Xun'er had long since resolved in her heart:
If one day her Tian-ge failed to come for her, then once her divine bloodline fully awakened and her strength reached the pinnacle, she would personally suppress the entire Gu Clan, shatter every chain that bound her, and stride forth to find him herself.
Gu Yuan: …I'm dying over here.
"Tian-ge," Xun'er suddenly asked, her voice soft yet carrying a trace of gravity, "was the Hall of Souls' Old Freak Zhaixing truly slain by your hand?"
She recalled the intelligence reports that had reached the Gu Clan earlier — word that one of the Hall's Heavenly Venerates, the notorious Old Freak Zhaixing, had perished at the hands of an unknown powerhouse.
Moreover, the reason the Hall of Souls had yet to march against the Boundless Heaven Hall was largely thanks to Xun'er's own quiet arrangements. She had ordered Gu Clan scouts to sow layer upon layer of confusion and misdirection among the Soul Clan's agents.
Ever since Xiao Jietian had casually revealed to her that the Hall of Souls operated through independent cells and outsourced missions in cascading chains, she had found it childishly easy to mislead the entire shadowy organization.
"Indeed," Xiao Jietian answered without hesitation.
He then recounted — in light, almost amused tones — the night he crossed paths with Old Freak Zhaixing and how that battle had ended.
Xun'er's beautiful eyes darkened slightly.
"It seems the Hall of Souls has already pieced together that your Xiao Clan is one of the Eight Ancient Clans. Tian-ge… you absolutely must not let anyone know that the item is in your possession."
"Are those old fogeys in your clan still forcing you to search for the Tuoshe Ancient God Jade?" Xiao Jietian gently clasped her soft hand, his thumb tracing soothing circles over her knuckles.
"Not this time," Xun'er shook her head. A cold, razor-sharp glint flashed through her eyes. "This time… I fear that if they discover it, they will turn their blades toward you."
Xiao Jietian merely shrugged, his expression relaxed and unconcerned.
"Don't worry. Your Tian-ge has more than a few life-preserving trump cards up his sleeve." He paused, then added with a faint smile, "Besides, I've already instructed Father never to leave the Eternal Heaven World without good reason."
As he spoke of the Tuoshe Ancient God Jade, a rather wicked and interesting thought suddenly crossed his mind.
To him, most of the treasures inside Tuoshe Ancient God's cave were dispensable trinkets.
But that Emperor Grade Embryonic Pill… now that was something others would kill their own parents to obtain.
If by then he had already stepped into Seven-Star Dou Saint — though Nine-Star would naturally be far safer — he could quietly deliver that pill into certain hands…
And with a few well-placed maneuvers afterward, he might just be able to push Hun Tiandi straight into an abyss of self-doubt so deep the man would question whether the heavens themselves had betrayed him.
"Tian-ge?" Xun'er tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at the increasingly mischievous curve of his lips. "What are you scheming now? That smile is far too nefarious."
Xiao Jietian immediately schooled his features into perfect innocence.
"What else could I be thinking about when it's just the two of us here? Naturally I'm thinking about my precious Xun'er." He laughed brightly, then reached out to gently rub her flat little stomach. "I've prepared a small gift for you. Would you like to see it?"
Xun'er's body gave a tiny, startled flinch at his touch. Her cheeks instantly bloomed with color.
"Every single time Tian-ge says 'small gift,' I end up both embarrassed and angry afterward…"
"Haha, this time is different. I swear it on my life." Xiao Jietian's face was the picture of shameless sincerity, though inwardly he was sighing: They're all getting smarter by the day. My old tricks won't work forever. Time to innovate.
"Look up," he said mysteriously, giving her a wink before pointing toward the vault of heaven.
Xun'er obediently raised her gaze.
At first she saw only the usual tranquil sea of stars.
Then… the distant points of light began to move.
Slowly at first, as though an invisible hand had reached into the firmament and begun to guide them. Faster and faster they flowed, growing steadily brighter.
One star ignited.
Then another.
Then ten, a hundred — countless stars blazed to life in sequence, weaving themselves into a luminous river that spanned the entire night sky.
The river of stars began to revolve.
Gradually, gracefully, two enormous heart shapes took form — one large, one small — intertwined like lovers who refused to be parted. The smaller heart drifted gently, merging into the embrace of the greater one until they became a single, perfect whole.
Xun'er stared, utterly transfixed. Her breathing stilled.
The strange celestial phenomenon did not go unnoticed.
Across the Eternal Heaven Palace — indeed, throughout the entire Eternal Heaven World — countless eyes lifted toward the heavens in astonishment.
In one distant palace, Queen Medusa gazed at the blazing pattern and muttered through gritted teeth:
"That scoundrel… he's never once arranged such a spectacle for me. All he knows how to do is bully people."
Yun Yun and the others felt no jealousy — only soft envy. They understood at once whose hand had painted this miracle across the firmament.
The twin hearts of stars shimmered and pulsed, as though silently reciting an oath too profound for mortal speech.
Then — the hearts shattered apart in a dazzling cascade.
More stars surged in from every direction, flooding the sky with light.
In their place rose a pair of lovebirds forged of pure starlight. Wings spread wide, they soared through the night, trailing glittering motes behind them.
Wherever the lovebirds flew, starlight gathered and condensed.
Xun'er's heart suddenly raced with anticipation.
She watched, unblinking, as the scattered motes slowly took shape…
Two figures.
One tall and imposing, his silhouette like a god standing astride the nine heavens, radiant and commanding, as though he ruled the very cosmos.
The other figure leaned gently against him — graceful, ethereal, her long hair flowing like moonlight, her eyes soft and filled with boundless tenderness.
Xun'er's breath caught.
The figures grew clearer… clearer still…
It was them.
Xiao Jietian and Xun'er — entwined amid endless starlight, encircled by the loving flight of celestial birds.
"With the stars as our witness," Xiao Jietian murmured against her hair, voice low and resolute yet impossibly gentle, "we shall fly together through eternity."
What Xun'er did not notice was the subtle flick of Xiao Jietian's fingers — several nearly imperceptible spatial ripples flickering through the night sky before vanishing without trace.
Tears suddenly spilled from Xun'er's eyes.
She threw herself into his arms, clinging tightly, voice trembling with emotion.
"This… is the most beautiful constellation I have ever seen… and the deepest love I have ever felt…"
Xiao Jietian lifted his hand and tenderly brushed the tears from her cheeks, his thumb lingering against her cool skin.
"Not merely tonight," he said softly. "From this moment until the end of time — even should the heavens crumble and chaos return to swallow all — my love for you will never change."
His words fell like a vow sealed in starlight.
In distant palaces, soft smiles appeared on many faces.
The celestial lovebirds seemed to understand. They gave one last joyful sweep of their wings, carving a brilliant arc of light across the firmament before fading slowly into the night.
Xun'er pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady, powerful beat of his heart.
That familiar rhythm filled her with an overwhelming sense of peace and belonging.
She lifted her face, so close she could count his eyelashes, and reached up to trace the line of his jaw.
"Sometimes… it still feels like a dream. I'm afraid I'll wake up and none of this will be real."
Xiao Jietian laughed quietly and drew her even closer.
"What illusion in this world could possibly ensnare someone who commands a Heavenly Flame and carries the bloodline of the ancient gods?"
"Of course there is one." Xun'er's lips curved in a mischievous little smile despite the lingering tears in her lashes. "The love trap set by Tian-ge. Xun'er fell right into it without even realizing. You really took advantage of me."
"You've been spending far too much time with the others," Xiao Jietian teased. "You've even learned how to act tsundere."
"What? Do you have any objections?" Xun'er narrowed her beautiful eyes at him, her gaze clearly saying: Try saying yes and see what happens.