Just who wants to see me?
As he pushed open the door, Ye Zichen wondered to himself. It seemed that among his acquaintances, there was no one on Xuan Ji’s level.
Zhao Qianhe?
No, it shouldn’t be her.
She had a poor impression of Ye Zichen. Also, if she really wanted to go looking for him, there would be no need to ditch Xue Mo and Xue Beibei first.
His heart was full of various concerns, but he nevertheless pushed the door open.
“Zichen.” A trembling voice echoed from inside the residence.
Ye Zichen froze the second he heard it. His pupils constricted as he looked ahead at the woman standing there in her white dress, her expression full of gentleness and maternal love.
“Mom?” Ye Zichen stood there in a daze, trembling as if he couldn’t quite believe it. He let out a muffled gasp.
While he was still caught off guard, the woman in front of him burst into tears and pulled him into an embrace.
Ye Zichen had long since grown taller than his mother.
Although she wanted to pick him up, her baby boy, in the end, she simply embraced him.
Ye Zichen’s lips quivered uncontrollably, but he slowly reached out and hugged her back.
“You’re alright! That’s wonderful!”
Watching this mother-son reunion, even Xuan Ji and her divine generals felt their hearts ache.
They’d lived for a long, long time, but even cultivators’ lives weren’t truly eternal.
Their cultivation boundary determined their lifespans. One day, their lifespans would run out, but they’d have no further breakthroughs left, and their lives would end.
Watching this reunion, they couldn’t help but recall their own relatives, but their family had long since passed away, lost to the neverending flow of time.
That mustached man sighed, and thought to himself, “Fortunately, I didn’t harm or offend Ye Zichen. It turns out he’s the Lord of Seven Star’s son!”
“Although I don’t particularly want to break up your warm, loving reunion, I still have to remind you that we ought to hurry inside and close the door. Once the door is open, your presence will spill out. If Zhou Wu shows up, well, I’m still under his jurisdiction. It’ll put me in a tight spot,” Xuan Ji sighed helplessly.
Ye Rong left Ye Zichen’s embrace, used her divine power to evaporate her tears, and seized control of her emotions. She nodded and took Ye Zichen by the hand. “Let’s go inside.”
They went inside, but the divine generals didn’t follow them in.
The door shut tightly once more, and Xuan Ji placed a few new seals around it before feeling relaxed enough to go all the way inside.”
“It’s been rough on you all these years. Look, you…. You’ve gotten thinner.” Ye Rong clenched Ye Zichen’s hand, her eyes full of dense maternal love.
Even after going inside, Xuan Ji knew better than to interrupt. She was well aware that after so long apart, mother and son undoubtedly had lots to say to each other. She simply went off on her own and sat beneath a shaded gazebo, watching their warm, loving reunite from a distance.
Ye Zichen really did have a lot to say to Ye Rong, but now that she was really right in front of him alive and unharmed, none of that seemed important anymore.
He simply sat quietly in front of her and smiled. Their conversation gradually picked back up, and a full six hours passed before they slowed down.
In that time, Ye Zichen told Ye Rong much of what he’d been through. Of course, he deliberately hid some of the more dangerous experiences. However, as the Lord of Seven Stars, she actually knew them all already.
Nevertheless, she maintained that loving, benevolent gaze as she gently tousled Ye Zichen’s hair.
“Our Zichen’s really grown up.” Ye Zichen could hear her gratification in her voice as she gazes lovingly at him. It was as if she couldn’t get enough of him.
Ye Zichem smiled back, but finally, Xuan Ji walked back over. “You’ve reached a good stopping point, right?”
“Lady Providence.” Ye Zichen nodded back at her.
“You’re still calling me that? Didn’t your mom tell you about our relationship? You ought to call me ‘auntie,’ alright?” Xuan Ji laughed.
As a junior, Ye Zichen was in no position to ask about his seniors’ affairs. Although he was surprised to see his mother and the head of the Profound Pavillion together, much less as close friends, he didn’t ask any questions and his mother didn’t explain. He was still in the dark.
Ye Zichen glanced at Ye Rong, and saw her nod. Only then did he turn back to Xuan Ji and greet her once more. “Auntie.”
“Ah, good boy, my dear nephew!” Xuan Ji giggled, patted Ye Zichen on the shoulder, and said, “Just like that, the Star Emperor became my nephew! This feels great!”
Ye Rong shook her head in obvious exasperation but said nothing.
The Star Emperor.
It seemed that Xuan Ji knew of Ye Zichen’s status, and that he’d illuminated the Emperor Star. But then, given her divination skills, it wasn’t all that strange that she’d know that.
Furthermore, it seemed that she was extremely close to Ye Rong, so she most likely wouldn’t leak that information.
This visit to Xuan Ji’s residence was turning out to be a wonderful experience. Ye Zichen didn’t just get to reunite with his mother; he’d even gotten Xuan Ji as his new aunt.
This was quite the backer! Didn’t this mean he could strut around without fear anywhere in the God Realm?
Just who was Xuan Ji?
She was the number one expert under the God Emperor. Although the other eight Divine Mountains all had their respective holy lands and weren’t really under the God Emperor’s jurisdiction, on paper, they were still the God Emperor’s ministers.
Even those emperors, mighty as they were, had to give Xuan Ji face when they saw her.
With a backer like this, Ye Zichen’s confidence soared despite himself. However, he still didn’t know Ye Rong’s identity. If he knew that she was the Lord of Seven Stars, the second in command of the Palace of Saints, the ruler of the countless Lords of the Milky Way, he would practically die and go to heaven!
“Little guy, you called me ‘auntie.’ I won’t let you call me that in vain,” said Xuan Ji flatly.
Ye Zichen froze. Was he going to get presents on top of all this? For someone of Xuan Ji’s status to give him a treasure, it would almost certainly be a ranked divine artifact!
Just as his heart filled with anticipation, he saw Xuan Ji reach toward his forehead and hook her finger. Instantly, he sensed her remove something from his soul’s sea of consciousness.
When he came to his senses, he saw the Yiyuan Pearl—Tenner—that protected his soul. It was now in Xuan Ji’s hands; she’d plucked it from his very soul. Tenner emerged from the pearl and looked around his surroundings in bewilderment.
“You…” Ye Zichen arched his brows.
“This is the magic treasure that’s always protected your soul, isn’t it?” Xuan Ji looked at the adorable, yet dazed Tenner and said, “I can help you reforge it.”
