The recollections of Wan Yan were, without question, impeccable. Every memory, from childhood onward—whether faded into shadow or etched vividly—was present and accounted for. Furthermore, much of what she recalled dovetailed perfectly with Lei Dong's own memories, showing no trace of fabrication whatsoever. She even recounted with perfect clarity the precise moment and location where her heart had first begun to yield to him, where that initial spark of affection had ignited.

By this point, Lei Dong was largely convinced. But he was a man constitutionally cautious and meticulous, so he began to search through the memories she possessed from the time she had been abducted.

In those days, she had been frantic, worried for herself and the child within her, and equally consumed by anxiety for Lei Dong. Subsequently, she had slipped into a hazy, deep slumber. It was during this unconscious state that the sealed memories in the depths of her awareness began to seep into her consciousness, slowly allowing her to understand who she truly was, and why she had been reincarnated.

Theoretically, her original intention had been to approach the person chosen by the Universal Will after her rebirth. However, something had gone wrong during the transmigration process. The initially sealed memories had not gradually awakened in the manner she had pre-planned. Consequently, she had continued to believe she was simply Ding Wan Yan, living out a loving life with Lei Dong.

What was even more marvelous was that Wan Yan had not approached Lei Dong at the behest of the Mother of All Spirits’ memories. Instead, through a twist of fate, the two had met, fallen in love, and pledged their devotion until death—a matter of destiny, truly. This meeting was only possible because the Mother of All Spirits, even before her reincarnation, had calculated the general location where the soul of the Universal Consciousness would descend. This foresight gave the memory-wiped Wan Yan the chance to encounter Lei Dong.

In truth, had they been in the same locale, they would have met even without becoming husband and wife. It was just that even the Mother of All Spirits, before choosing to reincarnate, never anticipated that the defect in her memory seal would cause her own blank, new consciousness to fully integrate as a mere human woman, falling in love with Lei Dong. The original entity had never entertained such notions; at most, she had planned to cultivate a deeper friendship with Lei Dong, subtly influencing his future decisions.

Only recently had she fully awakened, as if emerging from a profound dream—a dream in which she was both the once-dominant Mother of All Spirits and...

Searching and searching, Lei Dong found no trace of manufactured memories, nor the slightest indication of soul usurpation. Gradually, a sense of relief washed over him; he understood that this woman was truly his beloved wife, Wan Yan.

However, her condition was undeniably complex. Now, she was both Wan Yan and the Mother of All Spirits. The entire sequence of intent, the accidental outcomes, and the myriad wonders were laid bare before him.

Lei Dong’s consciousness retreated from Ding Wan Yan’s mind like a receding tide. His expression was pale and intricate as he looked at her. "Wan Yan, is the dominant component of your consciousness now more the component of Wan Yan, or more that of the Mother?"

"My consciousness has never truly changed. The growth from childhood, my relatives, my friends, my beloved—they are deeply imprinted in my memory," Ding Wan Yan said quietly, looking at Lei Qing. "I have merely passively accepted the memories sealed away, which allowed me to understand my true identity. So, I am me; I am both Wan Yan and the Mother. Lei Dong, if you cannot accept the person I am now, I will not blame you."

"You are the foolish one," Lei Dong murmured, stepping forward gently and pulling her into an embrace. He stroked her soft hair and whispered, "Wan Yan, I love you—your person, your soul, your consciousness. You are right; you are you. No matter what you have encountered, or what you have become, you are forever my deeply loved wife, Wan Yan. Heh, it’s amusing. In my past life's world, when we said we loved someone, simply saying 'I love you' sufficed. But for beings at our level, that simple declaration doesn't quite cut it."

"Mm, I understand what you mean. Beings at our level possess too profound an understanding of all things. Body is body, soul is soul, consciousness is consciousness; we distinguish them clearly," Ding Wan Yan admitted, blushing slightly and feeling a touch intoxicated by his tender words. "Lei Dong, we both know that consciousness is the fundamental core of a person. I can guarantee you, although my consciousness now holds all the memories of the Mother of All Spirits, in essence, I remain myself. I remain Wan Yan. If you truly hold reservations, I won't take offense. After all, I was the one who made the initial mistake."

"If one day my body were utterly destroyed, and I was forced to reincarnate as a pig, but my consciousness and soul remained mine," Lei Dong teased, unable to resist stirring the pot, chuckling, "would you still consider me your husband? Would you still be willing to sleep beside me at night?"

"Pah!" Ding Wan Yan smacked him playfully, annoyed. "Why would you go and possess a pig? Even if you did possess a pig, I could teach you the technique for Rebirth of the Demonic Body. Even if the soul and consciousness were entirely yours, I wouldn't sleep with a pig! Aren't you afraid of spoiling me?"

"Hey, hey, that takes the fun out of it," Lei Dong said, touching his nose with a light laugh. "If we hypothetically..."

"Enough hypotheticals," Ding Wan Yan retorted, blushing fiercely as she hit him again. "Can you please say something serious?"

"Alright, alright, I'll be serious," Lei Dong replied, his eyes narrowing with a mischievous smile. "You just stressed that you are both Wan Yan and the Mother. So, the person I am holding right now—is that my wife Wan Yan? Or is that the great Mother Goddess? I’m genuinely conflicted on that point."

His words made Ding Wan Yan’s body go weak. Blushing, she hissed softly, "You, you, you are simply morally bankrupt, with such wicked thoughts. It’s all my fault for being young and ignorant back then, thinking you were a respectable, honest man. In the end, you’re just outwardly honest, but your belly is filled with devious schemes."

"How am I morally bankrupt? I’m just scared," Lei Dong feigned a look of utter panic. "The Mother of All Spirits is an entity worshipped fanatically by all spirits under heaven, called the Mother Goddess! If I desecrate her like this, and even get her pregnant, won't I face complete annihilation?"

"Ptooey!" Ding Wan Yan delivered a playful kick, her face burning with shame. "You, you, you! Why didn't I keep my eyes open when I married you? I’m the unlucky one! I should have gradually regained my memories not long after reincarnation, but I sealed them too tightly to evade the Universal Will, and ended up as an ignorant girl, completely swept off my feet and muddled by you. By any measure, you took massive advantage. And now, after taking advantage, you still play the victim! I don't want this child anymore."

Lei Dong nearly forgot the child Wan Yan carried. He quickly pulled her close, plastering a placating, false smile on his face. "Yes, yes, I took all the advantage. But, whatever squabbles husband and wife have, the child is innocent."

"Hmph, don't assume I have many children," Ding Wan Yan retorted, glaring at him. "That’s right, I’m called the Mother of All Spirits, but that’s an honorary title. Before the last two cosmic cycles, I mastered profound laws of life and enjoyed using life factors to create diverse species."

"I understand, I understand. That old fellow, the Lord of the Underworld, also enjoys playing games creating life. Though he only mastered the laws of the Netherworld," Lei Dong agreed.

"Precisely. The laws of the Netherworld are actually a branch of the laws of life, governing souls. But overall, they are less grand than the laws of life. Is the Lord of the Underworld not dead? Where did you encounter him? Be careful; that man’s intentions are not good."

"My wife is still the most powerful, the Mother of All Spirits. Am I dreaming?" Lei Dong shouted exaggeratedly, playing along. But then, his expression turned heavy and furrowed. "Wan Yan, I have something I must ask you. You know I am the disciple of the Demon Emperor Yan Chi Xing. Did my master... did you kill him?"

"Actually, to survive the last great cycle catastrophe, I sustained severe damage, irreversible trauma on the level of consciousness and soul," Ding Wan Yan confessed, her complexion turning slightly pale, her tone distant. "Because of this, in this current life, I split off a portion of my consciousness and life factors to create a clone. You could say that almost everything has been managed by the clone. All I could do was remain quietly here, healing."

Lei Dong let out a slight breath of relief, yet immediately grew tense again, gripping her hand. "Then how is your injury? Ji Zi Yan mentioned you might not last much longer. Is that referring to you?"

"Lei Dong, that was something my clone instructed Ji Zi Yan to say. Because my decision to reincarnate was kept secret from my clone—even she didn't know I had been reborn as Ding Wan Yan," Ding Wan Yan leaned wearily against Lei Dong’s broad shoulder. "It’s true; my consciousness can, at most, hold stable for a few thousand years before dissipating."

Lei Dong’s body shook, and he was about to say something anxious when Ding Wan Yan gently placed a finger on his lips, murmuring softly, "Husband, let me finish. The reasons I reincarnated were twofold: first, to attempt to disrupt the Universal Consciousness’s soul plan; and second, to actually try experiencing what it is like to be human. I refined my most superior life factors to create humankind, but I never enjoyed the feeling of being human. So, I wanted to try being a human while my consciousness remained intact and my soul hadn't yet decayed."

Lei Dong looked at her, his eyes filled with grief and shadow.

"I had terrible luck; the memory seal was too strong and the release failed. But looking back now, this failure is the luckiest thing that has happened in my long existence," Ding Wan Yan murmured dreamily, her gaze distant. "Because I was free from the interference of immediate memories, I became a genuine person, experiencing friendship, kinship, and most importantly, you, Lei Dong. You allowed me to taste what it truly means to be human. And the feeling of truly nurturing life, of being on the verge of motherhood." She beamed happily, caressing her slightly swollen abdomen.

……(To be continued)RQ