The blazing, vivid color of the jewel gradually faded. A fine layer of sweat appeared on Shao Yi’s forehead. The young Phoenix Lord’s divine body still couldn’t fully contain the cultivation power of the Qingyang Emperor, who possessed exceptional talent and was in his prime. Having used it frequently of late, he felt utterly exhausted.
He didn’t wipe away the sweat sliding down his temple, saying lightly: “Since you’re clever enough to guess who I am immediately, naturally you can also guess what I want you to do.”
This she truly couldn’t guess.
Xuan Yi irritably thought wildly for a moment, then said: “Are you tired of being a celestial deity and want me to absorb the turbid energy from the Sea of Parting Regret for you, to turn you into a Demon King?”
Shao Yi couldn’t help but laugh aloud: “Your obsession with making me a Demon King runs very deep.”
A trace of icy mockery entered Xuan Yi’s soft voice: “Even a Demon King might not be able to do something so utterly insane.”
Shao Yi smiled wryly: “Little loach, right now the Lower Realm is thick with turbid energy and demons run rampant. To maintain order, the deities have no choice but to issue edicts across all heavens to exterminate demons, and as a result, many war generals have perished. It’s quite terrible, isn’t it?”
It was quite terrible. So what?
“If we trace it to the source, it’s because of the Sea of Parting Regret. This is a disaster caused by our two clans, correct?”
Correct. So what?
“Since it’s a disaster created by our two clans, naturally our two clans should work together to resolve it. We shouldn’t trouble others, right?”
“Are you certain it’s the two clans working together, and not just making me shoulder the burden alone?” The eyes behind her black veil also showed a thick layer of mockery.
Shao Yi’s expression was extremely innocent: “In this matter, of course those with greater ability should do more work. Aside from the Zhuyin Clan, immune to all magic, no one else can enter the Sea of Parting Regret and still emerge unscathed. Moreover, if we investigate the source of this disaster, it’s actually more our fault. It’s normal for you to contribute more effort.”
Enter the Sea of Parting Regret? She knew this matter would be connected to the Sea of Parting Regret. The pitch-black, unfathomable Sea of Parting Regret. The Sea of Parting Regret that troubled all the deities immensely. The Sea of Parting Regret that this former Qingyang Emperor couldn’t forget even after returning to life.
Shao Yi propped up half his face, leisurely admiring her elegantly curved profile. She was quietly lost in thought, the eyelashes hidden behind the black veil trembling ever so slightly. When she was in the Mingxing Hall, her cheeks still carried a youthful fullness. Now the fullness remained, but it was no longer unripe and immature—it possessed a different kind of alluring seductiveness.
His favorite type of beauty—at her appearance, it had reached just about the limit.
He slowly extended his hand, as gentle as if picking a flower, and carefully lifted the black veil covering Xuan Yi’s eyes. Those distinct black-and-white, tranquil eyes then turned upon his face. Her beautiful lips moved, softly calling him: “Senior Brother Shao Yi.”
She still called him Senior Brother Shao Yi. Shao Yi’s tone was gentle: “What is it?”
Xuan Yi said softly: “You saved my life with two Phoenix Heart Feathers. For the Zhuyin Clan, this is the highest favor. If you want to resolve the matter of the Sea of Parting Regret, such an upright and honorable request—I believe no matter how difficult it is, the Zhuyin Clan would certainly go through fire and water without hesitation.”
Shao Yi’s eyes flickered. He blinked: “So?”
Xuan Yi said lightly: “So why threaten not to sever the Heart Feather connection? As long as we’ve received your life-saving grace, the Zhuyin Clan must repay this favor no matter what. We still have that much pride. Moreover, you’re the Qingyang Clan. An Emperor returning to life—I believe even in the Upper Realm, it would only be discussed for a while. Why not openly and honestly announce it to everyone? Making it all so furtive and secretive—what was originally a joyous occasion for all heavens has been made to seem like revenge for an old grudge. What’s the point of that?”
Shao Yi tilted his head and thought carefully: “Probably because I’m naturally inclined to keep a low profile, don’t like publicity, and am especially cautious?”
Xuan Yi smiled at him: “Honestly, I don’t care whether resolving the Sea of Parting Regret matter is for the sake of heaven and earth’s order or some other righteous reason. In any case, these pleasant-sounding reasons won’t move me to risk my life for this natural disaster. You often say we’re the same kind. Before, I didn’t agree, but now I somewhat agree. We’re both equally and utterly selfish. Do you want to tell me what your real purpose is?”
His long, dark phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. He also stared at her. Their gazes intersected. She had opened a battlefield without revealing her hand, seeing through all illusions at a glance. An icy blade fell before his throat—whether he accepted or not, he had to accept.
Instead, Shao Yi laughed. His past and present lives were colorful and brilliant, indulgent and joyful, while also conscientiously fulfilling a celestial deity’s duties, looking down upon every living being and every matter from above with the Heavenly Way’s impassive gaze. Extremely selfless, yet also extremely selfish. Heartless due to selflessness, crystal-clear due to selfishness.
After more than three million years, a goddess who could be called his kindred spirit appeared before him—pure and matchless in beauty, cunning and crafty.
Of all people, it had to be her. Of all things, she had to be from the Zhuyin Clan.
The Zhuyin Clan, like dark clouds pressing down from above.
Shao Yi smoothed his wind-tousled long hair, his voice very light: “Since I’m so selfish, why was I willing to come to Qiongsang City? If you had kept hiding, if we never met face to face, I couldn’t take back the Heart Feathers either. You could have continued your carefree life.”
Xuan Yi shifted her intersecting gaze away, saying in a low voice: “I told you, I don’t want to be the one left behind.”
Left behind to carry on alone, watching the sunrise and sunset, torrential ice and snow, ten thousand scenes of flourishing flowers. The lifespan of the divine race was immensely long. In these long years, as long as one lived, there was hope, there was change. Perhaps in the end, everything would turn out well. But she simply didn’t want that.
The one left behind was the most agonizing.
Shao Yi didn’t speak for a very long time. The wind blew the jewel on his forehead, making it sway continuously. His pitch-black long hair and primrose-colored robes swayed together gracefully.
“On this point, I’m completely different from you.” He suddenly smiled faintly. “I’m the one who by every possible means wants to stay behind. Rather than having others unable to forget me, I’d rather stay behind and forget them.”
“So have you forgotten?” Xuan Yi asked casually.
He didn’t answer this question. A smile surfaced on his face. He took her hand and leisurely turned to leave the corridor: “I do indeed have my own purpose, but I also have a genuinely selfless desire to resolve the disaster of the Sea of Parting Regret. This little loach underestimates me too much. Come, Qiongsang City is very large. We can tour around.”
Tour around with him? Tour around a ghost.
Xuan Yi tried to pull away but couldn’t: “If you want me to enter the Sea of Parting Regret to resolve the disaster, specifically what do I need to do?”
Shao Yi didn’t turn his head: “Right now I’m not in the mood to discuss this. Another day.”
Xuan Yi abruptly stopped in her tracks and haughtily ordered him: “In that case, send me back to that Purple Palace. I’m hungry.”
Shao Yi picked her up by the waist with near-helplessness: “To this day, I’m still one who does manual labor. Come, my princess.”
His long sleeve fluttered, and he suddenly took flight. The magnificent Qiongsang City once again flowed past beneath their feet.
Xuan Yi looked down at the ancient-styled black silk clothing on her body and suddenly said: “That great-grandmother—was she great-grandmother when she was an Emperor? That ancient passage was also opened by your father when he was Emperor, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. Why?”
Xuan Yi narrowed her eyes: “Seems you haven’t forgotten.”
He didn’t speak. Xuan Yi also stopped speaking, quietly watching the phoenixes flying past at the horizon until they disappeared into the sea of clouds.
Breaking through the cloud realm, the attending female immortals within Yuanzhan Hall immediately filed out in an orderly manner. The female immortals here were even more well-trained than those of Zhongshan. Shao Yi only made a gesture, and before long they brought out fine tea and tea sweets, spreading gossamer-like ornate rugs among the peony flowers.
Xuan Yi looked at the two tea tables on the rug, then raised her head to look at Shao Yi. He sat down naturally and beckoned to her: “Come, please have tea.”
She simply sat down opposite him and accepted the yellow jade cup he passed to her. The tea in the cup was woven with black and white—it was premium Nine-Nine Return to Origin tea. The crystal tea box was carefully opened by the female immortals. Inside, one row held agate and white jade cakes, and another row held tea sweets she had never seen before—crystal-clear and exquisitely adorable.
Xuan Yi couldn’t help but pick up one piece to examine in her hand: “What is this?”
Shao Yi explained: “This is Ice Lotus Shattered Snow Cake. The craftsmanship is very troublesome. These days, there probably aren’t many who can make it anymore. It pairs very well with Nine-Nine Return to Origin tea.”
So it was an ancient tea sweet from millions of years ago. Xuan Yi sighed: “It seems your era was quite nice.”
There was no Sea of Parting Regret. Kunlun and Taihang were still in the Upper Realm. The turbid energy in the Lower Realm wasn’t heavy. Even the tea sweets were more varied than now.
Shao Yi sipped the Nine-Nine Return to Origin tea lightly, saying in a low voice: “Yes. If you had been born in that era, it would indeed have been quite nice.”