Heterochromatic Eyes

A few days later...

Yao Xiaoxiao had awakened. At the time, Xu Xian was forging swords on Zhujian Peak. Upon hearing the news, he immediately rushed to the Baicao Garden.

Before he even saw her, he encountered Yao Luochen in front of the courtyard, his face etched with worry.

Xu Xian glanced toward the room and asked tentatively, "How is she?"

Yao Luochen’s brow furrowed as he let out a long sigh. "I cannot say for certain. You should go in and see for yourself, young friend."

Unease settled in Xu Xian’s heart.

He bypassed Yao Luochen and pushed the door open.

Light spilled across the windowsill.

A young girl sat by the window.

From behind, her long hair fell over her shoulders—half of it shimmering like silver, the other half flowing like dark silk.

The mirror reflected a face of exquisite beauty. It was the same face—cute and endearing—yet it now held a deeper, more profound mystery...

"Xiaoxiao?"

Hearing his voice, the girl turned her head. Her silver and black tresses slid over her shoulders as a pair of heterochromatic eyes landed clearly in the boy's gaze.

Her right eye was ethereal and clear.

Her left eye was hollow and sinister.

It was as if two different people lived within a single face.

Xu Xian stood dazed for a moment.

Yao Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes into crescent moons, smiling gaily at Xu Xian. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

Xu Xian’s brow knitted tightly.

He walked over to her, and she stood up to look up at him.

Xu Xian asked tentatively, "You cannot speak?"

Yao Xiaoxiao nodded vigorously.

Beneath his long sleeves, Xu Xian’s fists inadvertently clenched.

Noticing this, Yao Xiaoxiao took the initiative to grab Xu Xian’s hand. Her dual-colored eyes stared straight at him, filled with tenderness.

A divine sense message echoed in his ear.

'It is alright. Perhaps in a few days, I will be fine?'

'Little Grand-Uncle, do not worry!'

Xu Xian’s throat moved as his gaze lowered to meet hers. It felt as though the once innocent and lively little girl had grown up in an instant.

He gently patted the back of her hand and forced a strained smile. "Mm... you reached the soul transformation stage in a single bound. You have caught up to me. That is very impressive."

Faint dimples appeared on Yao Xiaoxiao’s cheeks as she said proudly, 'Indeed! I feel terrifyingly strong now. I feel like I am just like Little Grand-Uncle—I could take on over a hundred people at once...'

"Silly girl."

'Hehe!'

Yao Xiaoxiao had awakened, obtained the Taiyin Immortal Body, and broken through two major realms to enter the soul transformation stage. Not only had her cultivation level increased, but her mindset had also matured.

It was a blessing born of disaster.

Yet, fortune and misfortune were intertwined.

After a brief exchange, Xu Xian had Yao Xiaoxiao sit down so he could peer into her condition with his Pupil of Insight.

The Taiyin Immortal Body was overbearing and vigorous. Even from several meters away, he could feel a suffocating chill that pricked at his mind.

Inside her body...

That wisp of yin qi was still there.

However, unlike before, when it was forcibly sealed within her acupoints and qi manor, this yin qi was now like a dragon entering the vast sea, roaming freely within her body.

At every moment, it nourished Yao Xiaoxiao’s physical body, and at every moment, it drew strength from her body to nourish itself.

They were mutually beneficial.

Deep within her sea of consciousness, the yin consciousness remained, occupying half of Yao Xiaoxiao’s divine sense.

No... To be precise, it had returned half of the divine sense to Yao Xiaoxiao while it lay dormant and still within the other half.

A thread of yin qi continuously provided it with the power required for its cultivation.

Yao Xiaoxiao’s loss of voice was not its doing; rather, her vocal cords had been unintentionally damaged during the evolution of the Taiyin Immortal Body.

Fortunately, it was not irreversible.

With continuous recuperation and the elevation of her realm, she would recover in due time. It was simply a matter of how long it would take.

As for the heterochromia in her eyes, it was indeed caused by the yin qi.

The yin qi was too overbearing. Yao Xiaoxiao’s realm was too low to suppress it, resulting in this external change.

It was not exactly a good thing, but it was certainly not a bad thing either.

She simply looked a bit unconventional now. If anything, it added a touch of mystery to the girl, making her appear more charming.

That was insignificant.

What could truly jeopardize Yao Xiaoxiao’s foundation was that yin consciousness deep within her sea of consciousness.

After observing, Shuer said, "Master, there is no need to worry. That consciousness compromised earlier and has now fallen into a deep sleep. It will not harm the girl in the short term."

Xu Xian’s face showed no joy. Instead, he asked in a low voice, "In the short term? How long is that?"

Shuer thought seriously for a moment before giving an answer. "Previously, it retreated and did not completely take over this body. Now, even if it wanted to take over this already-formed Taiyin Immortal Body, the body would not be able to withstand it. If it forced a takeover, it would only result in mutual destruction."

"Furthermore, even if this body could hold out, its current cultivation is nowhere near enough to escape the detection of the Great Dao. Once it becomes the dominant consciousness, its aura will likely leak, which will inevitably trigger a backlash from the Great Dao."

"That is why it chose to go into hibernation voluntarily."

"At the very least... it would need to wait until the great ascension stage."

"However, since it has already chosen to compromise, I believe it will wait until the girl successfully passes her lightning tribulation before it awakens. Only then will it make its move..."

Having received a relatively certain answer, the heart Xu Xian had been holding in suspense for over half a month finally settled a little.

He murmured under his breath, "Great ascension, tribulation transcendence..."

"Good..."

"There is still time..."

Originally, he had been worried that once Yao Xiaoxiao woke up, the yin qi would immediately turn hostile and seize her body without anyone noticing.

He did not believe that a mere verbal promise between them would actually hold weight.

If it truly made a move, Xu Xian would have been completely helpless.

Now that Shuer had provided a definite answer, although the hidden danger remained, they had gained a significant amount of time.

He would have time to seek a countermeasure.

He could prepare early.

Shuer babbled on, "I was wondering before why it was so willing to compromise. It comes from an extremely high plane; it shouldn't be so easily threatened. Now I understand. It must have been worried that this body could not handle its consciousness and wanted to wait for a safer opportunity. It just so happened that Master went there, so it went with the flow and did you a favor. Tsk tsk, this fellow might just be air, but it certainly has a lot of schemes..."

Xu Xian remained noncommittal.

There weren't that many schemes or deep calculations; in this world, anything that possessed intelligence—be it human or beast—followed one rule: weighing the pros and cons.

If they could take it, they would. If they couldn't, they would find a way to take it.

He did not pursue the topic further, turning instead to comfort Yao Xiaoxiao, telling her that everything was fine and had gone smoothly.

As for the half-silver, half-black hair and the heterochromatic left eye, they were merely because she had not yet adapted to the external manifestations of the Taiyin Immortal Body.

It was no big deal. She would recover in the future.

Yao Xiaoxiao accepted this calmly and said, 'Xiaoxiao feels that her state is excellent.'

Xu Xian then took out a newly transcribed manual and handed it to Yao Xiaoxiao.

It was titled: 'Three Inches of Time'.

This had been transcribed by Lu Yuan, who said it was a cultivation technique exclusive to the ancient Taiyin tribe—an extremely ancient and mysterious divine ability.

Unfortunately, he only remembered the first half.

As for the second half, perhaps only the Taiyin tribe themselves knew it. However, according to Lu Yuan, even with just this half, becoming an immortal would not be a problem.

Yao Xiaoxiao accepted it happily.

She said she would cultivate diligently and would not let Xu Xian down.

Xu Xian said no more. Before leaving, he spoke briefly with Yao Luochen to ease the worries in the elder's heart.

Yao Luochen’s anxious heart finally settled completely.

"That is good."

"That is good..."

"I thought some mishap had occurred."

Xu Xian smiled and said, "What mishap could there be? This is a joyous occasion. Xiaoxiao entered the soul transformation stage in an instant. In the future, her path will surely be one of meteoric rise."

Yao Luochen laughed heartily, his eyes brimming with joy. He did not forget to express his gratitude. "All of this is thanks to young friend Xu. It would not be an exaggeration to say you are like a second father to Xiaoxiao."

Xu Xian said modestly, "Elder Yao, you overpraise me."