Chapter 275 Meeting in Person
As twilight deepened, Chen Chang'an (main body) stood for the third time before the entrance of Ji Hongli's cave dwelling, unconsciously rubbing his sleeve cuff.
Although he had already "familiarized" himself countless times with his avatar (in every sense), he now hesitated like a young boy on his first date.
"What the hell..." he muttered softly, lifting his foot to cross the cave entrance, only to shrink back as if electrocuted.
His pacing figure was reflected on the stone steps.
Logically, the two had already done the most intimate things, so where did this nervousness, like meeting an online lover in person, come from?
Was it because he had altered his avatar, causing his main body's appearance to differ greatly from his avatar? Or was it because...
"What's there to fear, she's my properly married wife!" Chen Chang'an rubbed his burning ear roots, mustering courage for the fourth time to rush toward the cave dwelling.
"Whoosh—"
A hand as white as jade precisely grabbed his wrist.
In a dizzying moment, Chen Chang'an was pulled into a room filled with warm fragrance.
"Hong, Hongli..."
The face that met his eyes made his breath catch.
Even having seen it many times, Ji Hongli's main body appearance was still as stunning as their first meeting—beneath distant mountain brows were a pair of affectionate eyes, with a small vermilion mole at the corner, resembling a drop of blood about to fall in the candlelight.
Her black hair was unbound, cascading down her moon-white sleeping robe, where the slightly open collar revealed collarbones as lustrous as porcelain glaze.
Just as his heart was in turmoil, cool fingertips suddenly touched his burning palm, and the familiar sensation of interlocked fingers finally allowed Chen Chang'an to breathe again.
But he saw those peach blossom eyes narrow dangerously, the small mole at the corner trembling slightly with this movement:
"Husband, just now outside..." Her red lips parted slightly, her breath like orchids, "what were you hesitating about?"
...
Chen Chang'an swore it wasn't because after his avatar had tasted the pleasures, he suddenly had the whim to try it with his main body too.
He simply felt that after experiencing so many things, he suddenly found the so-called Upper Realm somewhat strange, and couldn't resist coming to ask his wife who seemed to know everything.
As for why it was his main body this time... oh right, he mainly wanted to show off the "Spirit Realm" he had just obtained.
His farming mindset lasted less than a day before vanishing. Thinking of the various troubles of migrating mortals, he decided to trick Xiao Chen and others into helping him manage this small world.
But with such a great harvest, it was necessary to show off to his wife.
Yes, that's what I was thinking.
Chen Chang'an cheered himself on in his heart.
"Well..." Chen Chang'an coughed lightly, trying to hide his embarrassment: "It's mainly because I haven't come for a long time... for a moment, I felt like I was nearing my hometown with apprehension..."
"Nearing my hometown with apprehension..." Ji Hongli leaned against the green jade table, her eyebrows slightly raised at these words. Just as she was about to speak, Chen Chang'an quickly continued: "Of course, the main reason for coming this time is that I have some questions I'd like to ask you, Hongli."
"Oh?"
She leisurely tucked her falling hair behind her ear, suddenly seeming to remember something, the corner of her lips curling into a smile.
With this meaningful response, she suddenly straightened her posture.
Her moon-white wide sleeves brushed past the tea cups on the table, and in an instant, she transformed from a languid beauty to a dignified holy venerable.
Only those smiling eyes still revealed a hint of playfulness, filled with the meaning of "let's see your performance."
Chen Chang'an was choked by this sudden seriousness, his prepared excuses stuck in his throat.
He looked at Ji Hongli's "all ears" posture and suddenly felt the stone stool beneath him was rather uncomfortable.
He quickly remedied the situation: "It's just that I've encountered a few matters related to the Upper Realm over the years. Why does it feel as if the situation in the Upper Realm is somewhat strange, even inferior to the Lower Realm."
Seeing Chen Chang'an unexpectedly bring up the "Upper Realm," Ji Hongli did put away some of her smile: "So, husband, you came to me for this problem."
Chen Chang'an nodded hastily: "Yes, and I also obtained something interesting, which I plan to show you in a bit."
"I see..." Ji Hongli's fingertip lightly tapped the teacup, her gaze flashing faintly in the swirling steam. "Your feeling is correct; the Upper Realm indeed has a problem, but this all stems from the last Kalpa."
She paused, "Does husband know what a 'Kalpa' is?"
Chen Chang'an shook his head. He was not a native and had been a homebody for years, so he could not claim to understand the Xuan Ying Continent.
Seeing Chen Chang'an shake his head, Ji Hongli was not surprised. Her husband sometimes lacked common knowledge; she truly did not know how he had come by his heaven-shaking cultivation.
She then explained leisurely: "In ancient legends, after the creation of the world, this realm was supposed to be countless times vaster than the current Lower Realm. Unfortunately, the Heavenly Dao is flawed. Every so often, the cycle of cause and effect collapses, and heaven and earth are overturned—this is a Kalpa."
"The previous Kalpas were mostly tribulations for immortals and gods. The ancient immortals used various methods to arrange things in advance, and those who held the pieces could all pass through smoothly. But this last Kalpa was caused by the seven emotions and six desires of the mortal world."
"The ancient immortals did not take mortals seriously, let alone condescend to arrange schemes among them. They simply made preparations according to their own assumptions. Yet, they never expected the power of this Kalpa to far exceed all previous ones."
"Thus, the entire world shattered, scattering into countless fragments that drifted through the universe."
"The current Upper and Lower Realms are merely one of the larger fragments," Ji Hongli sighed softly. "What's more terrifying is that the rules of heaven and earth have changed drastically. Even those great powers who believed themselves to be transcendent could not escape causality, and could only flee into the depths of the universe with their relatives and friends, their whereabouts unknown. And the post-Kalpa Upper Realm..." she took a meaningful sip of tea, "having been tainted by too many seven emotions and six desires, and the muddy thoughts of the mortal world, it's only natural for it to have become strange."
"No wonder," Chen Chang'an said, thoughtfully rubbing his teacup. "I always felt that anything related to the Upper Realm had a strange air about it."
...
"By the way," Chen Chang'an tapped his fingertip on the stone table, a ray of chaotic green light appearing in his palm. "A few days ago, I accidentally wandered into a place called Kunlun Mountain and obtained this."
The light of the Spirit Realm rippled like water, spreading out within the cave dwelling. Within it, mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and stars formed their own systems and rotated in an orderly fashion, clearly an independent world.
Ji Hongli's gaze focused slightly as she sighed softly: "Although I had guessed... I didn't expect husband to truly have taken this step."
"What step?" Chen Chang'an asked, confused.
"Playing dumb." A jade finger poked his forehead. "Legend has it that when the Immortal Venerable Realm reaches its peak, one can form their own small thousand world—although husband took a shortcut, this is not something that a mere seeker of the Immortal Venerable could achieve."
She suddenly leaned forward, her black hair falling onto his neck. "But since husband has already broken through, why are you still able to remain in the Lower Realm?"
Her warm fragrance washed over him, and Chen Chang'an's Adam's apple moved slightly. But since it was his own wife, he saw no need to hide it: "The Heavenly Dao of the Lower Realm does not permit an Immortal Venerable, so my main body..." he pointed helplessly at the ground, "can only be trapped in this valley."
"So that's how it is... no wonder I've always felt this valley has become somewhat strange over the years. It turns out to be husband's doing."
Her fingertip slid from his Adam's apple toward his collar.
The thin, gauzy sleeping robe had somehow come loose, revealing half of a shoulder as smooth as congealed fat. "Since husband is unwilling to ascend..."
She straddled his lap, her skirt hem sliding up slightly with the posture, revealing a section of a snow-white, slender leg. Her skin was as lustrous as jade, glowing with a faint sheen in the candlelight.
Half-hidden by the gauzy skirt, the legs appeared even more elusive and soul-stirring.
Ji Hongli's breath was like an orchid's as a sly smile appeared on her face: "Then why don't you let me have a taste first..."
"...of an Immortal Venerable's flavor~"
"...How is it?"
...
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