Chapter 6
He nods and scoops out a few more until the plate is full.
“Try it.”
His tone is full of indulgence.
I take a small bite. Countless stars seem to melt on my tongue, flowing into the purest essence of life.
I clearly feel my cultivation soaring at terrifying speed, my lifespan extending at the same time.
That overwhelming power makes me afraid to take a second bite.
QiYaoheng smiles gently. “Eat slowly. There’s no rush—this won’t harm your body.”
“But only one piece a day.”
For some reason, I trust him completely and start enjoying it without worry.
…
Since we rarely come to the ForbiddenArea, I decide to look around.
I carry the jade plate full of StarfallPastry, eating as I wander, unwilling to put it away and letting the fragrance spread.
At the deepest part, a divine statue comes into view…
I freeze.
Temples to the DivineLord are everywhere in TaiyuanRealm.
But they only have tablets—no one has ever seen his true face.
Yet here, the DivineLord’s features are clear.
Cold, aloof, looking down on all beings.
But… he looks exactly like QiYaoheng.
I whip around to look at QiYaoheng not far away.
His face is pale.
Those deep eyes hold the unease of awaiting judgment.
I narrow my eyes, suddenly understanding.
“No wonder your connections are so strong—you’re the DivineLord’s illegitimate son!”
The unease on QiYaoheng’s face instantly freezes, his pupils widening for a split second.
It only confirms my guess.
“Though you’re not quite as mighty and divine as the DivineLord, you’re still pretty impressive. No need to be so nervous.”
My gossip soul ignites.
“Hey, can you secretly tell me—where did your mother go? Was she beautiful?”
QiYaoheng takes a deep breath. “She didn’t want the DivineLord anymore… very beautiful.”
I pat his head.
Poor kid.
7
That day QiYaoheng walks me home. Before leaving, he looks at me deeply.
There’s too much in his eyes that I can’t read.
Some sappy line about love at first sight spanning eternity pops into my head.
My sensitive nerves sound the alarm again. I feel like something bad is about to happen.
I quickly grab him.
“We… we’ll see each other again, right?”
He smiles.
Tears well up in my eyes without warning. I cling to him, arms locked tight.
"Don't leave..."
"Silly girl."
He wipes my tears with infinite gentleness, then lifts me and settles me onto the bed.
My consciousness fades.
In the haze, I feel him lean down and brush a kiss against my forehead.
The warmth lingers for a heartbeat—then he is gone.
—
The white-bearded elder tells me QiYaoheng has entered seclusion.
I do exactly as QiYaoheng asked. One piece of StarfallPastry every day.
The first day, my dantian ignites.
The second day, my spirit platform warms and my sea of consciousness clears.
...
Moments after the final piece melts on my tongue, light surges through my dantian, gathering, shaping.
Broken memories rise like shards of glass.
Kites dancing in spring laughter.
Fireflies drifting through quiet summer nights.
The eager wait for autumn fruit wine.
The cozy glow of winter stove-side stories.
In every fragment, that familiar, half-remembered figure.
The memories flood me with warmth and sorrow.
My sea of consciousness expands at terrifying speed. Cultivation skyrockets.
The incomplete memories feel like a key turning in my soul after endless lifetimes.
A tiny me takes shape inside.
Nascent Soul forms, blazing with light.
On the empty jade plate, graceful words appear.
"As SuXiaotang blooms in later years, I wish you—ages of peace, lifetimes without worry."