After returning to her bedroom, Xu Wanci sat by the bed, gazing at the moonlit courtyard outside the window, slowly calming her slightly erratic heartbeat.
Back then, if she hadn’t mistaken it for a dream, if she hadn’t believed she had control over that dream, her usual rational self would never have allowed her heart to surrender so completely.
The moment she gave in, she had already prepared herself for the dream to end.
She had never imagined that fate would ever favor her this way.
What she thought was the end turned out to be the beginning of reality.
And yet...
Even as her emotions churned in turmoil, a sliver of clarity in her mind reminded her of the faintly revealed problems within that dream.
The person from the dream had now appeared by her side, which meant the "dream" she had experienced was likely the truth of another time and place.
So, it was possible—she had truly traveled back a hundred years.
Xu Wanci’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly:
A hundred years ago, Xiao Yuyan was already the Void-Shattering Supreme, a figure standing above all others in the cultivation world.
But why, at their first meeting, had he been so indulgent toward her? As if he had already known her back then.
And then there was his memory.
He seemed to remember nothing from a hundred years ago—except her. Not the Taiqing Sect, nor the Three-Leaf Lotus he had personally refined.
Only her.
Xu Wanci’s long lashes trembled slightly as she suppressed her quickening pulse and exhaled slowly.
She had too little information to make any real deductions.
All she knew was that this Xiao Yuyan standing before her now—she didn’t want to let go.
Recalling the scene of all Transcendent Realm cultivators kneeling in reverence before him, her fingertips twitched:
Just the manifestation of his presence had been enough to make them abandon their chance at ascension...
Whether a hundred years ago or now, his strength far exceeded anything she had anticipated.
She disliked things beyond her control, because that meant if something went wrong, the consequences might be more than she could bear.
But...
He was different.
He was the one she had willingly broken her own rules for, the one she had surrendered to even in that "dream."
Xu Wanci looked down at her empty hands and slowly clenched them.
Now that they were reunited in reality, she no longer had to fear the dream vanishing at any moment.
So what if his cultivation far surpassed hers?
She would just have to train harder!
Once she reached the Void-Shattering Realm—or even ascended—none of the problems she worried about would matter anymore.
With that thought, determination flickered in her eyes:
She had only just broken through to the Transcendent Realm a day ago and hadn’t yet consolidated her cultivation.
It was time to resume her training.
The next morning.
When Xu Wanci pushed open the wooden door, she found him standing there, smiling at her.
Behind him, a courtyard nearly identical to hers had risen from the ground. Through the half-open gate, she could glimpse a towering green fir tree and a tranquil pond of pale red Jade Lotuses.
Suddenly, she remembered the first time she had seen him.
Back then, he had stood beneath a fir tree, his figure as cold and luminous as moonlight, outshining the night itself.
Now, as she took in the way his usual icy aura had softened into nothing but warmth, her eyes sparkled with quiet delight.
Smiling, she reached for his left hand as naturally as she had in the "dream," her thumb brushing familiarly over the red mole there.
Xiao Yuyan’s hand stiffened for a fraction of a second before relaxing as if nothing had happened.
He even shifted his wrist slightly, letting her hold him more comfortably.
Sensing his indulgence, Xu Wanci’s smile faltered slightly as a thought struck her. Her fingers slid down, her middle finger pressing against his pulse point.
After a resurrection that had scattered his soul and body, could he truly be unharmed?
Before, when her own safety had been uncertain, she had forced herself to ignore the question.
But now, seeing him again, she could no longer hide her concern.
Her spiritual energy flowed into his meridians—only to vanish like a drop of water in an endless ocean, leaving no trace behind.
Yet despite the overwhelming depth of his power, her probing met no resistance at all.
Her energy, though faint, moved unimpeded, giving her the strange illusion that if she wanted, she could even delve into his dantian—or his sea of consciousness.
At that thought, Xu Wanci’s energy paused abruptly.
When she looked up, she caught a fleeting glimpse of something like regret in his eyes before it vanished.
Xiao Yuyan met her gaze, his usually indifferent eyes now soft with an almost innocent sincerity.
"Wanwan, what’s wrong?"
Xu Wanci released his hand. Knowing her spiritual energy wouldn’t reveal anything, she asked outright:
"Xiao Yuyan, are you... injured?"
His smile deepened at her question. He shook his head, saying nothing of the meridians that had been destroyed and reforged again and again, nor the agony of stripping the Heavenly Dao’s power from his soul.
Instead, he answered lightly,
"Not at all."
Xu Wanci lifted her head, suspicion flickering in her gaze.
"Really?"
Xiao Yuyan could hold back no longer. He pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder as his right hand tightened around her waist.
His breath warmed her ear as he spoke, his voice tender yet firm.
"Wanwan, I will never lie to you."
Hearing his answer, Xu Wanci finally relaxed—only to belatedly notice the heat spreading across her ear.
The tips of her ears flushed pink before she could stop them.
Xiao Yuyan twirled a lock of her ink-black hair around his fingers, his spiritual energy curling around her unrestrained now, even brushing against those blushing ears.
Even without the influence of the Heavenly Dao’s power, being close to her had long since become instinct.
Remembering their past, his voice softened with quiet longing.
"Wanwan, let’s..."
Visit the secret realms we missed over these hundred years, watch the sunsets over the Southern Polar Sea, make up for all the time we lost—
Xu Wanci snapped back to reality. Recalling her resolution from the night before, she cut in with determination.
"Let’s cultivate together!"
Xiao Yuyan’s fingers stilled in her hair. The next moment, he found her looking up at him, her eyes bright with anticipation, shining like stars.
He exhaled silently but couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
"Alright."
At his agreement, Xu Wanci eagerly pulled away from his embrace, one hand already resting on the hilt of her Nine Heavens Sword at her wrist.
She wondered—how much stronger would her sword intent be now that she had reached the Transcendent Realm?
To her, cultivation had long since become second nature, something she would never abandon.
In the courtyard, Xu Wanci’s sword swept out, sending a flurry of illusory leaves scattering through the air.
She watched them drift down, lost in thought.
Indeed, the growth in her cultivation had made her control over sword energy less refined than before.
In the past, her sword energy would never have leaked so noticeably.
Thinking this, Xu Wanci didn’t pause, raising her Nine Heavens Sword once more.
Even as she focused intently, the force behind her strikes still exceeded her expectations. After a slight misstep, a streak of sword energy shot toward the nearby wall.
Xiao Yuyan stirred his spiritual energy, silently dissolving the sword energy.
Xu Wanci sensed his energy and turned her head, her eyes sparkling as she glanced at him.
She prided herself on her mastery of sword intent, surpassing most sword cultivators. Moreover, her cultivation had now reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage—yet he could effortlessly neutralize her energy with a mere gesture…
Once again, she was reminded of his overwhelming strength.
But the more she understood, the more motivated she became in her sword practice.
Xiao Yuyan watched the sword heart she revealed with each swing, his chest tightening until his fingertips tensed imperceptibly.
When she paused, he stepped beside her, one hand grasping her sword-wielding wrist while the other lightly tapped the inside of her forearm.
"Leave a fraction of your spiritual energy here," he said.
"A sword intent that charges forward without hesitation can still be controlled—if allocated properly—to both defend and attack."
He didn’t force her to change her sword intent. Instead, as his energy flowed along her meridians, he guided her toward a more suitable method of circulating her spiritual power.
Xu Wanci felt the gentle warmth of his energy against her wrist and slowly blinked.
As if struck by inspiration, she twisted her wrist.
This time, her sword intent was soft as water, yet when it brushed past a leaf, it silently erased it without disturbing a single blade of grass around it.
Xiao Yuyan gazed at her intently, his eyes filled with both pride and heartache.
His Wanwan had always been this resilient, this extraordinary.
Xu Wanci stared at the result, excitement flickering in her eyes.
She grabbed the hand of the man beside her, pressed a quick kiss to it, and before he could react, she let go and eagerly resumed her sword practice.
With Xiao Yuyan’s guidance, Xu Wanci improved rapidly, mastering her Tribulation-stage spiritual energy within a single day.
Her experiences in the cultivation world had long accustomed her to relentless training, without rest.
Even when he occasionally tempted her with spirit fruits to take a break, she never stopped circulating her energy.
At night, she unconsciously mulled over sword techniques in her sleep.
Only after two days did she belatedly realize—
She had spent very little time with Xiao Yuyan these past few days.
Perhaps because, in her dreams, she never had to worry about how much time they shared.
Or perhaps because he was always there, just a glance away.
Or perhaps because his overwhelming strength made her feel an urgent need to catch up.
Unconsciously, she had neglected their time together.
Putting herself in his shoes, she thought—if he ignored her for other matters, she… would be upset.
Never one to shy from admitting fault, she lifted her head, but before her apology could leave her lips, she saw him holding a spirit fruit to her mouth. Trusting him instinctively, she took a bite without hesitation.
As she ate, Xiao Yuyan’s eyes softened with quiet satisfaction.
"Wanwan," he murmured, "come with me somewhere, will you?"
Xu Wanci stood immediately, her ink-black hair fluttering in the wind.
She didn’t ask where, how long it would take, or whether it would delay her training—she simply nodded firmly.
"Okay."
If he asked, she would follow him to the ends of the earth—no, they would go together.
Xiao Yuyan stared at her unwavering response, momentarily stunned before his expression melted into a smile so radiant it dimmed the world around them.
He took her to a secret realm filled with immortal-grade Fengpu flowers.
Fengpu flowers were spiritual plants that enhanced a cultivator’s cultivation, their effects gentle—even an influx of their energy would never strain the meridians.
This was the perfect place for Xu Wanci now.
He didn’t feel neglected.
He adored her brilliance, her determination to grow stronger, and the way her eyes shone like stars whenever she mastered a new technique.
He only ached for her.
Ached for her tireless efforts, her relentless days and nights.
He wanted her to have everything she desired—without such hardship.
Xu Wanci gazed at the field of pale violet Fengpu flowers, but joy wasn’t what filled her chest. Instead, a dull pang of sorrow tightened her heart.
Squeezing Xiao Yuyan’s hand, she recalled an ancient text’s description of Fengpu flowers. She looked up at him and said earnestly,
"Xiao Yuyan, wait here for me."
Glancing at the hundreds of flowers, she blinked.
"It might take… a little while."
Just like her, he asked no questions, only replying softly,
"Okay."
Xu Wanci released his hand and dashed into the flower field.
The ancient text said that roughly one in a thousand Fengpu flowers would bear fruit.
The Fengpu fruit’s effects far surpassed the flowers, but it was exceptionally elusive—immune to spiritual detection, requiring a manual search, plant by plant.
Half an hour later, Xiao Yuyan watched her weave through the field, his fingers twitching, yet he remained where she’d asked, unmoving.
Another half-hour passed.
Xu Wanci finally found what she sought, hurrying back to him with a smile.
She lifted her hands, presenting a Fengpu fruit brimming with immortal energy.
The fruit she had spent an hour combing through hundreds of flowers to find.
Meeting his eyes, she feigned a stern expression, as if embarrassed to gift him something from the realm he’d brought her to.
"Even if it’s borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha, you’re not allowed to dislike it."
Xiao Yuyan lowered his gaze to the Fengpu fruit.
This woman, who usually begrudged even a moment’s break from cultivation, had stubbornly searched an hour just for him.
He hadn’t known heartache and fulfillment could coexist.
When Xu Wanci brought the fruit to his lips, he didn’t refuse, parting his lips to accept it.
Then he cradled the back of her head and kissed her.
His spiritual energy, usually so controlled, surged unrestrained, and the hand at her waist tightened possessively.
The juice of the Fengpu fruit mingled between their lips, its energy flowing through their meridians.
The portion absorbed by Xiao Yuyan was refined into purer energy before being returned to her through their joined lips.
Amid the lavender flowers, two blue-robed figures melded together, lingering in each other’s embrace.
