"Senior Tian, you've been at our place for over a hundred years at this point, but it feels like I am the only one who knows you," Xie Mey remarked when she visited him one day to talk about her latest training session outside the palace.
"That's probably because you are the only one who approaches and talks to me," Tian Yang said.
After a slight pause, he continued, "Madam Chao, too, I guess."
"Do you have no interest in the others? Is that why you're not making efforts to know them?" Xie Mey then asked.
Tian Yang shrugged and said, "Although I see them in the halls from time to time, they have never even tried to speak with me. Hell, even their greetings are done in silence. But honestly, I don't feel bothered by it—probably because I don't really care."
"Is that so…? Well, that works in my favor," Xie Mey chuckled. "It means I get to keep you all to myself."
She suddenly scanned the room and then asked, "Where's Senior Ren? She's usually here whenever I visit."
"She recently started studying alchemy, so she spends most of her time with Madam Chao now."
"So she's finally bored with you, huh?" Xie Mey teased.
Before he could respond, she continued, "Say, have you ever thought about accepting another wife?"
"No, I can't say that I have. Where is this coming from?" Tian Yang looked at her with raised eyebrows.
Xie Mey let out a soft chuckle. "Because I've considered becoming your partner."
"Huh?" Tian Yang blinked, startled.
"Why are you so surprised?" she asked, amused by his reaction. "I'm a perfectly healthy young woman. It's only natural for thoughts like that to cross my mind."
"It isn't the thought itself that concerns me—it's who you're thinking about." Tian Yang sighed.
"Why me? I am your father's sworn brother, you know?"
"So what? You're not actually his brother. And you're the only man close to me who isn't part of my own family."
Not knowing how to handle her boldness, Tian Yang quickly changed the subject.
"Have you… spoken to your father about this? If not, you really should…"
Xie Mey smiled. "So you're saying that as long as he approves, you'll accept me?"
"What? How did you twist my words into that?" Tian Yang sighed.
Xie Mey chuckled, "It sure is fun messing with you, Senior Tian. Anyway, I was just joking with you."
Tian Yang was speechless.
"Now then, I'll take my leave and continue my training. See you next time, Senior Tian."
Xie Mey departed shortly after.
However, instead of returning to her training as she claimed, she headed straight to Kulas, intent on discussing a certain matter.
The years drifted by, and before they realized it, another three hundred years had passed.
Two hundred years ago, news of the Immortal Monastery's reopening reached Tian Yang through Kulas. Now, two hundred years later, they had not only fully recovered from the devastation wrought by the Immortal Clans but had even flourished, rising to become an elite sect.
A certain piece of information about a groundbreaking discovery also began spreading like wildfire, sending shockwaves throughout the cultivation world.
The rumor was said to have originated from the Holy Continent, claiming that someone had discovered an entirely new type of spiritual energy—one even stronger than Immortal Qi. It had first surfaced as nothing more than a whisper three hundred years ago, but now, it had grown into something far more substantial than a mere rumor.
"Have you heard? They've named this new spiritual energy 'Celestial Qi,' and rumors claim that cultivating it could elevate an Immortal cultivator to godhood."
Kulas shared the news during a private meeting with Tian Yang and Ren Xia.
"Celestial Qi, huh?" Tian Yang muttered with a pondering look on his face.
"How was it even discovered in the first place?" Ren Xia asked. "And has this person already gone past the True Immortal realm, which is said to be the limit right now? Most importantly, can we trust this information? There have been numerous frauds throughout the years, after all."
"I'm not sure how it was discovered, but the information is definitely trustworthy, as it came directly from the Three Pillars of Heaven."
"The pioneers of cultivation, huh? If so, this is indeed massive," Tian Yang remarked.
"Maybe for them, but I highly doubt it will benefit us anytime soon," Ren Xia shrugged. "The Three Pillars of Heaven will likely keep the method to cultivate Celestial Qi to themselves until they're far ahead of everyone else. It's exactly what happened when they discovered Immortal Qi, too."
"What? They discovered Immortal Qi as well? How…?" Tian Yang muttered, stunned. It almost felt as though the Three Pillars of Heaven were advancing the entire cultivation world on their own.
"They claim it came through enlightenment," Kulas said.
After a brief silence, he continued, "I only learned this because I once snuck into my father's room back when I was still in the Immortal Might Clan, but within the Three Pillars of Heaven, there is someone known as the 'Enlightened One'. This person possesses a unique talent—the ability to receive divinations directly from Heaven itself through enlightenment, and it is through these enlightenments that they learned about cultivation."
"Seriously? Divination from the Heavens? That sounds like complete nonsense," Ren Xia scoffed, shaking her head. "They're clearly hiding the truth behind some fancy story."
Kulas shrugged. "Honestly? As absurd as it sounds, I kind of believe it. How else would they have discovered so much?"
"What do you think?" Both of them turned to Tian Yang.
"It does sound like nonsense at first," he admitted. "However, I've witnessed things far more unbelievable, so it doesn't sound entirely impossible to me."
"Really? Like what?" Ren Xia asked with a weird face.
He shook his head, his tone apologetic. "It concerns the forbidden information within Han Zexian's tomb, so I cannot speak of it…"
"Oh? More unbelievable than the Enlightened One?" Kulas replied with a smile. "Now I'm really curious."