Chapter 513: Wife’s Status

Jing Qiu’s heart tightened as she gazed at the black-clad youth before her. This was a secret she had long concealed, burdened by too many fears to speak of it. Yet this time, she had acted—though she had been cautious, suppressing her aura and even altering her form, she had still been recognized. She had mentally prepared for this. After all, they were husband and wife. Outsiders might not notice, but her own husband might see through her disguise.

“Mmm.” Jing Qiu nodded lightly, her tension palpable.

She was afraid.

Because she cared too much, cherished her husband too deeply—that was why she feared.

“Rebirth?” Dongbo Xueying asked.

“Yes.” Jing Qiu took a deep breath and met her husband’s gaze. “Do you despise me now?”

She was so anxious she couldn’t even wait for his answer, rushing to explain, “I only awakened my past-life memories when I became a deity. Before this, I was known as the Starsword Mystic Maiden, the eldest daughter of Monarch Mo Xue. That’s why when you encountered the Seventh Plum Rain, I recognized her at once—she’s my younger sister.”

“And my father, Monarch Mo Xue, personally instructed you, treating you more warmly than even his inner disciples. It was because he knew you were his son-in-law.” Jing Qiu watched Xueying’s expression carefully.

“You had already acknowledged each other back then?” Xueying asked.

“In secret. No one else knew except my father and me,” Jing Qiu admitted.

Xueying finally understood.

No wonder.

No wonder things had felt off. Even if he had stood out during the selection at the Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet in Anhai Domain, it was still unbelievable that Monarch Mo Xue—a true peer of the mighty—had spent two full days personally instructing him, demonstrating techniques and imparting wisdom. At the time, Xueying had been overwhelmed by the honor. Now he knew it was all because of Jing Qiu.

“And you even teased me about the Seventh Plum Rain,” Xueying said, eyeing her.

Seeing his reaction, Jing Qiu relaxed slightly. “I was just joking. Seeing my sister made me happy, even if I couldn’t reveal myself. Xueying… you really don’t despise me?”

“The illustrious Starsword Mystic Maiden, adored by countless Empyrean Gods—how could I possibly despise you? I’m overjoyed!” Xueying grinned.

Only then did Jing Qiu exhale in relief, gripping his hand. “You scared me on purpose!”

She truly had been terrified.

The Starsword Mystic Maiden, eldest daughter of Monarch Mo Xue, had been born into extraordinary prestige. Cold and aloof by nature, she had inherited her father’s pride.

To put it simply, all seven of Monarch Mo Xue’s daughters were known for their icy demeanor.

And the Monarch himself was a solitary, proud figure.

With her formidable strength and her father’s power behind her, few could ever catch her eye. Many female transcendents remained unmarried their entire lives, but Jing Qiu’s past self had been far more formidable than any of them. Her sole ambition had been to transcend and become a mighty one.

Thus, despite her long existence, she had never experienced love. For a powerful Empyrean God like her, emotions held little allure.

It was only after her rebirth—

Only after meeting Dongbo Xueying, bearing his children—

That she had awakened her past-life memories upon becoming a deity. And she had feared. Feared that Xueying would distance himself if he knew the truth. After all, not everyone could accept that their wife was an ancient being with over a billion years of memories. More importantly, Jing Qiu had never known love in her past life, making her cherish her husband and children all the more.

She was afraid.

So she had hidden it—though that was only one reason. The other was her mortal enemy.

“Jing Qiu, the legends say the Starsword Mystic Maiden offended Jinxiao Patriarch, one of the Five Calamities of the Divine Realm, and was slain by him,” Xueying said.

“Yes. I provoked Jinxiao Patriarch, and even my father couldn’t protect me. To escape, I chose rebirth to evade the calamity,” Jing Qiu admitted softly. “That’s why, even after secretly reuniting with my father in the city, we dared not reveal it publicly. I even maintained a deity-level avatar—just in case Jinxiao Patriarch discovered my rebirth and came for me again.”

Xueying couldn’t help but ask, “How did you offend Jinxiao Patriarch?”

Jinxiao Patriarch.

A name renowned even among the mighty, surpassing even his late master, the Crimson Dust Sacred Lord, and approaching the level of the Three Ancestors.

Of the Five Calamities of the Divine Realm, Pang Yi ranked first—but Jinxiao Patriarch was second, far stronger than the likes of Tyrant Xiong Patriarch. While Pang Yi now devoted himself to perfecting his cultivation in seclusion, Jinxiao Patriarch was the one who led the Five Calamities in their rampant plundering across the realms. He was powerful enough to engage the Three Ancestors and escape unscathed.

“Well…” Jing Qiu hesitated awkwardly. “You know my reputation from before.”

“Mm.” Xueying nodded.

“I was wholly devoted to cultivation, striving to reach the Fourth Heaven, even transcendence. I disdained even using faith stones,” Jing Qiu explained. “So I prepared early, seeking opportunities in ancient ruins. In one such ruin, I was incredibly fortunate—I encountered almost no danger and obtained a legacy: a fragment of the *Heartsword Art*. But it turned out Jinxiao Patriarch had already led three of the other Five Calamities into that ruin, breaking through countless dangers, just one step away from the core. And then I swooped in and took the prize. At the time, I wondered why I’d faced so little peril.”

Xueying blinked.

On one side, four mighty ones had painstakingly dismantled the ruin’s traps. On the other, a mere Third Heaven Empyrean God had strolled in from another entrance, effortlessly reaching the core.

“It’s not entirely your fault,” Xueying quickly said. “You didn’t do it intentionally. And it’s already happened. Besides, it’s just a fragment of the *Heartsword Art*—just a fragment.”

Jing Qiu lowered her voice. “My father sought the intervention of other mighty ones to mediate. Only later did we learn that Jinxiao Patriarch had spent countless eons collecting four fragments of the *Heartsword Art*—the one I obtained was the fifth and final piece. With it, the ancient supreme art would be complete.”

“Ah.” Xueying was stunned.

“Thousands of billions of years of effort, and I was the missing piece. And the ruin’s dangers had all been dismantled by them—I just happened to reap the reward.” Jing Qiu sighed. “Jinxiao Patriarch was furious. He wanted to capture me and scour my soul!”

“Soul-scouring?” Xueying’s expression darkened. “But even with soul-scouring, supreme arts can’t be extracted easily.”

Supreme legacies were notoriously difficult to extract through such means.

“True. I would’ve recorded it and given it to him if I could. But my comprehension was too shallow—it was just a fragment, and I could only grasp fragments of fragments. I couldn’t transcribe or teach it,” Jing Qiu said helplessly. “Jinxiao Patriarch probably wanted to subject my soul to every possible method, hoping to extract as much as he could. With the final piece so close, the more he could recover, the better his chances of reconstructing the rest himself.”

“But no matter what, I couldn’t let him scour my soul.”

“And Jinxiao Patriarch’s wrath was unstoppable. Even my master refused to intervene, telling me to fend for myself. My only choice was rebirth—to gamble on a sliver of survival.”

Unlike most powerful Empyrean Gods, who chose rebirth when their long lives eroded their resolve—seeking a fresh existence to rejuvenate their spirits—Jing Qiu had done so purely to escape death.

Yet it was an effective method. Rebirth was beyond even Bloodblade Divine Emperor’s ability to trace.

“I didn’t dare reveal myself. I even halted my cultivation, focusing only on comprehending the Dao through nature,” Jing Qiu said. “I wanted to wait. Xueying, your talent and strength are dazzling. I thought… once you grew powerful enough, revealing my identity would be safe. Otherwise, if my past were exposed, Jinxiao Patriarch would come for me.”

Xueying nodded.

Indeed.

News of him becoming a Third Heaven Empyrean God had likely spread already, soon reaching his master, Bloodblade Divine Emperor.

But Jinxiao Patriarch? His master wouldn’t intervene over something like this.