Proof

"Hehehehahaha."

The intermittent, soft laughter was like the gentle murmur of a spring. Tianye raised his hand to his brow, the mockery in his laughter unmistakable.

Standing atop the misty forest, Xu Yuan heard the laughter below and sighed slightly.

It was obvious that Tianye didn't believe it.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

Even if it were him, he wouldn't believe it either.

If he had first arrived in this illusory world, and someone suddenly ran up to him and told him that this place was fictional and that he had been dead for 20,000 years, Xu Yuan would have thought the person was an idiot, even if he didn't beat them up.

Is the "brain in a vat" phenomenon popular here?

"Phew, your current reason is not as credible as my earlier claim of time travel."

Tianye below seemed to have finished laughing; his laughter stopped, and he let out a long sigh.

Through the gaps between her long, slender fingers, a hint of impatience flickered in those golden eyes, which held both divinity and allure:

"Considering that you just used the Heaven Derivation Art Technique, I can give you one last chance."

As she spoke, she crossed her arms and casually pointed in a direction, her expression meaningful:

"Remember, this is the last chance. There is a Saint Venerable here who is waiting for my signal at any moment."

Tianyan sighed softly, about to speak again, but then immediately shut his mouth, looked up at the man who was supporting Xia Qing's slender waist in mid-air, and coldly ordered:

"Xu Yuan, come down and explain this to her."

"."

Xu Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this, then rolled his eyes.

Well, we still have to let him handle the talking, but his arrogant attitude is as bad as ever.

Xu Yuan, carrying Xia Qing, slowly descended from the sky, his mind racing as he quickly formulated his plan.

This matter is of great importance. If someone like Tianye can help them in the future, their escape route may be a hundred times easier.

Therefore, it's best to try and gain their goodwill now.

After falling for a few breaths, Xu Yuan quickly summarized the known information and useful intelligence in his mind.

Then,

He suddenly felt like cursing.

Although his relationship with Tianyan had been on the verge of being officially broken over the past seven years, he still treated the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion with the same wariness he showed towards thieves when it came to information about its internal affairs.

How could he possibly have Tianye?

At the very least, he should know the prerequisites for becoming Tianyan within the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion, right?

Despite my inner grumbling, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and go through with it.

"Cough."

With a soft cough, Xu Yuan gently placed Xia Qing amidst the blasted ruins. He raised his eyes, his clear gaze meeting Tianye's.

immediately,

His gaze involuntarily shifted downwards by a foot.

Wow.

Has he grown up to be so talented?

"."

A moment of silence followed.

Tianyan and Tianye noticed the change in Xu Yuan's gaze almost simultaneously.

Tianyan frowned, his eyes showing some hostility.

A hint of unexpected panic flashed in Tianye's alluring golden eyes. She immediately put her hands across her chest to cover the exposed skin, and then wrapped a Shu brocade fur coat over it.

Ignoring the washboard's dissatisfaction, Xu Yuan's gaze remained fixed on Tianye.

While Tianye was indeed handsome, what caught his attention even more was her shy attitude.

In this era of sectarianism, before the rise of imperial dynasties, Confucianism, which was later developed for the purpose of unification, had not yet spread throughout the world and taken root in people's hearts.

Without the constraints of traditional etiquette and morality, cultivators with extraordinary abilities, while not necessarily indulging in unrestrained revelry, generally do not suppress their desires.

However, this varies from person to person.

Having spent seven years in this illusion, Xu Yuan had seen both virtuous and conservative young ladies and privileged women who indulged in nightly revelry.

By day, she was like a pure and aloof fairy, but once she was seduced, she immediately took advantage of him. At night, she would visit him, dressed in a light and airy outfit, and linger in his room.

The ease with which the scheme was carried out made Xu Yuan feel so disoriented that he thought he was being scammed and immediately ran away.

However, it was only after traveling that I learned that the fleeting romances between the handsome young men of this era were not considered licentious or dissolute, but rather romantic tales.

It's common for powerful men to take concubines and slaves, and for powerful women to keep male lovers—these are all things that are openly discussed.

Therefore, Xu Yuan also thought that Tianye was a similar witch.

After all, this person had been acting flirtatious and seductive since their first meeting, but it turned out to be a virgin.

Xu Yuan stroked his chin, then clicked his tongue softly.

Oh shit,

In this life, he seems to have no right to judge others.

Thinking of this, he immediately turned around and glared at the washboard, whose face was full of displeasure. The disdain in his eyes made Tianyan, who was already in a bad mood, even angrier.

Xu Yuan turned his gaze away and looked at Tianye again.

Getting back to the main point,

Tianye, being conservative by nature, forgot to conceal his exposed body.

The other party was also extremely nervous because of Tianyan's words, so nervous that he forgot to cover up his torn clothes.

It seems that what she says and what she really thinks are not entirely consistent.

Thinking this to himself, Tianye's voice returned to its lighthearted tone, carrying a teasing smile:

"Jing He... oh no, Brother Xu Yuan really isn't being polite to his sister's body at all~ I just wonder, what kind of reason can you give me, brother?"

"A fair maiden is the object of a gentleman's affections."

Xu Yuan's gaze was open and honest, a faint smile playing on his thin lips, "There should be no man in this world who would disregard your beauty, Tianye."

Tianye's fair arms were wrapped in a Shu brocade fur coat, her jade legs partially exposed. She glanced at Tianyan beside her:

"In front of this Sister Tianyan?"

Xu Yuan grinned and waved his hand:

"Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no relationship with her. We're just fellow sufferers in the same boat."

"..." Tianyan clenched his fists instantly, his anger spreading, but for the sake of the bigger picture, he could only tremble and stare coldly at his back.

Tianye stretched out an uncovered arm from under the thick Shu brocade fur coat and tapped her cheek:

"Really? But I've heard that you and this lady have been engaged for a long time. Brother, is it really appropriate for you to say such things?"

Will my sister be angry?

Xu Yuan silently added a sentence to the other person's mind, his smile unchanged, and gently shook his head:

"That statement is both right and wrong."

Tianye's eyes were half-closed, his golden pupils seemingly able to pierce through Xu Yuan's soul:

"Oh? What do you mean? Is it because of the difference between Jing He and Xu Yuan?"

"Tianye is indeed clever."

Xu Yuan clapped his hands, his eyes smiling, "The identity I inherited and the identity Tianyan inherited are indeed dao companion, but the true relationship is not like that."

"."

A thoughtful look appeared in Tianye's eyes, then she giggled and asked, "So, what's your relationship?"

Xu Yuan grinned, his smile as bright as the rising sun.

"I am the beginning of the great calamity of ten thousand years, the source of all that is invisible, the cause of all calamities in the world."

"The Pavilion Master is able to deduce your abilities."

"." Xu Yuan.

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan said in a low voice:

"Ahem, what he can deduce is Jing He, Non-Self, Xu Yuan."

What exactly are you trying to say?

"Tianyan was sent by the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion to set up an anchor point for me, but because of my invisible future, I tricked him into this space."

"."

Tianye took a deep breath, his words somewhat amusing:

"So, Brother Xu Yuan, you're also saying that the world I live in is nothingness?"

"Yes and no." -Xu Yuan

Tianye's beautiful eyes narrowed into two glistening slits as she spoke softly:

"Brother Xu Yuan, if you keep talking like that, I'm afraid I'll lose my patience soon. The way you talk is just like that old fogey, the Pavilion Master—everything is ambiguous and mysterious."

"Don't be impatient."

As they spoke, Xu Yuan slowly took out the Charm God Tree Seed from his Sumeru Ring and asked Tianye, "Do you know this thing?"

"The Charm God Tree Seed." Tianye glanced at it. "The Pavilion Master sent me here precisely for this."

"There's more than just this, isn't there?"

"We also need to capture you two alive—no, I mean capture this woman who calls herself Tianyan —otherwise you wouldn't have been able to escape for so long."

"Then do you know why we captured her alive?"

"The Charm God Tree Seed naturally requires hundreds or even thousands of years to ascend to spiritual status, so it needs to be infused with spiritual essence and spirits through the Soul Refining Method to accelerate this process."

"So, Tianyan's physique is suitable for soul refining, right?"

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Tianye, you should know very well whether Tianyan Yan's physique is suitable for soul refining."

"." Tianye.

silence.

The answer is obvious: Tianyan's physique is not suitable for cultivating into a spiritual spirit.

A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes, but Tianye quickly said softly:

"The Pavilion Master ordered your capture perhaps because of other information I am unaware of. After all, my cultivation is still shallow, and I am unable to perfectly deduce the secrets of heaven."

"Hehe."

Xu Yuan chuckled twice, then suddenly asked ambiguously:

"Tianye, as someone with the potential to Tianyan, there must be a fundamental difference between you and the other holy sons and daughters of this era, or even that Pavilion Master, right?"

"Especially when dealing with certain illusions."

Tianye's fingers clenched tightly, turning his fur coat white. He stared at the Charm God Tree Seed in the man's hand, his voice slightly sharp:

"Xu Yuan, what exactly do you mean?!"

Xu Yuan spread his hands and said with a smile:

"My point is simple: neither Tianrui nor the Pavilion Master realized that Tianyan was one of your own. Only you, Tianye, noticed this. So I was wondering if Tianyan has any special resistance to illusions compared to the other Holy Sons and Daughters."

Tianye's gaze remained fixed on the Charm God Tree Seed, and as if realizing something, his breathing became slightly rapid.

"Utterly absurd!"

Xu Yuan sighed, then smiled and said:

"Since you insist so much, Sister Tianye, how about we make a bet and conduct a small experiment?"

Tianye took a deep breath, trying to steady his breathing, his voice clear and cold:

"What experiment?"

Xu Yuan spread his hands, slapped the young woman beside him on the waist, and said with a low laugh:

"Let's ask Sister Xia Qing if she understood what we just said, shall we?"