"I...forgot they exist." Shen Qingqiu rubs his forehead. "I remember being a ghost...I remember walking through the trees, walking and walking, for what felt like years...it felt like my head was going to split apart..." He winces, clutching his head hard enough to leave red marks where his fingertips rested.

"I've never felt pain like that before in my life," he finally sighs. "I'm lucky my golden core didn't crack right in half. Such a stupid move on my part...Hubris, your name is Shen Yuan."