When Mu Xingyi landed at the bottom of Dragon Burial Valley, the boulders crashing violently around them kicked up constant plumes of dust and smoke. Amidst it all, upon a clearing, a slender, one-armed silhouette stood quietly.
Through the haze, Mu Xingyi could see that the severed stump at her shoulder was far from clean.
The ragged, uneven wound looked somewhat gruesome and terrifying, but no blood flowed from it; instead, it was shrouded in a swirling black mist.
Madame Wan seemed unconcerned with her injury. Her gaze was locked on the palace-dressed maiden hovering in midair, her pitch-black eyes devoid of any discernible emotion.
Looking at her like this, Mu Xingyi furrowed his brows involuntarily.
Noticing his concern, Madame Wan suddenly turned her head and gave him a gentle, lovely smile.
"Husband, I possess the body of a yin ghost. An injury like this is hardly severe."
Yin ghosts were neither human nor demon; they lacked any conventional fatal weakness.
To kill her, the only option was to thoroughly obliterate every last wisp of her soul.
As she spoke, Madame Wan looked back toward the sky, only to see the woman drifting slowly toward the young master in brocade robes.
Mu Xingyi noticed this as well. After pondering for a moment, he said in a low voice, "Wan'er, you must have noticed the Saintess's strangeness as well, right?"
Madame Wan kept her eyes fixed firmly on Tianye and nodded slightly. "Yes. For a brief moment just now, she erupted with the power of a Saint, but now she has suddenly reverted to the cultivation of the Origin Realm."
Mu Xingyi took on a thoughtful expression upon hearing this. "A secret technique of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion?"
Madame Wan glanced down at the stump of her arm and shook her head. "In that moment, she possessed saint origin. That is something only a Saint can have."
Mu Xingyi was silent for a brief moment before suddenly asking, "By your judgment, Wan'er, can the two of us capture Zhou Junqing alive from her grasp in our current state?"
Hearing this, Madame Wan cast a chiding glance at Mu Xingyi beside her. "What, no longer calling him 'Brother Zhou'?"
"Now is not the time for jokes."
Looking down at his hideous, fully insectoid hands, Mu Xingyi said softly, "Compared to him, my savior, I care far more about you and Nuonuo."
Noticing the complicated emotions in his eyes and knowing her husband's character well, Madame Wan pursed her thin lips, murmuring, "Husband, I am sorry..."
"This is the path I chose for myself."
Mu Xingyi clenched his hands, his dense compound eyes filled with resolve. "Wan'er, can we do it right now?"
A faint, almost imperceptible smile flitted across Madame Wan's lips before disappearing, her gentle voice turning grave. "I cannot be certain of that Saintess's state. When we met last time, she did not use this power even on the brink of death. Using it must come at a corresponding price."
Mu Xingyi fell silent for a few moments, then took a deep breath. "I have already notified Father. It is currently making its way toward us. We only need to stall for time."
While the two conversed at the valley floor, Tianye was not idling by as a bystander; she drifted lightly over to Xu Yuan's side.
Because the upheaval had unfolded so swiftly, everything was already over before Xu Yuan could even see clearly.
Seeing Tianye land before him, Xu Yuan stared at her radiant smile, paused in silence for a breath, and asked in a low voice, "Just what kind of state are you existing in right now?"
Tianye arched a brow. "I thought your first words would be to ask about the battle."
Xu Yuan rolled his eyes and said quietly, "Both of them are wounded. Why should I worry about someone who faced the Meishen Calamity all on her own?"
"Oh my~ Thank you for the compliment, Brother~"
Tianye could not help but chuckle. Tracing a slender fingertip across the corner of her lips, she asked with a narrow-eyed smile, "Still, Brother Changtian... in asking this question, are you worried about me, or are you worried about little Sister Tianyan?"
Xu Yuan immediately grew vigilant. He stared at that flawless, pure face—now exuding an alluring charm due to the change in temperament—for several seconds.
"Naturally, Tianyan."
"Giggle, giggle, giggle~"
Hearing his answer, Tianye burst into charming laughter, trembling like blossoms in the breeze. Unfortunately, the absence of that familiar, heavy fullness in the curve of her bosom left her feeling inexplicably empty and bored.
Because the man before her had eyes that were completely clear.
After her brief laughter, Tianye explained with a trace of dullness, "Rest assured, she is still alive. I have merely borrowed her body and manifested through the State of Divine Emptiness."
Xu Yuan was slightly puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Hmm... how should I explain it?"
Tianye sat down directly on thin air, crossed her legs, and nonchalantly explained the secrets of the Heaven-Deducing Art:
"The Heaven-Deducing Art strips away emotions through four stages: True Self, Self-Forgetfulness, Empty Self, and Selflessness. Among them, True Self and Selflessness are two normalized states. That little ice block you keep rambling about is in the realm of Self-Forgetfulness, while the State of Divine Emptiness is the realm of Empty Self."
Xu Yuan strained to recall fragments from the Meishen Illusion Realm and said in a low voice, "I remember you always seemed to want to break free from it."
"Yes, and I succeeded."
Tianye raised a slender hand to stroke her flat chest and said with a smile, "I temporarily substituted myself into Tianyan's State of Divine Emptiness~ Impressive, isn't it?"
Hearing this, Xu Yuan frowned slightly and asked, "So you've become Tianyan's split personality—can I understand it that way?"
"Of course you can."
Noticing the guard in Xu Yuan's eyes, Tianye narrowed her eyes slightly and said in a soft, silky voice, "And what's more, I will gradually devour her primary personality. Are you happy, Brother Changtian?"
Xu Yuan was quiet for a brief moment, then burst out laughing. "Do you think I believe that?"
"Though this girl is also 'Tianyan,' she is far too green after all. Supplanting her wouldn't be difficult for me in the least~"
Tianye twirled a lock of hair around her slender index finger, speaking listlessly. "Do you really look down on me that much, Brother Changtian? Everything about her and me is such a perfect match..."
"I'm not doubting your ability. It's just, can you really bear Tianyan's body?"
Xu Yuan cut her off, amused. "You've only been out for how long, and I've already seen you look awkward more than once."
As he spoke, Xu Yuan blinked, mimicked Tianye's posture by crossing his arms beneath his chest, and then... hoisted them upward.
"......" Tianye.
Standing up once more, the maiden descended close to Xu Yuan, reached out, seized his collar, and yanked him sharply toward her.
Looking at the alluring expression adorning Tianyan's face at point-blank range, Xu Yuan chuckled and said, "What, was I wrong?"
"Not at all. I just wanted to say you understand me so well~"
Tianye's curving golden eyes brimmed with amusement. Her breath was fragrant as orchids, their lips and teeth nearly touching. "However, Brother Changtian, I seem to have forgotten to tell you something..."
A jolt went through Xu Yuan's heart, his eyes instantly turning wary. "Hey... you're not going to tell me that Tianyan can see outside right now, are you?"
"So clever~"
With those words, the enchantress wearing Tianyan's face tilted her head slightly and bit directly into his lips.
After a long moment, their lips parted.
Looking at the maiden's familiar face, Xu Yuan felt an oddly distinct thrill.
Before he could speak, however, Tianye curved her lips into a devilish smile and murmured playfully, "Oh, right... not only can Tianyan see, but she can also vie with me for control of the body~"
"......" Xu Yuan froze for an instant, his pupils abruptly shrinking.
Damn it.
Seeing Xu Yuan's expression, the smile on Tianye's lips deepened, and she said in feigned helplessness:
"But if she snatches it back, I won't be able to save you~
"Brother Changtian...
"Does it feel even more thrilling now?"
Xu Yuan turned things over rapidly and calmly in his mind, then shoved Tianye away.
The maiden did not resist, smiling brightly, the delight in her golden eyes seemingly pushed to its absolute limit.
Clearing his throat, Xu Yuan said in a low voice, "Is now the time to mess around with this? Since you're using Tianyan's body, how were you able to unleash such tremendous power?"
"Dao charm, of course. My Dao charm involves temporal arts, allowing me to restore my power to its peak state for ten breaths."
"Wait, you can unleash your Dao charm through Tianyan's body?"
"Mm-hmm? She and I share the same constitution and cultivate the same technique. Why shouldn't I be able to?"
"......"
Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment, then asked with concern, "Will there be a price to pay?"
Tianye pondered for a brief second. Rather than joking, she smiled and answered, "None within ten breaths. Exceeding that limit would burn through Tianyan's life force. After all, she is only at the peak of the Origin Realm; she cannot bear my power at its zenith."
Hearing this, Xu Yuan breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Because of the two Saints back home, Xu Yuan was well aware that disparities existed even among Saints.
Ten breaths was more than enough time for a Saint like Tianye, who had faced the great calamity alone, to finish off the half-crippled ghost and bug down below.
Thinking this through, Xu Yuan asked softly, "Then your lack of hurry to strike at Mu Xingyi and the other—is it because of that Insect Saint?"
Tianye loosened her delicate shoulders and said nonchalantly, "I've met that old bug before. For an ancient beast like that, even twenty thousand years wouldn't make it much stronger. Even if it arrives, it won't be able to protect those two cripples."
Seeing this, a hint of confusion flashed through Xu Yuan's eyes. He asked in a low voice, "Then why not make a move?"
Tianye extended the tip of her tender pink tongue to lightly lick her lips, her eyes turning shadowy with a smile. "Naturally... because I must save this precious time for someone else~"
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, subconsciously glancing around. "Someone else? Someone who can force you to go all out?"
"Indeed."
"Who?"
"......"
Tianye did not speak right away. Instead, she raised a slender index finger, pointed toward the direction where the Little Dragon Maiden had disappeared earlier, and slowly uttered a name that struck a chilling shudder through Xu Yuan:
"Naturally, the current Lord of Guyuan~"
Chapter 603