The morning sun slowly rose, its light spilling across the forest. Shen Xuan sat cross-legged beneath an old tree, his eyes closed as he cultivated. Violent spiritual energy swirled around him like a raging storm, yet his expression remained calm and steady.
From a distance, Long Meiling and her mistress stepped out of the small treasure room. They paused when they saw Shen Xuan — his body surrounded by a faint golden glow.
Meiling's eyes widened slightly. "He's quite talented… to reach the late stage of Qi Condensation at such a young age. Even in the Immortal Realm, it's rare without immense resources."
Her mistress, now visibly better though her expression still carried traces of pain, silently nodded.
After a while, Shen Xuan finally opened his eyes. The storm of energy around him vanished instantly as if it had never existed. He stood up, dusted off his robe, and looked toward the two women.
"All right, you both seem fine now. I have things to do, so I'll be leaving."
His gaze shifted briefly toward them — clearly expecting something.
Meiling caught the hint and asked, "What kind of treasure do you want?"
Shen Xuan thought for a moment before replying in his usual calm tone, "I don't care what it is. Just give me something useful — something that can help me survive in difficult times or aid my cultivation."
Both women exchanged a glance. The treasures they possessed were far too powerful for someone with such a low cultivation level.
So Meiling decided to change the subject slightly and asked, "What's your name?"
Shen Xuan frowned a little, wondering why she wanted to know that, but then answered simply, "Shen Xuan."
The moment that name left his lips, both women froze. Meiling's eyes went wide, while her mistress's entire body trembled violently.
Her breathing quickened, her eyes reflecting disbelief — with a deep, hidden pain, excitement, anticipation and longing.
Long Xinyue's body began to tremble uncontrollably, her lips quivering as she whispered in a shaky voice,"Shen Xuan…"
Only she knew how long it had been — how many endless years had passed since she had last spoken that name aloud.
Beside her, Long Meiling struggled to suppress her shock. Her mind raced, her thoughts tangled between disbelief and confusion. First the terrifying battle with the Space Beasts in the Immortal Realm, then being thrown into a space crack — and now this?She clenched her fists slightly, her expression stiff. Is this what fate truly means?
Trying to compose herself, Meiling finally spoke."My name is Long Meiling," she said, her voice steady though her heart wasn't. "And this is my mistress, Long Xinyue."
Both of them looked at Shen Xuan, their eyes filled with expectation — but the young man merely nodded calmly."Alright," he said simply.
Meiling blinked, confused by his indifferent reaction. Her mistress, however, looked utterly heartbroken. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, emotions flickering within them — grief, disbelief, longing.
Shen Xuan didn't notice. He dusted off his robe and said, "I should get going."
But before he could take another step, Long Xinyue lifted her hand slightly. A faint light shimmered in her palm, and a strange fruit materialized out of thin air.
It was large too big to fit in one hand — with a deep green hue. Intricate, glowing scales covered its surface, gleaming faintly in the morning light.
The moment Shen Xuan saw it, his eyes narrowed in astonishment. Those were dragon scales.
Long Xinyue's soft, almost ethereal voice broke the silence."This is the Heavenly Dragon Fruit."
Even Meiling gasped quietly. She knew what that meant. She had never imagined her mistress would actually hand over something so valuable.
The Heavenly Dragon Fruit — a divine treasure that could drive even immortal kings to madness. It was said that only the ancient dragon clan of the Dragon Kingdom could grow it, and a single fruit took twenty-five million years to fully mature.
Of course, none of this was explained to Shen Xuan. He only knew that anything related to dragons was priceless — something his old teacher, Lu Zhen, had told him long ago.
He looked at the fruit again and muttered, half to himself,"These scales… they really are from a dragon."
Long Xinyue nodded gently, her tone calm but her eyes still glistening."Yes. It contains a trace of dragon blood essence. It will strengthen your body… and your comprehension."
She didn't explain any further, simply extended her hand and offered the fruit to him.
If any immortal king had seen what she was doing — giving away a Heavenly Dragon Fruit so casually — they would've spat out a mouthful of blood in disbelief.
Shen Xuan accepted the fruit, feeling the surge of energy pulsing faintly within it. He could sense its power but didn't think too deeply about it. Anything connected to dragons was obviously valuable, yet he simply took it without fuss.
Then Long Xinyue produced a small jade bottle from her sleeve and held it out to him.
Shen Xuan shook his head. "No. This fruit is enough. I don't need anything else."
But Xinyue's voice was soft, almost pleading."No. This is dragon's blood. Use it first—then use the Heavenly Dragon Fruit. And remember," her clear eyes fixed on him, "consume the fruit little by little. If you take it all at once, it will be dangerous."
For a brief moment, Shen Xuan was surprised. There was genuine concern on her face — so much that it unsettled him. Why is she suddenly being so kind?
He inclined his head slightly. "Thank you," he said in his usual cold tone. Then he turned and left.
Long Xinyue stood frozen, watching his figure disappear into the forest. Her hands trembled, her heart aching. Tears welled up in her eyes until they overflowed, streaking down her pale jade cheeks.
"It's him," she whispered, her voice breaking. "It has to be him… but he doesn't even recognize me…"
As she cried, it felt as though the world around her had lost its color. Even the air seemed heavy with sorrow.
Seeing her mistress in such a state, Meiling hurried to support her, her own expression pained."Mistress, please… maybe he isn't who we think he is. The same face and the same name — it could just be a coincidence…"
But anyone who saw Long Xinyue at that moment — this goddess-like woman in tears — would feel their heart ache. How could someone so beautiful be reduced to this?
Long Xinyue wiped her tears with trembling fingers, her voice still fragile."No. It's him. No one knows better than I do. Yet he treats me as if I'm a stranger… as if we never met. How… how can this be?"
Her voice shook again. "A mere coincidence? His face, his name… maybe. But our meeting here — that cannot be a coincidence."
Meiling fell silent, her eyes narrowing slightly. Yes… everything else might be coincidence, but this? No… Then a thought flashed through her mind, making her eyes gleam.
"Mistress," she said slowly, "what if… his memories are sealed? We saw him so young. Could it mean… he was reborn? That would explain why he doesn't remember you."
Long Xinyue stiffened, realization dawning in her own heart."Yes… yes, you're right. If anyone could defy fate, it's him. If anyone could be reborn even after his soul was destroyed, it's him. "
Her voice still trembled, but there was a faint edge of hope now.
Meiling spoke carefully, "Mistress, we should return. And… should we tell anyone about this"
Long Xinyue shook her head firmly, though her tears still glistened."No one. Not even his friends. Not even his wives. I do this for their sake as much as his. He still needs time to grow. Who knows when we'll see him in the Immortal Realm again… or when his memories will awaken. If they do, he'll settle everything himself."
She sighed softly, her voice low."If his memories never awaken… I won't give false hope. As for his wives… when the time is right, I'll tell them myself. We are sisters. If I keep this from them now, they will understand one day."
With that, Xinyue took out a small array disk and activated it. Violent space energy erupted from its core, swirling around them in a storm. Both women stepped into it, their figures vanishing as the array pulled them through.
A violent ripple tore through the forest, shaking the air. After all, crossing realms left its mark. But deep within the jungle, no one was around to notice.
Far away, Shen Xuan was already walking deeper into the wilderness, unaware of the storm he just created .
As Shen Xuan walked through the dense jungle, the wind whispered through the leaves, carrying faint traces of spiritual energy. His mind, however, wasn't calm.
Those two women… he thought, frowning slightly. There was something strange about them.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Forget it. No point thinking about it now."
His gaze drifted toward the jade bottle and the dragon-scaled fruit in his storage ring."Still… if these really are treasures related to dragons, maybe they can help me awaken my spiritual roots."
The thought made him stop in his tracks.
He looked around, then muttered to himself, "It's better if I focus on cultivation for now. There are still two years left before the Younger Generation Gathering on the continent. That's plenty of time to make progress."
His eyes gleamed faintly under the moonlight."If I can't make any breakthroughs here, I'll head to the Southern Region… visit Yaoyao's sect. When the time comes, I'll return to the Emperor City for the gathering with her."
With that decision made, Shen Xuan began searching for a suitable spot. After traveling for several hours, he finally found a quiet valley surrounded by spiritual mist. The air here was rich in essence, untouched by beasts or men.
"This should do."
He gathered some stones, formed a simple barrier formation, and hollowed out a small cave into the side of the hill. After sealing the entrance with a concealment talisman, he sat cross-legged within the darkness.
The faint light of a spirit stone illuminated his calm expression as he closed his eyes.Let's see if dragon blood is truly magical as saying …
Then silence filled the cave, broken only by the sound of slow, steady breathing — as Shen Xuan began his closed-door cultivation.
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