Two months ago, Zuo Yingchun and Ruan Lianyue had met by chance.
At that time, Ruan Lianyue was retracing her steps along paths she had once walked in the dream, her heart swirling with mixed emotions. The more resolute she had been back then, the deeper her regret now. How could she have been so foolish, unable to discern who truly cared for her?
If she had been a bit smarter then, perhaps she and Ye Yu would already have children by now, instead of her current, passive state. Yet, there was no use dwelling on it. Ruan Lianyue silently vowed to win back Ye Yu's heart. In the dream, he had tirelessly gathered rare treasures for her for hundreds of years. Now, it was time for their roles to reverse.
With this goal in mind, she began searching for treasures, hoping that when she finally met him again, she could offer him gifts that would prove her feelings. But despite her resolve, her longing for him often grew unbearable in the quiet of night. To ease the pain, she began carrying spirit wine with her, taking a sip whenever her thoughts drifted to him.
It was during one such night, under a full moon, that Zuo Yingchun spotted Ruan Lianyue drinking alone atop a mountain, her face somber. The sight stirred something in Zuo Yingchun’s heart, for she too carried a burden from the past—actions in the dream that filled her with guilt. Even though she and Ye Yu had reconnected in reality, each time she recalled the "amnesia" excuse he’d used to cope with the tension between her and Zhu Diezhen, her heart ached.
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When Zuo Yingchun saw Ruan Lianyue drinking, she found herself wanting a drink as well. Without hesitation, she descended and asked Ruan Lianyue directly if she could share her wine.
Sometimes, a shared look is all it takes for people to bond. Ruan Lianyue saw the sorrow in Zuo Yingchun’s eyes and felt a kinship, as if they were both wandering souls with nowhere to go. She handed the wine over without question.
There’s something about drinking that loosens tongues. Words long kept hidden finally flow. That night, they shared countless drinks and exchanged their stories. Learning that they had both missed their chances with the ones they loved, they embraced each other and cried.
This shared experience forged a deep bond, and by dawn, they were calling each other sisters. Thankfully, neither had revealed her lover’s name that night. Had they done so, the drunken camaraderie might have turned into an unbreakable feud.
But what went unsaid created an unexpected partnership. One sought rare herbs to restore memory and cultivation, while the other sought spiritual techniques and artifacts. Since they both had similar goals, why not team up? Together, they could cover more ground by day and console each other over drinks by night.
Thus, the female duo of the Central Continent was born. Though Ruan Lianyue’s cultivation was only at the mid-stage Unity Realm, Zuo Yingchun, as a reincarnated celestial at the peak of the Tribulation Realm, had more than enough strength to carry them both across the continent. Together, they scoured the lands from west to east, seizing any treasure that caught their eye.
At first, Ruan Lianyue was hesitant to fight for resources. But with Zuo Yingchun’s encouragement—“Treasures are meant for the strong. Some people may acquire good things but lack the strength to keep them. Think of your husband—he surely needs these resources”—she grew bolder. Soon, she began drawing her sword at the slightest provocation.
Their “hard work” over the months yielded countless treasures. Later, when Ruan Lianyue reached the edge of the Central Continent and gazed at the endless sea, she recalled an ancient text from her sect. It spoke of the Water Essence in the Eastern Sea—a treasure that could restore both body and soul and was particularly effective against fire poison. She wondered if this might help Zuo Yingchun’s beloved.
Upon hearing this theory, Zuo Yingchun was elated. The Water Essence sounded promising—perhaps it could truly help Ye Yu recover his memories. She immediately agreed to the plan, and the two headed to the Eastern Sea.
They captured numerous sea creatures in search of information on the Water Essence, only to find none of them knew of its existence. This made Ruan Lianyue question her memory, doubting whether the ancient text had been accurate. But Zuo Yingchun remained convinced that the Water Essence existed. Ancient texts could be obscure and easily forgotten by time, especially among weaker sea creatures with short lifespans.
In that case, they would have to find a more powerful sea beast to question.
Just then, a thousand-foot-long sea serpent came roaring toward them. The Tribulation Realm pressure it emitted forced all the surrounding sea creatures to kneel in submission, and even Ruan Lianyue felt uncomfortable despite her Unity Realm cultivation.
But Zuo Yingchun never had a habit of yielding. She gave the serpent a cold smile, and within the span of a single tea ceremony, she had it thoroughly subdued. She then demanded to know about the Water Essence, adding, “I’m giving you a chance to speak, so don’t waste it. If you feign ignorance, I’ll use your tendons for soup.”
Her gentle tone belied her menacing words, causing the serpent to tremble all over, knowing well that Zuo Yingchun wasn’t bluffing. She had the power and the will to make good on her threat.
Sometimes, fate works in mysterious ways. This serpent, named Yang Yin, happened to be kin to the nine-headed serpent Yang Xiao. He knew of the Eastern Sea Treasure, and under the threat of death, he hurriedly explained, “After the dragons vanished, the Water Essence disappeared as well. But there’s a place known as the Eastern Sea Treasure—perhaps you’ll find the Water Essence there!”
Hearing "Eastern Sea Treasure" made both Ruan Lianyue and Zuo Yingchun’s eyes gleam with excitement. It sounded too tempting to pass up. Whatever this treasure was, they decided it would belong to their beloved.
Thus, the female duo set off immediately, riding on Yang Yin’s back toward the treasure site in the Eastern Sea.
And now, here they were.
As they arrived, Yang Yin was taken aback. He had initially been calculating how he might cleverly bring up the fact that entering the treasure site required a key, which could only be unlocked with the Ocean Commanding Trident. After all, even immense power wouldn’t grant access without it.
Yet to his shock, the Eastern Sea Treasure had already been opened.
What was going on? Could it be that Yang Xiao had already entered?