As I arrived in the heavens, I found Venya already waiting for me. The moment she saw me, she ran straight towards me. Before I could speak, she leapt into my arms and kissed me, her momentum driving me back against the wall of the celestial hall.
I steadied myself, shifted my weight, and turned us around, pressing her gently against the wall instead. She smiled against my lips as I kissed her back, her breath warm, her hands tightening around my shoulders.
"You finally decided to visit the heavens, Ren," she said, voice bright with relief. "I'm glad. We've been busy—gaining influence, consolidating power, making it easier for us to take this realm when the time comes."
She brushed her thumb along my jaw, eyes gleaming with quiet pride.
"We even have other gods and goddesses joining us now," she continued. "Not just because of our strength… but because we told them Emperor Genesis has returned, ready to claim this realm once and for all."
"Let's go," I said. "I want to see my three wives."
We teleported directly into Bai Domain, the heart of my first wife's territory.
Bai — Empress of the Eternal Empire — stood at the centre of the grand hall. She had ruled in my stead after I stepped down, maintaining order with the same precision she once used on the battlefield. Her aura carried the sharp, controlled heat of a fire phoenix, restrained yet impossible to ignore.
Beside her stood Talia, my second wife — a true immortal vampire. Her presence was cool and composed, her gaze steady and assessing as she inclined her head slightly.
And finally, Mariko — my third wife, a Kitsune. Her nine tails shifted behind her in a slow, deliberate sway, each one faintly shimmering with spiritual energy. Her expression softened the moment her eyes met mine.
I stepped forward and pulled all three of them into a single embrace. It had been a long time since I'd held them together like this. Bai rested her hand against my back, steady as always; Talia leaned in with that cool, familiar presence of hers; and Mariko wrapped her arms around me, warm and soft, her tails brushing lightly behind her.
I had considered visiting the others as well, but I decided against it. There would be time for that later. They were all busy with their own duties and plans for the Eternal Empire, each of them pushing their ambitions forward in their own way. I would see them again soon — eventually, we would all stand together again.
Venya gave me a brief hug before she left, her expression calm and knowing. She had her duties to return to, and I had mine. Once she was gone, I stayed with my wives, taking a moment simply to be with them.
"It's good to be with you three again. I'm sorry it took me so long to visit you properly."
"It wasn't so bad, beloved," Talia said. "At least I had time with you before my other two sisters. They weren't as fortunate."
She glanced towards her sisters — her elder sister, Bai, and her younger sister, Mariko.
I looked at Bai and Mariko where they leaned against me on the bed, one on each side, their warmth familiar and steady. Talia sat across my lap, her weight settled comfortably over my hips. She rested her head against my chest as she drank her blood-wine, her smirk softening into something calmer, more content.
"It's all right, Ren," Bai said gently. "Talia may tease, but what she said is true. We're just glad you're here now. That's what matters — even if it won't be for long."
Mariko shifted closer, her tails brushing lazily across the blankets. She lifted her head to look at me.
"I heard from Venya that you married a girl called Xu Yunfei," she said, curiosity bright in her voice. "What's she like, husband?"
"She's a woman with a real fighting spirit," I answered. "Reliable. Steady. And she's determined to grow stronger, no matter how long it takes."
"Don't forget about Yuki, Ren," Bai added. "You two are meant to marry as well."
"I know," I said quietly. "How has she been?"
"She's been fine," Bai replied. "Keeping herself busy with the duties in her own domain. She still commands the Rebellion Legion in secret — nothing's changed on that front." Bai paused for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "She hasn't mentioned you much. You two haven't reached that point of affection yet… but she respects you greatly."
"I know… I will, in time. The old me really made things difficult, with countless women developing feelings for me — and me returning those feelings just as often."
All three of my wives smirked at me with that familiar, knowing look of theirs. It was obvious they'd been keeping an eye on my love life — especially with a few of the women from Mìngjiè Xiānlù.
"Let's forget all that for now, Ren," Bai said softly. "Just stay with us… and enjoy the time we have together before you leave."
The three of them shared a look — a quiet, wordless agreement between wives who had waited far too long.
They moved closer, shedding the last of the distance between us. Clothes slipped away, not with urgency but with a calm, familiar ease. Soon, warmth pressed against me from every side.
We lay together, the four of us, breath mingling, their hands resting on me as naturally as if no time had passed at all. The night stretched on in soft whispers and quiet laughter.
I woke not long after, the room still quiet, the warmth of the three of them resting against me. Bai's hair spilled over my arm, Talia's cool hand lay across my chest, and Mariko's tails curled lightly around my leg. For a moment, I simply watched them sleep.
My thoughts drifted to Xu Yunfei.She should be waking around now.
I leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to each of their foreheads. One by one, their eyes opened, soft smiles forming as they realised I was awake.
We shared a quiet farewell.There was no sadness—only understanding. We all knew I would return soon, once my business with the Blackdragon Sect was settled.
After that, I would take my next step: becoming a disciple of Lady Xuanhe, one of the legendary Six of Mìngjiè Xiānlù.
When I appeared back in the room Yunfei and I shared within the Xu family's merged estates, I immediately noticed Nagni seated beside her, silently keeping watch.
She stood the moment she sensed me return, already turning to leave, but I spoke before she could take a single step.
"Thank you for looking after her while I was gone. I didn't ask you to… but you still did it. Thank you."
Nagni paused, her shoulders stiffening just slightly.
"I know it hurts you," I said, my voice low. "You've never been good at sharing me with women who aren't part of the ancient clans. And it's not just Yunfei. I already have three other wives as well. They're from Earth—my childhood friends."
Nagni said nothing, but the faint tightening around her eyes told me she heard every word.
"I told you before—you can move on, Nagni. You don't have to love me anymore. I want you to be happy. I'm saying it again so it's clear: you're free. You don't owe me anything."
Nagni turned her head, her serpent-like eyes meeting mine without wavering.
"Like I told you," she said quietly, "we both know that will never happen. There is no one like you. You are my creator… my true immortal… my Emperor. My Ren."
I didn't say anything. I simply walked past her and returned to Yunfei, still unconscious and resting peacefully. As I reached the bedside, Nagni spoke again from behind me.
"May I ask you something, Ren?"
I paused. "Go on."
"Have you ever been cheated on by a woman?"
"Yes," I said. "A long time ago—before I became a true immortal. I was a teenager. My first girlfriend cheated on me. It hurt more than you'd think."
I turned slightly. "Is that how you feel when you see me with other women?"
Nagni hesitated, her voice softer than before. "I… I don't know. I just wanted to ask. That's all."
"I'm sorry, Nagni… for what I am, for my nature. But know this — my love for you is no less than the others."
She lowered her gaze, then spoke again, her voice quieter.
"What happened to your first girlfriend, if I may ask?"
"I don't know what became of her," I said. "I moved on. I didn't look for her again, didn't fight for her attention, didn't cling to anything. I simply left."
Nagni listened in stillness.
"I saw her cheating," I continued. "Pure coincidence. Walked in and found her in bed with someone else. There was no way to mistake it."
My voice remained calm, almost detached.
"I never admitted to her that I knew. Never confronted her about it. I didn't argue or demand answers. I just cut it off."
I shook my head slightly.
"And I didn't do it over the phone — that's a communication device we humans use back on my home world. No. I did it face to face. I told her it was over and walked away."
Nagni's eyes narrowed slightly, reading the undertone.
"She was confused. Angry. Upset. All the emotions people feel when they're blindsided by something they don't understand — when something ends without warning."
I let out a quiet breath.
"But I didn't stay to soothe it. I didn't explain. I just… left."
"That's why… if the day ever comes when you no longer want to be with me, I'll accept it. I can walk away just as you can."
"I don't demand loyalty or love from anyone. I haven't been cheated on in a very long time — not since I became who I am — but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Of course it would hurt… but who am I to complain, when I've taken countless women to stand at my side?"
"I would understand completely if a woman cheated on me because she wanted to feel loved — that emotional connection I might not have been able to give her at the time. But I would never take her back. I would never forgive that. If I did, it would mean I don't love myself enough, that I lack respect for myself… that I don't care for my own mental wellbeing."
"Even if those human weaknesses are things I no longer struggle with now — now that I'm an immortal being who isn't affected by such things unless I choose to be."
"I'm not perfect, Nagni. No one is — not in my eyes. I don't care about what people think is the 'right' answer. For me, the right answer is simply whatever feels true to me in that moment… whatever works for me at the time."
"I've been restraining myself only because I made a promise to my second older sister, Cristina. That's the only reason. She told me to, and I was willing at the time… but it was also because I was afraid of what I was becoming. You know that better than anyone. In my past, I didn't hold back — countless women, taking whatever I wanted, fighting, dominating, showing no mercy. I never cared about right or wrong.But I also didn't want to lose myself completely… or whatever little humanity I still had left."
I let out a slow breath, my voice dropping.
"That's why I left, all those eternities ago. You all know this. I had to. If I'd stayed, I would've lost control long before now. Returning to Earth… it gave me room to breathe. To reset."
My gaze sharpened, the weight of the years settling behind it.
"I held myself together for over a hundred thousand years after I reverted back into my eighteen-year-old self — back when I first became a true immortal. I managed it. For a long time, I did."
A faint bitterness touched my voice.
"But lately… I've been slipping. Again and again. Bit by bit."
"So that's why… I can understand if you never forgive me for the countless relationships I've had," I said quietly. "You can tolerate the ones from the ancient clans because of the history we share… but it doesn't erase the past. You're my lover, and I'm yours — yet I know exactly how it feels to be hurt. When I saw my first girlfriend cheat on me, I walked away and never looked back. I didn't fight for her, didn't ask for answers. I just left."
I exhaled, steadying my voice.
"You could do the same, Nagni. If you ever wanted to. I want you to be happy… truly. From the deepest part of me."
Nagni's breath hitched. She tried to hold herself together, but the tension finally snapped. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she stepped closer.
"Why are you so cruel?" she asked, voice shaking. "It feels like you're trying to push me away."
She wiped her eyes, but more tears followed as she stared at me.
"I've told you so many times — that will never happen. Not ever. I love you. Only you. My heart's been tied to you since the moment I first saw you."
Her voice dropped, raw and unguarded.
"I'm jealous, Ren. Extremely jealous. I can't stand seeing other women near you. Sometimes the feeling is so strong I want to kill them on the spot."
She shook her head, frustrated with herself.
"But I know you'd never allow it. And even if you did, I wouldn't act fast enough before you stopped me. I know that."
Nagni stepped forward and suddenly wrapped her arms around me, holding on tightly.
"Please… just stop," she whispered against my chest. "I'm begging you. Don't push me away. I can't stand it."
She leaned up, about to kiss me again.
But Yunfei stirred.
A soft breath escaped her as she blinked awake, completely unaware of what had been happening a moment before.
Nagni's expression twisted immediately — a sharp scoff of annoyance slipping out. For a split second, I felt the murderous impulse rise in her aura, but she forced it down, jaw tightening as she stepped back.
She didn't act on it.
She stopped herself.