In the vast desert of the Seven Realms, all the Transcendent Lords of the cultivation world knelt reverently, their heads pressed deeply into the yellow sand, not daring to make even the slightest movement.
The memory of the Bai Family elder disintegrating before their eyes still haunted them—not with awe for his power, but with sheer terror. Against such might, none of them had been able to lift a finger, let alone resist. Had that spiritual energy been directed at them, they too would have been obliterated without a trace.
Such overwhelming strength, beyond their comprehension, had only been seen once in centuries—in the person of the Qingyan Immortal Venerable.
For a moment, it felt as though they had been transported back a hundred years, reliving the fear that once gripped the cultivation world in the presence of the Qingyan Immortal Venerable—the unrivaled supreme being, the only Void-Shattering Sovereign in history.
Back then, the entire cultivation world had bowed before him.
Amidst their terror, however, many felt a flicker of relief.
They had witnessed the interactions between Xu Wanci and the Immortal Venerable in the Mirror of Heart’s Trial. They knew how important she was to him.
Thankfully, though tempted by the whispers of the Heavenly Dao, they had hesitated—whether out of caution or circumstance—and refrained from acting. Had they joined the Bai Family in their folly, they too would now be nothing but scattered souls, erased from existence.
With this realization, their postures grew even more submissive.
They knew—the cultivation world was about to change.
The resurrection of the Qingyan Immortal Venerable was now an undeniable truth. In the current era, no one could possibly oppose him.
The only thing that mattered now was survival.
If the Immortal Venerable sought vengeance for Xu Wanci, his wrath would likely fall upon the Bai Family—the ones who had dared to act against her.
A few of the Transcendent Lords cast sidelong glances at the Bai Family members, their expressions tinged with pity.
The Bai Family Head and his elders trembled where they knelt, their hands digging into the sand.
Who could have imagined that the Qingyan Immortal Venerable would return?
A man who had sacrificed himself to the heavens, whose soul had been utterly annihilated—how could he possibly come back to life?
Despair flashed in the Bai Family Head’s eyes.
Had they known this would happen, they would never have dared to lay a finger on Xu Wanci.
They would have treated her as an honored guest, showering her with reverence.
The voice that had echoed in his mind earlier now filled him with bitter regret.
That so-called "Heavenly Dao’s whisper"—it had been a trap all along.
If it truly represented the will of the heavens, why hadn’t it acted against Xu Wanci directly? Why manipulate others into doing its bidding?
Now, he didn’t dare speak or move, terrified of drawing the Immortal Venerable’s attention.
Not far from the Bai Family, Jiang Ze knelt on one knee, his hand braced against the sand, yet unable to lift his head.
Before such overwhelming power, everything he prided himself on—his lineage, his cultivation—felt utterly insignificant.
He closed his eyes, masking the self-mockery in his gaze.
Perhaps this was for the best.
Let him be the only one tormented by unrequited longing.
On the other side, Ji Wang had realized the truth the moment the Immortal Venerable’s spiritual energy manifested.
Unlike the others, his expression remained one of genuine reverence.
Yet as he lowered his head, staring at the sand beneath him, a dull ache spread through his chest.
He knew—from this day forward, he would never have another excuse to approach Xu Wanci.
She and the Immortal Venerable would finally have their happy ending.
Amidst the suffocating silence, the sound of footsteps echoed—light, unhurried, drawing nearer.
While the others trembled under the oppressive spiritual energy, the owner of those footsteps seemed entirely unaffected.
Of course. In the entire cultivation world, only Xu Wanci could stand unfazed in the presence of the Qingyan Immortal Venerable’s power.
Then, a soft, puzzled voice broke the stillness:
"What are you all kneeling for?"
"Can you… see that illusion too?"
The moment her words registered, the cultivators stiffened, their confusion evident.
An illusion?
That overwhelming, undeniable presence—how could it possibly be an illusion?
Xu Wanci had already reached the Transcendent Realm. How could she mistake reality for a delusion?
Only the disciples of the Taiqing Sect understood, their eyes filling with sorrow.
How many times had she seen such "illusions" over the past century?
So many that even now, faced with the truth, she dared not believe.
Dared not surrender to hope.
When Xiao Yuyan heard Xu Wanci’s voice, his heart clenched violently.
Then came the pain—sharp, relentless, stealing his breath.
For a moment, he couldn’t bear to think.
Couldn’t bear to imagine how she had endured these hundred years.
His fingers tightened, veins standing stark against his skin, his aura as cold and bitter as a thousand years of frost.
Gaze fixed on Xu Wanci’s back, he stepped forward, each stride unwavering, until he stood before her.
Seeing the lingering doubt in her eyes, he raised his hands—as if to touch her—only to let them fall again, restraining himself.
His voice was tender, careful, as though handling something infinitely precious:
"Wanwan."
"It’s me."
After the incident with the Heavenly Dao’s whispers, Xu Wanci’s guard had been at its peak.
Yet she hadn’t expected to open her eyes and see him.
The man she had tried to carve out of her heart, flesh and bone, yet who remained rooted there all the same.
Even so, the moment she voiced her question, clarity returned.
For someone as unshakably rational as her, those few seconds of vulnerability had been the limit.
Surveying the prostrate figures around her, she forced her breathing under control.
This wasn’t a dream.
Her cultivation, the Three-Leaf Lotus on her person, even the auras of the Transcendent Lords surrounding her—everything confirmed this was reality.
The realization sent a chill through her heart.
She didn’t waste time questioning whether Xiao Yuyan was connected to the figure from her dreams.
The odds of a dream manifesting in reality were already infinitesimal. And as for fate—
She had never been fortunate enough for that.
Rejected by this world’s Heavenly Dao, surviving countless near-death encounters—how could destiny possibly favor her now, allowing her to meet him in the flesh?
Listening to the footsteps drawing closer, she steadied her breathing, her pulse slowing deliberately.
This person—
Was he a trick of the Heavenly Dao?
Or the truly resurrected Qingyan Immortal Venerable?
For her, both possibilities were equally dire.
Her gaze swept over the kneeling Transcendent Lords, her heart sinking further.
She had altered so much of the original plot, even dismantling the protagonist Chu Qingchuan’s fate.
Yet the Heavenly Dao had only intervened today, and even then, it had relied on others to act against her.
From this, she deduced that the Heavenly Dao’s power must be limited—it couldn’t simply conjure an existence as formidable as this out of thin air.
Moreover, during her breakthrough earlier, the Heavenly Dao had ample opportunity to kill her—there was no need for such an unnecessary move.
So, it could only be the latter.
The Qingyan Immortal Venerable, who existed only in the memories of everyone in the original text, had been resurrected.
Xu Wanci thought of the near-perfect lies she had woven step by step since arriving in the cultivation world, and her heartbeat slowed to an almost unbearable degree.
This was an even more hopeless dead end than before.
How could her lies possibly deceive the man himself?
As the only Void-Shattering Supreme, Qingyan Immortal Venerable’s strength surpassed the combined power of all the Tribulation Transcendence cultivators in the cultivation world.
In the face of such absolute power, she had no way to protect herself.
Xu Wanci’s mind was sharper than ever, her thoughts racing:
Given her current cultivation, she stood no chance against Qingyan Immortal Venerable.
Yet, since he hadn’t killed her the moment he saw her, perhaps there was still a sliver of hope.
She rationally considered all possible scenarios:
Back then, Qingyan Immortal Venerable had sacrificed himself to the heavens, his soul scattered. Even if resurrected, his body might still bear some lingering damage—
Perhaps his memories were muddled.
Or maybe…
But when she heard his soft call, her body trembled uncontrollably.
That voice was far too familiar, so familiar that she couldn’t help but recall the man from her dreams.
In an instant, she suppressed all her thoughts.
It was just a form of address—anyone could call her that if they put their mind to it.
She exhaled imperceptibly:
No matter why Qingyan Immortal Venerable hadn’t attacked her, or why he was acting so… affectionate toward her,
She had no choice but to continue playing along with her lies.
Xu Wanci lifted her head, and when she met the gentle, indulgent gaze of the man before her, her fingers trembled faintly.
At this moment, she knew she should speak of the torment of waiting, of the century-long yearning—at the very least, she should let him feel the loneliness she had endured for a hundred years.
But looking into those eyes, all she could softly say was:
"Long time no see."
Fortunately, no matter how she acted now, no one would doubt her.
They stood facing each other.
Though the past had only just faded, a hundred years now stretched between them.
Xiao Yuyan heard the weariness in her voice and sensed the subtle distance in her demeanor.
His voice was laced with regret and tenderness, so soft it bordered on pleading:
"Wanwan."
"It’s my fault for making you wait so long."
If possible, he would have wished to be the one who waited for a century.
At his words, Xu Wanci stiffened.
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, but in the end, she merely lowered her head cautiously:
She still couldn’t confirm whether Qingyan Immortal Venerable’s memories had been confused by her lies.
For now, she could only remain steady and adapt.
Xiao Yuyan watched as Xu Wanci avoided his gaze, his hands lifting helplessly before dropping again.
In the past, she had never truly been angry with him.
She had always smiled at him, her eyes filled with nothing but his presence.
Even that time when he handed her the unbearably sour Rainrest Fruit, she had only puffed up her cheeks and dragged him off to find sweeter spirit fruits instead.
Remembering their past interactions, Xiao Yuyan’s aura carried a trace of helplessness and bitterness:
That resilient, dazzling, and spirited Xu Wanci had now become so quiet and composed.
And because of him, she had been targeted by the Heavenly Dao, nearly losing her life here.
He didn’t dare imagine what she had endured over the past century.
Nor did he know how to make her happy again.
Then, Xiao Yuyan suddenly recalled what she had asked for when they first met.
With a flick of his fingers, spiritual energy surged, and a boundless desert bloomed into a field of Rainrest Flowers.
Crystalline blue petals spread across the wasteland, covering the sands in an instant.
Standing amidst the Rainrest Flowers, the two of them mirrored their first encounter.
Just as he had done every time they met in the past, Xiao Yuyan spoke, his voice hoarse with the weight of reunion:
"Wanwan."
"I missed you so much."
