Chapter 2597: Reincarnation

Hearing this, Zu An's heart trembled. He had just been to the moon looking for the Guanghan Palace, only to find the entire Heavenly Court had vanished. He was still grieving that he might never see the Mermaid Queen again, so the chance to hear news of her now was truly an unexpected turn of events.

At this point, the Wushan Goddess continued, "Chang'e understands you better than I do. She believes that with your intelligence and strength, you couldn't have met with any accident. The reason you haven't come to us must be due to some unavoidable circumstance."

"For all these years, she's been pondering the reason. After much discussion, we concluded that the most likely reason is time."

The Wushan Goddess paused, a flicker of sadness crossing her face. "Since one day in heaven equals a year on earth, there must be other time discrepancies. For someone like you who travels through space and time, the flow of time is likely different from ours."

"Although we've waited for you for tens of thousands of years, perhaps only a few years, or even just a few days, have passed for you."

Saying this, the Wushan Goddess could no longer hold back; tears streamed down from her eyes.

Zu An watched, his heart aching. He fumbled, wanting to wipe away her tears, but tragically, the Wushan Goddess currently had no physical form, and his hand quickly passed through the air.

Seeing this, Zu An felt even worse.

"Let's not talk about sad things anymore. You must be very concerned about Chang'e's current situation. She's quite famous in the Heavenly Court, having become the dream lover of many male immortals," the Wushan Goddess said with a slight smile. "However, Chang'e has always been aloof with them, stating that her heart belongs to someone else. This infuriates those male immortals, who vow to teach that man a lesson, some of whom are exceptionally powerful."

"They have no idea that their love rival isn't even in this world."

Hearing her playful remark, Zu An couldn't help but smile. However, the thought of Chang'e being harassed by so many, and him being unable to protect her, made him feel a little anxious.

As if sensing his worry, the Wushan Goddess continued, "But you needn't worry. Chang'e is one with the Guanghan Palace. No one can harm her there, not even the Heavenly Emperor."

Hearing this, Zu An finally breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he became even more curious about the origins of the Guanghan Palace.

"I couldn't stay in the Guanghan Palace with Chang'e all the time, fearing she would be too lonely, so I suggested getting her a pet. I thought she might want a cat or a dog, but who knew she'd prefer a rabbit? So I searched the Great Wilderness and found a rare Jade Rabbit for her, and she loved it." A hint of pride crossed the Wushan Goddess's face as she spoke, clearly pleased with her gift.

Zu An hadn't expected Chang'e's Jade Rabbit to be found by the Wushan Goddess. That Jade Rabbit seemed capable of cultivating into a spirit, eventually transforming into a beautiful woman and secretly descending to the mortal world—but that was a story for another time.

"Oh, and Chang'e also introduced me to Miss Mo Xi, the girl you sent her. I learned about her 'Farewell to Nanchao' skill. Chang'e and I thought of many ways to help her cultivate. Although she doesn't talk much, her talent is indeed very high, and her cultivation speed is extremely fast. Yet, she still can't quite catch up to Chang'e, who benefits from the Guanghan Palace's enhancements. She's always just a little short of meeting the conditions to fully use 'Farewell to Nanchao'."

Zu An frowned slightly. With the help of both the Wushan Goddess and Chang'e, Mo Xi must have had abundant cultivation resources. If she still couldn't surpass Chang'e, then who exactly created the Guanghan Palace?

He suddenly recalled the Wushan Goddess remarking that Mo Xi didn't like to talk. Did that mean Mo Xi had actually spoken in front of them?

Too many questions filled his mind. Unfortunately, the Wushan Goddess before him was merely an image she had left behind in the past; he couldn't have a two-way conversation, only passively listen as she recounted everything.

"The Guanghan Palace is indeed very desolate. I tried to transplant some flowers and plants from Mount Wushan there, but I failed. However, I will continue to work hard to find a plant suitable for growing there."

Zu An listened, feeling a pang of pity. The Wushan Goddess was known to be a cool and quiet person, and for her to so enthusiastically help the Mermaid Queen with all this was completely out of character for her usual demeanor.

Ultimately, all of this was for him.

"Also, you must be concerned about the outcome of the war between the Witch and Demon clans," the Wushan Goddess said, then shook her head, a self-mocking smile appearing on her face. "I almost forgot, since you're from the future, you must already know the result."

"The war between the Witch and Demon clans raged for a long time. It truly devastated all life; countless Grand Witch Gods perished, and an untold number of Heavenly Immortals died. In the final decisive battle, most of the Ancestral Witches died, with only a few like Houtu surviving. Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi also fell in that battle." As the Wushan Goddess spoke of the war, a hint of terror showed on her delicate face, clearly indicating how horrific that battle had been.

"Neither the Witch nor the Demon clans emerged victorious from this war; both withdrew from the stage of history. Instead, humanity seized this opportunity to rise. They are diligent, courageous, and adept at learning the skills of both clans. Truly worthy of being your race, Brother Zu." When she mentioned humanity, a gentle expression filled the Wushan Goddess's face.

Seemingly aware that Zu An should know this history, the Wushan Goddess didn't elaborate further. Instead, she brought up another matter: "Oh, and Xihe often came to the Guanghan Palace to chat with us. She also visited Mount Wushan to see me from time to time. Many of the resources Mo Xi used for cultivation were provided by her."

Hearing about Xihe, Zu An's feelings became particularly complex. She had initially stayed by his side with thoughts of revenge, yet they had truly spent a long time together, like the most intimate of lovers.

The Wushan Goddess's expression was equally peculiar. "To think you could make the dignified Sun Goddess, the former Heavenly Empress, fall in love with you in such a short time—that's truly you..."

Under her cool gaze, Zu An still felt his cheeks flush, even knowing that the figure before him wasn't real.

"I don't actually like her coming to Mount Wushan much. She's too hot; every time she comes, she disperses the mountain mists, and many flowers and plants wither." The Wushan Goddess's lips curled slightly. "However, Chang'e seems to quite like her. Each time she appears, the desolate Guanghan Palace becomes much warmer."

"Because they were often seen together in the Heavenly Court, there's even a legend among humans that they are biological sisters—one the Sun Goddess, the other the Moon Goddess."

Listening to her recount all the events from those years, Zu An's heart was filled with warmth. He wished he could have experienced all of it with them.

"Xihe heard Chang'e mention that there was a Miss Shang in later generations who resembled her greatly, and she was filled with envy. She said that since we all had reincarnations, if she were to reincarnate, she would truly become Chang'e's elder sister." The Wushan Goddess smiled faintly.

Hearing this, Zu An's heart jolted. Could it be that Shang Hongyu was...?

At this point, the Wushan Goddess's voice quickened. "When I first heard you mention Miss Manman, and then heard Xihe talk about reincarnation, I didn't quite understand. Given my nature, I would most likely persist in this current form and wait for you. Why would I choose reincarnation? But recently, I've gradually started to understand."

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. From her tone, could something incredible have happened back then?