Chapter 89: The Moon Over Heaven’s Heart
Eldest jiao: “Second, this time it’s your turn to offer the demon core!” The third jiao laughed heartily.
Second jiao, however, was not as easily fooled as Third. It focused on Ji Xiao for a moment, then said confidently, “No! He is surging with True Essence; this is a sign of overflow. He has absorbed too much power that hasn’t yet been refined. Offering a core wouldn’t save him—it would harm him! Anyway, he has his Dao Companion. Once his Dao Companion helps him untangle his meridians and soothe his True Essence, and lets him recuperate properly, his cultivation will naturally advance greatly!”
Eldest jiao, “Hmm… seems that’s true. Fine, then let’s first escort the two of them—no, the two of them plus the beast—out.” Meng Xueli still held the mirage beast in his arms.
The roars of the jiao echoed through the seabed. Eldest jiao lowered its body, lifting Meng Xueli and Ji Xiao, and floated toward the surface.
The other two jiao circled nearby. Their scales shimmered with dazzling golden light, illuminating the dark ocean waters.
Meng Xueli thought to himself: their demon forms were truly magnificent—strong and powerful, imposing. Not like my current thin arms and legs. When Ji Xiao had been Xiao Tingyun, he had even complimented my appearance… could that have been real?
He glanced down at his Dao Companion, unconscious and with blood soaking the front of their robe. Probing Ji Xiao’s pulse, he quickly set aside all jealousy; his heart and eyes were filled only with Ji Xiao.
Yu Qishu had been chatting with the three jiao by the pond, but suddenly the creatures disappeared without a trace. Curious, he leaned in and saw ripples on the water’s surface, a nascent whirlpool forming, and felt something was wrong.
“Brother Chu… don’t tell me you’re going to fly off again?”
With a “plop,” a long, white, wet hand emerged from the whirlpool, clutching the pond’s edge.
Yu Qishu jumped back in fright. “Aaaah—”
Meng Xueli leaped from the pond, holding Ji Xiao in his arms. “Xiao Yu, don’t be afraid.”
Seeing who it was, Yu Qishu’s fear turned to delight. “Brother Meng, you’re back!”
“It’s a long story; I’ll tell you later,” Meng Xueli replied. Before finishing, he had already moved dozens of meters away.
Yu Qishu chased after him a few steps but was called back by the eldest jiao in the pond: “Matters of a Dao Companion, why do you meddle?”
“But… Sword Sovereign seems injured…” Yu Qishu worried. He had many questions, but Meng Xueli had arrived and left so quickly, saying only twelve words to him.
Second jiao, “That’s not called being injured, silly boy!”
Third jiao wiped its eyes, aggrieved: “Ji Xiao still hasn’t seen my effort with his own eyes…”
Yu Qishu muttered, “I should go check anyway!”
Meng Xueli carried Ji Xiao into Xiao Tingyun’s room. Before closing the door, he retrieved the mirage beast from his arms and tossed it casually, tracing an arc over the courtyard wall.
“Xiao Yu, take care of it for me—”
Yu Qishu, arriving just in time, quickly gathered himself and leapt, hands outstretched. The mirage beast landed steadily in Yu Qishu’s arms. The two stared at each other wide-eyed.
Yu Qishu, exasperated, almost in tears, said, “What are you, exactly?!”
The mirage beast, still confused about what was happening, tilted its head, looking even more innocent than Yu Qishu. “Awo?”
Before Ji Xiao’s “immortal passing,” he had lived alone in a quiet room, seeing his Dao Companion only once a year. Xiao Tingyun lived next door to Meng Xueli, separated by only a courtyard wall. At night, sitting on their respective rooftops, they could see each other’s shadows under the moonlight, sharing casual words and discussing the Dao whenever possible.
Meng Xueli also wanted to carry Ji Xiao to his own bed, but it felt like taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable state.
He lay beside Ji Xiao, gathering his thoughts, calming his breath. Pressing his forehead gently against Ji Xiao’s, he cautiously sent a sliver of his divine sense forward, attempting to enter Ji Xiao’s mind to soothe the raging true essence within him.
This method carried inherent danger. With anyone else, Ji Xiao’s overwhelming spirit could have rebounded violently, at best causing turbulence in the mind, at worst leading to permanent loss of consciousness. Fortunately, before the secret realm collapsed, the two had already shared a mental connection, and Ji Xiao did not resist him.
Meng Xueli proceeded carefully. His single strand of divine sense trembled like a spider’s silk in the wind, probing lightly. As soon as he breached the edge of Ji Xiao’s mind, a surge of immense, overwhelming force threatened to swallow him whole, like a storm intent on splintering a wooden boat.
He let out a muffled groan, bracing for pain—but the terrifying force suddenly softened, wrapping around him gently.
Even unconscious, Ji Xiao instinctively restrained his pressure, afraid of harming Meng Xueli. Realizing this, Meng Xueli’s mind calmed, and he cautiously sent more of his divine sense forward.
If the meridians were rivers and true essence the water flowing through them, then multiple forces within Ji Xiao’s body surged like a turbulent, rising tide, restless and violent.
Meng Xueli’s divine sense was like a gentle spring breeze. He first entered the narrow channels, smoothing the backward currents into a flowing stream, then moved on to the next, carefully untangling each one in turn, guiding hundreds of rivers to converge into the sea.
Gradually, Ji Xiao’s aura began to stabilize.
How much time passed, he did not know. By the time Meng Xueli reached the depths of Ji Xiao’s mind, his strength was waning. Human cultivation required forging the mind’s intensity, yet he had only been human for three years. In his past life as a demon, he had relied on bloodline gifts and physical strength.
Ji Xiao’s mind was like a vast, snowy sea. The waves shimmered, and falling snowflakes melted as they touched the water.
Meng Xueli felt as if he had entered a dream and looked around curiously.
A wind rose, sending swirling snow into the air. Amid it, a figure materialized by the sea. He saw—or rather, sensed—the soul of Ji Xiao—
It was not the form of the disciple “Xiao Tingyun,” but the Sword Sovereign who had saved him in Hanmen City, unforgettable at first sight in the lands beyond.
“Spirit forms can manifest in the mind. So it’s really true—he’s okay.”
Before he could relax and retreat, a current of Ji Xiao’s divine sense entered his mind, flowing back and forth like a gentle stream.
Ji Xiao was far more skilled. Their souls intertwined, Meng Xueli’s divine sense was fully drawn in, and his spirit took its true form.
It was a small spirit ferret. In Ji Xiao’s mind, it leapt lightly onto the Sword Sovereign’s shoulder, playfully rubbing against his neck.
Ji Xiao held the ferret in his arms and picked up the wooden comb named “Hate the Rain” The teeth were fine, brushing from neck to lower back with just the right pressure.
The little ferret sighed contentedly, rolling to expose its soft belly.
He did not want to think about anything else; he only wished time would stop at this moment.
At the same time, Meng Xueli could not help but moan. Deep in his mind, the intrusion from Ji Xiao’s exploration sent waves through his spirit, tender yet overwhelming, one after another, weakening his body and leaving him defenseless.
He did not know how much time passed. It felt as if he had returned to the secret realm’s cave by the pool, or back to his days as a demon, snuggling closely in Ji Xiao’s embrace, drifting into a hazy sleep.
Late at night, Meng Xueli gradually awoke. Moonlight streamed through the flower-shaped window, casting dancing shadows on the white walls. He saw Ji Xiao’s tranquil face nearby, and his heart stirred.
He tilted his neck and gently blew toward Ji Xiao’s closed eyes.
At Changchun Peak, the moon hung full in the sky. Silver light bathed the grass and trees, and the spring breeze opened the peach blossoms.
Beyond Changchun Peak, the wind rose and clouds swirled. A summer night’s storm was approaching.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
