While in a coma, Nian Wanzhou kept having the same dream—Zhao Zhishan was slashed in front of her, finally cut in two, and died in her arms.
Then, a series of warm embraces woke her up from her dream, but she fell into a coma again.
She only stopped dreaming when that familiar voice and embrace appeared.
It was Wei Wenru's embrace and her comforting voice that finally pulled Nian Wanzhou out of that dream. She was acutely aware that it was both a dream and something that had actually happened in reality.
But she was never able to come to her senses and face the truth of the matter.
During the two months she was in a coma, she finally witnessed the arrival of Xiao Tiandao.
"Aren't you willing to wake up?" Xiao Tiandao appeared in the empty space and spoke to Nian Wanzhou, whose soul had been called out and was no longer a small ball.
After hearing this, Nian Wanzhou looked up, her eyes bloodshot and swollen, her face streaked with tears. She looked as if she had experienced some immense pain.
"Why won't I wake up? Don't you know?" Nian Wanzhou said quietly, without even glancing at Xiao Tiandao. "I don't blame you. I just can't understand why we couldn't save him."
“This time I failed to control the situation and caused you to get hurt. As for your senior brother, I have checked his fate, and it was meant to be this way.” Xiao Tiandao came to her side and patted her head.
"Originally, I planned to let you all leave safely and unscathed, but I didn't expect that the black mist would actually find someone in the Tribulation Transcending stage to help him cause trouble."
It wasn't targeting the Chosen One; its true intention was you. It wanted to damage your resolve, to make you doubt yourself, and ultimately abandon your mission. If it had only been that initial minor enemy, you might not have been so badly injured, but your senior brother...
Even if he hadn't been killed by the black mist, he would have died a gruesome death at the hands of his opponents; the black mist controlled more than just one or two people. It's just that in the end, his fate took a different, more tragic turn. I can't change that fate.”
Nian Wanzhou then raised her head and looked at Xiao Tiandao, who had turned into a seven or eight-year-old child, with a sense of unfamiliarity.
"How come you... have grown up?"
"Look at yourself," Xiao Tiandao gestured for her to look at herself.
After hearing this, Nian Wanzhou looked down at her own body and realized that she had grown up and looked like a teenager, at least fifteen years old.
“You’ve grown up, and I have to change along with you. This means you’ve driven the first step in the development of this world,” Xiao Tiandao said calmly, standing there with his hands behind his back.
Nian Wanzhou was taken aback, then realized: "You mean, my defeat of the black mist this time, and the death of my third senior brother, is what pushes things forward?"
"Yes, that's true. As for what will happen next, I can't tell you; that would be leaking heavenly secrets. I've leaked a lot of heavenly secrets before, causing the world's trajectory to deviate significantly. It also allowed the black mist to find a flaw; otherwise, the Daughter of Heavenly Secrets shouldn't be at her current cultivation level."
"So... is this a good thing or a bad thing? We can't have a loved one die every time we push it, can we?"
“No, but don’t be too happy yet. This process is extremely dangerous. If there’s even the slightest mistake, the entire small world will collapse. At that point, it won’t be something you or I can control. Remember what I told you?” Xiao Tiandao suddenly looked at her very seriously and asked.
Nian Wanzhou nodded, feeling somewhat confused again, as the doubt in her heart resurfaced.
It was somewhat disturbing to her.
"Just remember that. Now you must grow up well, accompany the Chosen One and the Chosen Child, and protect them. When you successfully ascend in the future, there will no longer be a situation where you and they are restrained and unable to resist."
No more lives will be lost, and the world will be completely repaired. Don't worry, that day isn't far off, and with you involved, things will be much faster.
You know you can purify the black mist, so everyone will feel safe and secure with you by their side.
After Xiao Tiandao finished speaking, Nian Wanzhou fell silent. She suddenly didn't know why she had come to this world. From the initial happiness to the current confusion, and even a little sadness.
"Why did the black mist try to persuade me not to stop it? It... is the white dragon from ten thousand years ago, my predecessor. Am I her? Why did it try to stop me and say those things to me..." Out of trust, Nian Wanzhou still told her what she was wondering.
Why did she say you were lying to me?
Xiao Tiandao remained silent for a while, looked intently into her eyes, and said something that shocked Nian Wanzhou.
"Because it was also summoned by me, but it trusted the words of others and was ultimately sacrificed by them. You are not it, you are yourself."
It's stopping you only for its own benefit. If you successfully cooperate with me, it will disappear. Those were just lies, its purpose being to sow discord between you and me. How much conscience do you think it would have left after being swallowed by the black mist? If it truly had any conscience, how could it have conspired with the black mist to control and slaughter the people of the cultivation world!
Nian Wanzhou was stunned. She didn't know why she could sense the anger in Xiao Tiandao's words.
"That's why I told you not to trust others too easily, and to just grow up properly."
Nian Wanzhou nodded: "I understand."
"Now that you know, do as I say. Cultivate diligently, and you will become stronger and stronger." Xiao Tiandao reached out and stroked her soft black hair, speaking softly. "When you become strong, everything will be alright."
“Okay, I will try my best to become stronger,” Nian Wanzhou replied.
"Alright, wake up soon. I've postponed opening the secret realm. I'm just waiting for you." After saying that, Xiao Tiandao waved his hand, and Nian Wanzhou left the space.
Not long after Nian Wanzhou left, an aged voice rang out: "Didn't you tell her the truth?"
Xiao Tiandao shrugged dismissively: "Why tell her? That person was destined to die anyway. I'm just letting him play his role early, so he can be reborn sooner... Oh, I almost forgot, he was just a pawn in the process of development. Once he's dead, he's dead."
The aged voice replied, "Your soul has been scattered. Are you really not afraid that she will regret it once she learns the truth?"
If you fail again, I will be powerless to help you any further.
"I don't need your help. Even if I fail, I can use her to purify the black mist. I can just find a suitable candidate in a few years, right?" Xiao Tiandao remained unconcerned, looking at the ethereal figure and secretly clenching his fist.
"Where can you find a soul so pure that it doesn't require much of the world's primordial power? Heavenly Dao, I think it's time for you to stop. If you continue fighting like this, no one will benefit." The aged voice sighed repeatedly, thinking that if he persuaded him one more time, perhaps... he would stop?
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