Cang Yue's lashes trembled as consciousness slowly returned to her. A hazy blur of colors greeted her vision—swirls of soft pinks, blues, and radiant golds blending like watercolor paint. She rubbed her eyes gently, expecting to see a familiar ceiling, a tent, a forest—anything recognizable. Instead, an alien sight unfolded before her.
She was floating.
Literally suspended in mid-air, surrounded by drifting rainbow-colored clouds that pulsed softly like living mist. Above her, beneath her, all around—there was no sky, no ground, no horizon. The world stretched endlessly in every direction, painted only with vibrant clouds that shimmered like fragments of a dream. The place felt divine and mystical yet strangely hollow, as if she stood inside a forgotten realm where time itself had died.
Panic seized her. She flailed instinctively, expecting to plummet, but the more she struggled, the heavier her body became. Only when she stopped moving did she realize she wasn't falling at all. There was no gravity here. No direction. No form of life. Only endless color and unnerving quiet.
Her heart tightened. She called out for the others—first calmly, then desperately. "Yun Che… Sister Retsu… Sister Mio… Kon… Where is everyone?" Her voice echoed through the void but returned to her empty and unanswered. There was no trace of their presence. She reached for her profound energy on reflex, hoping to sense them, but the instant her power stirred, her body froze completely—petrified as if caught in invisible chains. When she stopped using her power, movement returned. This strange realm allowed her to float freely only so long as she remained spiritually still.
Before she could process the implications, a voice rang out around her—bright, cheerful, almost playful. "Ahhh… you're finally here. I was lonely for three thousand years, and finally someone came. Lucky me~!"
The sound came from everywhere and nowhere. Cang Yue's eyes widened as the rainbow clouds surrounding her began swirling, converging toward a single point far ahead. Light gathered within the vortex—flickering, intensifying—before shaping itself into a small figure. Slowly, steadily, a humanoid silhouette formed out of the glowing mist.
It was a girl. No more than thirteen or fifteen by appearance, yet radiating an aura far beyond her age. She wore ancient, ceremonial robes that floated weightlessly around her. Black hair cascaded down her back, decorated with delicate ornaments that shimmered like stardust. Her features were breathtaking—porcelain skin, swirling eyes, a tiny, mischievous mouth. She possessed a beauty comparable to Retsu's elegance and Mio's divine charm, but with an eerie, doll-like innocence that only made her presence more surreal.
The girl drifted toward Cang Yue with effortless grace, raising one hand in a cheerful greeting as though they had met a thousand times before. Her swirling eyes sparkled with amusement, warmth… and something ancient.
If Yun Che were here, he would have recognized her immediately.
Because this was the girl he had personally sent to the afterlife only days ago.
"Yoho! You must be Cang Yue, right?"
Cang Yue stared in stunned silence, unable to form a single word. Of all the supernatural sights she had witnessed since meeting Yun Che, nothing compared to watching a young girl materialize out of swirling rainbow clouds as though she were born directly from the void. The girl's presence was otherworldly, ancient, and disarmingly cheerful—all at once. Cang Yue's mind simply refused to process what she was seeing.
Seeing her frozen, the spirit-girl floated closer and snapped her fingers right in front of Cang Yue's dazed face.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"
The sharp sound jolted Cang Yue back to her senses. She blinked rapidly, regaining her bearings before finally muttering, "I… Who are you? And how do you know my name?"
Before she could pull back, a small finger flicked her forehead—light but surprisingly insulting. Cang Yue stared in disbelief as she rubbed the spot, while the girl sighed dramatically, as though dealing with someone terribly slow.
"I guess this is your first time seeing me, huh?"
The girl floated upward, spinning once in mid-air before stopping right in front of her. She posed with two fingers raised beside her face—bright, energetic, and absurdly cheerful for someone who had appeared in an impossible dimension.
"I am Huan Xuyi!!! The Moon Empress of the Blue Wind Empire!!"
Cang Yue's jaw nearly dropped.
The Moon Empress—the legendary ruler said to have died three thousand years ago—was currently… a cheerful floating loli?
"Ehh?! Moon Empress? But… I thought she died three thousand years ago!" Cang Yue exclaimed, her voice cracking between disbelief and attempted decorum.
"Eheee, busted!" the girl giggled, twirling in the air again. "I was hoping to trick you, but you're sharper than you look. Anyway! I'm not actually her. But she did say I could take her form. You can call me Yuyun—I'm her guardian spirit!"
For a moment, Cang Yue could only stare.
A guardian spirit… taking the form of the Moon Empress…A companion created by the Empress herself…
Everything she knew from the palace archives felt suddenly incomplete.
"Yuyun?" Cang Yue repeated softly. "That's… a very cute name."
"Right?" Yuyun beamed proudly. "Ehee~ I served the Moon Empress before she passed peacefully into the afterlife. I'm the embodiment of her will and spirit!"
Cang Yue nodded slowly as understanding dawned. It made sense—this girl wasn't truly the Empress, but a spiritual construct created by her. She could inherit the Empress's appearance, her voice, her aura. And judging by her youthful form, the Moon Empress must have looked like this during her early years.
"You served the Moon Empress?" Cang Yue asked, becoming more grounded. "So… you're over two thousand years old?"
"Almost three thousand, actually!" Yuyun puffed her chest proudly. "She created me and this place when she was younger. I'm also the guardian of this entire realm. What? Never met someone older than three thousand before?"
Cang Yue simply stared at her, speechless once more.
Three thousand years old, spoken like a child bragging about being the oldest in her class.
This spirit didn't even seem to realize how absurd her words were to mortals. Yet she radiated such pure innocence that Cang Yue could only accept it with a silent sigh.
There was so much to unpack.
Yuyun was a spirit crafted by the Moon Empress herself.
This mystical realm was constructed by the Empress for reasons still unknown.
And "Huan Xuyi"… was the Empress's true name—something never recorded in the palace archives.
Cang Yue took a deep breath as her mind slowly assembled the pieces.
She finally understood why Yun Che said the feather was a relic from the Moon Empress.He must have already known more than he let on.
And now, for the first time in her life, Cang Yue was seeing the Moon Empress's youthful appearance… even if only through her spirit's chosen form.
Yuyun brushed imaginary dust from her sleeves and returned to floating effortlessly before Cang Yue. Her small figure radiated boundless energy as she spoke, her tone bright and almost celebratory. "I assume you know the Moon Empress. She was my former master—my creator—and the one I served for as long as I remember. Before she passed on, she left me with one final task: to train her successor. Someone who would inherit what she could not take with her."
Her swirling eyes narrowed playfully."
And I never expected that successor would be you. Then again… you really are her spitting image."
Cang Yue blinked in confusion.
"I—I don't understand. What are you talking about? I don't look like the Moon Empress at all."
Yuyun didn't hesitate. She flicked Cang Yue's forehead again.
Slight pain.
Slight humiliation.
"Ugh—must I explain everything?" Yuyun muttered dramatically. "I thought you were a genius. And to think you will soon be my new master…"
Cang Yue wanted to retort—she really did—but she swallowed the impulse. This being was the guardian spirit of an ancient Empress. If Yuyun wanted to, she could probably erase Cang Yue with a thought. Best to endure the flicks… for now.
Yuyun suddenly waved her hand in the air. The rainbow-colored clouds trembled, converging once more into a tight spiral. Cang Yue watched with held breath as the swirling mass condensed, twisted, and then reshaped into the form of a woman—elegant, graceful, and beautiful beyond words.
The woman who appeared in front of her wore an ancient robe of noble design. Waist-long fuchsia hair spilled like silk down her back. Her eyes held a quiet, dignified brilliance. Her posture radiated the calm of a sage and the allure of a goddess. She was older, more refined, more stunning… yet unmistakably familiar.
Cang Yue's jaw dropped.
"This is… me?"
Another flick to her forehead.
"N—not entirely you, you dumb-dumb," Yuyun huffed as she circled around her like an impatient fairy. "This is your ancestor—Cang Xue. The first and only disciple of my master, Huan Xuyi. Needless to say… you really do look like her. Almost exactly."
Cang Yue's heart pounded violently.
She had heard stories about her ancestor—vague mentions, scattered facts—but nothing detailed. Certainly no portraits survived. And yet here she was, staring at a woman who looked like her future reflection.
Yuyun continued, satisfied by Cang Yue's stunned silence.
"When my master showed you to me back then, I honestly thought she had been resurrected. But no—you are her descendant from three thousand years in the future. And now, you're finally here, just like Master predicted."
Cang Yue's breath caught.
"Y-You knew about me… that long ago?"
Her existence… acknowledged by an ancient Empress three millennia in the past? The idea was almost too overwhelming to grasp.
Yuyun giggled behind her tiny sleeve."Eheehee~ Surprised? My master knew many things. She possessed a spectacular sight—the ability to glimpse the threads of the future. And in those visions, she saw you. Her destined successor. Someone who would surpass even her."
The words crashed into Cang Yue like a tidal wave.
If the Moon Empress foresaw her…If she prepared this realm for her…If this spirit had been waiting for her arrival for millennia…
Then—
"Then she knew Yun Che would come with the feather… That this place was meant to open for me…" Cang Yue whispered. "Everything was prepared… ages before I was even born…"
Yuyun simply smiled knowingly and refused to elaborate further.
"The reasons are classified," she said breezily. "It's enough for you to know that you are the successor she foretold."
She then pointed toward the image of Cang Xue."Your ancestor wasn't anything like you, you know. She only began cultivating after she had children. At thirty years old. Practically ancient for a beginner. If she relied on talent alone, she might have barely reached Nascent Profound Realm in her lifetime."
Cang Yue swallowed.
Her ancestor had children first… then started cultivating… at thirty?
"But," Yuyun continued with a grin, "in just a little over a year, she jumped from Elementary Profound Realm all the way to the peak of Sky Profound Realm. Without any pills or heaven-defying bloodlines. Just one thing made it possible."
Cang Yue held her breath.
"The Mirror of the Moon Technique," Yuyun said proudly.
Cang Yue blinked.
"Mirror… of the Moon?"
Yuyun folded her arms and hovered lazily around Cang Yue, the rainbow clouds behind her shimmering with every movement. "Hehehe… I'm sure you've heard of her cultivation technique. The Mirror of the Moon —created by my master and passed down to your ancestor. But Cang Xue never managed to cultivate it to its highest potential. That's why I'm holding you to high expectations. You were chosen long before you were even born. Don't make my master's prophecy go to waste."
Cang Yue's confidence cracked instantly. Her shoulders slumped, and her gaze fell to the swirling mist beneath her feet. "…Even my ancestor failed. What makes you think I have a chance? I'm no genius. I'm just… an ordinary cultivator. I can't stand beside my friends—they're all monsters compared to me. I didn't even earn this inheritance myself. I might be descended from her… but you picked the wrong person…"
Flick.
The sharp sting made her wince. She glared instinctively, rubbing her forehead, but Yuyun's unimpressed stare silenced any retort she had prepared.
"Sigh… I see now," Yuyun said, shaking her head. "You really are the type who stands at the sidelines while everyone else fights. Have you ever once thought about standing beside them? Do you think your ancestor was some top-tier genius? No. She wasn't even a cultivator when my master found her."
Cang Yue's eyes widened.
"Do you know why my master chose her?" Yuyun asked. Her tone softened—just barely. "Not because of talent. Not because of bloodline. But because of determination. Out of every genius of her era, my master chose an ordinary woman who didn't even know how to cultivate. Just like you, she doubted herself. She wondered if she deserved to inherit anything. And yet, she became the strongest cultivator beneath the level of Sky Profound in the entire Blue Wind Empire."
Cang Yue swallowed hard.
"But… she still failed in the end, right?"
Yuyun sighed again—long, tired, and almost pained. With a wave of her hand, scenes of the past appeared before them. Images played like memories recorded through the eyes of a god—Cang Xue's battles, her struggles, her tragedy. The final image showed her ancestor's death in a devastating antimatter explosion.
Cang Yue's blood ran cold.
That moment… that sacrifice…
It all hit her like a tidal wave.
Yuyun drifted beside her, voice gentle now. "Your ancestor did not fail. She fell because of my master's enemies. When Xuyi passed away, no one dared touch the Blue Wind Empire—until they targeted her disciple. Powerful sects hunted her, seeking to erase your bloodline. Cang Xue fought them all. She drove them away with everything she had, even though she knew she could not win."
Cang Yue watched the illusion of her ancestor's final stand—bloodied, exhausted, alone—yet still fighting desperately to protect the people she loved.
Yuyun continued, "When she died, the remnants of those sects slaughtered every high-level cultivator in the Blue Wind Empire. Overnight, the strongest empire became the weakest. She sacrificed herself to secure your existence. Without her, your entire lineage would have been erased."
Tears spilled down Cang Yue's cheeks—guilt and admiration twisting painfully in her chest. She had always been told her ancestor was a disappointment, a stain on their lineage. A failure.
But the truth…
The truth showed the opposite.
Yuyun gently placed a small hand on her shoulder. "She never failed, Cang Yue. She simply wasn't strong enough. But her will was stronger than anyone else's. And I'm here to make sure your fate won't end like hers."
Cang Yue trembled—not from fear, but from something rising within her. Something she had never let herself feel before.
Resolve.
Purpose.
Pride.
She had been sheltered all her life, protected by others, believing herself to be the weakest in her group. But now, staring at the real history—her ancestor's real legacy—she realized something life-changing.
Her ancestor was never a failure.
She was a hero.
And Cang Yue, for the first time, felt the weight of the destiny tied to her blood.
With a newfound resolve burning inside her chest, Cang Yue lowered herself into a respectful bow before Yuyun. Her voice trembled with determination rather than fear. "Yuyun… please train me. I want to become someone worthy of standing beside my friends—someone who can fight with them, not hide behind them. Yun Che risked his life just to enter the tomb for me… I don't want to waste his effort."
Yuyun circled around her in a delighted spin, practically beaming. "Eheehee… that's the spirit! You must really love that boy to go this far."
Cang Yue's face flushed instantly. "Eh—I… I…"Even with all the strength she had just mustered moments ago, the topic of love turned her into a timid girl. She had never admitted it aloud, but the truth was plain: everything she had become—every step of courage, every change in her heart—was because of him. To give up now would be to disappoint not just herself, but Yun Che and her sisters as well.
Yuyun raised her hand to silence her sputtering. "Save your excuses. Hahhh… sometimes I wonder if I'll ever experience love, too. Your ancestor was exactly the same. She blushed every time I mentioned her husband. Even after years of marriage, she acted like a newlywed every single day." Yuyun twirled mischievously. "Maybe you should practice being a newlywed with Yun Che in the future."
"New–Newlyweds?!" Cang Yue's entire face burned a deep red. She covered her cheeks with both hands as her heart pounded uncontrollably. She was supposed to be Yun Che's senior sister, yet here she was—reduced to a helpless kitten at the mere suggestion of romance.
Yuyun snapped her fingers to break her flustered spiral. "Anyway! I was supposed to relay my master's final message to you, but I don't think that's necessary anymore. She passed down the Mirror of the Moon especially for you. You reminded her so much of her first disciple that she entrusted her deepest wish to your future. She wanted you to become the Blue Moon Empress she foresaw."
"Blue Moon… Empress?" Cang Yue repeated, stunned.
"Actually," Yuyun smirked, "it was the wish of that boy you like. Yun Che, right?"
"Yun Che… wanted me to become the Blue Moon Empress…?" Cang Yue whispered softly. The weight of those words settled into her heart like destiny taking form. This wasn't a simple title he gave her. It was something he believed she could truly become. Something he hoped for. A path he wanted her to walk with him at his side.
If Yun Che could walk the world unhindered, she wanted to be the woman who walked with him—not behind him. Not someone needing protection. If he was meant to shine, then she would be the moon reflecting his brilliance.
Yuyun crossed her arms. "Originally, I intended to mold you into the perfect successor myself. But she—my master—told me to let you cultivate in your own way. Yun Che will likely help train you, but that comes later. For now, you start here. Immediately. You've been unconscious in the real world for two days. Your friends have been taking care of your body this whole time."
Cang Yue blinked in confusion. "Eh?! My body? What are you talking about? Isn't my body here right now?"
Yuyun stared at her with deadpan exasperation. "Your body is in the real world, you dumb-dumb. What you're using now is your consciousness—your spiritual form—inside this mystical realm. Aside from the Mirror of the Moon technique, this world itself is your inheritance. The Moon Empress's personal gift to you."
Cang Yue's eyes widened once more.
A whole realm?
A world made just for her?
She gazed around the rainbow-lit expanse, trying to make sense of its beauty and scale. Why would the Empress give something so precious to her? How powerful must she have been to create such a place while still only a peak Monarch?
"What… what is this world exactly?" Cang Yue asked, awe creeping into her voice.
Yuyun giggled proudly. "This is the world the Moon Empress created and sealed inside the feather she left for you. Now that you've accepted her inheritance, the world has merged with your soul—it belongs to you. This is the Hyperbolic Moon World. A realm where you can train without restrictions, free from the limitations of the outside world. You can store Moon Energy here, refine your techniques here, and strengthen your body at your own pace. It's your personal training world—and only you can enter it."
"My… own Moon World…" Cang Yue whispered.
Her heart trembled.
"The Moon World," Yuyun began patiently, "is a training dimension the Moon Empress created to master her techniques without needing to travel across the realms. It is available to you—and only you. If you tell anyone else, you'll be inviting danger from every corner of the continent. When you're inside this world, the Moon Energy will preserve your real body. Everything you learn here—every insight, every cultivation gain—will immediately reflect on your real body as if you trained physically the entire time. And because of the nature of Moon Energy, your comprehension will be faster and clearer. In short, your growth here will be twice as fast." She twirled once, smiling brightly. "And from now on, I'm your friend in this world."
Cang Yue still couldn't form proper words. A technique and a world? A private realm only she could enter? If the outside world learned she possessed something like this, the entire continent would hunt her to extinction. She needed strength—real strength—to protect it. "I… I can train here until I become better?" she asked tentatively.
"Yes, little Yue," Yuyun nodded. "I can create training dummies for you. Humans, demons, beasts—anything. As long as there is Moon Energy in this realm, I can use it to shape enemies for your battles. But stronger opponents cost more energy, so you'll need to store plenty of Moon Energy over time." She crossed her arms proudly. "The Moon Empress made this feature especially for gaining experience. Strength is pointless without refinement. She hid here most of the time to avoid Ares and trained her sealing arts in secret. But after she died, she lost access to this world since she no longer had a physical body. So she sealed both me and this realm inside the feather—waiting for the day Yun Che would bring you here."
"Then that means—everyone outside must be worried sick about me!" Cang Yue suddenly panicked. "I've been unconscious for two days… Can I go out and reassure them first?"
Yuyun tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… I suppose…"
Cang Yue felt hope rising. "Thank good—"
"Not happening." Yuyun floated closer with a wicked grin.
"E-Ehhh?!"
"Hehe… little Yue, listen carefully. Once you've mastered the Mirror of the Moon, you'll be able to freely enter and leave this realm. But before that? You're stuck here. You can't go out until your cultivation foundation is complete."
Cang Yue's shoulders slumped instantly. But she quickly hardened her resolve. "Then… if my ancestor could do it, I should be able to as well!"
"Woah there, slow down," Yuyun cut in, waving dismissively. "I hate to break it to you, but you'll need to undergo several purification stages before you can even birth your mirror."
Cang Yue froze. "Ehhh?! Why didn't you tell me that earlier?!"
"I was going to, you dumb-dumb!" Yuyun huffed, flicking her forehead again. "To ensure your body won't explode from absorbing pure Yin Moon Energy, you need to purify your body to its highest state first. That means four stages: strengthening your bones, cleansing your marrow, purifying your profound strength, and enhancing your profound veins and core. Only after completing all four can you form your Mirror of the Moon."
Cang Yue listened quietly, still suspended in the air, trying to absorb the staggering list of requirements for her new cultivation path. Yet one question kept tugging at her. "What is this mirror you're talking about?"
Yuyun let out a long, dramatic sigh. "The mirror you'll develop later is the heart of your new cultivation. It converts Moon Energy directly from the moon into pure Yin Energy to enhance your strength. And pure Yin Energy is ten times stronger than regular Yin Energy. Only the Mirror of the Moon can create something like that. But…" She circled Cang Yue like a mischievous wisp, "I think I have some bad news for you."
With a wave of her hand, glowing diagrams of mirrors and streams of Yin Energy appeared in the air. Yuyun explained that cultivating the Mirror of the Moon required extremely specific body conditions. Originally, the technique had to be cultivated from the ground up—from the level of a powerless mortal. But Cang Yue was already at the peak of the Spirit Profound Realm. She would normally have to destroy her cultivation and rebuild everything from scratch.
Fortunately, Yuyun had no intention of doing that. That was why the four purification stages existed.
She would use the reserve of Moon Energy the Moon Empress left behind to temper Cang Yue's body—strengthening her bones, cleansing her marrow, purifying her profound strength, and refining her profound veins. Only after completing all four stages could Cang Yue birth a mirror within her profound core. The mirror would then slowly purify and reshape her body and core, preparing them to absorb true Moon Energy.
But the next piece of information struck like a thunderclap.
"The process takes at least six months before your body becomes suitable enough for the mirror's full activation," Yuyun said calmly. "Your profound core will need time to reconstruct itself."
"S–Six months?!" Cang Yue could feel cold sweat gathering at her back.
Yuyun nodded. "Basically, you need a special body before you can properly absorb Moon Energy. Even my master didn't finish developing hers, and your ancestor barely reached the threshold. But the Moon Empress perfected the method in her final days. You will be the first one to achieve the complete form. She called it the Yin Lunar Body."
Cang Yue repeated it softly. "Yin Lunar Body…"
"It sounds impressive, doesn't it?" Yuyun smirked. "That Yun boy and his girls all have their own special physiques and unique powers. There's no reason you can't have one too. The Yin Lunar Body will evolve your profound core and veins into a Moon God's Core and Moon Veins. But because of the reconstruction your body will undergo, your cultivation will be stagnated while the mirror refines you."
Her heart dropped. "Stagnated…?"
"Don't worry," Yuyun continued. "Before the stagnation begins, I can raise your cultivation to the First Level of the Earth Profound Realm. That's the highest I can safely push you. Any higher, and the Yin Lunar Body's development would take even longer. And trust me—you don't want to delay that process."
Cang Yue bit her lip. First Level of the Earth Profound Realm… Was it enough? Two months remained before the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament. Yun Che had promised to teach her powerful techniques once she broke into Earth Profound, but with her cultivation halted for months afterward… she had no room for failure.
Yuyun folded her arms. "So, until you achieve Bone Strengthening, Marrow Cleansing, Profound Strength Purification, and Core Enhancement, you're stuck in here."
"Weeks… it'll take weeks," Cang Yue muttered anxiously. She wasn't a genius like her friends. She wasn't exceptionally talented. Every step she took in cultivation was slow and steady, never miraculous. And yet now she was being asked to undergo a transformation that would break most cultivators' spirits.
But then she remembered the stakes.
Her ancestor's sacrifice.
Yuyun's guidance.
The Moon Empress's expectation.
And Yun Che… the person who believed in her the most.
"Then… I'll start," Cang Yue whispered, firming her trembling fists.
"That's the spirit!" Yuyun chirped. She tapped her on the forehead, imprinting the first formula of the Mirror of the Moon directly into her consciousness. "Good luck! This week is going to be hell, but I believe in you!"
As Yuyun floated away, humming cheerfully, Cang Yue let herself sink slightly in the air—half-depressed, half-motivated. A hellish week indeed. But if enduring that hell meant rising high enough to stand beside Yun Che and her sisters…
Then she would endure it all.
She wasn't going to disappoint any of them—not again.
====================
"What the heck?"
The words slipped out of Yun Che's mouth before he could stop them.
Everyone turned toward him, stunned by the abrupt change in his tone. Floating above Xueli's head, glowing softly in the dim light of her tiny home, the system's new data pulsed with quiet authority.
Even Xueli blinked at their reactions, tilting her head in confusion, unaware of the storm she had just caused.
The holographic display read:
==============
[Name: Huan Xueli]
[Age: 10]
[Cultivation: Inactive]
[Race: Human–Isu Hybrid]
==============
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Not Retsu, whose calm eyes widened.
Not Mio, who unconsciously covered her mouth.
Not even Kon under the cloak, who froze like a plush statue.
In the thick silence, Yun Che finally exhaled sharply.
"Human… Isu hybrid? That's impossible."
His voice was low, almost disbelieving. "Xuyi never had descendants, and more importantly—there shouldn't be a single physical Isu left. They were all souls. Conscious constructs. Even Ares only survived because he was sealed inside the Apple."
He stared at the data again, as if it would change.
"System, are you sure she's a Human–Isu hybrid?"
==============
[Ding… The system is sure.]
==============
Yun Che's frown deepened. "Then how? Her mother doesn't have even a trace of Isu bloodline. Nothing like Ares' reconstructed body. So… is it her father?"
He immediately ran through every possibility he could think of.
Impossible. Ares was the only surviving Isu fragment on Profound Sky Continent's Apple. He was sealed, immobile, and absolutely incapable of reproduction. And Xuyi—Moon Empress—had no descendants according to the Apple's memories. She lived and died alone.
The puzzle grew stranger and more impossible the longer he thought about it.
An Isu bloodline shouldn't exist. Not naturally. Not accidentally.
Unless artificially constructed… inside a lab.
Unless someone made the bloodline.
The system spoke again.
==============
[Her body is fully human. However, she possesses the innate capability to harness and store a unique profound energy core within her soul matrix. This ability does not exist in normal humans. Thus, the system classifies her as a Human–Isu hybrid.]
============
"A unique profound energy core…?" Yun Che repeated, stunned.
Isu didn't cultivate. They manipulated energy through technology and genetic design. Their "cores" were nothing like profound cores—yet Xueli possessed something entirely new.
"System," he said cautiously, "what core is that?"
=============
[Host will understand once host views her mother's data.]
=============
A cold feeling crawled down his spine.
Slowly, Yun Che extended his hand and tapped the glowing sigil hovering above the unconscious woman—Xueli's mother.
The new data bloomed into view.
And Yun Che's eyes went wide.
=============
The display above the unconscious woman shimmered into clarity, and Yun Che felt the world tilt beneath him.
[Name: ???]
[Age: ???]
[Race: Ascended Human (Divine State)]
[Cultivation State: Sealed (Unknown)]
[Memory State: Sealed]
[Current Health Condition: Eternal Sleep]
=================
The system followed with a clinical explanation:
=================
[This condition is caused when the host's energy is continuously siphoned by a powerful energy core. Eternal Sleep activates to prevent the host's life force from being drained once her profound energy is depleted. The host may remove this state with Status Recovery—but the core must be prevented from siphoning her again, or she will instantly return to this state.]
=================
For anyone else, the shock would be incomprehensible. But Yun Che had lived long enough in this world—and had met enough anomalies—to recognize the implications instantly.
Still, he whispered the only words that fit the moment.
"…What the heck? Are you saying the woman in front of us… is a Divine Cultivator?"
==================
[Yes.]
==================
He inhaled sharply, steadying himself before making an internal call.
"Jasmine."
It took a few seconds, then—
"What is it? I was in the middle of something with Kuroyuki."
Jasmine's voice echoed irritably in his mind. She returned that morning full of enthusiasm, excited to try the new outfits Kuroyuki had made for her.
He pointed toward the system window. "I need your opinion about her."
Jasmine floated out, prepared to scold him for looking at another woman. "Another woman? Seriously, you need to sto—"
"No. Not that."
His tone cut her short.
She turned her eyes toward the hovering display.
Her expression froze.
"A… Divine Cultivator?!? How could a living Divine Cultivator end up here?"
"Yeah. A Divine Cultivator with Eternal Sleep Disorder," Yun Che replied grimly.
The other girls stiffened. Even Retsu's calm cracked at the weight of those words.
Jasmine drifted closer, her curiosity intensifying. "Eternal Sleep? I've never heard of someone entering a state like that."
"The system says her profound energy is being siphoned constantly by a powerful energy core," Yun Che explained. "When her energy ran out, the Eternal Sleep activated to protect her life force. If her divine body didn't trigger it… she'd have died years ago."
Jasmine lowered herself beside the sleeping woman, her aura weaving around her as she pressed a palm to the woman's forehead. A faint glow pulsed under her fingers.
Her eyes widened.
"This… is a Divine Profound Seal."
Yun Che frowned. "A what?"
"A formation from the Realm of the Gods." Jasmine's voice darkened. "It seals cultivation and memories completely. It's used to exile someone—banish them from their star realm without killing them. If I'm right, this woman fled the divine realm, but was attacked before she could fully escape. Her profound strength was forcibly sealed."
Yun Che let out a long, heavy sigh. "So… another Qingyue situation. Just what I needed. One was already a headache."
Retsu and Mio exchanged looks; they knew the whole story of Xia Qingyue by now.
Jasmine did too—and she had been puzzled at first how Yun Che learned the details about Qingyue's mother. But the system had filled him in long ago.
Jasmine floated back with a serious expression. "Unlike Qingyue's mother, this woman didn't return to her realm. Her sealing formation is still intact. Unless she can break the seal herself and recover her divine strength, she's just a mortal now."
Yun Che rubbed his temples.
A divine cultivator.
A sealed memory.
A siphoning energy core.
A daughter classified as a Human–Isu Hybrid.
And all of this… in a tiny, crumbling house on a floating island.
This was no simple coincidence.
"But how did she even enter the barrier?" Retsu asked, her brows knitting as she examined the sleeping woman with newfound gravity.
Jasmine folded her arms thoughtfully. "One unique thing about this seal: once a person's cultivation and memories are sealed, they revert to a completely ordinary mortal. All divine power, all techniques, all bodily enhancements—gone. Their flesh becomes that of a normal human… but the seal is never perfect." Her crimson eyes softened. "If she hadn't stumbled into this barrier, she could have been killed, captured, or worse. A divine beauty with no profound strength? In the lower realms, that's a death sentence."
It was the kind of cruelty Jasmine understood far too well. If not for her divine soul surviving, she would have shared that fate.
Yun Che exhaled slowly. He could picture it clearly now. Countless stories across worlds ended that way—powerful women falling to tragedy once their strength was stripped away. But Xuyi had created this realm precisely to prevent such horrors. The barrier rejected cultivators but welcomed all mortals, giving them shelter.
He pieced the logic together quickly.
"The barrier admits any non-cultivator. If her situation matches Qingyue's mother… then Xueli's father is likely someone from this city. He must have found her outside, near death, carried her here, nursed her back to health. They fell in love, married, and Xueli was born. A classic star-crossed love story between a mortal and an ascended human."
Jasmine blinked at him. "Typical? What sort of stories does your world have…?"
He ignored the jab.
"But," she continued seriously, "how are you so sure she's truly divine?"
"The system," Yun Che replied simply. He shifted Xueli gently in his arms. The little girl was trembling, though she didn't understand why everyone looked so serious. "And because of her. Xueli is listed as a Human–Isu hybrid."
Jasmine's eyes widened as she turned to the child. A moment ago she seemed like any ordinary girl. But now…
"A Human–Isu? So her father was an Isu?"
"No," Yun Che shook his head firmly. "Hybrid doesn't always mean biological mixing. She's human, but the system says her unique profound energy core is Isu-type. Inherited through condition, not bloodline. Her father should be a normal human. Her mother's body must have caused something—some kind of energy transfer—when Xueli was conceived."
And then it hit him like a bolt.
He went perfectly still.
"Wait…
Unique profound energy core.
Her mother's energy being siphoned.
Eternal Sleep.
A radiant-type core inside a child…"
His eyes widened.
"No… no way… Don't tell me—"
While Yun Che spiraled internally, Jasmine continued, unaware of his growing dread. "So she gained her Isu-type abilities from somewhere else? This girl is far more unique than she appears."
Retsu continued her examination. "If she's truly an ascended human, it explains why we can't find any sickness in her. Her body is simply sealed, not dying."
"And Xueli's voice," Mio murmured. "Her mother warned her it was gentle… but dangerous. That's why Yuu-kun scanned them."
Yun Che couldn't listen anymore. The pieces were aligning too perfectly—and too dangerously.
He swallowed hard, then spoke sharply:
"System. Scan Xueli's uniqueness. Now."
=================
[Ding… Scanning…]
=================
A new window snapped open.
And all five pairs of eyes widened in complete disbelief.
=================
[Ding… Data obtained. Synchronizing Apple of Eden records.]
[Voice of All Things]
Based on the Apple of Eden, Xueli can hear the thoughts of animals and communicate with them. Last night, the system detected a fluctuation when she screamed. Since the Apple is under host's control, it automatically nullified her Voice due to its Isu-origin. Therefore, her ability was suppressed while within its vicinity.
====================
Yun Che nearly choked.
"…Voice of All Things? That ability exists here too?!"
He remembered instantly—the same rare gift possessed by Gol D. Roger, Kozuki Oden, Kozuki Momonosuke. Something far rarer than Haoshoku. It wasn't meant to exist in this world… and yet here it was.
No wonder her throat hurt when she cried out.
No wonder she sensed bandits long before they arrived.
No wonder she fled through the forest at impossible timings.
And now he realized the cruel twist:
If the Apple's suppression negated her voice, she would lose her directional sense the moment she stepped near Yun Che.
She didn't follow them last night— she was lost.
Her natural navigational instinct had been severed.
He clenched his jaw.
This child had been wandering blind, scared, and alone because of him.
He forced himself to read the next entry.
========================
[Profound Radiant Core]
A fusion of ambient Radiant Force and her mother's divine power. Allows the host to use profound arts and Isu arts. Core is incomplete, currently 50%. Took one full year to increase by 5%. The core unconsciously siphons nearby high-grade energy sources to empower itself.
Once complete, Xueli will become an ascended human among mortals.
=========================
Yun Che exhaled sharply.
"So that's it… Xueli has been siphoning her mother's divine power without anyone knowing."
The truth finally clicked.
A sealed divine cultivator still carried divine essence.
Just like how Yuanba and Qingyue inherited their mysterious veins…
This child inherited—or created—something far more dangerous.
Retsu gently stroked the sleeping woman's cheek.
"If her Eternal Sleep didn't activate… she would have died to her daughter's unconscious absorption. Xueli would have lived with unbearable guilt."
Mio's expression softened painfully.
Even Kon was silent.
Yun Che steadied himself.
"System, can we stop the siphoning?"
==================
[Ding…]
All hosts under the Apple's protection cannot be siphoned. Host may manually override Xueli's core coding. Because the core is incomplete and she has no control over it, host intervention is necessary.
===================
"Good…" He exhaled in relief. "We'll fix that later. But… how did she get Radiant Force to begin with?"
===================
[System detected Radiant Force traces from the central floating island above the city. Her mother's divine body likely absorbed it during pregnancy, causing the Radiant–Divine fusion that created Xueli's core.]
==================
Yun Che nodded slowly.
Everything made sense…
But the next line nearly knocked the breath out of him.
==================
[Nine Star Exquisite Veins]
Born from her mother's divine essence fused with Radiant Force. Creates infinite Radiant energy similar to host's Radiant Saint Force.
Veins include:– Full opening of all profound gates– Absolute authority over light, lightning, flame– Innate purification– Complete compatibility with Pieces of Eden
===================
Yun Che let out a low whistle.
"Well, Jasmine… we've found ourselves a mortal genius. This sweet little girl is walking around with a world-ending ability set inside her."
Jasmine's expression was grave.
"A child with natural authority over Eden artifacts… Ares would hunt her immediately if he knew she existed. We need to let her cultivate. We cannot waste such potential."
Yun Che nodded—
But the system interrupted.
=====================
[Ding… Warning.]
Host must not allow Xueli to cultivate yet.
Her core formation must complete naturally. If she begins cultivation now, the core will destabilize and self-destruct, killing her—and obliterating the entire city.
She has been siphoning divine energy. Imagine the explosion when such compressed energy is released at once.
======================
Yun Che froze.
The girls inhaled sharply.
He swallowed.
"…How long until her core completes?"
========================
[She must reach age 20. Only then will the formation be complete.]
At that age, the essence will awaken, fuse with her core and veins, and transform her into an immortal human, granting her the Divine Isu Exquisite Body.
She can achieve Divine Profound Realm in just two years afterward.
=========================
Yun Che stared blankly.
"Okay… this is new. What in the world is a Divine Isu Exquisite Body?"
=========================
[Ding…]
It is a pure Isu-blooded divine body—an ascended, perfected form. It allows infinite Radiant Force usage, continuous core evolution, and cultivation through ambient light. Host must find a suitable light-based cultivation art for her. She will become the embodiment of light itself.
==========================
Jasmine exhaled slowly.
"…This child might surpass even celestials one day."
==========================
Retsu hugged Xueli gently, almost fearfully.
Mio placed a hand over her heart.
Kon muttered, "What kind of monster kid is this…?"
And Yun Che…
He looked down into Xueli's innocent face, the same face that clung to him, trusted him, and cried quietly in his arms of fear and loneliness.
A child with the potential to shake the world.
A divine sleeping mother.
A core that could explode a city.
A hybrid body that shouldn't exist.
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Every pair of eyes—Retsu's calm yet shaken gaze, Mio's wide astonished stare, Jasmine's stunned disbelief—rested on the final set of golden text floating above Xueli's small head.
A child.
A mortal child.
Holding a divine potential.
Yun Che could only exhale slowly as he rubbed his forehead. "...That's ten years from now. A whole decade before she can even cultivate safely."
He wasn't annoyed—just overwhelmed.
How many walking miracles was he going to adopt at this rate?
Retsu placed her palm over her chest, steadying her breath. "To think that once she reaches twenty, she'll naturally awaken a divine body… Yuu-kun, she might surpass even those from the Realm of the Celestials."
Mio nodded timidly. "This is really too much to take in… Danna-sama, she's only ten…"
Jasmine folded her arms, her expression firm despite the shock still lingering in her voice.
"Whatever this Divine Isu Exquisite Body ends up being… we'll learn when the time comes. For now, Yun Che—you are responsible for guiding this child."
He snorted.
"Yeah, yeah… say that again after ten years. For now…"
He ruffled Xueli's hair again, and the little girl—still unaware of the weight of their conversation—smiled softly in her sleep and nuzzled into his palm.
He looked at her mother next.
A divine cultivator sealed as a mortal.
A daughter born with a hybrid core no one had ever seen before.
Fate really enjoyed messing with him.
"Cang Yue will reach Sovereign Profound Realm in two years…" he muttered. "Meanwhile Xueli will reach Divine Realm in two years once her body awakens. The Isu really were on a different level. No wonder they wanted to conquer this world."
Retsu traced her fingers along Xueli's mother's arm. "Imagine the strength this child will hold one day… Divine essence, Radiant Force, Exquisite Veins, Isu authority… all in one mortal frame."
"And we haven't even seen the last of it, have we?" Mio asked nervously.
Yun Che sighed deeply.
"Nope. Not even close."
He swiped open the final notification.
===========================
[Innate Essence of Immortality]
A Legendary Isu Art once practiced only by the highest members of their race. Grants the host eternal youth and life as long as energy is supplied. The art can extend the lifespan and youthfulness of people the host trusts.
For Isu, it was a dangerous technique—life force for life force.
But due to Xueli's unique Radiant structure, she sustains it without sacrificing herself. She uses Radiant Energy instead.
===========================
Yun Che let out a long, tired whistle.
"…I'm not even going to comment. My brain is full."
But internally?
How? How did she gain access to an Isu art only found inside the Apple of Eden?
The Apple had been lost for a thousand years.
No one should know this technique.
Unless…
Maybe Huan Xuyi—or someone before her—used the Apple to extract the technique and crystallize it into a dormant energy. Something harmless unless combined with Radiant Force.
And Xueli's mother had unknowingly absorbed that Radiant Force years ago.
Creating Xueli.
Creating an anomaly.
Retsu's voice trembled with awe. "To think… she can keep people youthful? Permanently?"
Yun Che nodded.
"But only if she trusts you. That's the condition. It's not a skill she activates on others intentionally—it's passive, instinctive. A blessing she gives subconsciously."
Mio pressed her palms together. "So… if she loves someone… she'll keep them young forever?"
"Pretty much."
Even Jasmine, always calm, widened her eyes at that.
And Yun Che…
He stared down at little Xueli, this trembling child who clung to Retsu's leg, who cried alone in the forest, who walked barefoot to save a mother she didn't understand.
This tiny girl was carrying a divine core, a sleeping goddess, and an Isu artifact inside her body.
He sighed.
"…What a monster you're going to be one day, Xueli. And I guess that means you're my responsibility too."
His voice softened.
"Anyway… my question is, who is this woman?" Jasmine asked, still unable to tear her gaze away from the sleeping beauty. "What star realm did she come from? Why did she fall into this mortal realm? I know nearly every major figure in the upper star realms, yet I've never seen her face in my life."
Yun Che exhaled deeply.
"I was hoping you could tell me. A Divine Cultivator shouldn't be a nobody."
But even with Jasmine's celestial knowledge and everything Yun Che knew from both his worlds, the woman's identity was a complete mystery.
"Maybe we'll figure it out after we heal her," Mio suggested.
Yun Che shook his head. "Even if we heal her, the God Profound Seal will keep her memories locked. She'll only remember being Xueli's mother and the people in this city. Everything else… gone. So we're back to square one."
Before he could speak further, a soft tug pulled his cloak.
Xueli looked up at him, her large eyes shimmering with hope.
"Big brother… can Mama wake up again? Can you heal Mama?"
His voice softened immediately. "Of course I can. But first, big brother needs to help Xueli."
"Help… Xueli? Is Xueli sick?" she asked in confusion.
"No." Yun Che shook his head with a gentle smile. "But your voice hurts you whenever you try to speak, right? Big brother can fix that. I'll remove the part that hurts you so you can talk freely."
"It won't hurt anymore?" Her voice trembled slightly.
"No. But you must close your eyes and keep them closed until I tell you to open them."
Xueli nodded without hesitation. "Xueli trusts big brother."
She sat down obediently in front of him, folding her hands in her lap.
"Close your eyes."
When she obeyed, Yun Che lifted his hand. The system interface shimmered into existence—visible only to him. Lines of glowing code floated in the air like a living diagram. Retsu, Mio, and Jasmine could only stare blankly, completely unable to understand what they were seeing.
"Let's get hacking," Yun Che murmured.
He began rewriting the structure of Xueli's profound core. First, he found the line of "code" responsible for siphoning her mother's divine energy. It had been absorbing power blindly since the day she was born. He disabled the siphoning protocol, replacing it with controlled absorption from the surrounding Heaven and Earth energy instead. The moment he severed the link, Xueli's mother's breathing visibly eased.
Next, he adjusted the configuration for Xueli's voice—her "Voice of All Things."
"It's hurting her because it's permanently active," he muttered. "Let's put a limiter on it… there. The ability only activates when she wills it. Full access restored when she turns twenty."
Line by line, he rebuilt her cultivation architecture with surgical precision.
"And… done." The interface dissolved.
"Haaa… it's been a while since I did real programming." He stretched his fingers, sighing. "One wrong line and I could've turned her into a walking nuclear bomb."
Jasmine stared at him as if he had grown a second head.
"You are… honestly the most incomprehensible human I've ever met."
Yun Che simply ignored her and asked the system, "System, can I edit other people's cultivation coding too? Because if I can program someone's entire cultivation path… that changes everything."
The system's reply chimed at once.
===================
[Ding… It's impossible. The reason programming works on Xueli is because her powers are Isu-related and tied to the Apple of Eden. The system uses the Apple to tamper with her profound core directly because it is constructed with Radiant Energy. Human profound systems cannot be altered through coding.]
===================
Yun Che sighed.
"That sucks…" He scratched the back of his head, clearly disappointed. "Would've been nice if I could help the others with coding too. But I guess it's better this way."
Jasmine floated beside him, eyes narrowing. "I don't know what you just did, but I assume her abilities are stable now?"
He shrugged. "I wouldn't say stable—she's still too young to control most of it. But she'll be okay."
He turned to Xueli.
"Xueli… you can use your voice now."
The little girl hesitated. It had been a whole year since she dared to utter a proper word. Finally, she opened her mouth.
"B… big… brother…"
Her voice was raspy, weak—but there was no pain. Her eyes widened in awe. She tried again, more confidently this time.
"Big brother… I can speak… I can speak again!! It doesn't hurt anymore!"
Tears welled up and she threw herself into his chest, hugging him tightly. She pressed her fingers to her throat in disbelief, her voice trembling with joy as she whispered more words just to feel them leave her lips.
Yun Che ruffled her hair gently. She didn't need to know about the Apple or the deeper truth yet. She deserved to be a child—to laugh, speak, and live without suffering.
"Now then…" he said softly. "Let's wake your mother."
Before anyone could respond, Kon's voice shouted from outside the decrepit wooden door.
"Yo, everyone—looks like we've got company!"
And then—
"BRAT!!! COME OUT HERE AND HAND OVER YOUR LIFE!!!"
The shout echoed across the small house and the open land outside. The voice was unmistakable.
Retsu, Mio, Jasmine, and even Xueli stiffened.
Yun Che pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose and groaned.
"These guys… Not again. Haven't they learned enough already?"
He glanced outside through the gaps in the broken door as the sound of boots, shouting men, and clattering weapons began to gather around the clearing.
The mountain bandits were here.
And this time, they brought numbers.