CHAPTER 918: THE PRICE IS YOUR ABSOLUTE LOYALTY

[Immortal Realm, Forgotten Domain, Ember Dune Desert]

Outside the borders of the Sacred Land, chaos reigned in wild abandon. Every contracted beast and ally of Shenlian Yingyue felt their cultivation skyrocket; realms fractured, breakthroughs exploded like firecrackers, and power surged through them in an unstoppable wave.

The shockwaves reverberated across the Ember Dune Desert, upending dunes and razing everything in their path. Many attempted to flee, seeking remote seclusion to regulate the sudden influx of spiritual energy, but before they could stabilize, they were silently whisked away by an invisible force.

"Brother Yun! What’s happening?!" Their voices echoed in alarm. One moment they were teetering on the brink, the next, they were yanked away almost violently.

They reappeared within the Sacred Land’s borders as abruptly as they had vanished, voices ringing with confusion and awe. Their presence here, summoned so effortlessly, sent a powerful message about the one who had summoned them: Xiao Yun.

"He bypassed all cosmic laws, effortlessly," they breathed, struck by the raw authority in his act. Xiao Yun, their silent guardian and executor of cruel fate, had once again turned reality on its head. It was one thing to send power; it was quite another to manipulate existence itself.

"Master ascended again!" exclaimed Xiao Li, his emotion raw, half ecstasy, half terror. Xiao Mei and Lu Long matched his enthusiasm, each struggling to catch their breath. The rest of the group trembled in vibrant excitement; magical power hummed in the air around them.

But Xiao Yun’s face was inscrutable. He raised a hand, cool and composed. "Do not disturb Master," he said softly, gesturing toward Shenlian Yingyue, who sat radiating calm power. "Return to the Ethereal Small World and stabilize your cultivation."

A hush fell. The assembled cultivators bowed and, like wisps of smoke drifting upward, vanished in turn.

Only four remained near Shenlian Yingyue, Xiao Yun and Qing Luan: Qing Long, Bai Hu, Xuan Wu, and Zhu Que. With new torrents of spiritual energy flooding their beings, they sank onto the ground in perfect lotus posture. Their eyes closed, bodies quivered, but they were steady, attuned. They had been fed a fountain of power; now came the consolidation, the churning of might into balance.

In the silent aftermath, only Shenlian Yingyue, Xiao Yun and Qing Luan remained in the Sacred Land. The world had reset itself, leaving those two as witnesses to the upheaval below.

"Your Boundless Majesty," Qing Luan ventured, voice even but tinged with deference. She approached, eyes focused on Xiao Yun’s calm form. "May I ask, is she, does she belong to Shen clan?"

Xiao Yun’s gaze pivoted slowly toward her. He didn’t answer her question directly; instead, he spoke plainly, his tone measured and cool. This was the side he reserved for all but his master: distant, cold, calculating.

"I can restore you to your immortal body," he said.

Qing Luan inhaled sharply; she didn’t expect this.

He continued, voice unwavering, "But the price is your absolute loyalty. You must serve her, bind your soul contractually, and vow allegiance, eternal. To protect her with your life. To sacrifice everything for her. No longer Qing Luan of Qing clan. From this point, you are her partner."

Qing Luan’s heart thudded. The truth of her existence, a shattered soul, a stolen identity, an immortal body stripped away by betrayal, flashed before her eyes. The life she once led was gone. A vengeful, fire-hot ambition burned within her veins. Coming back, here, with this kind of power, she would rebuild.

Yet, at what cost? She couldn’t reclaim everything. She swallowed. There was freedom in nothingness; servitude felt like chains. But the alternative, ceasing to exist, was untenable. To be reclaimed by the void, to vanish entirely, she could not allow it.

"Your Boundless Majesty," she said, her voice throbbing. "I will serve her. I swear on my soul, unwavering loyalty. I will protect her with my life." Her words trembled through the night air like sacred oaths. She fell to her knees, head bowed.

Xiao Yun nodded. He gestured, and shimmering runes flared to life beneath Shenlian Yingyue and Qing Luan. A soft hum filled the air as the Soul Contract bound them together, threads of radiant aura linking their souls. If Shenlian Yingyue’s soul shattered or scattered, Qing Luan would vanish with it. Forever bound.

Qing Luan’s chest tightened, awe mingling with reverence and a touch of fear. This was power beyond mortal and immortals measure. If the world knew who could perform such acts, worlds would quake.

"You may cultivate now under the Tree of Life," Xiao Yun directed with another measured motion.

With a faint rush, Qing Luan was sent into the Ethereal Small World.

Within the Ethereal Small World, Qing Luan’s senses reeled.

The Tree of Life towered overhead like an ancient god, its immense trunk radiating gentle power, its roots wrapping like worlds. The air thrummed with vitality, each breath nourishing her depleted soul and body. Energy swirled around her calves and waist, singing with power so thick, so lush. She closed her eyes and let it flow in, tendrils of cosmic vitality weaving into her bones, roots, and shattered roots of spirit.

It overwhelmed her. What was this place? A realm far surpassing the Sacred Land in majesty and might. No wonder Shenlian Yingyue had sat patiently and unshocked before the grandeur of the Sacred Land’s artifacts. Because, once you crossed into the Ethereal Small World, all before it paled.

And there she sat, roots coiling through soil infused with living light. Healing burned gentle warmth across her wounds. Time slowed, and destiny shifted.

Outside, in the Sacred Land, Xiao Yun and Shenlian Yingyue remained, luminous and powerful. One held boundless reality in his hands; the other, transcendent calm. Together, they commanded realms.

But inside the Ethereal Small World, under the Tree of Life, Qing Luan knelt in hushed wonder. Her second chance of life had begun.

A vast, glowing paradise realm stretched endlessly across flat, open land, covered completely in magical, glowing flowers of every color: crimson, violet, sky blue, gold, and luminous white. These flowers swayed gently, their petals sparkling with spiritual light, creating a vibrant, living tapestry across the land.

All around, small sparkling streams gently wove through the side areas of the landscape, fed by spiritual waterfalls that cascaded from distant jade cliffs. These spiritual waterfalls glowed with soft blue-white light, forming gentle streams that wound along the edges of the flower fields. Wherever the water flowed, lotus ponds bloomed, filled with glowing magical lotuses and water lilies in vibrant hues.

Scattered across the land were many elegant jade bamboo houses, glowing softly in green and gold, built from smooth, translucent jade bamboo. These houses were connected by clear, arched bridges made of glowing crystal stone, leading to shining crystal pavilions that shimmered like starlight. The pavilions floated above the flowerbeds or rested gently among glowing fruit trees and rainbow trees.

Everywhere grew peach blossom trees, rainbow-hued trees, and fruit trees bearing luminous fruit. The air had been thick with the sweet scent of blossoms and the quiet hum of spiritual energy. Small crystals of every shade, amethyst, emerald, topaz rose from the ground or drifted gently in the air, sparkling with inner magic.

In the center of the land, the majestic Tree of Life towered over all, with a radiant rainbow-colored trunk, crystal-like leaves, and glowing fruits that shimmered like stars. Its presence breathed serenity and timeless wonder.

At the far background, before the mountains, rose dense bamboo forests and deep enchanted woodlands, filled with glowing plants and trees with soft lantern-like fruits. Beyond these forests, the mountains stood distant and faint, veiled in a light spiritual mist; present, but not dominant.

Gentle spirit creatures had roamed freely: floating butterflies, glowing deer, shimmering birds, and peaceful foxes. The sky above had been bright and endless, casting a soft light that made the entire paradise shine with warmth, peace, and eternal magic.

These spiritual waterfalls, creatures, spiritual herbs, fruit orchards, and fields of flowers came into existence the moment Shenlian Yingyue advanced. The entire Ethereal Small World transformed into a new natural realm, rich with spiritual treasures and vibrant life.

However, none of these creatures could evolve into higher-intelligence beings unless Xiao Yun allowed it.