Pengxi has a place to mourn 1

As time flows by, it surges like a whirlpool, rolls like ocean waves, and cuts like a sharp knife...

Above Fengqin Mountain, golden light emanated from the vortex, which opened slightly again, releasing Huaiwen. She was not fully conscious; a thin, bubble-like membrane enveloped her.

The separated soul took the form of Huaiwen, appearing vaguely and lingering in the vortex, seemingly trapped inside.

Suddenly, things emerged from the vortex, disappearing and reappearing in an instant, as if playing hide-and-seek. The vortex began to shrink, and the golden light began to fade.

Bai Bumian stood below, his heart stirred by the sight. Just as he was about to make a move, a red shadow flashed by, followed by a burst of fire that shattered the closed door of the vortex, extracting the wandering souls. He then held Huaiwen securely in his arms and finally caught all those things that had been playing hide-and-seek.

The visitor was naturally Ling Shan Xuan Ye.

Just when Huaiwen was in dire straits, he stepped in to save him. Bai Bumian watched as he reinfused that wisp of soul into Huaiwen's body, pouring in his own immortal magic to awaken Huaiwen.

After a while, Huaiwen woke up with tears in her eyes. She saw herself lying in Xuan Ye's arms and saw the fear and terror in Xuan Ye's eyes. She couldn't help but raise her right hand, stroke Xuan Ye's face, and gently ask, "A Ling, you're still alive. That's good."

Upon hearing this cry, Xuan Ye was first shocked and surprised, then incredulous, and finally tears fell silently. He helped Huai Wen up, buried his head in Huai Wen's shoulder, and held him tightly in his arms. Missed opportunities and regrets, remorse and pain—all emotions merged together and erupted for the first time in three hundred years.

Huaiwen continued to comfort him until Xuan Ye's tears soaked his back, at which point Xuan Ye slowly stopped crying. After a long while, Xuan Ye's tight embrace loosened slightly, and Huaiwen, panting, laughed, "You're going to strangle me."

Startled, Xuan Ye quickly released Huai Wen and looked him over, asking, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Huaiwen smiled and shook his head: "Don't be nervous, I'm fine, I'm right here."

Hearing this, Xuan Ye's tense heart finally relaxed a little. He pulled Huai Wen into his arms again, this time much more gently. He wanted to confide his feelings to Huai Wen, but suddenly hesitated, and finally changed his words to, "A-Jun, please never leave me again."

First love is more dazzling than the stars; falling in love is the only expression of affection. When love runs deep, one is willing to face even the most arduous journeys. The years of longing and yearning are long, but for love to not be worn down by time is already a rare and precious thing.

Even though no music was playing on the organ mountain, Huaiwen felt as if there was singing and dancing everywhere. She wanted to respond boldly, but her worries about the future made her hesitate. She couldn't just give her heart away and then be irresponsible. But her heart was already overflowing with love, and she didn't want to go against her will.

Torn between these conflicting emotions, Huaiwen, reluctant to part, held Xuan Ye tightly. In the end, one side emerged victorious, and instead of words, she gently nuzzled Xuan Ye's neck.

The tingling sensation, the sudden stillness in his body, excited Xuan Ye. He wanted to devour Huai Wen, to make him completely his own. He released Huai Wen, wanting to kiss him, but he was afraid Huai Wen wouldn't like it, or that it would be too unexpected.

Xuan Ye gently placed a kiss on Bai Bumian's forehead, his eyes catching sight of someone else. He turned his head to look directly at Bai Bumian, his expression turning to disgust, a murderous rage emanating from him. Only when Huai Wen nudged him, signaling him to get up, did Xuan Ye withdraw his fierce gaze.

Bai Bumian looked at the two with a half-smile. When Huaiwen and Xuanye walked up to him, he said in a clear and melodious voice, "In life and death, we made a vow."

Xuan Ye and Huai Wen simply smiled at each other, and Bai Bumian asked again, "What are your plans now?"

Huaiwen surveyed Fengqin Mountain. By opening the entrance, they were bound to attract attention from all sides. Even if they closed the entrance after leaving, the world would begin to speculate whether Fulin had returned.

But she still has many questions and confusions.

Why did her master lose two strands of his soul?

Why did her master save her in this way?

Where did the cursed shackles on her body come from?

What exactly are those black clouds?

...

Too many questions remain. The most urgent matter for Huaiwen is to find her master and get the answers. Immediately, she instructed Bai Bumian to use his ghostly power to sense where her master was.

Bai Bumian nodded and began to exert his internal energy while standing still. After a while, he finally located him. He said to Huaiwen, "He is at Pengxi Lake."

Huaiwen and Xuanye were stunned.

That is the only place where the demon realm and the god realm coexist, and it is also a place of exile for the demon realm and the god realm. It is what the human realm calls a prison.

Why did Fulin go to the place of exile?

Although they didn't know what it meant, there was no time to explore it further, so the three of them hurried off.

Throughout the journey, Huaiwen could sense something fluctuating within her body, causing a dull ache in her chest. She gritted her teeth, pressed her acupoints to control the movement, and tried to prevent others from noticing.

When they arrived at the Broken Bridge Wharf of Pengxi Lake, they saw Canglun and Shi Yulu trying to cross the widened lake to reach the small island in the middle of the lake.

The two had boarded a small boat on the shore not long ago, and after rowing for only seven or eight meters from the lake, they suddenly found themselves unable to move. The lake's surface appeared calm and still, but a hidden danger lurked beneath.

The small boat was teetering on the brink of collapse. The two tried to get out, but found themselves trapped inside and unable to escape.

Upon seeing this, Huaiwen lifted his legs and flew from the shore to Pengxi Lake. He spread his arms, and the lake water around the small boat surged and rolled instantly.

No sooner said than done, Huaiwen lifted Canglun and Shi Yulu up and, with the small boat pulling them in the opposite direction, brought them to the shore.

As the three people left the boat, the lake began to calm down, and the boat drifted back to the shore on its own. Everything returned to normal.

Shi Yuluo and Cang Lun, panting, were about to step forward to greet and thank Huai Wen when they saw him turn around. Their eyes widened in surprise, and their legs seemed to be rooted to the ground.

When another face came into their view, their expression suddenly changed, they almost collapsed, their bodies stiffened involuntarily, and it felt as if a thousand pains were falling on them, which was frightening.

The person they suspected from the beginning, the person whose identity they repeatedly confirmed, and now the person who has finally confirmed their suspicions—this is the answer they least wanted.

The events of three hundred years ago were still vivid in their minds; bloodstains were still smeared on their faces, and the burning pain had lingered for a long time. Bloodshed and violence, slaughter and hatred, were etched into their memories.

Who would have thought that they would meet again in their original forms?

It was as if everything had returned to the very beginning, to their first encounter.

But none of this is real.

No one dared to approach and acknowledge them; in fact, they were afraid. The memory made them feel extremely uncomfortable and restless.

Only Huaiwen, with a smile of joy at a long-awaited reunion, stepped forward first: "Fellow Daoists, I am Ruan Shiyun. It is my first time meeting you. Shall we become friends?"

It was the cycle of Heaven and the rejuvenation of life that allowed them to see Huaiwen again.

Amidst the trembling and trembling, Cang Lun and Shi Yulu finally felt relieved after confirming Huai Wen's identity several times. However, upon catching a glimpse of Xuan Ye behind Huai Wen, their hearts sank once more.

After Huaiwen saw through it, he joked, "We really should be afraid of him. After all, we almost died because of him. But thankfully, we didn't die. What's even better is that he's with us now."

Cang Lun and Shi Yulu were struck by the truth. Their reunion three hundred years ago and three hundred years later was so similar. But then they thought it was ridiculous. How could that little apprentice have an extra demon by his side? They could only think of it as another coincidence.

When they first realized that Huaiwen was accompanied by a demon, they should have been more aware that this demon was no ordinary being, and Huaiwen was even more so. Were they intimidated by Lingshan Xuanye at the time? Or were they simply unwilling to face reality? That's why, before Xuanye revealed his true identity, they refused to believe that it was him.

Upon reflection, they realized how utterly ridiculous they had been.

Huaiwen is actually Ajun. They couldn't even recognize it.

That demon was Xuan Ye. They dared not doubt it.

Perhaps because the two of them had been hesitant and uneasy, Huaiwen thought of many things, sighed helplessly, rubbed his temples, and changed the subject: "What are you doing here?"

Canglun answered haltingly, "Find...find the True God of Fulin."

Huaiwen countered, "You knew he was here?"

Cang Lun and Shi Yulu exchanged another glance. This scene seemed familiar, and besides, Huai Wen was Ruan Shiyun, so they no longer needed to hide it.

Cang Lun explained that he was originally in Xicuo, where, following Fu Lin's instructions, he cleared away the black energy and settled the people and demons of Xicuo. Meanwhile, Shi Yuluo returned to the God Realm and learned of Fu Lin's whereabouts from the Heavenly Emperor, so she immediately came down to find him.

"Is all of this related to her master?" Huaiwen asked worriedly.

But then she thought again, speaking of the Heavenly Emperor, Huaiwen had met him.

Huaiwen only stayed at Fengqin Mountain for a few years and met the Heavenly Emperor once. That one meeting was unforgettable for Huaiwen.

At first glance, one would recognize him as a handsome man from the Three Realms; at second glance, he appears carefree and unrestrained in his conversation; at third glance, his eyes reveal the aura of a king, awe-inspiring and dignified.

The harmonies played in unison, their serene melody echoing for miles to enjoy. Such a spectacle is a once-in-a-millennium occurrence. Even more auspicious events unfolded for miles around, with the sky displaying a kaleidoscope of colors and a phoenix appearing amidst the clouds.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth converges on the harp, and withered trees seem to be rejuvenated by spring. One day of cultivation is equivalent to a hundred days of cultivation.

Even if Huaiwen did nothing that day, she felt as if she were being nourished by powerful spiritual energy, her whole body was light and strong, and she could travel 108,000 miles in one somersault.

In that case, not only Huaiwen, but everyone in the world is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Heavenly Emperor.

Such figures are self-evident. In the brief moment Huaiwen recalled, Xuan Ye's expression was not good; he looked up at the sky, his calmness frightening.

Bai Bumian urged everyone to act. Huaiwen came back to her senses, took a deep breath, and solemnly warned, "He is my master. If anything happens to him, you must not harm him."

The crowd's expressions darkened; they still couldn't let go of the memory of Bai Yuqi's sword strike.

Seeing the somber mood among the crowd, Huaiwen dropped her seriousness and analyzed, "This is the realm of demons and gods. Do you know how to get there?"

Shi Yulu sighed as she looked around, “I’ve heard of this place back in the God Realm. It was said to be a place of exile for demons and gods. The only way to get to the island in the lake is by that small boat. Just now, Canglun and I were on the small boat, but we were detained. Naturally, the small boat can no longer go there. I’m afraid that the True God Fulin did something to stop us from finding him.”

Cang Lun also looked towards the lake, his hand gripping the jade pendant at his waist, his eyes deep and thoughtful. Shi Yuluo noticed this and her mood soured as well.

"Since the small boats to the island in the lake are not feasible, can we fly there?" Bai Bumian asked.

"Who is he?" Shi Yulu asked, pointing at Bai Bumian.

Huaiwen replied, "I met the scholar when I was at the Temple of Humans and Demons. He currently has a wisp of my master's soul inside him."

Everyone was shocked once again; the series of messages was far beyond anything they had anticipated. Under the watchful eyes of Shi Yulu and the others, Bai Bumian smiled faintly, his demeanor remarkably similar to that of Fu Lin.

“Since you possess a wisp of Fu Lin’s soul, you should know what he has set up to prevent us from passing, and you should also know how we are to get there.” Xuan Ye stared at Bai Bumian and suddenly spoke.

Unlike Shi Yuluo and Cang Lun, Bai Bumian's face was not pale; it was rosy, and he smiled gently: "I don't know—"