People inevitably develop path dependencies.
Yu Xian's trust in Zhenwo Changjing, for instance, was precisely such a dependency.
She had proven herself thoroughly reliable time and again. Every piece of intelligence she offered was critical and timely, helping him immensely without ever demanding anything in return.
Once he learned Niman had approached him under Zhenwo Changjing's guidance, Yu Xian subconsciously trusted her.
It was not that he had blind faith in Niman's character, but rather that he believed Zhenwo Changjing would never set him up.
Niman's thoughts, meanwhile, were quite simple.
To her, Zhenwo Changjing's advice felt like an act of divine grace.
After all, someone at Zhenwo Changjing's level was fundamentally no different from a deity to her.
Suppose a person were dying of thirst in the desert, and a deity suddenly materialized out of thin air to offer them a flask of water. Would that person drink it or not?
Niman found herself in much the same position. When she was lost and adrift, Zhenwo Changjing had pointed out a path.
She did not know whether it was the right path—just as a dying traveler could not know if the water was poisoned—but right now, it was her best option.
"If I enter into a pact with you, what will my position be in the team?"
Niman deliberated for nearly ten minutes before finally asking, a hint of vulnerability in her voice.
She knew very well that she could never be the leader. Little Nora and Little Huangquan were just children, while Nora... Judging from how Yu Xian and Nora had been holding hands just moments ago, the two were almost certainly romantically involved.
That would leave her feeling somewhat like an outsider.
And that was not a good feeling.
Yu Xian looked at her sincerely. "A partner, of course. You will still be you. That will never change!"
"My goal is to surpass the Cosmos Rank, perhaps even reach the very end of cultivation," Niman added.
Yu Xian looked slightly conflicted. "I'm only Star Rank, so I don't really understand what the Cosmos Rank entails. But growing stronger has always been my goal, so all I can promise is that I'll do my absolute best not to hold you back."
"Then I'll take the gamble. I only hope that lady..." Niman's resolve hardened as she spoke slowly, looking at Yu Xian.
Yet as soon as Zhenwo Changjing crossed her mind, she banished every doubtful thought. A figure of that stature had no conceivable reason to entrap a small fry like her.
Zhenwo Changjing could easily have forced her into submission by sheer force, or turned her into Yu Xian's slave with a mere wave of a hand.
Yu Xian smiled and raised his hand. A single bead of black blood seeped out from his fingertip, hovering in midair. "Then let's work hard together," he said with a smile, "and see what the peak actually looks like."
"It's a deal!"
Niman's eyes reflected Yu Xian's smile as she gave a solemn nod.
With a thought, she drew the black droplet through the air to her lips, gently caught it with her tongue, and swallowed. An instant later, her eyes opened, a crimson glint flashing deep within her pupils.
Yu Xian wanted Niman to experience the feeling of fusion firsthand, so he immediately unleashed a radiance of red light from his body, and Niman's body likewise flared with red.
In the blink of an eye, the two merged into one.
Mushrooms immediately sprouted across Yu Xian's body, while an indescribable sensation welled up in his heart. He felt as though he could sense the grotto-heaven's breathing; the world seemed imbued with life, and every thread of reality became discernible.
"Is this what fusion feels like? Doesn't seem bad at all. Mind if I take control of the body?" Niman's voice sounded in Yu Xian's mind.
Yu Xian smiled. "Go right ahead!"
He closed his eyes. In the next moment, the balance of the fusion reversed—Niman's body became the primary host, while he shifted into an auxiliary role.
A flash of red light gave way to a statuesque, red-haired beauty. Bat wings extended from her back, and across her chest sat a golden cross pattern pulsing with radiant light.
"Your power... is fantastic!"
As Niman lightly channeled the True Crimson Power, she immediately felt its astonishing versatility. The breadth of abilities contained within was breathtaking.
With a flick of her thoughts, countless crimson mushrooms sprouted all around. She sat down upon one of them, turned toward Little Nora and Nora, and smiled. "From now on, we're partners!"
"Does that mean I can dream of eating delicious food every day?" Little Nora piped up happily.
Niman chuckled softly and nodded. "Of course you can. But are you sure you wouldn't rather eat delicious food in reality?"
As she spoke, she leaned down and plucked a mushroom. It gave off an enticing aroma that had Little Nora drooling at a single whiff.
"Go ahead and eat. This is a bloodline awakening mushroom created using Yu Xian's stored energy and my abilities. It's roughly twenty percent more effective than a direct transfer of energy, and it'll help you grow stronger much faster," Niman said with a smile.
Little Nora gulped the mushroom down in a single bite. As it chewed, an expression of sheer bliss washed over its face. After swallowing, it cheered, "So yummy! Long live Big Sister Niman! I want more, I want more!"
"That's all for now. That took every bit of energy Yu Xian had stored up," Niman said with an amused chuckle, spreading her hands.
The cowlick atop Little Nora's head instantly wilted. "All gone? Oh... what a letdown..."
"While the bloodline awakening mushrooms are gone, I have other kinds. Want to try them?" Niman asked with a grin.
Hearing that, Little Nora's droopy cowlick sprang straight back up. It nodded vigorously, eager to give them a try. What followed turned into a feeding session: every time Niman conjured a mushroom, Little Nora gulped it down in one bite.
In truth, while Niman appeared to be playing with Little Nora, she was actually testing the limits of what her abilities could achieve when combined with Yu Xian's.
She discovered that Yu Xian's abilities were extraordinarily versatile.
As long as there was a light source, his power was practically bottomless.
And to top it off, nine Golden Crows constantly hovered above Yu Xian to bathe him in light. Under normal consumption, that effectively made him a perpetual motion machine.
Now she began to understand why Zhenwo Changjing had directed her to join Yu Xian's team. Yu Xian truly possessed the potential to break through to the Cosmos Rank. At the very least, he had established an impeccably solid foundation, lacking only time and accumulated depth.
Perhaps tens of millions of years from now, when Yu Xian had acquired everything he needed, breaking through to the Cosmos Rank would be as easy as turning over his hand.
All she had to do was stand by his side as a partner, grow along with him, and become a part of his strength.
Once they had tested enough, the two parted in mutual understanding.
Niman looked at Yu Xian and teased with a smile, "From now on, Master Yu Xian, please be gentle with this humble maiden!"
"..."
Yu Xian threw an innocent glance toward Nora. Her expression did not change in the slightest; she clearly did not mind Niman's teasing.
"All right, back to business. Now that we have an Abyss doctor, Niman, what else do we need?" Seeing that Nora was not jealous, Yu Xian breathed a sigh of relief. To keep Niman from teasing him any further, he swiftly steered the topic back onto track.
Niman smiled faintly, stepped forward, and took Nora's hand. Catching Nora's surprised look, she chuckled. "If you trust me, then hand the money over. Leave the shopping to Nora and me. You and Little Nora go track someone down!"
"Track down who?"
Yu Xian fell silent for a moment before looking at Niman and asking.
He trusted her, of course; otherwise, he would never have formed a pact with her in the first place.
Furthermore, as a member of Qilin, he would always remember Qilin's guiding principle: toward his companions, his trust was unconditional.
Chapter 258