Chapter 597: Meeting for the First Time

As the projection of the Qilin Immortal faded, the intricate veins upon the shadow-recording stone grew cold and dim. No matter how much spiritual energy was infused into it, the artifact remained utterly unresponsive, reduced to a mere withered pebble.

A profound silence blanketed the room.

Jiang Lianyi spread her arms and gently drew the Immortal Fairy into an embrace, softly patting her back as she whispered, "Cry no more. I believe you."

"Would you tell me about the version of me that lives within your memories?"

Lu Yang was incapable of touching the Immortal Fairy, for his soul was far from being sufficiently cultivated; yet for Jiang Lianyi, such a feat was as effortless as breathing.

"Mm!"

The Immortal Fairy nodded vigorously, forcing back her tears.

Jiang Lianyi stepped away from the bed, inviting both the Immortal Fairy and Lu Yang to sit at a stone table, where she began to carefully pour finely brewed tea.

Within the cups, curled golden tea leaves began to unfurl, manifesting countless natural laws that twirled gracefully before dissolving back into the liquid.

This brew was intended solely for the Immortal Fairy.

Had Lu Yang taken even a single sip, he would likely have been dissolved on the spot by the sheer force of those manifested laws.

When Jiang Lianyi personally poured a cup for Lu Yang, he hurriedly rose to express his gratitude, deeply overwhelmed by the unexpected honor.

Lu Yang’s cup held a different kind of tea—nameless, yet unmistakably divine—with a fragrance that lingered at the tip of his nose, causing his cultivation techniques to circulate automatically.

"Our acquaintance began with a misunderstanding..."

The Immortal Fairy spoke in a gentle, unhurried cadence, detailing the story of how she and Jiang Lianyi had met and bonded, leaving no detail spared regarding their culinary endeavors and the intricacies of teaching the art of feigning death.

"Back then, you and Ao Ling were weeping and pleading to be accepted as my disciples, but I refused."

"Not long after, the two of you faced the Qilin Immortal in battle. You were no match for the embryonic form of his Dao Fruit of Survival of the Fittest, and thus you lost your chance to attain immortality."

She painted a vivid picture of the wedding with the Qilin Immortal, their married life, and the gatherings of the Five Immortals where they conversed with great joy.

The Immortal Fairy described it all with such vibrant color that Jiang Lianyi found herself completely entranced, unable to pull herself away from the narrative for a long while.

"In the end, I lost consciousness, and when I finally woke up, I met Lu Yang."

As she reached the conclusion of her tale, the Immortal Fairy could not help but smile.

"Why are you crying?"

The Immortal Fairy suddenly noticed that Jiang Lianyi was sitting entirely still, her gaze hollow as silent tears traced paths down her cheeks and dripped away.

"Ah? Oh."

Brought back to reality by the Immortal Fairy's voice, Jiang Lianyi seemed to awaken from a dream. She quickly wiped her tears away and apologized, forcing a fragile smile.

"Forgive me, I have made a fool of myself. I truly do not know why, but I simply could not control my tears."

Was it out of pity for the Immortal Fairy, who had awakened only to find her old friends gone and herself entirely forgotten by the world—or was it because she was so pitiable yet remained completely unaware of it, still living a carefree existence?

Or perhaps there was another reason altogether?

Jiang Lianyi did not know.

She dried her tears, took two deep breaths to compose herself, and regained her usual elegant and dignified bearing.

"The Jiang Lianyi in your memories sounds very much like me, and the details you described do not seem fabricated. Yet, I truly possess no recollection of these events. Without having lived through them, I cannot truly share those feelings."

"Deep in my heart, a voice has been telling me to trust you, to believe you. My husband said the same."

"I choose to believe you. Unfortunate as it is that I have no memory of those experiences, I am not the peerless genius of the Phoenix Clan from your memories, nor can I pretend to be."

"Therefore—"

Jiang Lianyi rose to her feet, extending her hand with a smile.

"May we introduce ourselves anew? I am Jiang Lianyi."

The Immortal Fairy stood up to shake her hand, returning the smile.

"I am Huang Doudou."

The two clasped hands and shared a look, smiling as though meeting for the very first time, yet also as though they had known each other for an eternity.

Jiang Lianyi then walked over to Lu Yang, startling him as he wondered what this ancient ancestor intended to do.

Jiang Lianyi spoke with absolute solemnity:

"Thank you for reviving Sister Immortal. On behalf of Xiao Ling and my husband, I thank you."

With that, Jiang Lianyi bowed deeply, prompting a terrified Lu Yang to spring up immediately, protesting that such a gesture was entirely inappropriate while trying to help her back up.

Yet Jiang Lianyi was a veritable Half-Immortal; how could Lu Yang hope to budge her? Even using every ounce of his strength, he could not sway so much as the hem of her robe.

He could only watch helplessly as Jiang Lianyi completed her bow and straightened up, his calves trembling slightly from the sheer stress of the moment.

"Can you tell us what happened before you executed the technique of feigning death?" the Immortal Fairy inquired.

"There is no reason why I cannot."

The three of them took their seats once more, and Jiang Lianyi began to recall the past.

"I was cultivating at the time when a sudden wave of dizziness struck me. It felt as though I had forgotten something of monumental importance, leaving a hollow void in my heart. Yet, no matter how carefully I searched my memory, I could not recall what it was."

"My husband was guarding my cultivation. His expression changed drastically, twisted by an absolute fury that flooded his eyes. I had never seen him that enraged before."

"He revealed his true Qilin form, fully releasing his pressure until the entire galaxy trembled. Being the closest to him, I felt it most acutely; it was a pressure even I could barely withstand, so powerful it made my heart race with dread."

"My husband flew out of the immortal cave, heading north across countless galaxies, likely halting near the Polaris region."

"It was only then that I noticed it was not just my husband. Ying Tian, Jiu Chong, and Sui Yue—all three of them displayed the exact same fury as my husband, perhaps even greater."

"Four Immortals struck simultaneously. The entire universe could feel the aura of the four of them. That kind of rage made even my heart shudder; it felt as though it would incinerate everything in existence."

"Though the four of them frequently sparred and tested each other's skills in their daily lives, occasionally fighting with genuine heat, no previous clash could compare to that one."

"I do not know who their opponent was. I only remember that the battle raged for seven days and seven nights without a victor being decided."

"The level of that battle was far too high, completely surpassing the boundaries of my understanding. I am afraid I cannot describe it in any greater detail."

"Whether the opponent vanished or something else occurred, I cannot say. In the end, the four of them used the power of their Dao Fruits to refine the stars in the sky, turning them into six continents that formed a cube to seal away all living beings—and the four of them were no exception."

"My husband returned heavily wounded. He told me the situation was utterly baffling and urged me to quickly execute the technique of feigning death, leaving the rest for him to handle."

"Seeing him so grave, I did not doubt him for a moment. I enacted the technique and fell into a deathly slumber."

"When I awoke once more, I encountered the two of you."

The Immortal Fairy nodded. "So, this secret realm was not established by you, but rather by the Qilin Immortal?"

"At the very least, I have no memory of this place. I know nothing of any first or second layers."

"What will you do next? Will you leave this place with us?"

"Allow me to ask a question first. How long have I been asleep?"

"Roughly three hundred thousand years. Your Phoenix Clan is now the greatest clan in the Beast Realm, and they revere you as their ancient ancestor. There are quite a few legends about you in the outside world."

"I have slept for such an immense span of time?"

Jiang Lianyi was astonished. She had assumed that at most a few tens of thousands of years had passed. After such an immense period, how much had the cultivation world changed?

"Then I shall go out and take a look around."

Jiang Lianyi found herself growing intensely curious about the world outside.

"By the way, there is one more thing I felt too awkward to mention just now," Jiang Lianyi murmured upon reflection, realizing that keeping it bottled up would only bring discomfort.

"Speak."

"Could you perhaps wear something a bit more formal?" Jiang Lianyi swept her gaze up and down the Immortal Fairy, finding her style of dress entirely too unrefined.

"No."

"Oh."

(End of Chapter)