All the cultivators engaged in battle with the spirit plants noticed their weakening, and soon after, they heard Xu Wanci's voice.
Each of them bore wounds, large or small, and their spiritual energy was nearly depleted. Yet they were all aware of the terrifying power of the spirit plants once they revived, so instead of attacking recklessly, they glanced warily at their surroundings.
Not far away, the disciples of the Taiqing Sect, along with Jiang Ze, Ji Wang, and others, acted without hesitation. Their spiritual energy swept out, annihilating the spirit plants in an instant, leaving no chance for revival.
Seeing this, the others also struck down the spirit plants before them with ruthless precision.
In a single moment, every spirit plant within the barrier was slain.
Once safety was assured, many of the venerable elders couldn’t help but regard Xu Wanci with the respect reserved for peers of their own standing.
Before, they had seen her only as an opportunity to resolve karma. Their kindness toward her had been solely due to her fortune and the role she played for them.
But now, they finally realized—Xu Wanci was far stronger than they had ever imagined.
By then, the Taiqing Sect disciples had already gathered around her. The Grand Elder looked at Xu Wanci with deep concern.
"Wanci, are you unharmed?"
Xu Wanci sheathed her Nine Heavens Sword and shook her head slightly at the approaching crowd.
"I’m fine."
As the last of the Greenstride Grass withered, the surrounding barrier began to dissipate. The wilderness faded, transforming into a desolate wasteland identical to the land beyond the barrier.
At the same time, the second layer of the barrier revealed itself before them.
The sight of this new barrier brought solemnity to everyone’s expressions.
If the first layer had left so many Transcendent Realm cultivators battered and exhausted, the second would only be more perilous.
However…
The Grand Elder studied the distant barrier and spoke gravely,
"This barrier, like the previous one, will likely take several days before it opens."
After testing his words, the other elders nodded in agreement.
Thus, the various sects and noble clans set up camps in the wasteland, waiting for the second barrier to unlock.
Though they already had an inkling that this opportunity might not belong to them, they refused to give up until the very end.
Even if they couldn’t obtain it, witnessing such a treasure would still be worthwhile.
High above in the heavens,
Xiao Yuyan stood motionless, his tense fingers only relaxing once he saw Xu Wanci safe below.
Through repeated reforging, his body had gradually slipped free from the control of the Heavenly Dao’s power.
But when the remnants of that power within him realized this, they began resisting like a self-destructive force.
They knew—once the Heavenly Dao’s influence within him vanished completely, he would become an existence beyond the constraints of heaven, earth, and all natural laws.
Frantically, they tried to halt his actions while recklessly surging through his meridians, attempting to merge with his spiritual energy and retain their will.
Xiao Yuyan endured the agony—pain that would make most cultivators beg for mercy—yet his expression remained cold and detached.
Even the way he looked at Xu Wanci was more restrained than before.
A portion of his spiritual energy still shared its origin with the Heavenly Dao’s power.
If it sought to tamper with it, he couldn’t guarantee he would detect every scheme in time.
Now, his protection of her could, at any moment, become a blade turned against her.
Xiao Yuyan recalled the earlier scene, his fingertips trembling imperceptibly.
That had been the limit of what he could do while resisting the Heavenly Dao’s influence within him.
His gaze pierced through the second barrier, darkening as he assessed what lay within.
But it wasn’t enough.
The dangers there surpassed even his current control.
Xiao Yuyan turned his eyes away, calmly observing the nearby vortex capable of traversing time and space.
After dozens of crossings, the vortex had shrunk significantly, its color fading toward transparency.
At most, it could endure two more journeys before vanishing entirely.
He lowered his lashes, concealing all emotion.
All he wanted was her safety.
Back in the mortal realm, Xu Wanci, resting within the Taiqing Sect’s encampment, was suddenly overcome by a familiar drowsiness.
She laid her head on the wooden table and let herself drift into slumber.
In her dream, night had fallen.
Under the moonlight, Xiao Yuyan stood before an Illusionary Beauty Tree, his aura serene and cool, colder than the moon itself.
Yet the moment his eyes met hers, the frost melted away, leaving only tender devotion.
From the second he saw her, nothing else existed—only her.
All of Xu Wanci’s emotions settled at that gaze. Unlike before, she didn’t wait for him to approach. Instead, she hurried forward and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Looking up at him, she spoke deliberately,
"Xiao Yuyan, I missed you."
His body stiffened briefly. Meeting her eyes, bright with starlight, he pulled her into his embrace, carefully moderating his strength.
The remnants of the Heavenly Dao’s power within him had, a century ago, only been enough to stir his desires.
Yet the moment he saw her, every longing had been satisfied.
He twirled a strand of her hair around his fingers, his voice soft and affectionate.
"I missed you too."
"So very much."
Xu Wanci pulled back slightly, catching his left hand as it played with her hair. With practiced ease, she clasped his wrist.
Her fingers brushed over the red mole there, her voice light with amusement.
"Where shall we go today?"
The time before last, they had sampled every rare spirit fruit in the cultivation world.
The time before that, they had watched the snow atop the Silent Summit for an entire day.
Last time, they had witnessed the sunrise and sunset over the Hopeless Sea.
Every day in these dreams felt like the purest embodiment of her yearning for freedom—unrestrained, untethered, with him by her side.
Xiao Yuyan let her toy with his wrist until the red mole grew warm. Only then did he turn his hand, enclosing hers within his palm.
His voice held a trace of helplessness, but far more indulgence.
"Wanwan, shall we visit a secret realm today?"
Xu Wanci blinked in surprise. A secret realm?
She smiled and nodded.
"Alright."
Their first destination was the Endless Mirage, a secret realm passed down through the Taiqing Sect for millennia.
Xiao Yuyan patiently explained the rare flora and treasures within.
Xu Wanci listened lazily, occasionally offering a half-hearted nod.
She had been here before, and with her knowledge from the original text, she was already familiar with the place.
Of course… the dream wouldn’t show her anything beyond her understanding.
Suppressing her thoughts, she feigned a yawn and looked up at him with wide eyes.
"How much longer do we have to stay here?"
Xiao Yuyan looked into her eyes, and a corner of his heart softened unexpectedly.
He simply couldn’t refuse any of her requests or hopes.
"We’ll leave right now."
Their next destination was the Qiyun Secret Realm, which only appeared once every hundred years.
Xu Wanci had recently read about it in ancient texts.
But Xiao Yuyan’s explanation was far more detailed than what the records described.
So detailed that it made her feel dazed for a moment.
As if the person beside her had truly transcended the boundaries of dreams and become real.
Xu Wanci unconsciously tightened her grip on Xiao Yuyan’s hand.
Feeling his gaze on her, she didn’t look back, instead pulling him down to sit among the spiritual plants.
"Xiao Yuyan, aren’t you tired?"
Xiao Yuyan chuckled softly at her words.
"I am."
"Then let’s rest here for a while." Xu Wanci adjusted her expression, her lips curving into a sweet smile. "We might as well enjoy the scenery."
"Alright."
Hearing his reply, her smile deepened.
Perhaps because the spiritual energy within her had diminished too much, she began to feel drowsy in less than two hours within the dream realm.
She lay her head on his lap, lazily gazing at the azure sky of the secret realm.
Xiao Yuyan watched her quiet, delicate profile, his emotions so overwhelming they drowned out all other thoughts.
The time he could spend with her was growing shorter.
Knowing the future, he couldn’t bear to deny her anything.
Her hundred years had been too bitter.
His grip on her hand tightened slightly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible roughness.
He told her about every possible weakness in the secret realms that might appear over the next century, as well as the locations of their treasures.
Interspersed were explanations of various formations.
Listening to him describe the Yunling Secret Realm, Xu Wanci closed her eyes, hiding the resignation in her gaze.
Of course she knew about the treasures in the secret realms—not only knew, but had even brought two seeds out with her.
Some of the other realms he mentioned, she had read about in ancient texts; others, she recognized from the original story.
Though not as detailed as his accounts…
At this thought, she opened her eyes and tugged lightly on his hand, pulling him closer.
Xiao Yuyan indulged her, leaning down with a faint smile, letting her do as she pleased.
Xu Wanci wrapped an arm around his neck, drawing him near, and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his lips.
After completing this series of actions in one breath, she immediately released him, pushing his upper body back and shutting her eyes innocently.
As if she hadn’t been the one to initiate it at all.
Xiao Yuyan watched her trembling lashes, his chaotic heartbeat gradually steadying, his eyes filling with helpless fondness.
He raised a hand to shield her from the secret realm’s sunlight but said nothing more.
Half a cup of tea later.
Xu Wanci had fallen asleep. Xiao Yuyan remained motionless, simply watching her in silence.
Until his spiritual energy was nearly depleted.
Until he had no choice but to leave.
After sending her back to the Taiqing Sect, he didn’t depart. Instead, he entered the secret realm of the Qiyue Desert.
A hundred years later, bound by the laws of heaven, he would be unable to intervene.
But who could stop him now, a century earlier?
Xiao Yuyan stepped through the barrier. Every being within trembled, prostrating themselves in silence.
He glanced at the spiritual plants in the first layer, gathering energy at his fingertips—only to disperse it at the last moment.
She could handle it herself.
She… didn’t like suffocating protection.
But when he entered the second layer, his spiritual energy was unleashed without restraint.
He imprinted Xu Wanci’s aura into every corner of the barrier, ensuring that even a hundred years later, they would remember and dare not act against her.
The third layer housed the realm’s greatest treasure.
Xiao Yuyan swept a dispassionate glance over it, confirming no danger lurked nearby, before finally letting the gathered energy in his palm dissipate.
His body gradually faded, vanishing from the spot.
