“Finally… I’m done!”
In truth, just one hour later, the Azure Sea Tide Birth Fire was already at its wits’ end. It didn’t dare fight back and couldn’t escape. It could only take the beatings and helplessly rage.
Even so, calming it down took a full five hours. Every time Yan Zhen tried to condense the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire within its body, the flame would break free. He had to petrify it a full ten times before finally succeeding.
He owed this success largely to Cai Lian, who had previously granted her Petrification Pupil Power to the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire. Otherwise, they might have collapsed the entire Cave Heaven without containing the Azure Sea Tide Birth Fire.
Yan Zhen was utterly exhausted, and Yu Shizun was no less drained.
Repeatedly deploying her Water Control Talent to wrestle control of the mystic water away from the Azure Sea Tide Birth Fire had taken a severe toll on her mind and spirit.
Yan Zhen hurriedly retrieved the Pure Lotus Platform. He sat back-to-back with Yu Shizun atop the platform and tossed a Mystic Power Recovery Pill into his mouth.
“Do you want one, Yu Shizun?”
“I still have plenty of mystic power left. It’s just my mind and spirit that are depleted.”
“Then let me give you something different.”
Yan Zhen swapped it out for a pill that restored the Divine Soul. He handed it back to Yu Shizun, who accepted it in silence. She poured the pill into her palm, swallowed it, and only then spoke.
“Did you refine this yourself?”
Yan Zhen nodded.
“Master instructed me to refine the pills I need myself.”
“You’re progressing quickly.”
“I remember that Yu Shizun is a Pill Refiner too, right? I saw your pill furnace in the cave mansion at the back mountains of the Yu Family.”
Yu Shizun fell silent for a moment before replying.
“I’m a Fourth-Tier Pill Refiner.”
Yan Zhen popped another pill into his mouth.
“Is it because you devote most of your energy to cultivation?”
“After I met Lady Chen Xi, I began trying to dual cultivate the Art Refining Path.”
“Huh? Then how come… er.”
Yan Zhen vaguely understood. Yu Shizun’s Technique Refining Talent probably wasn’t great, which was why she remained only at Tier 4 after all this time!
Tier 4 was still impressive, though. Many Pill Refiners were stuck at Tier 3 for life. It was just insignificant compared to her Supreme cultivation.
Both of them fell quiet. The warmth from each other’s back carried a faint sense of attachment.
Yan Zhen suddenly spoke up.
“Did the Holy Lord Master tell you about your own origins, Yu Shizun?”
It took Yu Shizun a long moment before she murmured an acknowledgment.
“Actually, after I reached the Mystic Ancestor Realm, I already had vague inklings of it myself. So it wasn’t too much of a surprise.”
“The Holy Lord Master also said that you should recover your memories too, Yu Shizun—because you’re one of the women who was close to me.”
“I’d rather know why only the women have recovered their memories.”
Yan Zhen felt a touch of awkwardness at the wistful tone in Yu Shizun’s voice.
“It’s something the Extreme Flame: Boundless did. I’m not entirely clear on it myself. Maybe all the men close to me back then died in battle. Or maybe it wanted the girls I missed—and who missed me—to teach me some lessons about growing up.”
“It’s definitely not the second reason.”
“Why not?”
“You’ve already been spoiled rotten by them. What lessons in growth could there be? Your past self was better—at least better than you are now.”
Yu Shizun’s words carried a pointed edge. She clearly disapproved of Yan Zhen’s excessive womanizing, even though she herself had previously tried to set him up with women from the Yu Family.
Yan Zhen pretended not to catch the implication and asked instead,
“Has Yu Shizun recovered your past life’s memories too?”
“Not yet. I only heard about it from Lady Chen Xi and the Holy Lord.”
Yan Zhen turned around and fixed Yu Shizun with a suspicious stare.
“Yu Shizun wouldn’t be like them, would you? Having the memories but pretending you don’t?”
Yu Shizun averted her gaze and said coolly,
“You’re overthinking it.”
“Then why won’t you look me in the eye, Yu Shizun? You’re feeling guilty, aren’t you?”
“I’m just a bit tired, that’s all.”
“Then turn around. Let me see the sincerity in your eyes, Yu Shizun.”
“I need to meditate and recover. You should do the same. Otherwise, with a face that pale, you’ll worry Lady Chen Xi and the others.”
“Yu Shizun… Shishi?”
Yu Shizun had just been about to close her eyes when her heart skipped a beat. She furrowed her brows slightly.
“Don’t call me that. Have some manners.”
Yan Zhen blinked with an innocent, harmless expression.
“I’m Master’s disciple, and you’ve received guidance from Master before. That makes us half-peers—equals. What’s all this about seniority?”
“But whether in the Yu Family or the Holy Land, you’re still the junior.”
“Strictly speaking, Yu Shizun doesn’t even have Yu Family blood. Your original self, Luoshen, was friends with me in our past lives, though.”
“Luoshen is Luoshen. What does that have to do with me?”
Yan Zhen scratched his cheek and muttered under his breath.
“Then I’ll tell Master that you value your ties to the Yu Family and the Holy Land more than your relationship with her, Yu Shizun.”
Before he could finish, Yu Shizun clapped a hand over his mouth.
“You little rascal, don’t spout such nonsense and try to drive a wedge between Lady Chen Xi and me.”
Yan Zhen seized her fair wrist and tugged her hand away from his mouth.
“It’s what you said yourself, Yu Shizun. I’m not making it up.”
Yu Shizun tried to pull her arm back, but Yan Zhen wouldn’t release it. She relented with a sigh.
“Whether we’re peers or not doesn’t matter. Why fuss over it?”
“I want to call you ‘Shishi.’ It sounds so cute~”
“Don’t call me that out of nowhere!”
“I will.”
“Keep acting so willful, and I won’t pay you any mind.”
Seeing that she was genuinely getting upset, Yan Zhen shifted tactics.
“Alright then. I want to see what you look like without your veil, Yu Shizun. Is that okay?”
Yu Shizun let out a light huff.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“No reason.”
Ah, this… It felt like Yu Shizun was starting to act spoiled too. Was this her giving him a taste of his own medicine?
Yan Zhen’s competitive spirit ignited, and he began talking nonsense.
“Has Yu Shizun ever fancied a man?”
Yu Shizun shot him an aloof sidelong glance but made no reply.
“Silence means yes?” Yan Zhen grumbled, a bit displeased. “Which heaven’s prodigy got so lucky as to catch our Yu Shizun’s eye?”
Yu Shizun ignored him.
Yan Zhen pressed on.
“I want to know how I can make you see me in a new light, Yu Shizun~”
Yu Shizun couldn’t hold back any longer.
“If you were as obedient and well-behaved as you used to be, I’d naturally look at you differently.”
“Hm? Aren’t I obedient now?”
“Then let go.”
Yan Zhen ignored the request and said instead,
“I want to know what you think about what Senior Thousand Illusions said, Yu Shizun.”
Yu Shizun fell instantly silent. After a moment, she said slowly,
“Just the ramblings of an old senior. Nothing to take seriously.”
“I agree. We haven’t even gotten married yet—how could anyone call us a little couple? You have to wait until after the wedding for that, right?”
“…”
“But Senior Thousand Illusions is impressive. He toyed with me right in the palm of his hand, with such a keen grasp on the human heart. Don’t you think so, Yu Shizun? “
“Even the most impressive people can misjudge.”
Yu Shizun’s voice held a trace of guilt. Yan Zhen chuckled smugly twice.
“Talk like that in front of Senior Thousand Illusions, and he’ll be displeased—Oh, right! Let’s go ask Senior Mirage Tree about it. How about that?”
“Ask… ask what?”
“To see just how accurate Senior Thousand Illusions was, of course.”
