The echo of their footsteps rolled through the vast, ancient hall — a haunting rhythm against the low hum of spiritual energy that seemed to breathe from the stone itself. The air was cool, tinged with the faint scent of age and mystery. The further they walked, the more the blue light from the walls pulsed — almost like the tomb itself was listening.
Yun Che's golden eyes flicked toward the woman walking beside him. Chu Yueli — Little Fairy's younger sister. Unlike her usual frosty grace, her veil was gone, revealing the woman beneath the title. Her silver-brown hair shimmered faintly in the ethereal light, her face calm yet thoughtful as she matched his stride.
He finally broke the silence, his tone calm and steady.
"So, you did all of this for your sister?"
Chu Yueli turned slightly, her gaze softening. "Hnn. My sister was my source of inspiration," she said, her voice almost wistful. "I wanted us to be a duo again, like we were when we were young. But now… the gap between us keeps growing."
Yun Che's eyes narrowed slightly beneath his hat. "So you're not chasing recognition from your sect?"
Her steps slowed a little. She lowered her gaze. "I am," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But more than that… I want to be strong enough to stand beside her, not behind her."
For a moment, she paused — her reflection flickering in the faint light beneath them. "When she left, she said it was to seek enlightenment and raise our sect's prestige. But… when she returned, she was different. Stronger. Colder. Like the world itself could no longer reach her."
Yun Che watched her quietly. So that's how you see her…
Then she continued, her tone carrying both awe and resignation.
"Recently, her cultivation rose beyond anything I've seen. She revealed it to me once — her true strength. She's at the Eighth Level of the Emperor Profound Realm now. Stronger than even our Asgard Mistress."
Yun Che almost stopped walking. He hid the flicker of surprise behind a calm breath. Eighth level already? That's earlier than expected…
But his real confusion wasn't her strength — it was her openness.She was talking freely. Too freely.And to him, of all people — a man her sect would rather exile than trust.
He stopped walking, the weight of Yoru tapping gently against the ground.His golden eyes turned toward her, sharp yet not unkind.
"Yueli," he said quietly, "why are you telling me all of this?"
She blinked, startled by the sudden question.
He continued, voice calm but edged with gravity.
"We've known each other for barely a day. You're a woman from the Asgard that rejects men, and I'm—" he tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing beneath the brim of his hat, "—not exactly your ideal company. Yet here you are, sharing your heart. Why?"
The question struck her deeper than he expected. Chu Yueli's lips parted slightly, but no words came out. The silence stretched for a few long seconds. The faint hum of the tomb was the only sound between them.
Then, quietly, she said:
"I… don't know."
Her fingers brushed against the edge of her robes, clenching faintly. "It's strange. I don't usually talk to anyone like this. But when I'm around you… it's like my guard just disappears."
She hesitated before continuing, her voice trembling softly.
"Maybe it's because you saved me. Or maybe it's that I saw the way you fought — calm, relentless, yet merciful. You could have left me there. You didn't. You even… healed me."
Her words lingered between them, her tone carrying both confusion and something unspoken — something warm and dangerous.
She lowered her gaze. "It feels like… I can trust you, Mihawk. And that terrifies me."
Yun Che stood there quietly, eyes half-lidded. He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he looked at her — really looked at her — the woman who was supposed to embody restraint and serenity, now speaking with raw sincerity.
It wasn't weakness. It was truth.
Finally, he exhaled softly through his nose and resumed walking.
"Trust is a dangerous thing," he said, his voice steady. "But sometimes, it's the only thing that keeps us alive."
Chu Yueli blinked, glancing at him as she followed. "Are you speaking from experience?"
He gave a quiet chuckle. "I'm speaking as someone who's been betrayed enough to know what it feels like to trust the wrong person."
She didn't press further, but her expression softened — a mixture of respect and quiet sorrow. The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It was… grounding.
As they continued walking side by side, the hall began to change — faint glyphs lighting up along the walls, ancient symbols glowing like veins of molten silver. The path ahead stretched endlessly into the darkness, yet somehow, the air felt heavier — as if the tomb itself approved of their honesty.
For a brief moment, the cold, stoic air between them warmed — not by fire, but by understanding.
And as Yun Che glanced at her again, her unguarded eyes caught the light, reflecting something he hadn't seen before — not fear, not duty, but trust.
Dangerous… but pure.
He adjusted his hat slightly, hiding the faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Hnn… You're quite the strange woman, Yueli."
She blinked at him, confused. "Strange?"
"For a lady of Frozen Cloud Asgard," he said, walking ahead with his hands on his side, "you're surprisingly… warm."
Her face flushed instantly — and behind them, Jasmine's faint laughter echoed in his mind.
"You sure know how to make your wife's master blush, you shameless bastard."
He didn't answer. But the amused flicker in his golden eyes said enough.
Because in that cold, endless hall — for the first time — the ice had begun to melt.
The long corridor seemed endless, lit by faint blue glyphs that pulsed along the walls like veins of living stone. The air shimmered with quiet energy, but Yun Che's attention wasn't on the tomb anymore. It was on the woman beside him — the once cold and distant master of Frozen Cloud Asgard who now spoke with a kind of vulnerable warmth that her sect would never allow.
She was even the master of his wife, Xia Qingyue.
He listened quietly as she walked beside him, her voice soft and steady.
"My sister was always my source of strength… and my shadow. I wanted to stand beside her again, like when we were children. But now, she's so far ahead I can barely see her."
Her words drifted through the air like a quiet confession. Yun Che glanced sideways — and though his expression remained calm, his thoughts stirred.
So even Chu Yueli carries this much weight behind that cold mask…
When she mentioned her sister's current strength, he raised a brow beneath the brim of his hat.
"Eight Level of the Emperor Profound Realm," he murmured. "That's not far from the threshold of the Tyrant Profound Realm. Your sister could dominate the Asgard if she wanted to."
Yueli shook her head. "She hides her true strength. If she didn't, the Asgard would chain her down — make her a symbol, a tool." Her voice lowered. "She told me she wants to live freely, without shackles. But… hearing that made me feel even more powerless. All I ever did was chase her shadow."
The corners of Yun Che's lips curved faintly. "You sound jealous."
She laughed softly, though there was no mockery in her tone. "Perhaps I am. But she changed recently. She's warmer now, easier to approach. She smiles more often. For years I couldn't even talk to her without feeling like my words froze midair. Now, we talk about everything — cultivation, the Asgard, even our childhood. It feels like I finally have my sister back."
Her smile in that moment was pure and radiant — so much that even the cold air seemed to thaw around her. Yun Che couldn't help but think that this side of her — gentle, unguarded — suited her more than the icy mask she always wore.
Then she said, almost fondly, "She told me she had a fortuitous encounter when she was out training. That she met a mysterious senior who saved her life and purified her profound energy. The arts she learned from him… even our sect's forbidden techniques can't compare. Her entire being changed because of that meeting."
Yun Che kept walking, expression unreadable, though inwardly, he was smirking.So that's how she described it.
He tilted his head slightly.
"This senior of hers… sounds quite the miracle worker. Maybe you'll meet him one day."
Yueli lowered her gaze, her voice quiet but laced with resignation. "Me? No. I'm not that lucky. She met him while she was dying — a miracle found in despair. I doubt fate would grant me the same chance."
Yun Che hid his amusement behind a sigh.Lucky, huh? You've already met him, Chu Yueli. You just don't know it yet.
He looked at her again — really looked at her — the faint pink blush on her cheeks, the determination in her eyes beneath that fragile melancholy. He wanted to tell her the truth, but he didn't. Not yet.
Instead, he asked lightly, "Was this 'senior' strong?"
She nodded without hesitation. "Beyond words. He helped my sister break through to her current realm and granted her treasures I can't even name. He even taught her techniques that don't exist in this world — arts only she can use. She said he warned her never to share them, but…"
Her tone softened as she trailed off.
"But she did," Yun Che finished for her.
Chu Yueli nodded, smiling faintly. "She taught me one of them — an evasion technique. You saw it in the arena earlier, didn't you? She said the senior called it something like Table Hopper. It lets the user move faster than sight to evade. I've never seen anything like it before."
Yun Che chuckled inwardly. So she really did pass it down.
The irony wasn't lost on him — standing here beside the sister who'd learned his technique, completely unaware that the very man she was speaking to was the "senior" who'd given it in the first place.
The light of the ancient corridor shimmered faintly, rippling like mist over polished marble. The air smelled faintly of frost and time itself — yet despite the cold, the atmosphere between the two had grown oddly warm.
Yun Che listened quietly as Chu Yueli spoke, his hands clasped behind his back, the long shadow of his coat stretching along the path. Her tone carried both frustration and melancholy — the sound of a woman who had chased the sun her whole life, only to find it forever out of reach.
She spoke about why she left, about recognition, about wanting to stand beside her sister. And as her story unfolded, Yun Che could feel the emotions buried deep beneath her icy composure — regret, pride, loneliness… and a longing that she couldn't even name.
When she mentioned her disciple, his eyes flickered slightly beneath his hat.So that's how you see it, Yueli… you still think Qingyue abandoned you.
He didn't interrupt, not even when she talked about Xia Qingyue's "mysterious husband," or the rumors of a man who shattered sects and mountains. He just listened — the faintest ghost of a smile touching his lips when she unknowingly spoke about him.
But when she called herself "weak," something in him shifted.
"Not quite…"
She lifted her head, startled, her pale eyes meeting his golden ones.
Yun Che stepped closer, his expression calm — yet his words carried a quiet gravity that made her heart tremble.
"You survived," he said. "That's all that matters. Power can always be regained. But your sister… she can't stand beside a ghost."
Then, before she could react, his hand rose — and he gently patted her head.
It wasn't romantic, nor mocking. It was simple, sincere — a gesture of comfort.
Her breath hitched. No man had ever done that to her before. Not in years. Not after her heart had turned to ice. Her face turned crimson almost instantly, her composure melting like frost under sunlight.
"Hnn… I will…"
Yun Che smiled faintly — the kind of smile that said both I understand and You'll be fine. He turned, his cape brushing against the stone as he began to walk again.
"If recognition is what you wanted," he said over his shoulder, "you could just show your strength to the Asgard. Reveal what you're truly capable of."
Yueli's eyes softened for a moment, but then she shook her head. "If I did that… I'd just become another tool. Another prized object for the sect to boast about." She sighed, the sound soft and tired. "That's not what I want. I wanted to walk beside my sister, not behind her… so I left. Without her knowing."
"To chase the legend of the Moon Empress," he finished for her.
She nodded slowly. "Hnn. When I heard the tomb was unearthed, I thought—maybe I could find something to give me an edge. A power that could close the gap between us."
Yun Che watched her for a moment. "And your disciple?"
The look in her eyes changed — sorrow, guilt, and faint embarrassment flickering all at once.
"She… she was special. The Asgard found her two years ago — a girl with Heavenly God Spiritual Veins. I trained her myself, until the Asgard Mistress took her away. Since then, she no longer called me 'Master.' She left me… like everyone else."
Her voice trembled faintly, and for the first time, she looked fragile — not the graceful elder of Frozen Cloud Asgard, but a woman who had lost something irreplaceable.
"I took her away on her wedding night," she whispered, eyes distant. "I thought the Asgard saved her, I think I was saving her… but I think I just robbed her of her choice."
Her next words hit him harder than he expected.
"I didn't even know her husband. Just rumors — a man named Yun Che who caused chaos across the empire. Destroyed sects. I heard he vanished after that, leaving nothing but a mountain torn in half."
Yun Che exhaled slowly through his nose, eyes lowering. You're talking to him right now, Chu Yueli.
He didn't say it aloud, of course. He just kept walking.
"I'm sure," he said quietly, "she's grateful to you. Even if she doesn't say it."
Yueli blinked, caught off guard. "Grateful? For what?"
"For caring," he replied simply. "For teaching her what she needed before fate took her away. For believing in her even when you thought she stopped believing in you."
She looked at him — really looked at him — and for a brief moment, the sadness in her eyes was replaced by something else. Recognition.
This man — this Dracule Mihawk — spoke with a certainty she couldn't explain. Like someone who knew her sister, not from stories or rumors, but through the quiet understanding of a person who had walked beside her.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. She simply followed him, her mind a storm of questions and her heart… strangely calm.
She didn't understand him. His motives, his strength, his words — none of it made sense. Yet, somehow, when he spoke, she believed him.
And as she watched his back — tall, composed, that massive black blade resting easily against his shoulder — she realized something she hadn't wanted to admit:
This man doesn't just understand me. He sees right through me.
For a woman who had spent her life behind walls of frost, that was more terrifying than any blade.
But also — more comforting than she would ever admit.
"The technique your learned is a remarkable technique indeed. To think your sister trusted you enough to share something forbidden — that alone says much about her heart. And yours."
Yueli turned her head toward him, surprised. "You think so?"
He nodded. "A teacher only passes a blade to someone she knows won't misuse it. She didn't see you as her shadow. She saw you as her equal."
Her eyes softened — then glimmered faintly as if his words had struck something deep within her. "Equal…" she murmured. "I wish that were true."
"It is," Yun Che said quietly. "You just don't believe it yet."
For a brief moment, silence returned between them — but this time, it wasn't uncomfortable. The distance between them seemed smaller.
Then Jasmine's voice whispered in his mind, teasingly amused.
You're enjoying this far too much, aren't you?
What can I say? he replied inwardly. She's easier to talk to than I thought.
Hmph. Be careful, Yun Che. You're talking to your wife's master, not a disciple to charm.
He smirked faintly beneath his breath. Says the one spying on our conversation like a jealous spirit.
I am not jealous, she hissed, before going quiet.
Yun Che shook his head slightly and looked at Chu Yueli again. She was smiling faintly, looking ahead — the light from the corridor painting her silver hair gold.
And as they continued walking, he couldn't help but think — this journey wasn't just uncovering the secrets of the Moon Empress's vault.
It was quietly rewriting the story of a woman who had finally begun to thaw.
================
The stillness of the tomb was almost sacred — the kind of silence that seemed to hum with invisible power. The air itself vibrated faintly with a strange rhythm, like a pulse deep beneath the stone. Each pillar shimmered with inscriptions that weren't just carved — they were etched into reality, pulsing faintly with that golden-white glow of Isu origin.
Yun Che leaned lightly against one of those pillars, his hand brushing the cold surface. The symbols responded with a soft ripple of light, like a heartbeat recognizing him. His eyes narrowed beneath the shadow of his hat.
"These markings… they're too perfect," he muttered quietly.
He could feel it — the resonance of design, the flow of geometrical logic, the signature of the Isu. This wasn't something a human could replicate, even with divine guidance. Not without knowledge — not without memory.
So, Moon Empress… how much of their wisdom did you see?
He didn't want to believe it, but the more he saw of her tomb — the technology woven into its stones, the precision of the architecture — the more he realized that the Moon Empress didn't just find the Apple of Eden.She had understood it.
That was impossible. Unless…
Unless the Apple had imprinted something inside her — memories, visions, the language of the Isu themselves.
Yun Che exhaled slowly, eyes glowing faintly gold. You didn't just use the Apple, did you, Moon Empress? You learned from it.
On the other side of the hall, Chu Yueli traced her hand along the wall, eyes widening with awe. "These carvings…" she murmured. "They're beautiful, yet… wrong. They don't belong to any script I've ever seen. It's as if they're alive."
Yun Che only offered a half-shrug, his tone casual. "Old language. Probably decorative."
She gave him a mildly annoyed glance — clearly unconvinced. But she didn't press him. He wasn't the kind of man who shared what he didn't want to.
As she wandered, Yun Che folded his arms, his gaze distant while Jasmine floated near, watching him quietly.
Her crimson eyes shimmered in the dim light. "You're thinking too much again," she said softly. "If the Moon Empress built this place with their designs… it's already too late to question how. She saw something you didn't."
"No," he said quietly. "That's what bothers me. The Apple doesn't transmit knowledge — it controls. It's a vessel, not a teacher. So how did she learn enough to mimic an Isu Vault down to its energy flow?"
Jasmine's expression darkened slightly. "You think she made contact with one of them?"
Yun Che didn't answer. His silence was enough.
As Jasmine floated beside him, her gaze drifted across the glowing runes — and the weight of memory pressed in. Ever since seeing the Apple's true power, her mind had been restless. The sight of mortals controlling minds — enslaving wills — that was power even the gods of her realm couldn't replicate.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered what it would be like to wield that power. To have dominion over life and thought. To take back everything she lost.
But then she remembered the Moon Empress's story — the slaughter, the despair, the loneliness that followed absolute control. And the thought curdled into disgust.
She sighed, floating down to eye-level with him. "That thing… the Apple. If someone like me used it, it would only end in ruin."
Yun Che glanced at her sidelong. "You thought about using it, didn't you?"
She didn't deny it. Her crimson eyes flickered briefly — shame, defiance, and honesty blending together. "I did. Once. But I'm not that foolish."
"Good," he said simply. "The Apple doesn't grant power. It trades it — your soul, your will, for the illusion of control. It breaks people who crave it."
Jasmine folded her arms, glaring slightly. "Hmph. Don't sound so self-righteous. You'd use it if you had to."
Yun Che chuckled under his breath. "Only to destroy it."
Then, her voice softened. "Tell me something, Yuuki. This… Shinigami thing of yours. You said mortals could become one if their souls were strong enough."
He nodded slightly, his gaze distant. "Yeah. But it's not something to envy. To become a Shinigami, a mortal soul has to break free from its body before being consumed by its own hollow — the darkness within. Most can't survive that. The ones who do…" he paused, "...they stop being human."
"And that's what happened to you."
He didn't respond.
But Jasmine knew. He didn't need to say it — the faint edge in his voice said enough.
Her fingers brushed against her arm, tracing the faint shimmer of her old starlight patterns. "And what about me?" she murmured. "You told me before — if I want to walk beside you not as a human, I'll have to give everything up. My Star Bloodline, my cultivation, my name."
He turned his head toward her. "It's your choice, Jasmine. Rebirth always demands sacrifice."
She fell silent.
She could picture it — shedding everything she was, the legacy of her bloodline, her divine power — just to become new. A clean slate. A mortal start. It terrified her. And yet, deep down, it tempted her too.
The chance to walk beside him again — not as a ghost, but as a living being. Another being.
An Ascended Shinigami.
Finally, she spoke, her voice quiet but firm. "Would you… still remember me?"
Yun Che met her gaze, and for once, the unshakable calm in his eyes softened. "I already do," he said. "Even if you forget who you are, I won't. We won't."
The warmth of his words caught her off guard — it wasn't romantic, but it was real. The kind of truth that anchored her more than any divine vow.
Jasmine turned her head away, hiding the faint color on her cheeks. "Hmph. Don't say things like that so casually, you idiot."
Yun Che only smirked, his voice low and teasing.
"I wasn't being casual. I was being honest."
ChatGPT said:
The faint hum of the tomb's energies echoed through the corridors like a heartbeat — steady, low, endless. Yun Che walked in silence, his footsteps soft against the glowing stone floor. But in his mind, another voice stirred.
Jasmine had been quiet — too quiet. For her, silence wasn't peace; it was a storm she kept caged behind pride.
"You've been quiet. Is everything okay?"
His voice broke into her thoughts — not loud, not invasive, but firm, carrying that tone she could never ignore.
For a moment, she froze midair. Then, in her usual fashion, she put up the wall.
"I'm fine, you idiot. Can't you see I'm perfectly fine?"
Her tone was sharp, but it trembled just enough for him to notice.
Yun Che smirked faintly. "Jasmine, I know when someone's lying to me. You can fool me with words, but your aura? It's trembling."
She clicked her tongue. "Tch. There's no escaping your sight, is there? Sometimes I think you can read people's secrets before they even realize they have one."
"I've been with you for almost two years now," he said quietly. "You forget — I pay attention."
Her crimson eyes softened. For a moment, she dropped the façade. "My origin… it's not something I like talking about. Not even with you."
"That's fine," he replied easily. "I'll wait until you do."
Silence followed — not heavy, but thoughtful. The kind that settled deep inside the heart.
Finally, Jasmine spoke again, her voice quieter this time.
"Seeing that Apple back then… it made me think. Relying on something so powerful — something that twists the mind — it reminded me of myself. Of what I used to be."
Yun Che said nothing, simply listening as her tone grew softer, tinged with something rare — fear.
"If I had that kind of power back in the Realm of the Gods," she whispered, "I might've used it. To destroy those who hurt me. To make them kneel. But… what then? If I wiped out my enemies, what would be left? Just another monster wearing my face."
He frowned, his voice steady. "You're not that person anymore."
She smiled faintly, but it was sad. "You say that like you know me better than I do."
"Maybe I do," he said simply. "You've changed, Jasmine. I've seen it. You still act like you don't care, but the way you talk about the others — the way you look at them — it's not vengeance I see anymore. It's attachment."
That word made her heart skip. Attachment.
Her voice wavered when she spoke again.
"For the past two years… being with you, Retsu, and the spirits — it's been strange. You taught me things no one in the Realm of the Gods ever could. You made me feel what friendship actually is. What family could be."
She hesitated, the admission quiet and raw.
"I didn't think I deserved that. Someone like me, tainted by my own bloodline… being treated as a sister, even loved — it feels… unreal."
Yun Che's steps slowed, his voice low and warm.
"You do deserve it. Whether you believe it or not."
Jasmine looked away, blinking rapidly. "I don't want to lose that. Not you, not them. I don't want to wake up one day and find it all gone. I can't…"
Her voice cracked — just a little.
He smiled softly, unseen beneath his hat. "You won't lose it. You've got me — and Retsu, and everyone else. We'll protect you. Even those little brats would flip the world upside down if you vanished."
That earned him a faint, embarrassed huff. "Hmph. As if I care what those little rascals think of me."
"They adore you," he teased. "You're basically the cool big sister who can vaporize anyone who makes them cry."
She floated beside him, arms crossed, but her face betrayed her. Her cheeks had turned pink. "Hnn… still, parting with them would be the last thing I'd ever want."
There was a pause — a long, quiet one. Then she sighed. "At first, I only stayed with you to recover my cultivation. To use you."
He chuckled dryly. "Harsh."
"Don't interrupt, you idiot!" she snapped, then continued, voice softening again. "But the longer I watched you, the more… I started to understand. You didn't chase power out of greed. You chased it to protect. To live. To enjoy life."
Her tone softened to a whisper. "I used to think cultivation was a burden. A path of blood. But you…"
She smiled faintly. "You made it look fun."
The long, glowing corridor stretched endlessly ahead, humming with the pulse of ancient power. Every few seconds, the light from the runes along the walls shimmered across Yun Che's face, casting fleeting shadows beneath the brim of his hat. His voice, calm but warm, echoed softly against the cold stone.
"You know, Jasmine… you've already felt that on the first step."
She blinked, caught off guard. "I did?"
Yun Che's lips curled faintly — that faint, knowing smirk that always managed to get under her skin. "Yeah. You might not notice it, but I can see it. You've always been eager to learn — to grow. You just forgot what that felt like."
He turned his head slightly, his voice steady and reflective.
"Remember the day I taught you how to use your Haki? Observation and Armament? You mastered them faster than anyone else. For once, you actually enjoyed the process instead of rushing to the end. You kept pestering me about Eagle Vision after that — like a curious kid."
He chuckled softly at the memory. "That alone proves it — you love learning. You just needed to feel it again. You used to chase power because you had to. Now you're chasing knowledge because you want to. That's different, Jasmine. That's growth."
Something flickered in her crimson eyes — a brief glint of realization. For someone who'd always believed strength was something inherited or taken, the idea of earning it step by step felt… strangely thrilling.
"But those skills," she said softly, "they're too heaven-defying. If the people from up there catch even a hint of them, they'd tear you apart just to know how they work. I still can't believe I'm interested in learning something like this."
Yun Che laughed lightly. "That's the feeling, Jasmine — the joy of cultivation. The excitement of learning something new, of building yourself stronger from the ground up. Sure, it's slower than devouring treasures or stealing divine energy — but it's real."
He paused and looked back at her, eyes glinting gold in the tomb's faint light.
"Remember that dragon?"
Jasmine frowned, floating a little closer. "You mean that time you could've just taken the fire bead and left instead of trying to wrestle a beast ten times stronger than you? Yeah. I remember. You idiot."
Yun Che's smirk grew wider. "Exactly. It was stupid. But where's the fun in running away? Every challenge has experience to gain — lessons, strength, rewards. It's not just about winning or losing. It's about leveling up, Jasmine. Every scar, every fight, every risk adds to who you are."
She stared at him for a moment — that simple, carefree answer echoing in her mind longer than she expected.Leveling up… by fighting stronger enemies.
In her world, mortals and gods alike would flee from unwinnable battles. But this man — this fool — ran toward them.
"Is… leveling up really that fun?" she finally asked, her tone unusually quiet.
Yun Che chuckled. "Of course it is. It's the most addicting thing there is. You get stronger, wiser, faster — and you do it on your own terms. Not because someone handed it to you."
Her eyes lowered slightly, her voice softer now.
"I… never really learned that. Everything I've ever had — my bloodline, my powers, my divine arts — they were all given to me. I never earned them. Maybe that's why… I never understood what it means to feel accomplished."
Yun Che's gaze softened. "You can learn that feeling too, Jasmine. But…"
He hesitated, the weight in his tone deepening.
"The system won't accept you as you are now. Not with your divine powers. You'd have to let them go — all of them. Your bloodline, your cultivation, your techniques. Everything that makes you the celestial star Jasmine. Only then can I reset your soul and guide you through the process — to become a Shinigami like me."
The silence that followed was heavy — not with fear, but contemplation. Jasmine floated a few feet away, her hair gently swaying in the tomb's energy current. The idea of abandoning her Star God heritage — the power that defined her, that had cost her everything — was almost unthinkable.
"….."
Yun Che's voice broke the silence, quieter now but full of conviction.
"Only if you're ready, Jasmine. I'll never force you to throw away what's important. But when — if — the day comes that you decide to give me your true name…"
He turned, meeting her gaze with a confident smile.
"That's the day I'll train you myself. As my student."
Her face immediately turned red as she crossed her arms defensively, floating a few inches higher.
"Hmph! This princess would rather strangle herself than let an idiot like you become her master!"
Yun Che laughed softly, hands in his pockets as he resumed walking.
"Worth a shot, I guess."
She huffed and floated beside him, glaring down just enough to hide the faint warmth in her chest.
But deep inside, that single promise — "when you give me your true name" — lingered like a whisper.
For the first time in years, Jasmine wasn't thinking about vengeance, or power, or her divine title.
She was thinking about the feeling of starting over.
Of learning again.
Of becoming something new.
====================
The deeper they went, the stranger the air became.The tomb no longer felt like a tomb.
The air was too still — not the silence of death, but the stillness of machinery long asleep. Each step Yun Che took across the illuminated hexagonal tiles sent a faint hum through the floor, as though the structure itself was breathing.
Chu Yueli slowed beside him, her eyes darting across the walls in disbelief. "This… this isn't a human design," she whispered. "The patterns, the symmetry… even the light feels alive."
She wasn't wrong. The crystalline walls shimmered faintly with an energy not of this world. Some stones glowed with a soft azure pulse — others, dull and cracked, flickered like dying embers.
Jasmine floated beside Yun Che, her crimson eyes reflecting the alien light. "To be honest," she murmured, "this isn't a tomb anymore. It's like we stepped into the remains of a laboratory."
Yun Che's hand brushed one of the glowing hexagonal panels. It responded instantly, glowing brighter beneath his touch. "You're not far off," he said. "The Isu didn't build graves. They built archives — living vaults. Each one stored their knowledge, their machines, their—"
He stopped, gaze flicking up as they entered the heart of the chamber.
The sight froze all three of them.
Suspended above a circular platform of shining stone hovered a three-sided pyramid, rotating slowly in midair. Its surface was covered in intricate golden lines that shifted like flowing rivers of light. Beneath it, a ring of water surrounded the central stage, reflecting the pyramid's glow in rippling patterns across the ceiling.
There were no supports, no visible energy sources — just the impossible sight of gravity itself being defied.
Jasmine's voice trembled slightly. "That thing… it's floating. How?"
Yun Che tilted his head back, watching the slow rotation with a faint, knowing smile. "By manipulating electromagnetic gravitation currents," he murmured more to himself than to her. "It's how the Isu suspended their temples back home. They used resonance frequencies in the metal to generate lift…"
Then he caught himself and shrugged. "In short — magnets, let's call it that."
Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "For once, I'm not sure if that was sarcasm or science."
Yun Che's smirk deepened. "Both."
They descended the broad staircase leading toward the platform. Every few steps, the glowing symbols etched into the walls seemed to shift, rearranging themselves like they were alive — a language that refused to stay still.
"I never thought I'd see something like this in the Profound Sky Realm," Jasmine said quietly. "Even the Realm of the Gods doesn't have architecture like this. The design reminds me of those symbols we saw when the Apple activated."
Yun Che nodded slowly, his golden eyes narrowing in thought. "That's because it's connected. This entire vault bears the same structure — Isu geometry. The Moon Empress didn't just use the Apple; she understood it. This vault isn't a tomb… it's a containment chamber."
Jasmine blinked. "Containment? For what?"
He didn't answer right away. His eyes were still fixed on the rotating pyramid above them, the hum in the air growing louder with each rotation — a deep, resonant thrum that vibrated through their bones.
If she really built this place to hide the Apple, he thought grimly, then that thing isn't just decoration.
Jasmine's voice interrupted his thoughts. "You think it's holding the Apple?"
Yun Che nodded slightly. "Possibly. But if the Moon Empress truly saw what I think she did, that pyramid could be something else — a regulator, maybe even a seal. The Apple's power isn't something you can bury in the ground. You have to suppress it — drown it in a containment field like this."
The air in the hall thrummed with quiet power — a deep, ancient hum that seemed to come from the walls themselves.
Yun Che stood at the edge of the glowing platform, golden eyes reflecting the suspended pyramid above. Its three-sided surface shimmered faintly, like liquid gold trapped in crystal. The light that poured from it wasn't warm — it was alive, pulsing faintly in rhythm with the beat of the earth.
"This whole room…" Yun Che murmured, his tone calm yet sharp, "…is built to trap something that shouldn't exist."
He turned to Chu Yueli, his coat swaying slightly with the subtle energy coursing through the chamber. "And by the looks of it, this tomb wasn't built for the Moon Empress… it was built by her."
Chu Yueli blinked, her brows furrowing. "Eh? Built by her? But how could you tell?"
He glanced around the massive chamber — the glowing symbols etched into the pillars, the intricate lattice of hexagonal stones, and the flawless geometry that no mortal builder could replicate.
"Think about it," he replied. "She left behind a disciple, right? Yet no record in the entire Blue Wind Empire mentions designs like these. No scholar, no sect, not even her own successor. These markings — they're not just decorations. They're a language. One only she understood."
Chu Yueli folded her arms, trying to follow his logic. "But if she left a disciple behind, surely that disciple knew something about this?"
Yun Che shook his head. "Not likely. The Empress was a Sovereign — a cultivator far beyond her age. Her power could carve rivers through mountains. If she learned the secrets of the Apple of Eden… then these designs are her attempt to replicate what she saw."
Yueli's gaze wandered to the glowing floor beneath her feet. "I've seen palaces built from jade and silver, but this…" Her voice trailed as she brushed a hand across the polished wall, tracing the alien lines carved into it. "This feels like stepping into another world. Like even the stones here are alive."
Yun Che's eyes narrowed slightly. "Maybe they are."
The two continued deeper into the vast hall, every step echoing softly through the still air. The silence wasn't natural — it was expectant, as though the tomb itself was watching. The floor bore deep cracks, scorch marks, and shattered fragments of what used to be pillars. Something violent had happened here — long ago.
A battle? he wondered. But against who?
They weren't the first to reach this place… but whoever came before clearly didn't survive it.
Shaking off the thought, Yun Che stopped before one of the massive statues that lined the inner walls. Each one depicted the Moon Empress — serene, graceful, her flowing robes carved in immaculate detail. Her hands were raised, palm extended outward, as though reaching toward something unseen.
But as Yun Che studied their placement, his eyes sharpened. "No… these aren't random."
Jasmine, who had been silently observing the pyramid's upper structure, drifted closer. "You think the statues mean something?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah. Look — their positions don't line up. It's subtle, but the angles are wrong. Whoever last touched these didn't know their true purpose."
He placed a hand against the nearest statue and gave it a cautious push — and to Chu Yueli's surprise, the massive stone figure moved.
"Eh?! It moves that easily?"
"Not easily," Yun Che corrected. "It's built to respond to certain pressure points. See the grooves here?" He pointed at the faint tracks in the stone floor, barely visible to the naked eye. "They're meant to guide the statues into place."
He stepped back, eyes narrowing as he aligned the statue's palm toward the floating pyramid above. "If my hunch is right…"
The moment the statue clicked into position —
Click.
A sound like grinding gears echoed through the chamber, followed by a sudden surge of light. Aqua energy began flowing through the statue's arm, veins of light racing across the carved surface until its palm glowed bright enough to cast shadows across the hall.
A moment later, a focused beam of energy shot from the statue's palm — straight toward the pyramid's surface.
The pyramid stopped rotating.
Its hum deepened, resonating with the energy of the hall like a living heart skipping a beat.
Chu Yueli's eyes widened in awe. "That… actually worked."
Yun Che smirked faintly. "So I was right."
He leaped down from the statue's base and landed lightly beside her, his boots splashing softly against the faint layer of water covering the platform. "Yueli," he said, his tone calm but commanding. "There should be more statues along the perimeter. Rearrange them — point their palms toward the pyramid. All of them."
She blinked. "You think they'll all… connect?"
"I don't think," Yun Che said, eyes never leaving the glowing structure above. "I know. This isn't a tomb — it's a mechanism. And once the statues align…"
He gripped Yoru's hilt, his voice low and edged with anticipation.
"We'll see what exactly the Moon Empress was trying to seal away."
A faint thrill ran through the air as if the tomb itself heard his words — the hum of ancient machinery growing ever so slightly louder, waiting for its awakening.
The final beam of light cut through the dimness like a blade, striking the last facet of the hovering pyramid.For a moment, the entire chamber pulsed with life — a heartbeat of the ancients.
Then everything went still.
The pyramid stopped its rotation completely. Its smooth, gold-lined surface gleamed brighter and brighter, each pulse of light synchronized with the faint tremors in the floor beneath them. It was beautiful — but it wasn't peaceful. There was something wrong about how quiet it became, something deliberate in how the air thickened with tension.
Yun Che's hand subconsciously dropped toward Yoru's hilt. His instincts screamed louder than his thoughts.
"To think she'd build a puzzle like this," he murmured, eyes narrowing. "A mechanism this complex — not to reveal treasure, but to protect something that should never be found."
Jasmine floated beside him, her crimson eyes fixed on the glowing structure above. "It's almost poetic," she said softly. "The Moon Empress— a woman who tamed empires, now guarding a secret she probably wished she never discovered."
Yun Che's brow furrowed, golden eyes sharpening. "Yeah… but why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
A faint vibration answered him — a low, mechanical hum, like the sound of gears long dormant grinding to life.
Jasmine folded her arms. "Because you always do right before things go wrong."
He cracked a dry smirk. "Touché."
Then he turned toward Chu Yueli. "Come on. Let's finish it."
They leapt from one pedestal to the next until they reached the final set of statues along the hall's third side. Each one bore the same serene face of the Moon Empress, hands extended as though offering light to the heavens.
Except one.
The last statue's right palm had been severed clean off.
Chu Yueli frowned. "That's strange. None of the others were damaged."
Yun Che studied the break — smooth, deliberate. "No, this wasn't age or erosion. Someone… or something… cut it off."
She blinked. "But why?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he exhaled softly and raised his left hand. "Guess I'll have to improvise."
With a flick of his fingers, scarlet flames burst to life.
The entire chamber shimmered in crimson light as phoenix fire danced across his hand, molding and shaping itself like molten glass. Within seconds, a new palm formed from pure flame and reattached to the statue's wrist. The fire cooled instantly, turning into smooth, polished stone that matched the rest of the statue perfectly.
Chu Yueli's eyes widened. "You… you have flame profound energy?"
Yun Che didn't even look at her. "Might've picked it up somewhere. Why? Is it illegal to be multitalented?"
Her voice faltered. "Multitalented…? You cultivated another profound energy because you were bored?"
"Cultivation's a hobby," he replied coolly. "Why limit yourself to one toy box?"
Her mind was reeling. A swordsman who wielded flames strong enough to reconstruct stone with divine precision. A man who called a heaven-defying skill "a hobby." Just how far did his strength go?
This man… he never used even half of his real power before, she realized. If his cultivation truly sits at the Sky Profound Realm's peak… then what realm does he really belong to?
Before she could speak again, the statue's repaired palm began to glow. Aqua light surged through its body, traveling up its arm until it joined the rest — completing the network of beams converging upon the pyramid.
And then…
Click… click… click…
The sound echoed through the chamber, deep and deliberate.The pyramid's golden lines flared brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding. Then, with a thunderous hum, a single column of light shot straight down from its base to the center of the stage.
The impact sent ripples of power through the floor.
Stone shifted. The earth beneath their feet trembled.
From the center of the platform, a pedestal slowly rose — ancient, ornate, and covered in the same alien markings as before.
Yueli blinked in awe. "Another… pedestal?"
Jasmine frowned, crossing her arms as she floated closer. "That makes three. And just like before… it's empty."
She looked toward Yun Che, who stood utterly still — his eyes fixed on the pedestal, his expression unreadable beneath the shadow of his hat.
"So," she said slowly, "what do you see this time, Yuuki?"
Chu Yueli glanced at the pedestal. She didn't see anything on it. It was bare stone and dust. Yet Mihawk's gaze had hardened — focused, as if he was staring straight into something she couldn't perceive.
Can he see something invisible? Another message? Another illusion?
Yueli's hands tightened around her robe as an uneasy feeling bloomed in her chest. She didn't understand any of it — the lights, the statues, the pyramid — but she felt something vast watching them.
Something ancient. Something… alive.
Yun Che finally spoke, his voice calm but heavy.
"Yes, Jasmine. The third and final pedestal. The end of her message."
His eyes glimmered faintly, the system's HUD flickering in their depths.
"But still no Apple. No sarcophagus. No body."
The moment Yun Che heard the arrogant declaration echo through the chamber, his hand froze an inch above the glowing pedestal.The tension that had been simmering like a storm inside the vault broke instantly — replaced by the sharp, ugly sound of greed.
He sighed quietly, lowering his hand. "Of course…" he muttered, voice laced with dry irritation. "Right on cue."
The voices grew louder as two figures emerged from the triangular gateway at the far end of the hall, their boots slapping against the illuminated floor. The air shimmered faintly from the pyramid's hum as Yun Che turned to see them — both bloodied, burned, and breathing hard.
The first was the Xiao Clan elder, robes torn and face grim, his aura unstable but still vicious. The second was Lang Long, his once-pristine armor now fractured and streaked with blood. The exhaustion in their eyes did nothing to dull their hatred.
"Halt, whoever you are!" the Xiao elder barked, his voice echoing against the temple walls. "The treasure belongs to the Xiao Clan! We were the first to find this tomb — it is our right to claim it!"
Lang Long's lip curled. "Don't make me laugh. We agreed to split the treasures, but you snakes decided to betray that pact. Don't think I didn't see your brother trying to stab me in the back!"
The elder snapped his head toward him, fury burning in his gaze. "You killed my brother? You dare—"
"Spare me the moral high ground," Lang Long sneered. "If I hadn't, I'd be the one bleeding out on the stones. I knew you'd turn the moment you had the chance. Now I'll do what your brother couldn't — end your miserable clan and take what's mine."
Yun Che's patience evaporated. "You weaklings again," he said flatly, his voice carrying a razor's edge of disdain.
Both men froze. Their gazes locked onto him — and recognition immediately drained the color from their faces.
"Mihawk…?!" The Xiao elder's voice cracked with disbelief. "You— you're still alive?! And that woman…" His eyes widened further as he noticed Chu Yueli, her silver hair and flowing white robes gleaming beneath the temple's light. "…Li Yue?! You— you're from the Frozen Cloud Asgard?!"
Chu Yueli didn't answer. Her frosty aura spoke for her — cold, refined, untouchable.
The Xiao elder stumbled back a step. "You… you killed the others?!"
Yun Che's expression didn't change. "They tried. I disagreed."
Lang Long's face twisted with fury. "You bastard! You ruined our plan back in the arena — and now you dare steal our discovery?!"
He took a threatening step forward, energy surging around him. But Yun Che simply held up a small scrap of charred paper — the remnant of the Xiao Clan's formation — and let it burn to ash in his fingers, his expression as calm as if he were swatting away a fly.
"Hmph," Yun Che said lazily. "You mean this weak piece of trash? You call this treasure? I've wiped better formations off my boots."
The Xiao elder's face turned scarlet. "You dare insult—!"
"I'm not insulting," Yun Che cut in, voice cold and sharp. "I'm telling the truth."
The elder's hand trembled, but he couldn't move. He could feel the difference — a gulf of power so wide it made his bones heavy.
Lang Long, however, still had that twisted smile plastered across his face. "You think you're untouchable, Mihawk?" he hissed, his voice unsteady but venomous. "You think you can just walk away with everything? I suggest you both hand over the treasures before I'm forced to use… this."
He lifted his right hand.
In his palm lay a small black pill — swirling faintly with crimson veins that pulsed like a heartbeat.
The sight of it made the Xiao elder freeze. His pupils shrank. "You— that pill—! That's… that's the Wu Clan's demonic prototype! You stole it!"
Lang Long's grin widened, eyes bloodshot and wild. "You mean this little marvel? The one your precious sects have been drooling over? Yes. I took it. You know what it does, don't you?"
The elder's face turned pale. "You fool! That pill's unstable! The Wu Clan abandoned the formula after it consumed three of their own disciples! It doesn't enhance your strength — it eats your life force!"
Lang Long barked a laugh that echoed off the temple walls. "Then I'll burn my life gladly… if it means taking all of you with me!"
Jasmine, floating behind Yun Che, groaned softly. "Really? He's still trying to act tough after all this?"
Yun Che tilted his head, unamused. "Some people are determined to die spectacularly."
Then, to Lang Long, his voice dropped into a calm, deadly register. "Tell me something… when that unstable garbage tears your body apart from the inside, do you want me to bury the ashes or scatter them?"
Lang Long snarled, teeth flashing. "You talk too much. Hand over the treasures now, or I'll use the pill and end your sorry existence."
Chu Yueli stiffened and took a step forward, but Yun Che raised a single hand to stop her.
"Mihawk…" she breathed, eyes wide with alarm.
He didn't push her back so much as tilt his chin in a tiny, impossible smile—an expression that made her skim a red line of confusion across her face. He wasn't goading. He was…curious. Calmly daring the elder to show his hand. The confidence in his smile had an edge that made Yueli's throat tighten.
Lang Long barked a humorless laugh. "If you want to die, I won't waste the pill. I could just kill you outright." He reached theatrically into his robes as if to savor the drama.
"Then use it," Yun Che said, voice soft and steady.
The laughter died in Lang Long's throat. He glanced to the Xiao elder, who looked like a man ready to surrender to any madness that might sway the tide. "I don't care!" Lang Long snapped. "They're trouble. I'll risk it." He didn't wait for another argument—he popped the black pill into his mouth.
Chu Yueli's eyes widened. "What do we do?"
"Go," Yun Che ordered. His gaze flicked to the rows of Moon Empress statues. "Take the high ground. Break one of the statues if you have to—disrupt the lights and cancel the pedestal. Watch from there."
Reluctantly, she obeyed. She climbed to the statues and knocked one out of place; its beam winked and died. Beneath them the pedestal slid back into the stage like a sleeping thing pushed away. Only then did she let herself breathe.
No more warning came. Lang Long's face contorted as the pill did its work. His muscles ballooned, his frame tearing at the seams of cloth and armor. Horns ripped from his skull. His roar cracked the vaulted ceiling. In seconds the man was gone—replaced by something huge and bestial: a minotaur, two dozen feet of snarling, red-eyed fury, hooves stamping the stone.
The beast amored itself with a fallen statue, wrenching a stone axe from its hands and holding it as if ready to split the world. The temple answered with the hollow echo of something vast waking up.
Yun Che simply drew Yoru. The sword slid free with a whisper, black and hungry in his hand. He didn't flinch. If anything, his smile widened—part amusement, part predatory focus.
"Finally," he murmured, the grin cutting through the tension. "A proper fight."