The dream was so vivid that even after waking up, Meng Shuying could still feel the sticky, warm blood on her hands—the blood of her senior sister.
In the dream, her sister's blood had dripped down, pooling on the ground beneath them and staining the soles of Meng Shuying's shoes. Her sister's face, once vibrant, turned pale as blood drained away, leaving behind a lifeless, ashen complexion. She had looked at Meng Shuying with a gaze full of anger and betrayal, as if silently questioning, Why did you kill me? How could you do this?
But in the dream, Meng Shuying's eyes hadn't lingered on her sister. She had been fixated on the eerie formation beneath them, trembling not with fear, but with anticipation of what was to come. Even as her sister lay dying, she hadn't spared her a second glance.
Meng Shuying trembled as though she had been plunged into icy waters, her expression full of grief. Su Luowei, listening to the details of the dream, didn't appear particularly shocked. She gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Meng Shuying's neck and used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her brow, speaking softly, "It's okay. That was just a dream. I'm right here."
Su Luowei's voice was calm and soothing, imbued with a certain strength that helped ease the tension in Meng Shuying. She leaned her head against Su Luowei's shoulder, inhaling deeply. The familiar scent of lilies filled her nose, bringing her a sense of peace.
It had always been this way. Only by Su Luowei's side could Meng Shuying truly find solace. In those years when her senior sister had been absent, she had felt like a lost soul, wandering aimlessly no matter how strong or cold she appeared on the outside. She had been filled with a deep-seated fear, uncertain of her place in the world.
But wherever Su Luowei was, that was home.
When Meng Shuying finally calmed down, Su Luowei gently helped her sit up straight and began to check her condition. As she did so, she asked, "Did you dream of anything else?"
Meng Shuying, now more composed, realized she had been overly emotional and shook her head sheepishly. "No. After… that happened, I just wanted to escape the dream as quickly as possible, but I got trapped in a fog. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find my way out. It wasn't until I heard you calling me that I managed to break free."
"You were having a nightmare," Su Luowei said softly. She leaned in to kiss Meng Shuying's lips, comforting her. "It was just a dream. There's no need to dwell on it. Now that you're awake, let's prepare to leave."
Meng Shuying nodded. Although she was reassured by Su Luowei's words, she couldn't help but hesitate as she gazed at her senior sister's gentle face. She wanted to ask if, during their trials in the three thousand worlds, she had ever truly harmed Su Luowei in one of those worlds.
But the question seemed foolish. Even if she had accidentally hurt Su Luowei without realizing it, her senior sister—kind and forgiving as she was—would likely hide it from her to avoid causing her guilt.
It was irrational to be so shaken by a dream, but the experience had felt so real, as if she had lived through it herself.
After thoroughly examining Meng Shuying, Su Luowei placed her hand on her chest, channeling a few waves of spiritual energy into her. Then she helped her stand up from the jade pedestal.
It was strange; after setting up the protective arrays at the entrance, Su Luowei had been nearly drained of energy. But after resting on the jade pedestal, she had awoken feeling fully recharged, her body brimming with spiritual power.
At first, she thought the jade had special properties that helped restore energy and enhance cultivation. But when she noticed that Meng Shuying didn't seem much different from before, she realized that the jade likely only had a unique effect on her.
After dismantling the protective arrays at the entrance, Su Luowei and Meng Shuying left the cave. As they walked, the tunnel walls became damp, and their steps grew unsteady on the slick moss-covered ground. They had to slow down and support each other to avoid slipping.
After navigating this treacherous section, the tunnel opened up, and the once dark and narrow passage began to widen. Patches of grass and flowers emerged, along with thick, tangled tree roots beneath their feet.
Ahead, a faint light shone, accompanied by the sound of birds chirping.
"This must be the exit," Su Luowei said with a hint of excitement.
But Meng Shuying didn't share her optimism. Instead of relief, her face showed caution.
As they stepped out of the tunnel, the ceiling above suddenly seemed to rise, and they found themselves under a starlit sky. At first glance, it felt as though they had returned to the surface, standing beneath the night sky.
But Meng Shuying knew better. This was not the surface; they had entered a special place.
They were in a burial chamber.
The tunnels they had walked through were part of an extensive network, leading to other chambers, each the resting place of a deceased Demon Lord. The chamber they now stood in was designed by Fuguang himself for a future Demon Lord.
Most assumed that Fuguang had created these tombs out of respect for his fallen kin, ensuring they were properly honored even at great personal cost, despite his own injuries.
But Meng Shuying knew the truth. Fuguang's true motive was to keep their bodies, blood, and divine bones out of anyone else's hands.
These secrets were known to few within the demon realm. How did she know?
Before she could ponder this further, a voice echoed around them, seemingly coming from all directions at once. It was Fuguang, and his tone was amused, "My daughter, you've finally arrived."
Meng Shuying's face darkened, and she instinctively reached for Su Luowei. But to her shock, her hand passed right through her.
She stopped in her tracks, her expression growing more serious as she tried again to grasp her sister's hand, only to watch in horror as her fingers slipped through Su Luowei's palm.
What was happening? Meng Shuying glanced down at herself; everything seemed normal, and the ground beneath her feet felt solid and real. If the problem wasn't with her, then it had to be with Su Luowei—
She turned to Su Luowei, calling her name twice. But Su Luowei, oblivious, continued walking forward. Although they were in the same space, standing on the same ground, it was as if they were in different dimensions, unable to touch each other.
Fuguang's voice echoed again, "Don't waste your energy. She can't hear you."
So he had been watching them. Meng Shuying frowned, scanning the area warily, trying to locate Fuguang.
"What trickery are you playing? Is this an illusion or a spell? Whatever it is, I warn you—do not harm my sister."
"I wouldn't harm your little lover without reason," Fuguang replied calmly. "The problem is that you brought her into the Demon Palace's sacred ground. This place is not meant for humans. Without the protection of demon blood, a human will lose themselves here. If she stays too long, she'll either lose her mind or her life."
Meng Shuying was ready to draw her sword, prepared to break the enchantment by force.
Fuguang sighed and added, "But since you've formed a Dao bond, she's half a demon herself now."
Reluctantly, Meng Shuying lowered her sword.
Fuguang's frustration was evident as he sighed heavily, "I've been wondering why you've taken so long to find me. After sending someone to investigate, I discovered you've become quite the devoted lover in the human world."
As he spoke, his voice grew closer, and soon he appeared in Meng Shuying's line of sight.
His expression showed clear disapproval, his features tense with irritation.
Meng Shuying, already displeased with him, didn't hesitate to draw her sword again, the blade gleaming coldly as she pointed it at Fuguang. Her voice was icy, "What game are you playing?"
Fuguang glanced dismissively at her sword, shaking his head, "You came here on your own. I only sensed your presence when you entered."
He began to stroll around the chamber, looking entirely at ease as though he were in his own garden. Then he turned to Meng Shuying and asked, "Do you know where you are?"
"I do," she replied. "This is the burial chamber of the fallen Demon Lords."
Fuguang shook his head and asked another question, "And have you seen a coffin?"
Without waiting for her to answer, he continued, "You're partially right. This is indeed a burial chamber for a fallen Demon Lord, but not one of the three you mentioned. This chamber was specifically prepared for either you or me."
He looked at her with a mix of disappointment and frustration. "Even now, you don't remember. Is it that you can't remember, or that you don't want to?"
His words were like a riddle, leaving Meng Shuying confused.
She shouldn't have listened to his cryptic musings, but the dream where she had killed her sister lingered in her mind.
"So you're here to help me recover some lost memory?" Meng Shuying scoffed, "You're not that kind-hearted."
"Of course, I am," Fuguang said with feigned sympathy. "You're my only daughter. I can't stand to see you being deceived any longer."
With a flick of his finger, a golden light shot out, flying straight toward Meng Shuying.
She raised her sword in defense, slicing through the air to intercept it. But the light was alive, dodging her attack and striking her forehead.
It was as if a dam had burst, and memories flooded into her mind.
Amid the overwhelming torrent, Meng Shuying saw another version of herself.
Fortunately, having already experienced part of the story in the cave, Meng Shuying didn't lose herself in the memory. Instead, she remained focused, keeping her mind clear.
This time, it didn't feel like a dream she was living but rather like she was watching someone else's life unfold.
As an outsider, she observed this other "her" kill her senior sister, break the seal, and engage in a long battle with Wen Miaomiao until Wen Miaomiao ascended to immortality and sealed her beneath Inkstone Mountain.
She remained trapped beneath the mountain for an immeasurable amount of time, completely cut off from the world. Then one day, a man claiming to be her father came and rescued her, bringing her back to the demon realm.
At first, she was skeptical of his identity. She had spent so many years navigating the human world, becoming far from the naive girl she once was. Even though he had freed her, she didn't fully trust him.
The only reason she agreed to follow him was that he immediately recognized the white jade ring she always carried, revealing that it once contained a sleeping soul and a complete divine bone.
The white jade ring was Meng Shuying's deepest secret.
During a trial in the Ten Directions Blessed Land, she had stumbled upon the white jade ring, initially believing it to be a simple ornament. It wasn't until she encountered a life-threatening situation during a training session that the ring's true nature was revealed. Her blood had fallen on the ring, marking it as hers and awakening a hidden space within it. A fragment of a celestial's consciousness resided in the ring.
That celestial had saved her life during that trial.
Meng Shuying had lived a harsh life, and even after joining Qingxu Sect, she was neither loved by her master nor her senior sister. It was the first and only time someone had stood in front of her and protected her.
At that time, she had been severely injured, her arms and legs broken, unable to stand. When her enemies launched a fierce attack, she had resigned herself to death, closing her eyes in acceptance.
But the expected pain never came. Instead, the ring had glowed, and a figure had appeared—a woman in white, shielding her from harm.
After the enemies fled, the woman helped Meng Shuying to her feet, channeling gentle spiritual energy into her, healing her injuries.
The woman was stunningly beautiful, dressed in a white robe with a shimmering silk outer garment. Her face was as delicate as a lotus, her aura as pure as the moon.
Meng Shuying felt a surge of inferiority in her presence, unable to meet her gaze directly. She stole a glance at the woman's pearl earrings, then quickly looked away.
The woman introduced herself as Shifang Juzi, a celestial who had fallen in the Ten Directions Blessed Land. Though her true body had perished, she had left behind this fragment of consciousness. Since Meng Shuying had found her ring and it had accepted her as its master, it was fate.
She asked Meng Shuying if she would become her disciple, to train under her guidance.
Meng Shuying's official master had always treated her with indifference, never teaching her anything and even allowing others to bully her. Faced with this opportunity, Meng Shuying eagerly accepted, bowing to the woman as her new master.
Her new master was kind and patient, teaching her with great care. The only downside was that, perhaps due to the long passage of time since the celestial had died, the fragment of consciousness lacked much spiritual energy.
After her physical form had perished, the fragment had no source of power, relying solely on the remaining energy it had accumulated over the years. To save Meng Shuying, it had used a significant portion of that energy.
When Meng Shuying first became her disciple, they met once every seven days. Over time, those meetings became less frequent—once a month, then once every two months.
Eventually, they agreed to meet only once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month.
Though Meng Shuying felt disappointed at only seeing her master once a year, she never showed it. Instead, she reassured her master that even one visit was precious and that she would cherish every moment they had together.
Time passed, and Meng Shuying grew stronger. She successfully built her foundation, formed her core, and became a talented cultivator within Qingxu Sect.
Though her sect siblings still treated her poorly, few dared to openly bully her. They looked down on her origins but feared her growing power.
As her cultivation advanced, their disdain and fear mixed into a complicated attitude. Those who had once tormented her now kept their distance, leaving her in relative peace.
If her master in the white jade ring hadn't suddenly vanished, Meng Shuying might have enjoyed this period of calm.
Though they only met once a year, just knowing that her master would be waiting for her on the seventh day of the seventh month filled Meng Shuying with hope.
Even though her official master continued to mistreat her, implying that she should act as other female disciples did and willingly enter his bed, and even though he made things difficult for her when she refused, Meng Shuying ignored him, focusing entirely on her cultivation.
She waited, longed for, and anticipated the day she would see her master again. She wanted to tell her that she was close to forming her Nascent Soul and that it wouldn't be long before she succeeded. When that day came, she vowed to find a way to restore her master's energy, no matter how far she had to travel.
But before she could reach that milestone, her master disappeared.
She faded like a wisp of smoke, vanishing from the world without a trace. All that remained was a divine bone, lying silently in the white jade ring, a solemn reminder that she had once existed.