Chapter 148 Everything is ready; some are leaving seclusion, others are causing trouble. ...
During his seclusion, the days passed quickly, and news of breakthroughs among his peers kept coming in.
The cultivation level requirement for the Grand Competition is at least the early Golden Core stage, with the early Nascent Soul stage as the maximum. If this period is divided into three phases, then Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen emerged from seclusion in the middle phase. The others emerged slightly later, one after another, in the later phase.
Upon hearing the news of the two women's emergence from seclusion, Tang Huairou flew over on her sword, intending to offer them a proper congratulation. While the path from Nascent Soul to Deity Transformation was arduous, it was only one realm apart. Moreover, Nascent Soul cultivators were capable of becoming pillars of mid-to-upper-tier sects in the cultivation world, and in the Taihui Sect, they were already elders. Her two junior sisters, having reached this level at such a young age, were not to be underestimated.
When she arrived at Frostblade Peak, she saw a tall, slender figure already waiting at the door before her.
"True Lord Mingji." Tang Huairou sheathed her sword and bowed to him. "My junior sisters should have emerged from seclusion today, right?"
Yan Xueya nodded. She scanned Tang Huairou with her divine sense and discovered that the young man had also broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and was now firmly at the peak of the minor realm, which was in preparation for participating in the Grand Card Competition.
"You've made a breakthrough too, not bad."
Tang Huairou shook her head and smiled, "Not as good as my junior sisters." She has been cultivating for over two hundred years now, and even though she is considered exceptionally talented among her peers, she pales in comparison to the two people in the room.
“No need to worry about it. The fact is that you have reached the Nascent Soul Realm now.” Yan Xueya said calmly. “Whether it is a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator who has been cultivating for less than ten years or a Golden Core cultivator with unlimited potential, they are no match for you now. You can easily kill them, and that is enough.”
Any genius, if they don't live to see the present, will perish.
Tang Huairou felt a chill run through her heart.
She spoke the most cruel words in the most indifferent tone, which was also the long-standing rule of the cultivation world. However, Yan Xueya's generation did live in what could be called a chaotic era. Outside the sect, life and death were preordained, opportunities had to be seized by hand, and there was no room for idle people but countless deaths.
Then the woman changed the subject: "Remember to send a message to your master; she should be very happy to hear that you have broken through to the next realm."
Tang Huairou nodded and responded with an "Okay." The doors of the two houses in front of her opened, and a familiar person emerged from within. Their clothes were brand new, a smile played on their lips, but their eyes held a stern expression. Noticing the visitor, Shen Lixia exclaimed joyfully, "Master!"
She hopped in two steps to Yan Xueya, raised her head and said, "I've broken through! Wasn't that fast? And my cultivation is stable; I didn't take any shortcuts."
Qiao Yanshen nodded slightly to Yan Xueya, then smiled and called out to Tang Huairou beside him, "Senior Sister Tang." She didn't seem to have changed much, except that her aura was more restrained and she was more composed due to the abundant spiritual power.
Yan Xueya ruffled Shen Lixia's hair and said, "Well done."
Beyond its use as a weapon, the bow obtained from the ancient kingdom also retained a portion of Hua Ying's divine consciousness, carrying much information from the past, including some cultivation techniques. Furthermore, with the divine fire shackles broken, Shen Lixia comprehended many things belonging to her former self. Having reincarnated once, these things remained familiar to her, and were the best and most suitable for her. Even her horsemanship improved.
"How are the others?" Qiao Yanshen asked.
Yan Xueya pondered for a moment, "I asked the others, and Lin Yuxian should be coming out of seclusion soon. She has already broken through to the Golden Core realm and said she wants to advance to the next minor realm; Lu Changqing should still be a step behind; as for Wu Zhuyue..."
She paused slightly, seemingly hesitant. Tang Huairou spoke up at the opportune moment: "Junior Sister Wu is still in seclusion, but her cultivation level dropped to the Foundation Establishment stage, and it will probably be difficult for her to recover. It all depends on herself." Breaking through a major realm in just a few years or a decade is probably very difficult for a young man who still has inner demons.
She didn't say the second half of her sentence, but the expressions on the faces of the two people in front of her were enough to show that they understood.
Then Shen Lixia smiled and said, "She can definitely do it."
Although she didn't know the root of Wu Zhuyue's inner demons, Shen Lixia could tell from the boy's gesture of holding her hand in the sunset that day that she must have made a choice.
If you can't choose what to give up, you'll end up with nothing. But once you decide what to give up, everything will fall into place naturally.
A gentle breeze caressed my face. Looking up, the sky was still clear, though fine snowflakes were drifting down.
-
The sound of soup bubbling and gurgling could be heard in my ears.
A warm, misty atmosphere enveloped the boy. He opened his eyes, revealing that his clothes weren't pristine white, but rather a faded and stiff cloth garment, barely warm enough to protect him from the chilly spring breeze. Several patches had been painstakingly sewn back together by her own hands. Wu Zhuyue raised her hand to touch them; the dense stitches and the rough texture sent ripples of warmth through her heart.
I sat up in bed. The man had already gotten up early to work. This was a village, not wealthy but enough to eat and wear. In winter, they could get through the cold by huddling together. When it was coldest, they would take out firewood and add it to the stove, making the fire burn very, very brightly.
Wu Zhuyue picked up her coat, put it on, and slipped on her shoes before leaving the room. Following the aroma, she walked to the stove and saw a pot of hot soup simmering. Inside were many yams and vegetable roots, cooked until slightly thickened. She scooped up a little, ignoring the heat, and tasted it before sighing.
Mother forgot to add salt again.
Salt was precious, so Wu Zhuyue gradually learned to taste even a pinch of it, and her sense of taste became more sensitive. She took a tiny bit from the salt shaker, sprinkled it into the soup, stirred it, and then put the lid back on.
Next came the laundry. With her mother busy making a living, she took care of the odd jobs at home. The village was generally peaceful; women could do many things and weren't confined to the home. It's fair to say that Wu Zhuyue only learned about the restrictions on working outside the village after she left, as if she had assumed that people of the other gender could do certain things better—a truly rotten idea.
After tending to the field, her mother would go to work as a laborer. Wu Zhuyue silently washed and chopped the other vegetables, then began rinsing the rice. She glanced casually out the window; the daylight was so bright that she couldn't see anything outside, only a blinding expanse of white light, flickering hazily.
This is her hometown, the home she lived with her mother. Like fallen leaves returning to their roots, if anything goes wrong in the future, she will return here first.
To be honest, I still don't know where those two senior sisters are from.
—Senior sister?
Wu Zhuyue paused, vague faces flashing through her mind, but she couldn't remember who they were. She was just a child of a few years old, never even having the chance to practice calligraphy in class, so how could there be any senior sister? Suddenly, a voice, muffled by the wind, rang in her ears:
"Look, now you can go and help them."
"Xiao Wu!"
A cheerful call interrupted her reverie. A woman with her black hair tied in a high bun walked in, still slightly sweaty. She quickly walked to Wu Zhuyue's side and hugged the girl.
Wu Zhuyue hugged her arm, lowered her eyes, smiled, and called out, "Mother." She felt that this embrace was warmer than ever before, as if she had lost it for a very long time and now finally regained it. However, it was like mist and reflection in water, touching it through a thin film, and it felt unreal.
The woman rested her chin on her head and said, "I heard that a merchant is coming to the village today. I'll go and see if there are any new and interesting snacks to bring back for you."
Throughout her childhood, her greatest anticipation was waiting for her mother to return. It wasn't just about seeing her; it was also about the unique surprise she would receive each day. Whether it was candy, a kite, a grasshopper, or even a flat stone that could splash water in the river, everything was a gift from her mother, a part of life's simple pleasures, and everything was precious.
The soup would simmer for a long time, almost like a stew. The fields were ready; next, they would go to the village, then to the town. Wu Zhuyue waved to the woman, watching her disappear around the corner. People often vanish like this, disappearing in the blink of an eye, like the sunset, its brilliant light fading in the blink of an eye. The boy stood at the doorway, staring intently at the spot where his mother had disappeared.
Smoke drifted away. Then came a bitter taste, like something burnt, or like wood burning.
Later, warmth disappeared, and famine forced them to leave, driving them to another place. On the way, they encountered bandits, and later, officials feared the refugees would contract disease…
The blood-stained, crystal-clear sugar cubes were stuffed into the palm of the hand, spreading into a sticky, stringy paste.
The medicine was very bitter, but not as pungent as the burning roof beams. The sweetness of sugar couldn't mask the taste of blood. When Wu Zhuyue crawled out from the pile of corpses, which reeked of blood, she still had the bloodstains from her last embrace of her mother on her body.
She didn't actually have a name. None of them did; they lived their lives uneventfully, with only one name to distinguish them, like "Xiao Wu," that was enough, nothing more. Since there were only two people in the family anyway, Wu Zhuyue knew that her mother was calling her whenever she said "Eh," or any other word.
Wu Zhuyue squatted down. Like a wounded little animal, she hugged her knees tightly and curled up into a ball.
"Mother," she whispered, but there was no response. The surrounding scenery dimmed, leaving only darkness.
She closed her eyes, her fingers clasped tightly against the back of her knees.
I miss you so much.
They've probably passed away long ago. There's no need to dwell on past lives; being born into a wealthy family and being able to decide one's own destiny is enough. The bond of being mother and daughter, earned through several lifetimes, has come to an end; these past experiences are best kept to oneself.
At that moment, someone reached out a hand to Wu Zhuyue. She looked up, and the white jade mask came into view even before her calm eyes.
Wu Zhuyue took her hand, and the world around them shifted again, turning to the years she and Si Liuhua had spent together. The young man's tenderness was not intense; compared to his mother, it was a polite form of care. Only the night he held her while she was ill did he slightly overstep his bounds.
Looking back now, Wu Zhuyue finally realized the subtlety of it all. In the flickering candlelight that night, she felt a fleeting, almost illusory, love emanating from Si Liuhua's trembling hand. The young man himself was unaware that a tenderness still lingered in her lifeless heart, looking through the boy's hazy eyes at another irretrievable period of time.
Wu Zhuyue didn't know who she was looking at, but she knew that it must be the person her master had been thinking about all this time.
But Si Liuhua seemed completely unaware of this. Just like Wu Zhuyue, who had never understood the concept of love, she only regarded it as the tenderness accumulated from spending time together.
The embers burned with a final warmth in that instant, something Wu Zhuyue would remember forever.
Then came the outstretched hand from the other side. There were many people, familiar faces, and leading them were the two senior sisters she had just thought of.
Memories collided at this moment, but unfortunately even her mother in her memories did not have the chance to see her many friends later in life. However, Wu Zhuyue would write letters to her every now and then, even though she could no longer send them.
Returning to the twilight of the recent grain distribution, the faces of the people below were as beautiful as flowers blooming joyfully in the twilight. Wu Zhuyue jumped down from the carriage and saw the child who had been holding his mother's sleeve let go and turn to face her.
The face she could barely remember was suddenly filled in by her own young face, even the patches on her burlap clothes were identical. Wu Zhuyue lowered her head, meeting the boy's innocent and clear eyes, and saw the stains and blood mixed on her face, tears falling drop by drop.
This is her inner demon.
Whether it was sacrifice or choice, I never did it in the past; I was just pushed forward, constantly moving in a direction designated by someone else.
Even if she doesn't make a choice, someone else will make one for her, and it will never be the one Wu Zhuyue wants.
Wu Zhuyue squatted down, kneeling on one knee, and said gently, "Don't cry."
Despite saying this, she didn't raise her hand to wipe the boy's tears.
After a long silence, the young child sobbed as he wiped the tears from his face.
Wu Zhuyue nodded and said, "Very good."
She paused, recalling how her senior classmates had treated her in the past, and then patiently asked, "Do you want to go out?"
"Yes," the boy answered quickly this time, "I want to go out."
“Then you can’t stay in this dream anymore. Make a choice,” Wu Zhuyue said. “Your mother is not here, and your master may leave you too. You can’t stay here any longer, not knowing what you will face in the future.”
The boy hesitated. She hugged her knees, curled up again, and whispered, "If I go out and don't do well, I'll still regret it."
“Then you can stay here, we’ll go together,” Wu Zhuyue said earnestly.
They remained silent in the darkness, unaware of how much time had passed, nor of how much time had passed in the outside world.
Suddenly, a cracking sound came from the side, causing the two of them to look up.
Several cracks appeared in the barrier, and the sect's protective formation vanished in an instant. A commotion arose, followed by a chaotic clash of swords. The clatter of many people running about indicated that someone had invaded the sect's territory, bringing a catastrophe that could be described as annihilation.
Just like she had seen in the Broken Water Sect.
Amidst the cries and wails, some familiar, some unfamiliar, the two remained rooted to the spot until all commotion subsided, leaving only deathly silence. Blood flowed everywhere, soaking the steps and path they had traversed.
"It's over." Wu Zhuyue looked up, and the shocking scene came into view. "Thanks to you, the formation was broken, and most of Taihui's disciples have now become part of the constellation."
The boy opposite her suddenly trembled. She raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and looked at Wu Zhuyue, saying in a hoarse voice, "I don't want this kind of ending."
“Then make a choice.” Wu Zhuyue lowered her eyes. “Otherwise, if Master writes to you again to persuade you, you will still continue to do it in order not to disappoint her.”
"Must I abandon my master?"
"No, perhaps one day we can find another way to repair the constellation? You just... might disappoint her once, that's all."
The boy bit his lip. "I don't want to disappoint my master... nor do I want to disappoint anyone."
I don't want to see my fellow disciples die.
Wu Zhuyue sighed and took another step closer to her.
“You don’t have to think like that. No one is perfect in this world. Our teachers have taught us that we don’t need to dwell on the past or wallow in self-pity. If you want to decide your own destiny, you can’t be unable to give up anything. You are my inner demon, but I don’t want to kill you—that won’t work. I want to make peace with you.”
She opened her arms and gently hugged the boy.
“We will definitely do better than we are now, and become Master’s pride again. I have always felt inferior because of the past, and you have been trapped for far too long. So… I want to tell you that maybe you can move forward. Mother has left, and may have already lived her own next life. You just need to remember her. Even if you fail Master’s expectations now, it’s not a bad thing… at least, it’s better than exchanging your senior sisters’ lives for them. You care about them, so don’t stand by and watch.”
That's enough. Many people have died before her eyes in the past, and now that she finally has the chance to change things, she probably doesn't want to watch anymore.
As she spoke, Wu Zhuyue took a piece of candy from her pocket and carefully fed it to the boy's lips. The boy hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth and bit into the candy.
"Look, the sugar is just sweet, right? It doesn't taste like blood anymore."
The boy bit into the candy hard, nodded emphatically, and asked, "Do you want to go out?"
Wu Zhuyue replied without hesitation, "Yes."
She summoned her long sword and presented it to the young man with both hands. This sword was a gift from Si Liuhua, named Minghong. It was said to be made in the style of an ancient sword, a deadly blade that could destroy both jade and stone.
The boy gripped the hilt of the sword, and Wu Zhuyue joined him, her fingers resting on the back of his hand. Their figures gradually merged, and they swung their swords into the void, bringing them down with chilling force.
The sword light flickered, and the black mist dissipated. As the illusion finally collapsed, a boy's soft voice echoed in her ears: "Thank you, and thank you to them too."
"The sugar is sweet... very sweet."
Hearing the familiar cicada song again, Wu Zhuyue opened her eyes, her clothes soaked with sweat. Lying on the ground, she suddenly felt a familiar spiritual energy surrounding her.
It is Yi Xiaohan.
Just as she was caught in the tribulation of inner demons, the tribulation of lightning also arrived. Her teacher had probably been guarding outside her room since he came into seclusion, waiting for this moment to come.
Therefore, when the heavenly tribulation descends, she can wield her sword and join forces to cut through the layers of lightning, allowing the other party to concentrate on overcoming their inner demons.
Ignoring her still aching body, Wu Zhuyue quickly got up, pushed open the door, and walked out. She had barely taken a step when she heard a familiar voice:
"See? I told you she could do it! Give me the spirit stones!"
It is Shen Lixia.
"Being too hasty is dangerous, but her breakthrough seems quite solid." Someone breathed a sigh of relief. "One hundred spirit stones, right?"
Immediately afterward, someone rushed towards Wu Zhuyue and instantly buried themselves in her arms. Wu Zhuyue reached out and held her firmly.
Lu Changqing hugged Wu Zhuyue tightly, then shook her shoulders excitedly and asked, "Did you break through?"
Wu Zhuyue nodded, "Mm."
"Great! We can participate in the competition together!" Lu Changqing cheered. "I knew Xiao Wu wouldn't go back on his word. I've finally caught up with you!"
Wu Zhuyue smiled. Looking into the other person's bright eyes, she said softly, "Yes, we can participate together."
The senior and junior female students next to them also came over, and several elders stood to the side with their arms crossed, watching them with smiles.
Yi Xiaohan turned his head, winked at her, and gave her a "good" gesture.
-
The Sixth Domain, another peripheral area.
The Wuji Sword Sect is located on a high peak, secluded and cold. Whenever the weather turns cold, it will first be covered in light snow.
The grand competition is being held at Emperor Taihui's residence, and the appointed date is fast approaching. Early this morning, many disciples, all at the Golden Core to early Nascent Soul stages, gathered on Heavenly Sword Peak, bustling about, waiting to depart. The young people gathered in their own groups, eagerly discussing the relevant matters.
The elders wouldn't be going to keep their appointment for a while, so the senior sister led the group. It had been quite some time since Yue Qifeng and Yun Zhixiao formed their bond, and during that time they had both been busy with their own affairs in the sect, only occasionally meeting to spend a few days together.
"I wonder if we'll get to see Senior Sister Yun on stage this time..." one of the students started to say.
"Didn't they meet by chance in a battle?" another replied. "I heard that they were both only at the Foundation Establishment stage at the time, fighting over a monster material."
"I know that! They fought to a draw, and then went to hunt another one, right?"
"So I want to see them as rivals, given their current relationship!"
As they were discussing, someone arrived on a sword and hovered in the air.
"Is everything ready?"
Upon hearing the voice from above, everyone fell silent instantly, then exclaimed in unison, "Alright!"
Yue Qifeng smiled and nodded, carefully checking the students below before quickly counting them all. She lifted her robe, sat cross-legged on her sword, and said in a deep voice, "Among you, some have participated in the Grand Competition before, while many are participating for the first time. Next, I will explain the matters concerning the Grand Competition to you, as well as the unique principles of our Wuji Sword Sect. Please listen carefully and refrain from doing anything during the Grand Competition that would damage the integrity of us sword cultivators."
The students below answered "Yes" in unison, and Yue Qifeng began to speak slowly. At this moment, a warm current spread from her heart, and she heard someone speaking to her through the contract, urging her to hurry up.
The young man smiled helplessly, paused for a moment, and then said in a low voice, "Ah Xiao, I'll be right there. I still have some things to say to these children, so please wait for me a little longer."
A languid voice echoed in her consciousness: "You talk the most."
In fact, Yun Zhixiao also had disciples to mentor, but the cultivators of Xihe Palace, who were devoted to Lingguang Divine Lord and mostly possessed fire spiritual roots, were proud and aloof, unwilling to go to Taihui Sect too early, and all wanted to stay a little longer. So Yun Zhixiao accompanied Yue Qifeng first, and simply left the task of mentoring disciples to the other elders.
"I wonder if we'll run into those children of Emperor Taihui in this competition." Yue Qifeng didn't comment on her previous statement, but simply smiled and changed the subject. She had now reached the Nascent Soul stage, and her divine sense could be used in two ways. On one hand, she was communicating with Yun Zhixiao through divine sense, and on the other hand, she was still slowly explaining the rules.
"If we were to encounter them, that would be interesting. However, given how short the time has been, they should still be at the Golden Core stage."
-
The Demon Realm is desolate all day long.
The dark red, parched soil looked as if it had been soaked in blood, and the sky was tinged with a gloomy hue. Demonic energy had become part of the air, so this place was also shrouded in a repulsive layer of darkness that blotted out the sun.
In the deep, dark cave, a man held an unconscious young woman in his arms, gently laid her down, and leaned her against the stone wall.
His wounds had healed, leaving only bloodstains. Si Changxi's eyes were closed, but his brows were still furrowed, as if he were trapped in a nightmare.
Wiping the blood from the corner of her lips and smoothing her furrowed brow, Si Liuhua withdrew her hand and quietly gazed at Si Changxi. Moonlight still shone through the cracks in the ceiling, casting slivers of light upon Si Changxi.
I've grown up.
This was the first time I'd seen her face so closely. My gaze traced her eyebrows and eyes along her stray hairs; the corners of her eyes were tinged with a faint bluish-gray, making her look somewhat haggard.
I've seen those eyes cry. The Garan people grow slowly; even at twenty, they look like sixteen-year-old boys, and they'd shed tears over trivial matters. Their sense of pain dulls along with their emotions; when their enemies came to kill them, she only realized she was injured from Si Changxi's suppressed, panicked sobs. The boy still felt she was in pain, still treated her like an ordinary person, his hands damp with cold sweat, softly calling "Sister," as he bandaged Si Liuhua with a fine cloth. He applied medicine, pressed it tightly, wrapped it, and tied a knot, making it look like a butterfly, tightly binding his sister's body.
I've also seen those eyes smiling. Unlike myself, who has lost all love and hate, sunlight falling into her eyes revealed a faint, bluish-green hue beneath the darkness, blending into her golden pupils. At those times, Si Changxi would smile, her eyes narrowing, like a young animal overjoyed and oblivious to everything. Furthermore, I've also seen her sad, even the most subtle emotional shifts, observing them all intently and remembering them.
She wasn't sleeping peacefully at this moment, but was utterly exhausted and could no longer suppress the overflowing sadness. So even though her brows were rubbed smooth, she still bit her lip tightly.
Si Liuhua's fingertips landed on the corner of her eye, touching her downy eyelashes, and rested on her thin skin, feeling the warm and soft crystals on her back.
Even though she had lost all her emotions, she felt an almost greedy impulse at that moment—to see once more those loving eyes gazing at her.
After all, those were the eyes she had never forgotten since the moment they opened their eyes.
The only sound in the darkness was the dripping of water.
After a long while, the young woman sighed softly. Behind her, a massive figure gradually materialized, with a single, gleaming golden eye on its forehead and numerous sword scars on its body. In a moment, it solidified and lay around Si Liuhua, shrinking back slightly when it saw Si Changxi.
“Nine Yin.” Si Liuhua turned her head and called out the creature’s name. “So she went back after all, didn’t she?”
Her voice was light and airy, without any intention of asking a question. Jiuyin lowered her head, seemingly feeling very guilty, and responded softly.
Si Liuhua shook her head. "I'm not blaming you. After all, I told you not to hurt her, just to stop her. It seems she's made up her mind to risk her life for the truth."
She gestured for Jiuyin to leave first, then knelt before Si Changxi.
"How come I can never stop you?" Si Liuhua lowered her eyes, as if remembering something, and smiled slightly.
"You probably don't remember, but when I was eight... I wasn't strong enough, so I told you not to leave my side for even a moment. But the moment I turned around, you disappeared." She spoke slowly, her tone gentle and tender in the silent night. "I searched for you for so long, but luckily we were bound by a divine bond, which allowed me to find you. It turns out you just wanted to pick a bouquet of flowers..."
A bouquet of flowers that "fits my sister perfectly".
Even after sending the boy to the sect and personally erasing all records related to the Garan people in the human realm except for the snowfield, Si Changxi still followed in Si Liuhua's footsteps, breaking all established peace, and came before her. She was determined to find her, never afraid of any obstacles in the way.
"Chang Xi, why won't you just follow the path I've laid out for you?" Si Liuhua lowered her head and buried it in the young man's shoulder.
It's very warm.
It was as if her soul had never truly left, but had merely resided within Si Changxi, forever curled up in the bond they were born with, and with her returning to her side once more, her soul was complete again.
She is all of Si Liuhua's love, all of his sorrow... everything, her everything.
In a throbbing, almost delusional sensation, Si Liuhua only wanted to raise her hand and hold Si Changxi tightly. But she knew that if she did that, she would never let go again.
After a long silence, Si Liuhua lowered her raised arms and cupped Si Changxi's face in her hands, pressing her forehead against hers.
A faint golden mark lit up between their touching foreheads, and countless fragments of memories flowed through them.
“If you insist on seeing it, then see it all,” Si Liuhua said softly. “After all, how can you know how tragic the scene is just by reading the words? I know you won’t waver in your determination to kill me because of this; you have always been a more resolute child than anyone else.”
Therefore, even knowing her past, one would not feel any extra pity. Otherwise, Si Changxi would not have relentlessly pursued her for so long based solely on a memory that existed only between them, a memory so lonely that it was almost impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood.
She believed in Si Changxi.
After the mark faded, Si Liuhua leaned down and gently kissed Si Changxi's forehead, just like the way they used to do before bed when the other was still young.
Sweet dreams.
She stood up and heard footsteps behind her, but ignored them until the other person spoke first.
“You were more interesting back then.” As the moonlight grew brighter, a person came around from behind and spoke to Si Liuhua with a smile. She wore slightly damaged armor, her black hair was tied in a low ponytail, her face was gentle, and her eyes were like gems filled with bright red blood.
Si Liuhua said calmly, "It seems you are ready."
“No, you didn’t even ask how long I’ve been listening?” The woman raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms, and leaned against the stone wall. “‘Have a good dream,’ you showed her the scene of the massacre that day, and you still say that? I never thought you were such a hypocrite, Si Liuhua.”
Most people would have been annoyed by her sharp tone, but Si Liuhua remained calm and didn't even glance at her.
"The demonic energy here is dense, and she lacks a magic artifact to purify her mind, making it difficult for her to use her spiritual power. In addition, she is under the influence of the Nightmare Spell; if no one disturbs her, she will only wake up when I actively break the spell. Please send someone to keep an eye out; the sect over there should send someone to look for her."
"Unless someone is insane, no one would come to the Demon Realm looking for someone." The woman curled her lip. "You control freak, do you have to make her life go according to your ideas?"
"......"
Si Liuhua selectively ignored some of her words and said, "The Grand Competition is approaching, and I have already deactivated the Demon-Detecting Array. I probably can't entrust all the other arrays to the disciple I sent into them, so I'll have to trouble you to deactivate them then. I'll write down the spells and give them to you."
Let's not pressure Wu Zhuyue anymore.
"I understand," the woman replied casually, then glanced at Si Changxi. "So how long will she be unconscious?"
“Until everything settles down,” Si Liuhua said.
When Si Changxi realizes that everything has passed, or even ceases to exist, she will no longer be able to change anything, and perhaps then she can begin a new life.
Perhaps, it's possible to completely forget oneself.
The woman's lips curled up as she smiled and said, "To let her sleep for a thousand years without regard for her wishes, until everything is settled—you remind me of someone."
Ignoring Si Liuhua's lack of response, she continued talking to herself, "You two are very similar. She also made someone wait like this for thousands, thousands of years, sleeping in the deep sea until they were forgotten. Do you know how it ended?"
The woman slowly approached Si Liuhua, bringing with her a strong stench of blood. The young man in white raised his eyes and coldly met her gaze.
"She will hate you."
Si Liuhua turned her gaze away, giving the weak young man a faint glance, her voice completely devoid of emotion.
“She has hated me to the core for a long time,” she said softly. “Always.”
That would be best.
Seemingly finally bored, the woman stepped back and said, "I might as well return your soul fragment to you. When you offered it up to me to protect her, you even bowed your head and begged!" After saying that, she seemed very angry, quickly walked out of the cave, and casually waved her hand.
The dark demonic energy gathered like thick ink, instantly engulfing the area. Then, figures materialized and emerged from the demonic energy. These people had no faces or features until the woman raised her hand and divided the crimson light into strands that entered their bodies. Only then did the mist gradually resemble people, acquiring faces and clothing.
Their uniforms varied, some belonging to the Taihui Sect, others to the Wuji Sword Sect, Xihe Palace, or other sects. At this moment, they were expressionless, like numerous dolls, numb and indifferent, appearing particularly eerie.
A rough count revealed about a hundred people. The woman nodded slightly, then turned her head to look behind her.
Above the vast Demon Realm, countless eerie black mists hung densely, obscuring the sky.
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The author's note: The feel of the controls is not good.
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