In the Upper Realm, the gods had withered and fallen thousands of years ago.
For millennia, no cultivator had ascended from the lower realms, so when Xu Wanci and Xiao Yuyan arrived, they found only desolation.
Over such a long time, the spiritual energy between the upper and lower realms had been cut off, accumulating endlessly in the Upper Realm with no way to disperse.
Though the density of spiritual energy here far surpassed that of the lower realms, there was nothing else—not even a single blade of grass.
For cultivators and spiritual plants, while spiritual energy was essential, too much of it could be just as harmful. The overwhelming concentration here was enough to extinguish all life.
Xu Wanci frowned slightly as she sensed the oppressive weight of the spiritual energy, which remained thick even after the realms had reconnected.
In just a few breaths, her cultivation level rose uncontrollably, forced upward by the influx of energy. The sensation made her instinctively resist.
At the moment she furrowed her brows, a gentle surge of spiritual energy shielded her from the discomfort.
She glanced instinctively at Xiao Yuyan beside her. His expression was calm, as though the dense energy posed no trouble at all. Still uneasy, she took his hand and slid her fingers up to his wrist, probing his meridians with her own energy. Only after confirming he was unharmed did she relax.
Tilting her head, she feigned annoyance, though her voice brimmed with amusement:
"Even though we both just arrived in the Upper Realm, someone seems awfully at ease, huh?"
She drew out her words playfully:
"How enviable—"
Xiao Yuyan’s lips curved as he met her lively gaze. He humored her, replying:
"Perhaps it’s because Wanci’s aura is so powerful and pure that the spiritual energy naturally gravitates toward her."
"As expected of the only Divine Venerable to ascend in a thousand years—truly living up to the title."
Hearing him call her "Divine Venerable," Xu Wanci’s vanity was quietly satisfied.
Her lips twitched upward despite her efforts to maintain a composed facade.
"Yuyan, you’re getting better at flattering me," she sighed dramatically.
"At this rate, I might drown in your sweet words and never wake up."
Xiao Yuyan’s heart melted at the sight of her smiling eyes, so full of trust in him.
If she asked for his life now, he would gladly offer it without hesitation.
His fingers tightened around hers.
Just then, Xu Wanci snapped out of her daze and blinked at the barren expanse around them.
…Had they come here to reclaim wasteland?
Cultivation? She excelled at that.
But everything else…
Her voice wavered with uncertainty:
"Yuyan, where… are we supposed to live?"
Xu Wanci was indeed terrible at pioneering.
Staring at the empty Upper Realm, she had no idea where to even begin.
Well, given time, other cultivators would eventually ascend.
Surely one of them would know how to tame a barren land… right?
As for Xiao Yuyan, though he could manipulate the Upper Realm’s spiritual energy to shape rivers, mountains, and plains, none of that held his interest.
His time and attention belonged to one person alone.
So, he carved out a small paradise only where Xu Wanci lingered—a sanctuary filled with Rainmoon Flowers.
Within this haven stood a courtyard, far more exquisite than their old home in the lower realms.
Xiao Yuyan gazed at every plant and tree, his aura softer than ever, wrapped in tranquility.
This was a place for just the two of them.
No disturbances. No outsiders.
Nearby, Xu Wanci caught a falling leaf from a Phantombloom Tree. The spiritual energy within it far exceeded that of its lower realm counterparts, sparking excitement in her eyes.
The Upper Realm truly was a cultivator’s dream!
With the realms newly connected, it would likely take decades before others ascended.
In that time, with her talent and dedication, reaching the pinnacle of power here wouldn’t even require much effort.
The pursuit of strength was ingrained in her very nature.
Thus, in the days that followed, Xiao Yuyan witnessed a Xu Wanci even more relentless in her cultivation than before.
Leaning against the doorframe, his presence carried a faint chill of solitude.
His eyes lingered on her, a rare shadow of melancholy crossing his features as she trained tirelessly, driven by the realization of how much further she could grow.
After ascending, she had instinctively sensed the realms beyond the Shattered Void—
Spirit Tempering, Divine Passage, Venerable Divinity…
For someone who thrived on cultivation, it was like a mouse stumbling into a granary. Resisting the urge to devour it all was impossible.
That she still spared a third of each day for Xiao Yuyan spoke volumes of his importance to her.
Important enough to rival her devotion to cultivation itself.
So the moment she sheathed her sword, her gaze immediately sought him out.
Seeing his downcast expression by the doorway, she hurried over.
"Yuyan."
She clasped his hand, her eyes brimming with tentative concern.
"I’m sorry. I got carried away with training."
His place in her heart was far greater than she’d realized.
Feeling the uncharacteristic coolness in his aura, she hugged him tightly, her voice firm:
"From now on, I’ll only cultivate for six hours a day. The rest of the time, we’ll explore the Upper Realm together, okay?"
She was no longer the Xu Wanci whose world revolved solely around cultivation.
She had him now.
Tilting her head up, her eyes shimmered with hope for the future:
"Even though the Upper Realm is still shrouded in mist, we can shape it however we like."
"We can plant lotuses, carve out an ocean, and watch the sunset over the waves together."
Rising onto her toes, she brushed a light kiss against the corner of his lips:
"Okay?"
Xiao Yuyan’s gaze lingered on her slightly parted mouth, her lips tinged pink.
Before he could answer, she kissed him again.
His breath hitched, and in the next instant, he pulled her into an embrace so tight it left no space between them.
His exhales, cool as winter frost, traced her neck before his lips followed—soft, then insistent, then teasing with the faint scrape of teeth.
The desire to meld her into his very bones made his grip tighten almost painfully.
Realizing his loss of control, he soothed the marks with slow, apologetic licks, leaving glistening trails in their wake.
His voice was rough with longing:
"Wanci."
Xu Wanci clenched the front of the man's robes tightly. She had never known that the cold, frosty snow could feel so scorching and overwhelming.
Yet she didn’t reject it.
Slowly, she loosened her grip, letting her consciousness sink into the moment.
Over the past few days, Xu Wanci had grown accustomed to Xiao Yuyan, who seemed to want to cling to her every second.
Even when she simply stood by the window, gazing at the scenery in the courtyard, he would stand behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.
His chin rested on her shoulder as he pressed a light kiss to her ear.
Feeling his hold around her waist grow tighter, Xu Wanci’s thick lashes fluttered slightly, as if lost in thought.
Truth be told, these past two days, she hadn’t even had time to cultivate.
She steadied her breathing but still didn’t push away the presence behind her. Almost resigned, she thought to herself:
When would a cultivator from the lower realm finally ascend?
But since arriving in the upper realm, she had begun to sense the threads of karma and the passage of time.
Xiao Yuyan was not yet an immortal, and his cultivation level was unpredictable, but it was likely higher than hers.
If she could perceive these things, so could he.
At this thought, Xu Wanci tilted her head slightly, avoiding the kiss he pressed to her hair, and abruptly spoke:
“Xiao Yuyan.”
“When did you find out?”
Find out about her secret. Find out about her lie.
Xiao Yuyan’s fingers gently brushed through the long hair cascading down her side, while his other arm remained firmly locked around her waist.
“Perhaps… earlier than you think, Wanwan.”
From the moment she had casually revealed the truth, as if joking, he had already sensed it.
Xu Wanci pressed her lips together, her voice slightly hoarse.
“If you knew so early, then why…”
“I’m grateful, Wanwan.” Xiao Yuyan’s tender voice soothed the unease in her heart. “At least I didn’t truly make you wait a hundred years.”
“A hundred years…”
Just uttering those words aloud felt unbearable.
Xu Wanci had never expected him to think this way.
She had assumed he wouldn’t blame her, but she hadn’t imagined his reaction upon learning the truth would be relief.
She didn’t try to justify herself, her gaze drifting to the window as she murmured:
“But at the beginning, I used your reputation.”
Xiao Yuyan tightened his grip on her waist, turning her to face him, his voice rough with emotion.
“Wanwan, what you should say is—if you hadn’t thought of that plan back then, then…”
He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
“Besides, Wanwan, our past was real.”
Cupping her face in his hands, he sighed, his voice laced with regret. “I often wish I had appeared sooner.”
“If I had been there from the start, you wouldn’t have had to endure so much. You could have openly used my name.”
Back then, just to survive, she had suffered too much.
The mere thought of it made his chest ache.
When you love someone, you wish their past and future could be smooth and untroubled.
Xu Wanci closed her eyes, hiding the redness in their corners.
She, too, was grateful—grateful that the Formless Divine Stone had been used on him.
When she opened her eyes again, she sniffled slightly, forcing her expression to remain calm, though her voice still carried a trace of sorrow.
“Since you’ve uncovered my secret, then as the sect master, my word is law.”
“Name your request. Whatever it is, I’ll grant it.”
Xiao Yuyan brushed away the tear clinging to her lashes with his thumb, steering the conversation away from the painful topic.
“I remember, back in the lower realm, Wanwan once vowed to slay a ferocious beast every single day.”
His fingers trailed to the tip of her ear, rubbing it lightly as he added meaningfully:
“Truly awe-inspiring. Enough to make anyone fall for you at first sight.”
Xu Wanci seemed to catch the hidden implication in his words. Her voice trembled slightly as she argued:
“A true judge of character looks at actions, not intentions.”
“In the end, I settled on once every three days!”
Xiao Yuyan chuckled, his thumb grazing the corner of her lips.
“Fine. Whatever Wanwan says.”
Outside the window, snow had begun to fall unnoticed.
Unlike the heavy snowfall a century ago—the one that had brought Xu Wanci to tears—this time, the snowflakes carried only joy.
