Xiao sat there in utter focus, his mind cooling down and blasting open, several thoughts and feelings kept passing through his mind, and things he suppressed broke free as they began their rampage within Xiao's mind.
One shouldn't at all underestimate the change Xiao is going through, in fact, these changes should have taken place gradually, he was no longer on Ingrid, and the other sides of him he had suppressed would definitely start to come back, once he started to travel through the world of cultivation, gradually during his adventures Xiao would have found what he had lost.
But when would have that begin? when Xiao had lost someone? when his actions backfire? when his plans fail and he finally figures things out?
Reaper had lived long and he had become indifferent to life and death, he had seen too much and he knew how Xiao's path would have been, how he would end up again if he tried to move forward without actually letting his true side lose, changes take place in personality due to what a person goes through and Reaper had forced such an action forcefully on Xiao, it would have its backlash.
The result of it would be a mixed match of emotions, feelings, and egos, if things went wrong Xiao would end up losing his mind and perishing or worse become something which no one will realize, it was the price one would have to pay for trying to make personality growth when one hasn't gone through the required situations in life.
But once again Reaper had no time for those shit things, if Xiao dies it would just bring him back and if it doesn't work Reaper would just ask a favor from Time, once Reaper wants something done, there is nothing in the cosmos that it can't get,
'And why do you suppress that true manipulative desire?'
Reaper asked as Xiao had gone silent, its question leading Xiao to a muse, his mind flashing with many emotions, even if the evil slaughtering side had disappeared a part of it still exists, his small little self left to the wimps of the cosmos.
It was then that Teresa had shown her true side, Xiao had become proficient in seeing and understanding different situations, and with the help of Reaper, he was easily able to tell the inner monologue and things taking place inside Teresa, just like that millions of thoughts passed through him as he closed his eyes for a moment and opened them.
His eyes flashed with several feelings, personalities pushing themselves into him and mashing on, his mental realm trembling and cracking, indicating the incoming death of Xiao, the combining of several personalities wasn't something that could simply be accepted.
So under Teresa's confused look, blood started to burst out from Xiao's eyes, nose, ears, and mouth, the sound of cracks also could be felt in him, the large influence of feelings was destroying his insides,
'Maybe I just kill him?'
Teresa mused and just as this thought filled her, the instincts she had honed over her life screamed at her, death seemed to grip her heart, at that moment Teresa knew, she knew that if she even made a single move against the boy, even before she could react her consciousness will be killed and something tells her that, even her true self who was called to the beyond will even face the repercussion,
'Just who is this kid?!'
Teresa screamed on her inside as she withdrew all her desire to kill the boy, if he was such a powerful backing, it wouldn't be a bad thing to pair him up with her successor, Teresa's mind was already imagining the things she could do while Xiao's life was on the brink of demise yet he was calm, even if all these personalities were confusing him he still knew one thing about himself.
Xiao was not afraid of death...
Everything was a mess as Xiao held himself, even in the face of death he was calm, all the confusing emotions seemed worthless in the end, even as his end was approaching Xiao felt as if something was missing as if a part of him was still lost.
Slowly but surely his end started to fill him, once more the cold embrace of death filling his body, it was then a thread of link found its way into Xiao's mind, a memory so deep that it was hidden under the piles of lost resurfaced, it was the memory of a 5-year-old, whose eyes were flashing as he gazed at the scene of sword practice.
The boy was being pulled into the secrets of the way of cultivation, while beside him stood a servant who was explaining different adventures that await one in the humongous cultivation world, the servant's information was minuscule and it barely covered the Yun family lands but the boy listened to the small tale with stars in his eyes.
The desire for adventure burning deep within the boy, the promise of treasure barely taking the boys attention, the desire for power leaving the boys mind, only the admiration and desire to see what he hadn't sparkled within the boy's eyes and Xiao as an illusionary figure floated beside the boy as he gazed at this scene, right now the illusionary body of his was that of Xiao when he was 20 years old, struggling within the second heaven.
And as if by coincidence or not Xiao's eyes matched with that of the boys and seeing those pure eyes not corrupted by the world Xiao's clouded eyes started to clear up, the thoughts that were clouding him vanished, and peace filled his mind, walking his illusionary body he moved towards the boy, and as he walked the entire surroundings started to vanish and soon it was just the boy and Xiao who was left.
Both of them were isolated by the world as Xiao kneeled down before the boy, his eyes matching the little boy's,
"Tell me what do you desire?"
He asked to which the boy's eyes sparkled greater as he waved his hand up and shouted,
The boy's voice spread across the white space, making Xiao chuckle,
"What is the adventure that you desire?"
Xiao asked and the boy replied in an innocent manner,
"The Greatest Adventure!"
The boy's reply brought a smile to Xiao's face, his heart feeling light in many years, Xiao kept looking at the little boy before which he extended his pinky finger, and the boy without any doubt wrapped his pinky finger around Xiao's,
"Here's my promise I will show you the greatest adventure in the world"
Xiao spoke and his words brought a bright smile to the boy, the little boy's pinky finger wrapped around Xiao as he asked,
Xiao said and as he did the boy's smile became peaceful as he started to break into little small golden lights, the happy smile still remaining on the little boy's face as he completely disappeared, all the while Xiao gazed at the scene with a serene gaze, it was only when the boy had completely disappeared did Xiao take back his hand as he stopped kneeling,
Xiao spoke in a whisper to particularly no one, even he didn't know who the thanks belonged to but his gratitude flowed nonetheless.