OFCC – Chapter 103

Time flies, and a person’s life is but a hundred years.

How long can a marriage of convenience last?

A marriage of convenience begins with benefits and ends with benefits.

It’s not uncommon for such couples to grow tired of each other.

Perhaps there’s novelty for a year, weariness after three, the seven-year itch, and resentment after ten.

This was especially true for Mu Yanxi and Yi Wulan, a same-sex couple. Unlike the structure of a conventional family, there was no continuation or bond of blood ties. Their journey together was destined to be more arduous than that of other couples.

But once the shackles of conventional marriage were cast off, there was no perfunctory effort, no willingness to settle. It seemed only the purest mutual cherish and love remained between them.

Mu Yanxi and Yi Wulan were no longer affected by the world’s consciousness. Everything in this world had returned to its normal order.

No one could steal the benefits of others because of a protagonist’s halo, and no one could act superior because of a unique identity in a book.

Mu Yanxi and Yi Wulan managed Rongjia Group together for decades, bringing holographic technology into every household. While making life more convenient, they also propelled the development of Chinese science fiction films, ushering in a golden age of holographic technology that was uniquely China’s.

At the same time, the Youth Palaces they built gradually spread to various cities, bringing equal and high-quality educational opportunities to countless preschool children and providing convenience for generation after generation of young parents.

Their names would not be forgotten, and their story would certainly not be buried. As their contributions to society were passed down through generations, they inspired countless same-sex couples.

Mu Yanxi and Yi Wulan’s love became widely known on the internet during their youth. Netizens sometimes couldn’t help but wonder if the CP they followed would, like countless other couples, one day grow apart and their feelings fade.

But they waited and waited.

They waited from their single days of scrolling through Weibo day and night, to the day they found their own destined other halves, and then to the day they had the next generation.

Until their own hair began to turn gray at the temples and they tremblingly picked up their phones to learn the slang of the youth, rushing to their secret base to snag a front-row seat, the CP they followed was still as loving and inseparable as ever.

They had witnessed the breakups and reconciliations of so many couples around them, watching the love of those around them gradually transform into familial affection over the long river of time.

But they believed that this pair, Mu Yanxi and Yi Wulan, would surely live happily ever after for a hundred years.

Yi Wulan and Mu Yanxi stayed together for a lifetime. Looking back on countless years, they grew old together with deep affection.

Yi Wulan fulfilled her promise, accompanying Mu Yanxi to the final moment of her life. She held Mu Yanxi in her arms, a habit of decades, and gave her one last kiss.

Mu Yanxi held Yi Wulan’s hand and gradually closed her eyes.

When the medical staff rushed into the hospital room, both had already lost all signs of life.

After their deaths, their assets and Rongjia Group were returned to the state in accordance with their wills. There would be sufficiently outstanding young people to carry on their dreams and expectations.

Years later, when people mentioned the two of them, their names would always be spoken together. Their bond was one that even time could never erase.

Time passed, but for them, it was as if it stood still.

When Mu Yanxi woke up again, she was not in the familiar realm of the River of Oblivion, but rather in a fairyland shrouded in mist.

She took a quarter of an hour to process the memories of her time undergoing the trial.

The moment she finished, a stream of light shot in from outside the translucent, water-wave barrier of the cave, splashing up a spray of water.

Mu Yanxi leaned lazily against the large, carved, openwork bed, the bed curtains fluttering with the fluctuations of spiritual energy.

Even when her divine soul went to undergo a trial, she would not let her body suffer in the slightest. She had transformed the originally simple and tranquil spiritual vein grotto into something complex and luxurious, with carved railings and jade steps, every corner exquisitely and elegantly arranged.

Her bright, fox-like eyes lifted slightly at the sound, her long lashes trembling. The bright scarlet robes she wore danced as she lightly lifted the bed curtains, a truly dazzling sight.

Mu Yanqing tapped her toes lightly, silently gliding over the spiritual spring and walking slowly toward the center. With a wave of her pale green sleeve, the light bed curtains were swept to the sides, and she extended her hand.

Seeing this, Mu Yanxi skillfully extended her own hand, allowing Mu Yanqing to probe the spiritual energy within her body.

After a moment, Mu Yanqing withdrew her hand. “Not bad. You’ve broken the core to form a Nascent Soul. Although your spiritual energy is a bit weak, as long as you nourish and cultivate it, your cultivation base will recover quickly.”

Mu Yanxi withdrew her hand and turned to her side, the layers of her gauze skirt swirling. “No rush.”

Hearing this, the facade of sisterly affection on Mu Yanqing’s face instantly crumbled. She raised an eyebrow and said coolly, “Of course you’re not in a rush. One proper trial wasn’t enough for you, was it? You had to exhaust your entire cultivation base to go through it again. How touching.”

Mu Yanxi pressed her lips together. Despite being scolded like this, she didn’t have the slightest confidence to retort.

She was originally a person from the Cultivation World. When she was about to enter the Nascent Soul Stage, her divine soul had traveled to a small world to undergo a trial, which was the book world she had previously believed in.

The three thousand worlds were full of wonders; it was just that ordinary people would never have the chance to come into contact with other worlds in their entire lives. But as someone from the Cultivation World, Mu Yanxi had already undergone several trials before, so she accepted this book world trial quite well.

She just hadn’t expected that, by a twist of fate, she would be undergoing the trial alongside the legendary Immortal Venerable Minglan of the High Firmament Sect, who was said to have been in seclusion for many years.

Immortal Venerable Minglan, whose real name was Yi Wulan, was the number one person in the current Cultivation World. She had entered the Soul Formation Stage a hundred years ago and was the only cultivator with a hope of ascending to immortality.

Countless people flocked to the High Firmament Sect every year hoping to become her disciple because of her title, making the High Firmament Sect the largest sect in the Cultivation World and the head of the Immortal Alliance within a hundred years.

Mu Yanxi was from the Divine Twilight Palace and knew the history of the Cultivation World like the back of her hand. The bloodline of the Divine Twilight Palace possessed immortal spiritual roots, which was the main reason the Divine Twilight Palace was so revered by cultivators.

Yi Wulan and Mu Yanxi’s fates had long been written. Rather than calling it the world of a novel, it was more like a life customized by the Heavenly Dao for the trial the two of them needed to undergo.

The emotionless Yi Wulan of the Great Dao would fall in love with Mu Yanxi, then suffer in agony after losing her lover, living a life of regret due to this unobtainable love.

Mu Yanxi, from the Divine Twilight Palace and superior to other cultivators, would experience hardships, the helplessness of having her life stolen and controlled, and would learn the truth before her death. This was her destined death tribulation.

The will of the Heavenly Dao cannot be defied.

So in the lifetime of their trial, they ultimately missed each other.

Mu Yanxi perished together with Yi Jingming. After learning the news, Yi Wulan was tormented by regret and pain. Melancholy and depressed, she died a few years later when excessive grief triggered the old injury in her brain, passing away with deep regret.

Even after her divine soul returned, she couldn’t pull herself out of the trial for a long time and nearly suffered a cultivation deviation.

Clearly, Yi Wulan’s trial had a huge impact on her. On the surface, the trial was a success, and her cultivation had increased. But her Dao heart had been shaken. If this continued, the consequences would be unimaginable, no different from a failed trial.

Similarly, Mu Yanxi, who had experienced a controlled life, also had her heart bound. She was clearly not as composed as Yi Wulan. The moment her divine soul returned, before she even had time to test her Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, she hastily cast a spell to turn back time.

The Heavenly Dao cannot be defied, but only during the trial. After Mu Yanxi completed her trial, the control over her was lifted. Therefore, Mu Yanxi’s second life was not disturbed by the world’s consciousness.

However, her cultivation was far too weak to turn back time. Although she reset time, her divine soul was severely injured when it was drawn into that world and needed to be nourished by spiritual energy before it could be reactivated.

At the same time, Yi Wulan, after much deliberation, finally decided to restart to make up for her regrets. As she activated the spell, she discovered another stream of spiritual energy from the Cultivation World.

A late-stage Soul Formation cultivation was obviously much stronger than Mu Yanxi’s early-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, and she could do much more.

In that small world, Yi Wulan followed that spiritual energy and found Mu Yanxi’s divine soul. Seeing the person she had thought of day and night again, the boiling true energy in Yi Wulan’s body nearly went out of control. Fortunately, the sight of Mu Yanxi’s injuries brought back her clarity.

She made a deal with the Heavenly Dao. She could have avoided the car accident that crippled her, avoided her death tribulation, and could have chosen to enter the world with her spiritual energy to fight against the pre-set world consciousness of the small world.

But Yi Wulan chose to give all the advantages to Mu Yanxi.

This is what led to everything Mu Yanxi experienced and obtained in her second life’s memories.

As for the Mu Yanqing in the small world, she was a copy of familial affection specially created by the Heavenly Dao to make Mu Yanxi’s trial more realistic. It was a subtle warning that despite Mu Yanqing’s existence, fate was still inviolable.

In this life, Yi Wulan was still treated coldly after Mu Yanxi went to Yancheng for university. But on the day their engagement was to be broken, she finally waited for the arrival of Mu Yanxi, whose divine soul had been repaired.

However, when Mu Yanxi activated the time-reversal spell, she was obstructed by Mu Yanqing.

“Are you insane? Just for a mere mortal you met during a trial, you’re going to exhaust your entire cultivation base to turn back time? Have you considered that after time is reversed, neither of you will have memories of your past life, and there’s a high probability you’ll repeat the same mistakes?”

“But isn’t there still a small chance of success?” Mu Yanxi could be single-minded at times. When she wanted something, she had to find a way to get it. “Elder Sister, just let me have my way this once.”

Mu Yanqing sighed. “Mortals only have a few short decades. Even if you do it again, so what?”

Mu Yanxi stubbornly pressed her lips together, but the movement of her hands drawing the formation did not stop.

In the end, Mu Yanqing compromised.

But as a sister who had doted on Mu Yanxi for many years, Mu Yanqing took this opportunity during Mu Yanxi’s trial to naturally take out a water mirror and spy on that small world.

She wanted to see just who this person was that Mu Yanxi couldn’t forget.

She didn’t know until she looked, but one look gave her a shock.

Mu Yanxi was young and, regarding the reclusive Immortal Venerable Minglan, only knew her name but not her person. Mu Yanqing had some dealings with Yi Wulan in her early years and recognized her at a glance.

With a bit of uncertainty in her heart, she visited the High Firmament Sect, only to learn that Yi Wulan had just returned from her trial and had successfully entered the late-stage of Soul Formation.

Mu Yanqing looked at the water mirror again. After seeing Mu Yanxi use her ‘special ability,’ all the clues in her mind pieced themselves together.

She let the two of them do as they pleased.

After her divine soul returned, Mu Yanxi learned all the memories, including what Yi Wulan had done and Yi Wulan’s identity in the Cultivation World. Her self in the small world had mistaken the energy in her dantian for a special ability, but how could her cultivator self not realize that the energy was actually spiritual energy?

Moreover, it wasn’t her spiritual energy.

Even now, Mu Yanxi’s Nascent Soul was still enveloped by a strand of foreign spiritual energy. That energy was powerful and invasive. Although it didn’t cause her any harm, it very domineeringly wrapped around her newly formed Nascent Soul.

It was just like Dao companions who have dual cultivated, their bodies would experience an intermingling of spiritual energy.

Mu Yanxi didn’t mention this to Mu Yanqing. Otherwise, with Mu Yanqing’s temperament, she would probably charge to the High Firmament Sect with a sword.

Mu Yanxi slowly circulated the spiritual energy in her body, trying to ignore that foreign strand. Only then did she have the leisure to banter with Mu Yanqing. “Elder Sister, guess who I met during my trial this time?”

“Yi Wulan, of course.” Mu Yanqing glanced at her, then suddenly sneered. “I told you long ago to memorize the roster of renowned figures from all the major sects in the Cultivation World. If you hadn’t slacked off back then, you would have found a clue from the name Yi Wulan the first time you returned from your trial.”

Mu Yanxi guiltily wrung her fingers and defended herself weakly, “I just wanted to have a happy ending with her in that world, is that so wrong?”

Mu Yanqing scoffed, not bothering to argue with Mu Yanxi. She just asked, “The Immortal Sect Grand Competition is in three days. All the sects will take the opportunity to select disciples with outstanding spiritual roots. The venue is the High Firmament Sect. Do you want to attend with me?”

Mu Yanxi’s survival instinct flared, and she shook her head vigorously. “No, I’m not going.”

Mu Yanqing looked at her suspiciously. “You even did something like chasing someone into a small world, but now you’re being quiet?”

“The small world is the small world, the Cultivation World is the Cultivation World. Mortal affairs end in the mortal world. Besides, Elder Sister, don’t you forget what Dao Immortal Venerable Minglan cultivates. As a person of the Divine Twilight Palace, why would I throw myself at her?”

Mu Yanxi tugged on Mu Yanqing’s sleeve, taking the opportunity to wrap her arms around Mu Yanqing’s waist and act spoiled. “I’ve never attended this kind of event. Now that my cultivation is gone, am I supposed to go and make a fool of myself?”

These words dispelled some of Mu Yanqing’s doubts. She knew better than anyone how much her little peacock cared about her pride. She left behind a pile of pills for restoring spiritual energy, gave a few instructions, and then left.

Two days later, Mu Yanxi left the spiritual spring grotto. She put on a show by adding a barrier outside, creating the illusion that she was still in seclusion inside. She silently slipped back to her own palace, took out many treasured protective artifacts, summoned an immortal crane, and headed for the High Firmament Sect.

The High Firmament Sect was located on the High Firmament Peaks, which were rich in spiritual energy. Every tree seemed to have been nourished by it, and the mountains were covered with ancient, towering trees with gnarled roots and lush foliage.

If it were anyone else, they might have been deceived by these appearances. When Mu Yanqing had forced her to study the history of the sects, she had specifically mentioned these ancient trees of the High Firmament Sect, which were practically its facade.

They had been cultivated over many years by the wood-element spiritual root cultivators of the High Firmament Sect. Even the number one sect could not escape these worldly things.

Mu Yanxi rarely traveled far. It was her first time at the High Firmament Sect, and she found everything novel, especially as she sized up these towering trees and couldn’t help but laugh.

She didn’t expect this sound to attract the attention of several nearby cultivators. Judging by their attire, they didn’t belong to any sect and were probably rogue cultivators hoping to join one.

Large sects often had their own complete system of cultivation, with enviable spiritual pills and artifacts. Those rogue cultivators were often from mortal families that had never produced a cultivator. With no support upon entering the Cultivation World, most chose to join a sect for protection.

“What are you laughing at?” The young man who had just been chattering endlessly to his companions about the ancient trees looked over unhappily when he heard Mu Yanxi’s laugh. “Fellow Daoist, did I say something wrong?”

Mu Yanxi wore a veiled hat, the light white gauze obscuring her face, making her features impossible to see.

The young man’s words undoubtedly proved how successful the High Firmament Sect’s brainwashing was. Mu Yanxi had never been one to hold her tongue, so she waved her hand cooperatively. “No, you didn’t say anything wrong. I just think you’re very knowledgeable, Fellow Daoist.”

Flattered by her praise, the young man became even more animated as he spoke about his knowledge of the High Firmament Sect.

Mu Yanxi clicked her tongue in amazement from the side. “The High Firmament Sect is truly impressive.”

“The most impressive thing about the High Firmament Sect isn’t its appearance. Do you know why it can rank first in the Immortal Alliance?”

“I know, I know! Isn’t it because of Immortal Venerable Minglan?”

“With Immortal Venerable Minglan presiding, who in the Cultivation World wouldn’t give the High Firmament Sect some face? Even the descendants of the Divine Twilight Palace, who represent the Heavenly Dao, have to be polite when they see Immortal Venerable Minglan, right?”

“I wonder if we’ll get to see the venerable face of Immortal Venerable Minglan today.”

This group of cultivators were all high-spirited young people. Upon hearing Immortal Venerable Minglan’s name, they all began to chatter excitedly.

Mu Yanxi was enjoying the gossip about Yi Wulan and didn’t offer any opinions at first. But when she heard these people portraying Yi Wulan as a highly respected elder on the verge of ascending to immortality, she froze.

Wait a minute.

Immortal Venerable Minglan, an old woman?

Yi Wulan, old?

Mu Yanxi, this peacock, hadn’t changed her vain nature even during her trial. She had strict standards for herself, and even stricter standards for those around her.

A cultivator’s appearance would freeze at the moment they formed their Nascent Soul. However, some high-level cultivators liked to deliberately age their appearance to create a sense of being highly respected.

Even though Mu Yanxi had not yet met the Yi Wulan who was Immortal Venerable Minglan, based on her understanding of Yi Wulan’s personality in the small world, she knew that Yi Wulan would definitely not have the appearance of an old woman.

Immortal Venerable Minglan was improving her cultivation with every breath; she simply wouldn’t have the extra energy to change her appearance.

Mu Yanxi casually performed a teleportation art, and her ears were finally quiet.

She had intended to go find her directly, but after grabbing a few High Firmament Sect disciples and asking where Immortal Venerable Minglan was, they all gave her strange looks and then left without a word.

Mu Yanxi: …

Don’t think I don’t know you’re treating me like a fool.

Perhaps it was because Mu Yanxi’s clothes were gorgeous, her scarlet robes embroidered with gold thread that shimmered slightly in the sun, and even her belt was studded with gems. She clearly came from an extraordinary background, unlike those rogue cultivators who spent all their spirit stones on cultivation. That was the only reason they didn’t throw her out.

Mu Yanxi didn’t mind the looks from the High Firmament Sect disciples. Taking advantage of the fact that no one could see her face, she calmly walked toward the mountain peak.

She walked and stopped along the way, even getting lost twice. By the time she reached the summit, it was already packed with people. Even that group of young men she had chatted with, who had been a step behind her, had arrived at the summit before her.

Before she could even squeeze into the open space in front of the High Firmament Sect’s viewing platform, she heard someone in the crowd exclaim, “Look! That’s the Divine Maiden of the Divine Twilight Palace!”

The surrounding crowd looked up.

A vast procession of immortal cranes flew toward the viewing platform. Wherever the cranes passed, their spiritual energy created a stream of brilliant golden light, blooming into flowers of spiritual energy in the air.

Dozens of cultivators dressed in cyan Daoist robes embroidered with identical cloud patterns flew in from the horizon, surrounding a woman in a brocade robe. Their expressions were calm, their demeanor extraordinary, long accustomed to such gazes from the crowd.

It was the people from the Divine Twilight Palace.

The sect leaders of the other sects on the platform all stood up. Even the current Sect Leader of the High Firmament Sect, Lord Yunhua, personally came forward to greet Mu Yanqing.

After returning the greeting, Mu Yanqing seemed to sense something and her gaze suddenly swept over the crowd below.

Mu Yanxi abruptly lowered her head, pulling at the brim of her hat and hiding herself behind several tall cultivators.

However, before those sect leaders could even sit down, a golden sword light tore through the sky, seeming to illuminate half the heavens. Unlike the grand and magnificent entrance of Mu Yanqing, it was just one person, yet it inspired awe.

“Look, Immortal Venerable Minglan!”

“It’s Immortal Venerable Minglan!”

Yi Wulan finally landed on the platform. She looked very young, her face cold and beautiful, her hair held by a white jade crown. Three thousand strands of black silk cascaded down to her waist like satin. She gazed at the people below with a calm and indifferent expression, so dazzling that people dared not look directly, their hearts filled with reverence.

Everyone once again bowed to Yi Wulan. In the crowd below, only Mu Yanxi still held her head high, silently gazing at Yi Wulan from a distance of several hundred meters. The sword in her hand seemed to be on the verge of humming.

Her loss of composure didn’t last long. Just as she had bowed to Mu Yanqing, she, like everyone around her, bowed to Yi Wulan.

Under the gazes of the crowd, Yi Wulan walked to the high seat of the High Firmament Sect.

Next, before the Immortal Sect Grand Competition officially began, the Sect Leader of the High Firmament Sect, Lord Yunhua, gave the opening remarks. When he spoke of the purpose of cultivating the Dao, he paused and deliberately looked at the people below. “I wonder, for what reason do you all cultivate the Dao?”

The shouts from below rose and fell: “To save the common people!”

“To uphold justice!”

“To grow with the Great Dao and achieve immortality!”

“To bring glory to my ancestors!”

Cultivators were accustomed to favoring plain-colored robes, maintaining an ethereal, otherworldly air.

Perhaps it was because Mu Yanxi’s bright scarlet robes were too eye-catching. Lord Yunhua looked over. “That Fellow Daoist, what about you?”

Mu Yanxi’s eyes were downcast, her thin lips parted slightly, her voice pleasant. “Because I was born with spiritual roots.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding cultivators with lofty ambitions looked over as if they had seen a ghost.

What a simple and unadorned reason. They couldn’t even refute it.

But to say such a thing on this occasion was clearly disrespectful.

As the sect leader of the number one sect, Lord Yunhua not only showed no displeasure on his face but instead asked with great interest, “Then why have you appeared here?”

Mu Yanxi finally looked up. The wind followed her movement, blowing the thin veil before her hat half-open, revealing a face of otherworldly beauty.

The astonished expressions of the crowd pleased Mu Yanxi greatly. She curled her lips into a faint smile, her arrogant tone laced with a hint of nonchalance. “I’m here… to find my Dao companion.”

The moment her voice fell, Immortal Venerable Minglan, seated on the high platform, abruptly tightened her grip.