God Realm, Jiushao Palace
Mist curled over a white-jade pool. White petals drifted on the surface. With a splash, a hard-edged face broke the water. Black hair veiled the man's left cheek. The eye that opened gleamed a ghostly blue, then the next instant returned to black.
Bare-chested, he stepped from the pool. Two attendants hurried forward with bowed heads, draping a robe over his tall frame and reporting in hushed voices, "Zhǔjūn, the Divine Palace of Xihe remains sealed. No word has come from within."
By now, the man had already dried his long hair. With his robe draped casually over his shoulders and his feet bare on the white jade floor, he walked outward as he spoke: "She won't last much longer. I will watch her divine essence exhaust itself and her palace fall silent. She should never have meddled in affairs not her own."
His words were icy and vicious.
"As you command, Zhǔjūn. Your subordinate will have someone keep watch on Xihe's Palace."
The attendant acknowledged the order with deference and withdrew from the great hall. Yet before leaving, he glanced at the man's retreating back, sighed silently, and vanished.
No sooner had the attendant left than the great hall's doors slowly closed. The next moment, the man suddenly collapsed to the floor. The violent motion caused his loosely worn robe to slip away, and immediately, bizarre patterns in indigo and violet emerged across his skin—spreading from his heart outward until, within moments, his bare torso was covered with these sinister markings.
"Xihe!!" the man snarled through gritted teeth, his voice thick with venom.
Weiyu Realm
Ten years had passed since the upheaval at Yunxiao Sea. By now, everyone in the Weiyu Realm knew that deep beneath those waters lay the sealed ground of the evil god's body. Ten years ago, to stop it from surfacing, great experts of every region joined forces to open the Heavenly Gang North Star Demon-Slaying Array, pressing the emergent sealed ground back into the abyss and winning a sliver of life for cultivators across the realm. From then on, Yunxiao Sea became a forbidden zone.
Cultivators also understood the calm was only temporary. Why had the evil god's body appeared in the Weiyu Realm at all? Why did evil cultivators stop at nothing to infiltrate it? What had the great figures of each region done to block them? These questions filled every table and tea house.
Three years after the incident, the Western Region's "All-Knowing One," Wan Bowen, dug out the truth. He personally visited Mingjian Gate and Haoran Sect, then called on the foremost sects of the other four regions. After untangling the chain of events, he published a biography titled The Forgotten Sealed Ground.
It recounted why the evil god's body had been sealed in the Weiyu Realm and how this truth was exposed, as well as the sacrifices made by Weiyu cultivators in the struggle against evil cultivators. It detailed the vicious methods those evil cultivators used against the realm's people, from overt suppression to the slow boil, from propping up "geniuses" only to crush them later to corrupting the unsettled dao hearts of ordinary cultivators. The endless tricks left readers chilled.
Only then did many realize how often the five regions' leaders had already crossed blades with evil cultivators out of sight. Every victory had been bought with blood. Gratitude for the present cultivation world grew, as did their sense of belonging to the Weiyu Realm and their respect for the top-tier cultivators of the five regions.
The names of Ran Xi, Xun Kun, Han Lian, and Yun Chen spread through the realm. The four had suppressed their own cultivation to buy that sliver of life, even letting their realms fall and forgoing ascension, just to force the evil god's sealed ground back beneath Yunxiao Sea. Their merit could not be erased.
Since the Yunxiao Sea incident, however, the four had not walked the realm again. Some said they were grievously wounded by the clash and their sects were seeking heavenly treasures to heal them. Others claimed they were in seclusion to restore their cultivation. Either way, none of the four had left their sects in ten years.
Yunxi had lain in the Qingye Pool the entire ten years, lost in a long and tangled dream. In it, a smiling face kept her company, chatting endlessly. One day, the smile vanished. Sorrow filled that gaze, along with inescapable guilt. The other held Yunxi close and whispering softly in her ear, "I was wrong. I never should have hidden it from you. It ultimately led to the catastrophe we face today. Since this began because of me, it must also be ended by me. You must live well."
After that, that beautiful face never appeared again.
In the next heartbeat, Yunxi was back on a battlefield. A protracted war of attrition had left her physically and mentally exhausted. Just as she was mechanically swinging her staff to slay the enemy, that familiar voice sounded in her ear, "Xi, I'm leaving. Take care."
The scene shifted to a celebration banquet. She alone felt out of place. Only she knew that victory had been bought by someone's sacrifice. No one spoke that person's name. No one cared. She felt it was worthless. The suffocating weight on her chest made it hard to breathe.
"Do you want to help her?"
"Yes!"
"Even if it costs you your life?"
"Yes. Even if it costs me!"
"Alright."
——
No one knew how much time passed. Yunxi's consciousness finally returned. For an instant she felt dazed. The things she had lived through in the dream blurred like a receding tide. It was as if she had only taken a nap.
"Ran Xi, you are awake."
The low, cool voice tugged her wandering thoughts back. She turned toward the sound, blinked those apricot eyes, and spoke, "Master."
Yu Ling studied his disciple's restored gaze and exhaled. He asked with concern, "You slept a long time. Do you feel anything amiss?"
Yunxi rose slowly from the pool, rolling her stiff neck and circulating spiritual power through her meridians. Only then did she step out of the Qingye Pool. "I troubled Master. I am fine. To trigger the demon-slaying array, I burned a layer of cultivation. It wrung me dry, and my divine sense paid a heavy price. That is why I slept so long."
With Yunxi's consent, Yu Ling sent threads of spiritual power to examine her. Finding nothing wrong, he escorted her back to the summit hall of Lingxue Peak.
"Rest two days first, then go to see Ancestor Hao Yi."
Yunxi cupped her hands at once. "Understood. Thank you, Master. Please attend to your duties."
Satisfied that all was well, Yu Ling returned to the Hive. The realm-wide ascension plan was in its final phase. Only the timing remained. He had come because he sensed the Qingye Pool's waters had run low and meant to replenish them. Finding Yunxi awake had been a pleasant surprise.
Since Yunxi fell asleep, she had never stirred. Xun Kun, Han Lian, and Yun Chen had awakened one after another, but his own disciple showed no sign. He would be lying if he claimed he was not worried. The three had privately come to check on Yunxi. Confirming that she was unhurt and only slumbering to recover her drained divine sense, they left reassured.
=====
Wait… is that her partner??? (⊙ꇴ⊙) Like, is that why she never found anyone "attractive" enough or had zero interest in romantic relationships this whole time?!
I know, I know, my imagination is running wild, but damn!!! After 600 chapters +, we finally get a proper tease about her, and my brain is spiraling.
The original Chinese line was:
"对方抱着云曦,在她耳边轻语道" (Duìfāng bàozhe Yúnxī, zài tā ěrbiān qīng yǔ dào) — "The other held Yunxi close, whispering softly in her ear."
And then there's this:
"那张好看的面孔" (Nà zhāng hǎokàn de miànkǒng) — "That beautiful face."
Plus this:
"她觉得很不值,胸口的憋闷感让她很不舒服." (Tā juéde hěn bù zhí, xiōngkǒu de biēmèn gǎn ràng tā hěn bù shūfú.) — "She felt it was worthless. The suffocating weight on her chest made it hard to breathe."
And this whole conversation???
"想要帮她吗?" (Xiǎng yào bāng tā ma?) → "Do you want to help her?"
"想!" → "Yes!"
"即便搭上你自己?" → "Even if it costs you your life?"
"是,即便搭上我自己!" → "Yes. Even if it costs me!"
"好" → "Alright."
Like… hello??? Yunxi is literally dreaming about her, she holding her close, whispering softly in her ear, describing her as beautiful, and having these intense feelings of heartbreak and suffocation. Then she declares she'd risk her life to save her. How could I not think this mysterious "she" is Yunxi's Dao partner?! (ノ>_<)ノ
For context, I translated this chapter on September 10, 2025, and it instantly reminded me of that scene in Wednesday Season 2. You know the one: Wednesday says, "The sooner I get the answer, the sooner I can save Enid, or die trying." It totally parallels that Addams Family scene where Gomez says, "Look at her. I would die for her. I would kill for her." That vibe of fierce devotion? Yeah. That's exactly what Yunxi's dialogue screams: "Yes. Even if it costs me."
And all this is about a woman they clearly love, one so precious to them that they'd literally die for her. I'm sorry, but I'm so hopeful that this woman is going to be her Dao partner. My yuri shipper heart cannot take this tease. (╥﹏╥)