"You are just a disciple?!" Kuan Yin yelped.
It should be known that they were still using spiritual sense to communicate.
"Yes, Young Miss," Li Cheng replied. Although the intention behind what he said wasn't like what she was thinking...
He wanted the world to know that such a 'powerful existence' was only a mere disciple of his future sect!
"Which sect are you from?" Her boggled eyes did not betray her curiosity.
"*Cough* It's complicated. I will inform the Young Miss in our next encounter."
"A mortal? No… he must be from the Upper World. Perhaps one of ancient birth? No those artefacts…" Kuan Yin began to mumble in her mind.
"Young Miss. I can hear your thoughts." Li Cheng reminded her. Information was valuable, but being in her graces was much more imperative.
"Ah?! My apologies. Kindly overlook my momentary lapse. I am simply filled with curiosity." Her panic lasted just for a moment before her expression sharpened.
"I apologise again but... May I inquire about the origin of that bell in your possession?"
There was no pressure being emitted, but Li Cheng felt the weight of her words descend like a lofty mountain.
'Here it is.' Li Cheng was long prepared for this moment.
"I said I was going to inform you about it in our next encounter. But it would definitely be rude if I did not disclose how my hands were in hold of this bell. So I shall tell you right now." In his mind, Li Cheng activated the Three Realms Illusion.
"Young Miss. I hope you don't mind, but could you please alight off your immortal cushion?" Li Cheng said, solemnly.
Kuan Yin nodded.
With a faint glitter, the heavenly fairy descended upon the mortal world, fleeting and otherworldly. Gently, her white feet touched the floor. Yet, there was not a speck of earth that marred her.
It was evident that she truly had transcended the mortal plane.
Her expression was likewise solemn, but it was a little scrunched. She was trying to hold her laughter in. 'Immortal cushion? So silly! But, truth be told, he isn't entirely wrong, haha."
Li Cheng was dazzled again by her appearance. 'Too overpowered! So this is what a real fairy looks like in those cultivation novels. Unbelievable…' Even with his special beauty mental training which he had conducted in the past and the power of hisrobe, his mind was already on the verge of collapsing.
He didn't dare imagine how he would look if he wasn't wearing this sacred robe. Would he be like those cultivators ogling? With her world destroying beauty, his saliva may just drool out just like in those novels.
That's too much!
Those horrors screamed him awake. To avoid this nightmare and current unsightly display, Li Cheng bit his tongue and walked to her with deliberate, heavy footsteps; footsteps not loud but were serious.
'Should I use the contracts? No, I have to use those sparingly. This Young Miss is a genuinely kind and compassionate person. And a Deity to boast!'
However, Li Cheng was not naive either. This was their first meeting, and he did not have the cultivation base, and room to trust her enough.
"Young Miss. Could you please swear an oath that you would not disclose to anyone and only keep this to yourself. Not even to your Great Buddha." He didn't mince his words.
Kuan Yin raised an eyebrow, seemingly frowning. Her lips were certainly tight, but the issue was that the bell was one of the heaven defying treasures very important to Buddhism religion itself.
Although it wasn't one of the Sacred Treasures of Buddhism as it was a product of recent ancestry in the annals of time, it was close and its value was invaluable. Many would even argue that the bell was more valued than Sacred Treasures themselves!
The matter was actually so complicated that she couldn't handle the decision herself despite being a Deity of considerable status.
Li Cheng could decipher that things weren't in his favour.
Saying his last prayers and apologising in his heart, he sternly scooped up her hands with one arm, putting them together, and moved his other arm to place its hand on top. His eyes did not wander. They stared fixedly into her beautiful eyes.
"Please Young Miss. I beseech you."
Kuan Yin's eyes fluttered like butterfly wings. Her face blossomed into a shade of red. She instinctively wanted to let go, but her will power weakened when looking at his handsome face and fervent, determined black eyes.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds. Her quickened breathing slowed. When she opened them, the embarrassed expression of a young princess was no more. Instead, a solemn outlook befitting a Deity. Their joined hands separated and fell.
"Very well, Mor… Mortal. I will do the vow. As for the consequences, I will take responsibility."
She was slightly flushed because she wasn't sure if Mortal would actually be appropriate. But she said it anyway because he had yet to refute.
Then...
The world went silent.
The twinkling glow cocooned on her body magnified.
The long locks of her black, smooth hair hovered in the air.
"I Kuan Yin, The Saviour, Transcended Bodhisattva of Compassion, Deity under the teachings of Great Buddha, The Kind, Compassionate, Merciful Goddess who leads those to Nirvana, herby vow to the Great Buddha that I will not disclose to anyone even to itself about this man's secrets unless permitted. If I were to break this vow, may my soul never reach—
—Nirvana!"
SHING!!!!
The blue skies flashed with starry white stars. The white lights swirled, incredibly bright, all-encompassing and like a passing moment of Heavens' lighting, the lights streaked, gently fading but instantly vanishing as though they didn't exist.
The phenomena had only occurred for just a single moment, and yet its profundity and clause was no inferior to a vow with the Heavens as her witness.
Right as the phenomena ended, the rest of the strangeness occurring from Kuan Yin came to rest.
Li Cheng was dumbstruck, his mouth wide open.
Kuan Yin's small lips curled to a smile. "Are you satisfied?" she teased.
"...It was more than enough," Li Cheng replied, unrecovered. 'I thought cultivators vow to their Dao heart or to the Heavens. It seems the Buddhists in this world have their own vicious way of vowing. Eye opening!'
Li Cheng continued to talk.
"As I had said before, I am a disciple of a sect. It's an extremely powerful hidden sect. Very long ago in the many aeons of time, there was a sect so powerful that its might caused the Heavens to tremble, the Gods and Divine to scatter, the Demons to hide, the Celestials to be silenced, the Immortals to awe, everything in power were forced to succumb. Even the Great Dao was unease.
"Its influence was like a sophisticated network of infinite cobwebs. All worlds, realms, and the like, nothing was hidden from their eyes. Its foundation was so deep and rooted in all places that some had said that the one who founded the sect was perhaps one of the first descendants of the creators of the universe itself. Or maybe the founder had obtained an unparalleled legacy by such creators.
"What was most terrifying was the fact that this sect was always in the shadows. It almost never truly appeared. Always remaining hidden and manipulating the peaks of powers in the palm of its hand. In fact, it was too late when people realised that the sect had their feet in many of the largest or unusual events in all annals of history.
"Legend states that whenever this sect appears. It forebodes great calamity. The sect determines that the world would be unable to handle what is to come, and thus they would make their appearance to eradicate it. One thing was for sure, there would be a great reformation in the powers of the world."
Li Cheng paused his storytelling. He was so into the conjuring of bullshiting that he had forgotten to pay attention to her to make sure she was following.
When his eyes roused, his gaze captured Kuan Yin completely immersed in the contents of the story. Although she looked immersed, it was hard to tell if she actually believed it. Li Cheng decisively used this opportunity to provide a dramatic effect.
"Do you want to know what the average strength was for a normal disciple in that sect?" Li Cheng whispered as though he was about to reveal a great secret.
"...What was it?" Kuan Yin unknowingly mimicked him, whispering back.
"Much like yourself. "The Divine Realm Transcended."
"WHAAA~" she gasped and covered both hands in shock! The gasps continued to leak between her fingertips.
How was that possible?
It wasn't the Divine Realm, but a Divine Realm Transcended?!
It was said that there were less than a 1000 of them in existence! And she was one of them!
It was already so difficult to believe, and then he added this on top of everything?
The story was already too impossible to believe even for someone with Kuan Yin's nature to believe, but she couldn't help but have some feelings of belief in him.
There was no doubt he was in the Qi Condensation level. She had confirmed it with him and had scrutinised him. The trash Qi fluctuations and quality also served as testament.
How can someone like him know of such a term, find out about her true cultivation base, say a word like Celestial?
There were also those powerful heaven-defying treasures he had shown so far.
No, doesn't this just further affirm that he's definitely no Mortal and comes from the Upper World?
But then, that doesn't explain his cultivation base. Why would it be so so trash?
The perfume? No, once she had cleared her mind through a lot of effort and recognition, she was no longer under such effects. At least that's what she believed.
Unless this man in front of her was actually a true terrifying expert posing in disguise!
That's the only explanation!
She assumed the trash Qi was done through collection of the Qi in this mortal air. After all, she too had connected with Li Cheng through her Domain and sensed a profound Qi that was similar to those found in ancient secret realms.
'This senior dares to jest! Hmph. I shall ensure you navigate the intricate path of consequences for your playful banter! I am not so easy to bully! Yet, I must acknowledge, this mischievous storyteller possesses a remarkable skill in narrating tales.' Kuan Yin, who was already immersed and astonished, began fluttering her eyes: keep going!
As for whether she believed it, it was on the fence, rocking.
Li Cheng was pleased seeing that his dramatic effect had results greater than he had expected. Following the gasps and animated motions blatant on her face, he knew she couldn't wait to hear the rest.
"Yes, this sect was so powerful that it was to the degree of omnipotence. Publicly and silently acknowledged as the 'Strongest Sect'. Officially the sect was known as the 'Legendary Sect'. The sect did not have any flowery or exaggerated words, thus it was just the 'Legendary Sect'. Its name represented it being legendary, befitting.
"It was certain that this sect would always remain in histories to come. But alas perhaps the calamities themselves were jealous. After a long aeon of peace, a certain great calamity far beyond anyone's imagination transpired."
Li Cheng's expression darkened. He tilted his head down to let the bangs of his hair cover his expression.
"Unfortunately, I don't know what happened and its events had been long lost in the annals of time. But in the great calamity, my sect which was once compared by all other sects as being the difference between the Heaven and the Earth, had become reversed…
"Us… naturally being the Earth and everyone else the Heavens."
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
"My family… friends… they…"
Tears sorrowfully flowed down in rivulets.
The canals of sadness went down the streams reaching to his arms. The waters met the rocks which hardened and clenched in frustration. Unable to stop the tears from seeping through.
Kuan Yin's heart melted and her expression became bitter. She wanted to mourn with him for his loss, but she didn't know what to say.
If what he said was true, then it was obvious that this sect was essentially no more. She wondered how many had survived such a catastrophe. He couldn't be the only one right?
Kuan Yin did not want to see him crying any longer. She did not have the best family experience, nor did she have a lover. Let alone true close friends. However, she was indeed a Deity who helped people who were suffering. When it came to stabilising or aiding turmoil emotions, she knew that intimacy was important.
Much like Li Cheng earlier, she took it upon herself to reach out and hold her hands with him. Unlike before, the held hands were gently angled down and not raised at all.
It was warm.
"It's okay, Kuan Yin is by your side. For countless years so long… it must've been very tough for you." She gripped her hands tightly unwilling to let him be taken into his sorrow.
"People often say that a grown man shouldn't shed tears, but I really believe that notion is misguided. Regardless of who we are, there are moments in life when the overwhelming desire to cry surfaces. A deep longing to release tears exists within, yet one must restrain and shield those emotions, concealing them from others. For to do otherwise would inflict pain on those around or impede the journey forward."
Kuan Yin lurched in and peaked her head, taking just a glimpse of the lone man's sorrow. Like a mirror's reflection, her eyes were the same; glossed and swollen with tears.
She too then closed her eyes, weeping. But her gentle words continued to teardrop and echo into Li Cheng's ears.
"...You've reached your limit, haven't you? Please, go ahead, let it all out. It's okay; this will be our secret, shared with Kuan Yin. No one will witness us, and no one will be aware. Although Kuan Yin may not comprehend entirely, she has lived through many ages. The solitude, the heartache of losing everyone—it's an arduous journey. Incredibly difficult."
As if that was the final straw, Li Cheng's tears burst through the dams.
No longer did he try to hold back his tears.
Like his exterior appearance, the interior was a mess…
'AHHHHHHHHH I'M DECEIVING SUCH A PURE-HEARTED GIRL. AHHHHHHHHHH FUCKKKKK I'M CRYING FOR REAL NOW. MY HEART, MY HEART CAN'T TAKE ITTTTTTT ANYMOREEEEE.'