An NPC Awakening?

A title—Tianyan? Tianyan had not spoken via voice transmission; her words rang out clearly for everyone around to hear. After a momentary start, Xu Yuan quickly regained his composure. The Holy Sons and Saintesses of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion all bore the surname Tian, while the personal names that followed were essentially religious titles conferred upon them. It was roughly equivalent to how every royal emperor in later generations had a different reign era name. Judging by those words, however, the title of Tianyan seemed profoundly noble, carrying a special significance within the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion... *Smack!* A crisp slap pulled Xu Yuan back from his thoughts, and he warily looked up at the two young women hovering in the air. Or rather, it was now a young girl and a voluptuous mature woman. As far as the eye could see, Tianye made no counterattack. Slapping Tianyan's palm away, she clutched her chest to conceal the exposed fair skin and retreated straight back. In those azure-gold eyes, the calm playfulness from before had vanished completely, replaced by confusion and utter disbelief. Something was wrong. Seeing this, Xu Yuan's eyes took on an odd look. In this illusory realm, certain identifying characteristics regarding the two had been blurred. Take the name Tianyan, for instance, or the Heaven Character True Words she most frequently used in combat. Over the course of seven years, it was impossible that their pursuers had failed to report such information back. Yet the reality was that everyone in the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion, including the current Pavilion Master, had never once considered Tianyan to be "one of their own." Tianyan was treated merely as a code name, and the Heaven Character True Words merely as a powerful cultivation method. To verify this further, Tianyan had even confronted those pursuing powerhouses from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion with secrets only known to the Pavilion's upper echelon, yet those attempts had all vanished like stones sinking into the sea. The cognition of those experts had been directly rewritten by the illusory realm. They either dismissed the claims as nonsense or simply gave no response at all. Therefore, based on past experience, even if Tianyan had dispelled Tianye's mysterious technique that shifted between girl and woman, Tianye should only have interpreted it as some unique spell. Why did the woman look as though her entire worldview had just collapsed? As he pondered, Xu Yuan heard Tianye's voice ring out with a trace of chill: "Who are you? How do you know such things?!" As soon as she finished speaking, a killing intent so thick it was almost tangible enveloped the entire forest. The girl before her spoke softly, yet her words struck directly at Tianye's common sense. Regarding their foundational legacy, the Heaven-Deducing Art, the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion enforced the strictest confidentiality. Even the most superficial details were restricted within the Pavilion to the Pavilion Master and the next Holy Son or Saintess; not even a Holy Venerable was permitted to know the slightest bit. Now, someone had suddenly popped out whose understanding of the Heaven-Deducing Art seemed to surpass even her own... Although the Pavilion Master's orders were to capture her alive, if this girl failed to give a reasonable explanation, Tianye would not hesitate to strike her down right here! The instant he sensed the shift in the surrounding qi dynamic, Xu Yuan felt joy rather than alarm in his eyes. In this situation, he wasn't afraid of her murderous intent—he was only afraid of her having no reaction at all. In that moment, Xu Yuan finally understood why Tianyan, usually a god-tier teammate, had dropped the ball just now. If Tianyan had coordinated an attack on Tianye with him a moment ago, even if they couldn't kill her, they could have at least wounded her upon contact. So that was what Tianyan had been waiting for. This Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion seemed different from everyone else in this environment. She could actually perceive that Tianyan was "one of their own." It was basically an NPC gaining self-awareness. Tianyan's clear, delicate voice remained completely steady: "Who do you think I am?" "If I knew, I wouldn't be asking you." Murderous intent flashed in Tianye's golden eyes. Tianyan casually flicked a stray lock of long hair over her shoulder and met Tianye's gaze. "My name is Tianyan." "I know your name is Tianyan." "I said, my name is Tianyan." "..." Tianye looked at her as if looking at a fool. "Still don't understand?" Tianyan's small face showed a hint of thought. "If that's the case... then so be it." Before her voice had even faded, under Tianye's baffled, stunned gaze, Tianyan brought her hands together into a profound hand seal. Simultaneously, within the quiet, secluded misty forest, the cries of phoenixes and the roars of dragons suddenly echoed. The phantoms of four strange beasts slowly materialized in the mist, surrounding Tianye's enchanting silhouette. Her tattered, form-fitting black dress whipped wildly in the gale, the shock in Tianye's eyes deepening. Th-the Four Symbols Heaven-Sealing Seal?! At the same time, her body reacted on instinct, her hands likewise forming a seal. Four distinct, near-solid immortal swords materialized around her. Their blades chimed toward the heavens, blurring into afterimages as they charged toward the beasts pressing in on her! *Rumble—!* A deafening roar tore through the sky. The violent shockwave pulverized all the surrounding trees and mist, even scattering the ghost mist that clung to the air like maggots on rotting bone! As the dust settled, the ghost mist crept back. Once the savage astral winds dispersed, Xu Yuan, clutching Xia Qing's slender waist under his arm, stared solemnly at the center of the battlefield below. A clash between two Origin Realm experts invincible within their tier had sheared the surrounding mountainous terrain into a hollow depression, yet both women inside stood completely unscathed. Both taught by the same master—neither could break the other's moves. Tianyan looked across at the black-gowned woman and spoke once more: "I said, my name is Tianyan." "Tsk." Hearing those words again, the confusion in Tianye's eyes had vanished. Clicking her tongue, she furrowed her brows. "I never heard of any Tianyan appearing in this generation." Hearing this, Tianyan's expression visibly relaxed slightly. Her voice was quiet and ethereal. "You could have been." A trace of disdain crossed Tianye's eyes as she murmured, "If I became Tianyan, the position of next Pavilion Master would fall to no one but me." Pausing for a fraction of an instant, she fixed her gaze on Tianyan. "Stop dodging the question. Answer what I asked earlier. Also, why did the Pavilion Master relay false information to execute a Tianyan? And what is your relationship with the Qionghua Sect?" "You're asking too many questions..." "I'd prefer to ask fewer!" The enchantress, whose smile had been so relaxed moments ago, now turned fierce. Tianye's alluring voice was lowered, laced with restless tension. "In this situation, I need an explanation." "You want an explanation?" "Are there conditions?" "None at all, but it might shatter your perception of reality." "What do you mean?" Tianye frowned. "Because I am not the Tianyan of this era." "..." Tianye fell silent. After meeting her gaze for a breath, a flicker of scorn appeared in Tianye's golden eyes. She said in a low voice, "If you truly were a Tianyan, you would know best that even the most powerful of Temporal Arts can only intervene on a minuscule universal scale. Crossing time and space in flesh or intent-soul is utter nonsense..." "You misunderstand." Tianyan shook her head gently and spoke in a soft, quiet murmur: "What I mean is that the world we currently inhabit is an illusory realm." "An illusory realm?" "An illusory realm of an era that passed twenty thousand years ago." "..." Tianye remained silent.