Jian Xingzhi raised his sword and walked out of the cave. Afraid that Bai Wei would discover Qin Wanwan’s location, he set up a barrier around where Qin Wanwan was, circled around Bai Wei, and appeared on his sword far from Qin Wanwan’s position, calling out: “Bai Wei.”

Hearing his voice, Bai Wei instantly turned around. She tilted her head: “You still dare to come out?”

“If it’s a fight, let’s fight. What’s there to fear?”

Jian Xingzhi raised his hand and summoned Yuanning, his eyes showing eagerness as he stared at Bai Wei: “Thousand Lifetimes Dream Transformation Way—let me have a try!”

“Master…” 666 sensed his emotions and stammered somewhat, “You… why do you seem so happy?”

“I haven’t had a good fight in a long time.”

Jian Xingzhi flourished his sword: “While Wanwan’s not here, I can have a proper battle!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Bai Wei raised her hand to form a seal. However, before the seal was completed, Jian Xingzhi had already appeared before Bai Wei, his sword sweeping down urgently.

Startled by his speed, Bai Wei didn’t dare be careless. She instantly pulled back the distance. The moment her hand seal completed, vines shot skyward, forming a barrier that separated Jian Xingzhi in midair. At the same time, crimson magical light bloomed in Bai Wei’s hands. Tens of thousands of roses burst open in the air, speeding toward Jian Xingzhi. At three zhang from Jian Xingzhi, the roses exploded, transforming into countless petals. Each petal carried sharp killing intent, directly assaulting Jian Xingzhi’s entire body.

“Master!”

666 screamed. At the moment of that scream, white light burst from Yuanning in Jian Xingzhi’s hand. The white light collided with the petals. Jian Xingzhi didn’t retreat but instead charged into battle, rushing straight toward the petals. The sharp petals sliced past his body as his sword light pointed directly at the vines separating him from Bai Wei. The instant his sword tip touched the vines, countless insects fell onto the vines along the sword light. Sensing what had landed on the vines, Bai Wei screamed. The vines instantly retreated as she cursed: “Jian Xingzhi!”

“Afraid of bugs?”

Jian Xingzhi laughed and held up a universe pouch: “I’ve got plenty more here.”

“Childish!!” Bai Wei roared in anger. “Are you a child?!”

“That’s right,” Jian Xingzhi sent out a wave of insects with his sword, raising an eyebrow. “Compared to you, aren’t I young?”

Insects filled the sky. Bai Wei’s expression changed drastically. The situation instantly reversed as Jian Xingzhi turned from defense to offense.

While Jian Xingzhi held off Bai Wei, Qin Wanwan opened a water mirror. She watched Jian Xingzhi’s battle on one side while contacting Xie Gutang and the others on the other.

To set up a teleportation array to bring people here, she first had to determine their location. At minimum, both parties needed some connection—either they had to set up the same array simultaneously, or she had to confirm their position to summon them over.

She had left a sound transmission device on Xie Gutang, so she first used the sound transmission technique to call to Xie Gutang several times. When Xie Gutang didn’t respond, she drew a summoning teleportation array for Xie Gutang on one side while contacting Cuilu, Liu Yuehua, and others one by one.

With the sound transmission device as a medium, as long as Xie Gutang wasn’t restricted, he could accept the summons and come here.

Qin Wanwan busied herself drawing arrays while also monitoring Jian Xingzhi in the water mirror.

Spell cultivators borrowed the power of heaven and earth, excelling at long-range attacks. Their greatest flaw was that casting spells required a certain amount of time, so they couldn’t fight at close range. Even though Bai Wei was two major realms above Jian Xingzhi, she didn’t dare let Jian Xingzhi get close.

And Jian Xingzhi knew exactly this. He used insects to break through her vine barrier, seeking opportunities to get close.

Bai Wei had abundant combat experience. She immediately adjusted her battle plan, pulling away from Jian Xingzhi’s distance and no longer attacking with flower vines. Instead, she used spiritual power to transform into light blades flying toward Jian Xingzhi.

Jian Xingzhi, catching the light blades, chased directly to her front, opened his universe pouch, and in an instant, various aphids, red spider mites, and beetles came overwhelming from all directions. Bai Wei held her breath, her whole body trembling. Jian Xingzhi seized this opportunity and thrust his sword through Bai Wei’s body. Covered in insects, Bai Wei trembled as she gritted her teeth: “You… are… seeking… death!!”

At those words, countless rose petals burst from her body, scraping toward Jian Xingzhi. Her spiritual power gripped Yuanning tightly. Jian Xingzhi clutched Yuanning firmly, enduring the pain of being flayed alive by the petals, pouring spiritual power into Yuanning, struggling desperately against Bai Wei.

His cultivation was inferior to Bai Wei’s, so naturally he was at a disadvantage in a spiritual power contest. Right now, moving his sea of consciousness recklessly might cause it to collapse, so he drew a spirit-gathering array beneath his feet, gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to continuously send into his body.

This way, the spiritual roots in his body were constantly scoured by spiritual energy, nearly bursting. Because he was bearing spiritual power far beyond what his body could withstand, blood beads seeped from his skin. He simultaneously circulated Spring Life to repair and promptly mend his body while expanding his spiritual roots, condensing the spiritual power that his spiritual roots absorbed and his Nascent Soul refined throughout his body at his sword tip. The spiritual power rushed into Bai Wei’s body along the sword tip. Bai Wei’s spiritual power blocked Jian Xingzhi’s spiritual power, about to surge forward along his sword.

“Out of bugs?” Bai Wei watched him grit his teeth and endure, sneering coldly.

Jian Xingzhi raised his eyes: “Guess?”

“Want to undergo tribulation here?” Dark clouds gathered thickly in the sky. Bai Wei’s eyes were full of fury: “Dream on!”

With that said, the vines suddenly grew, becoming blades that pierced toward Jian Xingzhi.

Qin Wanwan’s eyes widened. She instinctively wanted to draw her sword when she heard Jian Xingzhi say: “Don’t interfere.”

As he spoke, Jian Xingzhi kicked Bai Wei’s body, pulled out Yuanning, and swiftly retreated. Vines from all directions entangled like blades. Jian Xingzhi paid them no mind, dodging among the vines while attacking Bai Wei again, without the slightest intention of retreating.

“Let me comprehend the Dao myself.”

As he spoke, he slashed his sword at the vines. At the same time, flower blades severed Jian Xingzhi’s arm. Blood splattered out. However, the moment the blood made contact, it immediately reconnected. The arm returned to Jian Xingzhi’s body. He raised his sword and cleaved!

Pain seemed to have absolutely no meaning to him. Under the mixed internal and external injuries, his speed didn’t delay in the slightest.

He chased Bai Wei all the way, slashing and hacking, as if Bai Wei were the weaker party.

Jian Xingzhi used battle to practice the Dao. His momentum in combat was terrifying. If it were an ordinary person, they would have been frightened long ago. But Bai Wei had, after all, been through a hundred battles. She knew Jian Xingzhi’s path was using attack as defense, so she attacked him like a madwoman.

Qin Wanwan watched Jian Xingzhi in the water mirror, covered in blood yet still not retreating. Sensing the changes in the surrounding spiritual energy, she clearly realized Jian Xingzhi’s plan.

—He was going to undergo tribulation here and step directly into Divine Transformation.

For sword cultivators, advancing realms during combat was common, but it was also extremely dangerous. The advancement process was when Jian Xingzhi was most vulnerable, and when Bai Wei could most easily kill him. But if Bai Wei couldn’t kill him at this moment, once he stepped into Divine Transformation, it would be extremely difficult for Bai Wei to kill him again.

Everyone present knew this, so Bai Wei didn’t leave him half a moment to catch his breath. She used all her strength to attack him, wanting to kill him beneath the flower blades!

Sword wind severed the vines shooting skyward. Sharp thorns crisscrossed past each other. Qin Wanwan watched Jian Xingzhi’s flesh fly in all directions, yet he paid it no mind, only advancing to attack again and again.

Watching this kind of combat made Qin Wanwan’s hands tremble. She had never seen such bloody carnage.

In that instant, she suddenly understood why in the past, Jian Xingzhi had always wanted her to endure pain and take hits.

A true killing battlefield wasn’t the controlled sparring of sword cultivator competitions, nor was it adventure trials with elders watching over. It was deciding life and death within a sword’s measure, determining victory and defeat in flesh-and-blood combat.

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down. After a long while, she took a deep breath and forcibly turned her head to continue trying to contact Xie Gutang.

After finishing the teleportation array to contact Xie Gutang, with no response from the others, Qin Wanwan thought it over and could only place her hopes on Nanfeng, hoping Nanfeng was together with them.

Qin Wanwan tried using the connection between master and spirit beast to sense Nanfeng’s location. This kind of sensing could break through any barrier restrictions. However, the moment she sensed Nanfeng’s position, her eyes widened. The reason was simple—Nanfeng’s position was too close to her!

Not only was Nanfeng very close to her, it was also moving rapidly. Qin Wanwan couldn’t help but call out: “Nanfeng?”

Nanfeng didn’t answer. Qin Wanwan immediately realized something was wrong and called urgently: “Nanfeng, if nothing has happened to you, respond to me.”

Nanfeng still didn’t respond.

Qin Wanwan looked at Nanfeng’s position. Without another word, she raised her hand and set up an array on the ground. Just as the confusion array took shape, a figure suddenly appeared in the cave!

He still looked as usual—red robes with gold thread, luxurious attire. Nanfeng, toy-sized, lay motionless in his arms with a talisman paper stuck to its head, glowing in the confusion array’s mist.

Qin Wanwan observed the person who had entered and placed her hand on the white sword beside her.

This was the sword Jian Xingzhi had brought out from Lin Yanzhi’s tomb, named Luoshui. The sword body was slender and long. For Jian Xingzhi, this sword was too delicate—he wasn’t accustomed to it.

Now that Jian Xingzhi had taken Yuanning away, only Luoshui remained at Qin Wanwan’s side. Qin Wanwan hid in the darkness, using the confusion array to conceal her form.

Mei Suihan walked step by step into the cave. He observed the confusion array, his tone rather playful: “Upper realm immortal techniques are indeed extraordinary. Wanwan, you truly surprise me.”

Qin Wanwan didn’t speak. She glanced at the teleportation array hidden behind the confusion array, suppressed her wildly beating heart, observed Mei Suihan, assessed the gap in their strength, and pondered Mei Suihan’s intentions for coming.

Mei Suihan gently set down the ant, raised his eyes, and began observing the array. He touched his hand to the air. The air seemed to have a layer of membrane. Where his fan touched, there was a faint golden pattern. Mei Suihan’s fan followed the pattern, sliding to the side. As he traced, he spoke gently: “Once I find the array core, this array will break. Wanwan, how long do you think it will take me to find this array core?”

Qin Wanwan didn’t dare make a sound. She raised her eyes to glance at the water mirror. On the water mirror was the scene of Jian Xingzhi battling Bai Wei.

Jian Xingzhi was already covered in blood. Thunder gathered in the sky. Bai Wei’s spiritual power was abundant. The two appeared to be in a stalemate, but Qin Wanwan clearly knew Jian Xingzhi couldn’t hold on much longer.

Spring Life wasn’t invincible. If Jian Xingzhi paused for a moment and his spiritual power couldn’t continue, given his current bodily and spiritual power state, his body would immediately explode.

She gripped Luoshui, watching Mei Suihan search bit by bit for the array core. Beside her, the teleportation array flickered on and off—Xie Gutang must have finally responded.

But she didn’t dare move at this moment. If she made any movement, Mei Suihan would immediately find her.

She wore the Twin Life Talisman. If she were injured, it would be a fatal wound for Jian Xingzhi in combat.

She pondered Mei Suihan’s intentions, figuring out how to resolve the Twin Life Talisman’s effect on Jian Xingzhi, while continuously changing the confusion array’s patterns in secret.

Mei Suihan searched for the array core while Qin Wanwan changed it. After two changes, Mei Suihan realized Qin Wanwan’s actions. He stopped his fan, his voice gentle: “Wanwan, do you really not want to see me that much? I came to save you.”

Outside, Jian Xingzhi and Bai Wei’s carnage reached a critical moment. Mei Suihan sighed and simply gave up on breaking through the confusion array. He turned to look at the water mirror, complaining to Qin Wanwan: “You’ve never been willing to trust me. I’m truly regretful. Actually, if you were willing to choose me, I wouldn’t harm you. I don’t want to kill you—on the contrary—”

Mei Suihan watched as heavenly thunder struck down in the water mirror. Amidst the lightning and thunder, the figure sat cross-legged in meditation, then was suddenly pierced through the chest by Bai Wei. His tone was calm: “I very much want to spend this life with you. You carry the dragon core. If we dual cultivate together and ascend together, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan’s eyes instantly turned cold.

She knew who this was.

This was the man who raised azure dragons, whom she had stabbed with a sword, who had also killed Hua Rong in Flower City—Baisui You.

She gripped her sword tightly, restraining her trembling, watching Jian Xingzhi comprehending the Dao in the thunder in the water mirror.

Bai Wei attacked him again and again, yet he transformed the heavenly thunder into energy, channeling it into his body, blocking Bai Wei’s attacks time after time.

Mei Suihan watched the water mirror. He didn’t seem anxious, apparently waiting for something.

What was he waiting for?

Qin Wanwan tried to analyze.

He wasn’t looking for her at all right now, which meant he had another plan. And present were only her and Jian Xingzhi. If his intention wasn’t toward her, then it was toward Jian Xingzhi. But Jian Xingzhi currently had absolutely no ability to resist, only gritting his teeth and enduring. If he wanted to kill Jian Xingzhi, what was stopping him from going out?

The moment this thought appeared, in a flash of insight, watching Bai Wei casting spells, Qin Wanwan suddenly realized—

Bai Wei!

Mei Suihan feared Bai Wei!

What he was waiting for was for Bai Wei to exhaust her strength killing Jian Xingzhi. Once Bai Wei lost her combat ability, that would be the moment he was truly waiting for!

Realizing this, Qin Wanwan raised her head to see Jian Xingzhi in the lightning, his whole body reduced to white bones, entering the final stage. Bai Wei raised her hand to gather power—this was clearly the final fatal strike.

She couldn’t let Bai Wei deliver that final move!

This thought flashed through Qin Wanwan’s mind. She no longer hid, suddenly raised her sword and blasted open half the mountain, exposing the entire cave to Bai Wei’s view. On one side, she opened Xie Gutang’s teleportation array while shouting loudly: “Bai Wei, look who this is!”

Hearing her voice, Bai Wei turned around. The instant she saw Mei Suihan, her eyes widened. The spell in her hand turned without hesitation to blast toward Mei Suihan. The spiritual power struck Mei Suihan’s body. Mei Suihan took Bai Wei’s strike with his body, yet his speed didn’t decrease in the slightest. In the blink of an eye, he was before her. He opened his fan as a blade. Powerful sword intent came overwhelming from all directions, instantly overpowering all of Bai Wei’s barriers, directly slicing across her throat! At the same time, his bare hand broke into Bai Wei’s body and yanked out a crystal-clear jade fragment.

Bai Wei’s blood splattered. She stared in shock, falling dazedly from the sky.

The aura of the Exquisite Jade permeated heaven and earth. Mei Suihan’s movements didn’t stop. At extreme speed, he turned and rushed toward Qin Wanwan.

Qin Wanwan leaped urgently into the distance, watching in shock as Mei Suihan chased after her. Seeing the sword intent on his body and his movements, she reacted.

He was a sword cultivator!

Mei Suihan wasn’t a spell cultivator at all—he was a sword cultivator!

With his speed, his abilities, she had absolutely no power to fight back.

And at this moment, the strongest heavenly thunder descended. Qin Wanwan clearly felt Jian Xingzhi’s life force hanging by a thread.

He couldn’t withstand the strike brought by the Twin Life Talisman, and she couldn’t evade Mei Suihan.

But she wanted to live.

She wanted Jian Xingzhi to live. This was the first time in her life she had liked someone this much, the first time she had such a deep bond with a stranger, the first time she had met such a good person.

She wanted him to live.

An unprecedented will to survive burst forth. Mountains, rivers, sun and moon flashed through her mind—the vitality of all things. She gripped the sword in her hand. Her surroundings seemed to sense something. Spiritual energy surged. The earth moved and mountains shook.

The Luoshui sword in her hand glowed. At the instant Mei Suihan reached her, Qin Wanwan raised her hand in a sword strike. Powerful sword intent rushed straight into the thunder, channeling into Jian Xingzhi’s body.

At the same time, Mei Suihan’s bare hand entered her abdomen, grasping the dragon core at her waist.

The expected pain didn’t appear. Qin Wanwan calmly looked at the young man before her. The young man gazed at her, his expression gentle: “Why choose him? Choosing me would be so much better.”

“You…” Qin Wanwan gasped. “Who… are you really?”

“Me?” Mei Suihan drew close to her, leaning by her ear, speaking softly: “My name is Lin Yanzhi.”

With those words, Mei Suihan yanked out the dragon core. Over a hundred sword lights simultaneously stabbed directly toward Qin Wanwan’s back. Just as Mei Suihan prepared to retreat, Qin Wanwan grabbed hold of him. The Jishan seal lit up simultaneously on Mei Suihan’s chest. Neither of them could move.

Mei Suihan looked at her in astonishment: “You…”

Just as the sword lights were about to pierce through them both, at that very moment, a figure suddenly appeared behind Qin Wanwan. He embraced her in his arms. Over a hundred sword lights directly entered the young man’s body with muffled sounds. At the same time, Yuanning slashed horizontally across Mei Suihan. Mei Suihan’s head separated from his body. Blood splattered everywhere.

A powerful spiritual force came from the distance, crashing into the ground with a “boom,” then chasing a point of light, pursuing it all the way as it left.

But Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan couldn’t attend to any of this.

The tribulation thunder hadn’t dissipated. Lightning still struck Jian Xingzhi’s body. With one hand around Qin Wanwan’s waist and the other covering Qin Wanwan’s wound, he held her and gently landed on the ground.

He protected her in his embrace. All the lightning struck Jian Xingzhi’s body. Jian Xingzhi used his body to process the violent thunder and lightning, then slowly transferred it into Qin Wanwan’s body.

Qin Wanwan had no strength at all. She leaned in his embrace, feeling his blood drip onto her cheek.

She raised her eyes to look at him. The young man’s body was covered in blood—there wasn’t a single intact spot.

She wanted to touch his face but didn’t have the strength to raise her hand.

The sword strike that had just given Jian Xingzhi a lifeline and the seal that had immobilized Mei Suihan had used up all her strength. She could only keep her eyes open, watching the young man holding her silently in the thunder.

“Jian Xingzhi…” she spoke hoarsely.

Jian Xingzhi moved his only eye that wasn’t blood-colored, looking at her calmly.

Qin Wanwan’s voice was weak: “You… you look so good.”

Hearing her praise, Jian Xingzhi smiled gently. Then he lowered his head slightly, pressing his blood-covered face against hers, closing his eyes wearily: “You also look good. You’re the most beautiful in my heart.”

The final tribulation thunder passed. Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan digested the spiritual power brought by the tribulation thunder on the spot. When the spiritual rain descended and the two stood up, they discovered Xie Gutang had appeared beside them at some unknown time.

Seeing Xie Gutang, Qin Wanwan spoke excitedly: “Brother Xie, you came? Where are the others?”

Xie Gutang shook his head: “I don’t know. I received Senior’s summons and immediately came out of the teleportation array. But after coming out, I was in a killing array, separated from the others, and I couldn’t contact them either. After breaking the array, I received your message again. When I rushed over, you were already undergoing tribulation.”

“You…”

Qin Wanwan was about to ask something when she suddenly sensed an unusual aura. She turned around sharply, staring blankly at the chaotic mountain peak in the distance.

Jian Xingzhi noticed Qin Wanwan’s emotions were off and asked curiously: “Wanwan, what’s wrong?”

“My… my mother?”

Qin Wanwan sensed the faint spiritual power in the wind. She quickly closed her eyes, using her divine sense to discern the various spiritual powers around her. Vaguely, she saw a golden glow unique to her mother coming from the east.

However, this golden color was already very weak. She recalled the battle process from earlier, thinking of the light that had finally chased after Mei Suihan, and finally realized: “That light that destroyed Mei Suihan’s divine soul just now—that was my mother’s technique!”

Xie Gutang didn’t quite understand what Qin Wanwan was saying, but Jian Xingzhi knew the importance of this matter. He raised his hand to grasp Qin Wanwan’s hand, comforting her: “We can’t catch up now. When we go back, I’ll accompany you to search the east.”

Qin Wanwan knew Jian Xingzhi was right. She turned around and saw Bai Wei in the rubble. Her heart couldn’t help but jump.

She thought for a moment and still decided to handle the matter at hand first, walking toward Bai Wei.

She raised her hand to brush away the rubble pressing on Bai Wei, finally seeing Bai Wei’s appearance clearly.

Actually, Bai Wei bore some resemblance to her. It was just that having been immersed in the demonic path for too long, there was too much malevolence in her brow. In her white dress embroidered with roses, eyes closed, lying in the rubble, she looked somewhat pitiful.

She had no more breath. Mei Suihan’s sword carried soul-shattering intent—not only did he not intend to leave her life, he didn’t even plan to let her keep her soul.

Looking at this woman before her, Qin Wanwan felt inexplicably sad. She sighed, about to say something, when she heard Jian Xingzhi speak: “Her soul is still here.”

Qin Wanwan was startled. Jian Xingzhi handed Yuanning to her: “Use your sword intent to give her divine soul one more strike.”

Qin Wanwan understood Jian Xingzhi’s meaning. She took the sword, raised her hand, and slashed through the air, finally lowering the sword tip to Bai Wei’s forehead.

After a while, a soul light drifted from Bai Wei’s body, then slowly manifested a human figure on the level ground.

A gentle breeze blew. Bai Wei’s soul slowly opened her eyes. Then, seeming somewhat confused, she raised her head and fixed her gaze on Qin Wanwan.

“That sword intent just now…” Bai Wei looked at Qin Wanwan’s appearance and murmured: “Was it you?”

“It was me.”

Qin Wanwan didn’t understand why Bai Wei asked this question. Bai Wei gazed at Qin Wanwan, her eyes carrying some moisture.

“You…” Her lips trembled slightly. “Can you… let me touch your soul?”

Qin Wanwan was startled. She vaguely understood what Bai Wei wanted to do. She nodded and walked before Bai Wei’s soul.

Bai Wei raised her hand, placing her fingertip on Qin Wanwan’s forehead. A gentle white light appeared. After a long while, Bai Wei slowly lowered her hand.

She kept looking at Qin Wanwan, seemingly not knowing what to say. Qin Wanwan hesitated for a moment, finally asking: “Is it me?”

As she spoke, Qin Wanwan raised her eyes: “Is my soul Su Tanyin?”

At these words, tears fell from Bai Wei’s eyes. She forced a smile: “Yes.”

“I’m Su Tanyin’s reincarnation. Shouldn’t you feel happy?” Seeing her tears, Qin Wanwan found it rather strange. “Why are you crying?”

“Sister said back then,” Bai Wei spoke hoarsely, “that if one day she remembered nothing, then she wouldn’t be Su Tanyin. She told me not to acknowledge her, and not to search for her.”

Qin Wanwan was startled. After a moment, she spoke awkwardly: “Sorry, I just wanted to know why I came here.”

“No need to feel awkward,” Bai Wei faced Qin Wanwan, her voice very gentle. “Just now, my divine soul should have been completely shattered. It was the life sword intent in your strike that protected my soul. I should thank you. You must have many questions. Before my soul scatters, ask away.”

“Soul scatters?”

Qin Wanwan stared blankly at Bai Wei: “Won’t you reincarnate?”

“I’ve already entered the demonic path,” Bai Wei smiled. “With my accumulated crimes, the ghost realm won’t accept me. I cannot reincarnate.”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan felt somewhat sad. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. Bai Wei found a rock to sit on. Looking at the three people standing, she thought for a moment and spoke peacefully: “If you don’t know where to begin asking, I’ll start from Sister’s relationship with the man who just killed me.”

“This matter begins over two hundred years ago.” Bai Wei thought for a moment, her eyes carrying some nostalgia.

“I’m sure you know that Sister Su Tanyin and I were sisters from the same root but different branches—both rose bodies. The two of us began cultivating the Thousand Lifetimes Dream Transformation Way seven hundred years ago. But I wasn’t skilled enough. At the five hundredth lifetime, I gave up this path, became a demonic cultivator, and didn’t enter reincarnation. Sister, however, persisted. Over two hundred years ago, at her one thousandth lifetime, she transformed into a rose. At that time, she grew on a wall of the Ning family in the Desolate City, enduring wind and rain. I went to visit her often, because she and I knew that this one thousandth lifetime was the most critical. In this lifetime, Sister still had to maintain her original aspiration for cultivation to successfully undergo tribulation. But the problem was, having experienced a full thousand lifetimes of reincarnation, Sister was actually… already numb to this world. So after she became a rose, Heaven gave her a seal—she could only break the seal and bloom when she could regain her desire for the world. But she was too numb. She couldn’t have this kind of passion and couldn’t break through the barrier. I was very anxious at the time, because if she remained lifeless and unable to bloom, after the flowering period passed and the one thousandth lifetime ended, if she couldn’t be reborn as an immortal fetus, that would be her final lifetime.”

“What happened next?”

Qin Wanwan was curious. Bai Wei smiled bitterly: “Later, one day, a young man passed by the wall. That young man seemed to be seeing a rose for the first time. He injected spiritual power into my sister’s body. In that instant, this young man’s inner passion for the world, his vitality, kindness, and gentleness infected Sister. At that moment, borrowing his spiritual power, Sister finally broke through Heaven’s seal, and the rose bloomed.”

“And that young man,” Bai Wei’s gaze fell on Jian Xingzhi’s face. At this moment, Jian Xingzhi had reverted to using his own appearance. Bai Wei gazed at him quietly and spoke calmly: “Was named Lin Yanzhi.”

“Only later did we learn that this was the first time this young man had left home since birth. He carried countless darkness and sins, but when they first met, he gave her a ray of life.”

Qin Wanwan stared blankly at Bai Wei.

In that moment, she suddenly realized.

Perhaps many supposed first meetings in this world are only long-separated reunions that people have forgotten.

—

**Author’s Notes:**

**[Mini Theater: The Wild Carry’s Habit]**

During battle—

Qin Wanwan: “Jian Xingzhi, let me help you!”

Jian Xingzhi: “Please let me monopolize the experience.”

Qin Wanwan: “…”

—

The first meeting between Lin Yanzhi and Su Tanyin can be reviewed in Long Aotian – Chapter 72.

“At twenty years old, he broke through to Nascent Soul, and his father finally agreed to take him out.

He walked out of the secret realm, seeing blue sky, white clouds, green mountains, and clear water for the first time. He reverently brushed past a budding rose clinging to a wall by the roadside, gently injecting a thread of spiritual power. The rose trembled slightly, then slowly bloomed.

His eyes widened.

This blossoming life was a beauty he had never seen in twenty years.”