Glimmer of the Past, Glow of the Present
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Scene 1 — The Memory of a Mother
The night deepened over the Lin residence, wrapping the compound in a cool, hushed stillness. Only the faint glow of the moon managed to slip through the wooden window slats, brushing across Lin Xian's profile like strands of silver.
He had already finished stabilizing his cultivation. His breathing was steady, his meridians calm, his divine sense serene — yet his mind refused to rest.
Silence pressed around him as he sat alone at the old wooden table in the corner of his room. With slow, deliberate movements, he loosened the cord around his neck and lifted the small jade pendant resting against his chest.
One of the few things left behind by this body's past.
The jade was smooth, cool to the touch, and still carried a lingering fragrance — something floral, warm… gentle. It was the kind of scent that lingered long after a mother embraced her child.
His fingers brushed it lightly.
And memories that weren't entirely his began surfacing.
A soft voice calling after a small boy:
"Xian'er, don't run too far! You'll catch a cold again!"
A woman's laughter, bright like sunlight breaking through clouds.
Warm hands patting his head after he tripped over a pebble.
Medicine soup cooling by the window.
A lullaby hummed under starlight.
Stories whispered during stormy nights.
So vivid.
So distant.
So painfully unfamiliar to a man who spent lifetimes amidst death and war.
Lin Xian's expression softened.
For the once-Heavenly King of Nirvana, memories of warmth were far rarer than battles and bloodshed.
"This body's mother…" he murmured, closing his eyes. "She truly loved him. Loved me."
Her image was faint in the inherited memories — soft hair, tired yet gentle eyes, a smile that could warm an entire courtyard. Then, slowly, it blurred. Haze swallowed it. Silence covered it.
Her disappearance.
The unanswered questions.
His father's refusal to speak of it.
The loneliness that shaped the original Lin Xian into a withdrawn, cold-natured youth.
Lin Xian exhaled slowly, the breath carrying a weight he couldn't name.
"In my previous life, I never knew a mother's love. And in this one… I inherit a warmth I've never earned."
His fingers curled slightly around the pendant.
"But this time… I'll uncover the truth. I'll find what happened to her. I owe this body that much."
The faintest light of dawn began to seep into the room, painting the walls in pale gold. Lin Xian set the pendant down with a gentle reverence.
"Mother…" he whispered, eyes sharp with quiet resolve. "If your soul lingers somewhere… know that your son is no longer helpless."
He rose and turned toward the courtyard outside.
The morning felt colder.
Yet, in his chest, something glimmered warmer than any sunlight.
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Scene 2 — The Glowing Cat of Cultivation
Morning sunlight crept into the room, scattering across the floor. Birds chirped from the rooftops. A breeze carried the scent of congee and steamed buns from the main hall.
Lin Xian stretched lightly after finishing his dawn meditation.
"Hm… feels calm today."
Then he froze.
The air around his bed was… shimmering.
A bright golden radiance pulsed around the tiny figure sprawled lazily on his blanket — Xiao Jin.
The kitten wasn't just glowing.
He was blinding, like a miniature sun compressed into a fluffy feline body. His fur stood on end, golden strands crackling with spiritual energy. The swirling Qi around him was so intense it made the curtains dance and sent teacups clattering across the table.
Lin Xian stared blankly.
"…You've got to be joking."
A second later—
BOOM.
A gentle but forceful surge of Qi exploded outward, sending scrolls rolling and knocking a wooden stool over. Immediately after, the light vanished as if it had never existed.
The kitten yawned.
Loudly.
Then blinked at him with wide, innocent eyes and let out the softest "mew~," completely unfazed.
Lin Xian rubbed his temples.
"…Don't tell me—"
He extended his spiritual sense.
A surge of fresh, vigorous Qi filled the air, swirling around the kitten like a warm aura.
His breath caught.
"You… broke through?"
Xiao Jin licked his paw, unimpressed by the revelation.
Lin Xian's expression twitched.
"What the hell? Spirit Foundation Realm?!"
He pointed at the kitten, incredulous.
"I fought beasts, nearly got buried alive, risked half my lifespan—while you—"
He jabbed a finger toward Xiao Jin, who was now rolling lazily across the blanket like a fluffy dumpling.
"—you just sleep your way to a breakthrough?!"
Xiao Jin rolled once more and curled into a ball, letting out a smug, vibrating "mrrrr~," as if basking in its own brilliance.
Lin Xian stared at the ceiling.
"…Am I cultivating wrong?"
The kitten's tail swished slowly, glowing faintly again before it curled deeper into slumber, apparently too exhausted from its "hard work."
Lin Xian finally sighed, helpless and half amused.
"Fine. I accept it. My pet is more talented than half the sects in the region."
He grabbed his outer robe, glancing at the proud little creature.
"At this rate, I'll have to call you Senior Jin."
The kitten meowed triumphantly, clearly pleased with the promotion.
Lin Xian shook his head, a rare smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Alright, Senior Jin… let me prepare breakfast. You've earned it."
The kitten purred, as if approving his decision.
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Scene 3 — A Strange Aura
Just as Lin Xian walked toward the door, he paused midstep.
Something… felt off.
The residual Qi Xiao Jin released during his breakthrough still lingered faintly, but when Lin Xian focused deeper, a chilling realization struck him.
This wasn't ordinary Spirit Qi.
It carried an ancient pulse — rhythmic, boundless, and wild. Like the beating heart of a forgotten era.
Lin Xian's expression darkened.
"…This aura…"
He extended his divine sense fully, tracing every thread of the lingering energy.
"Primordial Qi?"
Impossible.
He had felt this once before — in the corpse of the Void Beast in the Cave of Whispers, where forbidden powers lingered like scars in the air.
But how could a little kitten hold such a thing within its body?
He looked toward Xiao Jin, now curled into a peaceful golden fluffball, dreaming happily with his paws twitching.
A storm brewed behind Lin Xian's eyes.
"Void Qi… Primordial Qi… appearing again in this sealed realm."
His voice lowered, almost a whisper.
"This world's balance is shifting. Something is awakening beneath it all."
He stood there for a moment, watching the kitten's gentle breathing.
Then he slowly turned toward the brightening horizon.
"And this time…"
His gaze sharpened like a blade of dawn.
"…I'll be ready."
Behind him, Xiao Jin let out a sleepy, approving "mew~," as if promising to nap through whatever apocalypse arrived.