At the foot of Luoyu Peak.
Xiao Yuyan listened to the footsteps drawing nearer, his breath instinctively slowing.
At this moment, the distance between him and her was merely a few meters.
There she was… the her from a hundred years ago.
In the laws of the world, the weight of the past far surpassed that of the present or the future.
Altering even the smallest event in the past could have an immense impact on the present and future.
The world needed to restrain such unpredictable influences.
To traverse the past, even for the Heavenly Dao—the sovereign of rules and all creation—required an incalculable expenditure of power.
The color drained slightly from Xiao Yuyan’s fingertips, leaving them pale.
Yet, he was still the Heavenly Dao of this realm.
Even weakened, his power was more than enough to conceal his presence from all.
But…
As the footsteps sounded almost within reach, he remained motionless, not even summoning a wisp of Heavenly Dao energy around him.
There was no one else here.
If she mistook him for the ‘him’ from a hundred years ago…
Xiao Yuyan’s heart pounded like a drum:
He could stay silent the entire time, he could disguise himself flawlessly, and he could withdraw before she noticed anything amiss…
He just wanted to see her.
Not far away, a barrier dissipated.
A lively figure clad in the robes of an outer sect disciple suddenly appeared.
Xiao Yuyan sensed Xu Wanci’s gaze. Though his expression remained calm and indifferent, the air around him seemed to freeze, swallowing even the faintest breeze, leaving only a chilling stillness.
He appeared composed as he gazed at the scenery ahead, his arms hanging naturally at his sides. Yet his fingertips were tense, veins faintly visible on the back of his hands.
From beginning to end, he did not move—nor did he spare a single glance at the approaching figure.
Xu Wanci stared at the figure before her, stunned for only a moment before regaining her composure.
She averted her gaze, her wariness still present but slightly eased:
People cannot dream of things beyond their knowledge.
The reason she could dream of the revered Qingyan Immortal today was likely because she had seen that recording stone in the demon realm, which bore his image.
Otherwise, the figure before her might have been nothing more than a faceless shadow.
Even with an eighty percent certainty that this was just a dream, her first instinct—as someone who always prepared for the worst—was to leave.
Whether in dreams or reality, the presence of Qingyan Immortal was far too unpredictable.
With this thought, Xu Wanci lowered her eyes slightly, as if she had seen nothing, and turned to leave without hesitation.
Xiao Yuyan heard the sound of her turning and finally looked at her.
Instinctively, he raised a barrier, wanting to keep her there.
But the moment he realized what he had done, he remembered:
She hated being controlled.
The barrier, initially woven with Heavenly Dao energy to seal everything, abruptly weakened into a wisp of mist.
His gaze lingered on her retreating figure, desolate:
Had she noticed something?
Was that why she turned away without hesitation upon seeing him?
Xu Wanci had no idea what the person behind her was thinking. She studied the barrier that had risen around her, a hint of doubt in her eyes:
Why did this barrier feel… so weak?
She extended a hand, channeling the faint Qi Refining Stage One energy at her fingertips, and lightly prodded the barrier.
A small hole instantly appeared in the pale barrier.
She poked again—another hole.
She blinked:
So… a barrier that could be broken by Qi Refining Stage One?
Without hesitation, she gathered her energy to tear through it completely.
But the moment her energy touched the barrier, the once-thin layer thickened slightly.
Now, it required Qi Refining Stage Two energy to break.
Xu Wanci seemed to realize something. Unfazed, she adjusted her energy to Stage Two.
Sure enough, the barrier strengthened again, demanding even higher energy to breach.
Her current cultivation in this body was only at Qi Refining Stage Three. If the barrier escalated once more, she would be trapped.
Yet this time, as she acted, the barrier shattered without resistance.
Ahead, the scenery of the Taiqing Sect unfolded before her. One step forward, and she would leave Luoyu Peak behind.
But she stood rooted in place, unmoving.
Xiao Yuyan watched as she chose to stay despite having the chance to leave. The ice in his demeanor melted, and the surrounding cedar trees swayed once more in the breeze.
His gaze fixed intently on her figure, unwilling to miss a single detail of the her from a century ago.
The way her hair fluttered in the night wind, the way her right hand lingered absently with unretracted energy—his eyes softened, a faint smile touching his lips.
Xu Wanci remained unaware of the gaze behind her. She studied her hand thoughtfully:
Was it because… deep down, she didn’t want to leave?
Was that why this barrier existed?
It wasn’t baseless suspicion. The way it allowed her to choose—to stay or go—mirrored her own tendencies too closely.
Her fingers twitched slightly:
Perhaps her curiosity about Qingyan Immortal ran deeper than she had realized.
Should she leave?
Her feet remained planted, but her mind was already made up:
If her obsession—or even desire—was tied to Qingyan Immortal, fleeing now wouldn’t free her. It would only tighten the knots.
Even in a dream, she could face herself and remain in control.
Besides…
After testing the barrier, she realized she might have some influence over this dream.
She wasn’t sure to what extent yet.
But if it was controllable, why leave?
Xu Wanci tapped her robes lightly. When she lifted her head again, her eyes held a carefully crafted innocence:
According to the dream’s setting, she was a bullied outer sect disciple with only Qi Refining Stage Three cultivation. She had never even seen the Taiqing Sect’s leader—how could she possibly recognize Qingyan Immortal?
She turned and bowed deeply to the moonlit figure in the distance, her gaze respectful and unfamiliar:
"This disciple did not know the Venerable One was resting here. Forgive my intrusion."
Before she could complete the bow, a surge of energy gently lifted her.
Then came a quiet, puzzled question:
"You… don’t know me?"
Xu Wanci had never thought a voice could be described as breathtaking.
Like winter’s first snow—pure, untouched, and impossible to resist.
She lowered her head, hiding all emotions in her eyes, her body instinctively reacting as it should.
She took a step back, her voice growing even more respectful:
"This disciple is ignorant. I beg the Venerable One to forgive my offense."
Xiao Yuyan listened to her reply, his heartbeat suddenly quickening.
It dawned on him then—at this moment, she and the 'him' from before had yet to meet.
So this was, in the truest sense… their first encounter.
His voice softened, as if afraid to startle the person before him:
"What fault is yours?"
"It was I who wandered idly through the peaks with nothing to do."
Xiao Yuyan held back the rest of his words:
If there was any fault, it could only be his.
Even though Xu Wanci had prepared herself, hearing Xiao Yuyan's slightly gentler tone still left her momentarily dazed.
But she quickly regained her composure.
Was this really her dream? Earlier, she had only been eighty percent certain—now, it had risen to ninety.
She had heard countless descriptions of the Venerable Qingyan: powerful, aloof, dangerous…
Yet the immortal before her now more closely resembled the figure she had woven from lies.
No.
Perhaps even gentler and kinder than her fabrications.
At this thought, she blinked thoughtfully:
So she could imagine such a pleasant voice too.
Perhaps because it was a dream, Xu Wanci felt bolder than usual, revealing more of her true nature.
She lifted her head, her gaze still respectful but now tinged with curiosity.
Looking at the figure not far away, she recalled the task from her dream and ventured tentatively:
"Might the Venerable One know where to find Lotus Dew?"
"This disciple came here on a sect mission to gather Lotus Dew beneath the Falling Jade Peak."
Xiao Yuyan met her gaze, the power of the Heavenly Dao at his fingertips slipping free uncontrollably, causing the surrounding fir trees to flourish even more.
Hearing her words, he raised his hand, and all the spiritual dew upon the lotus flowers across the mountain gathered into his palm.
Listening to the pounding of his own heart, he stepped closer to Xu Wanci, his eyes never leaving her:
"Is this enough?"
His right hand was slender and jade-like, every inch nearly perfect. But what drew attention most was its power—as if this single hand could command all the spiritual energy in the world.
Resting upon his palm was Lotus Dew, refined countless times in an instant, crystal-clear and brimming with spiritual energy.
Even though Xu Wanci had seen many rare treasures in reality, a single drop of this meticulously purified dew was precious beyond measure.
In this dream, she didn’t need to hide her delight in spiritual treasures.
Without sparing another glance at the figure before her, she eagerly accepted the drop of dew, placing it into the jade vial she carried.
She examined the vial closely, testing its spiritual energy with her own, and said with genuine sincerity, "Thank you, Venerable One."
Watching her actions, Xiao Yuyan felt something in his heart soften.
So this was how she had been a century ago—so lively and bright.
Remembering what had transpired in the Tribulation Grounds, he lowered his gaze, concealing all emotion.
Under the night sky, his voice was tender:
"You… is there anything else you desire?"
Xu Wanci’s grip on the vial tightened.
For a fleeting moment, she felt as though no matter what she asked for, the person before her would bring it to her.
Here, in this dream, she suddenly experienced something she had never known before—unconditional favor.
No reason, no price—simply because she wished for it.
She didn’t look up, only thinking helplessly to herself:
So this was what she truly wanted?
Her daze lasted only an instant.
Regaining her senses, she exhaled slowly and considered carefully:
This was an opportunity to test the truth.
She still couldn’t be entirely certain this was a dream.
If this place wasn’t a dream but something else, then her actions had to be cautious. She couldn’t make a request too ambitious or beyond current expectations.
She also had to prepare for the possibility of being trapped here.
If she couldn’t leave, then what she sought had to be subtle enough to escape others’ notice.
If it was just a dream, then it didn’t matter—after all, everything here was illusory, and she wouldn’t lose anything.
With this in mind, she kept her head down and murmured softly:
"Venerable One, I’ve heard that only gifted disciples develop spiritual sense while still at the Qi Refining stage."
"May I…"
Before she could finish, she received a gentle reply:
"You may."
As if no matter what she asked, his answer would always be the same.
Xu Wanci finally looked up, meeting the gaze of the figure now standing so close that her breath caught.
What stunned her wasn’t just his peerlessly noble appearance—it was his eyes.
Eyes that held the flow of all things, where with every breath, one could witness the birth and decay of the world.
Yet in this moment, those eyes held only her reflection.
She stood before all creation.
She watched as he raised his hand, his fingertip pressing lightly against her brow. A warm current, devoid of any aggression, flowed gently into her.
As it spread, she gradually became aware of the presence of her sea of consciousness.
Her spiritual sense had awakened.
