Dead spirits? Returning?

Er’er’s mind went blank as she stared at him, dumbfounded.

Matters of life and death were supposed to be irreversible—that’s why the Nine Heavens, the mortal realm, and the Netherworld were separate. If the dead could live again, wouldn’t the world fall into chaos?

Yet her master’s words implied that the Heavenly Mechanism Lock could bring the dead back to life.

Slowly turning her stiff neck, Er’er’s gaze swept from the surrounding darkness to the starry sky above.

The purple-black dome was brilliant with countless stars, their formations both clear and eerily mysterious. Though she didn’t understand star-reading techniques, somehow she felt she could see the cyclical rhythm of heaven and earth within them.

Her teeth chattered as she shuddered.

Master Taihe had been watching her reactions closely. Seeing the fear and understanding dawn on her face, his expression grew even more complex.

“What do you see?” he asked.

Er’er opened her mouth, wanted to speak but hesitated, then lowered her eyelids, feigning casualness: “Stars, of course. They’re everywhere.”

Taihe smiled gently, then sighed.

His little disciple was indeed one chosen by destiny.

Which meant he absolutely couldn’t let her leave.

Collecting himself, Taihe explained softly: “The Heavenly Mechanism Lock is a treasure born with the universe, a few days older even than Li Ye. It controls time, which gives it the power of foreknowledge, but its most important function is as a key.”

“When placed in the lock of the Life and Death Gate, it can reverse death.”

Er’er’s eyes widened in disbelief: “If that’s true, why wasn’t it used earlier to save Kan Ze?”

“Foolish child,” Taihe chuckled softly. “How can one gain benefits without paying a price? Reversing death not only consumes the lifespan of the one who uses the key, but the key itself will be reduced to ashes. He treasures this divine artifact so much—how could he bear to part with it?”

The universe still maintained its balance. Death could be reversed, but only once. After the reversal, the divine artifact would be destroyed, and the Heavenly Diviner would lose both his power of foreknowledge and his final sanctuary.

Er’er nodded in sudden understanding: “Then, Master, when we can leave, will the Heavenly Diviner use the Heavenly Mechanism Lock to open the Life and Death Gate?”

Taihe lowered his eyes in silence.

Not necessarily. He would certainly not do so.

Coughing as he wiped his face, Master Taihe suddenly felt some regret: “How did I come to trust him?”

Er’er patted his back sympathetically: “Don’t be upset, Master. Everyone has moments of foolishness.”

What a good disciple—once so mischievous, now she knew how to console others. Taihe felt quite gratified.

However, before he could enjoy this feeling for long, the little girl continued: “But for your moment of foolishness to last tens of thousands of years—that’s truly unprecedented.”

Taihe: “…”

The Heavenly Diviner hid in the darkness, coldly watching the two whispering together. He was feeling rather irritated when suddenly the feeble old man leaped up and began chasing the young girl with his whisk.

The girl, seemingly accustomed to this, displayed particularly skillful evasion techniques, jumping up and down while shouting: “Master, you’re just a wisp of soul now! A soul, you understand? Souls shouldn’t use violence! If I fight back, you won’t withstand it!”

“You dare to fight back?” Taihe was so angry he was practically breathing fire.

“I’m joking, just joking! Master, take a rest—aren’t you injured? Hey, don’t throw your whisk around, it’s a precious object after all.”

“Stand still right now!”

Er’er fled with her hands over her head, laughing and crying at the same time. For a moment, she felt as if she had returned to the Taihe Immortal Gate of years past, where such scenes played out daily.

But this time, there were no senior disciples to hold the master back, and the old man’s pursuit was genuinely swift.

Thinking of her senior brothers and sisters, Er’er suddenly halted her steps. Taihe couldn’t stop in time, and his whisk struck her squarely on the back with a “thud.”

He froze, quickly withdrawing his hand, and frowned as he scolded her: “What are you daydreaming about now?”

“Master, I should still go out,” Er’er turned around, her expression much more solemn. “If not for others, my senior brothers and sisters are still outside. I fear Li Ye might kill indiscriminately, making it difficult to reconcile with him later.”

“You still wish to reconcile with him?” Taihe was astonished. “With his temperament, he doesn’t allow anyone by his side.”

Er’er smiled gently, tilting her head: “I can transform into a cat.”

Her initial wish had always been to be the black cat in his arms. Although he later transformed her into a white cat, she was still a cat—a cat that could be well-protected in his embrace.

Perhaps her approach had an ulterior motive, but if a relationship could last, who wouldn’t want it to endure?

Composing herself, Er’er cupped her hands respectfully to Taihe: “Please, Master, show me the way.”

With a complex expression, Taihe turned to look into the darkness.

“Heavenly Diviner,” he called out, “rather than let this divine artifact be destroyed, you might as well let her leave.”

The Heavenly Diviner silently regulated his breathing, offering no response.

How could he let her out? The moment she left, he would certainly lose his life.

But having someone like Taihe, who knew everything, was also troublesome. If the divine artifact were destroyed, he might not be able to preserve his life either. If he wanted to kill Taihe to silence him, that would be tantamount to suicide.

The Heavenly Diviner had never encountered such an inescapable deadlock before, and was so angry he didn’t want to say anything.

After waiting for a while, Taihe withdrew his gaze in disappointment and sighed: “Without his guidance, your only option is to force your way out from the direction of the Big Dipper. You’ll face tremendous resistance and will need to break through the formation yourself.”

Having a direction was enough!

Er’er cupped her hands toward Master Taihe, but before leaving, she glanced at him once more in concern.

Tucking his whisk into the crook of his arm, Taihe snorted lightly: “I don’t need a little girl like you worrying about me.”

Grinning broadly, Er’er tugged at his sleeve: “Master is the most formidable immortal in the Three Realms. Once I get out, I’ll find your other remnant souls and bring them all back to you.”

“Focus on whether you can get out first,” Taihe withdrew his sleeve and snorted lightly. “The formations here are quite formidable.”

Knowing he was concerned for her, Er’er smiled cheerfully and patted her chest: “Don’t worry, I’m very capable!”

With that, she turned and summoned a cloud, heading straight for the Big Dipper.

She had grown much more confident.

Taihe watched her figure from afar, a smile on his lips.

Li Ye had done some good after all. This mischievous disciple who once had so little faith in her abilities now seemed capable of handling matters independently.

The Heavenly Mechanism Lock was still the Heavenly Mechanism Lock—even if it had vulnerable points that could be breached, its formations were extremely difficult to overcome. That’s why the Heavenly Diviner had chosen silence, gambling that the minor immortal couldn’t break through.

However, after just two days, meteor showers began to fall from the dome above.

Stars fell one by one, their brilliant flowing light illuminating the entire inner wall. Taihe gazed at the light suddenly pouring in from outside, feeling both enlightened and saddened.

Destiny, it was all destiny. Even the so-called chosen ones were subject to fate’s caprices.

“Aren’t you afraid of death?” At the peak of the brilliant light, the Heavenly Diviner emerged from the darkness. With a stern face, he stared intently at Taihe and asked.