Back in the present shrine, the vision did not fade it deepened instead. The broken hall, the shattered pillars, even the threads all dimmed like distant shadows as the scene before them sharpened again. Shou Heng stood in the flower field.He stood at the edge of the glowing blossoms, watching as the Heaven girl approached once more.Lin Chen whispered,"They keep meeting here…" Chen Yu's brows tightened, "Not by chance." Zhao Ming's eyes darkened slightly, "This place… is becoming their crossing point between Heaven and exile." The Heaven girl stepped forward and brushing her fingers against a drifting white flower as she spoke softly, "You're here again." Shou Heng answered without looking away from her, "You say it like I choose this." She tilted her head faintly, a small smile returning, "Don't you?"
The wind moved through the field, petals circling them. Shou Heng stepped closer, his voice quieter now, "Every time I try to leave… I end up here." Her expression softened "Then maybe," she said softly, "this place is not where you come by mistake." He looked at her then, "Why do you always come here?" he asked. She hesitated for the second, fingers tightening slightly around a glowing petal. "Because," she said gently, "this is the only place where Heaven stops watching me too closely." Shou Heng's voice lowered,"You shouldn't say things like that." She gave a faint smile, but it didn't reach her eyes anymore, "And you shouldn't keep coming back if you know it's dangerous."
Shou heng step closer and said,"If I stop coming… will you stop waiting?" The Heaven girl froze.She stepped closer,"I don't wait." she whispered. "I just… keep finding reasons to be here." Shou Heng exhaled softly, "That sounds like waiting."Her gaze met his directly now, "Then what do you call it?"Shou Heng lifted his hand slightly, not touching her yet,"I think…" he said quietly, "it's something I don't have a name for." The Heaven girl's voice dropped even softer, "Everything important doesn't come with names." The flowers around them swayed.Shou heng looked in girl's eyes and said,"Then stay here a little longer today." Her eyes widened slightly and said, "That's not a request you should make lightly." He smiled faintly, but there was no confidence in it, only honesty. "I'm not asking Heaven's rules!" he said. "I'm asking you."
The Heaven girl lowered her gaze for a moment, then whispered, barely audible, "If I stay… I might not be able to leave the same way again." Shou Heng nodded slowly, accepting it without fear. "Then don't leave the same way." she stepped just one step closer small, but enough that the space between them stopped feeling like distance and started feeling like choice. "You always speak like you already decided." she said softly. Shou Heng answered without hesitation now, "Because every time I meet you… it feels like I already did."
The Heaven girl looked down at the glowing petals drifting around their feet and smiled softly. "You know," she said, "if someone saw us right now, they would probably think we're plotting something terrible." Shou Heng's gaze never left her. "Perhaps we are."She laughed. "And what terrible thing are we plotting?" For a moment, Shou Heng said nothing then he answered honestly. "A future." The smile on her face froze not because she disliked the answer because she liked it too much. Her eyes lowered and she said, "You shouldn't say things like that." Shou Heng stepped closer. "Why?" She didn't answer because they both knew the reason that heaven, boundary, and all rules are not going to accept them.
For a brief moment it felt as though the entire world had disappeared, leaving only the two of them standing there.Then voice came"Yue Ning!" Both them looked toward voice came from. The smile vanished from Yue Ning's face instantly. Shou Heng's expression changed as well. Another voice echoed. "Yue Ning!" This time it was closer and it was searching for her. Yue Ning's hands clenched tightly at her sides. "They found me." Shou Heng looked toward the sky. His jaw tightened. "You need to go." Yue Ning didn't move. "No." "Yue Ning." "No." Her voice cracked slightly. "If I leave now, they'll stop me from coming back."
White petals drifted through the flower field, carried by a gentle wind. Shou Heng lowered his gaze uncertainty appeared in his eyes. Yue Ning stared at him, desperately trying to memorize every detail of his face. "Will you still wait here?" she asked softly.Shou Heng smiled faintly. "I think I've been waiting since before I met you." Her eyes turned red. She laughed softly, but the sound trembled. "You always say things like that when I'm trying not to cry." Another heavenly summons thundered across the sky. "YUE NING!" The entire flower field trembled violently. Time had run out. Yue Ning took a step backward then another. Neither wanted the distance or wanted the goodbye.Yet it came anyway.
She looked at him and whispered, "Shou Heng." "Hm?" "If one day I stop coming..." Her voice faltered. "...don't assume I wanted to." Something painful flashed through his eyes. "I know." Yue Ning swallowed hard. "And if they force me to forget?" For several moments he couldn't answer.Then after few seconds he stepped forward."Then I'll remember enough for both of us." Tears gathered in her eyes. "You make impossible promises." Shou Heng's smile carried sadness now. "Then stop asking impossible questions." She laughed despite of tears in her eyes.
For a moment they simply stood there looking at each other, neither willing to be the first to look away. The heavens roared again. The golden light of the summons began descending through the clouds. Yue Ning's hands trembled. "I hate this." Shou Heng looked toward the sky and replied quietly, "So do I." "I hate that every time I come here I have to leave." "Then come back." "You make it sound easy." "For you, it never was." The words only made her tears fall faster. Yue Ning quickly wiped them away before he could see, but he noticed anyway. He always noticed. "Don't cry!" he said softly. "You never know what to say when someone cries." "That's true." "Then stop trying." A small smile appeared on his face. "I'll consider it."
The golden light surrounding her grew brighter. Her time was ending. Yue Ning's expression slowly changed.She stepped forward one last time and looked directly into his eyes. "Listen carefully." Shou Heng nodded. "No matter what Heaven says." Her voice steadied. "No matter what happens later." Another step closer. "No matter how many years pass." Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Don't believe anyone who tells you I abandoned you." Shou Heng froze. The words seemed to pierce straight through his heart. Yue Ning smiled sadly. "Because I never will." For a moment neither spoke then Shou Heng slowly reached out and brushed a glowing flower petal from her sleeve.
"Then don't believe anyone who tells you I stopped waiting." Yue Ning's lips trembled. "You really are stubborn." "You've mentioned that before." "And I'll mention it again." They both laughed softly through the sadness. Another heavenly call echoed through the sky. This time neither ignored it.Yue Ning looked at him one last time. "Don't forget me." His gaze never left hers. "Never." "Promise?" "I promise." Golden light slowly surrounded her body. The summons of Heaven pulling her home. Her eyes remained fixed on him until the very last moment. Then she whispered softly, "Wait for me." Shou Heng's expression softened. The sadness in his eyes was unmistakable now, yet his voice never wavered. "I always will." The golden light swallowed her figure and she vanished. Shou Heng remained standing exactly where he was, staring at the place she had disappeared.
Shou Heng lowered his eyes.His fingers slowly closed around one of the white flowers she had touched earlier then faint smile appearedvon his face "I will." He said softly. Then sky split apart.A deafening thunderclap exploded across the heavens. The sound shook the entire shrine.BOOM! The vision shattered instantly. The flower field distorted. White blossoms twisted into fragments of light. The warm sunlight vanished and darkness everywhere. Xu Yang felt his entire body was dead as though he had been ripped out of the memory by force. "Ah!" His vision blurred. The image of Shou heng and Yue ning collapsed around them like shattered glass.The flower field disappeared, sky disappeared and ruined shrine returned. Everyone stumbled backward.
Lin Chen caught himself against the nearest stone pillar, his face pale with shock. "What was that?!" Chen Yu nearly lost his balance and grabbed part of a broken wall. "The memory broke!" Zhao Ming's expression darkened and he slowly lifted his gaze toward the shrine roof where dark clouds were gathering unnaturally fast. "No." His voice was low. "It was interrupted." Beside them, Hei Long remained completely still. His hand had somehow risen to his chest without him noticing. His fingers tightened against his robes. A strange ache spread through him. It wasn't physical pain but itwas something deeper that he couldn't explain. His brows slowly furrowed. "Why does this hurt?"
Everyone looked toward him. Hei Long lowered his gaze. The pain in his eyes only grew stronger. He didn't understand it.
The memory belonged to strangers. The story belonged to strangers. Yet watching Yue Ning disappear had felt like losing something important. (....)
Lin Chen stared at him before letting out a quiet sigh. "Of course it hurts." Hei Long slowly looked up. Lin Chen folded his arms. "You just watched two people separate when neither of them wanted to." His expression softened slightly. "Anyone would feel something after seeing that." Chen Yu nodded quietly. "Especially after hearing those promises." Lin Chen looked toward the place where the vision had vanished. "The worst part isn't losing someone." The group fell silent. Lin Chen's eyes lowered slightly. "The worst part is wanting to stay together and knowing you can't." Something flickered inside Hei Long's eyes.
Then another thunderous explosion echoed overhead. *BOOM! *The entire shrine trembled and dust fell from the ceiling.Cracks spread through the stone walls like growing wounds. Broken pillars groaned beneath the pressure.The ground shook beneath their feet. Yan Luo stepped forward. Spiritual light erupted around him and golden symbols appeared in the air as he raised his hand. A barrier formed around the group. "Everyone move!" Thousands of threads reacted.Every thread hanging throughout the shrine suddenly came alive like sleeping serpents opening their eyes.
The black strands began moving. It was moving slowly at first then started to move faster until the entire shrine became a sea of writhing threads.Lin chen's face paled. "What the hell is happening?!" The ground shook again. *BOOM! *One thread suddenly shot forward then dozens of threads started to attacking. Chen yu pulled out his spiritual staff. "Move!" The group scattered and threads slammed into nearby pillars. And stone exploded apart and dust filled the air. Parts of the ruined hall collapsed around them. Massive cracks spread across the floor. Another wave of threads burst from the walls. Zhao Ming formed hand seals.Several talismans flew into the air and exploded into golden light. Some Threads burned away. Yet more appeared as though the shrine itself was producing them endlessly. "They keep multiplying!" Chen Yu shouted. Yan Luo's eyes narrowed. "No." Everyone looked toward him. The black ocean of threads continued surging throughout the shrine. Yan Luo's expression grew increasingly serious. "They're gathering."
Xu Yang lifted his head then he saw it. The Threads were not attacking randomly they were all moving toward the same place.Xu Yang's heartbeat quickened. "Look..." His voice barely emerged. Everyone followed his gaze. At the center of the ruined hall stood the ancient mural where faded kneeling figure painting was .The threads descending from the sky. Countless black strands flowed across the floor toward it.The mural suddenly began glowing.Ancient lines hidden beneath centuries of damage slowly appeared. White flowers painted upon the wall illuminated one after another.Strange runes emerged beneath the faded colors.The entire shrine trembled. Every thread in the shrine rushed toward the mural until the black ocean completely surrounded it. Chen Yu stared in disbelief. "What are they doing?" No one answered because no one knew. The final thread reached the mural then suddenly everything became silent.The Threads surrounding the wall suddenly trembled then the world shifted once more.The ruined shrine faded and another memory scene emerged before everyone's eyes.
Then they saw floating land fragments drifted above an endless mirror-like lake. Giant lotus platforms floated in the air and glowing faintly with spiritual light.Chains of luminous beads hung between celestial gates ,swaying without wind. In the distance, enormous cracked pillars rose into the clouds, wrapped in hanging vines of white spiritual flowers that shimmered like stars caught in plant form.At the center of it shou heng and Yue Ning were sat on a wide floating lotus platform suspended above the mirror lake. The water below reflected not their present selves, but faint distorted versions of them from different moments laughing, arguing, standing apart, reaching for each other but never quite touching. The reflection moved slightly differently from reality, like it had its own memory of them.
Yue Ning sat near the edge of the platform, legs bent slightly, one hand resting behind her for support.Shou Heng sat beside her, closer than he should have been in a place like this, one knee drawn up casually, his arm resting on it but even in that laziness, he had subtly angled himself toward her, closing the space between them without making it obvious.The floating lotus beneath them pulsed softly every time they moved, as if reacting to their presence.
Yue Ning tilted her head slightly, arms crossed. "Tell me something." Shou Heng blinked lazily. "If it's another trick question, I refuse." She narrowed her eyes. "Do you know how long we've known each other?" He paused, thinking, then scratched his head lightly. "Hm… honestly? I don't know. Maybe I'm getting older." A short laugh slipped out before he could stop it. Yue Ning immediately frowned. "What are you laughing at?! There's nothing to be proud of!" He tried to control it, pressing his lips together, but the laughter kept slipping through. "I'm not laughing at you… it's just why are you so serious about it?"
She turned away instantly. "I'm not talking to you anymore." Shou Heng's smile softened. "Yue Ning!" She didn't respond. He stepped closer. "Yue Ning." Silence. He sighed, then gently reached out and grabbed her hand. "I was kidding!" he said softly. "Of course I remember." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Really?" He nodded, eyes warm. "How could I forget?" Then she tilted her head. "Then tell me." Shou Heng's expression softened completely as he stepped even closer, brushing a strand of hair away from her face with careful fingers, his voice dropping gentler than before. "It's been… seven hundred and seventy days!" he said quietly, "since I first met a girl who suddenly appeared in my flower field and ruined my peace." Yue Ning blinked, then her lips curved into a small smile. "Ruined your peace?" "You absolutely did," he replied without hesitation. She stepped forward, lightly tapping his chest with one finger. "You're exaggerating." Shou Heng caught her wrist before she could pull away. "Am I?" Yue Ning's smile widened. "You are."
He leaned in slightly, tone playful. "You love teasing me, don't you?" She froze for half a second, then quickly stepped back. "No." Shou Heng tilted his head. "No?" She pointed at him. "Don't misunderstand." A faint grin appeared on his face. "Then how about I stop teasing you and do something else instead?" Yue Ning frowned. "What?!" Before she could finish, Shou Heng suddenly pulled her closer by her waist and kissed her, her eyes widening instantly. "Hey!" he leaned in, voice low near her ear, "Like this." Her face flushed immediately. "N-no… what if someone sees us?!" Shou Heng glanced around lazily, then leaned closer again, brushing his lips near her neck, voice soft and unbothered. "Let them see. The only person that matters is already in my arms."
Yue Ning stammered, trying to push him slightly. "Okay, okay! I was wrong!" Shou Heng raised an eyebrow. "Wrong about what?" She looked away. "About teasing you." He smiled faintly. "Too late." Her eyes widened. "What do you mean too late?!" Shou Heng leaned in just a little closer. "Then you have to be punished." Yue Ning blinked. "What punishment.." She didn't get to finish, because he kissed her again.
Shou Heng lifted her slightly with one arm securely under her waist, guiding her back with slow, careful control until her feet met the stone edge of the flower platform.His other hand stayed lightly at her side, not forceful, but protective, anchoring her there Yue Ning's breath hitched, her heart beating too fast as she looked up at him.Shou Heng leaned in slowly after that, his gaze lowering to her hand first, then gently brushing his fingers over it as if testing whether she would pull away. When she didn't, his touch became bolder but still careful, his fingertips sliding over hers and holding them for a brief second before he lifted her hand slightly.His eyes lingered there for a moment then shifted upward slowly,until they met hers again.
The distance between them shrank even more as he tilted his head slightly,His hand shifted closer at her waist, pulling her just a fraction nearer, his face leaning in with quiet certainty. He was about to kiss her but her eyes widened in panic.Her hand shot up instinctively, covering her mouth as she quickly turned her face away,"W-wait…!" she whispered."What if someone sees?!" Shou Heng didn't move away; instead, he leaned closer again, brushing his lips near her ear, voice calm and teasing. "I told you..." he said softly, "I don't care about others." Yue Ning's face turned even redder. "You're unbelievable…" He smiled faintly. "And you still like me." She froze instantly, then quickly looked away. "I never said that." Shou Heng let out a soft chuckle. "You didn't need to." Yue Ning sighed loudly. "You're impossible." He nodded once, completely certain. "Only for you."
Before she could respond, footsteps suddenly echoed across the flower path. Yue Ning stiffened, panic rising. "T-they're here!" Shou Heng immediately pulled her closer, holding her tightly as his voice dropped, steady and protective. "Don't be afraid. I'm here." A sharp voice cut through the air. "Yue Ning!"A group of heaven attendant emerged from the misted path, robes marked with silver cloud seals. At the front stood Li Cang, a senior Heavenly Envoy, his expression stern and deeply disapproving. Beside him stood Hua lin,Guardian of heavenly Records, holding a glowing scroll, and Mu Qing, Celestial Enforcement Officer, whose hand already rested on his weapon. Mu Qing's gaze sharpened instantly. "What exactly do you think you are doing?"
Yue Ning quickly stepped back, panic flickering in her eyes. "It's not what it looks like!" Mu Qing frowned. "It looks exactly like what it looks like." Hua Lin sighed as she opened the scroll. "Violation of Heavenly Conduct Code… again." Shou Heng straightened slowly, but his hand still subtly stayed near Yue Ning, unwilling to fully let go. Li Cang's voice turned colder. "Yue Ning. You are a guardian assigned to maintain the Spirit Bloom Field not to engage in forbidden relations with a Demon Territory entity." Yue ning's expression changed instantly. "Forbidden?" Mu Qing stepped forward. "You know the law."
"Since when did speaking to someone become a crime?" Yue Ning asked. Mu Qing stepped forward, his tone firm but not unkind, "You know the law, Yue Ning. Cross-realm contact between Heaven and Demon Territory entities is prohibited for a reason." Yue Ning's hands slowly clenched at her sides. "A reason?" she echoed bitterly. "Or fear disguised as order? Li chang's gaze sharpened slightly. "Watch your tone." Shou Heng moved half a step closer to her without thinking, his voice controlled but tense. "She has done nothing harmful." Mu Qing's eyes flicked toward him. "That is not the point." Yue Ning turned toward shou heng, her voice softening for just a moment. "They're not even listening to us… they already decided everything."
Hua Lin lowered her gaze to the scroll in her hands, "Heaven already made its judgment," she said quietly. Li Cang raised his hand slightly. "Yue Ning. The Heavenly Court has ordered your immediate return." Yue Ning's breath caught. "No." Shou Heng's eyes darkened. Li Cang didn't look at either of them as he continued coldly, "This interaction ends now." The air shifted as golden light began forming around her. She stumbled back instinctively. "No… I'm not going back!" Shou heng reached for her hand at once. "Yue Ning!" Her fingers clung to his for a second too long as she whispered, "Shou Heng…" He tightened his grip. "Don't let go." But the golden light surged stronger, pulling harder.
Hua Lin's voice softened slightly,"It is already decided." Mu Qing lowered his gaze."There's nothing you can do." Yue Ning's voice broke. "I don't want to leave!"The seals activated faster. Mu Qing's order echoed through the garden. "Return her." The golden light exploded outward. Yue Ning's hand slipped from his. "Shou Heng!!"