Tianye

Beneath a boundless autumn curtain of rain, a solitary eagle soared and shrieked through the skies. The hole in the bedchamber's roof still let in the wind and rain. A chilly breeze brushed past Tianyan's pale-pink, intricately layered court gown—and past Xu Yuan, whom she was straddling. The quiet room was filled only with the crisp patter of raindrops against the window curtains, as fresh, moist sandalwood fragrance drifted through every corner. Xu Yuan kept his hands on her waist, his fingertips lightly feeling the delicate, warm skin through the fabric of her robes. This time, Tianyan did not flinch or struggle like a startled cat. Bits and pieces of past memories surged into her mind, bringing an alluring blush to her exquisite, delicate face. The mood was just right. Watching the emotion slowly surface on her features, Xu Yuan met her gaze with gentle tenderness, his fingertips beginning to glide slowly across her slender form. She submissively allowed him to do as he pleased, her mist-veiled eyes staring at him without blinking. "Did you really remember?" His movement paused slightly. Lying on the somewhat wrecked bed, Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment before answering in a soft voice, "Only in bits and pieces, just the parts that left the deepest impression... and rather than memories, watching them now feels more like watching a revolving shadow lantern." After some consideration, he ultimately decided not to lie to her. There were many fragmented memories of the Charm God Illusion realm, but they were scattered and disorganized. Whenever he recalled them, it felt as though an inexplicable barrier separated him from them. Listening to him, the light in Tianyan's golden eyes dimmed slightly. Nearly twenty years of companionship allowed her to understand the meaning behind his words. *Smack.* She swatted his hands away. This time, Xu Yuan showed little disappointment. He asked gently, "Are you angry?" Tianyan sniffled, rose from his abdomen, and quietly walked over to the edge of the bed to sit down. After a moment of silence, she said, "N-no... just a little disappointed." Looking at her frail shoulders and the vulnerable silhouette of her back, Xu Yuan let out a soft sigh. Indeed, she had every right to be disappointed. What she wanted was not merely the memories of what they had shared, but the self who had loved her back then. At this moment, Xu Yuan felt he ought to say something. Coaxing a girl who loved you was never difficult. As long as you gave her an opening, she would convince herself of the rest. Yet Xu Yuan dismissed the thought. He knew that in the illusion, he and she had shared hardships, laughed together, and faced life and death side by side. But not much of the affection accumulated through those experiences remained. He did not want to deceive her about this reality. Silence lingered in the bedchamber for a while before Tianyan's crisp, youthful voice sounded once more through the pattering rain: "Is... is that really all?" She wanted to hear him deny it, just as he had teased her countless times before. Tianyan hoped Xu Yuan was saying this in jest, merely to provoke her, to watch her look sad, and to tease her. Sighing, Xu Yuan slowly pushed himself up from the collapsed bed and chuckled softly. "For now, that's all." Hearing this, the girl's eyes brightened slightly. Though she kept her back to him, a thread of hope crept into her voice: "For now?" "Mm, of course it's only for now," Xu Yuan said with a gentle laugh. "The secret technique I cultivate did indeed devour and obtain some properties of your Heavenly Yan divine soul, but the amount was far too small." "......" Tianyan reflexively turned her head. Her slender fingers gripped the bedsheet, and her clear eyes fixed on him, all prior despondence vanishing without a trace. "Xu Yuan... what do you mean by that?" Seeing her nervous expression, a touch of tenderness flickered in Xu Yuan's eyes. She felt downcast because of him, happy because of him, and nervous because of him. Having a girl who loved him whole-heartedly was, truth be told, quite nice. Though his thoughts drifted, Xu Yuan replied promptly: "The Heavenly Yan divine soul can indeed help me remember those things, but at this stage, my soul isn't complete." Her source soul, which had nearly cost him his life earlier, was indeed immense for him, but it was still not enough to completely transform his soul. With a whoosh, Tianyan sprang to her feet and closed the distance between them almost instantly. Seeing this, Xu Yuan immediately understood what this washboard Saintess intended to do and quickly called her to a halt: "Hey, hey! If you want me dead, just say it!" "......" Tianyan froze. Thinking it over, she realized what he meant. A trace of guilt flickered across her eyes, and she pressed her lips together. "I'm sorry..." She had grown too impatient. Even though she was the one being devoured while aiding Xu Yuan in condensing his soul, the gap in their cultivation meant Xu Yuan bore a far heavier burden than she did. His cultivation was too weak. The previous absorption had already nearly cost him half his life. If they tried again so soon, he would likely lose the other half as well. Standing up on the soft bed, Xu Yuan showed no hint of blame in his eyes. He merely said, "We won't devour any more of your source soul for the rest. I'll handle it myself." A familiar feeling surged in her heart once more. Tianyan tilted her head up to look at the man who was a head taller than her, blinking her eyes. "Handle it yourself?" "Condensing my intent-soul by devouring your source is only an expedient measure. For the foundation, I have to learn it myself." Sensing the changes in the intent-soul within his sea of consciousness, Xu Yuan pointed a finger at his own forehead and asked, "Right now, my cultivation is shallow, so devouring your source soul won't harm you severely. But what happens later when my cultivation rises? Can I keep devouring your source soul to temper my own?" Tianyan narrowed her beautiful eyes, paused in thought, and asked in a crisp voice, "Does your secret technique only plunder?" Xu Yuan nodded and replied offhandedly, "More or less. If I don't master the method to condense the divine soul, then as my cultivation increases and my intent-soul expands, this devoured Heavenly Yan divine soul will most likely be diluted away." The companion intent-soul secret technique of the Blood Yuan Heart Calamity Art was indeed domineering enough to devour another's intent-soul and take its properties for one's own, but it was a one-off measure. Devouring her Heavenly Yan divine soul granted Xu Yuan its characteristics, but that did not mean he could directly cultivate it going forward. The newly condensed intent-soul he formed on his own was still ordinary intent-soul. If he failed to master the genuine cultivation method of the Heavenly Yan divine soul, then by the time he reached the Origin Realm or even the Transcendent Realm, the Heavenly Yan divine soul would likely be diluted to negligible levels. As he spoke, Xu Yuan vaulted off the bed, landing on the wooden floorboards, and casually retrieved a robe from his Sumeru ring to drape over himself. Tianyan made no effort to avoid the sight, simply watching him get dressed. Xu Yuan felt slightly unused to it, but as fragments of memories from the illusion flashed through his mind, he let the Saintess watch. They were practically an old married couple; why fuss over such things? After tying the inner sash of his robe, Xu Yuan suddenly remembered something. He turned back to look at the young woman still standing on the bed and asked, "Tianyan, did you find out anything about that Tianye?" "Tianye?" Tianyan seemed to despise the name, furrowing her brows in question. "Didn't you say you only recalled a few deep impressions?" A scene instinctively flashed in Xu Yuan's mind. Lone smoke in the vast desert, the setting sun red as blood. Fierce sands had disheveled her dark hair. A sword impaled the enchanting, golden-eyed young woman through the chest. Blood stained the corners of her lips, yet her smile remained radiant and dazzling. *Xu Yuan, this time, I'm the one who won...* "......" After a brief silence, listening to the rain outside the pavilion, Xu Yuan chuckled, shook his head, and said candidly, "With an enchantress like that, how could I not remember her?" Watching his expression, Tianyan curled her lip almost imperceptibly. "Always a philanderer." Xu Yuan's expression turned odd upon hearing that. "She was just an enemy. Do you really need to be like this?" "She was indeed an enemy," Tianyan said noncommittally, her voice turning somewhat cool. "An enemy who tangled with you for over a decade." Xu Yuan studied the girl's vinegar-soaked expression. After pondering for a moment, he asked hesitantly, "It was indeed over a decade, but as I recall... I don't think I ever slept with her, did I?" Aside from the young woman before him, the one who had left the deepest impression on him in the illusion was Tianye—a Saintess in name, but an enchantress in truth. Yet there had been no intimacy whatsoever in those memories. After Zhujian Valley, almost every meeting between them drew blood. He had been stabbed three times by Tianye, and he had impaled that enchantress twice in return, nearly killing her the last time. Seeing his look, Tianyan opened her mouth, but it ended in a cold smirk at the corner of her lips. "You're asking me? I wasn't watching over you every moment. How should I know whether you engaged in indecent acts with that woman?" Xu Yuan rolled his eyes and laughed. "She's been dead for twenty thousand years. Even jealousy ought to have its limits, right?" "Hmph." Tianyan snorted coldly and turned her face away. "All right, that's enough." Xu Yuan chuckled and steered the topic back on track. "Regarding Tianye, if it isn't convenient to say, then never mind." That enchantress from twenty thousand years ago possessed the talent of 'Tianyan,' yet she had never been granted the name 'Tianyan.' Back in the illusion, Xu Yuan had not known the later developments, but recalling it now, he noticed many anomalies. The people in the Charm God Illusion realm were divided into two categories. The first consisted of those who had died during the Charm God Calamity initiated by Yuchu, whose intent-soul origins had been gathered. The second comprised people reconstructed through overlapping simulations based on the memories of those whose intent-soul origins had been collected. In daily interactions, the two showed little difference, both behaving exactly like real people, but their essences were fundamentally distinct. Killing the former produced an eerie pulse of intent-soul, whereas the latter left none. Tianye, being an "NPC" capable of self-awakening, undoubtedly belonged to the former category. Yet the problem was that in Yuchu's final simulated scene of the world-ending calamity, the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Master of that generation was not Tianye, but Tianrui—whom they had slain early on in the Qionghua Sect. This was very strange. It was not that Tianye had failed to become the Pavilion Master; in the illusion, that enchantress had deliberately hidden her talents to avoid becoming the Pavilion Master in the first place. Consequently, in true history, it was completely natural for Tianye to choose to live for herself. What was truly strange was this: since Tianye had never become the Pavilion Master and had not attended the celebration hosted by the Qionghua Sect, why had her intent-soul origin appeared in that illusion realm? Still, Xu Yuan was merely curious about this matter. After all, no matter what, that enchantress had been dead for twenty thousand years. Pursuing the matter further offered no benefit. With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yuan strolled over to the tea tray in the bedchamber, sat down, and began pouring and drinking tea by himself. Amidst the silence, Tianyan walked over without a word and plopped down across from him. Rinsing the leaves, tilting the lid, returning the pot, and savoring the brew. Following the practiced routine, Xu Yuan poured a cup for Tianyan as well, pushed it before her, and spoke slowly: "Do you have something to say?" Tianyan stared at the rippling tea in the porcelain cup. "Last time... Master and I went to the Charm God Illusion realm to search for traces of Tianye." A glimmer of surprise flashed across Xu Yuan's eyes. "The time you ran into my uncle?" Hearing that, Tianyan immediately shot him a fierce glare. She had not forgotten that she was nearly decapitated by this bastard's uncle with a single sword strike. Xu Yuan understood at once, an awkward look appearing on his face. It seemed Tianyan held him accountable for that debt. People picked on the weak: Tianyan could not beat his uncle Feng Jiuxuan, so she naturally turned around to trouble a Soul Condensation cultivator like him. Yet there had been nothing he could do. At that time, he had no memories, nor did he know they would cross paths by such coincidence. Xu Yuan looked away and coughed lightly. "Sorry, back then, I..." "I'm not blaming you." Tianyan smiled faintly, seemingly past her anger, and said wistfully, "It seems that Tianye only entered the Qionghua secret realm after the calamity had already occurred..." "Wait." Xu Yuan frowned slightly and reflexively interrupted, "Tianye told me in the illusion that once the position of Pavilion Master was decided, to ensure the Heaven-Deducing Art remained singular and orthodox, all the other Holy Sons and Saintesses would be executed." The ascension of an Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Master was bloodier than imperial succession. The Overseeing Heaven Pavilion had to ensure the uniqueness of the Heaven-Deducing Art. To prevent Holy Sons and Saintesses who had mastered the Heaven-Deducing Art from harboring other ambitions, execution was the best choice. Tianyan let out a light snort and shook her head. "That woman, Tianye, possessed the talent of 'Tianyan.' She had plenty of ways to fake her death and escape that calamity." "Is that so..." Xu Yuan felt relieved upon hearing this. After all, the death substitution secret art Tianyan could cast in an instant was already extraordinarily bizarre. Given sufficient preparation time, faking one's death would hardly be difficult. With that in mind, Xu Yuan probed further, "Why did she enter the Qionghua secret realm?" "I'm not sure." Tianyan shook her head gently. Pausing for a moment, she added, "The only thing certain is that she seems to have brought the Thousand-Thorns Ghost Willow inside with her." "......" Xu Yuan's pupils constricted abruptly. He had not forgotten the Thousand-Thorns Ghost Willow that had tried to possess him in the illusion. Its colossal form flashed through his mind. He immediately realized something was amiss: "A behemoth like the Thousand-Thorns Ghost Willow... how could it possibly have been brought into the Qionghua secret realm?"