Reshaping New Life

Her eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.

The reconstructed body was immaculate, her snow-white skin gleaming with a warm, jade-like luster beneath the dappled sunlight filtering through the bamboo leaves.

The gentleness bestowed upon her by the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline was fully revealed at that moment. Her raven-black hair cascaded to her waist like a waterfall, covering part of her exposed body just so, while a few playful strands slipped over her shoulders, revealing her delicate collarbones and rounded shoulder line.

Her figure was tall and well-proportioned, her waist so slender it seemed as though it could not withstand a single grasp. Her legs were straight and long, her bare feet resting on the earth, her delicate ankles smooth as jade.

All that beauty was laid bare beneath the morning light.

Ah Yin's mind was still muddled. She only remembered having what seemed like a very, very long dream. There had been endless darkness in it, a gentle voice calling to her, and a warm power enveloping her, pulling her bit by bit out of the abyss.

Then, she opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was an unfamiliar face.

A young man in a green robe stood less than three feet before her. The hand seal in his left hand had just dissipated, while a faint green glow still lingered around his right.

His features were refined, his expression indifferent. His pitch-black eyes regarded her calmly, without surprise or emotion—only the cool composure of scrutiny.

Ah Yin instinctively lowered her head and followed his gaze down to herself.

Then, a crimson flush spread across her cheeks at a visible speed.

"Ah—"

With a short cry, Ah Yin instinctively crossed her arms over her chest and crouched down, curling herself into a ball.

Her raven-black hair spilled down, concealing most of her exposed body, but not the blush at her ears, so red it seemed ready to drip blood.

She could feel that she was completely naked, every inch of her skin exposed to the air and to the gaze of this unfamiliar man.

She did not dare look up. Her heart pounded as if it were about to leap out of her throat, while her mind went utterly blank.

Tang Ling's expression did not change in the slightest.

Before using the Soul Gathering Art, he had already expected this.

Reconstructing a physical body naturally meant arriving naked and unburdened. Over his thousand-odd years of cultivation, it was hardly anything unusual.

With a casual motion, he took a garment from his storage space.

It was a moon-white long dress, soft and light as clouds, with a faint flowing sheen moving through the fabric. While it was not some top-tier magical treasure, it repelled dust and water, kept its wearer warm in winter and cool in summer, and was far superior to the clothes worn by mortal women.

"Put it on."

He held the garment out to Ah Yin, his tone as calm as though he were instructing her to do the most ordinary thing in the world.

Ah Yin timidly raised her head and saw the moon-white dress through the gaps in her hair.

She hesitated for a moment before swiftly reaching out, taking the robe and clutching it tightly to her chest. Then she quickly drew her hand back, moving as fast as a startled rabbit.

She unfolded the garment and clumsily pulled it onto herself. Her movements were unfamiliar and awkward, and she tried several times before barely managing to tie the sash properly.

The moment the magical robe touched her body, it automatically adjusted in size, fitting her slender figure perfectly.

The moon-white skirt fell to her ankles. Pale silver drifting-cloud patterns were embroidered around its collar and cuffs, while a thin silk sash cinched her waist, outlining her impossibly slender figure to perfection.

Ah Yin finally finished dressing. Blushing, she rose to her feet, keeping her head lowered and not daring to look at Tang Ling.

Her fingers anxiously twisted the corner of her skirt, and her lips moved several times as though she wanted to say something, yet she did not know what to say. Her shy, timid appearance stood in stark contrast to her identity as a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.

Tang Ling gave her a once-over, confirming that her reconstructed body had fully stabilized before withdrawing his gaze.

"Wait here."

Leaving behind those two words, he turned and walked out of the valley.

Not long afterward, Tang Hao entered with Xiao San, following behind Tang Ling.

"Ah Yin!" Tang Hao's voice trembled. His rough hand tightly gripped her slender fingers, as though afraid that she would vanish again.

Ah Yin looked at this unfamiliar man, confusion flashing through her eyes for an instant before she instinctively pulled her hand away. It was a small movement, yet Tang Hao seemed as though a heavy hammer had struck him in the chest, and his entire body suddenly stiffened.

"Y-You... who are you?"

Ah Yin's voice was soft and held a trace of timidity. Her beautiful eyes were filled with confusion.

Tang Hao opened his mouth, but it felt as though something had lodged in his throat. He could not say a single word.

Ah Yin timidly moved behind Tang Ling and looked toward him. Her eyes were full of silent pleading.

Seeing this, Tang Hao felt as though his heart were being twisted by a knife.

His wife—his wife whom he had missed for fifteen years—had awakened and gone to another man first.

Tang Ling looked down at Ah Yin, his brow furrowing slightly. He raised a hand and gently pressed it against her forehead, sending his divine sense into her body.

A moment later, he withdrew his hand, a flash of understanding appearing in his eyes.

"She must have suffered the impact of the battle's aftermath after her sacrifice, and lost part of her memories." He turned to Tang Hao, his tone calm.

Tang Hao watched Ah Yin standing beside Tang Ling with the appearance of a little bird leaning on him, and the bitterness in his heart surged so fiercely it nearly overflowed. But when he saw Ah Yin standing alive before him—when he could see her smile and hear her voice...

That bitterness suddenly did not seem so important anymore.

He took a deep breath, forcing all his emotions back down into his heart, and slowly walked over to Ah Yin. He raised his hand, wanting to take hers, yet afraid of frightening her. In the end, it merely stopped in midair.

"I'm Tang Hao." His voice was hoarse yet gentle, as though afraid of shattering a dream. "Your... husband."

After a pause, he carefully lifted the baby in the crook of his other arm so Ah Yin could see the little face clearly.

"This is our child, Xiao San."

Ah Yin tilted her head as she looked at him, her eyes still filled with confusion.

The man before her was tall and broad, his face covered in stubble, his palms as rough as old bark. Yet his eyes were red, his voice trembled, and though the hands suspended in midair were clearly so strong, they were so cautious that he did not dare touch her.

She did not remember who he was. But she seemed able to feel the cherishing wrapped within that carefulness.

Her gaze fell again on the tiny infant in his arms. The baby was staring quietly at her with a pair of azure-blue eyes, neither crying nor fussing.

Then she raised her head and looked at Tang Hao again. After a moment of hesitation, she gave a small nod.

She did not call him "Brother Hao," nor did she show any intimacy. She merely nodded politely. Then she turned to look at Tang Ling, and the natural closeness in her eyes made Tang Hao's heart twitch again.

But he did not blame her. He could not blame her. The fact that she had been able to come back to life was already a gift from heaven.

If she had forgotten, then so be it. Perhaps forgetting those painful memories was a good thing.

"Thank you." Tang Hao turned to Tang Ling and gave him a deep bow, a full ninety degrees, bending so low that his waist was nearly folded. "For saving our lives, for bringing her back to life—I have no way to repay you."

Tang Ling stood there and accepted the bow. He did not help Tang Hao up, nor did he offer any polite words. He simply accepted it calmly.

Tang Hao straightened, his eyes already bloodshot.

He looked at the unfathomable young man before him. His lips moved soundlessly for a long while, then, as if he had made up his mind, he suddenly dropped to one knee.

"Mr. Tang!" Tang Hao's voice trembled, yet it was incomparably solemn.

"You first saved the lives of my son and me, then brought Ah Yin back to life. This debt of gratitude is greater than the heavens. Even if I spent my entire life serving you like an ox or a horse, I could never repay it. I, Tang Hao, am a rough man without much ability, but I know that once a debt of gratitude reaches a certain extent, it is no longer a matter of repayment."

He raised his head and met Tang Ling's eyes directly. In those eyes that had once struck fear into countless Spirit Masters, there was now only pure gratitude and sincerity.

"How about this—let Xiao San acknowledge you as his father. From now on, you'll be his real father, and he can honor you together with us. When you grow old, he'll care for you in your old age and see you off at the end. The debt of gratitude we cannot repay in this lifetime—let Xiao San spend his entire life repaying it."