"In a nightmare," Sheng Lingyuan smiled, "I lit the Soul Shock incense, and there was no one else in the dream except for you."

The curses always brought him vivid and terrifying dreams. They started off sweet, but always ended with a traumatic conclusion, leaving him haunted and shaken.

Every day, he would sink deeper into the horrors of his nightmares, like a desperate addict seeking relief.

However, even in these terrifying dreams, Xuan Ji's appearances became shorter and more vague over time, until eventually, he was nothing more than a fleeting image.

In his old age, his senses dulled and his emotions numbed, he could barely remember why he had ever started seeking these nightmares. But he was addicted, and the mere thought of not having them made his headaches worse than any curse.

His senses were fading, and he was slowly losing himself to his obsession.

Xuan Ji stared at him blankly for a moment before whispering, "I... wasn't able to leave for a while, not until the Chiyuan Fire was completely extinguished for a few years. But once I was out, the first thing I did is steal from your nephew's palace treasury. I thought Dan Li was so clever, he might be able to predict something, even if he only leaves me a few words... But all I found was the Thousand Demon Bestiary and the Nirvana Stone."

"I wasn't satisfied, so I snuck into the Qingping Division. It wasn't like it is now. There were countless experts inside. I swear even the potted plants in the corners were stronger than me. If it weren't for the Chiyuan Fire, I would have been trapped inside... It was a heart-stopping experience, but I managed to find the 'Soul-Feeding Corpse-Raising' technique."

"At that time, your nephew had already reached adulthood, and the emperor had become a skilled worker. The scenery of the capital was vastly different, but I had no mood to appreciate it. I only wanted to return to Chiyuan for seclusion. But for the next fifty years...you never gave me any response."

The second process of obtaining the sword body for Xuan Ji was particularly delicate. On one hand, it was a "death for rebirth" exchange, and on the other hand, Sheng Lingyuan was half of Chiyuan.

Xuan Ji was essentially the seal of Chiyuan, and the two were intertwined and coexisted, with one growing as the other diminished.

It was like two partners who could never meet.

Not to mention fifty years, even if it was five hundred or five thousand years, as long as the bone seal was intact, it would be the same.

Sheng Lingyuan sighed silently.

As a member of the winged clan, he was naturally restless and could never sit still. Everything he did was only fresh for three days.

Xuan Ji had been spoiled by him since he was young, and he couldn't concentrate or stay still for more than a stick of incense.

Fifty years... how many incense towers would have been burned by him.

"The first time I refined the Nirvana Stone, I thought I could finally be free. As long as I forgot about you, I could roam the mortal world as I pleased. What a wonderful life that would be... But then I realized that the Nirvana Stones I refined were all defective. My teacher has been gone for many years, and I can't dig up his grave to ask him for answers... Besides, you didn't even build him a tomb... I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. You can interpret it however you want."

Sheng Lingyuan couldn't help but smile wryly at his words.

He didn't interrupt, but instead took Xuan Ji's hand, which was almost crushing his own bones, and gently smoothed out the spasming fingers before kissing them lightly.

"So the second time, I learned my lesson. Since the Nirvana Stone only lasts for one or two hundred years, not much longer than a mortal's lifespan, I thought I might as well live like a mortal, get married, have children... even if there's reproductive isolation and I can't have my own children, I could adopt an orphan and live as an old man after a hundred years. When it's time to sacrifice myself, I'll say goodbye to my grandchildren, divide my inheritance, 'die' and return to the Chiyuan, considering my life fulfilled."

With all the hustle and bustle of human life, it's easy for his past to become a distant memory, like a childhood nightmare.

Reincarnating a few times may even make the Nirvana Stone unnecessary, and he might forget him after a while.

"When I was refining my second Nirvana Stone, I built a tomb for myself in my first life, pretending to be my own father. I even left a wish on the tombstone - that my family would be complete, happy, prosperous, and live together for four generations."

The words "complete family, happiness, four generations, and prosperity" lightly struck Sheng Lingyuan's heart, creating ripples that lasted for a long time.

"But in that life, I was like a maniac searching for a wife. The more I looked, the less I found. This obsession almost became my demon. If it weren't for the Nirvana Stone breaking and almost ruining the Vermilion Bird bone prematurely, I wouldn't dare to joke about it. I couldn't blame anyone but myself for relying on false love."

"Later on, I thought of many unreliable ways... I created a fake identity for myself in the mortal world, hoping that society would arrange a marriage for me. I even intentionally left a blurry portrait of you at the Chiyuan Altar, thinking that I could find a substitute using it and bring them back..."

But everyone was wrong... everyone was wrong...

Sheng Lingyuan was like a brand burned onto his soul, once it was marked, there was no chance of reincarnation.

"I've been living on your spine for over a decade, how much rent do you want from me, Your Majesty?"

Sheng Lingyuan gently closed his eyes. "When this matter is settled, I will give you an explanation. Is that okay? I... never joke."

Xuan Ji stared straight at him, his eyes filled with unspoken words, and overflowing with emotions as he spoke, "I didn't come to seek an explanation from you. After all, it's all in the past. I just want to tell you, don't try to 'help' me anymore. If a person can't even control their own heart, why do you high and mighty people always think you can manipulate others' emotions? Do you think I don't want to get rid of you? If there was any way at all..."

Sheng Lingyuan seemed to intentionally or unintentionally entwine his fingers with his.

A beam of light shone from an unknown angle between the two of them, perfectly outlining the "oath of eternal love" gold thread that was hidden between them.

As soon as the flash of golden light passed by, Xuan Ji's eyes inadvertently flickered.

Sheng Lingyuan suddenly opened his eyes, and his pupils were like two bottomless wells, capturing one's soul: "You and I have the same source of Vermilion Bird blood. Your sword has been offered to me twice. Little Ji, have you ever thought that you can't erase me not because of deep feelings, but because of the messy connections between us? The useless tricks you learned from the mermaid's whispers, isn't it also because of this? Am I wrong?"

Xuan Ji felt something was off as soon as he heard the calm first half of Sheng Lingyuan's words, but it was too late to react.

Sheng Lingyuan's black mist turned into sharp blades in his sleeves, and he slashed his own palm from bottom to top. Under the influence of the oath they made, the same wound appeared on Xuan Ji.

The two of them had their hands clasped, their blood mixing together in an instant.

A sudden resonance arose between them.

Xuan Ji couldn't help but think of the content of the mermaid's whisper, which he hadn't had time to put away before another strong consciousness invaded his mind.