That night, every cultivator who remained awake witnessed the sight of silver frost lotuses blooming upon the water's surface.
These silver frost lotuses, which should only thrive near spiritual flames, defied all common understanding by flourishing extravagantly across every river, lake, and sea in the cultivation world. Wherever there was water, this spectacle could be seen.
The higher a cultivator's cultivation, the more terrifying they found this scene that overturned all logic—and the more keenly they sensed the faint remnants of the Void-Shattering Supreme's spiritual energy lingering upon those lotuses.
This grand display was the work of the Immortal Venerable.
A hundred years ago, would the Immortal Venerable have ever cared about the blooming or withering of a mere spiritual plant?
Surely, today’s act was done for one person alone.
The Immortal Venerable and Xu Wanci—truly, their love ran deep, enough to inspire envy.
In the depths of the night, once the origin of this vision became clear, reactions varied. Some were awestruck, some sighed in admiration, while others turned away in silence, leaving only a trail of melancholy behind.
Half an hour later, Xu Wanci pulled Xiao Yuyan to a stop beside the last of the cultivation world’s seven great spiritual rivers—the Yunxiao River.
The turbulent waters of the Yunxiao River surged before them, the silver frost lotuses on its surface bobbing with the waves, resembling nothing so much as a stretch of the Milky Way fallen to the mortal realm.
Xu Wanci took in the sight before her and exhaled softly.
In the past half-hour, she had dragged Xiao Yuyan across nearly the entire cultivation world, and by now, the beauty of the silver frost lotuses had grown familiar.
She gave their intertwined hands a light shake, her voice laced with relieved relaxation.
"We’ve seen most of the silver frost lotuses in the cultivation world now. You should withdraw your spiritual energy."
Xiao Yuyan sensed the urgency in her tone and knew she was worried about his energy expenditure. Without stubbornly insisting on prolonging the scene, he obediently retracted his power.
All the silver frost lotuses across the cultivation world dissolved into shimmering motes of silver light, vanishing into the air without a trace.
The earlier spectacle now seemed like a beautiful, fleeting dream.
Xu Wanci had no time to dwell on its disappearance. The moment the lotuses faded, she immediately grasped Xiao Yuyan’s hand, intent on checking whether his spiritual energy had been overly depleted.
Xiao Yuyan never resisted her. A faint smile in his eyes, he allowed her to act freely.
Worried her spiritual energy might be hindered, he even carefully restrained the flow of power in his meridians, ensuring she could probe as deeply as she wished.
Xu Wanci had been solemnly channeling her energy into his meridians, fully aware of the vast gap between their cultivation levels. She had braced herself for resistance—
Yet…
Feeling her spiritual energy advance unimpeded, even nearing Xiao Yuyan’s dantian, she abruptly stilled.
She withdrew her energy as if nothing had happened, but before she could pull her hand back, he caught it.
Xiao Yuyan drew her close, one arm encircling her waist as he steadily closed the distance between them.
"Such a short inspection—are you satisfied, Wanwan?"
"Would you like to try again?"
Suppressing the restless stirring in her heart, Xu Wanci coughed lightly.
"Strong pulse, abundant spiritual energy—it seems there’s no issue."
"Still, you should be cautious with your energy use in the coming days."
Now assured that Xiao Yuyan hadn’t overtaxed himself, she finally relaxed.
Rising from his embrace, she pulled him down onto the grass, just as she had in her dreams.
Lying back, she gazed at the starry sky, her face reflecting a tranquility and ease she had never known before meeting Xiao Yuyan.
The night was serene, filled only with the rush of the river and the whisper of the breeze through the grass.
Xiao Yuyan sat beside her, watching as she closed her eyes, a soft smile on her lips. In that moment, he wished time could stand still forever.
How long they stayed like that, neither could say. Eventually, drowsiness crept over Xu Wanci, and she spoke so softly her words nearly dissolved into the wind.
"Xiao Yuyan… was it very hard?"
Every cultivator in their world knew what it meant for one’s soul to scatter.
Even though she had "believed" there was a sliver of hope for him, she knew better—it had only been a deception for the world.
From the moment he awoke to the moment he stood before her, he must have walked an unbearably long road.
Xiao Yuyan shifted to lie beside her. Gently brushing his fingers through her hair, he replied with deliberate lightness.
"It was fine."
The agony of reforging his body paled in comparison to the joy of seeing her again.
When Xu Wanci opened her eyes and turned to face him, skepticism in her gaze, his voice warmed with amusement.
"Truly, it was fine."
"Wanwan, I would never lie to you."
Yet as he recalled the moment he awoke from nothingness, the hand resting atop her hair trembled imperceptibly.
Back then, he had witnessed every hardship she endured in the demon realm—powerless to intervene.
"Wanwan, I’m sorry." Xiao Yuyan tightened his arm around her waist, his voice thick with remorse. "For not coming to you the moment I awoke."
"At that time…" His voice roughened. "I didn’t remember our past."
"So I… did nothing but watch."
Only after reliving those memories did he dare step into her presence again.
Xu Wanci listened quietly, then reached up to pat his back twice in reassurance.
She had suspected his memory loss from the moment they reunited.
It seemed he recalled only their shared history—everything else was gone.
A thought occurred to her, and she lifted her head cautiously.
"Was it… after the Formless Divine Stone?"
Xiao Yuyan’s hand at her waist tensed slightly. Hovering just above her, he hesitated to touch her again.
"Yes."
"Wanwan, you gave me life a second time. You gave me back my emotions."
From the moment he opened his eyes, every memory belonged to her alone.
Xu Wanci thought back to everything that had happened after the Formless Divine Stone, blinking thoughtfully.
Ever since arriving in the cultivation world, she had known the great masters and venerables constantly observed her with their divine senses.
When Jiang Ze had stayed near her courtyard, his scrutiny had been ceaseless.
Even in her past life, she had grown accustomed to the unrelenting gaze of cameras.
So while she disliked it, Xiao Yuyan’s divine sense watching over her hadn’t felt unbearable.
What puzzled her was something else—something she had wondered about for a long time.
She remembered that sometime after the Formless Divine Stone incident, her luck had inexplicably improved.
At the time, she assumed it was because she had taken so many of Chu Qingchuan’s opportunities, inheriting a portion of his fortune.
But if that were true, why had the voice of the Heavenly Dao in the Qiyie Desert sought to kill her?
Had her improved fortune actually come from… him?
At this thought, she raised her head and fixed him with a burning gaze:
"Xiao Yuyan, answer me truthfully."
"That Spirit Convergence Realm that appeared during my tribulation in the demon realm—was it because of you?"
Xiao Yuyan's expression only grew more remorseful. He nodded silently.
Back then, he could have done so much more, yet all he did was summon a secret realm for her.
Xu Wanci, seeing his reaction, spoke with even greater certainty:
"Then the rare spiritual herbs I encountered afterward—those were also because of you."
Xiao Yuyan lowered his eyes, concealing all emotion within them.
To him, such things were effortless, hardly worth remembering.
They didn’t deserve her gratitude.
Xu Wanci suddenly flipped over, pinning him beneath her.
One hand braced against the ground while the other lifted his chin, forcing their eyes to meet. Her voice was muffled, tinged with a hint of a sob:
"Xiao Yuyan, you’re being unreasonable."
"You call this standing by indifferently?"
So, from that early on, she had already been the recipient of his favor.
Xiao Yuyan stared back at her, his voice heavy with regret:
"But I didn’t truly do anything."
"And I made you wait so long."
Xu Wanci knew she had truly returned to a century ago, that she had truly met and fallen in love with Xiao Yuyan.
But that had only happened after she returned from the demon realm to the cultivation world.
Pressing her lips together, she didn’t acknowledge his words directly. Instead, she teased lightly:
"Not really."
"Once I fully remembered the past, you appeared before me almost immediately."
"In truth, my wait was only an hour or two at most."
This was a secret tied to her life and death—one she had hidden from the entire cultivation world, never daring to reveal even a hint to anyone.
The truth buried beneath her jest was the furthest she could bare to another person.
Without waiting for Xiao Yuyan’s response, she let her head drop onto his chest, her right arm relaxing from its supporting position.
Pressed against him, listening to his heartbeat, she murmured softly:
"Xiao Yuyan."
"If you ever hear me misremember some common knowledge in the future, just give me an ancient text recording those details."
She sighed.
"Otherwise, I’m afraid a few more slip-ups might drain all your spiritual energy."
"That’d be such a waste."
Xiao Yuyan wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her firmly against him. His voice was rough:
"Alright."
Recently, the beasts of the Four Extreme Lands had begun their once-every-thirty-years rampage.
Spiritual beasts that lost their sanity became savage beasts, while those tainted by demonic energy turned into demonic beasts.
This time, the rampage was not large in scale, but it was the perfect opportunity to temper one’s cultivation through battle.
After seeing Ning Menglan off, Xu Wanci turned around, her face alight with excitement as she looked at the figure brewing fruit tea for her:
"Xiao Yuyan, there are savage beasts!"
"My cultivation just reached the mid-stage of the Tribulation Transcendence realm. This is the perfect chance to hone my swordsmanship and solidify my foundation!"
With twelve hours in a day, she could definitely hunt down three beasts.
At this rate, her cultivation would advance again in no time.
Seeing Xiao Yuyan remain unmoved, still leisurely pouring tea, she dashed to his side:
"Xiao Yuyan, look at me."
"Ah-Yan."
Xiao Yuyan’s hand paused mid-pour, a few drops splashing outside the cup.
He looked up helplessly but still didn’t refuse. Instead, he asked softly:
"Are you leaving today?"
Hearing his resigned tone, Xu Wanci snapped out of her excitement.
She had long grown accustomed to pushing her limits in life-and-death battles—to her, as long as she survived, every trial became a stepping stone toward greater strength.
But she had overlooked the feelings of the person beside her.
Now, she was no longer alone.
There was someone who would worry for her.
Taking a deep breath, she made a promise:
"I’ll bring every protective artifact from the start. I won’t let myself get hurt, and I won’t recklessly exhaust my spiritual energy."
She paused, then reluctantly held up a finger:
"And in the rampage lands, I’ll only hunt one beast a day."
"Alright, Ah-Yan?"
Xiao Yuyan watched the mix of reluctance and longing in her eyes, torn between amusement and tenderness.
He pulled her into his arms, nipping at the tip of her ear—just enough pressure to tease, leaving no mark behind.
Xu Wanci squirmed free, her entire ear flushed red.
After a moment’s hesitation, she tilted her head, offering the other ear:
"Maybe… you should bite this one too?"
Xiao Yuyan simply hugged her gently, resting his chin on her shoulder:
"Wanwan, you can leave whenever you wish."
He loved seeing her strive for strength.
He just wasn’t used to watching her walk into danger with his own eyes.
But it didn’t matter.
He would protect her with everything he had.
The Western Extreme Lands.
The outer regions of the beast rampage were crowded with disciples from major sects, all taking on missions to hunt the creatures and quell the chaos.
Jiang Yan was among them.
As the head disciple of the Seven Woods Sect, she directed her juniors in a desperate struggle against a savage beast before them.
This beast was a rare Spirit Cloud Beast, capable of absorbing a cultivator’s spiritual energy to evolve.
As time passed, Jiang Yan and the others found their energy drained, their movements locked in place by the nearly-ascended beast, unable to escape.
Just as despair filled Jiang Yan’s face, ready to detonate her core and take the beast with her, a sword aura swept past like a spring breeze.
In the next instant, the frenzied Spirit Cloud Beast vanished alongside the sword light, disintegrating into nothingness.
Gasping for breath, her face pale, Jiang Yan instinctively turned toward the source of the sword aura.
There stood a figure in blue robes, her presence overwhelming.
Jiang Yan hastily bowed, her voice thick with gratitude:
"Many thanks for your rescue, Venerable One."
"Might this one ask for your esteemed title?"
The Venerable had saved her life, yet she didn’t even know their name—she could only ask directly, despite the impropriety.
Xu Wanci glanced at the Nine Heavens Sword in her hand.
Before coming to the Western Extremes, the sect leader had asked if she had decided on her title.
At the time, preoccupied with her journey, she had brushed it off, saying she would decide later.
But now, she sheathed her sword and turned toward a distant figure. Her cool voice drifted through the air:
"Lingxiao."
To stand above the Nine Heavens.
Today, she no longer needed to hide her hunger for strength.
With that person by her side, she would climb step by step—
All the way to the heavens.
