Not knowing when Xie Zhuo would wake, I stayed by his side until seven days later, when his body seemed to recover and he finally regained consciousness.

Before he woke, all traces of the slaughter from that day had completely disappeared.

Even the charcoal-black marks imprinted on the ground had been cleansed by the pure energy of the ice and snow forest.

This land remained immaculately sacred, as if nothing had ever happened.

After Xie Zhuo awakened, he sat in place for a long time, surveying his surroundings. He seemed to feel that everything was like a dream, his expression revealing some bewilderment.

After quite a while, he accepted reality and lowered his eyes. Just as he was about to stand, something in his bosom made a clear “ding-ding” sound.

Xie Zhuo reached into his clothes and pulled out a handful of objects—they were… a pile of crystal-clear… small stones?

I floated to Xie Zhuo’s hand for a closer look. After a good while, I finally recognized what they were by the patterns on them!

Wasn’t this the prosthetic leg I had when I was a dog?!

But this prosthetic leg seemed to have shattered during the previous chaos, and then somehow transformed into a pile of crystal-clear small stones.

These stones looked exactly like the ice lake. Could it be… they had been assimilated by the ice lake?

But previously, when the Snow Wolf tribe lived here, their tents stuck in the ground weren’t assimilated…

Or perhaps…

I suddenly remembered that before coming here, Zhu Lian, as he was dying, had mentioned—during our second time-space journey with Xie Zhuo, there was a period when Xie Zhuo acted separately from me.

During that time, to ensure that Xiaxia and Xie Xuanqing would never meet, Xie Zhuo carried out a series of plans.

On the day when Xie Xuanqing fought Zhu Lian, at the crucial moment, Xie Zhuo, disguised as a man in black, suddenly attacked, causing Xie Xuanqing to fall off a cliff. Then Xie Zhuo fought with Zhu Lian.

It was precisely because Xie Zhuo ambushed Xie Xuanqing from the shadows that the Evil God gained a moment to breathe. Only then could the Evil God use Zhu Lian’s body to employ the technique of extracting impure energy from mountains and rivers, severely injuring Xie Zhuo.

In the end, Xie Zhuo still defeated the Evil God and sealed Zhu Lian. But that time, he witnessed firsthand the Evil God using his technique, thus realizing the source of the Evil God’s power and how he could return to the world—

By extracting the impure energy between mountains and rivers, refining it into his evil spirit aura.

It was after that that Xie Zhuo would take me to the City of Immortality, back to the Snow Wolf tribe’s ice lake, and then absorb all the evil spirit aura in the world, returning it to the mountains and rivers, thereby resolving the world’s troubles…

I looked at the stones transformed from wooden sticks in Xie Zhuo’s bosom, lost in thought.

This small wooden stick wouldn’t be assimilated by the ice lake, because other things weren’t assimilated either. The only possibility was that the Evil God had extracted the impure energy from inside the small wooden stick.

When the Evil God escaped from Xie Zhuo’s body, needle-like black lightning appeared at Xie Zhuo’s brow.

At that time, I thought it was caused by the evil spirit aura gathered by Zhu Lian’s hatred. Now thinking about it, it seemed more like… the Evil God used his technique when Xie Zhuo was distracted!

He absorbed the impure energy from this small wooden stick, turning it into stone like the ice lake.

And the Evil God used this feeble power to break Xie Zhuo’s restraint on him, then entered Zhu Lian’s body and escaped!

This small wooden stick!

This small wooden stick was evidence of how the Evil God returned to the world!

Realizing this, I felt somewhat elated.

Previously, when Kunlun was in peril, the gods collectively sent my soul back to the past. They had intended for me to return to before Xie Zhuo and I separated, prevent the separation, and then inform Xie Zhuo that the Evil God’s return to the world was because he had borrowed the power of mountains and rivers from this land. To kill the Evil God, the only way was to return the evil spirit aura to the mountains and rivers.

But when the main gods sent me back, something went wrong. They sent me to Xie Zhuo’s childhood, which is why I accompanied him through these years.

I had been unable to find a suitable body to communicate with Xie Zhuo as a human.

Moreover, even if I found a suitable body, I feared I couldn’t make Xie Zhuo believe me…

Concerning the Evil God, the current Xie Zhuo didn’t know me, and I couldn’t provide evidence to prove that what I said was true.

But now, this small wooden stick could corroborate my words!

Xie Zhuo was so intelligent. When the Evil God escaped from his body, he said he was distracted by Zhu Lian and didn’t notice this anomaly.

He just needed someone to point it out to him, and he would understand the connection!

Just like Xie Zhuo before.

Now, I only needed to find a body, then stand before Xie Zhuo and tell him the truth.

Perhaps…

Xie Zhuo could solve the Evil God problem right now! Return all the evil spirit aura in the world to this land, making the Evil God’s soul roll back to his deep-sea seal.

Excited in my heart, I circled Xie Zhuo, wishing my soul could write a few words on the ground to tell him the truth immediately.

But my soul wasn’t that powerful yet. I circled him, unable even to stir a breeze to move his temple hair.

I just watched as Xie Zhuo silently contemplated the small wooden sticks turned to stone in his bosom, then carried the broken stones away from the ice lake step by step.

He returned to his tent.

This was unexpected to me.

The entire Snow Wolf tribe was gone, the tents still stood, but all were uninhabited, the last breath of life completely vanished.

Expressionless, Xie Zhuo brought the stones back to his tent.

He dug a small hole under the tent where he had slept and received offerings for years, then placed all the stones into the pit.

“The Evil God escaped using Zhu Lian’s body,” he said to the pile of broken stones. “I must pursue him, find a way to lure the Evil God back into my body, then take my own life.”

Xie Zhuo, you don’t need to die!

Just return all the evil spirit aura to this land, and you can destroy him!

I circled him.

Now, there isn’t that much evil spirit aura in the world yet. We just need to capture Zhu Lian, then unite with the main gods of various mountains to return all the evil spirit aura! We can destroy the Evil God!

You don’t need to die, and the City of Immortality doesn’t need to be built! This world will be better than before!

But he couldn’t hear my words.

He stared at the broken stones for a long time, then finally raised his hand.

I thought he was going to bury all the stones, but instead, he picked out the most rounded one.

That was the part of the original prosthetic leg where the dog’s paw had been.

But with time, with Xie Zhuo’s years of caressing, it had become a rounded piece.

Xie Zhuo glanced around the tent, then pulled out the hemp rope used for sewing quilts and threaded it through a small section at the end of the stone.

He wore the stone around his neck.

When this stone was placed on his neck, I suddenly realized!

Oh!

This stone, it was this stone all along! This white stone with an inner blue glow was this! It was my prosthetic leg and paw!

I stared at Xie Zhuo in astonishment.

Until he buried all the stones and stood up.

“Little Wolf, if there is an afterlife, you…”

His gaze was clear and shallow. After experiencing so many things, when mentioning the little dog, his eyes were still as if washed by clear water, untainted.

He murmured: “Wait for me, will you?”

He still wanted to see that dog who had been his only companion once more.

But there’s no need for an afterlife…

Looking at Xie Zhuo like this, I felt almost like crying from anxiety.

Don’t be so intent on death, don’t plead like this. I will wait for you! I have always been waiting for you!

Xie Zhuo rose and left the tent.

I hurriedly followed by his side.

He stepped forward, this time walking through the truly empty Snow Wolf tribe settlement, past the ice lake, then out of the ice and snow forest.

It’s hard for me to comprehend what Xie Zhuo felt walking through these familiar places at this moment.

I only saw that his gaze was resolute, his steps firm.

Besides that stone, Xie Zhuo brought nothing, traveling alone, leaving his homeland without looking back once.

The world outside the ice and snow forest, I had visited before.

In the first three years after coming here, eager to find a body compatible with my soul, I drifted in the Northern Wilderness outside the forest for a long time.

The entire Northern Wilderness terrain tended to be flat, with only one mountain, Mount Magpie, governed by the main god Ji.

That was also the closest main god’s protected area to the Snow Wolf tribe’s settlement in the entire Northern Wilderness.

At that time, the City of Immortality had not yet been established in the Northern Wilderness. There were towns and markets outside. Except for not having majestic mountains like Kunlun, the people here did not differ much from those in Kunlun.

But this time, following Xie Zhuo out, I discovered that outside the ice and snow forest had already changed somewhat.

Outside the ice and snow forest, birds and beasts were gone, the road a complete desolation.

We passed an abandoned village and found that this village was abandoned in a very strange way. The people here, before leaving, had clearly experienced a sudden, hasty battle.

When passing several homes, from their collapsed courtyard walls, we saw tables with food and tableware.

Judging by the degree of food decay, this village had only been abandoned a few days ago.

I guessed that Zhu Lian had brought the Evil God out, causing disaster.

As if to confirm my guess, as Xie Zhuo walked past an alley, a vengeful ghost suddenly lunged out! Xie Zhuo dodged sideways, forming a sword with his soul power, and promptly severed the vengeful ghost’s neck.

The vengeful ghost then emitted a puff of black smoke in the air and disappeared.

Immediately after, Xie Zhuo looked toward an adjacent alley. In the alley, there was a familiar teeth-clenching “crunch” sound. I followed Xie Zhuo’s gaze.

In the dark alley were vengeful ghosts were tearing at each other, all still wearing villagers’ clothing. They must have all been people from this village.

Xie Zhuo slightly lowered his eyes. When the vengeful ghosts all turned to look at him, Xie Zhuo silently walked in.

Killing seemed to be gradually becoming familiar to him.

After dealing with all the vengeful ghosts in the village, Xie Zhuo left, but…

This was just the beginning.

More and more villages turned out like this.

Xie Zhuo searched for Zhu Lian in the Northern Wilderness, following various clues, but each time he arrived, he was one step too late.

Because he could only track, unable to predict where Zhu Lian, controlled by the Evil God, would go next.

And following Xie Zhuo, I grew more anxious with each passing day.

I wanted to find a body compatible with my soul as soon as possible, but if I followed Xie Zhuo in pursuit of Zhu Lian, in all the places he had been, let alone people, there weren’t even evil spirits with reason left!

All were just a group of mindless, vengeful ghosts.

Seeing the evil spirit aura spreading ever wider, making it increasingly difficult to eliminate all of it, I finally made a decision.

I needed to temporarily leave Xie Zhuo, go to a safe place, find a body, then come back to meet him.

Without delay, I unilaterally bid farewell to Xie Zhuo: “Xie Zhuo, wait for me. This time I will come and find you properly!”

With that, I left.

When I departed, perhaps it was my imagination, or perhaps a gentle breeze just happened to brush his temple hair, but as I looked back longingly at him, I saw him also looking in my direction.

As if seeing me off with his gaze.

But quickly, he turned his face away, as if his earlier glance had just been a coincidence.

I floated away…

I planned to go to Mount Magpie.

Mount Magpie had the main god Ji’s protection. If I were the Evil God, at this moment, I would certainly not go to a place where the main god resided.

It must still be safe there, surely with many clear-minded people. There would even be many cultivators. There, I would surely find someone compatible with my soul more quickly.

Approaching Mount Magpie, I saw that a tall city gate had already been built at the foot of the mountain. In front of the gate, various people carrying bundles and families had formed a long queue, waiting to enter the city.

I remembered that during those three years when I roamed the Northern Wilderness, I had also visited Mount Magpie. At that time, Mount Magpie, blessed by the main god, was as vibrant as spring in the cold Northern Wilderness. Mountain cherry blossoms bloomed everywhere, and there was no city gate in front of the mountain. Everyone came and went freely.

But now…

I drifted toward the worried-looking people and indeed heard them discussing the recent disasters in the Northern Wilderness.

They still didn’t know it was the Evil God’s evil spirit aura at work. After all, in the current world, most people believed the Evil God had been sealed at the bottom of the sea by the gods.

They thought it was a plague, or perhaps some great demon causing havoc in the Northern Wilderness.

They had all come seeking Mount Magpie’s protection, but obviously…

I looked at the tall city walls, filled with guard soldiers. At the city gate entrance, there were layers of checkpoints, with Mount Magpie’s guard soldiers repeatedly checking those entering, registering, questioning, and inspecting, missing nothing.

Mount Magpie knew what they were facing.

At least, the main god Ji was clear about it.

In my soul form, I was unhindered. After exploring the situation, I didn’t linger but directly entered Mount Magpie.

I searched continuously within Mount Magpie, but finding a soul-compatible body was not easy before, and it was not easy now.

Half a month passed. I searched day and night, but still found it difficult to find that person.

As I grew increasingly anxious, even I realized that my self-interest had completely overshadowed my empathy.

When one only seeks to satisfy their desires, they cannot be accepted by others.

I wasn’t the Evil God; I couldn’t force it.

After much thought, I decided to stop trying in Mount Magpie.

I heard that the main god Ji, had led a team of soldiers out of Mount Magpie, searching for the culprit outside and rescuing more people.

I was once a guard in Kunlun. I thought that in my current state, amidst the chaos outside, I might have a better chance of meeting that fated person!

I followed soldiers who were going outside to deliver messages, moving swiftly.

Perhaps because my soul had been cultivated for a long time, now stronger and better at utilizing the soul power naturally present in heaven and earth, I barely kept up with the soldiers’ sword-riding speed.

Soon, the soldier slowed down above a village.

Following him, looking down, breaking through the clouds and mist, I quickly saw a group of people below!

The main god Ji, in a white robe, standing in the gloom, couldn’t be more eye-catching!

At this moment, in front of the main god Ji, and the soldiers were a group of fierce-looking vengeful ghosts, and behind them were some trembling villagers who still looked normal.

The soldier in the air called out: “God Lord!” and plunged downward.

I also rushed down but didn’t hurry to approach the main god Ji. I searched among the soldiers beside him, weaving in and out.

Vigilance, determination, willingness to face death… I saw all these qualities in these soldiers. I tried to crash into each of them, but without exception, I failed.

How could I achieve soul compatibility with someone?!

I frantically recalled the moment when I connected with the little dog. I sympathized with his abandonment by his mother, I thought of Xie Zhuo, and just at that point, the little dog accepted me.

But clearly, entering a person’s body was more difficult. Truly understanding and empathizing with a person wasn’t something that could be done in a moment…

As I was thinking, suddenly, behind all the soldiers, a man let out a loud cry.

I immediately looked over to see black meridians on his forehead, continuously burrowing into his eyes! He was someone infected by an evil spirit aura! He hadn’t acted out before, but was now!

The place was full of villagers, none able to resist evil spirits, while the main god Ji and the soldiers were all fighting vengeful ghosts in front, unable to divide their attention.

The villagers cried out in fear, but some were already injured, their bodies only able to crawl on the ground with difficulty, unable to escape.

In the blink of an eye, that evil spirit was about to pounce on a disabled young girl. The girl was terrified, her eyes wide open, the will to survive bursting forth, but she was too frightened to move at all.

My heart tightened. Without thinking, I lunged toward the girl.

And at that very moment!

A familiar warmth enveloped my entire body. The sensations of blood flowing, breathing, and muscles contracting came in succession. I didn’t even have time to rejoice that I had finally found this fated person!

Looking up, I saw the man infected by an evil spirit aura, with a bloody mouth, pouncing before me!

I wanted to kick him away, but this girl’s right foot was injured and couldn’t be lifted.

When I tried to move the left foot, the distance was already too close. I could only hastily use both hands to hold back the man’s neck as he pounced before me.

This gained a momentary pause.

And in this moment, I skillfully mobilized the breathing in the body, gathering soul power around. Even though this girl had not practiced cultivation before, at this moment, she was driven by me to exert her maximum potential.

I chanted an incantation, and with a “boom,” I blasted that man’s body away.

Watching the man being blasted into the pile of vengeful ghosts and instantly torn apart, I kept gasping for breath. In this moment of survival, I looked at “my” hands, partly relieved that I hadn’t neglected my cultivation and was an immortal, and partly thinking that indeed, the will to survive in life-and-death moments is the strongest emotion all people can intensely empathize with.

I clutched my chest, feeling the power of my heartbeat.

The original soul of this young girl seemed to have fainted from fright just now, showing no reaction whatsoever in this body for the moment.

I thought I should be able to control this body for a while. At this time, I suddenly felt a gaze shooting sharply from the front.

I couldn’t help but look up, only to see the main god Ji, slightly turning his head, his Buddha-like merciful gaze containing inquiry and vigilance, examining me.

Don’t be wary…

I had finally found a fated person with great difficulty. Don’t kill this body thinking it’s an evil spirit!

Thinking this, I quickly supported myself against the wall and stood up.

The people around seemed frightened by my earlier attack and kept their distance, not daring to approach.

“I… I have practiced some cultivation. I can help the immortals fight against external enemies together,” I quickly seized the opportunity to clarify my stance. “Rest assured, the immortals will guard the outside, and I will guard you inside.”

After speaking, I glanced at the main god Ji, only to see him turning back to continue dealing with the vengeful ghosts outside. I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I didn’t know if he believed me, but fortunately, no one around was familiar with this girl. Otherwise, if I had been exposed on the spot, it would have been embarrassing.

Now that I had spoken, I had to act.

I quickly mobilized my inner breath, regulated the body, and then stood up, dragging my right leg.

I scanned the crowd, seeing no villagers showing any abnormalities, then leaned against the wall behind me and continued regulating my breath.

The evil spirit I had blasted away had been eaten clean, but the smell of blood seemed to attract more vengeful ghosts from all directions.

I watched as the barrier created by the main god Ji, shook more and more violently under the relentless attacks of the vengeful ghosts.

I knew that staying here continuously was not a solution; active engagement was necessary. But if the main god Ji took action, the remaining people might not be able to sustain such a large barrier…

At this difficult moment, suddenly, a dazzling light came from behind the vengeful ghosts.

The light was like a mountain-cleaving sword, slashing forward. When the light reached the main god Ji’s barrier, the barrier emitted a tremendous tremor, almost destabilizing it for a moment.

The gathering of vengeful ghosts outside was forcibly cut through, creating a path.

After the light, amidst the flying dust, in the middle of the blood path, a person approached.

His figure was tall and straight, wearing coarse clothes. Although he only held a sword, he carried the momentum of ten thousand horses and a thousand soldiers.

He also carried a cloth bundle in his arms, wrapping something round and bulky, unknown what it was.

Everyone was shocked by this person’s strike just now.

But only I, behind the crowd, watching him approach, slowly reddened my eyes.

Even though I had been accompanying him all along.

But when I heard my own heartbeat, felt the warmth and soreness in my eyes, looking at him from this angle. This feeling of reunion after a long separation suddenly became real and tangible.

Xie Zhuo…

Hello, we meet again.

Finally, meeting you again in human form.