Although she felt a twinge of embarrassment watching her past awkward experiences, the Divine Empress of the God Clan forced herself to continue. She knew that to regain her memories, she had to push through. She was desperate to uncover the mystery of what had transpired in the Immortal Realm—why had she descended to the mortal world?
Within the Vast Heaven Realm.
"Mission accomplished!" The fairy looked proudly at her creation, clearly pleased with herself. She then turned to where Xiao Fan's consciousness lingered and said, "Give it a try! See if you like it?"
The fairy was filled with excitement, but Xiao Fan was speechless. Was he really expected to inhabit such a bizarre clay figure? And if he did, would he be considered male or female? Would he be stuck in this ridiculous form for the rest of his life? The thought of living perpetually in such a laughable body made him internally cringe.
Xiao Fan hesitated, circling around the clay figure but unable to bring himself to possess it. He also doubted whether he could even control the body if he tried.
Noticing Xiao Fan's reluctance to enter the clay figure, the fairy pouted, "Don't you like it?"
But Xiao Fan couldn't respond to her clearly. After a long, frustrated silence, the fairy sulked, "You're so stubborn!"
Xiao Fan hesitated a moment longer, then sighed inwardly in resignation. In the end, he decided to enter the clay figure. No matter how flawed it was, it was still better than his current formless state.
As his consciousness merged with the clay figure, he realized he could indeed control the body. Xiao Fan first tried lifting the figure's arm—success. Then he attempted to take a step forward. However, the moment his foot touched the ground, the entire body collapsed.
With a thud, the lumps on the chest hit the ground first, followed by the rest of the body crumbling down.
Xiao Fan's consciousness quickly withdrew from the clay figure. It was clear that merely shaping a human form out of clay was not enough to support a full body.
Seeing her creation fall apart, the fairy, who had been so jubilant, now looked dejected. As she pondered how to craft a more suitable body, her gaze fell upon the lotus flowers in a nearby pool. Her eyes lit up with an idea.
Without hesitation, the fairy waded into the pool and began to search beneath the lotus flowers. In this moment, the fairy, usually ethereal and aloof, looked more like a grounded village girl.
Soon, she found several segments of lotus roots. These were no ordinary lotus roots; growing in the Immortal Realm, they were imbued with strong vitality—Immortal Lotus Roots.
After stepping out of the pool with the lotus roots, the fairy arranged them on the ground in the shape of a human. She connected the joints with lotus fibers, forming a complete body. Then, she carefully applied clay over the lotus-root framework, smiling as she worked.
With these Immortal Lotus Roots as a foundation, this body should be much sturdier, she thought.
Xiao Fan watched the fairy as she crafted the new body for him. When he saw her piling clay on the chest again to form two mounds, he grew anxious. But he had no way of communicating to the fairy to stop her.
His consciousness hovered near her hands, trying to convey his disapproval. Sensing his agitation, the fairy paused, pondering Xiao Fan's intent. Then, she remembered how the chest had been the first part of the previous body to collapse. Realizing the mounds were unnecessary, she reluctantly flattened the clay.
Seeing that the fairy had finally refrained from adding the unnecessary mounds, Xiao Fan sighed with relief.
With the Immortal Lotus Roots as the frame, the proportions of the clay figure were now much more balanced.
"Mission accomplished—again!" The fairy beamed with satisfaction. This body was even more perfect than the last, except for the slightly disappointing flat chest.
"Give it a try!" the fairy urged, eager for Xiao Fan to inhabit the new body.
This time, Xiao Fan didn't hesitate. He entered the body immediately. He lifted an arm and took a step. Though his movements were still somewhat clumsy, at least the body didn't collapse.
Moreover, Xiao Fan noticed something extraordinary: the lotus-root-and-clay body was beginning to come alive. The clay skin shimmered with a soft glow, and the body was undergoing a transformation.
Indeed, the Immortal Realm was a place where everything had a spirit. Given time, his body might truly become a living entity.
Xiao Fan looked at the fairy and opened his mouth, trying to express his gratitude. "Th-thank… you…" His voice was stiff and awkward. It seemed he would need some time to practice speaking.
Yet, even this simple expression of thanks caused the fairy to jump for joy. "My name is Xuanwei. What's your name?" she asked, brimming with excitement. It had been countless years since she had last spoken to anyone.
Finally, she had someone to talk to. She tried hard to contain her emotions, fearing she might scare off her new companion.
"Xiao… Fan," he introduced himself simply.
"Xiao Fan? Xiao Fan…" Xuanwei murmured his name, then looked at him with surprise. "You're… male?"
Her question left Xiao Fan momentarily stunned. After thinking about it, he realized it wasn't entirely off base. He nodded, "Yes, I am… male."
"Oh, I see." Xuanwei nodded, not too concerned. She had simply assumed Xiao Fan was a woman like herself. It was only now that she learned he was a man, which mildly surprised her.
"Where did you come from?" Xuanwei asked again.
"The lower realm," Xiao Fan replied, watching Xuanwei closely. It was clear that she had been lonely for a long time, which explained her curiosity about everything.
Sure enough, when Xuanwei heard that Xiao Fan came from the lower realm, her excitement was palpable. "Tell me, what is the lower realm like? And why did you come to the Immortal Realm?"
She was not only fascinated by the lower realm but also deeply curious about Xiao Fan himself. After all, he was unlike anyone she had ever encountered.
As Xiao Fan gazed at this ethereal fairy who now resembled a child discovering the world, he smiled faintly. It seemed that the fairies of the Immortal Realm were not so different from ordinary people in the lower realm after all.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8