Qiao Ci was still only a soul body. Her physical body was slumbering in the Divine Maiden Hall, and it was time to return to it.
Only by returning to her original body and possessing all her divine power could she help Bai Ye alter his constitution and forge a divine persona.
The two arrived in a magnificent yet exquisite palace. In the center of the palace was a large, circular bed upon which lay a slumbering maiden.
The maiden looked identical to Qiao Ci standing beside her, with even more refined features.
Qiao Ci smiled slightly at Ye Bai and transformed into a wisp of white light, entering the maiden's brow.
After a moment, the maiden slowly awoke, sat up, and looking back, parted her crimson lips to say, "Zai Zai, welcome to my world."
"A'Ci..." Looking at the maiden of such exquisite beauty, Ye Bai, who had always prided himself on his appearance, couldn't help but feel a sense of inadequacy. "You always say I'm handsome, but in reality, you are far more beautiful than I am. You are also the youngling of the Main God; you are truly the most beautiful Zai Zai."
Learning that Qiao Ci was the youngling of the Main God, and having been called Zai Zai by her father since childhood, she mistook it as an affectionate term for someone one liked. Thus, when she saw people online referring to Bai Xingyan as Zai Zai, she had always called him that.
Ye Bai felt a flutter of sweetness in his heart.
Zai Zai, what a wonderfully affectionate term.
Qiao Ci, seeing Ye Bai's insecurity due to the disparity in their statuses, alighted from the bed. She placed her hands on Ye Bai's shoulders, their eyes meeting.
She said with utmost seriousness, "I know it will be difficult for you to adapt to this completely unfamiliar world. Give it some more time to adjust. Once our grand wedding is held under the auspices of my father, we shall travel to various small worlds, alright?"
"Really?" Starlight flashed in Ye Bai's eyes, then he became nervous. "Can... can your father agree to us being together? After all, there is a distinction between gods and mortals. I... I'm a little scared."
"There's no need to be afraid. He will accept it. He loves me, his youngling, the most," Qiao Ci was very confident in her father.
Although her father, the Main God, had not spent much time with her and had not witnessed her growth, his paternal love for her had never diminished.
Before Qiao Ci could go and see the Main God father, he arrived upon learning of Qiao Ci's awakening.
At that moment, Qiao Ci had just finished collecting the spiritual treasures needed to forge a divine persona for Ye Bai.
"Zai Zai, are you sure you want to give half of your divine power to that fellow and marry him?" The Main God was as beautiful as ever, standing opposite Qiao Ci, he looked more like a brother than a father.
Like all fathers, he showed a hint of paternal melancholy in his eyes when it came to his daughter's marriage.
"Yes, Father God," Qiao Ci thought for a moment, then reminded her father, "Daughter has already bestowed the name Zai Zai upon Ye Bai. I hope Father God will refrain from mentioning it in front of him."
This was a matter concerning her dignity, and it was imperative that Ye Bai never find out that she had transferred her childhood nickname to him.
The Main God looked helplessly at his only daughter. When she spoke of that mortal, her eyes sparkled with joy, indicating her deep affection for him.
Before she returned, he had already cast a divination for Qiao Ci, and indeed, their fated connection was strong. It was time for his daughter to marry.
He was not worried about any unforeseen consequences arising from his daughter choosing a mortal. He was the Main God; he could resolve any problem his daughter encountered.
"Since your decision is made, I shall lend you a helping hand," the Main God looked at his daughter with affection, a sense of pride in his daughter's growth – having her own thoughts and a man she loved.
"Thank you, Father God."
The Main God did not show himself when helping Qiao Ci forge Ye Bai's divine persona. He felt that the first meeting with his son-in-law should not be so hasty.
Qiao Ci led Ye Bai into a vast, misty bathhouse. He took off his shirt and sat in it.
"What is this?" He had expected them to bathe together, but Qiao Ci did not seem to intend to join him. He looked anxiously at her outside the bath, inquiring.
"I have a gift for you," Qiao Ci said with a graceful smile.
How could she not know Ye Bai's concerns?
She did not wish for their love to last only a hundred years, nor did she want to chase his every reincarnation with memories. She wanted him to accompany her forever.
She had not asked him if he desired immortality. What she bestowed upon him, he would accept.
"Mhm." Hearing about the gift, Ye Bai's eyes moistened, tinged with a hint of shyness. He slowly closed his eyes.
The Main God, hidden nearby: ...
So this was what his daughter liked.
Ye Bai, with his eyes closed, heard Qiao Ci's voice, "It might hurt a little. Try to bear with it; it will only hurt for a while."
Forging a divine persona was an act against the heavens, and the suffering involved was evident. Qiao Ci shared half of her divine power with him, and simultaneously, she would bear the majority of the pain.
"Mhm." Ye Bai did not understand why it would hurt, but he trusted Qiao Ci implicitly. He merely nodded slightly.
Qiao Ci draped a light veil over his head, fearing that excessive pain might affect her appearance.
"Don't open your eyes," Qiao Ci admonished him earnestly.
"Okay," Ye Bai replied obediently.
Immediately after, he felt a gentle power entering his body, accompanied by a myriad of sharp pains.
It wasn't exactly painful, but there was an unbearable sense of torment.
However, he did not cry out.
He bit his lip, trying to prevent himself from making any unsightly sounds.
After a while longer, he felt his bones being eroded bit by bit. Ye Bai was unsure what was eroding them, only that his body was becoming increasingly painful, yet it was still within a tolerable range.
After another period, he felt his blood surge; his blood was burning, boiling, and transforming...
In contrast, Qiao Ci’s forehead was dripping with sweat, her face turning visibly paler by the second, her brows furrowed as if enduring immense suffering.
The Main God sighed softly and infused his divine power into Qiao Ci’s body, attempting to alleviate some of her pain and replenish her energy.
After an unknown duration, the changes within Ye Bai’s body concluded. He felt an unprecedented ease, as if he possessed inexhaustible strength.
The surroundings were silent. He tentatively called out, "A'Ci, are you still here?"
No one responded to him.
The Main God had departed the moment the divine persona was formed. It was time to let this fortunate fellow witness what his daughter had sacrificed for him.
Ye Bai called out a few more times, but there was still no response.
He slowly brushed away the veil from his face. The mist in the bath had long since dissipated. Outside the bath, Qiao Ci's figure came into view. She was lying on the ground, her lips pale, her eyes tightly shut.
Ye Bai’s eyes were filled with terror. He quickly rose to go to Qiao Ci’s side, but with a surge of excess strength, he shot upwards violently. His head bumped against the hard eaves, turning slightly red, before he landed weightlessly on the ground.