The wind of cultivation rose from the alchemy hall.
That night, a pillar of pure light tore through the sky.
It pierced the clouds, split the heavens, and illuminated half the capital in blinding brilliance.
Nearly everyone in the city saw it.
Some called it a divine omen.Some fell to their knees, shouting praises to heaven.And some—hidden in the darkness—opened their eyes in silence.
They knew.
A new era had begun.
Morning Court
The Golden Hall was filled before dawn.
No summons had been issued, yet every official was present, standing shoulder to shoulder in rigid silence. No one spoke. No one dared.
All eyes were fixed on the dragon throne.
Xiao Xuanyin sat upon it calmly, his posture relaxed, his expression unchanged—as if the light that had ripped the heavens apart the night before had nothing to do with him.
At last, an elderly minister stepped forward.
"Your Majesty."
His voice trembled, yet his spine remained straight.
"This old servant… begs to ask one question."
The hall went deathly still.
"Last night's heavenly phenomenon—does it mean that Your Majesty has obtained immortal fortune?"
The question struck like thunder.
Xiao Xuanyin did not answer immediately.
His gaze swept across the hall.
What he saw was not curiosity.
It was fear.
Not fear of him—
But fear of losing him.
"…Yes," he said at last.
A single word.
It fell like lightning.
Some officials dropped to their knees on the spot.
Some stared blankly, lips trembling.
Others turned pale, as if the ground beneath them had vanished.
"Your Majesty!""Your Majesty, you must not!"
Several ministers rushed forward, prostrating themselves.
"The realm has only just stabilized! The army's loyalty, the people's trust—"
"If Your Majesty ascends and leaves… what will become of the dynasty?!"
Xiao Xuanyin looked at them calmly.
"I have not left," he said.
Those words should have brought relief.
Instead—
A censor, eyes red, spoke hoarsely.
"But Your Majesty… you will leave eventually."
This time—
No one contradicted him.
Because it was the truth.
Outside the Palace
The news spread faster than wildfire.
By the third day, crowds gathered outside the palace gates.
There was no rioting.
No crying.
They simply stood there.
Elderly men leaning on canes.Mothers holding children.Farmers with calloused hands.
They looked up at the towering palace walls, eyes filled with the most ordinary of hopes.
"The Emperor is going to become an immortal…""Then… what about us?""Can he… stay a few more years?"
The imperial guards had never felt so helpless.
They had guarded against blades and arrows.
But they had no defense against this.
The Inner Palace
The harem was in greater chaos than the court.
At Fengyi Palace, Consort De, Consort Shu, and a dozen others practically burst through the doors.
"Your Majesty!""This isn't true, right?!""The Emperor won't really leave, will he?!"
They were panicking.
Not because of affection.
But because if Xiao Xuanyin ascended—
The entire structure of the harem would collapse overnight.
And more importantly—
Their gazes drifted, almost unconsciously, toward Su Wan.
"Then… what about the takeout?""What about story night?""What about hot pot?!"
Su Wan: "..."
For the first time, she didn't know which question to answer first.
"Calm down," she said, rubbing her temple."We're not at the worst-case scenario yet."
"What do you mean?" Consort De asked urgently.
Before Su Wan could reply—
Footsteps echoed.
Xiao Xuanyin entered.
The room fell silent instantly.
"Why all the noise?" he asked mildly.
No one dared speak.
"I am not ascending tomorrow," he continued."Nor am I abandoning you."
His gaze shifted to Su Wan.
There was something there no one else could understand.
Trust.
"Cultivation does not mean severing the mortal world," he said evenly."I can walk more slowly."
That single sentence—
Was worth more than any imperial decree.
Consort De's legs gave out as she sank into a chair.
Consort Shu's eyes reddened.
"…That's good. That's good."
That Night
Su Wan stood outside the imperial study, gazing at the stars.
Her phone lit up.
Not a delivery.
Not a message.
But a system prompt.
[Cultivation Path Syncing…][Dual-Track Mode Available][Enable Dual-Track Mode?][Y / N]
She didn't press it immediately.
Xiao Xuanyin walked up beside her.
"You received it too," he said.
Not a question.
A statement.
Su Wan nodded.
"Looks like," she said slowly, "we'll need to cultivate while you keep being Emperor… and I keep being Empress."
Xiao Xuanyin let out a soft laugh.
It was faint.
But lighter than anything she had heard from him before.
"Then so be it," he said.
"The mortal world.""The immortal path."
"I want them both."
Su Wan lowered her gaze.
And pressed—
[Y]
The screen flashed.
[Dual-Track Mode Activated][Sub-Dungeon Unlocked: Monster Forest][Status: Enter Anytime][Notice: Court and Harem will enter Managed State]
She looked up.
"Your Majesty."
"Yes?"
"…Do you want to go try killing a monster?"
Xiao Xuanyin met her eyes.
For the first time, he thought—
With her walking beside him,
This immortal roadmight not be lonely after all.