In the corridor ten meters away, City Lords Mu Lengxing and four others watched the two figures inside through the window. Suddenly, a light, pleasant giggle broke the silence—it was Mu Tianfei, covering her red lips, unable to suppress her laughter, her delicate face brimming with amusement.

Noticing Mu Lengxing and the others looking at her in surprise, Mu Tianfei pointed to Mu Xueyi, who sat on the edge of the bed, hands clasped in front of her like a well-behaved child, intently listening to Nie Kong speak. She pursed her lips and chuckled lightly, "See? Xueyi is so adorably simple-minded. It was the exact same look on her face back when we were selected for the 'Ancestral Heaven Academy' and Master Mu and the City Lords came to teach us. It seems her status and Mu Kong's have been reversed."

The "Ancestral Heaven Academy" was a highly unique place in the Yin Ruins. Every few decades, the contemporary Master Mu and City Lords would select the most outstanding children from the Yin Ruins for concentrated cultivation there. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the next Master Mu and City Lords would emerge from this cohort.

Mu Yaotong said sweetly, "Tianfei, don't tease Xueyi. If you hadn't seen your own child for twenty years, you'd probably look just like this too."

"Indeed."

Mu Lengxing’s lips curved slightly, a semblance of a smile playing there. "Xueyi doesn't yet know how to interact with a son who is already this old. She'll slowly adapt in a few days. Where are Qingyi and Qingying? I haven't seen those two since Mu Kong returned to the Grand Manifestation Hall yesterday."

"She... entered the 'Soul Devouring Cave'," Mu Yijun sighed softly. "She said she won't come out until she has spent a full twenty nian inside the 'Soul Devouring Cave'."

"The Soul Devouring Cave?"

Mu Lengxing, Mu Tianfei, Mu Yulin, and Mu Yaotong’s expressions changed drastically at once.

To everyone in the Yin Ruins, regardless of whether they were Heavenly Spirit experts or ordinary Spirit Gatherers, the "Soul Devouring Cave" west of Yin Moon City was a place spoken of with dread. Once one entered the "Soul Devouring Cave," all cultivation, whether spiritual power or bloodline strength, would be sealed. If one remained inside, every dawn, noon, and dusk they would endure pain as if their soul were being ripped to shreds and then violently devoured, and each session would last for two hours. Under such torment, even the most steadfast will would deem life worse than death.

In the Yin Ruins, only for the most severe offenses, such as "killing a clansman," would someone be imprisoned in the "Soul Devouring Cave" as punishment. Now, Mu Qingyi had confined herself to the "Soul Devouring Cave" for twenty nian—a duration dozens of times longer than the maximum prescribed penalty.

Thus, when this news spread, it caused a near upheaval throughout the entire Yin Ruins.

Over these twenty years, some had been dissatisfied with Mu Qingyi, and others had hated her, but after learning the true story, most felt a profound sympathy for her. To be controlled for such a long time by an external spiritual thought, even for a Heavenly Spirit expert, was a tragic fate for anyone.

Yet, even to atone for her sins, locking herself in the "Soul Devouring Cave" for twenty years seemed excessive. Twenty years later, when Mu Qingyi emerged, she would likely be nothing more than a husk. The Yin Ruins would lose not just Mu Qingyi, but a Heavenly Spirit expert!

Around noon, the sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in brightness. Nie Kong sat up, stretching his waist lazily, an expression of ease on his face.

Since entering the Yin Ruins, Nie Kong had either been pondering his own bloodline or figuring out how to approach Mu Qingyi to rescue his mother from the "Wood Spirit Palace." He had barely slept a proper night’s rest. Only this time, while sleeping, did Nie Kong truly set all his worries aside.

His eyes flickered, glancing at Mu Xueyi lying clothed beside him on the adjacent wooden bed, and a faint, wry smile touched Nie Kong’s lips.

Since waking up yesterday, Mu Xueyi had been relentlessly inquiring about Nie Kong’s life over the past two decades.

When she heard that Mu Shang had been poisoned the moment she left the Yin Ruins, even though she knew the two children were safe, hearing Nie Kong recount the scene he witnessed in the Mu Ancestor’s memories still made her face turn deathly pale with fright. And upon learning that Nie Qingyang had taken the two children and raised them, she couldn't help but swing between ecstatic joy and deep sorrow.

Following that, Mu Xueyi remained immersed in this cycle of alternating grief and joy.

Knowing Mu Xueyi had only just awakened and her emotions were prone to fluctuation, Nie Kong deliberately avoided mentioning Nie Qiong to spare her pain. However, some crucial matters could not be skipped. Upon learning that Nie Qiong had passed away at the age of eighteen, Mu Xueyi wept uncontrollably until she heard how Nie Kong had miraculously survived past eighteen, at which point her mood began to improve again. She then proceeded to meticulously ask about every detail of Nie Kong's life, from childhood up, leaving nothing out.

They chatted back and forth in this manner from yesterday morning until the small hours of today. Only then did Mu Xueyi allow Nie Kong to go to bed, but she refused to leave, insisting she would stay by his bedside to watch over him. Nie Kong coaxed her for a long time before Mu Xueyi agreed to a compromise: bringing in another bed from outside. Initially, Nie Kong noticed that almost every few minutes, Mu Xueyi would lift her head to glance over at him, as if afraid he might kick off the covers like a toddler. Only when the sky began to show the pale gray of dawn did Mu Xueyi finally fall into an exhausted sleep.

Nie Kong understood. Having been sealed in the "Wood Spirit Palace" for so many years, Mu Xueyi was temporarily unaccustomed to her son suddenly being so grown up. She was almost instinctively treating him as the infant he was twenty years ago. In truth, to Nie Kong, his mother felt just like a little girl; some of the questions she’d asked yesterday were quite naïve, making him suppress laughter.

Taking a quiet breath, Nie Kong slipped out of bed and tiptoed over to Mu Xueyi’s bedside.

She was hugging the quilt to her chest, seemingly dreaming of something particularly joyful. Her brows occasionally curved downwards, and the corners of her lips constantly curled up, her exquisite face radiant with profound happiness.

Unbidden, a wave of warmth washed over Nie Kong. After watching her quietly for a moment, Nie Kong did not wake her and silently moved toward the door. Just as he pulled the door open, Mu Xueyi's slightly slurred murm