Chapter 208 A Dream Message from the Heart's Blood.

Several years have passed since they secretly visited and left. The old woman's face has shown signs of age, but she is more energetic than before.

Perhaps it was due to the goddess's protection that she lived a very long life, and thus she was able to reunite with Shen Lixia and her group at the same temple and at the same time.

Great, may you live to be a hundred years old.

Shen Lixia pursed her lips, shook her head slightly, and brushed away the shadow in front of her. She thought that even ordinary people and emperors only sought to live to be a hundred years old; for those seeking immortality, doubling that was actually enough.

That's enough.

"Grandpa, have you been staying at the temple all this time?" Shen Lixia took a few steps forward and asked with a smile. Qiao Yanshen also came up, his gaze softening considerably as he looked at the old man.

The old man nodded, grasped Shen Lixia's hand, and his eyes sparkled.

"Yes, yes... I've been here all along, guarding the goddess. She appeared to me in a dream, asking me to build a statue of Lord Lingguang in this room and record many past events. The goddess said that she is now fortunate enough to return to the world, but she cannot forget her other comrades."

When Shen Lixia heard her say that, she noticed that there was still an unfinished part next to her. At a glance, the outline was a five-clawed silver dragon, which gave her a strange sense of familiarity.

She stared at it for a long time before suddenly remembering where she had seen it before. The dragon's horn crowns in folk paintings are all the same, whether it's Yinglong, Jinlong, or Qinglong, they are all depicted as two tree branches. But in fact, her sister's horn crowns are like an ancient tree reaching for the sky, with many branches; while the golden dragon that occasionally appears in the Kalan people's totem has a horn crown that is sharper and more like a knife cut.

As for the silver dragon in this painting, its horns gleam like jade, exuding an exceptionally cold and fierce aura, like snow adorning withered branches.

It was the Yinglong she had seen before in the Desolate Ancient Sea.

Shen Lixia smiled and said, "It seems that the goddess's spirit has recovered quite a bit. The statue is very grand, so she definitely won't feel cramped."

The temple also had a special place for people to read books, and several scholars in blue robes served as proofreaders, examining historical records and correcting errors.

Qiao Yanshen followed them for a while, then entered the book storage area. He slowed his pace and picked up one or two books every now and then to read them.

She read carefully, her lips moving slightly as faint sounds escaped her lips. Just then, sunlight streamed in from behind her through the window, casting a golden glow on her dark hair. The cold lake in her eyes came alive once more, shimmering with a crystal-clear brilliance.

The cold winter sunlight only partially outlined the silver patterns of flowing clouds and delicate branches on the young man's clothes, without fully revealing them, making him appear even more like a light white mist, as if he might dissipate at any moment.

Shen Lixia turned around and saw this scene, and was momentarily stunned. Unexpectedly, Qiao Yanshen put down his book and looked up at her, their eyes meeting mid-air, and he smiled slightly. His curved eyes seemed to hold a mischievous glint, as if to say, "You've caught me spying on you again." The chilling sense of distance from before vanished, and everything around her became clear again.

Soon, Qiao Yanshen walked over, took her hand, and said softly, "You stay here and look around for a while. I have some things to do and will be back later."

Just as Shen Lixia was about to ask what was going on, the old woman deftly withdrew her hand, turned around, and walked towards a small door to the side. Unable to refuse the old woman's hospitality, Shen Lixia naturally couldn't leave, so she sighed and continued to follow her on her tour of the temple.

She has been feeling uneasy lately, which has made her particularly anxious and insecure, as if she has returned to the time when she harbored feelings but dared not speak them.

A moment later, Shen Lixia was led back to the main hall by the old woman. The deep blue of the crab-shell-like roof and the mysterious beams above, with their intricate cloud patterns, gave it a sense of unattainable height.

The statue of the goddess, Ba, is almost as tall as the beams and pillars, standing a full three meters high, making the goddess appear like a giant. Her eyes and brows are as clear as a spring, her nose is high and straight, and the lines of her muscles are smooth and vivid, revealing the sculptor's skill.

Shen Lixia gazed upwards for a long while, then heard the old man beside her asking about Tang Huairou. She had a deep memory of the immortal masters who had saved her and the Goddess, and was very concerned to see that one of them was missing this time.

As Simmons was pondering how to answer, she heard Su Jiang say calmly from beside her, "She was injured, she's awake—"

She quickly covered the other person's mouth and replied seriously, "Traveling is inconvenient. It's alright, she just needs to rest for a while, so she didn't come with us this time. Once she's better, she'll definitely come here to take a look, after all, the temple is so magnificent."

If the words "she won't wake up" were actually uttered, the old lady would surely be heartbroken.

Sometimes Simmons still felt that she and this person were incompatible, otherwise, after being friendly for a while, she would suddenly put on this indifferent attitude again, as if she was deliberately trying to make her unhappy.

“Yes, yes. It’s inconvenient for her to travel,” Shen Lixia echoed. “We will also write to inform her.”

The old woman breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "That's excellent. It's lunchtime now, I'll go check on the children to make sure they don't cause any trouble." After saying that, she thanked her again before leaving, leaving the temple, which had been briefly quiet because the worshippers had gone to eat, and the three people who looked at each other in silence.

A moment later, Qiao Yanshen also came in, subconsciously breathing on his hands to warm them.

The temple was naturally warmer with the smoke of incense. She came in from outside, her cheeks pale from the cold. Seeing three pairs of eyes turn to her at once, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "What are you standing here for? Aren't you going to eat?"

With protective spiritual energy, even if I feel cold, it won't be like this...

The other two were simply curious about where she had gone, but Shen Lixia noticed something unusual. She shook her head, turned around, and walked to the base of the statue, her fingers tracing patterns and occasionally tapping lightly.

Not found.

She frowned, used the momentum to push off the fixed part of the cloak, and leaped onto Ba's shoulders for support, only then could she see clearly—

The pebble was being held carefully in the raised hand of the statue. The scent of incense swirled around it, which explained why from a distance it looked like a woman floating on clouds, lighting incense in her palm, exuding a dignified and awe-inspiring presence.

She had initially thought it was some kind of special incense burner, but it turned out to be the jade stone that contained Ba's soul.

Now it looks like a crystal-clear egg, blooming pink on a bluish-white background, much better than its previous dull appearance.

Seeing the boy climbing up and down, Simmons below opened her mouth wide, thinking that her underlying code had awakened: "What, did she hug you when you were little? You didn't drool all over the goddess's neck, did you?"

"Saliva...saliva?!" Su Jiang exclaimed in disbelief. "This...this is a god from ancient times..."

Qiao Yanshen silently turned his face away, his shoulders shaking as he tried to suppress his laughter.

Shen Lixia was both angry and amused, "You just spout nonsense! She and I are..."

She suddenly fell silent, thinking that if any passing pilgrim heard someone say that they were of the same generation as Ba, they would surely think she was a fool.

"I'll deal with you when you get down." Shen Lixia carefully leaned down, picked up the jade stone, held it in her palm, then raised her other hand and bit down hard on her index finger.

The moment the blood gushed out, Shen Lixia gasped, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.

I never knew it hurt so much when I saw people being bitten.

She steadied herself, circulated her inner energy, and drew a stream of blood from her heart, pressing it to her fingertips. The warm dripping blood covered the surface of the jade, with faint, shimmering golden light flowing within it. Shen Lixia assumed it was just the sun shining and paid it no mind.

She had only intended to try it out, but unexpectedly, the jade actually emitted a shimmering light and absorbed the heart's blood. Without further hesitation, Shen Lixia cut the wound deeper and longer, forcing out even more blood.

Her regaining her divine bird form was proof that the divine fire had broken its shackles and merged with her once more. This blood contained the power of the fire of rebirth, which would surely have some effect on Ba as well.

After a while, as if that was enough, or perhaps Ba was resisting, the blood could no longer be absorbed. Shen Lixia lowered her eyes and stared at her palm, wondering how this little thing could grow into such a tall person as Ba, but the aura she sensed from it was definitely not fake.

She gently rubbed her cheek against the warm jade, and murmured softly, "Give me a dream too."

Once it was put back, the weakness from the loss of vital energy surged up like a tide, and Shen Lixia suddenly felt dizzy and cold all over. She leaned against the statue, her body swaying slightly. Looking down, the figures below appeared as fleeting shadows, the ground seemingly incredibly far away, sending a chill down her spine—

At that moment, Qiao Yanshen's voice rang in my ears:

"Come down, I'll catch you."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lixia, for some reason, actually let go and allowed herself to fall. Her inner clothes were soaked with cold sweat, and a brief breeze brought coolness, followed by a refreshing scent that enveloped her, leaving only a soft, cool fragrance.

Qiao Yanshen held her firmly in his arms.

The sensation from the back of my knees to the way my arms exerted force was different from usual.

Shen Lixia was slightly dazed and was about to say something when she felt Qiao Yanshen pull her closer into his arms. He shrugged slightly and then lowered his head.

Her soft lips pressed gently against the boy's eyes, her breath falling upon them.

A helpless yet gentle voice, almost like a breath, reached Shen Lixia's ears: "Don't be afraid. ...You were quite determined when you bit your finger. I think you should consider the consequences next time you bleed."

After speaking, he kissed the corner of her eye and sent a wisp of spiritual energy to heal the wound on her fingertip.

A blush rose, spreading across her ears and cheeks. Shen Lixia finally realized what was happening and struggled slightly. Qiao Yan chuckled and put her down.

Why did her senior sister suddenly kiss her...?

No, there were no loud shouts or screams behind her, and they only lingered for a short while. Shen Lixia realized that her little movements just now were to block the other person's view.

So it should be, how to steal a kiss from her...

However, to be honest, they had been preoccupied with the grief that permeated the entire sect lately, and it had been a long time since they had been this close.

Now the group has started traveling together again, trekking through mountains and rivers, far away from that place of sorrow, and seems to have finally felt a little relieved, no longer constantly with tears in their eyes.

Her complexion quickly returned to normal, but her ears were still burning. After being led by Qiao Yanshen, she took two steps forward and was immediately greeted with a barrage of concern from Xi Mengsi.

"Are you alright? You were terrifying just now! Your face was so pale, like you were possessed. I was thinking, it's one thing for Buddhist temples to have ghosts, but how could there be ghosts in a temple dedicated to gods..."

Shen Lixia shook her head. "I gave Ba... some things that can restore her soul."

Simmons's expression changed, realizing what she had just done, and she said awkwardly, "I'll just take it off next time, no one will see."

A crisp sound rang out from between his eyebrows, followed by pain.

Simmons covered her forehead and heard Shen Lixia snort, "You're the one drooling." She withdrew her hand from flicking the woman's head and moved closer to Qiao Yanshen again.

"Petty!" Simmons muttered. "Hey, hey, he said he wasn't a little drooling bird, but he's already clinging to his senior sister."

They then lit several incense sticks and properly worshipped the statue of the deity.

Before leaving, Shen Lixia glanced at those familiar eyes and recalled Hua Ying's words:

"Besides, won't you and her see each other again?"

They will definitely meet again.

She and her older sister were the same. Once Ba recovered, she would definitely ask her what kind of person her older sister really was.

After walking some distance from the temple, Shen Lixia heard someone's stomach rumbling and realized they hadn't had lunch yet. She had been so focused on looking at the statues that she'd forgotten to stay at the temple and have a meal. Going back now would probably only result in scraps, and she felt bad troubling the staff to cook her another meal.

Just then, I heard the soft sound of water. The river hadn't frozen over yet. Both Qing and Jing prefectures are located in mountainous areas, and their rivers and lakes are like jade belts, abundant and clear. Therefore, fish is an indispensable part of the local cuisine. Dishes like chopped chili fish head and steamed perch are common in restaurants.

Shen Lixia became interested: "Let's go fishing for two fish, then hurry back to the city to find an inn and make some fresh steamed fish."

"Fishing?" Simmons blinked. "Then why not just go into the water and catch them—hey, I've heard that the people of Garan are natural hunters, how about you go and catch a couple?"

Her gaze was fixed on Su Jiang.

Su Jiang honestly replied, "I'm not very good at catching fish."

The Kingdom of Garan is located in the snowy mountains. Their main meat is livestock. In addition, fish are associated with dragons, so they are usually only caught on special occasions.

"It's too cold to go into the water in the dead of winter," Qiao Yanshen shook his head. "Let's try fishing instead. If you can't sit for an hour, I have another way."

While searching for a suitable branch, Shen Lixia turned her head curiously and asked, "What method?"

Qiao Yanshen curled his lips, picked up a pebble, and suddenly aimed at an open space, throwing it over there with a skipping motion.

A soft explosion suddenly erupted.

Dust rose and gravel flew everywhere.

If used in water, a large patch of fish belly white will immediately appear.

"You can use it like that..." Simmons exclaimed in surprise, "Then I can do it too."

Shen Lixia's forehead was sweating: "No, forget it. If you do it this way, all the fish will probably die. Let's fish and hunt responsibly and protect nature, okay?"

Without any bait, Shen Lixia wrapped the line around a few times, broke off some dry food and hung it on, then went to the riverbank, told the others to back up, and swung his arm in a wide arc.

With a tinkling sound, the fishing hook entered the water and slowly sank.

Three people sat on the ground around Shen Lixia, all intently watching her fishing rod. The hook didn't move for a while, and some of them started to daydream. Shen Lixia knew that once she got distracted, she would lose herself in thought, so she resisted the urge to think about anything else.

Unexpectedly, after a while, the boy's vision suddenly darkened, and he leaned gently to the side.

She was standing next to Qiao Yanshen, so she naturally leaned on his shoulder. Qiao Yanshen looked up in surprise, the clear, watery look in his eyes vanishing instantly. He looked at Shen Lixia with a hint of confusion.

Upon seeing the young man's calm and delicate eyelashes and hearing her steady breathing, Qiao Yanshen reached out and gently turned her chin towards him.

She realized immediately: he had fallen asleep.

I actually managed to fall asleep...

Is it strange that she could fall asleep while fishing, or is it strange that she would still be holding the fishing rod even if she was asleep...?

Qiao Yanshen held Shen Lixia tightly, then raised his hand to cover her other ear, gently shielding it. Perhaps she was exhausted from getting up too early and traveling too much today.

They were so lively just a moment ago, but they're really sleeping soundly now.

She pinched the boy's earlobe between two fingers, played with it a couple of times, found it amusing, and squeezed it again, eliciting a soft "Mmm" from Shen Lixia, whose earlobe felt hot again. In this bleak winter, it was as if white mist was about to rise from it.

...

Ba Zhen appeared to her in a dream.

This was the first thought that came to Shen Lixia's mind when she saw that familiar figure in green.

It's worth mentioning that Ba's attire on the battlefield is quite different from her everyday clothes. On the desolate battlefield, she wears silver armor with her sleeves rolled up, revealing the power emanating from her veins. However, on ordinary days, she wears only a light blue short shirt, looking from afar like a farmer from Jiangnan digging lotus roots, sweating under the shade of lotus leaves in a pond.

In short, there was none of the usual aloofness or distance of a deity; on the contrary, the deity was quite approachable.

Ba turned around, smiling broadly: "Xia Xia."

Before the boy could exclaim in surprise, she explained, "I heard people outside saying your name and I remembered it. I thought about it a few times and felt that this was the best and cutest way to address you. You are still very young. I know you are not Hua Ying, but you are still Ling Guang Jun."

As she spoke her last sentence, her eyes hardened, shining with a bright light. Shen Lixia could tell that this was an unwavering loyalty.

Shen Lixia pointed to herself and chuckled, "I'm already in my twenties... why do you still treat me like a child?"

Ba blinked, then mimicked her gesture, pointing to herself: "I grew up with Ying, and I'm one of the original high gods... How old do you think I am?"

Let's not talk about age with these illogical characters.

Ba sat cross-legged, propping her face up with one hand, and said, "Thank you for your heart's blood. I'm one step closer to being able to transform. But next time you must be careful not to use too much. Or do you think I can't see Lord Luo hugging and kissing you, hmm?"

“…Ah.” Shen Lixia’s face turned bright red. “You saw her?! No, she’s not Luo Yang.”

“Right under my nose.” Ba Zhanyan smiled. “I know she is also the reincarnation of the Lord of Luoshui, but unlike you, she and Luo Yang are cut from the same cloth. Yan Shen, right?”

Shen Lixia nodded gently. She suddenly remembered Qiao Yanshen's recent strange behavior, and heard from Ba that she was becoming more and more like Luo Yang, so she couldn't help but frown. After a moment of contemplation, a finger suddenly pressed on her forehead, slid down, poked, and forcefully rubbed open her brow.

“Xia, you’ve come to see me because you have something to ask of me,” Ba said gently. “Ying and I were childhood playmates. She was a strong-willed person, just like all birds in the world. She only showed signs of pain when she was about to die. I think it’s good that you wear your heart on your sleeve. At least you can do that with people you know well. Ying has been kind to me. You and she are of the same spirit. There’s nothing wrong with me being your elder and taking care of you.”

"Go ahead and say it, I'm listening."

Shen Lixia's eyes stung, but she still couldn't shed a tear. She used to suspect that she had incontinence, but now she couldn't cry at all. It was as if something was blocking her heart. Whenever she was about to cry, cold mud and dust would block it first, preventing her sadness from flowing out.

So much had happened. Her heart felt temporarily lighter these past few months, but in reality, the memories would quickly resurface and overwhelm her. Shen Lixia bit her lip and remained silent for a long time before realizing she didn't even know where to begin.

Ba waited patiently, his bright eyes quietly watching her without blinking.

Her eyes always seemed to burn with a flame, giving people a warm and solid feeling.

Finally, Shen Lixia raised her head and asked softly, "I have never been a god, but if I become a god, will I really be omnipotent?"

Ba raised her eyebrows in surprise, pondering for a moment her childlike, innocent question before answering seriously: "No, I have seen many gods, and they are no different from humans. The world suffers from greed, anger, ignorance, resentment, separation from loved ones, and unfulfilled desires. They may seem unaffected by the suffering of mortals, but in reality, they are also deeply entangled in these things. All living beings, whether gods or humans, even birds and beasts, have things beyond their own power."

She raised her hand, her warm, dry knuckles gently brushing against Chen Lixia's eye, and smiled gently, a hint of pity in her eyes: "I know, you've suffered..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lixia suddenly remembered someone else who used to say the same thing, and a pang of sadness welled up inside her, leaving her speechless. Ba gently stroked her cheek and suddenly smiled.

"However, the Lingguang-jun in my memory was indeed omnipotent. Although she was as wooden as a porcelain doll when she was young, if I said I wanted a branch of the divine tree at the bottom of the South Sea, she could break through the encirclement of mermaids and break off a branch for me and send it to me; when Buzhou Mountain split open, everyone was terrified of Qiongqi, but she was still not afraid of this ferocious beast that was rumored to be one of her calamities, and in the end she killed it."

She remembered when the black-haired, red-eyed boy returned from the South China Sea, his face covered in blood, making his eyes appear even more terrifying. The servants who were responsible for taking care of him were terrified.

But only Ba knew that she was the best person in the world.

“I don’t think it was Youdu or Xingxiu who bestowed such courage upon her. This power is like a spark,” Ba Xu touched Shen Lixia’s heart, “originating from the soul, never to be extinguished. Therefore, you must also possess the same power, because you are both so sincere and kind…”

Sparkling.

"So I believe that if it were Xia, she wouldn't be omnipotent, but she could certainly make everything you wish for."

Shen Lixia lowered her head.

But she had also witnessed Hua Ying's most profound sense of helplessness...

However, she can make up for this regret.

"Thank you," Shen Lixia said softly. "I will definitely do everything I wish."

She remembered something else and asked, "Why did your divine power disappear back then? I always felt it was strange."

At this point, Ba seemed somewhat displeased and gave a cold laugh: "Naturally, it's because someone couldn't stand me and exiled me. After the Heavenly Spirit Realm completely separated from the Earthly Turbid Realm and the Netherworld Divine Mountain truly became an illusion, the true nature of some people was revealed!"

Shen Lixia then realized that the past events were even more complicated than those recorded in history books.

Ba said that she was banished by the gods of heaven and could not return, not simply because her divine power dissipated.

The spiritual energy in this land was weak. She tried to return by following the old path, but was turned away and stripped of her power by the rules of Heaven, which ultimately led her to the same predicament as before.

Ba didn't even know why this was happening. She had tried everything to ask someone to help her plead with Jianbingjun and send her a letter, but it all disappeared without a trace.

The sacred mountain became a sight she could no longer see, and her mother... she knew, was still waiting for her in vain.

"However, I also know that my mother has passed away. It's just a pity that I didn't get to see her one last time and hear her call my name one more time..."

Ba sighed, "I was loyal to Lord Lingguang and never had any intention of betraying the gods. I don't know why Heaven has treated me this way. But my friends didn't fare any better than me..."

friend?

Recalling the content of the mural, Shen Lixia couldn't help but ask, "Were you and Yinglong also friends?"

"You remember her?" Ba was quite surprised. "Zhi Xue fought alongside me back then, was loyal to Taiyin Jun, and also obeyed Ling Guang Jun's command."

Yinglong's original name was Yin Zhixue.

Shen Lixia silently remembered.

She asked Ba some more questions and learned that Luochuan was the place where souls went, and also the only concept of 'death' in the world.

It exists independently of the Way of Heaven, and is not controlled by any will. It is the mother river of all things, from which life and death originate.

Now that you mention it, the past seems even stranger.

"Oh, right..."

Shen Lixia slowly stood up. "Actually, I wanted to ask... what kind of person is my older sister?"

Ba was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized that she was referring to Taiyin Jun Siyue.

She laughed lightly and said loudly, "She's a very interesting person."

"And... I love you very much."

After saying that, her figure suddenly faded away. Shen Lixia felt as if the tide was receding and a coldness was creeping in; she immediately knew that the dream was about to end.

A mischievous voice sounded in my ear:

"The fish has taken the bait!"

There was actually one more thing she didn't have time to say, but Shen Lixia definitely knows it.

She could feel it too.

Little bird, remember, many people love you.

Ba silently recited the words to herself, then returned to her dream within a dream. The dream was truly bizarre; she fought alongside two Lingguang Lords and saw many young people interacting with the gods she knew—none of whom were familiar faces…

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The author's note: The love that Ba speaks of includes kinship, friendship, and also the love of her senior sister.

But then again, my senior sister and Xia were originally... family and lovers.

And there was a slight connection to the next book—one of the main characters in the next book is named Yin Lanxue, so it's not just a rumor ^_^

Besides the sexual battles, this part of the Nine Realms also has a lot of everyday life. I've written too much heavy plot, so in the next chapter I want to write something more intimate and uplifting. Thank you all for your understanding…