Anticipation

These surfacing memory images were so fragmented that Xu Yuan briefly thought he was hallucinating again from the intent-soul invading his brain. He felt as if submerged at the bottom of a deep sea, enveloped in pitch-black darkness where one couldn't see one's own hand. Above lay no light, below lay no abyss, yet his body felt wonderfully warm, as though lazily basking in the sun upon a sandy beach. Amidst this eerie quiet, specks of starlight gradually emerged across the dark seabed. Like a profusion of stars, or a riot of vibrant, colorful bubbles. As these objects—resembling stars and bubbles alike—continued to drift upward, Xu Yuan finally saw what they were. They looked like fragments of memory, passing by him and floating upward from below before drifting away. Looking around, countless bubbles continued brushing past his sides, the scenes contained within flashing and playing out like clips from a film. There were dramatic scenes, fight scenes, and bedroom scenes. Memories. Memories from the Charm God Illusion realm. Yet at this moment, for some reason, these scenes seemed veiled behind a layer of gauze, creating a sense of distance that felt both far on the horizon and right before his eyes. Whenever Xu Yuan looked toward these memory fragments, those that seemed within arm's reach suddenly drifted far away. When he finally managed to catch up to a shred of one in the deep sea and reached out to examine it closely, it dissolved like a bursting bubble, scattering into specks of starlight in his hands. Once, twice, thrice... After popping countless brilliant bubbles, Xu Yuan halted in place, moving no more, silently watching the bubbles brush past his sides and float upward into the darkness above. From his initial drifting stupor, his consciousness had now completely cleared. The soul characteristics he had devoured through the secret art seemed somewhat different from what she had hoped to achieve. Though the memories from the illusion realm had surfaced in his mind, he unfortunately couldn't see them clearly. At that very moment, his body felt a powerful repulsive force relentlessly shoving his consciousness out of this ocean of memories. A faint smile flickered through his mind. It seemed Tianyan was destined to be disappointed. Still, that was all that could be done. Just as he had that thought, another bubble quietly floated up from the unseen darkness. Xu Yuan cast a slightly odd glance at it, only to find himself unable to tear his eyes away. The darkness below, faintly illuminated by thousands of bubbles, flared brilliantly with its appearance. It was massive, and the scene within was exceptionally clear. Xu Yuan paused for an instant, then tried once more to swim toward that source of light. It felt like an instant, yet also an eternity. And then, he failed. Opening his eyes as the deep sea of memories vanished, those fragmented memories were already gone, replaced by the somewhat disheveled wing room. The autumn wind, accompanied by the gentle patter of rain, continued to pour in through the hole. A chill breeze brushed past. Like someone waking from a grand dream, Xu Yuan swept a slightly dazed and hazy gaze over the women in the room. Meeting their eyes, he could see profound concern in them. Xiao Bai was probably worried that if he kicked the bucket, the underground palace would be beyond saving. Luo Xiran was probably worried her life's work would go down the drain. In Lou Ji's phoenix eyes, besides concern, there was also a touch of anxiety—this older sister was likely genuinely worried something had happened to him. And finally, his gaze met hers. Two pairs of golden eyes intertwined in the air. Yet Xu Yuan couldn't read the emotion in Tianyan's eyes; they held only the cold indifference unique to that little ice block. During their mutual gaze, Tianyan calmly withdrew her eyes. Xu Yuan gave a soft tsk. Sure enough, Tianyan's state of Emptiness was truly boring. Then again, back in the illusion realm, she seemed to have possessed quite a different charm... After a moment of silence, "Changtian?" Lou Ji's probing voice suddenly sounded. It was very soft, barely audible over the rain outside, as if afraid of startling him. Lou Ji could sense that his intent-soul had completely stabilized, but his vacant stare left her uncertain whether he had truly returned to normal. Noticing the concerned gazes directed at him, Xu Yuan unhurriedly kneaded his brow. After a brief silence, his calm voice broke the quiet of the wing room: "Do I look like I've turned into an idiot?" "Weren't you always one?" The speaker was Luo Xiran, her blue dress hugging her exquisitely proud figure as she glanced at the half-bare-chested man on the bed. Meeting her gaze, Xu Yuan sat up a little straighter with his bare torso, giving a scoffing chuckle: "What, Xiran, are you casting aside your propriety now? Haven't you heard of 'see no evil'?" Luo Xiran looked at him as if looking at a fool. Her narrow eyes curved with teasing amusement as she smiled: "Can't an adoptive sister show concern for her elder brother?" She enunciated each word heavily, but she was clearly in good spirits, or she wouldn't be joking around. Thinking this, Xu Yuan rolled his eyes at her and looked down at his palms: "The Heavenly Yan divine soul feels pretty good. I can sense that I've become stronger." With Xu Yuan regaining consciousness, the heavy atmosphere in the wing room instantly eased. With their cultivation, all of them could see that his body and sea of consciousness had returned to normal; their primary worry had been that he might suffer brain damage or amnesia. Bai Muxi parted her lips, about to say something, but noticed the young master looking toward the girl beside the bed. After a brief hesitation, she chose to keep silent. Xu Yuan looked at Tianyan sitting beside the bed. Tianyan had her back to him and did not look around. Her head was bowed, and her slender, delicate frame trembled ever so faintly. Seeing this, a flicker of hesitation crossed Xu Yuan's eyes. In her state of Emptiness, Tianyan would never show such subtle mannerisms; presumably, she had returned to normal. After all, from the very beginning, her intention in imparting the Heavenly Yan divine soul to him was to restore his memories. Though the path had been convoluted, the goal seemed to have been achieved. With this in mind, Xu Yuan pushed himself up and sat down beside her. As the soft bed sank, Tianyan's body leaned slightly toward him for an instant. Yet it was only an instant. Resisting gravity or the like was hardly difficult for someone of Tianyan's cultivation. Sitting beside her, Xu Yuan glanced sideways, wanting to catch the expression on her face. Unfortunately, the long locks cascading from her temples veiled most of her flawless profile, keeping it from his view. And Xu Yuan clearly had no scruples about physical distance between men and women; if he couldn't see clearly, he would simply brush aside her hair. He reached out toward her translucent earlobe. *Smack.* A crisp sound. His hand was slapped away. The room instantly fell silent, but it wasn't a heavy quiet; rather, it felt somewhat teasing and ambiguous. As a mature older sister, Luo Xiran glanced at the two by the bed with smiling eyes, gave a soft hum, and vanished directly from the wing room. As someone who lived for drama, Lou Ji naturally had no sense of tact. Crossing her arms beneath her ample chest, she tapped her cheek rhythmically with a slender forefinger, watching the man and woman by the bed with utter amusement. "Lady Lou Ji, Muxi has a matter to report to you," Bai Muxi said softly. "..." Lou Ji frowned and turned back. Bai Muxi's eyes were full of sincerity. She felt the young master probably wanted an opportunity to be alone. After a brief hesitation, Lou Ji gave up on watching the spectacle. Leaving behind a "Come to my room" and a "Saintess, don't let dual cultivation cause any more mishaps," she vanished as well. With that done, Bai Muxi dipped into a curtsy toward Xu Yuan: "Young Master, Muxi shall take her leave. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call on me." Having said that, she did not vanish directly, but turned and walked toward the room's main door. As she walked, her hips swayed in generous curves. Xu Yuan sat beside Tianyan, staring unblinkingly until the door closed, after which he shook his head with mild amusement. And then, he felt a sharp pinch at his waist. She had held back her strength, but the pain still bit deep into the bone, as if a chunk of flesh had been torn away. Worthy of an Origin Realm expert. Tianyan looked at him coldly, her voice utterly chilly: "What are you smiling at?" Xu Yuan first rubbed his wrist, then rubbed the tender flesh at his waist where he'd been pinched, smiling gently: "I'm smiling because Muxi is such a sensible, thoughtful girl." Tianyan gave a cold snort: "A calculating woman." Xu Yuan was unfazed: "At least Muxi doesn't pinch me." Tianyan's willow brows arched, but after a moment of silence, she bit her lower lip and suddenly asked: "Xu Yuan... did your... memories come back?" Her voice carried a trembling note of anticipation.