Han Jie opened his eyes only to find himself in an unfamiliar place. All around him was nothingness, but below, a wide sea stretched out endlessly with a solid surface beneath his feet.
Despite its emptiness, the scene was incredibly beautiful, causing Han Jie's eyes to widen in awe. "How did I get here?" he murmured.
"I brought you here," a female voice echoed from behind.
Startled to the point of losing his balance, he stumbled and fell. Spinning around, he found a breathtakingly beautiful naked woman walking toward him, a bright smile lighting her face.
"It's you… Why are you naked again? This place is quite cold—aren't you afraid of freezing?" he asked hurriedly, taking off his robe and draping it over her shoulders.
"Oh," the woman's smile grew even brighter. "Even though I have no bad intentions, you really shouldn't be so softhearted. Someone you're not very familiar with brings you to an unknown place while you're unconscious, and you just trust them so easily?"
"You're my wife, not a stranger," Han Jie responded sincerely.
The woman stared at him, momentarily speechless. "It's pointless correcting you on that matter," she muttered.
Han Jie scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "wifey, why—"
"Ehn? Is that the name you've given me?" she interrupted, giving him a puzzled look.
"Of course not. I just want to call you that personally. As for your name… how about Bái Xiānlián?"
"Just give me an ordinary name," she replied flatly.
"Oh, she wants to stay low profile," Han Jie thought, his eyes lighting up. "Then… how about Xiao Mei?"
Before she could respond, her body began to glow. The light grew so intense that Han Jie had to shield his eyes. The previously empty surroundings transformed as wild lotuses bloomed from nowhere, spreading across the surface and beautifying the entire space.
An invisible force lifted Han Jie into the air. His inky black hair turned white, and his body glowed as though shedding old skin. Strangely, he felt no pain—he barely noticed the transformation taking place.
Time passed.
And everything slowly returned to normal.
"Seems like the name is useful," Xiao Mei remarked with a warm smile, looking at the moon-shaped mark that had appeared on her palm. "Not bad," she whispered.
Han Jie stared at her glowing features and smiled unconsciously. "Wifey… your eyes," he remarked softly.
"Are they green?" she asked, seeking confirmation.
"They're purple," Han Jie responded.
Xiao Mei's expression froze. "Purple?" she echoed. A mirror materialized in midair, floating before her. She stared into her reflection. "The contract was just formed—it should've started with green. Why did it jump three whole color realms?" she wondered aloud, turning to Han Jie with narrowed eyes.
"What's the matter, wifey?" Han Jie inquired, confused.
Xiao Mei sighed. "I'm not a mortal, Han Jie. I'm immortal. But I'm not an immortal who ascended from mortality. I was born immortal, from a separate world composed entirely of color."
She floated forward, turning her back to him.
"White, green, black, yellow, blue, purple, brown, and red—those are our battle colors. Each color represents a realm, and the higher you ascend, the stronger you become."
She turned slightly, her gaze distant. "I don't remember much about my past, but the little I do know is still useful. You can become a Coreless God if you follow my path and cultivate through color. But it means you won't be cultivating like normal mortals anymore. You won't even be considered mortal."
She paused, watching him. "Of course, a core is needed to cultivate traditionally. But if you follow my path, it doesn't matter whether you have one or not. The choice is yours."
Han Jie fell silent, then clenched his fists. "I'm human, but I don't feel like one. What's the point in living like this? I'll follow your path—my wife's arrangement," he declared firmly.
Xiao Mei smiled gently and stepped closer. "That's the answer I wanted."
She raised her hand, revealing multicolored fingers. "There are seventy-seven colors in total, but once you surpass the eight strong colors, all others become insignificant. They are referred to as 'multicolor' because they're a blend of the solid eight. They hold no distinction once mastered."
She leaned forward, her blossoming chest pressing against him.
"Umm… wifey, what realm are you in?" Han Jie asked, trying to stay focused.
"I'm not entirely sure," she replied, "but I doubt there's anyone in this continent who can rival me."
"So powerful…" Han Jie murmured in amazement.
"Since you've made your decision, that's good. I just examined your body—your core is utterly ruined, beyond repair. I'll have to cleanse it myself. After that, we'll begin the real journey."
"Oh… okay. What should I do?"
"Just look into my eyes. Focus entirely on them," Xiao Mei instructed.
Han Jie obeyed without hesitation, falling into a daze as he locked eyes with her. "So beautiful…" he whispered.
Smiling, Xiao Mei placed her hands on his shoulders. "I'm starting now," she informed him gently.
Before he could respond, two opposing energies—one icy cold, the other searing hot—pierced into his body like lightning. They traveled through him separately, yet simultaneously, making him feel like he was burning and freezing at the same time.
"Ahhh!"
"Endure it," Xiao Mei urged with a serious expression. "It'll be over soon."
The opposing energies surged through his body at immense speed, finally reaching his rotting core.
Without a moment's pause, the cold and heat collided, swirling around the ruined core like devouring beasts.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Han Jie's scream echoed through the realm. Sweat drenched his clothes, and his face contorted in agony.
"Hold on—it's almost over!" Xiao Mei encouraged, pouring more strength into the process.
The energies sped up their devouring, and within minutes, the core was completely consumed. No trace of it remained in Han Jie's body.
"Done," Xiao Mei announced with satisfaction.
Han Jie's head felt heavy, his vision blurred. "I… will… definitely… become… their… nightmare…" he swore hoarsely before collapsing into Xiao Mei's arms.
"Of course," she whispered, holding him close. "And I'll be your greatest support." Her eyes flickered red for a brief instant before returning to their deep purple hue—unnoticed by anyone.