Taixu Realm

I will ascend to the very summit and behold how small the mountains below appear.

From atop the mountain, she gazed into the distance, taking in every sight below. The trees were lush and green, the soil rich and fertile; as spirit monkeys darted about, they stirred ripples through the foliage.

The vast woodland seemed to have returned to the primordial age.

This was an undeveloped primeval jungle, home to species long vanished from the world. Whether mammoths or saber-toothed tigers, they all seemed to be found amid these woods.

As Jingwei landed, Fu Hua stood at the pinnacle of the world. The sight before her broadened the emotions in her heart.

Looking back suddenly, she realized that everything from the past had gradually faded from her heart, worn away by worldly affairs and slaughter.

"Jingwei, this place is very nice."

"I knew Lord Crimson Kite would like it, so I chose this mountain as my home. I thought that when the day came that I found you, I would bring you here. I just never expected you to find this place on your own."

Jingwei's words were filled with joy, as well as confidence in Fu Hua. She believed that one day, Fu Hua would come looking for her. Though the thought was so unrealistic, it had nevertheless taken deep root in her heart.

Fu Hua turned to look at Jingwei. "When did you come here?"

"Um! I don't remember the exact time, but it has probably been several hundred years! I once went out to look for you too, but I could never find any trace of you. And there seemed to be something very dangerous in that world, so I returned to this little world. A few months ago, I sensed the aura of Honkai and went out again, but I still didn't see any trace of you."

A few months ago? Wasn't that when she and the others from Shrek went to the Star Dou Great Forest? Fu Hua thought to herself.

Jingwei continued, "Because I've sensed the aura of Honkai lately, I often went out to take a look. But I never went far. There seemed to be several extremely powerful auras in the human world. I was afraid of being discovered, so I only wandered through the forest. It wasn't until two months ago, when Lord Crimson Kite suddenly appeared in the little world, that I sensed your aura."

Fu Hua's sword-like brows knitted tightly.

"Two months ago? When you went out before that, you didn't sense anything?"

Jingwei shook her head.

Two months ago was precisely when Fu Hua had been evading Spirit Hall's pursuit. At the time, following the guidance in her heart, she had gradually approached the central region of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Unexpectedly, when she stepped into the center, heaven and earth suddenly shifted. When she looked again, all she saw was the dense forest within this little world. Then Jingwei arrived and found her.

Two months. She had already lived in this little world for two months. From her initial discomfort to her current ease, it had become as natural to her as Taixu Mountain.

Two months ago, she might still have felt some attachment to the Douluo Continent. But after two months, whether she was still willing to return remained to be decided. That was also why Fu Hua had said those words to Jingwei.

Fu Hua did not truly belong to the Douluo Continent. There was no reason there that could make her stay. The only thing was her responsibility as a former Fusion Warrior.

Destroy the Honkai!

"Jingwei, you said you've been here for centuries. Then thirty years ago, did you sense anything?"

Perhaps Jingwei could tell her more about what had happened thirty years ago.

Unfortunately, Jingwei shook her head again.

"Thirty years ago, I didn't sense anything in particular. There are extremely powerful beings in that world, and I didn't dare investigate carelessly. If they discovered this place, this little world would not still be as it is now."

Fu Hua nodded. That was true.

"However, speaking of thirty years ago, it seems someone also arrived in this little world. She only stayed for a very short time, as though she was rejected by this world. I didn't sense much, but the dense Honkai Energy on her body could not be concealed."

"Dense Honkai Energy?"

"Yes. If an ordinary person possessed that much Honkai Energy, they would have long since turned into a Honkai Beast. But she seemed to retain her consciousness."

"Could she have been a Herrscher?"

"I don't know what kind of being the Herrscher Lord Crimson Kite mentioned is, but she was very powerful, second only to the powerful beings of that world."

"Did you see what she looked like?"

Fu Hua's expression grew grave. If they could search for her directly by appearance, it would save them a great deal of trouble.

"Um! I only caught a distant glimpse of her, and she came and vanished very quickly. I only remember that she had golden hair," Jingwei said hazily, as though she herself was still uncertain of what she recalled.

"Lord Crimson Kite, I'm sorry. If I had been brave enough to rush over then, I could have helped you."

Jingwei lowered her head dejectedly, self-reproach filling her crimson eyes.

Fu Hua reached out and stroked Jingwei's feathers with gentle, soothing motions. "It's all right. If you had rushed out then, I might never have seen you again."

"Lord Crimson Kite..."

"You can just call me Crimson Kite, or Fu Hua. That is my name now."

Jingwei shook her head and refused. "No. Lord Crimson Kite will always be Lord Crimson Kite. Even if I call you Fu Hua now, it would be Lady Fu Hua. Jingwei will absolutely not overstep."

Fu Hua chuckled.

"Danzhu always says I'm old-fashioned. It seems you learned that from following me too."

"Not at all. Lord Crimson Kite is Lord Crimson Kite. You are the perfect Lord Crimson Kite in Jingwei's heart."

"No one is perfect. How could I be called perfect?"

"Um! I... I didn't mean..."

Seeing Jingwei grow flustered, Fu Hua's smile deepened. Jingwei was accustomed to the stern Crimson Kite, and seeing such a captivating Fu Hua for the first time, her avian eyes filled with surprise—and a hint of wonder.

It was not that Fu Hua was not beautiful; rather, as a warrior, she had completely hidden it away.

She was a warrior, but she was also a girl. (She was a girl, not an "adult.")

Now that it had blossomed, did it mean that she had escaped the destiny of a warrior?

Jingwei did not know, but at this moment, all she wanted was to protect Crimson Kite Immortal with even greater effort, because she did not want to see Crimson Kite lose her smile again.

A tiny seed had been planted in her heart, waiting for the day it would slowly sprout. Then, she would be able to stay by Crimson Kite's side forever, wouldn't she?

"I will definitely protect Crimson Kite Immortal," Jingwei said solemnly.

The smile at the corner of her lips remained unchanged. Since coming to this world, today seemed to be the day she had smiled the most.

"Do I still need your protection?"

"Whether you need it or not, I will."

Seeing Jingwei's childishly stubborn appearance, Fu Hua's heart warmed. How many years had it been since someone had said those words to her? The last time... seemed to have been long, long ago.

Someone had reached out a hand to the helpless her!

"I understand. Then if you want to protect me, you still have much cultivation ahead of you."

"Mm!"

At the mountain peak, the wind howled, yet at this moment, there was only each other's warmth between the two figures. They watched the mountains and rivers change, observed the course of fate. In this world, only each other's companionship was the warmest thing.

Within the little world, the sun and moon followed their usual course. Day and night alternated, and the changing of the seasons could not escape the Dao. The Dao gave birth to One, One gave birth to Two, Two gave birth to Three, and Three gave birth to all things. All things went from beginning to end, and from the end gave birth to a new beginning.

It was a circle, one no living being could escape.

Taixu was qi, the foundation of all that intermingled.

The universe was Taixu, and Taixu was born within it. The little world was Taixu, and its highest peak was Taixu Mountain.

She drew her sword and rose, dancing through the vast sky. Her body moved like a wandering dragon, her strokes falling like a startled swan. Shattered stones scattered in every direction as she carved the truth of heaven and earth, inscribing the primordial origin of the universe.

The towering peak pierced the clouds, standing straight and sheer. Its cliff face rose like flowers in a mirror. Who would ask of the empty realm in the secluded valley? Only two words fell upon Taixu.

The Golden Sword bloomed with light, vowing to rival the sun and moon in brilliance. Fu Hua drifted down and stepped onto a lofty tree branch, her gaze falling upon a smooth surface. It had once been a dangerous cliff face on one side of the peak, smooth as a mirror, with nothing to hold onto.

Even one with the finest lightness skill would be smashed to pieces should they fall from it. Yet now, only three characters adorned its surface.

Between the soaring strokes, it seemed as though a true dragon rose into flight and a fire phoenix spread its wings.

Written upon it were—Taixu Mountain.

Restrained yet razor-sharp, the flowing strokes outlined the profound mysteries of Taixu.

Fu Hua looked at her work with satisfaction. It had been many years since she had seriously written anything, and her calligraphy had declined greatly. Yet using her sword as a brush and writing upon such a perilous cliff without losing its essence was still fairly good.

The highest peak was Taixu Mountain, and this world was the Taixu Realm.

And Fu Hua, at this moment, was Crimson Kite Immortal.

White hair, crimson eyes, draped in blazing fire, she walked upon white clouds.

"Crimson Kite Immortal, you... have finally returned."

"Yes, Jingwei."

The next day, on Taixu Mountain, a small path had appeared, stretching from the foot of the mountain to its waist. Quiet and winding, it coiled like a long snake as it gradually climbed upward, circling the enormous peak.

Upon reaching the Bitter Bamboo Forest, the path disappeared. Ahead stood a stretch of unyielding bitter bamboo. Fu Hua—no, she should be called Crimson Kite now.

Crimson Kite and Jingwei spent half a month opening a route to Fuyun Temple without damaging the Bitter Bamboo Forest.

Passing through the waterfall and lake, what lay before them was no longer a monotonous bamboo hut. Stone-carved statues of Jingwei sat on either side, guarding Fuyun Temple. Bluestone paths connected to vermilion gates.

The interior remained as simple as before: plain-colored screens, wooden tables and chairs, and a pair of couplets hanging in the main hall. A desk stood to the side, and behind the screen was Crimson Kite's bedroom.

Just like the Fuyun Temple of old, it brought Crimson Kite a sense of familiarity.

As for Jingwei, she lived beside Fuyun Temple in a nest made of tender leaves and bamboo.

Even though there were only the two of them in the Taixu Realm, they still wanted to make their residence presentable—at the very least, it had to feel like a home.

By the time everything had been arranged, another three months had passed.

Taixu Mountain had finally completely returned to the appearance Crimson Kite remembered.

Every day, she rode Jingwei through the Taixu Realm, watching the mountains and rivers transform and observing the sun and moon ascend. Some sort of change seemed to be taking place within the Taixu Realm—an evolution, or perhaps an unknown terror. All of it remained uncertain.

From a macroscopic perspective, it was as though an entirely new world had been born, leaving its own mark upon the universe and becoming neighbors with Douluo Continent and countless other worlds.

Multicolored streams of light streaked across the void, wave after wave, arriving from unknown places deep within the universe. One golden rune after another appeared, coming from all directions and surrounding this newborn continent.

They celebrated its birth! They baptized it!

It would be a brand-new world unlike Douluo Continent: Taixu Continent.

Naturally, the changes in the universe drew the attention of certain powerful beings. Different gazes converged from all directions, seeking to observe this newborn world. But soon, the golden light vanished, and the vast universe once again lost all trace of its direction.

The gazes trying to see clearly were blocked, leaving them no choice but to withdraw. Yet seeds of doubt had been planted. The eyes watching over the changes in the universe remained. When the Taixu Realm changed again, that would be when they found it.

Deep within the universe, in an unknown place, only darkness could describe this place. There was no light, no stars—not even the faint glow of a firefly.

Yet in such a dark place stood a figure. A white robe, utterly out of place against the backdrop, broke the unchanging scenery and finally made this place no longer monotonous.

Only a back could be seen, making the figure's face impossible to discern. Their hands were clasped behind their back, their gaze fixed upon some unknown direction.

A soft murmur came from the figure, turning soundless in the void of space.

"I truly didn't expect it to happen so quickly. It seems I underestimated you. No wonder that little fellow begged so desperately."

The voice was light and shallow, seeming both male and female, impossible to distinguish.

"Then let me see whether you are truly as that little fellow claimed. That way, giving it to you will not have been in vain."

The figure flashed, and the universe returned to how it had been.

Meanwhile, within the Taixu Realm, Crimson Kite received benefits even greater than she had imagined. As the master of the Taixu Realm, the world's development would naturally be reflected upon its owner.

There was no need to elaborate on the benefits brought by the growth of a world. Once it truly grew into a vast world, Crimson Kite, as its master, would become an existence akin to a creator god.

Yet Crimson Kite herself remained completely unaware of this!

PS: Owing updates feels great for a moment; owing updates forever feels great forever. Current overdue progress: (0/4). Somehow, Monthly Votes have reached 160.

PS1: I've become so addicted to novels that I can't pull myself away and have no mind to update. I think I'm already hopeless.

PS2: The Scarlet Knight is so cool. Once her ultimate is activated, it melts HP bars. But does the Scarlet Knight's ultimate really burn HP bars? Also, what the hell was with the second stage? The first time I played it, I didn't even know how I died. It was terrifying.

PS3: "Wuxia: Transforming into Wang Yuyan." After reading this book, I'm completely confused. Is my cultivation insufficient? Or has the author gone wild? Why do I always feel that the writing in the subscribed chapters isn't as good as in the unsubscribed ones? And the word count is so low!

PS4: What should I do? Recently, whenever I watch Xiong Bing Lian, my mind is filled with ideas about it. It feels like I can't stop them!