Chapter 64, translated text: "Clearly, she's not that kind of person."...
Inside the inn, the two sat with their palms together, their spiritual energy flowing vigorously and emitting a strange glow.
The divine fire, wreathed in malevolent energy, was carried in by spiritual power from another direction. Its violent aura seemed to be soothed, gradually calming down. Once the sharpness within it dissipated, only pure flames were returned.
As her vision gradually cleared, Shen Lixia noticed that the divine fire was further merging with her, and she and Qiao Yanshen began to explore together. Over the past few days, the two spent more time cultivating together, and finally discovered that in addition to accelerating recovery, Qiao Yanshen could also absorb and transform the malevolent energy within the divine fire.
Although the transformation is extremely limited, even a wisp of the divine fire's inherent righteousness is of great benefit to the fire spirit root.
After the two separated, Shen Lixia snapped her fingers, and a cluster of flames condensed in her hand, bright and fiery, even more vibrant than before, exuding a pure spiritual aura.
"How is Senior Sister doing?" She clapped her hands together, extinguishing the fire in her palms.
Qiao Yanshen stood up and saw the nervous look on the young man's face. He smiled and said, "It seems you're about to reach the late Foundation Establishment stage."
As she spoke, she reached out and cupped Shen Lixia's face in her hands, gently rubbing it. Her palms were filled with the familiar warmth, and her mood instantly improved.
"Li Xia, you don't need to worry about owing me anything. Dual cultivation is also beneficial to me."
The dark blue turbidity in her spiritual energy did not disturb her mind; instead, it brought an unexpected joy—she was able to better manage and transform the malevolent energy within the divine fire.
Originally, it could only regulate one's breathing, but now it can be completely integrated into spiritual power, becoming a part of oneself. However, the spiritual power contained in the malevolent energy is too much, and it becomes saturated after only a fraction, unable to absorb any more before it dissipates.
But why doesn't the divine fire, which is always known as the fire of purification, reject the demonic energy on his side, and why doesn't Shen Lixia sense anything unusual...?
There are no clues yet, so Qiao Yanshen can only keep these doubts in mind and look for answers later.
The boy's face was being rubbed, and his voice suddenly became muffled: "I understand..."
He didn't pull his hands away from her face; instead, he kneaded them even harder, like kneading dough. Shen Lixia was completely speechless, only hearing Qiao Yanshen's gentle voice in her ears: "Don't always feel like you owe me... I did all this because Lixia is very important to me, not because I wanted to get anything from you."
"Hmm..."
"Did you remember?" Qiao Yanshen had no intention of letting her go and took a step closer to ask.
"I've got it... I've got it..."
The hands that had been roaming the boy's face finally withdrew. Shen Lixia took a deep breath and sullenly touched her cheek, "Senior Sister has turned bad."
The person she accused simply smiled and patted the hem of her long dress, neither confirming nor denying, before returning to the small table to pour tea.
As the tea flowed and clinked in the cups, a knock on the door abruptly broke the tranquility between the two.
"Please come in." Qiao Yanshen took two more teacups.
After the door was pushed open, two familiar faces came into view.
"Fellow Daoist Xi!" Shen Lixia shouted, rushed over and hugged Xi Mengsi tightly, then pressed her shoulders, staring intently at her, as if trying to memorize her appearance from every single strand of hair.
Simmons was startled by her action and froze on the spot. She only came to her senses when Qin Shiying accidentally bumped into her while trying to walk around to enter the room. She knew that she had been blind for the past few days, but she did not expect the person in front of her to be so enthusiastic. So she chuckled and reached out to rub her head hard.
"Young friend Shen, do you miss me that much?" She adjusted her sunglasses. "You called me 'senior sister' before, but now you're calling me 'fellow Daoist' again. It really makes me, Xi, quite heartbroken."
Shen Lixia laughed, "Fellow Daoist is easier to say. It's been a few days, and I feel like I've almost forgotten what you look like."
Since losing her sight, she has not been without unease. Any problem in any part of the body can affect one's life, let alone one's eyes. If they cannot be restored or if they are left with sequelae, it would be unacceptable for Shen Lixia.
The more she worried, the more easily she lost her composure. Suddenly, she couldn't even remember what her best friend looked like, except for the unforgettable eyes of her senior sister, with whom she spent every day.
Seeing Simmons again, she suddenly felt an inexplicable joy.
"It's restored now." Simmons nodded, and after Shen Lixia stepped back a little, she walked to the table and sat down, naturally picking up her tea and taking a sip. "Your Highness came to deliver the scroll."
Qin Shiying stood in front of the table, took out a somewhat damaged scroll, put it down, and unfolded it to show the two of them.
It seems that due to the long period of sealing and improper preservation methods, the scroll has some blackened marks, blurring a small part of the content. The writing on it is different from the font they use now; it appears more flexible, not like handwriting, but more like a simplified depiction of things.
Qin Shiying lowered his head, stared at the scroll for a long time, and finally said helplessly, "I have searched around, but there is no one who recognizes this script. After asking the most learned civil official, she suspected that it was related to a historical break in civilization."
Qiao Yanshen shifted his gaze from the scroll to her, "A cultural gap?"
"It was a massive catastrophe—or war—that caused the development of civilization to stagnate or even regress, and written books were destroyed... That's roughly the situation. The clues that could be used to decipher the surviving documents have also been lost, so the writing of that time cannot be identified. However, as for what kind of war it was, perhaps the older immortals in your sect would know more than asking ordinary people like us."
At this point, Qin Shiying paused, then continued jokingly, "After all, immortals have a longer lifespan than mortals, so they must be more knowledgeable."
"But isn't this scroll still in your library?" Shen Lixia interjected dismissively. "If no one preserves this document, who knows if it will end up at sea..."
Qiao Yanshen nodded and said softly, "The human world and the cultivation world are inherently connected. For example, the civil officials you mentioned, though ordinary people, were able to connect this matter with the discontinuity of civilization; and among the fellow disciples I know, there are also quite a few who are ignorant and incompetent."
Qin Shiying was taken aback for a moment, then understood what they meant and smiled slightly, "That's true."
She clasped her hands in a fist and bowed, fastening her cloak. The room was dimly lit; it was nearly night, and the surroundings were dark. The boy's bright face was clearly illuminated by the flickering light. His features were still sharp, but now they had gained a touch of composure, and his eyes were brighter than before. He was no longer a child who needed someone to guide him.
To Qiao Yanshen and Shen Lixia, who hadn't seen her for a while, it was as if she had shed a heavy cocoon, finally spreading her broad wings and washing away all her immaturity.
"I have already explored the tomb with Immortal Master Xi, and I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you both, as there are no special items inside," she said solemnly. "However, if you have any other needs, please be sure to let me know, and I will do my best to assist you. From now on, you will all be honored guests who are always welcome in the Southern Kingdom."
Shen Lixia was somewhat unaccustomed to her solemnity, yet she didn't know how to express it. The reluctance that could be discerned from Qin Shiying's subtle expression on the waterway earlier had completely vanished by now.
She was someone of similar age to them, yet suddenly she became the ruler, and the weight of the responsibilities she bore was almost unimaginable.
As if sensing her unease, Qin Shiying composed himself and regained his gentle smile: "Please don't take offense, Immortal Masters. What I thought was sudden before is true, and now, encouraged by the women, I also hope to do my best to rebuild the Southern Kingdom with them. I was not confident that I could do it, but they said that since the Empress Mother has chosen me, she will stand behind me."
It was this incredible power that made her suddenly realize what the responsibility she had been taught to bear since childhood, as mentioned in her letter, truly meant. Rather than saying that she had held onto the South and the women living there, it was more like that the women of the entire nation had given her the courage to face the future with equanimity.
After speaking, Qin Shiying bowed deeply again, expressing his wish that the group would have a safe journey, before leaving the room.
Shen Lixia stared blankly at the closed door, a mix of emotions welling up inside her. It was as if everyone else was moving forward, while she remained stuck in the same place, unsure of her own feelings or the origin of the divine fire.
All I know is that I inherited it from someone inexplicably.
This feeling transformed into a slight sting, as if it were an inevitable part of growing up, only arriving a step late in her life.
Time flowed by with the sound of pages turning, and cup after cup of tea was added.
Qiao Yanshen said, "I recognize some of the characters on the scroll."
She unfurled the scroll, her fingers tracing the stained areas, a flicker of regret crossing her eyes. Shen Lixia stared blankly as her pale fingers unfurled, revealing the distinct knuckles, the perfectly manicured, translucent nails, the rough calluses from her sword...
A pair of hands that can make beautiful music flow in the modern world, and can also wield a sword here and unleash overwhelming sword intent.
Simmons's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Recognize it? Was it taught in the sect...? But didn't they say there's a cultural gap—"
Is this something so surprising? There are just too many incredible things about Senior Sister. Shen Lixia rested her chin on her hand, already used to this, but genuinely impressed.
Qiao Yanshen hesitated for a moment, then shook his head as if he had made a decision, and said in a low voice, "I just recognize him because of some special channels."
She turned to Shen Lixia and sent a divine thought to her: "Some of the characters are very similar to those in bronze inscriptions. I tried to read them in this way and pieced together some complete sentences. If we use similar theories to deduce, the general content recorded in the scroll is now clear."
At this point, Qiao Yanshen couldn't help but feel a little regretful—if there were more similar scrolls, it would probably be possible to trace the entire writing system. After all, this was supposedly ancient writing; if one could recognize it, perhaps one could get closer to the so-called Heavenly Dao and the ethereal Four Symbols.
She sighed, laid the book flat in front of her, and slowly read aloud its contents, refining them in her own language:
"The Heavenly Dao gave birth to the Four Spirits, who are the guardian deities of the four directions of Tai Zhao Heaven, and are also known as the Four Symbols in the Turbid Earth Realm. I think the Turbid Earth Realm should be the Heaven and Earth Realm before they were separated. This world is based on the constellations, and spiritual energy flows out from the stars and spreads throughout the world. The Vermilion Bird, the fire of the Four Symbols, is the southern constellation, and is the incarnation created by the Heavenly Dao using the power of the stars."
As Qiao Yanshen spoke, he kept an eye on Shen Lixia's expression. The boy's face showed no unusual expression; he simply listened with his chin resting on his hand, nodding occasionally, revealing a thoughtful look.
She continued reading.
The Vermilion Bird had many names, but ultimately took Ling Guang as its divine title. From a young age, the God Lord Ling Guang was unruly and often quarreled with his other incarnations. Later, when he went to the Earthly Turbid Realm for training, he lost his connection with the Heavenly Dao and disappeared without a trace.
She finally reappeared when the great calamity of the ancient era occurred.
"However, her nature remained unchanged, even becoming more violent, defying the will of Heaven and refusing to follow the path of the immortals. Although the body of a star is precious, it is not irreplaceable. Its origin is eternal and indestructible, and the incarnation is merely a borrower of its power. After she injured her elder sister, the Supervising Soldier Goddess, in the upper realm, Heaven could no longer tolerate it and bound the Lingguang Goddess with ninety-nine chains, intending to return her soul to the star and recreate her new life."
Ninety-nine chains.
Thinking of this, Qiao Yanshen suddenly frowned. An overwhelming discomfort surged from her chest, forcing her to raise her hand, gently press it against her chest, and bite her lower lip.
Simmons noticed that her voice stopped and quickly came closer. "Fellow Daoist, are you feeling unwell? It's getting late, you should rest first."
"It's alright, that's all." Qiao Yanshen shook his head, barely managing to pull himself out of this strange feeling, and looked up to meet Shen Lixia's gaze.
They knew each other too well; just by looking at each other like that, Qiao Yanshen understood the meaning behind the hesitation in her eyes—the other person was hiding something.
If only the truth weren't like that, then concealing it wouldn't matter. Ninety-nine chains—how intense the pain must have been.
and......
A voice echoed in her heart.
"She's clearly not that kind of person."
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Author's Note: I haven't abandoned the story, I just have writer's block TVT
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