A woman in her thirties stood calmly in the center of the room, exuding authority and grace. Her dark hair was pulled back elegantly and she wore deep indigo robes trimmed with silver. Her sharp gaze held a quiet but commanding presence, hinting at her vast wisdom and experience.
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[Jiang Yan - Nascent Soul Realm (Peak)]
Mental Resistance: 90%
Body Fortification: 70%
Danger Level: Continent Shaker
Notes: Renowned for her expertise in soul techniques, Jiang Yan possesses formidable mental strength. Known across the region for her mastery of spiritual arts, she commands respect wherever she goes.
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Wu Meng couldn’t help but stare, mouth slightly agape, as he took in the sight of the elegant woman who had just descended through the roof. Lin noticed his dazed expression and shot him a smug look.
“What, stunned speechless by her beauty already?” she teased, a smirk playing on her lips.
“No…” Wu Meng said slowly, glancing up at the broken ceiling. “I’m just wondering why she didn’t use the door like everyone else.”
Lin snorted, rolling her eyes. “Right, sure,” she said, dismissing his words as she looked at Jiang Yan with a hint of mock irritation. “But don’t let her appearance fool you,” Lin continued, waving a hand. “Fan here may look young, but she’s probably older than anyone you’ve ever met.”
Jiang Yan chuckled softly, her eyes glinting with amusement as she looked back at Lin. “Careful, Little Lin,” she said, voice calm but with a teasing edge.
Lin’s face twisted into a scowl, her expression torn between irritation and the start of a familiar retort. “Will you stop calling me that?” Her hand rose, a subtle flame beginning to glow in her palm, her annoyance clear. “Keep it up, and I’ll—”
Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed. “You’re free to try, but do remember you might reduce this charming abode of yours to rubble.”
Lin’s hand froze mid-air, and her expression softened with reluctant acceptance as she slowly lowered it. “Fine,” she muttered, her pride still visibly stung. “But someday, you’re going to regret that.”
It was then that Jiang Yan’s gaze fell upon Wu Meng. Her eyes lit up with curiosity, examining him as though he were an oddity. “And who might this be?” she asked Lin, her tone carrying a hint of teasing. “Are you in the habit of inviting mortals into your home now?”
“Oh, he’s just... a stray I picked up.” Lin waved a dismissive hand.
Jiang Yan chuckled, clearly amused by Lin’s response, then looked at Wu Meng. “A stray? Well then,” she said, her tone slightly warmer as she addressed him, “allow this old woman to give you some advice: don’t let her youthful appearance fool you. Lin here may look young, but she’s actually older than me.”
Wu Meng looked between the two of them, his brows knitting together in confusion. “Older than you? But... how does someone look young and still be... well, old?”
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Jiang Yan’s eyes twinkled with mirth at his reaction. “You don’t know? That’s basic knowledge for anyone really.”
Wu Meng stared at her blankly, feeling a bit lost. “Uh... basic knowledge?”
Amused, Jiang Yan turned her gaze toward Lin. “Did you pull him out of a cave or something? Care to explain this, Lin?”
Lin shrugged, though a slight smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Why don’t you look into his soul yourself?”
Wu Meng felt Jiang Yan’s gaze on him, the intensity in her eyes making him shift uncomfortably. After Lin’s suggestion, she studied him thoughtfully, then stepped forward, her expression now serious. “Very well,” she murmured, extending her hands toward him. “Hold my hands and focus on my eyes. I’ll guide you into the depths of your soul.”
Wu Meng nodded uncertainly, reaching out to take her hands. Her touch was unexpectedly warm and steady. As he met her gaze, her eyes seemed to draw him in, her calmness overwhelming his nerves.
Before long, his thoughts began to drift, and his mind grew quiet. Just as he was starting to focus on the softness of her hands, a warm, enveloping darkness fell over him, pulling him into unconsciousness.
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Jiang Yan blinked, finding herself in the collective consciousness—a vast, colorless expanse that felt endless and eerily still. Everything around her was devoid of color, locked in shades of gray as if frozen in place. Even the air seemed unmoving, carrying a sense of timelessness that was both calming and strange. Most forms stayed perfectly motionless, like reflections caught in glass, giving Jiang Yan the distinct impression that she was walking through a quiet memory.
Jiang Yan glanced to her side and saw a magnificent phoenix, its feathers blazing with an ethereal glow that seemed untouched by the colorless realm around them. The bird radiated warmth and strength, its fierce eyes fixed intently on her. Its flames, rich with hues of red and gold, stood out against the dull, colorless world surrounding them. This was Lin’s true form, embodying the fierce, ancient creature that others saw her as.
For a moment, Jiang Yan was awestruck, but her attention quickly shifted as she looked around, searching for the mortal. To her surprise, he was gone, replaced by a towering, armored figure standing across from her. His face was hidden behind a dense, mist-like veil, giving no hint of his features or identity.
Where did he go? she wondered, glancing between the vibrant phoenix and the imposing figure. Her brow furrowed. Why can’t I see his face? Has anyone ever seen it? Or... is he simply beyond recognition?
She circled him, studying the armor, hoping for any sign that might reveal his origin. Yet nothing familiar presented itself. The armor’s materials and design were foreign, like nothing she had encountered in her region. With a sense of mounting intrigue, she continued her examination, unable to shake the feeling that this figure was something far beyond her understanding.
“Who are you?” she whispered, her voice soft but edged with curiosity.
The figure shifted, and unexpectedly, his voice—a low, resonant tone—broke the silence. “It’s rare for someone at your level to access this realm.”
Jiang Yan’s eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat. Movement in the collective consciousness? That was unheard of. She had walked these still, colorless realms countless times, but never before had she seen a soul or figure capable of independent motion here. It was like seeing a reflection suddenly step out of a mirror.
“But be careful,” the figure continued, pulling her back from her thoughts. “The collective consciousness is no ordinary world; it holds danger, mortal danger.”
Jiang Yan’s heart quickened, her gaze shifting briefly to the shadows around them. “What dangers? Who are you? What are you talking about?”
The figure didn’t answer directly. Instead, he simply added, “It senses us.” His words lingered, heavy and foreboding.
A shiver rips through Jiang Yan's body, her skin prickling with an icy fear as the silence surrounding them grows thick and suffocating. Without warning, her vision blurs and she catches a glimpse of a distant land - endless plains consumed by a blood-red sky, jagged mountains torn and shattered, and rivers flowing with an eerie blackness that seems to pulse with a malignant power. Unearthly shadows slither across the desolate landscape, drawn to any hint of life like moths to a flame. The terrifying sight fills her heart with a primal terror, as if she is peering into a world swallowed whole by an insatiable and ancient evil.
Just as the vision began to fade, a low, eerie howl echoed around her, filling the air with a menacing presence. The sound sent a sharp pain through her mind, forcing her down to her knees. Everything around her seemed to waver, the quiet realm feeling strangely fragile.
Before she could gather her thoughts, the towering figure had taken a step forward and wrapped an arm around her. In the span of a heartbeat, the scene had completely faded. Jiang Yan was back kneeling on Lin’s manor floor, breathless and shaken.
Only Lin’s childish voice could now be heard.
“What the hell happened, Fan, and why is there a mysterious figure clad in armor standing behind you?”