Silence. Silence remained as Xiao absorbed Yun Yurou's words. They traveled deep into his heart, triggering memories of a similar promise from an older Yun Yurou. For a brief moment, Xiao's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly shook his head to dismiss the feeling, turning his head away to avoid looking at Yun Yurou.
Observing Xiao's reaction, Yun Yurou smiled happily. For some reason, these words resonated deeply within her soul, eager to be spoken aloud. Meanwhile, Xiao sighed inwardly. From everything he had witnessed so far, he could tell that Yun Yurou would not give up. In the past, he could have brushed it off as youthful infatuation that would fade with time, but now, that was no longer possible.
Never underestimate the burning feelings of a Phoenix.
These words were known far and wide. A phoenix, a symbol of purity, grace, and laws, became most terrifying when fighting for the one they loved. It was wise not to meddle with a phoenix in love. Once they set their hearts on something, they would not relent until death.
Xiao could see that Yun Yurou was set on him, and making her forget him seemed next to impossible. Truthfully, Xiao had no idea how to deal with it. He wasn't an expert in matters of the heart, atleast his current memeories told him so.
'Sigh...let it be like this for now...'
In the end, Xiao decided to let fate take its course. He was already engaged and had no intention of cheating on his fiancée. He didn't want to make things difficult for Li Lun either. Though Xiao had never been in a romantic relationship, he had had his fair share of interactions with women.
During his time walking the demonic path, the women he encountered weren't exactly pure. Being a young man in his teens, he had engaged in some rendezvous back then, but none of them were serious. However, that all stopped when Yun Yurou entered his life.
Pushing aside his memories of Yun Yurou, Xiao focused on the current situation. From what he could gather, it seemed that both he and Yun Yurou had been transported to the Beastial Era, a time when several divine beasts reigned supreme. It was an ancient era with forgotten glories, a time of rise and fall.
Xiao didn't possess much knowledge about it. He only had fragments of information he had heard during his journey. However, he did know a crucial aspect of the Beastial Era—it marked the birth of humans. Humans didn't exist from the beginning of creation; they came into being at the end of the Beastial Era.
Unlike other beasts, species, or monsters, humans were scorned. They lacked special attributes, bloodlines, talents, claws, or heavenly emblems—nothing distinguished them. Consequently, they faced scorn, disdain, and oppression. However, what others didn't realize was that humans had the potential to surpass even the most formidable monsters. True, they lacked any inherent specialties, but that meant they could excel in everything.
No bloodline? No problem! Humans could kill dragons and take their bloodlines. No extraordinary speed? No problem! They could hunt and kill legendary griffins to acquire their wings. No affinity? Again, no problem! Humans could slay the legendary Qilin and harness its power of lightning.
Beings that had looked down on humans soon trembled in fear. Humans, devoid of specialties, simply adopted the specialties of others and surpassed them. They became powerful enough to threaten their masters. Eventually, a massive war erupted, leading to a conclusion that was lost in the depths of time.
All that remained was the knowledge that humans emerged victorious, albeit at the cost of losing a significant portion of their heritage. Their ability to absorb the talents of others perished. Fortunately, humans had already taken a significant step forward, and their foundation was solid. The Heavenly Dao recognized their prestige.
Since then, humans have flourished. But the present situation was different. Humans were once again looked down upon, and their rise to power had only just begun. However, before Xiao could delve deeper into his thoughts, he shouted at Yun Yurou.
"Please! Can you stop that?"
Xiao spoke in an attempt to regain some peace of mind from Yun Yurou's incessant poking. While lost in thought, Yun Yurou playfully poked Xiao's cheeks, seeking a reaction from him. It was truly becoming annoying, and if possible, he would push her away. Unfortunately, he couldn't. Yun Yurou's cultivation surpassed his, and he couldn't bring himself to be harsh with her. He was a softie when it came to his loved ones.
"Nope, I like it!"
Yun Yurou responded with an enchanting smile. Her current smile, combined with her appearance, was truly captivating. She was like a little fairy who took one's breath away. The more one looked at her, the more one was drawn to her. In the end, Xiao could only shake his head at her antics, which reminded him of their past times together.
"So, what do you think about all of this, Yurou?"
Hearing Xiao's question, Yun Yurou remained silent as she pondered. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth and spoke.
"To be honest, I'm still in shock about what happened. One moment, I thought I would lose you, and the next, I'm here like this, hearing about the Beastial Era. It's truly surprising..."
Xiao didn't respond with words but nodded in agreement. After all, Yun Yurou hadn't experienced much in her life, and her perspective was limited. Frowning, Xiao's thoughts shifted, and his mind settled. Suddenly, his eyelids grew heavy, and he slowly drifted into sleep. Amidst the rush, Xiao might not have felt it, but he was mentally exhausted.
Although sleep became less necessary at higher cultivation levels, it was different when one expended their mental and soul energy entirely. Even beings of unfathomable cultivation needed rest. Meanwhile, Yun Yurou's eyes softened as she gazed at Xiao, now peacefully asleep.
She adjusted his body gently to ensure he slept in a comfortable position. Content with her efforts, she secretly hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder, and relished in the warmth of Xiao's body. Imbued with his scent, her vision blurred as she, too, drifted into slumber. She, too, was tired.