The network is finally back up after that long struggle. Turns out, it wasn't my computer, or the system, or even the cat—it was the telecom line. How infuriating!

Mu Xueyi and the others must have overheard what I just said. Mu Qingying, however, didn't seem bothered in the least, smiling brightly as she asked, "Aunt Xue, what brings you here?"

"Naturally, we have some good news for you."

Mu Xueyi said sweetly, "Qingying, from this moment forward, you are the Wood (Zong/Sect Master) of our Yin Ruins."

"Me?"

Mu Qingying jumped, thinking she must have misheard. She glanced over at Mu Lengxing and Mu Tianfei, but seeing no hint of a joke on their faces, a flicker of panic crossed her delicate features, and she waved her hands repeatedly. "Aunt Xue, no, no, that won't do."

Nie Kong was also quite surprised. He had heard Mu Qingyi mention in the 'Soul-Spraying Cave' that this girl had a high chance of becoming the Wood Zong, but he hadn't expected the day to arrive so soon.

"What won't do?" Mu Xueyi smiled. "'The Yin Ruins Wood Zong position changes hands every hundred years. Your Aunt Xue has already served eighty years; she took the seat twenty years ago. Your mother also won't agree to continue serving as Zong anymore. Furthermore, you are the second person among us in the Yin Ruins to possess the 'Snow Qilin Tree' Heartscape. Besides you, who else can possibly become the Wood Zong? Moreover, your succession is not just the will of the six of us; it is also the will of the Wood Ancestor."

"Snow Qilin Tree!"

Hearing those four words, Nie Kong looked at Mu Qingying with sudden astonishment.

It was the first time he had heard of Mu Qingying's Heartscape. To think her Heartscape was the same as the one who founded the Lingyu City lineage—the Snow Qilin Tree! No wonder that when he performed 'Flower Shifting Evasion Shadow' in the 'Soul-Spraying Cave' that time, this girl could still effortlessly keep pace with him.

"But... but..." Mu Qingying was already a little lost for words, frowning, having repeated "but" for a long time without finishing. Suddenly noticing Nie Kong smilingly staring at her, her eyes lit up, and she quickly thought of an excuse. "Aunt Xue, what about Mu Kong? Mother said that the 'Violet Illusionary Spirit Incense' Heartscape he condensed upon awakening his bloodline is a Divine-Grade Heartscape! Whereas my 'Snow Qilin Tree' Heartscape isn't even Earth-Grade."

Nie Kong felt speechless. This girl was truly driven to desperation, attempting to drag him into the fire. Didn't she consider who he was?

As expected, Mu Xueyi chuckled. "Qingying, the Yin Ruins Wood Zong has always been held by a woman since ancient times. Although Kong'er's Heartscape is Divine-Grade, he is, after all, a man. How could he possibly take the position of Yin Ruins Wood Zong? Even if we agreed, the nearly one million tribesmen in the Yin Ruins would never consent."

"Oh."

Mu Qingying immediately wilted, her exquisite face drooping, pouting sullenly. "But, I don't know how to be the Wood Zong?"

"That's easy to handle," Mu Tianfei said sweetly. "What is the 'Ancestral Heaven Academy' of our Yin Ruins for? It exists so that children who don't know how to be a Wood Zong can become true Wood Zongs, and children who don't know how to be City Lords can become true City Lords. Qingying, starting tomorrow, you must enter the 'Ancestral Heaven Academy' to study. Joining you will be the successors of the City Lords from the five cities: Yinyue, Dongwu, Xihui, Nanbiao, and Beisong."

Mu Lengxing sighed lightly. "Originally, twenty years ago, we should have selected a large number of children with excellent aptitude to enter the 'Ancestral Heaven Academy' for training as candidates. At that time, the Wood Zong position might not have fallen to you. But these years have been delayed. Now that a century has passed, we have no choice but to reverse the order: select the successors first, and then they enter the 'Ancestral Heaven Academy' for study. Qingying, your succession as Wood Zong is a settled matter, unless you can awaken the Wood Ancestor from his slumber and persuade him to change his mind. Or, you could find a woman in the Yin Ruins who also possesses a Divine-Grade Heartscape like Nie Kong—that would give us grounds to replace you, even if it meant facing the Wood Ancestor's punishment later."

Mu Qingying gave Mu Xueyi, then Mu Lengxing, Mu Tianfei, Mu Yaotong, Mu Yijun, and Mu Yushuang a pitiful look. Unfortunately, none of their expressions softened in the slightest. After a long moment, Mu Qingying weakly struggled, "But, if I enter the 'Ancestral Heaven Academy,' I won't see Mother for two years, nor Aunt Xue and the others, nor Mu Kong. I won't be able to marry Mu Kong in six months and won't be able to have lots and lots of children."

"If you enter the 'Ancestral Heaven Academy,' you can't come out for two years?"

Nie Kong’s heart leaped with joy at this stipulation. Although he still found the prospect of marrying Mu Qingying difficult to escape, delaying it by two years was something. However, seeing Mu Qingying look so pitiful, like a small cat abandoned by its owner, Nie Kong found it improper to display his mixed feelings of relief and dismay.

Mu Xueyi chuckled lightly. "Qingying, with Aunt Xue here, your husband isn't going anywhere. When you come out of the 'Ancestral Heaven Academy' in two years, you can still get married just the same."

"Oh." Mu Qingying still couldn't muster any happiness, muttering something while puffing out her cheeks.

A moment later, Mu Xueyi and the others departed, leaving only Mu Qingying and Nie Kong in the courtyard. Following Mu Xueyi's final instruction, Nie Kong was supposed to keep the girl company, as they wouldn't see each other for at least two years once she entered the "Ancestral Heaven Academy" the next day.

"Mu Kong, what should we do?" Mu Qingying clutched Nie Kong's arm, looking at him with pleading eyes.

"What do you mean, what should we do?" Nie Kong feigned ignorance, walking toward the room as he spoke.

Mu Qingying tightly hugged Nie Kong's arm between her two soft, plump spheres of jade, sticking close to him, and mumbled glumly, "I have to go to the 'Ancestral Heaven Academy' tomorrow and won't see you for two years! In two years, I could have two children already!"

The soft yet elastic pressure transmitted through his arm made Nie Kong's heart feel tickled, as if by strands of hair. He was reluctant to pull his arm away, but upon hearing the latter half of Mu Qingying's statement, Nie Kong nearly stumbled and fell. What exactly was going on in this girl's mind?

"Qingying, can't you think about anything other than having children?" Nie Kong managed a dry laugh.

"Anything else?" Mu Qingying looked at Nie Kong blankly, clearly not grasping the meaning behind his words.

Since leaving the 'Soul-Soothing Cave,' her mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of childbirth. In the Yin Ruins, the vast majority of the tribe were separated from their mothers' bodies. This separation required first cultivating a seed within the Heartscape, then using the seed as the source, bloodline power as the foundation, and incorporating the medicinal power of the Yin Ruins' unique 'Mother-Child Spring' water to help the child condense a physical body. This process took nearly a year and was horrifically draining for the mother. Once the child was successfully gestated within the Heartscape, it was considered excellent if the mother retained even one or two layers of her former ten layers of cultivation.

However, the process of men and women conceiving children was much simpler and more interesting. Mu Qingying finally had her husband, and coupled with the rumors she had heard about men from other women, she was filled with intense curiosity about such matters. It would be strange if she could suppress her thoughts.

Seeing Mu Qingying's dazed expression, Nie Kong could only say helplessly, "There are many things to think about. For example, your 'Snow Qilin Tree' Heartscape. As your 'husband,' I have never actually seen your Heartscape. Aren't you planning to let me understand it?"

"Oh, right!" Upon hearing Nie Kong mention this, Mu Qingying's pretty face immediately blossomed with a smile. She quickly let go of Nie Kong's arm, ran in front of him, and a white gleam flashed between her eyebrows. Then, like falling starlight, a brilliant white shadow descended before Nie Kong, so dazzling it was hard to look at directly.

After squinting for a while, Nie Kong gradually adjusted. When he looked again, he saw that standing before him was a rather plump tree-shaped Heartscape. Innumerable dense small trunks sprouted from the base, making it look like a wide, open umbrella. The leaves, branches, and roots were all pure white, crystal clear, and lustrous. The most marvelous part was that the Heartscape's roots coiled and twisted together, actually forming the shape of a Qilin.

It must be the origin of the "Qilin" in Snow Qilin Tree!

"Emerge!" Mu Qingying cried out. The dense branches of the Snow Qilin Tree instantly spread outwards, and a delicate, snow-white flower immediately came into Nie Kong's sight. Soon, Nie Kong discovered that the stamen was surrounded by a ring of glistening white particles, each as large as a thumb.

Mu Qingying said sweetly, "Mu Kong, look quickly! These thirty are the seeds of the 'Snow Qilin Tree.' They appear as soon as the Heartscape manifests. If I wanted to have children, I would just need to choose one of them to cultivate. When I was little, I actually wanted to cultivate all of them! But now that I have a husband, I don't need to cultivate the tree seeds anymore. We can just have children together—I want lots and lots of children..."

"My God!" Nie Kong groaned in agony and bolted around the Snow Qilin Tree, rushing into the room. This girl's every sentence revolved around having children; he was close to a breakdown.

"Mu Kong, don't run! I haven't finished talking yet!"

"..."

One month later.

North of Yinyue City, all the withered 'Nightmare Spirit Black Demon Vines' surrounding the Wood Spirit Hall had been cleared away, but this area remained saturated with death energy. Since Mu Qingying entered the "Ancestral Heaven Academy" a month ago, Nie Kong had moved his cultivation spot here. Compared to the courtyard in the Great Evolution Hall, this place, where vitality and death energy mingled, was clearly more suitable for Nie Kong to refine his Heartscape.

"Merge!"

The dark green aura swirling around him gradually merged into the void. A faint musical note suddenly sounded, and the massive 'Violet Illusionary Spirit Incense' Heartscape above his head descended onto Nie Kong's head once more.

Gradually, Nie Kong’s body began to fade. First his head, then his hands and chest, followed by his waist, hips, and legs. Finally, even his feet gradually vanished. Outside the Wood Spirit Hall, Nie Kong was nowhere to be seen; only the deep violet 'Violet Illusionary Spirit Incense' remained.

"Whoosh! Whoosh..." Trailing roots along the ground, the Violet Illusionary Spirit Incense zipped around outside the "Wood Spirit Hall." Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out: "Floating Flower Layered Shadow!"

"BOOM!" Amidst a fierce roar, the body of the Violet Illusionary Spirit Incense violently exploded. For an instant, purple light shattered across an area spanning over ten meters, the fierce energy surging outward. The formerly calm void seemed to be torn apart by countless razor-sharp blades. At almost the same moment, Nie Kong's figure reappeared twenty meters away. Looking at the turbulent void before him, joy inevitably surfaced on his face: the Heartscape had finally been successfully refined!

End of Volume!