Xia Lun was slightly taken aback.
"Aina, did you hear something?"
Aina also looked surprised, covering her mouth. "It seems like there's a sound... coming from the statue."
Xia Lun turned his gaze toward the statue of Lady Ankula before him.
Under the scrutiny of his Insightful Eye, he found nothing unusual—just an ordinary statue.
"Please... lend me your strength."
The voice echoed in Xia Lun's ears once more, but when he glanced around, there were only pedestrians strolling through the square, nothing out of the ordinary.
What was going on?
"Perhaps it's a voice from the Spirit Realm," Aina mused after a moment.
"Spirit Realm?" Xia Lun pondered the unfamiliar term.
"Our world is composed of the Material Realm and the Spirit Realm," Aina explained. "The Spirit Realm is where souls reside. Everything in the Spirit Realm is intrinsically linked to the Material Realm—every living being has a reflection there... Mages with strong spiritual power can deepen their consciousness and enter the Spirit Realm at will. Oh, and witches have studied the Spirit Realm extensively. Their abilities in divination and spirit channeling were learned through exploring it."
"Then why am I hearing a voice from the Spirit Realm?" Xia Lun questioned.
"Isn't it obvious? It's all thanks to me," Aina chuckled, covering her mouth. "It took quite some effort to enhance your spiritual power..."
Xia Lun fell silent.
He could never repay Aina's kindness. It seemed he would have to work even harder in the future.
"Would you like me to take you to the Spirit Realm?" Aina took Xia Lun's hand with a light laugh.
"Please."
Since someone was calling for help, Xia Lun, as a hero, couldn't simply ignore it.
A magic circle lit up beneath Aina's feet, and their figures vanished from the real world.
Only souls could enter the Spirit Realm—their physical bodies had to be safeguarded outside.
"Close your eyes, Xia Lun."
Xia Lun obediently complied. A moment later, a fragrant breeze brushed past him, and Aina pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
Just as Xia Lun was about to speak, the darkness before his eyes suddenly transformed into an entirely new landscape.
Before him stretched an endless expanse of pale emptiness, dotted with countless motes of colored light drifting, swirling, and dancing in the air.
The sensation was strange—though his eyes were closed, he could see everything with perfect clarity.
Xia Lun found Aina standing beside him, dressed in an elegant black gown adorned with simple lace trimmings and folds, perfectly suited to her.
But Aina wasn't holding his hand because... Xia Lun couldn't find himself.
He was now a milky-white orb of light, just like the other motes around him—this was his soul.
"Come, Xia Lun. Imagine your physical form and materialize your soul," Aina beckoned, her tone as if coaxing a cute little pet.
The way she looked at him certainly matched that description... Well, he supposed a round, glowing orb did look rather adorable.
Soon, Xia Lun visualized his body, identical to his real-world appearance, and Aina smiled as she looped her arm through his.
"You're quite talented, Xia Lun."
Xia Lun surveyed their surroundings.
It was as if they stood in a sea of chaos, encircled by countless motes of light, shimmering like stars.
Hmm... the starry sky—that was the most fitting metaphor he could think of. The Spirit Realm felt like an inverted version of the cosmos.
"Each mote... is a soul," Aina explained softly.
In the far distance, several massive, dark-red orbs caught Xia Lun's attention. Compared to the other souls, they were impossibly huge and glaringly conspicuous.
"Those beings... are eldritch gods from other worlds," Aina noted, following Xia Lun's gaze.
"Eldritch gods?" Xia Lun looked genuinely shocked.
Aina nodded. "Mhm... beings from other worlds share the same Spirit Realm with us, so the scum in our world summon those gods through it as a conduit. Oh, and that priest from before—the angel he summoned was also a Spirit Realm entity."
Xia Lun turned his gaze to Aina.
She was in human form, identical to her real-world self, even down to the softness of her chest.
Since Aina wasn't a glowing orb, it was impossible to gauge the true size of her soul.
"Heh, I'm quite formidable. Even other eldritch gods don't dare provoke me," Aina said proudly, puffing out her chest as if she'd read Xia Lun's thoughts.
Xia Lun pinched her little nose playfully.
He couldn't reconcile the image of the Aina who had been begging for mercy just an hour ago with this so-called "formidable" being.
"But... where did that cry for help come from?"
Xia Lun hadn't forgotten their original purpose for coming here.
Yet everything around them seemed peaceful, with souls drifting like fireflies. Xia Lun wasn't sure if touching them would have any adverse effects, so he carefully avoided them.
"If someone in the Spirit Realm can send out a distress call that reaches us, they're likely human—perhaps a witch or something similar," Aina analyzed.
Xia Lun: "Then where is she now?"
Aina slowly closed her eyes.
Suddenly, she raised her hand like a conductor and began waving her fingers. Large swathes of souls scattered, drifting away.
Soon, she had cleared a blank space before them.
Xia Lun blinked.
Within that emptiness was a distinct fissure, embedded like a vertical eye—a wound torn open by some divine force, emanating an eerie glow from within.
At its core, intense light rippled like liquid, casting overlapping waves in the space. Peering inside, countless images flooded Xia Lun's mind.
"It's a temporal rift," Aina said calmly.
"Did the cry for help come from in there?"
"Exactly... It could be from the past or the future," Aina glanced at Xia Lun. "Do you want to go in and take a look, Xia Lun?"
"Is it dangerous?"
"This rift is stable—no risk of collapsing for now," Aina shook her head. "I've already recorded our current temporal coordinates. We can return anytime..."
A spark of excitement flickered in Xia Lun's eyes.
He was an adventurer.
What could be more thrilling than exploring different points in time?
Xia Lun: "The person on the other side is in trouble, right? If she's not a bad person... I want to help her."
"Though, you might be disappointed, Xia Lun... Once we cross over, we won't have physical bodies. We'll just be spectators in the Spirit Realm."
"Let's go first. There might still be a way," Xia Lun kissed his wife's cheek. "After all, you're so incredible, Aina."
Aina smiled warmly. "Then I'll leave it to you... You're right. There might still be a way."
Their figures vanished into the rift.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
ey change clothes. Li Chuan contributed all his possessions, only to find that things were not as they seemed. Almost a year after joining, he hadn’t managed to get a single Daoist consort. Thinking he had been deceived, he was approached by a stunning senior fellow disciple who asked if he would like to form a spiritual bond. For those who don’t practice cultivation, they might not know what “forming a spiritual bond” is. Let me put it this way: A long-term relationship is called a “Daoist consort,” while a short-term relationship is known as “forming a spiritual bond.” From then on, Li Chuan discovered the true way to interact with the Yin-Yang Sect’s Daoist consorts. As long as he had enough spirit stones, he could form a spiritual bond with anyone, Whether it’s Senior Sisters, aunts, Daoist consorts of aunts, female elders, Daoist consorts of elders, or even the Daoist consort of the sect leader, anyone can form a spiritual bond as long as there are enough spirit stones.” I've already joined the Yin-Yang Sect, and you're telling me to focus on cultivation? Do you even know what the Yin-Yang Sect is all about?
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
