Long Ruyin's eyes trembled, filled with an uncontrollable wave of emotion. In her heart, pride and sorrow blended into one. She realized that her son—the miracle heaven had granted her—was bearing responsibilities far too great for his age. With a bittersweet smile, she kissed Tianyu's forehead. "You're stronger than you think," she whispered softly.
Na'er, who was usually passive, began to stir in the embrace. "Brother Yu…" she said gently, her pale fingers gripping Tianyu's arm. "I... will always support you."
Tianyu was surprised to see the change in the little girl. Usually cold, Na'er now looked fragile—more human. He gently stroked her head. "I'll always protect you too."
Long Ruyin looked at them, eyes glistening with tears. "It's already midday," she said suddenly, her voice turning bright again. "Want to come with me to the market?"
Tianyu blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in mood. "Of course, Mom. I can carry the groceries," he said, rolling up his sleeves to show the small muscles starting to form on his arms.
Na'er looked between Long Ruyin and Tianyu. After a moment, she nodded slightly. "If Brother Yu is going… I'll come too."
Long Ruyin chuckled, her laugh like the ring of tiny bells. "We'd better hurry. The market will get crowded." She turned to grab her woven bag, her steps light and full of energy.
Under the warm sunlight, their three shadows merged along the path to the market. Tianyu walked in the middle, with Long Ruyin on one side and Na'er—now brave enough to move closer—on the other. A gentle breeze carried the scent of wildflowers and the distant noise of the bustling market.
...
That night.
Cool night air flowed through the slightly open window. Tianyu and Na'er were already lying in their beds after having dinner with Long Ruyin. Na'er, as usual, had fallen asleep first, still clutching the edge of Tianyu's shirt—like she feared he would disappear if she let go.
Tianyu smiled faintly at his adopted sister who was sound asleep. Na'er's breathing was steady and calm, her usually expressionless face now looked so peaceful. But tonight, something was weighing on Tianyu's mind. He needed to speak with Sister Xue.
Carefully, he began to loosen Na'er's grip. The little girl furrowed her brows slightly in her sleep but didn't wake. Tianyu waited a moment to be sure she remained asleep, then rose from the bed.
Their room was simple but cozy. Two small beds sat side by side—though in the end, Na'er always chose to sleep beside Tianyu. Her reason was simple yet touching: "I feel safest near Brother Yu."
Tianyu picked up the old sword that rested nearby and quietly made his way to the door. He paused briefly to make sure Na'er wasn't disturbed.
Taking the softest steps he could, Tianyu opened the bedroom door. The creak of the wooden floor was barely audible under his bare feet. He walked through the dark hallway to the backyard, where the moonlight illuminated a flat stone he could sit on.
Sitting cross-legged on the stone, Tianyu placed the sword in his lap. "Sister Xue," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I need to talk to you."
The old sword transformed into a graceful figure, her long blond hair flowing like a waterfall behind her, her form hovering in the air.
"Xiao Tianyu," said Qian Renxue, her cold voice hiding a faint gentleness beneath its calm tone. "I can feel your unease. Is this about the thing inside your body again?"
Tianyu shook his head slightly, but then slowly nodded. "Maybe… maybe it is related."
He then began to recount what had happened earlier that morning—how he condensed his soul ring, the strange sensation when the dragon tattoo on his back reacted, and the changes he felt within his body. His voice was steady, but each word carried a weight he didn't yet fully understand.
After finishing, Tianyu fell silent for a moment. Then, he took a deep breath and looked at Xue. "There's one more thing, Sister Xue…"
Xue said nothing, simply watching him, waiting.
"The day you first examined my body… that afternoon, when I fell asleep, I had a dream. But it wasn't just any dream." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I was in a strange place. The space was vast, dark, but warm. In front of me stood a Golden Dragon—so massive that I felt like a speck of dust before it."
Tianyu swallowed hard before continuing. "When that dragon opened its eyes, it looked straight at me... and it seemed like it was trying to say something. But I couldn't hear it. No sound. Just the movement of its mouth and the intensity in its gaze. After that, I woke up immediately."
The sword on Tianyu's lap trembled slightly as Qian Renxue fell silent for a moment, a faint crease forming on her usually composed forehead.
"Tianyu," she finally said, her voice lower than usual, "I might know where the source of your strange feeling lies. But…" She raised her transparent hand, "I need your permission to examine it more deeply."
"Where exactly, Sister Xue?" Tianyu asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"In your sea of consciousness," Xue replied, her eyes glowing with a pale blue light.
Tianyu frowned. "Sea… of consciousness?"
Xue nodded slowly. "Think of it as a boundless space within your mind, where all your memories, emotions, and powers are stored. That's where," she pointed to his temple, "the source of all the changes within you might be hiding."
Tianyu looked down at the sword on his lap, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the hilt. "If this can help me understand what's happening… then I give you permission, Sister Xue."
Qian Renxue nodded seriously. "This process won't be comfortable. You need to completely relax and allow my consciousness to enter." Her semi-transparent hand reached for Tianyu's forehead. "Close your eyes."
As Tianyu's eyelids shut, the world around him seemed to disappear. He felt a strange sensation—like slowly sinking into a deep pool, but without the feeling of water.
A golden light suddenly swept across his vision. Tianyu found himself standing atop an endless body of water, the sky above filled with clouds of purple and gold.
As far as the eye could see, there was only water—nothing else.
"Where... am I?" Tianyu murmured, his voice echoing strangely in the vast space.
"This is a representation of your sea of consciousness," Qian Renxue's voice came from beside him, her form now clearer than in the real world.
"Perhaps, that's the thing you've been sensing all this time," she said, pointing toward a golden crystal deep beneath the surface of Tianyu's sea of consciousness.
Tianyu followed her gaze, his eyes widening slightly.
At the bottom of this mental sea—amid a profound silence—shone a massive golden crystal, pulsing slowly like the heart of some ancient being. The light it emitted wasn't just bright; it carried a kind of pressure—a primeval aura that couldn't be explained, as though the entire world had to bow before it.
"That…" Tianyu's breath hitched as he felt a familiar wave of energy radiating from the crystal. "I recognize this energy. It's the same as when my spirit ring was formed."
Qian Renxue stared deeply, her expression a mix of caution and shock. "I can't say for certain… but that thing does not belong to an ordinary human. In fact, it's not something that should even exist in the mortal world."
She turned to Tianyu. "This crystal clearly carries the legacy of a divine being."
"A legacy… from a divine being?" Tianyu whispered, barely believing it. "But why is it inside me? How could something so powerful be embedded in me without my knowing?"
Qian Renxue looked at him intently. "Someone might've implanted it in you from birth. Or maybe…"
Before Qian Renxue could finish her sentence, she noticed that Tianyu had already started walking toward the crystal, reaching out to touch it.
"Tianyu, wait—!" she called out, but it was too late.
Tianyu's fingers had already touched the surface of the water above the giant golden crystal.
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