Last night, Xie Yingying slept clinging to Su Min like a koala, deep within the core of the Xuantian Mansion. She was wrapped around her, one leg hooked over Su Min's and an arm possessively draped across her waist, as if even in sleep she was ensuring her anchor couldn't drift away.
They were blanketed in soft spirit silk and the profound, steadying warmth of each other's presence. The mansion felt quieter than usual, its usual spiritual hum subdued under the gentle, silver blue glow of twin moons filtering through the intricately carved windows. Though the world outside had changed in ways Xie Yingying was only beginning to understand, this feeling, this specific rightness of their bodies fitting together, was something they hadn't lost. Even after everything, even with the long, aching silence of her sealed sleep between them, they still fit.
Su Min didn't sleep. She rarely needed to anymore, her immortal body sustained by the energy she drew from the world itself.
Instead, she held Xie Yingying through the night, her arms a secure circle around her. She could sense the faint, familiar stir of her wife's Lunar Sovereign Physique beneath her currently fragile mortal skin. That same old rhythm. Gentle. Calm. A steady tide pulsing softly beneath the moonlight, a lullaby only she could hear.
By the time morning arrived, washing the room in a soft pearlescent light, Xie Yingying blinked awake to the soft scent of blooming tea and the faint, comforting sound of simmering soup from the inner hall.
She sat up slowly, still drowsy, the spirit silk sheets pooling around her waist. She found Su Min seated calmly by the low table, her robes perfectly smooth and unwrinkled, her hair already brushed until it flowed over her shoulders like cloud silk.
"You cooked?" Xie Yingying blinked, her voice still thick with sleep.
Su Min looked up from the scroll she wasn't really reading, her expression softening with a small, private smile. "Only a little. You still need to eat proper meals, after all."
Xie Yingying padded over barefoot, the cool jade tiles a pleasant contrast to the room's warmth, and sat across from her. The steam rose from a light but thoughtfully prepared breakfast spread, a bowl of simple spirit grain porridge, a small plate of dried lotus slices, and a warm, fragrant red date soup.
"…You've really gotten good at this," she murmured after her first careful bite of the porridge, then added, a familiar teasing note returning to her voice, "Don't tell me you mastered cooking while battling fallen immortals and reshaping the heavens."
"I had time," Su Min said simply, her eyes holding a depth of gentle patience. "And I knew you'd be waking up eventually."
Xie Yingying paused, her spoon halfway to her lips, and then set it down with a soft clink. The playful mood shifted into something more serious, more intent.
"Let's talk about my re-cultivation."
Su Min gave a single, acknowledging nod. "Alright."
Xie Yingying drew a slow, deliberate breath, organizing her thoughts. "You know that I use your modified version of Yao Xian'er's technique. Since I've already severed everything and sealed myself, the next step is rebuilding from zero. I've looked around, and… the spiritual density here is far beyond the Heavenly Continent. Even just breathing, I can feel the energy stirring in my core."
"With this plane and the sect's resources," she continued, her voice growing confident, "I can reach the Qi Refining stage within a year."
But Su Min didn't respond with immediate approval or encouragement.
Instead, she reached for a small, unadorned jade vial that had been sitting beside her and slid it smoothly across the polished table. "Take this first."
Xie Yingying glanced at it. Her eyes narrowed slightly in recognition. "The Life Extension Pill?"
"You don't need to rush," Su Min said, her tone even and firm. "You're not racing against death anymore."
"But I could still make it," Xie Yingying insisted, her possessiveness showing not over Su Min this time, but over her own ambitious timeline.
"I know you could." Su Min's voice softened, but it held an immovable quality, like a mountain acknowledging a stream's power but not yielding to it. "But you shouldn't have to."
Xie Yingying's gaze lingered on her for a long, searching moment. She saw it then. Su Min's tone wasn't one of doubt in her abilities, but a quiet, unwavering insistence. She wasn't trying to slow her down out of caution, she just wanted her safe. And comfortable. The protective instinct was a palpable force in the space between them.
"…Alright," Xie Yingying finally conceded, her shoulders relaxing a fraction. "I'll take it. No point gambling when the odds are already stacked in our favor."
Visibly relieved, Su Min gave another nod. "Once you recover from the transition, we'll begin."
"Before that…" Xie Yingying turned her head toward the open veranda, where morning light spilled over the gleaming jade tiled roofs of the sect far below. The air was fresh and cool, tinged with a spiritual mist that tasted of ozone and blossoms. Far in the distance, the great divine rivers shimmered like ribbons of liquid light between the majestic peaks.
"…I want to see it," she said, a note of quiet yearning in her voice. "The Immortal Plane you forged. And the hidden continent."
Su Min's expression softened further, the love in her eyes so plain it was almost disarming. "You want to travel?"
"Not far," Xie Yingying said, a small, genuine smile touching her lips. "Just see what you've built. All those years I slept… I want to know the world you waited in."
"Then we'll go," Su Min said immediately, as if the decision required no thought at all. "Anywhere you want."
Without warning, she stood and stepped forward, slipping her arms under Xie Yingying's knees and back, lifting her with effortless ease.
"Wha—Su Min!" Xie Yingying's cheeks flushed a bright, warm pink as she instinctively looped her arms around her neck for balance, her heart giving a sudden, pleasant lurch.
"You're still a mortal," Su Min said lightly, as if stating a simple, unchangeable fact. "I'm not letting you walk up that many stairs."
Then, with a soft hum that was more felt than heard, her flying sword responded to her call. It was silent as a sliver of moonlight, rising to hover just outside the open terrace.
She stepped onto it effortlessly, the blade stabilizing perfectly beneath her feet, and they lifted smoothly into the vast morning sky.
Wind swept past them, cool and fresh, tugging playfully at their sleeves and hair as the entire sect came into breathtaking view below. Dozens of elegant towers, serene courtyards, and vast training fields stretched across a floating landmass suspended within layered cloud belts. Pillars of pure starlight poured down from the heavens, nourishing immense fields of spirit herbs that glowed with soft, shifting hues.
And further beyond that, hidden behind the subtle, shimmering veils of powerful sky sealing formations, was the true marvel, the continent Su Min had built in secret, just for them.
The wind carried them gently, high above the clouds, the world opening up in a panorama of impossible beauty.
Cradled securely in Su Min's arms, Xie Yingying gazed out across the endless horizon, her dark hair tousled by the breeze. Below them, the peaks and towers of the Immortal Gate glittered like constellations scattered across the land. Streams of visible spirit energy, bright as liquid diamonds, flowed between the mountains like rivers of light, and vast fields of spirit grass shimmered in iridescent waves as they passed overhead.
For a long while, Xie Yingying said nothing. She just stared, her eyes wide in quiet, absorbing awe.
"…You really built all this," she murmured finally, the words barely more than a breath.
Su Min glanced down at her, her smile a tender, private thing. "I had time. And I wanted a place for us. One that no one could touch."
The sword dipped slightly as they descended into one of the floating gardens, a vast terrace of moonflowers and star shaped spirit herbs that bloomed and pulsed with light in slow, gentle cycles. When Su Min set her down carefully, Xie Yingying took a few tentative steps on her own before spinning in a slow circle, her arms half raised, soaking it all in.
There was no looming pressure. No rushing enemies. No ancient seals waiting to be broken.
Just clean morning air, the rich scent of exotic herbs, and the solid, reassuring warmth of Su Min's hand resting lightly in hers.
Xie Yingying let out a slow, deep breath, a true, unburdened smile gracing her lips. "This almost doesn't feel real."
Su Min stepped behind her, brushing a few wind blown strands of hair from her cheek with infinite care. "It's real. Every bit of it. You're here."
"And I get to finally enjoy it," Xie Yingying added, leaning back slightly into her touch. "With you."
The next few hours passed in a dreamlike state of quiet exploration.
They wandered the upper gardens, hand in hand. Su Min pointed out the sacred trees she'd grown from precious fragments of world roots, while Xie Yingying tasted fresh spirit berries that glowed with a faint blue light and puckered her lips at the unexpected sharpness. Su Min chuckled, a low, warm sound, and promptly fed her a sweeter, golden one to make up for it.
In one secluded corner of the garden, a lake lay so still and clear it reflected the sky with perfect clarity, creating the illusion that they were walking above the heavens themselves. Xie Yingying knelt beside it, trailing her fingers through the cool, pristine water while Su Min sat beside her, watching her with a gaze that hadn't softened or wavered in thirty thousand years.
"I used to dream about this," Xie Yingying said softly, her eyes on the ripples she was creating. "You and me. Somewhere without battles or missions. Or fear. Just… breathing."
Su Min's hand found hers again, their fingers lacing together naturally. "Then let's keep dreaming."
Eventually, Xie Yingying's stomach grumbled, a mundane sound that reminded them both she was still very much mortal.
They found shelter beneath a floating pavilion where Su Min, in her typical thorough way, had prepared in advance an entire traveling kitchen. A small, elegant cauldron hung over a quiet, smokeless flame, releasing a savory scent of lotus root stew and nourishing red spiritual grains.
"Did you make all this before you woke me?" Xie Yingying asked, eyeing the elaborate setup with a mixture of amusement and deep affection.
Su Min gave her a look that was both fond and matter of fact. "You think I wouldn't prepare everything for our first trip together?"
"…You've really turned into a spoiling type," Xie Yingying teased, nudging her shoulder with her own.
"I always was," Su Min replied without a hint of irony. "You were just too distracted by battles to notice."
They ate slowly, with Xie Yingying occasionally sighing in genuine pleasure at how good real, lovingly prepared food tasted again, and Su Min quietly feeding her a sweet dumpling directly from her own chopsticks. The moment was slow, easy, and complete. It didn't need anything more.
After lunch, a pleasant lethargy settled over them. Xie Yingying lay down on a sun warmed blanket spread over the pavilion's floor, using Su Min's lap as a pillow. She closed her eyes, half drowsing, feeling the soft, repetitive warmth of Su Min's fingers brushing through her hair.
"You should sleep more," Su Min said, her voice a low murmur. "You've just been unsealed. No need to push yourself."
"I want to see everything," Xie Yingying mumbled, even as her body grew heavier with sleep.
"And you will," Su Min promised. "But there's no rush. We have time now."
"…Hm."
Xie Yingying didn't respond after that. Her breath evened out, and she drifted off, tucked securely against the one person she'd always trusted to hold the world steady for her.
—
They continued traveling over the next few days, a slow, meandering journey through the wonders Su Min had created.
Su Min never let her walk too long without rest. Whenever Xie Yingying grew tired, her steps beginning to lag, Su Min would simply pick her up without a word, carrying her in a gentle princess hold or letting her lean fully against her side as they flew on the sword. It was a level of care that was both protective and deeply possessive in its own way.
They explored glowing crystal caverns carved into the undersides of the floating islands, the walls shimmering with embedded light. They visited spirit beast nurseries, where baby kirins and flame scaled birds, sensing something ancient and kindred in Xie Yingying, followed her around like she was their long lost mother. They bathed in a quiet hot spring under a blanket of brilliant stars, Su Min keeping her immense aura suppressed so low she was barely detectable, just another shadow in the night.
But even without that formidable spiritual pressure, her presence wrapped around Xie Yingying like a second skin, a constant, comforting shield.
At night, they shared a single, wide bed beneath the transparent sky dome of the mobile manor Su Min had designed just for the two of them. No disciples. No sect elders. No one at all. Just quiet moonlight, the clean scent of pine carried on the breeze, and their fingers interlaced in the dark.
One such night, as they lay curled together, Xie Yingying murmured into the silence, "I wish we had this back then."
Su Min pulled her closer, until not even a sliver of space remained between them. "Now we have more."
She didn't just mean time.
She meant freedom. Peace. A future that was truly theirs.
And this time, they would hold it with both hands.
The next morning, they didn't rush to move.
Xie Yingying stirred slowly, cocooned in blankets made of the finest cloud silk, the subtle, clean scent of Su Min's warmth still lingering on her skin. When she blinked open her eyes, she found Su Min already awake, brushing her own hair idly with one hand while reading something from a floating jade slip.
"Morning," Xie Yingying said, her voice still husky from a deep, restful sleep.
Su Min looked down, immediately setting the jade slip aside as if it were of no consequence. "You slept well?"
"You're warm," Xie Yingying muttered, her eyes already fluttering closed again as she pressed her face into the curve of Su Min's shoulder. "I didn't want to move."
"You don't have to." Su Min leaned down, brushing her lips in a soft, lingering kiss against Xie Yingying's forehead. "I'll carry you again."
"…I'm not that fragile," she mumbled, the protest weak against the fabric of Su Min's robes.
"No," Su Min agreed readily, resting her chin gently on top of her head. "But you're mine. So let me spoil you a little longer."
By the time they emerged from the manor, the sun was high and the sky was painted a rich, dazzling cerulean, dotted with flocks of elegant spirit birds coasting effortlessly through the clouds. Today's destination was one of Su Min's personal favorites, a hidden glade tucked between three crystalline mountains, a place where time itself flowed just a little slower and every flower bloomed in rhythm with the seasons of the soul.
The glade was filled with ancient, graceful trees whose leaves shimmered and shifted between silver and gold. Beneath one of the largest, Su Min laid down a picnic mat woven from threads of fire silk and frost thread. Xie Yingying, still pleasantly sleep hazy, sat down and let out a contented sigh.
"…It really does feel like we're on vacation."
Su Min smiled, a true, relaxed expression that softened her entire face. "We are. A very delayed one."
"And you prepared all this?" Xie Yingying gestured at the scene.
Su Min lifted the woven picnic basket and opened its lid, revealing carefully arranged trays of warm spirit fruit tarts, cups of chilled lotus milk, and fresh, perfectly ripe golden peaches still dusted with morning dew.
"I made everything this morning. I wanted something sweet."
Xie Yingying looked at her with playful suspicion. "You don't even like sweets."
Su Min plucked a berry topped tart and held it out to her wife's lips. "You do."
Xie Yingying took it with a soft snort. "Honestly, how are you still like this after becoming an immortal and a sovereign?"
Su Min's expression remained utterly serene, her gaze steady on Xie Yingying. "You're the only constant I brought with me through everything. My instincts stayed the same."
They ate under the dappled light of the shimmering trees, sitting side by side, their shoulders touching, while gentle winds stirred the luminous flowers around them into a soft, rustling dance.
Later, they wandered through the glade, eventually stopping by a shallow, slow moving river that sparkled as if countless star crystals were scattered across its bed. Xie Yingying crouched at the bank to splash her fingers in the cool, clear water, then looked back over her shoulder at Su Min.
"Can I—?"
Before she could even finish the question, Su Min was already there, kneeling beside her and holding her sandals.
"I'll carry you across."
"…You really don't trust me to cross a few feet of shallow water?" Xie Yingying asked, though her eyes were shining.
"I trust you completely," Su Min replied, her tone utterly sincere. "I just enjoy holding you."
Xie Yingying's ears turned a delightful shade of pink, but she said nothing as Su Min lifted her once more and stepped calmly across the cool, shining stream, her feet not even seeming to touch the surface.
By dusk, the sky began to darken into deep lavender and rose hues. They set up a simple camp near a gentle slope covered in night blooming moonflowers, and Su Min created a subtle protective formation with a wave of her hand, a bubble that let in the gentle evening breeze but kept out any curious wild spirit beasts.
Wrapped in a shared, thick blanket, Xie Yingying leaned her head against Su Min's shoulder and looked up at the twin moons rising overhead, one silver, one pale blue, their light weaving together in the twilight.
"…I really needed this," she said quietly, her voice full of a vulnerable honesty. "After everything. I didn't realize how much I missed just… being. Not fighting, not planning, just being."
Su Min turned her head and kissed the top of hers, a long, tender press of her lips. "Then let's stay in this moment. As long as you want."
And just like that, the years of separation, the battles, the sacrifices, all of it dissolved in the quiet between them. No more regrets. No more what ifs.
Just them. Here.
Together.