I alone am the Honoured One!

"What did you do to me? You.. branded a seal on my soul?"

Eleanor asked but there was no hostility in her tone, it was just emotionless.

Zhao Tian who was lying on Xia Shenyi's lap turned to look at the soul shard and the other two were also intrigued to see the white energy.

Slowly shifting his body, Zhao Tian spoke "Ugh, you are my arch nemesis... how can I let you run amok like that? So, I thought of keeping you beside me, so you won't cause me any problems."

My Liege's arch nemesis? Shi Yixian's gaze squinted and gripped the sword tightly as she got ready to attack whenever at Zhao Tian's command.

Xia Shenyi, on the other hand, raised a curious eyebrow. 'Nemesis' She exchanged a glance with Zhao Tian but remained silent, her hand continuing to gently stroke his hair, which was matted with dried blood.

"I'm just being cautious," he explained, his voice a little softer now. "Honestly, I wasn't sure if the black tattoo would even work on you."

He glanced at the faint dark tattoo etched into the space around Eleanor's shimmering form, a soul-seal that bound her to him. "But I'm glad it did."

Hearing Zhao Tian's words, Eleanor stayed silent for a moment and replied "Is this artifact created by the first Honoured One and with you as the artifact's master.. it brands others under you, as your slaves?"

Zhao Tian gave a faint nod "You are quick on things.. that's how it is."

Xia Shenyi and Shi Yixian were quite confused as the new energy was casually talking about the first Honoured One.

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Eleanor glanced around the small world she is in right now "I can't see anyone other than Honoured One creating an artifact like this..."

She then looked at Zhao Tian and muttered in her usual emotionless tone "I am not angry at you for using cheap tricks on me."

"I am grateful for helping me get out of there... and I am not going to betray you or something, so I don't mind having that slave seal on me."

Zhao Tian watched her quietly, surprised by her lack of resistance. He had expected at least some form of protest or bitterness, but there was nothing.

She was entirely unreadable, a hollow shell bound by a deal they had both reluctantly agreed to.

"I just hope," Eleanor continued, "that you'll stick to your part of the deal."

Before Zhao Tian could respond, a sudden rush of footsteps caught their attention. Fei Ziyu and Fei Lingxi, breathless from running, skidded to a stop beside Zhao Tian, their eyes wide with panic.

"Master!" they cried in unison, kneeling beside him with concern etched across their faces. Their gazes flickered from his torn and bloodied clothes to the bruises that covered his body.

Zhao Tian shook his head gently "I am fine... don't worry about me."

Fei Ziyu and Fei Lingxi exchanged worried glances, but they didn't press him further. They could see how exhausted he was, and they knew better not to push him for explanations now.

With a quiet sigh, Zhao Tian turned his attention back to Eleanor. "What kind of shelter do you need? Is a separate room enough for you?"

Eleanor gave a nod and replied "Yes... I just need a separate space to regain my soul energy."

Hearing this, Zhao Tian glanced at Shi Yixian "Yixian.. show her one of the rooms in the mansion."

"Yes, My Liege..."

Eleanor's form drifted away silently, following Shi Yixian without protest, her white energy dimming as she faded from view.

As Eleanor and Shi Yixian left, Zhao Tian took a soft breath and closed his eyes as a mumble escaped his lips "I will explain everything later, Shenyi..."

"And don't worry, there are no injuries in my body... I have already healed them. I am perfectly alright... I just need some rest..."

Gently, she ran her fingers through his white hair, untangling the strands that were matted with blood and dirt.

Her touch was light, and tender, as if afraid she might hurt him further.

"You don't have to explain anything right now, Tian," she whispered, her voice filled with affection and concern.

"Just rest. That's all that matters."

....

Meanwhile, Eleanor followed Shi Yixian into the mansion.

The corridors were quiet, the soft padding of her footsteps the only sound breaking the silence.

Shi Yixian remained stoic, her hand never straying far from the hilt of her sword, still wary of the white energy floating beside her.

Finally, they arrived at a secluded room near the back of the mansion. Shi Yixian opened the door and stepped aside, gesturing for Eleanor to enter.

"This will be your space. You can regain your strength here. But remember," her voice turned cold, "if you make a move against my Liege, I won't hesitate to act."

Eleanor's form hovered in the doorway, her flickering energy casting a glow in the room and she made no response to the threat, merely floating into the room without a word.

As the door closed behind her, Shi Yixian stood there for a moment, her eyes narrowing before she finally turned and walked away, leaving Eleanor in her silent room.

Eleanor floated there in the stillness, her energy barely flickering as she began to settle into the space. For the first time in eons, she was free of the rupture.

'I can't get other fragments of my soul... since the Honoured One refused to help me... well, it is to be expected.'

'So for now, I shall try to recover my lost soul energy...'

...

In the bathing space, Zhao Tian is sitting on a small stool with a towel on his waist as Xia Shenyi and Shi Yixin, both naked, clean the blood and dirt from his body.

Xia Shenyi rubbed his skin with her delicate hands as she leaned forward placing a kiss on his cheek "What kind of problem did you get yourself into this time?"

"Weren't you traveling to Jade Eclipse Star on your way? Did you stop on some other star?"

Zhao Tian smiled dryly as he began to speak...

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