Yan Zhen carefully observed the Qingping Sword Saint and realized she was not a physical entity, but a spirit—more precisely, a sword spirit, faintly manifesting in the shape of a bronze sword.
This immediately reminded him of his beautiful master; their situations were strikingly similar. Had the Qingping Sword Saint merged into a sword to become its spirit as well?
As he pondered this, the green-haired loli floating in midair spoke up.
“You’ve got sharp eyes for a kid, seeing through this seat’s true form at a glance. It seems those master and disciple falling for you isn’t just dumb luck—you’ve actually got something going for you.”
Yan Zhen was at a loss for words. He knew she was centuries old, but being called “kid” by what looked like a little girl still felt downright bizarre.
And why did she keep harping on master-disciple romances? Was she opposed to it?
With that in mind, he introduced himself openly.
“Greetings, Sword Saint Senior. I’m Yan Zhen, the Saint Son of Jialan Holy Land, and the husband of Yun Xiu and Wenqing.”
The Qingping Sword Saint’s listless eyes fixed on him.
“A real man takes responsibility. You’re a good one… And forming a half-Saint at your age? Impressive potential.”
Yan Zhen blinked in surprise. He’d braced for criticism, only to get praise instead?
“Heh, you’re too kind, Sword Saint Senior. Pure luck.”
The loli Sword Saint turned toward Jiu Youyue, who smiled as she spoke.
“This concubine is Jiu Youyue, paying my respects to Sword Saint Senior.”
The Qingping Sword Saint gazed down at her with an air of overlooking mere mortals.
“How dare someone from the Evil God Clan show up here?”
“The Evil God Clan has joined Little Zhen Zhen’s banner now. We’re no enemies of the holy land.”
“Without the Seven Great Sacred Lands’ aid back then, the Eighth Continent would have been obliterated by your Evil God Clan. Can you truly set aside that kind of grudge?”
Jiu Youyue blinked innocently. She didn’t care much about it, truth be told. She’d only ever been a secondary body of the Evil Consort, longing for a free life—and she’d achieved that. As for the Consort herself, any hatred stemmed from a past life.
“The god war a thousand years ago was nothing but a catastrophe. All Ten Great God Clans were victims. There’s no real enmity to speak of.”
The Evil God’s body harbored the Mad Demon Factor, while the other nine deities served as the shackles binding it—destined to unite and seal it away when the time came. Their positions had always been at odds.
The Qingping Sword Saint fell silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
“Never mind. This seat is little more than a remnant soul. No point fretting over such trivialities when even guiding those two in their cultivation has drained every last bit of my strength.”
Yan Zhen couldn’t help thinking that she did look perpetually half-asleep. Slap some dark circles under her eyes, and she’d pass for a total sleep-deprived gamer girl.
“Yun Xiu’s about to emerge from seclusion. Go see her if you want—just don’t interrupt her practice.”
With that, the Qingping Sword Saint summoned the Space Sword Gate once more, floated inside, and vanished.
As the gate sealed shut, Huangfu Wenqing let out a huge sigh of relief.
“Since Master’s finished her cultivation, I’ll go call her over. It’ll be a nice little surprise.”
“No need. I’ll head over.” Yan Zhen grinned. “That way, it’ll really be a surprise.”
Huangfu Wenqing and Jiu Youyue exchanged a knowing glance, tactfully giving the pair some private time and space.
“Then we’ll wait right here. Don’t keep us too long, Little Zhen Zhen.”
Yan Zhen flashed an OK sign before using Instant Shift to trace Yun Xiu’s aura, arriving at the rear mountain where she was in seclusion.
There sat a stunning black-haired beauty in snow-white robes, cross-legged atop the clouds. Fierce gales swirled around her, while a cyan-white longsword hovered straight ahead, radiating brilliant light.
Yan Zhen was intimately familiar with Yun Xiu’s sword—pure wind-aspect, all shades of cyan. But he’d never seen this one before. It had to be the Qingping Sword Saint’s Inheritance Sword; it carried the exact same aura as that loli Sword Saint.
Yun Xiu must have housed the Qingping Sword Saint’s remnant soul within it, turning it into a sword spirit for companionship and to heal the regrets of their past lives.
Yan Zhen said nothing, simply watching his first love from a previous life. But Yun Xiu quickly sensed his presence. She opened her eyes in confusion, glancing over and spotting him standing not far away. For a moment, she wondered if excessive longing had conjured a heart demon illusion.
“Yan Zhen!?”
In a flash, he Instant Shifted right in front of her and flashed a bright smile.
“Surprised? Bet you didn’t see this coming.”
Yun Xiu’s face lit up with a sweet smile. She swiftly withdrew her sword, rose to her feet, and pulled him into a tight embrace—as if she wanted to merge him into her very body.
“I didn’t think you’d come so soon.”
Yan Zhen wrapped his arms around her slender waist. But something felt off. In moments like this, she was supposed to throw herself into his arms. How had it ended up the other way around?
—Eh, whatever.
Casually, he tilted up her chin and pressed his lips to her soft pink ones.
Overjoyed, Yun Xiu parted her lips to meet him, their kiss deepening into a passionate tangle.
…
They lingered in tender affection for quite a while before finally pulling apart, taking a moment to truly look at each other.
Yun Xiu’s appearance and style hadn’t changed much from before, but her aura had matured into something steady and solemn, laced with a sacred edge. “Female sword immortal” fit her perfectly now.
In her eyes, though, Yan Zhen’s transformation was dramatic. The barely-adolescent boy had become the steady, dependable young man from their past life. He’d even caught up to her in height, his features shifting from boyish charm to rugged handsomeness, his voice a touch deeper too.
It had been the same back in their previous life, when she’d reunited with him in Evergreen Holy Land. The calm she’d cultivated shattered in an instant, her mind filled with nothing but his image.
What a fated pair they were.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
Yun Xiu’s cheeks flushed pink as she snapped back to herself.
“You get to look at me—can’t I look at you?”
Yan Zhen huffed smugly.
“Admit it. I’ve gotten even handsomer, haven’t I? That’s why you’re mesmerized.”
Caught red-handed, she flushed deeper and pouted.
“It’s just been so long. I wanted an extra look or two. Don’t get too full of yourself.”
Yan Zhen held his first-love sword immortal close, their gazes locked.
“Sorry for making you wait, Yun Xiu. I’m here to pick you up.”
She gave a soft smile.
“It’s only been a year or two. Not that long… But I can’t leave Evergreen Holy Land just yet. I brought Senior Qingping back with me, but right now I’m only the nominal acting holy lord. I don’t have much real authority here… And that won’t do. They’ve all become lapdogs for Demon Domain. We have to clean house completely.”
Yan Zhen planted another kiss on her lips.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got this. I’m a One-Turn Half-Saint now. Unless the Asura Heavenly Monarch shows up personally, no one’s laying a finger on me.”
Only then did Yun Xiu notice the aura radiating from her little lover, far surpassing her own—Mystic and unfathomable.
“How did you reach half-Saint so quickly?”
Yan Zhen beamed with pride.
“Because I’m a genius~~~”
