Chapter 2936: Second Life 07

The day Ling Gun Gun burst out of the egg, Jin Chen was bored and idly nibbling on a spirit fruit.

When a crack appeared in the eggshell, he didn't notice, being engrossed in watching Master cultivate—it looked so wonderful he couldn't help but move closer and nuzzle.

When the eggshell completely shattered, he also didn't notice; Master then brought another rare fruit that was extraordinary even in the Divine Realm—something any Upper God who obtained it would place on the Spirit Pure Platform—but Jin Chen felt nothing precious about it, stuffing one into his mouth after another.

After all, Master said he was the most precious thing in the entire Divine Palace.

Only when a damp, fuzzy lump nudged into his palm did Jin Chen lower his head to glance at it.

That thing was tiny, its eyes not yet opened, its fur plastered to its body.

... like a rat soaked in water.

Jin Chen stared, "What is this?"

The little creature nudged his palm again, emitting a soft whimper.

Jin Chen picked it up, held it before his eyes, looked, thought, and thought again.

"Are you from my egg?"

The little thing gave a whimper.

Jin Chen put it back in his palm, poked its head, feeling curious, "Aren't you a divine beast Pixiu? Why do you look like this?"

The little Pixiu rubbed against his palm, drying its damp fur and revealing the coat underneath.

Jin Chen watched and watched, then suddenly found it somewhat cute.

"All right, although you look like a little rat, I'll grudgingly call you cute."

The little Pixiu whimpered again.

Jin Chen gave it a name.

"You're so tiny, and so round and rolly—when you were an egg you kept rolling around…"

"Let's call you Ling Gun Gun."

From then on, Ling Gun Gun had a name.

Later Ling Gun Gun grew bigger and bigger—from palm‑size to able to lie on his shoulder, from lying on his shoulder to able to coil on his lap, from coiling on his lap to able to stretch out beside his feet like a fur blanket; its fur grew ever brighter, imposing and majestic.

Everyone who saw it said it was a fine Pixiu.

But Jin Chen still called it Ling Gun Gun.

"Ling Gun Gun, come here."

Ling Gun Gun toddled over and tried to nuzzle into his palm.

Although it now couldn't fit, it still insisted on trying—if it couldn't get in, it would keep trying—until Jin Chen reached out to ruffle its head, at which point it finally stopped.

Everyone knew that the young God Lord Jin Chen, attendant of the Supreme God, now had a Pixiu divine pet by his side.

——

Years have passed.

These days, Jin Chen is no longer the little God Lord of yore who constantly needed Chenshu's watchful care and whose cultivation was shallow.

Jin Chen formally came of age; on the day of his investiture, the gods of the Divine Realm gathered to witness this sole personal disciple of the Supreme God ascend to the rank of Upper God.

By regulation, a newly appointed God Lord must endure three thousand worldly tribulations before being formally invested.

But Jin Chen is a wood‑spirit incarnation; his innate foundation differs from that of ordinary God Lords, and having received the Supreme God's protection, he actually needed none of those tribulations and was invested directly.

This matter became a celebrated tale in the Divine Realm, everyone saying this young God Lord was truly the most exalted among God Lords.

Jin Chen stood in the hall wearing his newly made robes, accepting the gods' congratulations.

He was much taller than before, his figure slender, his features handsome; the gods came forward to greet him, their attitudes more respectful than before—not only because he was the Supreme God's disciple, but because the divine aura surrounding him had become unfathomable.

Several God Lords who were acquainted with him knew that, although this young God Lord still appeared carefree and lax, if he ever really moved to strike, few would be able to gain an advantage.

Jin Chen felt nothing special about it; he only knew that on the day of his investiture, Chenshu stood on the Supreme God's throne watching him, as if seeing him walk through these past few centuries, and as if, through him, gazing upon an even more distant antiquity.

He curled the corner of his mouth toward Chenshu.

Thus they continued together for another few hundred years.

Jin Chen's feelings for Chenshu grew day by day—deeper, more intense, more scorching, and he knew less and less what to do about it.

He still liked to embrace Chenshu, to kiss Chenshu, and to sneak into his embrace when no one was around.

But this was still not enough, far from enough.

This love came silently, yet once it broke ground it spread like a frenzied vine, in an instant entwining his whole heart, so intense that even he felt somewhat at a loss.

Jin Chen still did not fully understand what kind of feeling this was; he only knew that this surging, almost overflowing ardor, despite daily affectionate embraces and gentle touches from Master, could no longer be relieved.

He wanted to be closer to Chenshu—so close that they could no longer be distinguished, so close as to merge into one.

But just then, something happened in the Primordial.

Because of a rare convergence of stellar orbits and a massive shift in the lower realm's spiritual veins, several sealed sites where ancient ferocious demon remnants and chaotic baleful air were imprisoned underwent anomalies, demonic qi leaked, and signs of revival appeared.

This matter was of great importance; as Supreme God, Chenshu had to go in person to investigate, reinforce the seals, and even venture into the dangerous lands that even the gods regard as forbidden zones, often disappearing for days, tens of days, or hundreds of days.

Although Jin Chen had already risen to the rank of God Lord, Chenshu never allowed him to set foot in such extremely perilous places, only letting him guard the Divine Realm.

Jin Chen counted the days, then counted them again.

So long.

Thus, during the days Chenshu was busy rushing about, Jin Chen no longer behaved as before—running out to cause trouble when Master was away, or sparring with familiar God Lords for fun; he wouldn't even step out the door all day, instead holding the now‑much‑grown Ling Gun Gun, which still liked to curl up on his knee or nestle at his feet, lingering in the rear courtyard of Chenshu's Divine Palace, dazed and lost in thought.