Xiao Yuyan listened to Xu Wanci's words, his heart a turbulent mix of joy and sorrow, his gaze trembling ever so slightly—a rare display of vulnerability.
He wanted her to be happy, forever free, forever able to attain her heart's desires.
He refused to let a handful of encounters from a century ago shackle her entire life.
And so, even as every fiber of his being screamed at him to keep her, to trap her, to make her love only him for eternity—
He remained resolute, clear-headed, and wished for her to forget him.
He wanted her to live for herself, always.
But when he heard her say that waiting was not a hardship for her, that it was even something she looked forward to—he could no longer suppress his emotions.
His eyes shimmered like a sky full of stars, yet those stars reflected only one person:
So, to her, he was not just pain.
Xiao Yuyan's spiritual energy surged around them, enveloping Xu Wanci in an overwhelming tide. For the first time, he yielded to his desires and pulled her into his arms.
He held her so tightly it was as if he wanted to carve her into his very bones, yet with such care that she felt no restraint, no discomfort.
Then, with solemn tenderness, he spoke her name:
"Xu Wanci."
His voice, steady and deliberate, melted into the world around them—a confession, a vow:
"Your name will be etched upon my soul. Even if only a shred of my consciousness remains, that shred will remember to love you."
"Until my soul ceases to exist."
Xu Wanci breathed in his crisp, cool scent and, as if surrendering to fate, wrapped her arms around his waist.
Every time she gave a fraction of herself, he returned tenfold—or more.
No one could resist such love. Not even her.
She had always been stingy with her emotions, always demanded rationality and clarity from herself.
But in this moment, she closed her eyes slowly.
And allowed herself to feel. To fall. To love a phantom that should not exist.
Beneath the endless canopy of illusory trees, the golden light of sunset draped over their embrace like a painting—beautiful and bittersweet.
Deep down, they both knew how this story would end.
Yet neither let go.
Upon returning to the present,
Xiao Yuyan found that his journey to the past had changed little. The turbulence of his spiritual energy resumed, then waned.
The vortex that could take him back a century had shrunk further.
The remnants of the Heavenly Dao's power lurked nearby, watching as Xiao Yuyan's form began to fade once more. Devoid of reason, driven only by instinct, they coiled in the shadows with malice.
They knew he was dangerous.
But if he kept traversing time, they would eventually consume him.
Then the world would return to its ordained order, free of anomalies.
Xiao Yuyan paid no mind to the encroaching threat.
He focused on the near-depleted reserves of his spiritual energy, his fingers twitching imperceptibly:
With each cycle of destruction and rebirth, his ties to the void—to the Heavenly Dao—grew weaker.
The part of him that was truly his own expanded.
So, reshaping himself after each journey through time was the key to severing his connection to the Heavenly Dao.
Once he freed himself from the grip of the void, he could stand before her again.
A hundred years later.
In the days that followed, Xu Wanci continued her rigorous cultivation without pause.
Yet she grew accustomed to the dreams that visited her every few nights.
There, she finally had a sanctuary.
A place where she didn’t have to push herself relentlessly, where she didn’t have to fear Chu Qingchuan’s overwhelming fortune, where she didn’t have to calculate how to repay others’ kindness.
All she had to do was stand still, and someone would embrace her—unconditionally, unreservedly.
But...
The wisp of immortal essence in her dantian was dwindling.
If her suspicions were correct, once it vanished, the dreams would end too.
In the dreamscape,
Xu Wanci lay with her head on Xiao Yuyan’s lap, absently tracing the red mole on his wrist as she pondered.
The touch made him stiffen briefly before he forced himself to relax.
Outwardly, he remained composed, but his spiritual energy had already begun weaving around her, tendrils coiling possessively at her waist, tightening ever so slightly.
Every time he saw her, every impulse screamed at him to pull her closer.
Just seeing her, just being near her—it wasn’t enough.
Then Xu Wanci noticed the way their auras had tangled together, indistinct, as if they were no longer separate. She blinked, mischief flickering in her eyes as she dragged a fingernail lightly over the red mole.
His wrist tensed instantly, the air around them freezing.
In the next breath, Xiao Yuyan twisted his hand, capturing hers in an unyielding grip.
His larger hand enveloped hers completely, not with force, but with enough restraint to keep her from escaping. His other hand clamped down on her free one before it could cause more trouble.
His voice held no reproach, only resigned amusement:
"Wanwan."
She knew if she truly struggled, he’d let go.
But she only gave a half-hearted wiggle before settling back lazily.
Too much effort.
Cultivation already exhausted her daily—in her dreams, she’d rather rest.
Bathed in his crisp, clean scent, the smile on her lips was uncharacteristically carefree.
Then, as if discovering something, she tugged his hand closer.
The faint lotus pattern shimmering at his sleeve—revealed only by his emotional fluctuations—caught her eye. She slipped her hand free, sat up, and tugged at his cuff with an accusing pout:
"How could you fuse that clumsily shaped Jade Lotus into your sleeve?"
Her gaze lingered on the crooked, barely recognizable embroidery, her expression complicated.
Even in life-or-death situations upon first arriving in the cultivation world, she had spun flawless lies, crafting personas with meticulous detail.
Perfection was her habit—even in the face of death, she comported herself with grace.
Such glaring imperfections were rare.
But that day, watching the man who had gathered lotus seeds with her for hours, her rationality had faltered.
And so, with her cultivation still too unrefined to control spiritual energy properly, she had molded that crude, simplistic lotus.
The spiritual energy was so sparse that she initially thought it would dissipate after some time, never imagining that Xiao Yuyan would keep it by his side.
It seemed he cared for her even more than she had imagined.
Even if it was just a seemingly laughable Jade Calm Lotus.
Xu Wanci knew it was a gift she had given him when they first met, so it was only natural for him to treasure it.
But still…
She glanced at the faintly visible Jade Calm Lotus, hesitated for a long moment, and finally couldn’t hold back. She tugged lightly at his sleeve.
"Xiao Yuyan."
"How about I make you a prettier Jade Calm Lotus?"
She assessed her current cultivation at the eighth level of Qi Refining and looked at him earnestly.
"I can give it color now, even add its fragrance."
Seeing that Xiao Yuyan remained unmoved, she sweetened the offer.
"I’ll make you two—no, three!"
"Can you replace this one?"
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she gazed at him. But this time, despite usually indulging her every whim, Xiao Yuyan didn’t agree.
Instead, he pulled her into his arms, one hand resting firmly on her waist while the other clasped hers.
He rested his chin on her shoulder, neither outright refusing nor yielding, but carefully hiding the lotus pattern on his sleeve.
His voice was like light snow—cool yet tender.
"I like it very much."
Then, lowering his gaze to the cascading black hair of the woman in his arms, he added with quiet sincerity,
"I like you the most."
Xu Wanci felt her grip on his sleeve loosen slightly.
Lately, Xiao Yuyan had grown increasingly adept at making her heart flutter.
And yet, she could tell that every word he spoke was utterly genuine.
She was already on the verge of giving in, but before she did, she couldn’t resist one last protest.
"But it’s not pretty."
Xiao Yuyan sensed her softening resolve and tightened his embrace, pulling her closer.
"It is."
"It’s the most beautiful Jade Calm Lotus I’ve ever seen."
"No."
He gently nuzzled the top of her head, his voice tender as a sigh. "It’s the most beautiful spiritual plant I’ve ever seen."
At that, Xu Wanci finally released his sleeve.
She pushed against his hand, lifting herself from his arms to look up at him with a smile.
"And what about the person who made the Jade Calm Lotus?"
"Am I the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen?"
She already knew he would say yes.
But his answer was something she hadn’t expected.
"Before I met you, I never noticed anyone else."
Xu Wanci paused, then pressed further.
"And things?"
Xiao Yuyan’s gaze was serene yet unwavering.
"Only you."
"There’s only ever been you."
His words didn’t fill her with joy—instead, they brought a pang of sorrow.
She suddenly remembered the Qingyan Immortal from the original story.
The aloof and peerlessly powerful figure who, in the end, sacrificed himself to the heavens.
In the original tale, after Chu Qingchuan ascended, the cultivation world forgot him entirely.
No one even cared to remember his name.
Xu Wanci leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his lips.
"Xiao Yuyan."
"I’ll always be here."
In this dream, her eyes would only ever see him.
Before she could pull away, a hand cradled the back of her head, drawing her into a lingering kiss.
Here, they would always have only each other.
Thanks to the transformation of her spiritual core, Xu Wanci’s talent had risen to match Jiang Qiuning’s Heavenly Spirit Root. Her spiritual sense was now comparable to a Transcendent Realm cultivator’s.
So, in just half a month, she stabilized her early-stage Mahayana cultivation—a feat that would take others years.
Another half-month passed, and her cultivation steadily progressed toward mid-stage Mahayana. Breaking through to the Transcendent Realm was only a matter of time.
But the higher her cultivation grew, the more she felt the vast gaps between each realm.
Yet she had never sensed such disparity from Xiao Yuyan.
In the dream, she was merely a Qi Refining cultivator, while he was already the only Void-Shattering Sovereign in the cultivation world.
But when they were together, she never felt the divide—not even a hint of pressure.
Even the spiritual energy he wrapped around her was something she could perceive and reject at will.
Lost in thought, she turned to look at him.
Though she had seen him often in the dreamscape and grown accustomed to his noble, striking features, the sight of his profile still stole her breath for a moment.
Xiao Yuyan’s attention had never left her.
He stopped walking, his eyes reflecting quiet curiosity.
"Wanwan, what is it?"
Xu Wanci snapped out of her daze. Recalling their past, she realized he had never once flaunted his cultivation in front of her.
Even when using spiritual energy, he was always careful, never letting her feel the gap between them.
But between them, there was no need for such caution.
She gave their intertwined hands a little shake.
"Xiao Yuyan."
"From the moment I first saw you, I knew how powerful you were—that you were the only Void-Shattering cultivator in this world."
"So you don’t have to hide yourself for my sake."
She met his gaze, her eyes free of insecurity or distance, filled only with resolve.
"The difference in our cultivation only makes me work harder—hard enough to stand beside you as your equal."
Xiao Yuyan looked into her bright, determined eyes and sighed inwardly.
Every time he saw her, he fell deeper in love.
With her liveliness, her resilience, the way she looked at him with such unwavering trust and focus.
Even though his love for her had long been carved into his soul.
Listening to the voice in his heart—the one that had grown quieter since meeting Xu Wanci—he finally understood.
It wasn’t that he could restrain his desires effortlessly.
It was that with her, every desire was already fulfilled.
She had always loved him… in her own way.
He tightened his grip on her hand. "Alright."
At his response, Xu Wanci seemed to remember something and turned.
"We’ve been in the Taiqing Sect all this time…"
Before she could finish, Xiao Yuyan grasped her meaning and smiled. "Where would you like to go, Wanwan?"
Resting her chin on one hand, she recalled the books on spiritual plants she’d read in her spare time.
"They say Rainrest Fruit is unbearably sour—the higher its grade, the worse it tastes. Is that true?"
Had she not mentioned it, Xiao Yuyan wouldn’t have spared a thought for such an ordinary fruit.
His spiritual energy curled protectively around her as he raised a hand to shield her eyes, gently soothing the faint discomfort from the spatial shift.
A moment later, he lowered his hand.
"We're here."
Xu Wanci hadn't even noticed their arrival. She blinked slowly at the towering Rainrest Tree before her, its age likely spanning millennia, its grade already reaching the ninth tier.
She distinctly remembered reading in a book that the highest grade for a Rainrest Tree was the seventh tier.
Was this the extent of Xiao Yuyan's power?
A strength so overwhelming it seemed to rival the very laws of the world.
Lost in thought, she barely registered as Xiao Yuyan handed her a Rainrest Fruit.
Her cultivation was still too weak to withstand the spiritual energy of a ninth-tier spirit fruit.
So the moment he plucked it, he had already purified it with his own energy, tempering it into a form suitable for her current level.
With its spiritual potency diluted, it shouldn’t be too… sour.
Xu Wanci accepted the fruit, inhaling its faintly sweet fragrance. Cautiously, she took a small bite.
An almost soul-piercing tartness exploded across her tongue.
How could it possibly be this sour?!
Xiao Yuyan frowned at her instantly frozen expression. He held his hand near her lips.
"Spit it out."
She ignored him. Unless pushed beyond her body’s limits, she refused to let instinct override her control.
Even as the sourness made speech impossible, her expression remained composed, as if maintaining her dignity mattered more than the discomfort. Her breaths were shallow, barely audible.
With a slight furrow of her brows, she forced herself to swallow the bite whole.
Xiao Yuyan watched her stubborn resilience with a mix of exasperation and tenderness.
With a flick of spiritual energy, he conjured a thumb-sized Sweet Spirit Fruit and pressed it to her lips.
Without hesitation, she ate it.
As sweetness flooded her mouth, the tension in her body finally eased.
She glanced down at the barely touched Rainrest Fruit in her hand, cleared her throat, and held it out to him.
"Actually… it’s not that bad."
"Want to try?"
His lips curved at the faint guilt in her eyes.
Without hesitation, he leaned in.
Before his teeth could graze the fruit, Xu Wanci pulled her hand back.
Never mind.
No need for both of them to suffer.
She sighed, meeting his gaze.
"Next time I lose my mind and want to eat this, you have to stop me."
Xiao Yuyan took her wrist, guiding the fruit back to his mouth. He took a deliberate bite.
After swallowing, he answered solemnly, "I’ll remember."
Xu Wanci’s eyes widened—too late to stop him. She yanked her hand free.
"You’re not afraid of sourness?"
His gaze softened at her concern. "A little."
Dismissing the topic, he asked lightly, "What would you like to see next, Wanwan?"
"Something sweet," she muttered, avoiding his eyes. "Sweet enough to drown out the tartness."
Xiao Yuyan stepped forward, pulling her into his arms. "As you wish."
He had never tasted bitterness or sourness.
But sweetness—he knew it well.
And the deep, soul-deep satisfaction it brought.
This time, when Xu Wanci awoke from the dream, a faint smile lingered on her lips, unnoticed even by herself.
Xiao Yuyan had taken her to sample countless rare spirit fruits across the cultivation world.
Though she couldn’t see them, she could sense his meticulous care in the gentle energy of each fruit—each one refined to perfection for her.
Even her dream-body had been tempered by them, her talent advancing faster than even the legendary Frost Orchid’s refinement could achieve.
He made it impossible to let go.
For a fleeting moment, as she gazed at the endless blue sky, the man from her dreams felt real.
But she quickly dismissed the thought.
Though unpredictable, her dreams always stemmed from her own desires:
The Rainrest Fruit—born from her real-world curiosity.
Most of the fruits she’d tasted were ones she’d read about in books.
Xu Wanci looked away, pressing a hand to the spiritual ring on her wrist—the transformed form of her sword, Nine Skies.
It was time… to cultivate.
Days later, an anomaly split the heavens.
A treasure of unparalleled value had emerged.
And from its direction wafted an aura—one that carried the essence of ascension.
The entire cultivation world knew:
Where there was immortal qi, the path to transcendence lay.
