Deviant: No Longer Human

Wang Xiao, in his mist form, regarded her with a quiet amusement.

He had seen that look before—many times, in fact.

The look of someone who was once untouchable, now brought low by forces they couldn\'t comprehend.

Infact, he found this looks quite charming to destroy.

He drifted closer, the swirling mist forming into a shadowy hand that reached out to caress her face.

Rustle....

The touch was cold, colder than anything she had ever felt, and it sent a shiver down her spine despite her best efforts to resist.

Her body betrayed her, a slight shudder running through her as the misty hand traced the curve of her cheek.

She clenched her jaw, her eyes never leaving his, even as her body trembled.

The unbreakable spirit within her refused to yield, even in the face of such overwhelming power.

Die, but not surrender was the one of the principles Xie Yuanqui lived by!

Wang Xiao\'s thoughts were far away, though.

His mind wasn\'t on the powerful sage before him, but on the mysteries of this world that had drawn him here in the first place.

He had no particular interest in Yolong Dou itself—it was the man they had found that piqued his curiosity.

That man, an anomaly, an outsider from another world... How had he come here?

Wang Xiao pondered this as he observed Xie Yuanqui\'s determined eyes.

The man wasn\'t a Transcendent like himself, nor did he possess the kind of power that should allow for such a journey.

And yet, he was here.

Even now, with all his knowledge and power, Wang Xiao could not simply step into another world with his physical body.

So how?

There were too many unanswered questions, too many things that didn\'t fit into the logical structure of power and reality as Wang Xiao understood it.

The weeping angels within the Graveyard of Gods, the anamoly of fountain of Knowledge...

None of these phenomena made sense, not even to him.

It was as though some force—something far beyond his comprehension—was at work, guiding events in ways that he could not predict or control.

Could there be a higher power, an unseen hand that governed these events?

Had the man been destined to come to this world, perhaps as part of some grand design that Wang Xiao was now interfering with?

The thought sent a ripple of uncertainty through him, something he was unaccustomed to feeling.

"Tell me..." Xie Yuanqui\'s voice broke through his reverie, drawing his attention back to the present.

She was glaring at him, her breath labored but her eyes still fierce. "What do you want from me? Why have you brought me here?"

Wang Xiao\'s misty form shifted, the red eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded her.

There was no immediate answer—only the cold silence of the mountain\'s depths and the distant echo of water dripping from unseen cracks in the stone.

He knew why he had taken her, though perhaps not in the way she expected.

Even though he admired her strength, she was able to achieve the strength of a Sage at twenty-eight.

"You are strong," Wang Xiao finally said, his voice a low, whispering hiss that seemed to come from all directions at once. "But your strength alone is not enough to grasp the truth of the world. There are forces in play that even you, in all your power, cannot hope to comprehend."

Xie Yuanqui\'s eyes widened slightly at his words, but she refused to show fear. "What truth? What are you talking about?"

Wang Xiao didn\'t answer directly.

Instead, the misty hand moved from her face to her neck, his touch as cold as death itself. "You will learn in time," he said cryptically. "For now, rest. Your world... your power... is but a small piece in a much larger puzzle."

With that, the swirling mist began to retract, leaving Xie Yuanqui alone in the cold darkness, her mind filled with questions and fears she couldn\'t suppress.

She tried to struggle against her bonds, but they held fast, unyielding to even her considerable strength.

The mountain fell silent once more, the storm outside having passed, leaving behind only the distant sound of thunder echoing through the peaks and the slow, deliberate breathing of Xie Yuanqui, who was left to ponder the terrifying encounter and what it might mean for her, her sect, and the very fabric of her world.

Xie Yuanqui hung in the darkness, the cold seeping into her bones, her body wracked with pain.

Despite the overwhelming situation, her mind unconciously drifted, reaching out for something, anything, to hold onto.

It was then that an unexpected face came to her mind.

It was him—the man she had once thought of as reliable. He was no warrior, no powerful cultivator, but he had always been there, steadfast and dependable.

In the shadow of her despair, she thought of him... the one who had managed the affairs of the sect with a calm, strategic mind.

But what good would that do her now?

He had no strength, no power that could match what she faced here.

She let out a soft, bitter laugh, the sound echoing weakly in the cavern. "What a foolish dream," she murmured to herself, "to think he could save me now."

Yet, as much as she tried to dismiss it, the thought lingered.

Despite everything, she found herself clinging to the hope that maybe, just maybe, he could find a way...

She imagined him coming for her, not with overwhelming force, but with the cleverness that had always surprised her..

He would think of something... wouldn\'t he?

But even as she allowed herself that fleeting hope, she knew it was impossible.

He was just a man with a strategic mind. He couldn\'t stand against a power like Wang Xiao\'s.

The idea of him rescuing her was absurd...

And yet...

She closed her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek, mingling with the cold sweat on her skin.

In that moment, she was forced to acknowledge weakness she had long denied.

For the first time, she felt truly alone, with no one to rely on but a hope she knew was futile.

But still, it lingered, a tiny spark in the dark.

Maybe, just maybe...

Exhaustion finally claimed her, and as she drifted into a restless sleep, she dreamed of him.

In the dream, he was there, standing before her, his hand outstretched to pull her from the darkness.

She reached for him, her heart aching with a need she had never known before...

But as her fingers brushed against his, the dream faded, leaving her alone in the cold darkness once more...