Chapter 696. A 1000 Lifetimes in Dreams Must End

"In a dream..."

Xia Huai Xu froze, the hazy fragments in his memory gradually sharpening into clarity.

Those initial hazy memories grew increasingly vivid, fragments of past lives reflecting clearly in her mind.

"So, I am Xia Qingji."

A tear traced its path down Xia Huaixu’s cheek. Silently, she gazed at Eldrin, his likeness mirrored deep within her pupils.

She smiled, a glimmer of tears in her expression, carrying unspoken thoughts.

"To meet you again in another time and space—it truly is a blessing."

"Bzzz…"

The heavens and earth faded into emptiness, all things vanishing into nothingness.

All dreams crumbled into nothingness, leaving only the woman before him real and tangible.

1 after another, the Manjusaka flowers bloomed, their blood-red blossoms spreading boundlessly between heaven and earth, appearing exceptionally enchanting and dewy.

Between heaven and earth, 1 butterfly after another rose from the sea of blossoms, swirling and dancing around the 2 figures.

A single Mundane Dream Butterfly contained the memories of an entire lifetime. Now, thousands of these butterflies danced gracefully in the air, gradually fluttering toward the space between Xia Huaixu’s eyebrows.

The cycles of reincarnation within a 1000 lifetimes of dreams, the memories gradually awakening, only to blur once more and transform into enlightenment that settles deep within the heart.

At this moment, Xia Huaixu seemed on the verge of ascension. As dream butterflies continuously merged into his being, the aura surrounding him grew increasingly formidable, while his form underwent perpetual refinement toward flawless perfection.

Eldrin stood quietly amidst 10 1000 flowers, his gaze resting calmly upon Xia Huaixu, a trace of serenity evident in his expression.

After what felt like an eternity, Xia Huaixu slowly opened his luminous eyes and spoke with a gentle smile, "A millennium in the mortal realm, a 1000 lifetimes in dreams—I have finally waited for you."

Eldrin stood in silence, a butterfly soaring before him. Its fluttering wings seemed to ripple through time and space, guiding them to meet once more.

He extended his hand, allowing the butterfly to alight upon his fingertip, and finally spoke with a smile: "The Mortal Realm Dream Butterfly—it has allowed me to meet you here. For this, I already owe it a thread of karma."

Eldrin awoke from his dream, a faint smile gracing his lips as he gazed upon the rousing Qing Ji.

Qing Ji opened her eyes faintly, casting a subtle glance toward Eldrin. Yet before she could utter a word, the boundless Demonic Fiend Qi within her surged forth, threatening to devour her consciousness and soul.

Faced with such power, even Eldrin revealed a look of shock. With Demonic Fiend Qi having invaded Qingji's body, her abrupt awakening now risked her consciousness being completely devoured.

Yet in the face of the Demonic Fiend Qi (Spiritual Root)'s erosion, Qing Ji remained remarkably composed. Not only did she refrain from resisting its encroachment, but she instead harnessed the boundless power of this Demonic Fiend Qi (Spiritual Root) to cultivate a supreme art.

Within her sea of consciousness, a verdant lotus bloomed, its pristine petals unfolding amidst an endless expanse of demonic power, rendering it all the more sacred and flawless.

Qing Ji’s 1000-life cycle of enlightenment converged into 1, and the moment she awoke, a startling transformation took place.

There, the green lotus took root amidst boundless demonic energy, continuously drawing upon the demonic power as nourishment, ultimately causing both the surrounding spiritual energy and the Demonic Path Nascent Soul to undergo a stunning metamorphosis.

Her demonic magic power transformed into an unprecedented Cyan Lotus spiritual energy, and her demonic infant also metamorphosed into a Cyan Lotus Immortal Embryo.

"Unsoiled from the mud it grows, unstained when through clear water it goes."

Eldrin murmured, a trace of astonishment flashing across his expression.

After her transformation, Qing Ji’s magical power was astonishing. The power of the Azure Lotus was a kind of balanced and tranquil arcane force, capable of resisting all forms of demonic contamination and suppression. It could help 1 purge all manner of defiled energies.

Moreover, this level of power could grow by absorbing the energy of the Demonic Fiend Qi (Spiritual Root), making it exceptionally effective at suppressing the magical power of demonic cultivators.

It can be said that the profundity of such spiritual power rivals even the mystical force of Eldrin's (Person Name) celestial fire—an esoteric energy so sublime that countless Dao Lords of the Primordial Spirit would likely covet it.

Not only that, but the Cyan Lotus Immortal Embryo was also remarkably astonishing. This immortal embryo had metamorphosed from Lady Qing’s demonic path Nascent Soul.

That demonic path Nascent Soul had already reached the level of a Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul, and now it was undergoing an even more astonishing transformation on this foundation. Although this Nascent Soul was not a Great Luo Nascent Soul, it was already not far from it.

At this thought, Eldrin couldn't suppress the seismic shock in his heart: "This Red Dust Butterfly Dream Technique is truly astonishing. To possess such foundation after merely a 1000 lifetimes in dreams—no wonder legends say achieving completion through 3 1000 lifetimes enables immediate ascension to immortality."

With these thoughts in mind, Eldrin suppressed his impulses and took Qingji's hand, saying, "Huai Xu, having returned from a 1000 lifetimes in your dreams, you have now forged the foundation of an immortal. At last, we can walk hand in hand in this realm from now on."

"I don't know whether Xia Huaixu's tribulation reincarnation became me, or I dreamed of Xia Huaixu."

"Yet to see you once more, I am already content."

Qing Ji gazed at him earnestly and said, merely clasping his hand tightly as if she would never let go again.

This time, after awakening Qing Ji, Eldrin counted on his fingers and realized that 30 years had actually passed.

After a moment of hesitation, he still smiled and said, "It's time for us to end our secluded cultivation."

Without another word, the 2 stepped out of the secluded cultivation chamber.

"Husband."

Lyra had been waiting outside the meditation chamber for a long time. The moment the chamber's door opened, she immediately exclaimed with delight.

But in an instant, her expression froze slightly, her gaze fixed intently on their joined hands.

A strange tremor stirred within Eldrin's heart, and a flicker of complicated emotions instantly surfaced in his eyes. For a moment, he found himself at a loss for words.

Qing Ji was perfectly at ease. After a glance at Lyra (Person Name), she remarked, "Lyra (Person Name), it has been quite some time."

But before she could finish her words, her brow also furrowed slightly as she noticed Lyra's remarks, her gaze involuntarily turning toward Eldrin.

Under the simultaneous gaze of the 2 women, Eldrin felt a faint tingling in his scalp, experiencing for the first time in his life the urge to flee.

Fortunately, his Dao heart was resolute. Thickening his skin at once, he said, "Please allow me to explain this in detail..."

Steeling himself, he gave a rough account of the matter. After hearing it, the 2 of them fell into a heavy silence.

In the end, it was Lyra (Person Name) who stood up, shooting Eldrin (Person Name) a fierce glare before taking Qingji’s hand and saying, “Let’s go, Qingji. Let this heartless scoundrel cool off on his own.”

"Very well, we sisters haven't seen each other for many years. It's time we gathered."

Qing Ji also smiled, linking arms with Lyra (Person Name) as they walked deeper into the peach grove together.

Eldrin (Person Name)：“…”

In any case, the initial awkwardness of their first meeting was thus resolved.

Watching the 2 depart, Eldrin finally breathed a sigh of relief and promptly left Spirit Isle Lake, heading toward Verdant Chariot Mountain.

Upon Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location), he found Chen Changxuan (Person Name) emerging from secluded cultivation.

Now, several decades later, thanks to the miraculous elixirs obtained through the exchange back then, the old clan leader's injuries were mostly healed.

The Elder Clan Leader was currently presiding over clan affairs when he spotted Eldrin. "You've finally emerged from seclusion," he remarked. "How were the results of your closed-door cultivation this time?"

"Things have been fairly smooth." Eldrin nodded, informing him of Qing Ji's awakening before asking, "How has the family been faring these past years?"