. After leaving the Wood Spirit Hall, Mu Xueyi had repeatedly and excitedly planned what she would say upon meeting her son, but now all those words had vanished. She could only speak incoherently, "Child, get up and talk, don't sit on the floor..." As she spoke, Mu Xueyi quickly stood up and began searching the room for a chair, her movements surprisingly clumsy, much like a woman newly experiencing motherhood.