LABMY CH146 [Extra]

Entering an unformed small world with one’s entire divine soul, becoming the Heaven’s Chosen within it, completing the destined path, and obtaining the corresponding karmic fortune in return—this was an insane and perilous endeavor.

Many had rushed in one after another, whether voluntarily or forcibly, yet none had ever emerged alive. It was certain death.

Those who had the resolve to take this step were often people who had no other options, on the brink of destruction.

Shen Tingyue was one of them.

His reason for entering was simple and straightforward—he wanted to live, to live freely.

On the Floating Sealed Spirit Cloud, there were not only the Twelve Halls but also the Twelve Prisons of Jagged Stone.

These prisons had once been used to imprison those who had committed grave mistakes within the halls. But as time passed, the population within the Twelve Halls dwindled. The remaining thousands of people balanced each other, with minor conflicts but no real severe transgressions. As a result, the Twelve Prisons of Jagged Stone were increasingly neglected.

Besides, compared to the dull existence on the Floating Sealed Spirit Cloud, completing a mission and then assuming a disguised identity to indulge in the mortal world was a much better option for these people.

Encounters between them were rare, and naturally, no major life-threatening conflicts arose.

Shen Tingyue had been imprisoned there for so many years that he had lost count. In the dark and deep confines of the Twelve Prisons of Jagged Stone, he did not need food, so no one brought him meals, nor did anyone come to visit him.

A turning point came when the person who had imprisoned him wanted to use him as an experiment—to test a method for successfully entering an unformed small world with one’s entire divine soul and returning alive.

A forged “system” vessel, designed to control and assist him, became Shen Tingyue’s only opportunity.

According to that person’s plan, an immortal would manipulate part of their consciousness to interfere with and aid the Heaven’s Chosen of a small world, thereby gaining karmic fortune when the small world fully formed. The success rate of this method was extremely high.

But entering an unformed small world with one’s entire divine soul and becoming its Heaven’s Chosen—was certain death.

After countless attempts within the small world, the system collapsed. Left with no other choice, Shen Tingyue split off a wisp of his divine soul and merged it with the broken system.

When he regained all his memories and opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was the cold, dark stone wall, covered in dried blood and numbers scratched into the surface with fingertips—one by one, from “two” to “five thousand four hundred seventy-six.”

Looking at that wall was like seeing bloodied fingers scraping away at the stone, carving out each number, one after another.

The dense numbers clung to the wall like vines absorbing blood and life force—but the stone had no life to give.

“You actually succeeded!”

A voice, ecstatic to the point of madness, startled Shen Tingyue from his daze. He turned and saw Tian Mingyi on the other side of the cell door, eyes wide with excitement.

Tian Mingyi was so thrilled that he nearly pressed his face against the bars, his excitement carrying a hint of hysteria. “As soon as I heard that Jian Yuanbai was looking for someone who had been a Heaven’s Chosen in a small world, I knew it had to be you.”

“I didn’t expect it. I really didn’t expect it. You actually made it out alive.”

“Quick, tell me—what did you encounter inside? If I refine the method just a little more, you can try again. This time, you won’t need anyone else’s help!”

Shen Tingyue sat cross-legged on a pile of dry grass. Hearing this, he tilted his head slightly, looking innocent and naive. “Jian Yuanbai? Who’s that?”

Tian Mingyi looked at him with suspicion. “You forgot?”

“Oh, no, no—you were locked up here for over a hundred years, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t know the task executor who entered the small world to assist you.”

“A pure cluster of spiritual energy, born with intelligence, evolving again and again into a human form—that’s Jian Yuanbai.”

“When the system collapsed, I could no longer use it to monitor your situation, so I had no choice but to take a gamble. I added your small world into the catalog of accessible worlds. Unexpectedly, you got lucky, and the one who took on the task was Jian Yuanbai.”

A miraculous creation of heaven and earth, a pure cluster of spiritual energy—Shen Tingyue had indeed known. No wonder, no wonder Jian Yuanbai could take so many forms within the small world.

He could be formless, or he could be all things.

Tian Mingyi, impatient to dwell on this any longer, urged excitedly, “My method works! With just a few more refinements, I can obtain endless karmic fortune, achieve eternal life, and have all beings bow before me!”

Shen Tingyue stood up and walked toward the cell door. As he approached, the door emitted a ghostly, icy blue glow.

Tian Mingyi urged him again, “Tell me quickly—what did you experience in the small world?”

“How did Jian Yuanbai assist you?”

Shen Tingyue placed his hand on the seemingly solid block of translucent ice that formed the prison door. Golden spiritual energy surged from his palm, clashing against the door and triggering a powerful backlash that made his entire body tremble, blood seeping from the corner of his lips.

“Know your limits.”

His slender, fair fingers suddenly straightened, and the ice-sealed prison door began to crack apart inch by inch. In Tian Mingyi’s terrified gaze, Shen Tingyue kept his hand extended, his fingers reaching straight for Tian Mingyi’s throat.

Tian Mingyi choked out, “H-How… how is this possible?”

Shen Tingyue, locked away for a century, his clothes stained with blood, his hair in disarray, looked at him and sneered, “Idiot. The world’s spiritual energy is gradually withering. Here, I was indeed powerless, trapped in this lightless cage.”

“But you—you handed your life over to me yourself.”

Before snapping Tian Mingyi’s neck, Shen Tingyue extinguished his last shred of hope. “Your method was never viable. Did you really think you were some kind of genius? That only you could come up with such a simple plan?”

“An unformed small world can only sustain one person’s divine soul. No other soul can remain inside for long. Even if you’re outside using a vessel to send part of your consciousness in, the moment you exceed a certain threshold, you’ll be rejected. That’s why your system collapsed.”

“Jian Yuanbai is the purest spiritual energy given form—he can be formless, or he can be all things. That is why he was never rejected.”

“Stupid and ignorant, actually thinking he was a genius.” Shen Tingyue expressionlessly twisted his neck and crushed his soul before turning to leave.

In the rugged stone prison, only his last words echoed: “The only thing you did right was letting me meet Jian Yuanbai. So I let you die without pain.”

After killing the man, Shen Tingyue walked out of the prison that had confined him for a hundred years. The sky was as blue as a freshly washed canvas, but to Shen Tingyue, who hadn’t seen sunlight in a century, it was piercingly bright.

Yet, he stared blankly for a long time, until his eyes ached. He was looking at his freedom.

Disheveled and with bloodstains on his face, Shen Tingyue had only taken a few steps when he saw a tall, foolish-looking man squatting by the roadside, crying hoarsely and calling for his wife. This time, he didn’t freeze but quickly strode toward his lover.

With a smile on his face and slightly reddened eyes, he spoke softly, “Crying here… if your tears pass through the Sealed Spirit Cloud Step, they’ll turn into rain.”

The memory abruptly ended. In the room, after listening to Shen Tingyue’s recounting, Jian Yuanbai asked, “Then why did he imprison you?”

Shen Tingyue replied, “We are different from others. We were born after the Age of Dharma Decline, making cultivation extremely difficult. My talent was exceptional—though I was born in an era of dwindling spiritual energy, I still progressed rapidly. But he wasn’t.”

“The cells of the Twelve Stone Prison suppress spiritual energy absorption to the maximum extent. Inside, one is no different from an ordinary person, surviving only on the spiritual energy already within their body.”

“He schemed tirelessly, wanting to extract my spiritual roots and transplant them into himself. I destroyed one of the materials he needed for the procedure. Over a hundred years, he never found another substitute, so he had no choice but to keep me locked away in the long-abandoned Twelve Stone Prison.”

Jian Yuanbai suggested, “Take me there to see it.”

Shen Tingyue shook his head. “There’s nothing worth seeing. He’s already dead.”

Inside the Twelve Stone Prison, there was nothing but dry grass. The stone walls weren’t ordinary and couldn’t be easily damaged.

From the second day onward, Shen Tingyue had started recording the days he spent in captivity. After marking over five thousand days, he gave up on the futile effort.

That stone wall, covered in numbers and bloodstains—Shen Tingyue didn’t want Jian Yuanbai to see it.

Jian Yuanbai furrowed his brows but didn’t respond. Instead, he sat in his seat, deep in thought. Shen Tingyue pursed his lips, stealing glances at him several times, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Shen Tingyue measured the distance between them with his eyes—clear and distinct, as if separated by an insurmountable barrier. He watched Jian Yuanbai furrow his brows, then watched him remain silent, and his heart gradually sank.

Since their reunion, Jian Yuanbai had never taken a step closer to him, maintaining his distance even while inquiring about his past…

The only kiss they shared was one Shen Tingyue had initiated.

The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He bit down on the soft flesh inside his cheek, silently encouraging himself—after six lifetimes as a married couple, what was there to be afraid of?

The sudden weight on his lap pulled Jian Yuanbai out of his thoughts. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around the person now sitting on him and looked up.

The stunning young man sat there puffing his cheeks, deliberately shifting his weight onto him. His gaze was fierce, but his ears were red. The moment he opened his mouth, his imposing air dissipated.

“You… you… do you…”

“Do you not like me like this…?”

Jian Yuanbai was startled. “Why would you think that?”

Shen Tingyue averted his gaze, the red on his ears spreading upward. “You still haven’t… haven’t…”

He struggled to finish his sentence, biting his lip before mumbling in grievance, “Kiss me.”

In the world where Jian Yuanbai had memories, Shen Tingyue had been so proactive. Now, his aloofness was a stark contrast.

Jian Yuanbai let his actions speak. He cupped Shen Tingyue’s nape, pulling them even closer. Their breaths intertwined, growing hotter.

Their gazes met, and Shen Tingyue’s delicate eyelashes trembled before he slowly closed his eyes. The moment the other party’s lips tentatively brushed his, he parted his lips first—this “eagerness” earned a low chuckle from Jian Yuanbai.

As another’s tongue swept through his mouth, the sensation was unmistakable. Jian Yuanbai deepened the kiss, tasting his lover without restraint. When his tongue pressed heavily against Shen Tingyue’s, a suppressed gasp finally escaped.

But that only encouraged more teasing rather than restraint. Transparent saliva slipped from the corner of his lips, revealing the entanglement inside.

It was as if he was being utterly invaded—yet also willingly yielding.

When they finally parted, Shen Tingyue’s eyes glistened with moisture, hazy and longing. His lips were swollen, red as if blood could seep from them, glistening with an enticing sheen.

Jian Yuanbai gave another deep kiss before resting his forehead against Shen Tingyue’s, their noses touching. “How could I not love my wife?”

“Wife is even more beautiful than in the small worlds.” He leaned in, placing a gentle kiss at the corner of his lips, satisfied yet possessive. “Mine.”

His hesitation and distance were never about rejection—it was fear that once Shen Tingyue regained all his memories, he might regret it.

The name “Shen Tingyue” was one Jian Yuanbai had heard before. When people spoke of him, they always did so with admiration and regret—a genius of his time, dazzling yet short-lived, like a fleeting meteor across the sky.

Shen Tingyue’s pale face was flushed red. He pretended to accidentally brush against Jian Yuanbai’s hand, then turned his head, whispering, “You’re mine too.”

He wanted to hide his reddened face, but in doing so, he exposed the small, ruby-like tips of his ears.

Jian Yuanbai saw them, and his eyes darkened. Like a man under a spell, he leaned in and caught that soft earlobe between his lips.

Shen Tingyue’s body stiffened, his fingers clenched, then slowly loosened. His eyes fluttered shut, but his trembling lashes betrayed his nervousness.

Silent acceptance and indulgence—the atmosphere grew increasingly heated.

Just when Shen Tingyue had mentally prepared himself for whatever came next, Jian Yuanbai suddenly spoke.

“Why did you close your eyes?”

“Is there a surprise?”

Shen Tingyue blinked in confusion. “What surprise?”

Jian Yuanbai let out a surprised sound. “You didn’t know? Then why did you suddenly close your eyes?”

Shen Tingyue’s face grew hotter and hotter, like a ripe, overly sweet, juicy peach. His eyes flashed with shyness, embarrassment, and anger as he gritted his teeth. “Jian Yuanbai, are you incapable?”

Jian Yuanbai’s gaze swept over his flustered and completely flushed face before he belatedly reacted. “You think I wanted to—”

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Tingyue urgently and angrily interrupted, “I didn’t think that!”

“Injustice, wife! It’s still broad daylight,” Jian Yuanbai chuckled. “I’m still a virgin, and yet my wife wants me to proclaim my passion in broad daylight.”

Memories of those six worlds flashed through Shen Tingyue’s mind—of the countless times he had fainted while Jian Yuanbai tirelessly attempted seven rounds in one night. His molars nearly cracked from clenching. “You’re a damn liar if you say you’re a virgin.”

Jian Yuanbai argued righteously, “I haven’t done anything in this world, so how am I not a virgin?”

“Even though those bodies in the small worlds were also mine, they were, after all, manifested from spiritual energy. This body, however, is my real body—the pure and untainted virgin one.”

“Besides, across different worlds, time and space aren’t the same. So, I really am still a virgin.”

Shen Tingyue wanted to hit him. He took a deep breath but couldn’t hold back. With a huff, he shot up from his seat. “Then just keep your virginity forever.”

Jian Yuanbai grabbed his wrist, his slightly calloused thumb rubbing over the prominent bone there. His tone was indulgent and teasing. “I’ll only keep it for my wife.”

Shen Tingyue, both shy and angry, glared at him with puffed-up cheeks. “You don’t have a wife anymore!”

What he had assumed would be a natural progression had turned into a failed attempt at intimacy. Shen Tingyue wished the ground would swallow him whole. Being held back by Jian Yuanbai, he was so frustrated he looked like an inflated pufferfish.

Jian Yuanbai locked eyes with him and saw the hidden grievance in his beautiful wife’s eyes. He leaned in and gently kissed the corner of Shen Tingyue’s moist eyes. “I am a pure cluster of spiritual energy that gained intelligence and took form. My body is a little special. The manifested bodies in the small worlds were different from my real one, so I need to make some preparations.”

“Wait for me, wife.” He wrapped his arms around him, planting soft and lingering kisses on Shen Tingyue’s cheeks. His voice was deep and husky. “I’ll satisfy you. Trust me.”

Shen Tingyue jumped up again, his ears burning red. He didn’t dare look at him and shouted in a fluster, “I really wasn’t thinking about that!!!”

Jian Yuanbai coaxed him, “You weren’t thinking about it, you weren’t. It was me.”

“Shut up!! Stop talking about this shameful stuff!” Shen Tingyue was so embarrassed he was about to cry. He covered Jian Yuanbai’s mouth with his hand.

Then, in a desperate attempt to change the subject, he blurted, “What’s the surprise you mentioned?”

Jian Yuanbai mumbled something, his voice muffled by Shen Tingyue’s palm.

A wet and warm sensation brushed against his palm—Jian Yuanbai’s tongue.

The soft, damp touch lasted only a moment before Shen Tingyue, realizing in his embarrassment that he had forgotten to let go, quickly withdrew his hand and cleared his throat. “Say that again?”

Jian Yuanbai reached into the air and pulled out a book from thin air, handing it to Shen Tingyue. “This. The system told me to give it to you.”

That one sentence instantly wiped away all traces of Shen Tingyue’s shyness and embarrassment.

“The system…?”

Holding the book, he suddenly looked a little lost and downcast. The thing he had been forcing himself to ignore ever since leaving the small worlds was now laid out so plainly before him that he had no choice but to face it.

From the moment a wisp of his soul had been split, Shen Tingyue had known that it would eventually disperse.

The system had once been merely an occasional extension of Tian Mingyi’s consciousness, which he controlled from afar. But there was a fundamental difference: the former used divine sense to “see” across great distances, while the latter was a true separation of the soul, completely merging into a cold vessel.

The former could be recalled at any time, unaffected by the rejection of the small worlds. The latter, however, would never be able to return to the original body and might even dissipate completely to create an opportunity for the main soul’s survival.

Since the system’s fragment was originally derived from Shen Tingyue, the small worlds had not rejected it. After experiencing six worlds together, it had calmly met its destined end.

Once separated from the main soul, the fragment was no longer Shen Tingyue himself. But to him, it was still family. He had tried to avoid facing it, but now he was being forced to confront the system’s disappearance.

Holding the book, his hands trembled slightly. At this moment, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Hesitant and apprehensive, he slowly opened it. He had expected to see words, but instead, the first page was an image—one that flickered and then projected into the air.

In the image, Wei Zhenge—Shen Tingyue’s identity in one of the small worlds—lay weakly on a hospital bed. “Brother Jian, I have a fever, and my throat hurts so much.”

The scene shifted, and Jian Yuanbai appeared holding a loudspeaker. “Surprise! I ran across three streets to buy this for you. Now you can say whatever you want loud and clear.”

Shen Tingyue’s eyes reddened. He gripped the loudspeaker with a trembling hand and, turning to Fu Pengyi and the others, declared, “You all… humiliated and oppressed me… One day, I will personally crush the Fu family’s gates!”

Flipping to the next page, another scene appeared—Shen Tingyue, his face bloodied and his eyes fierce, pinning someone to the ground. “A dragon stranded in shallow waters doesn’t mean dogs can bark at it. Understand?”

Page after page, the scenes kept changing. Standing among tens of thousands of muscular men and women, Shen Tingyue, with his measly Golden Core cultivation, arrogantly uttered the boldest declaration.

Before a massive crowd, he clenched his teeth and steeled his heart. “I seek my Dao. The entire Ninefold Continent will bow at my feet.”

Later, before tens of thousands of live viewers, he proclaimed, “Even a lotus in the mud remains pure and beautiful. I, too, shall be reborn amidst slander.”

Before, Jian Yuanbai hadn’t thought much of it. But watching these moments play out now—frame by frame, scene by scene—he finally understood the true meaning of extreme second-hand embarrassment.

And worst of all, it had all been made into a keepsake album for permanent collection.

This thing could even be replayed indefinitely!

Just imagining it made him feel secondhand fear for his wife. Worse still, Jian Yuanbai couldn’t suppress the urge to back up a copy for himself.

But considering that he had played no small part in forcing these moments into existence, he worried he might be assassinated by Shen Tingyue before he could get his hands on the backup.

Cautiously, he turned to look at Shen Tingyue, expecting to see a face filled with anger, shame, and mortification—perhaps even a spectacular array of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

Instead, he was stunned.

Shen Tingyue was crying, his shoulders trembling. He bit his lip in silence, tears streaming down his face.

Jian Yuanbai panicked. He squatted down and held Shen Tingyue’s hands, trying to take the book away, but Shen Tingyue gripped it so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

This is bad.

Jian Yuanbai anxiously wiped his tears. “Wife, don’t cry. If you don’t like it, we’ll destroy it. Please don’t cry.”

Shen Tingyue suddenly blinked, his tears still falling, and stiffly asked, “You said the system is still inside?”

Jian Yuanbai pointed at the book. “Yeah, look at the cover.”

Tentatively, Shen Tingyue called out, “System?”

A pair of cartoonish eyes appeared on the book cover, complete with two question marks.

Jian Yuanbai quickly added, “When I left the small world, I realized it was about to vanish, so I had no choice but to place it in this book.”

“It’s exhausted and not fully recovered yet. It needs time to regain its memories.”

Shen Tingyue glanced at the book’s cover, then at the playing footage of his social-death moments.

A tear finally slipped down, and he coldly laughed. “Maybe we should just destroy it—book and all.”