#160;Jun Mo Xie tried to smile, but found the muscles in his face stiff; he wanted to step forward, but realized his feet were rooted to the spot. The immense joy completely overwhelmed him—the happiness of regaining what was lost flooded his heart in an instant...

#160;Although he had known this day was coming, although he had fully expected to see his long-lost beloved upon entering just moments ago, although he felt prepared to welcome Mei Xueyan's return...

#160;But! Faced with the reality, Jun Mo Xie simply could not bear it!

#160;It turned out that happiness too vast could exert an equally immense pressure!

#160;“Xue…yan…” Jun Mo Xie felt his voice tremble inexplicably. Even uttering those two syllables was an arduous task. His throat was dry, and a pang of bittersweet happiness tightened his sinuses...

#160;Within the dense spiritual energy, the figure clad in white trembled violently. Her eyelashes fluttered briefly, and two tears suddenly traced silent paths down her cheeks...

#160;The mist of spiritual energy swirled, dispersing and then coalescing. Mei Xueyan moved faintly, taking two steps toward Jun Mo Xie. Her slender frame began to tremble even more violently. A dazed, wistful smile graced her face as she suddenly crouched down, slamming both hands over her eyes...

#160;A torrent of tears surged forth, streaming between her fair, smooth fingers...

#160;Jun Mo Xie let out a husky, guttural sound, and in the next moment, he had crushed the delicate beauty before him into his embrace... At that instant, Mei Xueyan cast aside all previous reserve, hugging him tightly while weeping tears of pure joy...

#160;During that intervening period, the two still met daily, yet the moment they stood face-to-face again after Mei Xueyan’s renewed cultivation, both felt an uncanny sense of having crossed vast distances...

#160;As if the time since their last meeting had stretched out for an eternity...

#160;Locked in a long-desired embrace, they felt each other's undeniable reality without speaking a word. After a long, long while, Mei Xueyan gently pulled herself from Jun Mo Xie’s arms, her face flushed with an indescribable, exquisite redness. She lightly smoothed a lock of hair near her temple and whispered, “Have I… changed?”

#160;“You have… you’ve become even more beautiful. Before, you were like a celestial fairy; now, you are a fairy made flesh, surpassing even that past splendor.”

#160;Jun Mo Xie gazed greedily at the exquisitely beautiful face before him, his praise heartfelt.”

#160;“Still so slick with words… During this time… I…” Mei Xueyan let out a soft sound of exasperation, her eyes growing moist again. She tried to speak but forcefully stopped herself, her voice catching slightly, “…Thank you!”

#160;Though she left the unspoken words hanging, both understood perfectly: the period just past had been the nadir of Mei Xueyan’s life, a time steeped in the deepest self-doubt!

#160;It was believed that if Jun Mo Xie had shown even the slightest deviation during that time—not disgust or abandonment, but merely an excess of care or favor—it would have been enough to shatter the utterly vulnerable Mei Xueyan into ruin!

#160;But, thankfully, Mei Xueyan was not disappointed!

#160;Everything remained as steadfast as before!

#160;Yet, it was precisely this placid, warm affection that represented true, heartfelt emotion! Overly dramatic professions of feeling or promises often indicated inner uncertainty... Mei Xueyan understood this principle, and so did Jun Mo Xie. Everything was understood without words; speech was futile; their actions had already proven everything!

#160;Mei Xueyan devoted herself to cultivation, striving to recover swiftly, but was Jun Mo Xie any different in his own struggle against his state of mind? To maintain his original intent without increase or decrease was the most precious state of the initial heart!

#160;While Mei Xueyan had successfully completed her renewed cultivation, Jun Mo Xie’s state of mind had also ascended to a higher plane through this trial! The benefits derived from this period were immeasurable.

#160;“Silly girl,” Jun Mo Xie said, not missing her meaning. He inhaled sharply and smiled faintly, “We are husband and wife; we are one entity. Did you not know that if I had been the first to crumble, losing my original heart, you would naturally have collapsed as well? But… if you had been the one to break, what would have become of me?”

#160;He gently extended his arms, drawing Mei Xueyan into his embrace once more, sighing with genuine happiness, “We… are one entity…”

#160;Mei Xueyan offered no resistance, gently inclining her delicate head to nestle against the broad, solid chest of the man she loved, her expression one of serene happiness. She said nothing, for at this moment, words were utterly redundant! Whatever she might say would be superfluous!

#160;The original heart remained, and true affection endured! The purple spiritual energy suffusing the Hongjun Pagoda swept around them instantly, and soft, shimmering points of light from the strange tree rained down upon them both. They remained clasped together in this posture for a long, long time, unmoving.

#160;After another long silence, Jun Mo Xie was the first to break the rare stillness with a soft chuckle. The young master breathed in deeply the maidenly fragrance of Mei Xueyan, a look of deep contentment on his face. “Wife, find some time soon, and let us consummate our marriage. You have no idea, I’ve been utterly bottled up, ready to explode. If you still don’t believe me, just feel…”

#160;A scoundrel remains a scoundrel, revealing his rogue nature the moment he opens his mouth… Yet, this particular scoundrel possessed the unique ability to shatter any awkward silence instantly…

#160;Mei Xueyan let out a small, sharp sound, pushing him away with a mixture of mock anger and amusement. She was still profoundly moved, yet this man uttered something so completely inappropriate, even suggesting a touch! Was that something one could simply touch? Truly shameless and exasperating!

#160;“Then go find your Sister Guan! Why come to me!” Mei Xueyan huffed, her face flushed, exerting effort to break free from his embrace. With a playful smile, she suddenly darted upward, floating far away. This single leap demonstrated an extremely refined lightness skill, in no way inferior to her past abilities.

#160;Mei Xueyan had only just regained her human form, yet her lightness skill was already peerless, matching her former strength. If her full power were truly restored, to what sublime realm would her speed ascend!

#160;“I was very lonely without you these past days,” Jun Mo Xie sighed lightly, but made no move to chase her. He remained standing where he was, gazing at Mei Xueyan’s graceful, ethereal figure, and lamented, “It is so good that you are back now!”

#160;Mei Xueyan halted her flight, letting out a soft sigh: “I know.”

#160;Mei Xueyan gazed at Qian Xun, quietly resting on the ground filling the earth, a shadow of sorrow crossing her eyes. She murmured, “The moment I saw Qian Xun lying here, I understood… That is why I didn’t ask… I didn’t want to ask, nor could I bear to ask…”

#160;She looked at Jun Mo Xie with deep affection and complete trust: “But I believe… everything will be well. Qian Xun will wake up too! Am I not the best example of that!”

#160;Jun Mo Xie nodded heavily: “Yes! She will definitely wake up!”

#160;Mei Xueyan was already largely aware of what Jun Mo Xie had done during this time, so there was no need for the young master to elaborate; the two stood quietly for a moment, their hearts feeling overwhelmingly complex. With their reunion today and her successful manifestation, both felt as if their hearts were about to explode with joy. It seemed no celebration could adequately vent the excitement and happiness they felt…

#160;However, the Snake King’s injuries and the overall situation of this period cast a faint pall of melancholy over their reunion joy…

#160;With all these emotions converging, both felt they had countless things to say, yet none could be voiced…

#160;“Xueyan, what is your current cultivation realm, roughly? Tell me about it!” Jun Mo Xie broke the silence.

#160;“Previously, I was at the peak of the Eighth Level. After consuming the Pills of Primordial Unity, Concentration, and Heavenly Origin, my foundation and accumulation reached a considerable height, allowing me to directly assault and successfully achieve the Ninth Level Peak Manifestation Realm—meaning I jumped straight to the Supreme Realm. The subsequent Profound Extreme Pill and Heavenly Extreme Pill advanced me further… Currently, although I haven't fully recovered my former peak strength, being slightly below my power before the Heavenly Punishment, I estimate I am around the Mid-Stage Venerable Level.”

#160;Mei Xueyan felt a hint of dissatisfaction. Although her current progress was astonishing, beyond her wildest dreams, Jun Mo Xie was facing the main forces of the Three Great Sacred Lands at any moment, and her current strength was still far from sufficient.

#160;But Jun Mo Xie’s mouth had already fallen open in surprise, staring at the beauty before him, nearly dropping his jaw to the floor.

#160;She remembered clearly: when she had broken through the second layer of the Creation Technique, she had only reached the Jade Profound Realm; the third layer had only pushed her to the Heavenly Profound Realm… The gap between that and Mei Xueyan’s current state was nearly a dozen tiers!

#160;How could this be?

#160;No matter the comparison… even with a vast gap, it shouldn't be this wide, should it?

#160;“After I broke through the second layer of the Creation Technique, I should have reached the peak of the Earth Profound Realm, close to the Heavenly Profound level,” Mei Xueyan said, seeing his confusion. She shot him a charming glance and smiled sweetly, “Remember, after that breakthrough, I continuously consumed five pills, which amounted to a solid increase of nearly two hundred years of pure cultivation! You overlooked that, didn’t you?”

#160;“But… that’s still faster than me! It’s too much, frankly!” The young master felt unbalanced, sensing he was positioned beneath the beauty before him… This feeling of being outpaced made him extremely frustrated, and deep down, he desperately wanted to grab her soft, shapely bottom and deliver a smack to recoup his losses…

#160;“Hmph, don't be greedy; I don't possess those miraculous abilities of yours,” Mei Xueyan warned with a glare.

#160;With Mei Xueyan pointing this out, Jun Mo Xie instantly understood the root of the disparity in their progress: firstly, Mei Xueyan possessed a profound foundation and rich experience; secondly, when Jun Mo Xie cultivated, a significant portion of the spiritual energy absorbed from the external world had to be diverted to nourish the Hongjun Pagoda… This was precisely why, although his cultivation consumed vast amounts of spiritual energy, only a small fraction truly benefited his personal power.