Meanwhile, Jing Yi opened his eyes in the demon realm. He couldn't help but feel strange. Back then, he had been trapped in the secret realm in the Leyuan region and reached the third stage of cultivation that had seemed unattainable for so long. Now, he had been kidnapped to the demon realm and for the first time since returning from the secret realm, he felt his cultivation budge. If he stayed here for longer … would he reach the fourth stage? It seemed possible.
He didn't want to try though. As much as he wanted to reach a higher stage so that he would be able to ascend and stay with Qiu Ling for the rest of his life, it wasn't worth it if they had to stay apart all the time to achieve that. He'd much rather take it slowly but spent his time at Qiu Ling's side while he cultivated. That way, wouldn't Qiu Ling worry less?
Ah, he could only imagine how Qiu Ling had to be feeling right now. He didn't know that he was alright, did he? He should better try to return soon. Speaking of which …
Jing Yi glanced over at the lonely figure of Xiang Yu. By now, he had started to pace up and down, his head lifted slightly as if he was intently watching the ceiling.
Jing Yi lightly cleared his throat but Xiang Yu didn't even notice. He was too absorbed in his own thoughts. Jing Yi tried again and this time, he even got up and walked over. He reached out to tap his shoulder but Xiang Yu leaped to the side, evading the touch with wide eyes. He stared back at Jing Yi, his fingers bend like claws as if he would attack him every single moment.
Jing Yi froze and finally lifted his hands. "I … I didn't want to do anything. Just … I just wanted to ask … when I could return to Qiu Ling. That thing with my soul … how long will that take?"
Xiang Yu continued to stare at him but his hands slowly relaxed and he straightened up again. "Your soul …" He turned away and resumed his pacing. "It'll take a long time. You know the kind of injury it has will only go away if the obsession that caused it is solved."
"Then how can I do that?"
"Wait."
"Ah?" Jing Yi frowned. "How could I just wait? Qiu Ling —"
Xiang Yu shook his head. "That's exactly it. The moment your soul can put down that thought and not only worry about that person, that's the moment when your soul will start to heal. If you stayed with him, then it would just continue to crack until it breaks down."
"So I'll have to spend a really long time here?"
Xiang Yu nodded but then paused in his steps. "Of course, there's also another way."
"What way?"
"The High Heavens. Have you ever heard of them?"
Jing Yi hesitated. He was from the Heavens but … Were those the High Heavens? "Is that where … my soul came from?"
Xiang Yu nodded. "That's where all souls come from. Then they'll be born into the other realms."
"So the place I lived before …"
"Were the Nine Heavens."
"I see." So that was something different, after all.
Xiang Yu looked up at the ceiling once again. "Anyway, the High Heavens are the place where Tian lives."
"Tian?" Jing Yi tightened his lips. That was a name he really didn't like to hear. Because of that person and his own stupidity, he had almost lost Qiu Ling. So there was really a person like that? He wasn't just someone from an old story? "That Tian … How do you know about him?"
Xiang Yu's lips curled into something that could have been a smile if his eyes didn't stay as gloomy as usual at the same time. "I saw him. After I fell, he came to see me. He's the only one in the world that would never shun the fallen gods."
Fallen gods? Jing Yi furrowed his brows. He didn't know about this either. It seemed he still had to learn a lot about the gods too if he wanted to be with Qiu Ling.
"The gods are very afraid of him. They think he's someone really powerful who wants to hurt them. But Tian is actually very gentle. He's the only one worth loving other than a dragon."
"Worth loving?" Jing Yi raised his brows. And what was this about the dragons again?
"Mn. Although a dragon is still better. But Tian is also very loyal." That strange curve to his lips vanished. "His lover left him behind though. I really don't understand. That kind of man … why would he leave him?"
"Uh … Maybe there were reasons?"
Xiang Yu frowned. "What reason could there be? If you love someone, then you should do so forever with everything you have. You don't just leave them. You … have to stay with them." He lowered his gaze to his hand.
Jing Yi leaned to the side and also looked. There was a shimmering silver ring on his finger that had a faint trace of spiritual energy on it. He had seen something like this before. Qiu Ling was wearing a similar one. This should be a spatial ring? Why was he looking at it like that?
Xiang Yu rubbed the smooth surface, his fingernail tracing the line of the engraving. Back then … he would have followed him everywhere just like what he had said just now. How come he had been disappointed like that? Damned to be alone forever? Who would fall in love with a fallen god?
He tilted his head, thinking of that face that was always covered halfway by that mask. Mn, not even showing his face but daring to have feelings for him, this guy was too irresponsible! He couldn't be trusted. He couldn't be trusted either. Thankfully, he already knew this time. That kind of love was destined to fail.