Jiang Lianyi

Before arriving at the Ancient Realm, Lu Yang had never imagined that this trial would bring so many surprises. The Ancient Realm of Good Fortune was renowned throughout the Demon Domain. After discussing it, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou decided that since they were already here, missing out would be a total waste. And so, guided by Third Senior Sister, they ventured inside. Never did they expect to find insights left behind by ancient great demons, or even an art created by Immortal Jiuchong. The fourth level of the Ancient Realm of Good Fortune—a place undiscovered by any chosen prodigy over the past three hundred thousand years, a realm where even Luo Hong, the spirit of the mystic realm, lacked the clearance to set foot—welcomed its very first visitors. A dead silence hung in the air. Lu Yang's footsteps echoed hollowly, almost as if someone were trailing right behind him. He carefully observed the fourth level. The chamber was decorated in an understated yet deeply refined style, suggesting that its owner must have been a senior of extraordinary cultivation and taste. Every single decoration radiated an air of antiquity and wonder. With Lu Yang’s discernment, he could only recognize the origins of a few. A stone table carved from top-grade spirit stone marrow, jade chairs fashioned from the fusion of solar and lunar essence, glazed floor tiles refined from rare star cores, a Kunlun bronze mirror, an Enlightenment Tea cup, an ever-burning immortal lamp... Lu Yang had only ever seen such items inside his spiritual space, which the Immortal Fairy occasionally redecorated for a change of style. Back when the Immortal Fairy had first introduced them, Lu Yang's eyelids had twitched uncontrollably; their sheer value lay far beyond his comprehension. Now, seeing them manifest right before his eyes stirred an entirely different sensation. Lu Yang noticed an emerald jade flute hanging on the wall. Slender and graceful in design, with intricate, lifelike carvings of a hundred birds, it gave off an aura of lightness and purity. At the far end of the chamber lay a bed shrouded in sheer gauze. He could faintly make out the silhouette of a female cultivator lying upon it. "Fairy, do you remember whose room this is?" Lu Yang asked in a low whisper, fearful of disturbing the chamber's master. "It's Jiang Lianyi." A peerless talent of the ancient Phoenix Clan, the Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor, wife of Immortal Kirin, and one of the Ten Ancient Beauties—Jiang Lianyi. Lu Yang's hand paused just as he was about to draw back the veil. Thinking *as expected*, he parted the gauze to reveal an exquisite woman lying on the bed, dressed in vibrant red robes resembling a blazing flame. It was indeed the legendary Jiang Lianyi. Jiang Lianyi possessed no breath, and all signs of life had vanished from her. Her lips were pale, her eyes tightly shut, her expression serene, with both hands resting crossed over her chest. "Has she... passed away?" Lu Yang was well aware of the methods ancient cultivators used to slumber. No matter how deeply they slept, a faint trace of aura could always be detected—a stark contrast to Jiang Lianyi’s complete absence of vitality. His voice trembled in disbelief. How could a legendary figure like Jiang Lianyi be dead? Yet, remembering the corpse of Immortal Suiyue buried beneath the Five Elements Sect and Old Qiongqi lying within the black coffin of the Qiongqi Tomb, Lu Yang had no choice but to accept the grim reality. The events of the ancient era were shrouded in mystery; anything could have happened. The only thing he could do was accept it. He wondered if the Immortal Fairy could bear it. She shared deep feelings with Jiang Lianyi. Though the Fairy was usually cheerful and carefree, the loss of a dear friend would surely weigh heavily on her heart. If Jiang Lianyi was dead, what had become of the Dragon Clan Ancient Ancestor, Ao Ling? What about Immortal Kirin? Presumably, the other two had fared no better. It was even possible that all three had perished. "She's not dead. That's the Art of Playing Dead." The Immortal Fairy glanced sideways at Lu Yang, who wore a complicated expression as he struggled to process the news of Jiang Lianyi's demise, and thought to herself, *Why go around cursing people for no reason?* Lu Yang fell silent for a moment. "...The Art of Playing Dead?" *Fairy, couldn't you have told me sooner? I was grieving for nothing.* "Did you forget? This immortal taught her the Art of Playing Dead. Back then, her mastery was lacking, and she ended up getting burned, wailing at the top of her lungs..." "Alright, alright, that's enough." Lu Yang hastily cut off the Immortal Fairy's reminiscing. Recounting such embarrassing tales right in front of the person felt improper no matter how he looked at it. With hands on her hips, the Immortal Fairy puffed out her chest in pride. "This immortal's Art of Playing Dead is far more reliable than petty tricks like freezing oneself in ice! The principle of freezing is merely to suspend time and slow the rate of lifespan depletion, but lifespan will still drain away as it's meant to. Some unlucky fool might easily oversleep and die right in their slumber!" "Take Ancient Dijiang, for example. Before sealing himself, he had seventy to eighty thousand years of lifespan. Waking up this time, he probably has only twenty to thirty thousand years left." "The Art of Playing Dead, on the other hand, is completely equivalent to death once cast. There's no need to worry about lifespan running out at all!" In a state of true death, how could lifespan be consumed? "Step aside. This immortal will revive her." Lu Yang stepped aside of his own accord. Something like this was far beyond the capabilities of a Golden Core forefather. The Immortal Fairy extended her index finger. Dao rhythms swirled around her fingertip as endless runes of the Great Dao sprang forth, congregating overhead and colliding in total silence. The impacts generated a brilliant radiance that dazzled Lu Yang, forcing him to shield his eyes. A deluge of runes surged backward into her fingertip. Her index finger lightly tapped Jiang Lianyi between the brows, sending out ripples of invisible force like a gentle breeze. The sheer gauze surrounding the bed fluttered, and the stone table, jade chairs, and bronze mirror trembled faintly. Swept by the ripples, Lu Yang perceived the distinct resonances of both death and life. Yet when he tried to savor them closely, nothing remained—it was truly extraordinary. Jiang Lianyi's complexion shifted from pale to rosy in the blink of an eye, regaining the flush of a living being. Her long eyelashes trembled as if she were about to awaken. "Mmm..." Jiang Lianyi let out a languid hum, elegant and drowsy, exactly like the Immortal Fairy when she had just woken up. As Jiang Lianyi returned to life, the entire fourth level seemed to awaken with her. The stone table, jade chairs, and bronze mirror swayed rhythmically as if dancing, while the jade flute hanging on the wall produced a lively tune... rejoicing as if celebrating its master's revival. Jiang Lianyi sat up in bed, her head heavy and groggy. It felt as though she had slept an unimaginably long sleep, one that had to be measured in units of ten thousand years. Her memories were so blurred that she had to constantly sort through them in her mind. She looked around, having momentarily forgotten why she was sleeping here, and why she had awakened now. When she turned her head, a lovely face even prettier than her own leaned in close. "Lianyi, you're awake?" The Immortal Fairy leaned against the edge of the bed, drawing so close that she gave Jiang Lianyi quite a fright. Seeing Jiang Lianyi awake, the corners of the Immortal Fairy's lips curved into a brilliant smile, joy dancing in her eyes. "Who are you?" Jiang Lianyi looked at the Immortal Fairy in utter bewilderment. As a dignified half-immortal, she hadn't detected someone drawing near at all. "You don't recognize me? I'm Huang Doudou! The Immortal Fairy, Huang Doudou," the Immortal Fairy introduced herself in all seriousness. Jiang Lianyi was normally a very vigilant person, yet facing this girl who had suddenly appeared, she found it impossible to muster the slightest wariness. Two streams of clear tears rolled uncontrollably down Jiang Lianyi's cheeks. She continuously wiped them away with her sleeve, but the heavy teardrops kept falling, completely unstoppable. Though she was weeping, an indescribable happiness welled up inside her heart. "Strange... why am I crying?"