The desert wind swept coarse grit along with it, whimpering as it passed over jagged rocks.
Two utterly familiar faces, made faintly strange by memories sealed beneath dust, abruptly crashed into Yun Qing's sight, battering open a tottering gate within him.
Boom-!
The floodgate burst open, and a torrent of sealed memories poured into his sea of consciousness.
Yun... Bao Jian, Yun... Jinglei. He silently recited the two names. Then the imprint belonging to "Yun Qing" returned. I am Yun Qing!
The Yun Clan Eldest Young Master, the chaos dao embryo, the primordial double pupils.
Brother Huang, the Reincarnated Immortal Emperor...
The Primordial Chaos Ancient Cave... the Perching Phoenix Hall... the Martial Arena... Langhuan Clear Void... the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List... the upheaval... "Little Radiant Chick"...
Time stood still for several breaths. All his memories fell into place in an instant, joining into a coherent whole.
Those grief-filled eyes slowly closed. Yun Qing drew a deep breath, then released a long, complicated sigh.
He turned silently, presenting his back to the two wary gazes behind him before they could clearly see his "loss of composure."
Dao seals flowed through his hands as he condensed water into a mirror and swiftly wiped the dried bloody tears from the corners of his eyes. A sweep of his sleeves brushed away every trace of windblown sand and dust.
Yun Qing gathered his emotions. In no more than an instant, the Yun Clan Eldest Young Master, whose solemn majesty seemed unshakable even if the heavens collapsed before him, straightened his back once more atop the desolate, deathly silent dune.
Only the depths of his double pupils were darker than before.
He lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently brushing the "Little Radiant Chick" jade box against his chest. How could he fail to understand