Chapter 195: Chapter 194: I Am Not Your Brother

The woman stretched languidly, as if she had just woken up. Her aura immediately manifested, unlike before when she had none at all. She was completely a living person!

Just then, the woman turned and her eyes met his. Yi Tianyun was at a loss for words. Then, a smile bloomed on her face, revealing a breathtaking beauty. She looked like a goddess who had descended to the mortal realm, possessed of a celestial grace.

But Yi Tianyun was long past being fazed by such beauty; he simply didn’t know what to say.

"Brother, you’re here?" the woman said with a light laugh.

"Brother? What brother?" Yi Tianyun turned to look behind him, but there was no one there. He was all alone in the room.

"Brother, don’t be silly. You *are* my brother," the woman said, climbing out of the crystal coffin. She smiled. "Every time I wake up, you’re always right here, watching over me."

"Huh? I’ve been watching over you?" Yi Tianyun said awkwardly. "Um... Excuse me, Miss, but I’m really not your brother. I was just passing through. No one has been here for a very long time; I have no idea what the situation is either."

"Stop joking, Brother. You’re teasing me again." The woman leaped toward him, but perhaps because she had slept for so long, her body gave way and she stumbled, falling right into him.

Fortunately, Yi Tianyun’s reflexes were sharp, and he quickly caught her. "Are you all right?"

"I’m fine, Brother. Where are we going now?" the woman asked with a radiant smile, her blue eyes locking with his. To Yi Tianyun, it felt like gazing into a vast blue ocean. "Are we going home?"

"Miss... I’m really not your brother. You’ve mistaken me for someone else." Yi Tianyun helped her stand steady, then let go to avoid any misunderstanding.

"How could that be? You are my brother... Brother, you’re teasing me again..." As she tried to say more, her brow furrowed, and she clutched her head. "It hurts... my head hurts so much..."

"Miss, are you all right?" Yi Tianyun looked her over but was hesitant to go and support her. After all, it was improper for unrelated men and women to be so close. ’If she realizes I’m not her brother, she might just tear me limb from limb,’ he thought.

According to his Eye of Investigation, her cultivation was far from low—it had reached the terrifying fifth layer of the Core Formation Stage. This shocked him to his core. A woman who didn’t look much older than him, around the same age as his aunt, was actually at the Core Formation Stage!

"You... you’re not my brother..." the woman said in agony, clutching her head.

"Of course I’m not your brother. I’ve been telling you that from the start," Yi Tianyun said hastily.

"Then... who am I...?" The woman frowned, clutching her head as she sank to one knee. A piercing pain seemed to be radiating through her skull, becoming unbearable.

"Miss, you—" Yi Tianyun’s gaze fell upon the Ice Heaven Snow Lotus inside the crystal coffin. He quickly grabbed it and pressed it against her forehead. A faint, cool energy immediately flowed into her head.

The woman’s condition stabilized slightly. It was clear that having just woken up, her memories were in disarray.

"Thank you..." The woman steadied herself, holding the Ice Heaven Snow Lotus. She rose to her feet and took a light sniff of it, which seemed to stabilize her condition considerably. "I... I’m starting to remember. I am Ren Zhirou, and I’m from... from..."

She knit her brows tightly, but the rest of her memories refused to surface. The harder she tried to recall them, the more her head throbbed with pain.

"Remembering a little is a good start. Take your time with the rest," Yi Tianyun said reassuringly.

’At least she remembers her name. If she knew nothing at all, I really wouldn’t know what to do.’

"Brother, my head hurts so much..." Ren Zhirou collapsed into his arms, still clutching her head in pain. She had just clearly stated he wasn’t her brother, but here she was, calling him that again.

Yi Tianyun was speechless. He gently lifted her and placed her back in the crystal coffin. "Just lie here for a while. You just woke up, so your memories are a little jumbled."

Ren Zhirou nodded and lay back down. Inhaling the scent of the Ice Heaven Snow Lotus, she felt the pain subside a little.

Yi Tianyun didn’t leave. Instead, he chose to sit down nearby. A Spiritual Spring flowed into the chamber here. The design was quite ingenious; several channels had been carved around the room, allowing water from the Spiritual Spring to cover the entire area and fill it with dense Spiritual Power.

He took advantage of the situation and resumed absorbing Spiritual Power at a frantic pace. He couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste. ’I finally got five days in here, how can I squander this time? This is a golden opportunity to farm experience. If I miss it, who knows when I’ll get another chance.’

’This place is incredible. I can’t waste it. After I leave, I’ll have to ask how I can get back in here to absorb more...’

How could he pass up such a dense Spiritual Vein and the massive amount of experience it offered? The Spiritual Vein’s effects were relatively weak for Core Formation Stage experts, which was why it was suitable for Cultivators at the Spirit Pill Stage or below. But even if it was suitable for Spirit Pill Stage Cultivators, they couldn’t just absorb it wantonly. Reckless absorption would eventually cause it to run dry.

That was why the Star Pavilion strictly limited access to this place. Not just anyone could enter, and the time allowed was extremely limited; they didn’t dare grant any more. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

So, Yi Tianyun continued to absorb Spiritual Power while keeping an eye on Ren Zhirou. Fortunately, her condition was manageable. She gradually stabilized and no longer seemed to be in as much pain.

However, his time was almost up. Nearly five days had passed, and he would have to leave soon. He couldn’t just stay here forever.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long. Ren Zhirou sat up again and said, "Brother, I feel much better now. When are we going back?"

"Miss Ren, I’m really not your brother..." Yi Tianyun had explained this countless times, but she still insisted on thinking of him as her brother.

"Brother, you’re teasing me again..." Ren Zhirou said, treating his words as a joke just like before.

"Fine, I’m your brother..." Yi Tianyun felt like he was going insane. He could only nod and accept his fate. "In that case, do you remember where you live?"

"Where I live...? I don’t remember. Don’t you remember, Brother?" Ren Zhirou asked, looking puzzled.

’How the hell would I know!’

Yi Tianyun cursed inwardly. How could *he* possibly know? He quickly stood up and said, "How would I remember? Our time is almost up. Let’s leave here first."

Ren Zhirou nodded. She was feeling much better and climbed effortlessly out of the crystal coffin. With Yi Tianyun in the lead, they walked to the entrance. Just as he was about to head for the exit they had used to come in, Ren Zhirou asked, confused, "Brother, aren’t we supposed to exit this way?"

She pointed toward a pool of water nearby, looking at Yi Tianyun with a puzzled expression.

"We can get out through there?"

Yi Tianyun thought for a moment, then decided to trust Ren Zhirou’s words. He followed her and jumped into the pool. They swam through a passage and quickly reached the other side. When they emerged, they found themselves in a small pond completely outside the original area!

This little pond had not a trace of Spiritual Qi; it was just an ordinary pool of water. Beyond it was a small, unassuming bamboo grove. No wonder no one had ever discovered this secret passage—the location was quite remote.

’This means I can come back to absorb Spiritual Power whenever I want!’ Yi Tianyun was overjoyed. ’With this, I don’t even need to ask for permission to enter. I can just sneak in through here!’

’It’s not only way more convenient, but it’ll also save me a fortune... It’s just a little... dishonest.’