27 Chen Xi: When Did You Start Liking Zhen’er?
Within the dreamscape, Yan Zhen and Beautiful Master sat side by side on the swing, enjoying each other’s company while waiting for news from Zi Xunyi.
After a full half hour, Zi Xunyi reappeared, a look of disappointment on her beautiful face.
Without her saying a word, they knew she had failed.
“I’m sorry. I’ve failed you and Master Chen Xi, husband.”
Yan Zhen felt a pang of sympathy and embraced her. “It’s okay. If it didn’t work this time, we’ll just try again… It must be because my Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Fire isn’t strong enough to overcome the Jade Firmament Violet Fire. After all, there’s still a difference in their rankings.”
Zi Xunyi immediately shook her head. “It’s not your fault, husband. It’s me who is useless.”
Chen Xi looked at her disciple’s wife and said, “Your soul has weakened considerably. Even with the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Fire’s assistance, directly confronting the Jade Firmament Violet Fire with your spiritual body is too risky. You can only try this at most two more times before your soul might dissipate.”
Zi Xunyi lowered her head and pleaded, “Please give me another chance, Master Chen Xi.”
Chen Xi looked at Yan Zhen, who frowned.
“It’s indeed too risky. Let’s not try again. Leave it to me.” Yan Zhen scratched his cheek. “After I enter the Inner Academy, I’ll contact the current you, build a good relationship, and then explain about your and Ling’er’s rebirth.”
“But husband—”
“Ling’er still has time. I don’t want anything to happen to you too.”
Zi Xunyi’s expression softened, and she nodded obediently. “I’ll listen to my husband.”
“What Zhen’er said is indeed a viable option.” Chen Xi pondered. “Zi Ji, tell me, when did you start liking Zhen’er?”
Eh? Zi Xunyi was taken aback, blinking her eyes rapidly, then a blush spread across her beautiful face.
Seeing Yan Zhen staring at her, Zi Xunyi became even more shy. “Why are you asking this so suddenly, Master Chen Xi?”
“Naturally, it’s to understand your… girlish heart,” Chen Xi smiled. “So that Zhen’er can quickly become closer to you and perhaps develop a deeper relationship.”
Zi Xunyi blushed even more, but she still recounted her feelings carefully. “In my previous life, when I was cultivating the Spiritual Union chapter, my soul resonated with my husband’s, and I entered his dream, where we met.”
Initially, Zi Xunyi was simply curious about the person whose soul resonated with hers. So, she started talking to Yan Zhen and unexpectedly discovered that beneath his handsome exterior was an interesting soul.
His thoughts were unconventional, his way of speaking unique, and he knew many strange and wonderful things, even able to manifest them with his Spiritual Power, broadening Zi Xunyi’s horizons.
“The universe is infinite. The stars we see are actually very, very far away, so far that the light they emit takes many years to reach our eyes. This is because light travels at a fixed speed and is also bent by gravitational fields.”
“Using only the digits 1 and 0, we can create countless possibilities, even artificial intelligence, which we call ‘computers.’ The portable ones are called ‘mobile phones’.”
“Me? Ahem, I’m a self-taught cultivator with a year and a half of experience. My name is Yan Zhen, and I like singing, dancing, rapping, basketball… After I style my hair and put on some overalls, I’ll perform an original dance for you called ‘You’re Too Beautiful.’… Um, Zi Ji, don’t misunderstand. It’s just a compliment on your beauty.”
Besides that, his understanding of cultivation also exceeded Zi Xunyi’s expectations.
“A single grain of dust can fill the ocean, a single blade of grass can cut through the sun, moon, and stars, and a tiny firefly can outshine the moon in someone’s eyes. In this world of fantasy, nothing is impossible.”
“There are countless cultivation methods, but unfortunately, there’s no flashy magic here, only Mystic Qi cultivated to its peak. As far as I know, besides this world, there are other worlds where people cultivate martial arts, not Mystic Arts. The path of martial arts involves stealing Yin and Yang, seizing destiny, undergoing nirvana, controlling life and death, and mastering reincarnation… At its peak, martial arts can shatter the heavens and shake the universe!”
And occasionally, he would boast.
“Every talent has its use—without me, eternity would be an endless night.”
Yan Zhen was like a treasure trove, full of unexpected surprises, making Zi Xunyi increasingly curious about him.
Their nightly conversations in the dreamscape became the highlight of Zi Xunyi’s day.
In the monotonous Inner Academy, the lonely young woman and the equally “lonely” young man shared their innermost thoughts, treating each other as kindred spirits.
One day, they met in the Inner Academy. The kindred spirit she had been talking to in her dreams appeared before her, so unreal, yet so delightful.
The real Yan Zhen was even more shy and easily embarrassed, often scratching his cheek with his finger, which she found incredibly cute.
After Yan Zhen defended her against a suitor from the Rising Star List, Zi Xunyi’s gaze lingered on him even more frequently.
Not just meeting in dreams at night, but also secretly watching him during the day, observing him training beneath the waterfall and dominating his opponents on the dueling platform.
The image of “Yan Zhen” gradually filled Zi Xunyi’s heart. Besides cultivation, she would constantly think about him, wondering what he was doing, whether he would meet her in the dreamscape that night, and what they would talk about.
Days turned into weeks, until Zi Xunyi received a summons from her family. She had to leave the Sacred Ground Academy and return to the Eighth Continent.
It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but Zi Xunyi felt no happiness. She felt a strong reluctance to leave, wanting to stay and continue watching her “kindred spirit,” talking to him, and creating more memories.
Zi Xunyi finally realized, or rather, finally had to admit, that she had fallen in love with Yan Zhen.
“…”
After confessing her feelings, Zi Xunyi covered her face with her hands, too shy to look at Yan Zhen and Master Chen Xi.
Hearing Zi Xunyi’s confession, Yan Zhen also felt a bit embarrassed. The script didn’t mention any of this. He had thought that Zi Xunyi only gradually accepted him as her “husband” after their arranged marriage.
Chen Xi, however, wasn’t surprised. She pondered and said, “So, Zi Ji, your feelings for Zhen’er developed gradually, not sparked by a specific event.”
Zi Xunyi blinked and whispered, “There was… a catalyst of sorts.”
“Oh?”
“Once, I entered the dreamscape while bathing, and then…”
Zi Xunyi didn’t continue, but Chen Xi understood.
Entering the dreamscape without clothes meant her spiritual avatar would also be naked, needing to create clothes for herself. If she wasn’t careful, she would be… seen.
So, it was because he accidentally saw her naked that their friendship turned into love.
However, this wasn’t something Yan Zhen could replicate. He couldn’t exactly peek at Zi Xunyi while she was bathing; she would kill him.
As Chen Xi pondered, Yan Zhen spoke up. “Master, I have a bold idea!”
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