Regarding Prajna Floating Life, the curved jade also knew very little.
"Records of Immortals and Demons" documented that serpents cultivate for thousands of years to become flood dragons, and flood dragons undergo arduous cultivation for ten thousand years before transforming into dragons.
Ming Ye was such an example - starting as a small black snake, he cultivated diligently to become a flood dragon, obtained immortal fate, and with formidable strength, became the master of the Upper Clarity Immortal Realm.
Originally, if another few thousand years had passed, his true form could have become a God.
Yet for unknown reasons, after the War of Gods and Demons, he sealed himself within Prajna Floating Life.
Prajna Floating Life—
Burning one's cultivation and vital essence, all to construct a dream, experiencing reincarnation over and over again, meeting remembered old acquaintances.
Ming Ye exhausted his cultivation, immersed in Prajna Floating Life for nearly ten thousand years, transforming from a mighty being who nearly became a God into an insignificant flood dragon at the bottom of Mohe River—truly lamentable.
Within Prajna Floating Life was Ming Ye's real lifetime, all memories he had experienced. Even if someone entered Prajna Floating Life and replaced someone within it, all major events would still occur and wouldn't change because of it.
For example, Su Su became Sang Jiu, coming tonight to seize the sarira from Tantai Jin.
This proved that back then, Sang Jiu had similarly come to seize the sarira from Ming Ye, and succeeded.
All events might have minor differences, but they would almost always develop according to Ming Ye's memories, including the outcome.
The Conch Princess Sang Jiu had a gentle and soft temperament, excelled at singing and dancing, wore mermaid gauze. When she burned her bridges to seize the sarira back then, she was actually filled with utter despair.
As for Su Su...
The curved jade thought, when its young mistress wakes up, tonight's events would likely become a dark spot she'd never want to recall for her entire life.
The curved jade glanced at "Ming Ye" and silently shut off its five senses.
It was a mature Nine Heavens Jade now, understanding that everything in Prajna Floating Life was merely the immortal flood dragon's memories—just a grand dream.
The Conch Princess's emotions and despair had infected Su Su, but this wasn't reality. She should be fine upon waking up.
The moonlight flowed like water as Su Su nervously approached the person before her.
Outside the Barrier, Shangqing's night was beautiful as a painted realm, with ever-present mist adorning the windows.
The young maiden's garments lay scattered, the jade beads at her neck shining brilliantly.
When she came tonight, she hadn't planned on surviving.
Su Su tore a piece of cloth from the man's black robe and used it to blindfold herself.
Not seeing his god-like icy expression, she wouldn't feel fear or stop.
With complete darkness before her eyes, she boldly reached up to touch his brows and eyes.
Just like in the dream, his skin was slightly cool, as if touched by Shangqing's ethereal mist that knew no mortal dust. Her fingers moved downward, pausing at his lips.
Timidly cupping his face, almost trembling, she kissed the man's lips.
The touch of their lips magnified intensely in the darkness. She didn't know how she appeared in his eyes at this moment. Perhaps quite wretched—the young maiden's delicate body trembled lightly, her toes curling tightly from nervousness.
A pink flush spread across her skin. He must think her utterly shameless.
But ever since the day the little Conch Princess saved him, she had long possessed nothing.
The man remained motionless, though his breathing grew somewhat erratic.
Su Su thought, for someone as composed as him to have disordered breath now, he must be very angry. So angry that after tonight, he would kill her, so when Tian Huan wakes up, he could be with her without any burdens.
Tian Huan wasn't like her—she wouldn't be as foolish as herself, cultivating slowly; nor would she be as disheveled as herself. She must be the esteemed mistress of the entire Shangqing.In despair and panic, she gently bit him. Starting from his lips, all the way down to his Adam's apple.
Ming Ye's lips were cold, just like his heart.
She whispered in his ear, "I hate you, I loathe you to death."
Yet the girl's petulant words carried a trace of longing she herself didn't recognize. While uttering words of hatred, she clumsily kissed him.
Her kisses were sweet and cautious, as if afraid of hurting him.
He was the True Lord of Shangqing, the guardian of the Eastern Immortal Realm. Everyone believed he should be invincible, but only the girl who adored him treated him like a precious treasure to be carefully cherished.
Their breaths intertwined as they lay on the bed.
With black silk covering her eyes, she steeled her heart and ventured downward.
When she touched the scorching heat, Su Su was startled as her wrist was weakly grasped.
"Get out!" he rasped hoarsely.
Rage surged within him, causing the mist outside Shangqing to churn violently.
Still somewhat dazed, with tears previously wetting the corners of her eyes, she now reacted and began to smile involuntarily.
"Ming Ye, you don't dislike me that much after all?"
Ming Ye said coldly, "The pink pearl will lose its effect in less than half an hour. When that happens, I'll personally kill you."
Instead of getting angry, she happily rested her small head on his shoulder.
"To die by your hand isn't so bad. But Ming Ye, I'm afraid of pain. Please don't kill me with the Trident. Nor with True Fire, though I've heard roasted river clams are quite delicious in the mortal realm. And please don't shatter my clam shell - for the Clam Tribe, breaking our shells hurts more than humans breaking their bones."
The man remained silent.
"If you don't speak, I'll take it as your agreement."
No sooner had she spoken than faint sounds came from outside. A fairy maid announced, "Reporting to the True Lord, there's unusual activity at the Jade Pond."
Su Su quickly covered Ming Ye's mouth. Receiving no response, the fairy maid didn't dare enter without permission and could only leave.
Only after she was gone did Su Su relax.
With her ear pressed against Ming Ye's chest, she clearly felt his heartbeat quicken when the fairy maid mentioned "Jade Pond."
Su Su murmured, "Tian Huan is about to wake."
She untied the cloth from her eyes. Just when Ming Ye thought she would leave, she suddenly leaned down and kissed his lips.
Every part of the Conch Princess was soft. Completely unclothed, her fingers loosened his hair, her pale slender fingers tangling in his locks as she kissed him desperately.
His fingers finally gained some mobility, gripping her shoulders tightly, instantly leaving blue-purple marks on her skin.
"Shameless!"
She chuckled lightly, burying her small face in his neck.
As he exerted more force, the sound of cracking bones could be heard. She groaned softly and bit his neck. But she couldn't bring herself to bite hard, only nibbling gently.
Cherishing him, respecting him, yet pitifully drawing close to him.
Her tears fell into his hair, unseen by him.
During these brief hours together, she had used the pink pearl she had carefully cultivated for a century and fractured half of her shoulder blade.
Su Su climbed out of bed. Barefoot, she stepped over him. In the moment she glanced back, the white mermaid gauze instantly transformed into perfectly fitting clothing on her body.
Ankle bells tinkled.
Holding her shell, she gently smiled and reminded him, "Ming Ye, I'm leaving. Be careful when leading the troops into battle tomorrow."
Before leaving, remembering his emphasis on propriety, she carefully put on her shoes.
She stepped on the set of gold-sprinkled garments: "Don't blame me for not wearing this. This is Tian Huan's size - it's always been too big for me."
No one in Shangqing cared about her, so why would anyone specially tailor clothes for her?The little conch spirit walked farther and farther away, disappearing into the white mist.
Ming Ye closed his eyes. After a long while, he opened his dark pupils and fiercely wiped his lips.
He sat up from the bed, put on his clothes, and felt the urge to teach the Conch Princess a lesson for her audacity. However, the light in the Jade Pond was growing intense. Frowning, he finally headed toward the Jade Pond.
Su Su sat by the banks of the Mohe River.
A man with bamboo-patterned mermaid silk came treading over the waves. He stretched out his hand, and Su Su placed the Sarira in his palm.
The waves of the Mohe River churned, faintly revealing the dead river shrimp within.
Su Su lowered her head and said softly, "Brother, how is Father King?"
The man, who had been about to leave, turned back and laughed, "How dare you mention Father King? Weren't you only concerned with that heartless Immortal Lord of yours?"
Su Su hung her head. "I'm sorry."
The curved jade watched Pang Yi Zhi's face with numbness. Just how many people had entered the Prajna Floating Life? What other surprises awaited it?
The man walked several steps away but, seeing the girl still sitting alone by the riverbank, he turned and walked back over the water. Placing a hand over her head, his expression was a mix of confusion and barely suppressed fury.
"You married Ming Ye, yet he didn't even help you cleanse the impurities of the mortal world? A hundred years have passed, and your Cultivation hasn't improved in the slightest. Sang Jiu, what kind of life have you been living in Shangqing?"
Every ten years, Sang Jiu would send someone with the Sarira, but this was the first time Sang You had seen his younger sister in a century. He had expected her to have shed her demonic form long ago, yet she remained exactly as she had been a hundred years earlier!
Su Su said, "No one has bullied me."
But no one paid her any attention, no one cared about her, and no one was willing to speak with her.
Sang You sneered, "You were so unruly in Mohe River, but by his side, you don't dare show even a hint of your claws. Does he know what foolish things you've done for him?"
Su Su raised her voice, "Brother!"
Sang You scoffed, "Hah, right, you want to bear it all alone. Look at these black, churning waters of Mohe River—they've become like this because of that jinx of his. Sang Jiu, you can't repay this debt, nor can you repay it for him!"
Su Su whispered, "Brother, in the future, he will become a God."
Sang You's face twitched, and he gave her a look that was half-smile, half-sneer, but this time he didn't refute her further.
How many years did it take for a God to emerge in this world?
The War of Gods and Demons was approaching. If the demons ran rampant, not only Mohe River but even the mortal realm would be lost.
Sang You could only say angrily, "Get back to Shangqing. Father King wouldn't want to see you."
Su Su forced a smile and nodded. "Then I'll go."
Sang You didn't know she had nowhere to go. When she looked back, the towering black waves had calmed under the golden light of the Sarira.
Su Su felt relieved. She wandered the mortal realm for a long time before finally settling in a small bamboo forest.
The small bamboo forest was far from the Upper Clarity Immortal Realm, a dwelling place under the protection of a minor earth deity.
In exchange for purifying the spring water and making it sweet, the minor earth deity allowed her to stay and cultivate in the bamboo forest.
Su Su knew that by forcibly taking the Sarira, Ming Ye would never let her off easily. He might come after her at any moment.
But she lived through the first autumn, the second autumn, and by the third summer in the mortal realm, Ming Ye still hadn't come looking for her.
Nor had there been any news of a missing immortal consort from the Upper Clarity Immortal Realm.
Over these three years, the pagoda tree blossoms had gained sentience, the little mushroom could transform into a boy and run around, and even the butterflies beneath the spring water fluttered their wings, gossiping about Shangqing.
They said—"Sainthood Tian Huan has awakened, and True Lord Ming Ye personally guarded her cultivation, cleansing the turbid energy accumulated during her century-long slumber!"
That night, Su Su stared blankly at the moon all night. While purifying the spring water, she became distracted and was fiercely scolded by the little earth immortal.
"At Sainthood Tian Huan's birthday banquet, True Lord Ming Ye gifted her a life-bound magical artifact - the Brocade Mist Streamline Dress. They say this artifact is woven from cloud brocade with thin mist as threads, exquisitely beautiful. It can harness the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for protection, making it impervious to fiends."
Su Su covered her eyes with mermaid silk, telling herself she must not feel jealous.
"They say after the War of Gods and Demons concludes, True Lord Ming Ye will marry Sainthood Tian Huan."
"Really?"
"Of course it's true. Tian Huan's father once showed kindness to True Lord Ming Ye, and the True Lord has been caring for the Saintess for nearly a millennium. Isn't it only natural for them to be together?"
No one mentioned Su Su, and Ming Ye never spoke of her to outsiders. So besides Shangqing, no one knew that Ming Ye had already taken a Dao Companion.
This night, Su Su didn't space out. Over the past three years, she had learned to ignore rumors about the two of them.
She diligently purified the spring water, scooped some up to taste, and found it quite pleasant.
Not long after, the War of Gods and Demons began.
As the mortal realm fell into turmoil, the little earth immortal packed his treasures and said to Su Su: "I advise you to leave. This place is no longer safe either. Many Gods have fallen - did you see yesterday's golden light? That was the radiance of shattered Divine Artifacts. We should find somewhere to hide. This kind of battle is not something we can participate in."
Su Su asked: "You said... Gods have fallen? Then what about the Immortal Lords?"
The little earth immortal said: "When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Of course the Immortal Lords cannot escape either. That War God from Upper Clarity Immortal Realm, Ming Ye - have you heard of him? They say he fell into Ruoshui, and no one knows whether he's alive or dead. If even he can't defeat the Demon God, we'd better run quickly."
Su Su froze: "Who did you say?"
Before the little earth immortal could answer, she had already rushed out the door.
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