That vision was something he had seen only when he was struck by the dual forces of Annihilation and Creation, at the very moment his body was nearly shattered. It was a scene granted to him by his Eye of Samsara.

A breathtaking flower garden, a spectacle of vibrant blooms, and within it stood a young girl in a simple floral dress, appearing as pure and essential as a magnolia blending into the sea of flowers, as if her very presence caused every blossom to unfurl.

Looking up, a graceful silhouette appeared before his eyes, exactly as he had seen before: a plain floral dress, long black hair falling casually over her shoulders, dancing lightly among the blossoms before finally pausing in the heart of the floral expanse.

Her eyes were now fixed on him, and within their depths shimmered something he recognized as profound yearning.

Ling'er, I have waited a thousand years, searched a thousand years, and today I finally see you again. But do you still remember me?

Ye Jingyu let out a soft sigh within his heart. He knew that Luo Ling'er had been reborn, her memories of the past life utterly erased by the Destruction Lord. There was no way she could recall him.

A faint smile touched his lips, mirroring the expression from the first time he met her, his mouth curving gently upward. With the courtly grace of a gentleman, he bowed deeply to Ling, then began to speak slowly, "Beautiful Princess, your dance is exquisitely graceful. When the mist rises over this sea of flowers, even these myriad blossoms pale in comparison to your movements…"

It was a trite compliment, one that even Mu, standing nearby, considered utterly cliché. He knew countless demons had praised this sole princess of the Demon Clan with language thousands of times more elegant and refined. She had never been pleased by such words or rejoiced in such adoration; how could this commonplace remark possibly win her favor?

But to Mu's astonishment, Ling smiled. Her lovely mouth curved upward, pulling into a beautiful arc that revealed two charming dimples on her cheeks.

Am I dreaming? Mu rubbed his eyes in disbelief, questioning whether reality held firm. Yet, after rubbing them repeatedly, he found the smile on Princess Ling's face had not faded but was growing brighter, richer with happiness.

A puzzled Mu turned to look at Ye Jingyu, finding nothing remarkable about him aside from his handsome looks. Could it be that Princess Ling simply favored handsome men? But Lord Yuan was also an incomparable beauty, ranked among the very best whether judged by human or demonic standards. Why did she rarely smile in Lord Yuan's presence?

Perhaps it was simply because he was human? Right, in this Di Sha Demon Palace, everyone was a demon. Although the maids attending Princess Ling were human, they had all been brainwashed by Lord Yuan to the point where not a trace of their humanity remained. Princess Ling's joy must stem from seeing her own kind?

Yes, it had to be that. Without needing any explanation from Ye Jingyu or the others, Mu had conjured a rationale for the scene.

"Are your wounds healed?" Ling asked softly, her large eyes fixed solely on Ye Jingyu's.

"Mm..." That simple inquiry sent a wave of sweetness through Ye Jingyu, like consuming a chest full of honey.

"Really?" Ling tilted her head, a hint of disbelief in her expression.

"Truly!" Ye Jingyu nodded with a smile, his gaze filled with happiness.

"It seems Brother Yuan didn't lie to me. You truly are strong!" The worry finally lifted from Ling’s face.

"Lord Yuan flatters me!" Ye Jingyu responded verbally, yet a sharp pang of bitterness struck his heart. Strong? If I were truly strong enough, I would have taken you away from here long ago.

"Hehe, you don't need to be so modest. Brother Yuan rarely praises anyone!" Luo Ling'er laughed, assuming Ye Jingyu was simply being humble.

Hearing Luo Ling'er mention Yuan repeatedly made Ye Jingyu feel utterly conflicted. Though he knew that Yuan had always been present as an older brother figure since Ling first remembered things, hearing the woman he loved most constantly bring up another man still caused him significant pain.

But he gave no sign of it, nor did he allow himself to take out his feelings on Luo Ling'er, recognizing that she had completely lost the memories of her past life.

"Brother Yuan mentioned you are to take command of the Blood Demon Legion. Are you heading there now to take up your post?" Seeing Ye Jingyu fall silent, Luo Ling'er spoke again.

"Mm..." Ye Jingyu affirmed with a nod.

"Then hurry along, or Brother Yuan will scold me again for delaying his orders!" Luo Ling'er quickly urged, though a flicker of reluctance crossed her eyes—a reluctance she herself couldn't explain.

As for Ye Jingyu, that sentence struck his heart like a brutal blow. Brother Yuan, again. Yet, his face maintained that bright, sunny smile. He offered Ling a formal salute and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment..." Just as Ye Jingyu was about to pivot, Luo Ling'er spoke once more.

"Does the Princess have further commands?" Ye Jingyu clasped his hands, though inwardly he desperately wished to remain there. Yet, he understood that to truly stay by her side forever, there were many tasks he must accomplish himself. Being able to see her now was already a profound blessing compared to before.

"May I know your name?" Luo Ling'er tilted her head slightly, her large eyes fixed on Ye Jingyu, where a look of desperate yearning shimmered.

"Certainly. My name is Ye Jingyu. If the Princess does not mind, you may also call me Little Yezi!" Ye Jingyu said with a smile, but this smile was edged with a deep bitterness. After uttering those words, he paid Luo Ling'er no further mind and turned, walking out of the flower garden with Mu.

"Little Yezi?" Luo Ling'er whispered the name softly, suddenly feeling those syllables were incredibly familiar.

"Little Yezi..." Just as Ye Jingyu was about to step clear of the flower bed, Luo Ling'er's voice rang out, and Ye Jingyu felt his heart give a violent lurch.

Little Yezi. What a hauntingly familiar address. How long had it been since he had heard that name? Nearly three thousand years; it had been millennia since those words had graced his ears.

His heart trembled faintly, his body halting entirely. He felt an overwhelming sorrow, as memories flooded his mind—the first meeting, the first walk through the marketplace, the first time she had called him Little Yezi, the first… so many precious first times…