In the High Heavens, Tian faintly closed his eyes, his expression solemn. He kept quiet for a moment before that pair of eyes opened once again and turned back to his lover’s face, the gaze softening. “Should we call this too late or still just in time?”

He sighed and then got to his feet. “I will be back in a few moments. Anyway, this needed to be done. Now, he has simply taken the initiative to give me a chance to act. It’s not for the worst, although it would have been better if he didn’t wait so long to act.”

He stopped speaking and smiled faintly at his lover, his fingers brushing over the top of the jade coffin before he turned away. He took a step, vanishing out of the room and reappearing on top of the bridge that connected the peak of the Heaven Mountain with the High Heavens. The person he was expecting had not yet appeared but he wasn’t too far away. In just a minute or two, he should reach the top of the mountain.

Tian waited silently. This matter, while it was best not to lose time, still couldn’t be rushed. Thus, he stood on the wooden planks in silence, the wind brushing through his hair.

He raised his gaze to the empty sky above, feeling that this scene seemed somewhat familiar. Back then, this was how he had often stood in the Nine Heavens, quietly observing all that was happening around him while still pretending to be one of them. At that time, Xing would come rushing over, pulling him out of his thoughts by calling his name. Now, that time was long past and what remained was only this endless waiting. But then, it might soon be over.

Tian lowered his gaze back to the top of the Heaven mountain. Soon, a figure indeed made up its way from the other side, stopping when seeing the one opposite. Tian looked at him, debating whether to strike him unconscious at once and just get this over with or to take a moment longer.

For once, the supreme ruler couldn’t quite make up his mind. Originally, he had wanted to wait until Qiu Ling fell unconscious on his own after expending all his energy. At that time, his people should have brought him back. Whenever there was a short moment they left him alone, he could have acted. Now though, everything was different from what he had imagined and this person came to him on his own. In that case … why would he not change his own way of doing things as well?

Qiu Ling stared at the person opposite, a name quietly appearing in his heart. He hesitated but finally stepped closer until he reached the middle of the mountain’s peak. Only then did he open his lips. “Tian?”

Tian tilted his head but said nothing.

Qiu Ling continued to stare at him as well. He couldn’t be sure if this was the right person. Even his beloved had said once upon a time that no one remembered how the supreme ruler looked. The only knowledge that was preserved when it came to the appearance of this legendary couple was the vague description of ‘beautiful’ that had been used for Xing. But as for Tian … one could only imagine.

Still, looking at this person, he clearly felt that it had to be him. He couldn’t say why but there was no doubt in his head. Since he had found the right person, then now was the time to ask what he had come to ask.

He wasn’t sure what to do but he remembered how he had heard of Xin Lan coming here to challenge this person. While the dragons were awed by his strength, it should be said that he likely hadn’t been successful in whatever he set out to do. In this case, he should learn from Xin Lan’s mistakes and show a more humble appearance.

When it came to his beloved, Qiu Ling had never had a bottom line. Thinking of what it was that he wanted and how being more humble might help him achieve it, he directly knelt down and touched his forehead to the ground before raising his head and staring up at the supreme ruler. “My beloved has been killed. I had hoped … you could help me.”

Tian looked back at him, his expression not changing. The wind blew through the long strands of black hair, scattering it behind his back. Finally, after an eternity seemed to have passed, he spoke up. “You are confused. Look!”

He waved his hand and the empty space between the top of the Heaven Mountain and the land of the High Heavens instantly turned to water as if it had always been a moat. The water was clear enough to reflect the image of the bridge and the figure on top as well as the empty sky further above.

Qiu Ling didn’t know what Tian meant but he got to his feet and walked closer to the bridge, staring at the water. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary at first but the longer he looked, the more he felt that he saw something move inside.

He narrowed his eyes and his memory seemed to surge with the waves that the wind caused to ripple on the surface of the water.

In front of his eyes, he suddenly seemed to see a familiar palace. The doors inside and those leading to the garden were all opened, making the sunlight spill in. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his beloved’s hands but his mood was heavy. The sound of a voice only reached his ears intermittently but each word made his heart tremble:

When I come back we’ll get married immediately.

I’ll miss you.

He seemed to feel the soft touch of his beloved’s lips on his cheek and then, as if to dissolve the last doubt in his heart, he saw a pair of beautiful eyes in front of him that differed from the ones he had watched close forever just seven days ago.