Chapter 74 The Netherworld Route: This time, don't miss it again.
"My connection with my original self has now been severed."
The connection is severed in only one way: the original body is completely destroyed, while the remaining soul manages to gain independence. Luo Yang has already set a seal; only when she herself returns to this place will the secret realm reopen.
At that time, apart from those she has chosen, no one else may remain in the secret realm.
“So Senior Sister is…” Shen Lixia finally understood why the snake said she had Luo Yang’s aura on her body. “But she clearly told me that Luo Yang wanted her to be herself and no longer be bound by anything from her past life.”
Even if they had countless connections to this place in the past, they are now people who grew up in another world and should no longer bear these burdens.
Luo Yang nodded. "It was my choice. I've been trapped here for too long, and I've watched Cang Yu suffer for too long. If I want to be free, someone has to bear this hatred. She has the same soul, and that is Luo Yang."
"You're too cruel to her... Would Luo Yang treat herself like this too?" The young man clenched his fist, frowning as he stared at the white-clad woman standing before him.
They look so alike. They look so alike—from the waist-length black hair to the gentle face, and the slender figure accentuated by the moon-bright white robes, they are exactly like Qiao Yanshen. To a closer look, the only differences are a few strands of hair on the forehead and the color of the eyes.
But for Shen Lixia, there was no way to confuse them. She suddenly understood why some people could tell twin sisters apart at a glance; after all, if they spent day and night together, they would surely know every detail about one of them.
Even though they share the same divine soul, they are who they are because they have experienced different lives. She is merely Qiao Yanshen, not Luo Yang, and certainly not the Lord of Luochuan. Their memories are also unique.
Luo Yang simply smiled, her pale blue eyes curving slightly, like a lake cleaved by a narrow crevice, ready to overflow with blue blood at any moment.
"Otherwise, why do you think she would have been completely destroyed?"
Before she could even speak, the divine fire blazed fiercely ahead of her. In an instant, golden light shone brightly in Shen Lixia's eyes, and towering flames surged from the seawater. The chilling aura that Shen Yuanzhong had felt earlier was completely dispelled at this moment, replaced by a warm atmosphere.
A look of surprise flashed in Luo Yang's eyes. She then raised her hand and touched the boy's forehead with her fingertips, and her silver-blue spiritual power flowed into it.
The previously restless divine fire suddenly ceased its ferocious attack, and the hissing sound of burning subsided. The light and shadows stopped flickering, and the dim seawater was now as bright as day, reflecting the scorching firelight, creating an exceptionally strange scene. Cold sweat had already slid down Shen Lixia's chin, and the heat flowing through her meridians was promptly suppressed by a gentle yet chilling aura, preventing it from turning into magma that would burn her internal organs.
Luo Yang looked up, and Yan Xin's brightest color seemed to cast a tangible gaze upon her.
The woman, watched by the consciousness within the flames, laughed. Her white robes were tinged with a faint gold, and the blue in her eyes was vivid, overlapping with the figure in her memory, causing the flames to tremble even more.
"Go back," Luo Yang said softly. "It's all over. Now you have to listen to her."
The raging flames subsided as if gently caressed by flowing water, returning to Shen Lixia's body. She took a few steps back in surprise, looked at her palms, and then touched her chest with lingering fear.
This time, no pain came.
After withdrawing his hand, Luo Yang nodded thoughtfully and then carefully examined her: "Although you believe from the bottom of your heart that people should not be bound by past lives, is your reunion really without the help of fate? The two of you have spent your youth together, and your hard work has resulted in two things: one is the Divine Fire, and the other is the Sword Technique. The former is something that no one can take away from you."
The boy before her didn't resemble the one she remembered. His lips were naturally beautiful, as if the Creator had poured out rich ink and painstaking effort to create such a handsome appearance. His upturned eyes always gave off a sharp feeling, which made the vermilion between his brows appear thin and cold. The brows that were always furrowed in her memory were now soft, and the lingering melancholy that had been there had faded considerably. His red eyes had also lost their color, becoming brighter.
Compared to her own situation, she had clearly separated from the person from her past life, and her personality was no longer awkward; she was much more open and honest. The remnant soul was unaware of everything that her original body had experienced before her death, but she remembered that her heartfelt wish remained unchanged—that the little bird be free, and that if the heavens wanted to bind her, she would not willingly submit to their fate.
Now, my wish has finally come true.
Shen Lixia avoided her question, but what was hidden beneath the woman's complex expression came into view, making her feel a mix of emotions as well.
It was as if she felt the ultimate happiness while simultaneously witnessing intense misfortune, hence her smile tinged with sorrow, her eyes like a lake deepening, misty and hazy, as if wounded, about to spill a salty, warm liquid. Suddenly realizing this, Shen Lixia understood the complex meaning—by standing here, she was laying bare the fact that someone was already dead before Luo Yang.
However, Luo Yang's fate was ultimately the same; his remnant soul was confined to this place, with no memory of what followed. Little did anyone know, Luo Yang had already fallen in love with her from that moment on. This sorrow was too intense; the depths beneath it must have gone far beyond friendship. He had unknowingly and unconsciously sunk into the abyss of love, only lacking a single word to express it.
Shen Lixia remained silent for a few moments, then said in a low voice, "Several thousand years have passed."
She didn't actually know exactly how much time had passed, but it had been long enough.
"And what about you? Even after experiencing Cang Yu's feelings firsthand in the illusion, you still decided to forgive me?" Luo Yang smiled slightly.
"I have no right to speak for anyone's forgiveness; I just feel that everything should end here."
Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of the palace. A broken sword stood in the center of the ruins, its feathers bright red.
Luo Yang took something out of her bosom and handed it to Shen Lixia. It was a conch shell, its surface faded and its patterns dull. The boy remembered the rumors he had heard before, knowing that conch shells were often thought to be able to transmit sound, so he looked up and met Luo Yang's gaze, receiving confirmation from her eyes.
“Those who are destined to be together will naturally understand each other. Shen Yuan is connected to Luo Chuan, but there are many turbulent currents in time, and he is completely cut off from the outside world. At this moment, if you truly care about each other, you may be able to catch a glimpse of each other in the drifting and staggered time.”
Shen Lixia nodded, stepped back a little, hesitated for a moment, then, as if feeling it wasn't enough, went around to behind a reef. Seeing her reserved appearance, Luo Yang couldn't help but chuckle and took a few steps forward, stopping only beside the broken sword to give her enough space.
She had grown accustomed to wandering in the abyss; the long years had passed, and a little more time wouldn't make a difference. Her gaze shifted from the broken sword to the palace, then the woman closed her eyes slightly, a gleam appearing in her hand before disappearing into the sea, heading in that direction.
The sins have been atoned for.
However, based on her observation of Qiao Yanshen, he probably wouldn't choose to leave. But perhaps Shen Lixia could persuade him.
Thinking of this, she glanced at the reef and thought to herself that the little bird had to do its best.
Don't miss it this time.
Behind the reef, Shen Lixia leaned against the cold stone surface, clutching a handful of white sand in her hand. The surrounding sea was still, and the rustling sound of the sand being squeezed was exceptionally clear, reaching her ears like a thousand tiny insects gnawing at her heart.
The premonition gripping her heart was almost suffocating her. Dual cultivation, water and fire, and the time they had spent together had forged a deep bond between them. Therefore, Shen Lixia often had a sympathetic illusion, just like the sudden, sharp pain in her chest when she and Simmons were searching in the white sand—that coldness was fleeting, yet it pierced straight through her chest.
She didn't know where it came from, but her first thought was that something might have happened to Qiao Yanshen.
She hadn't seen him since arriving in Shen Yuan, and her heart was filled with unbearable torment. She was so anxious she almost crushed the white sand in her hand, but had to take deep breaths to calm herself. If they were truly connected, Qiao Yanshen certainly wouldn't want to hear her voice, on the verge of tears. They had made a promise not to change their will for anyone.
Qiao Yanshen is a man of his word. Shen Lixia believed this, so she relaxed a little and stopped tormenting the handful of sand. Instead, she thought that hope was just around the corner and that they would meet soon. Finally, she calmed down.
The conch shell was initially empty, with only the faint sound of the tides rising and falling. Soon after, the sound of flowing water grew closer, followed by a soft, hoarse call: "Li Xia..."
With her wish fulfilled at this moment, Shen Lixia held the conch shell in both hands, wishing she could shrink into it right now and rush to Qiao Yanshen's side.
After squeezing it a little tighter, she remembered that the conch shell was already quite old, and if it were crushed, it would be completely ruined. With this in mind, the boy loosened his grip a bit, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the conch shell, his intense emotions contained within, almost a mixture of love and hate.
If the conch shell had its own consciousness, it would probably already be asking three tangible question marks by now.
The voice no longer flowed naturally, but rather seemed to have been forced out by a tear in her heart, the tenderness within being squeezed out little by little, making her voice excessively soft and warm. Shen Lixia softened her breathing and responded with a soft sound, just as she had done in the past when talking with Qiao Yanshen before bed. The other person fell silent, but a sense of reassurance filled the air.
She didn't let the silence continue. Instead, she lifted Qiao Yanshen's broken and trembling breath and continued to say many, many things. The person she longed for was now listening to her voice on the other side. She didn't have much time to choose her words carefully; she spoke with only her sincere heart, hoping that Qiao Yanshen would protect herself and that she would be safe and sound.
"I can't wait to see you..."
After Shen Lixia finished speaking, there was another silence. She wondered if Qiao Yanshen was amused by the silly thing she had just said unconsciously, or if her voice sounded strange? But it was alright; in such cold, deep water, it was enough that she could laugh happily. She didn't need to maintain a perfect impression on Qiao Yanshen forever.
As long as she's happy, that's all that matters.
Then, Qiao Yanshen called her name repeatedly. There was no smile in his voice; his previous worries resurfaced. Shen Lixia dared not ask, but only answered each time, with utmost solemnity and seriousness.
With the final click, the conch shell fell silent. Shen Lixia knew the other party had severed the connection and put the conch shell down. She knew she couldn't wait any longer, even though she was already traveling at the fastest speed.
The boy emerged from behind the rocks and saw Luo Yang standing before the broken sword. His gaze was fixed on the fiery red tassel, his arm raised but then lowered, his fingertips trembling slightly. Hearing approaching footsteps, Luo Yang ultimately did not reach out, but instead turned her back.
The spinning motion seemed somewhat hurried.
Thick fog rolled in again, it seemed Luo Yang still had one last part to show her. Shen Lixia suddenly felt a surge of desire to cleave through the fog, but after a moment's hesitation, she gave up and sighed resignedly.
Well, there's still one person waiting for her to bring the truth over.
Luo Yang's figure disappeared into the mist. Shen Lixia muttered "coward" under her breath, then flipped her hand and a magical artifact appeared on it as if by magic.
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Author's Note: I've revised the synopsis! Many thanks to the kind teacher for their help.
I've been working harder lately.
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