Echo slowly curled up on the ground, silver hair spilling to the floor. Her brow furrowed slightly, her cold features taking on a pitiful expression.

“……”

Seraphine bit her lip and crouched down beside Echo. Her fingers pressed gently against Echo’s chest, massaging the area with feather-light touches. Her face flushed pink, eyelashes fluttering as she deliberately avoided eye contact.

Despite the cool underground air, sweat beaded on Seraphine’s forehead. “Heart’s blood is the condensed essence of your physical form,” Seraphine said quietly. “Extracting it causes severe spiritual damage that can’t be healed overnight. You need proper rest.”

She gently pulled her hand away from Echo’s chest, then stood up a little uneasily. “You’ve worked hard. Rest well now—leave the rest to me.”

Echo tilted her head up at Seraphine, her bubble displaying sparkling eyes filled with pure admiration as she gazed at the woman.

Being looked at like that made Seraphine shake her head helplessly. “You actually fought two dragons while injured. That must have been awful.”

The mentioned dragons quickly scrambled to hide behind Echo.

“Honestly, I didn’t feel the pain during combat,” Echo said, clenching her fist thoughtfully. “Maybe I should find more people to fight?”

“You’re going to rest properly!” Seraphine bonked Echo on the head.

Echo sighed dramatically, reaching behind her back to pull out the two golden birds.

“How about you give me back my heart’s blood and I’ll give you different blood instead?” Echo suggested hopefully.

“Master, the blood contract is complete and cannot be changed.” one golden bird replied.

Echo sighed again, even more dramatically this time.

Seraphine snorted with amusement. “Let’s see if you dare be so reckless again. You’ve certainly broadened my horizons—I’ve never seen anyone force out heart’s blood out of pure curiosity before.”

“Though I suppose you gained something from the disaster.” She glanced at the two golden birds perched on Echo’s shoulders, her mockery shifting to confusion. “This Twin Dragon Secret Realm belonged to Elder Uncle Jingxing. With his Tribulation Crossing cultivation, how could you claim it so easily?”

Echo straightened up modestly. “Because I’m very strong.”

Seraphine’s hand automatically moved to bonk Echo’s head again.

Echo clutched her skull with an “ow!” while the golden bird explained instead:

“We truly belong to the Insight Academy Palace, serving as a training ground for academy disciples. When the Nine Heavens Sect ran rampant, academy disciples took refuge in our realm to cultivate intensively. We provided vast spiritual energy and countless treasures. The disciples’ cultivation soared while we dropped multiple tiers, losing our former glory.”

“But the academy disciples promised that if they returned victorious and ascended to immortality, they would contract with us so we could advance to an immortal mansion and achieve divinity together.”

Hearing this, Seraphine’s heart trembled with shock. Her anger toward the twin dragons instantly evaporated. She suddenly flew up to the mountain peak, gazing out over the landscape.

A hundred years ago, had her mother also cultivated in this secret realm? Had she walked the same paths her mother once traveled?

The world felt vast and lonely under shifting clouds—everything had changed while staying the same.

“I don’t know if this is coincidence or fate,” Seraphine murmured. “From that hibiscus token to Brocade City, from there to the forbidden zone…… If you hadn’t forced out that drop of heart’s blood, the secret realm’s recognition trial wouldn’t have triggered, and I’d never have learned any of this……”

Heavenly Dao was ruthless, and she felt like just another small piece on its game board.

Her eyes grew distant as she lowered her head.

Echo flew up beside her, clutching her chest as she studied Seraphine’s profile. Smiling, Echo took her hand. “If we’re going to trace everything back to the beginning, we’d have to start with you and me meeting. But Seraphine, you said my appearance was your destiny. Since it’s destined—”

Echo paused thoughtfully, a lightbulb appearing over her head. “If it’s something good, we accept it. If it’s something bad, we break it. Changing fate is my specialty—leave it to me!”

Seraphine’s fingers were warm in Echo’s grasp. Seraphine came back to herself, realizing the dark cloud that had hung over her heart since Echo entered the barrier was finally lifting. Here was Echo, alive and energetic, chatting with her cheerfully.

She shook her head self-mockingly. She’d always been decisive, but Echo made her stumble. Caring so much naturally led to anxiety. Echo, oh Echo, I’ve already committed myself this deeply—willing to live and die with you. With my feelings decided, you should respond in kind, heart for heart.

“You have to stay by my side always,” she said softly.

Echo gave her a thumbs up. “As long as Seraphine doesn’t randomly touch things.”

Don’t touch random tokens by the roadside—they disappear, you know.

The gentle spring of emotion in Seraphine’s heart suddenly stopped flowing. Embarrassed fury erupted like a volcano as she raised her hand to bonk Echo’s head repeatedly—her movements fierce but gentle.

“How dare you tease me!” she said, torn between anger and shame.

I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.

Echo sprouted flowers and waved her hands frantically, laughing. “Alright, now that we’ve handled all the serious business, we can sit down and discuss the small matters.”

Echo pulled out a grass mat from her storage ring, spreading it on the ground and inviting Seraphine to sit. With great ceremony, Echo began burning incense and brewing tea.

Seraphine’s mouth twitched as she looked out at the endless desert. The blazing sun overhead threatened to roast anyone alive, and she thought Echo had quite the talent for picking tea-drinking locations.

Not only did Echo pick interesting spots for tea, she also produced fruits, pastries, novels, peanuts, and sunflower seeds. Error slithered out of Seraphine’s sleeve to the table, drooling over the peanuts.

“These are really delicious,” Echo said, pointing to the peanuts. “At Golden Jade Tower, they give complimentary snacks and nuts with your tea fee. Their craftsmanship is excellent.” Truly worthy of Sunset Glow City with its treasure mountain.

Seraphine asked what Golden Jade Tower was.

Echo explained the tower’s origin and purpose while lifting the brewed tea to fill the cups. Under the scorching sun, the steam dissipated as soon as it rose. Echo refilled the teapot and placed the small pot back on the tea stove.

Flames licked at the purple-gold brazier as tea fragrance wafted upward.

A peaceful atmosphere surrounded them as they sat across from each other. Echo looked at the woman reading a novel across from her.

“After you disappeared, I arranged to meet Zhu Shiyu at Golden Jade Tower to exchange information. Seraphine, once we’re rested, we’ll head there to tell Siyi and Zhu Shiyu you’ve returned safely so they won’t worry.”

“Mm.” Seraphine acknowledged, tossing aside her book. I’ve read this one before.

Just as her pale fingers tugged another novel closer, Seraphine sensed something was off. She lifted her gaze toward Echo.

On Echo’s usually expressionless face, a sudden smile flickered to life—complete with little bubbles rising above herhead.

Please speak.

“You seem……” Seraphine considered her words carefully. “In the past, you always followed my thoughts and acted according to my wishes. But since our reunion, you appear to have your own strong opinions.” Not to mention remembering to send messages so people wouldn’t worry, “—and forcing out heart’s blood!”

Is this matter still not over? Echo laughed and poured Seraphine tea.

The clear tea held two floating white jasmine blossoms that looked freshly picked, their petals unfurling gracefully. The floral and tea scents blended into an elegant fragrance.

Seraphine lifted her teacup. “This change is good,” she said quietly.

“I have two small matters to tell Seraphine about.” Echo picked up her own cup, planning to drink some tea first since the jasmine tea smelled wonderful.

The hot tea needed slow sipping. Echo mimicked Seraphine’s movements, blowing away the steam—then, because the desert was too hot, she used a bit of spiritual power to add ice—before swallowing a mouthful of the ice-cube-dotted tea.

Fragrant!

Two flowers bloomed on Echo’s head as she began discussing the small matters.

“I encountered Xue Bufan. He knows I’m his senior sister now and gave me a jade box supposedly containing a gift from our master.”

“Cough.” Seraphine nearly choked on her tea, grabbing a handkerchief to dab her lips as she stared at Echo in shock.

“You call this a small matter?”

Isn’t it? Echo straightened up, extending her arm to pat her back. Seraphine grabbed Echo’s wrist before she could reach her.

“What did he give you?” Seraphine asked with forced patience, her forehead throbbing.

“An empty storage ring inside,” Echo confessed honestly. “Now for the second matter—I found an identical jade box in the chamber below. It also contained an identical storage ring, but this one held a soul remnant that tried to possess me! Hahaha!”

A human soul remnant wanting to possess a system!

Echo found this tremendously amusing—more interesting than any joke in her collection. She wanted to share it so Seraphine would laugh too.

Seraphine didn’t laugh. She stared at Echo with a darkening expression.

Ah! Killing intent! Familiar killing intent!

Echo stopped laughing and sat back down carefully, assuming a serious, attentive posture. “What did I get wrong?” sheasked humbly.

Seraphine took a deep breath. “It tried to possess you and you wanted to laugh?!”

“That soul remnant definitely isn’t anything good!”

A thought bubble appeared over Echo’s head with contemplative ellipses. After thinking it over, she said, “I understand now. If Seraphine had opened that jade box, I would have been afraid because you might have been possessed.”

“……My dao heart is firm—I wouldn’t be possessed!” Seraphine protested.

She quickly took a sip of tea to hide her momentary guilt. Just recently, her dao heart had wavered quite significantly.

Echo thought some more and nodded. “Yes, Seraphine wouldn’t be possessed. This soul remnant wasn’t as powerful as I imagined, though when I poked it, it had strong protective arrays.”

“So I put it in my inventory. But before I locked it away, it kept repeating one phrase.”

“Kill Jingxing.”

Echo waved her hands dramatically, putting on a fierce expression as she said this menacingly.

“……Pfft.” Seraphine snorted.

Too cute.

When Echo was still an orb, she had act out scenes by wearing other people’s faces. When telling her stories, she had sprout various emotional bubbles. Now in human form, Echo still maintained her original heart.

Echo continued explaining why she wasn’t afraid of the soul remnant: “If it’s a villain, its ultimate fate is to be eliminated by us. This is absolutely guaranteed. Please don’t worry, Seraphine.”

She held up a thumbs up—3,520 completed missions with a 100% success rate.

Seraphine pressed her lips together. The gap in thinking between them remained vast. Things that seemed obvious and effortless to Echo were impossibly difficult for her—like cultivation breakthroughs. Who else could advance two stages in one day? Who else could breakthrough without attracting Heavenly Tribulation?

Only because Echo wasn’t truly of this world.

Seraphine understood what kind of existence she wanted to keep by her side. She’d made her decision—fearless and unwavering.

“Have you considered what happens if the villain you mentioned acts early? What if the soul remnant is stronger than you think? If it targets you, the consequences would be far worse than losing heart’s blood.”

Echo pressed her hand to her chest. “That’s why I put it in my inventory.”

Her thumb still pointed skyward as she said gently, “Besides me, no one else in this world can open the system inventory. I won’t let it out to harm you.”

“Crack.” Error swallowed a peanut whole, shell and all, then used the tip of her tail to wipe tears from her large eyes.

So wonderful, the orb and master! They were discussing a soul remnant, but all they talked about was each other. It was truly moving for a dragon.

Seraphine’s face warmed as she picked up her teacup again. Sighing, she said, “Fine, keep it locked up for now. When we leave the Twin Dragon Secret Realm, we’ll take the soul remnant to Elder Uncle Jing along with the spiritual consciousness on Xue Bufan.”

Echo nodded. “Or we could collect more spirit hearts, let your spirit heart devour them, then use the method I used against the dragons to upgrade the spirit heart to maximum level so it can eliminate the soul remnant!”

The two birds on Echo’s shoulders shuddered.

Seraphine asked sincerely, “How many spirit hearts do you think you’d need to reach Tribulation Crossing stage?”

Echo quickly opened her status panel to calculate, announcing cheerfully, “If every spirit heart has the same quality as yours, I’d only need 5,426 spirit hearts to reach Tribulation Crossing!”

The spirit heart hiding in Seraphine’s sleeve trembled, remembering terrible memories as it burrowed deeper.

Seraphine nodded, repeating slowly, “So you only need 5,426 awakened spirit hearts to advance to Tribulation Crossing. How wonderful! Now then, where exactly should we collect such a quantity of spirit hearts? Do you think the spiritual veins of all five continents and two domains combined could produce five thousand?”

Echo opened her status panel, looked at her point balance, and stars crashed down on her head with bonk bonk sounds.

“What a pity!” Echo sighed dramatically. “This isn’t my fault—this world’s resources simply aren’t abundant enough.”

Seraphine suppressed a laugh and nodded. “Indeed. Hopefully it will work hard to produce spiritual veins and birth spirit hearts for your grand ambition.”

Echo raised both thumbs as they looked at each other and burst into laughter.