The young lady’s heart shattered into pieces.

The little deer that was barely prancing in her heart had been thoroughly hacked to death.

Xiang Haikui felt she would never love again.

This must be a cosmic-level emotionally stunted man, right?

Fortunately, back on Earth, he had no sense of belonging, always wore a world-weary face, and didn’t like communicating with others. Otherwise, wouldn’t he have been beaten to death with clubs long ago?

After stuffing in that chicken leg, just as Xiang Haikui was about to withdraw her hand, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Jing Ran.

Jing Ran spat out what was in his mouth. “So it’s not that I don’t know how to speak, but that you don’t like hearing the truth.”

Xiang Haikui exerted force with her arm, trying to break free from his restraint, but he held even tighter.

Jing Ran chuckled helplessly. “Then what do you like to hear? I’ve already told you that I had no sense of reality about my life in reincarnation. How could I possibly develop much compassion for a girl I met by chance? The fact that I thought to pull you up, looking back, was already the work of fate…”

Thinking about it, that made sense. Xiang Haikui frowned. After all, when she went to return his umbrella the next day, he seemed to have little recollection of her.

It was she who had put various filters on him.

Regardless of the reason, ultimately, his appearance had changed her life.

Jing Ran continued, “Except for some things I can’t tell you, I don’t want to hide anything else from you. Long ago, I did deceive women, but later I had no need to. Now, I neither can nor want to deceive.”

Xiang Haikui responded with an “Oh.” “Let go.”

“See, now no matter how dirty you are, I don’t mind. As long as you’re happy, I can get dirty with you.” As Jing Ran spoke, he pried open her clenched fist.

Her greasy hand made his hand equally greasy.

He took her hand and pressed it against his heart, even staining his clothes with oil. “Think about your expectations when you confessed to me. Isn’t this the result you wanted?”

Xiang Haikui looked into his eyes.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, his eyes smiling, his tone carrying a hint of indulgence. “Don’t believe me?”

“I believe you.”

Xiang Haikui believed he was telling the truth.

But she suddenly felt that her senior wasn’t “straight.”

It was because he simply didn’t care about her maiden heart, nor did he care about her opinion of him.

Just like an owner raising a pet, giving it the best care.

Feeding it, taking it for walks.

But when an owner speaks to a pet, does he consider whether the pet likes to hear it?

Xiang Haikui wondered if she was being too malicious toward him to think this way.

But her hand was pressed against his heart, and his heartbeat was steady, without the slightest fluctuation.

She couldn’t help but compare him to her boss.

After awakening from his dormant state, although her boss repeatedly expressed his intention to draw a clear line with her, his body was very honest.

While recovering in the tree hollow, his breathing had been consistently irregular.

When they flew from the tree hollow to the ground, when her boss held her waist, she could feel that his usually cold hands were very hot.

Just like when he had lost his memory before, the fair skin near his ears was slightly flushed.

Xiang Haikui could gradually understand.

For a big shot who could originally control everything, to wake up from a dream and find his emotions and body beyond his control, he would naturally feel embarrassed.

As she was lost in thought, Tian Kuang again issued a warning.

Since it wasn’t aimed at her, she remained unmoved.

Jing Ran had already lifted her up, carrying her instantly away from the long table to a spot dozens of feet away, landing on top of the wooden railing.

With a bang, the long table and all the vessels and food on it were reduced to powder.

Those dolphins that had been leaping in the sea suddenly transformed into human form and flew up to the terrace.

There were more than a dozen of them, all male, somewhat shorter than humans, with blue skin, looking exactly like Smurfs.

A rippling water screen, like a giant jellyfish, engulfed the entire terrace.

“Unnecessary effort,” Jing Ran sneered.

Xiang Haikui knew he was referring to this “jellyfish.” He was in his recovery period and wanted to use these people for practice, having already ordered his subordinates not to help, and certainly had no intention of escaping.

These were all coming to deliver experience points.

After this wave of experience, there would likely be another.

Xiang Haikui actually couldn’t quite understand why, with so many small clans dissatisfied with the Heavenly Race, her boss hadn’t thought of uniting them?

United resistance would be better. Why come one by one like the Calabash Brothers rescuing their grandfather?

“Stay here.” Jing Ran cast a golden arc around her and flew down from the railing.

Neither side wasted words and began fighting directly.

Those “Smurfs” moved very quickly, transforming various formations, collectively creating storms, flames, and ice spikes around Jing Ran.

They instantly engulfed Jing Ran, but this did not affect his protective golden light.

The attackers didn’t seem surprised and continued to rapidly change formations, overwhelming to behold.

Xiang Haikui stood on the railing watching the battle. From their intentions, they seemed to want to first deplete his golden light, then deliver a killing blow to subdue him.

Xiang Haikui observed, trying to discern Jing Ran’s weaknesses.

Jing Ran suddenly transmitted to her: “Seal your sight.”

Xiang Haikui was startled and quickly did as he said.

Jing Ran, engulfed in flames, suddenly raised his palm, rapidly rotating a light orb in his palm.

The orb was as dazzling as the sun, its emitted light instantly devouring the flames.

Xiang Haikui heard several screams that made her tremble with fear.

Even with her sight sealed, she felt her sea of consciousness scorched by a heat wave. When she opened her eyes, all those “Smurfs” had disappeared.

The “jellyfish” above her head had also become a thin layer of skin, like a deflated balloon, tattered and drifting down.

Xiang Haikui took a deep breath and couldn’t help asking, “Senior, how much of your power has been restored?”

Jing Ran withdrew the light orb from his palm. “About half.”

This overlord of the Three Realms was truly formidable. Xiang Haikui’s throat made a gulping sound. “Are you truly afraid of Yin Changli?”

Jing Ran looked at her and, after a long while, asked, “You haven’t seen Yin Changli kill after his dormancy period, have you?”

Xiang Haikui: …

Jing Ran continued, “Previously, at the Lu family, when you were trapped by the nine-headed bird, he used only a fraction of his power to sever all nine heads with one finger. I have never faced him directly. I believe his strength is only slightly inferior to mine. But he is extremely cunning, so one must be cautious.”

Xiang Haikui was surprised. So her boss was not only intelligent but also so powerful in combat?

“I thought Senior was only afraid of the divine artifact in his possession.”

“That artifact threatens my entire Heavenly Race.”

Mentioning this, Jing Ran found it unbelievable. His elder brother must have been insane to spend half his life’s effort, using himself as an experiment, to create a weapon that could counter their race.

“Let’s go back.” Jing Ran had lost all interest.

He removed the golden arc around Xiang Haikui and turned to leave.

Just as Xiang Haikui was about to leap down from the railing, that tattered jellyfish skin suddenly plummeted rapidly, slapping onto Xiang Haikui’s shoulder.

Then Xiang Haikui’s shoulder experienced a sharp pain as a burned “chicken claw” captured her.

“Di Jun, long time no see.” Xiang Haikui heard someone behind her laughing loudly, a laugh that made her whole body tingle.

Jing Ran turned around, furrowing his brow. “So it’s you.”

“Oh.” Jing Ran nodded. “Those earlier ones were just sent to die, paving the way for you. No wonder it was an unnecessary effort. It seems my previous mercy didn’t earn your gratitude.”

“Bah! Return the source of life of our Heavenly Abyss Sea to us!” The man cut a bloody gash on Xiang Haikui’s neck, from which blood gushed. “Otherwise…”

“Idiot.”

Before he could finish, he heard his captive curse.

The sword energy flowed back into her body, and Xiang Haikui transformed directly into a flood dragon, ramming into his chest.

Jing Ran immediately took action, his golden light burning the attacker to ashes.

With her mental state unstable recently, Xiang Haikui dared not remain transformed for long and immediately returned to human form.

Wiping the blood from her neck, she walked back with a dark face.

“I didn’t expect Xiang classmate would help me.” Jing Ran smiled slightly, his eyes carrying a hint of laughter. He wanted to help stop her bleeding, but she swatted his hand away.

“Could he threaten you?” Xiang Haikui’s wound burned fiercely as she gritted her teeth and healed herself.

“Not questioning right and wrong like this is unlike you.” Jing Ran looked at her somewhat scrutinizingly.

“No matter which of you is right or wrong, from the moment they captured me, they were wrong.”

Whoever hit her, she would hit back—that was Xiang Haikui’s current attitude.

“If you can’t win, go home and cultivate. If you want to fight head-on, show some real strength.” She cursed loudly. “Capturing innocent people for leverage—despicable! Garbage! Shameless! Utterly disgusting! Their race deserves extinction!”

Pleased that she was finally on his side, Jing Ran was initially smiling, but his expression suddenly darkened. “Are you cursing me?”

“Ha, if some people insist on taking it personally, I can’t help that.”

The Myriad Bones Pit.

An invading force woke Qi Yin from his sleep.

Upon discovering who had come, he looked with surprise at the small black snake coiled on the chain.

“Changli?”

Yin Changli walked in from the corridor carrying two wine jars, smiling slightly. “Elder Qi, I’ve come to slap your face. Who was it that said they would protect me, that as long as you didn’t die, no one could harm me?”

He blew a breath, and the coiled black snake dispersed. “Relying on you, I wouldn’t even know how I died.”

The face-slapping was resounding. Qi Yin looked embarrassed. “What happened?”

Without waiting for Yin Changli to answer, he asked further, “Did your dormancy end early? What about my little disciple? How is she? Did she survive? Did she escape fate?”

Yin Changli had originally wanted to tease him a bit more, but with these questions, his mood immediately soured.

“I lost.” Yin Changli walked over to Qi Yin’s side and sat on the stone steps, placing the two wine jars down. “Originally, Han Qi only made me develop an imprinting mindset, but I dug a hole and buried myself, actually developing genuine feelings.”

Qi Yin was stunned for a moment. “The hole you dug… oh, Little Kui?”

Yin Changli had a headache.

Seeing that he wasn’t concerned about dirt and was sitting on the ground, Qi Yin frowned slightly. Dragging his chains, he also sat down and opened one of the wine jars to drink. “Since you’ve come to find me, do you have something to tell me?”

“The day after tomorrow, I’ll attack the Other Shore City. The Di Jun has returned from tribulation and is in the Other Shore City…” Yin Changli explained in detail.

Qi Yin was unaware that so much had happened in such a short time.

“I came today wanting Elder Qi to scold me.”

Qi Yin asked, “Why?”

Yin Changli replied, “With only two days left, I should be thinking about whether there are any oversights. But in reality, I can’t help thinking about her, unable to control my desire to take her away immediately. I even suspect whether Han Qi’s spell is still in my mind, as I seem to be more and more deeply poisoned.”

“What’s wrong with thinking about Little Kui?” Qi Yin didn’t understand. “My little disciple is so lovable; I worry about her all the time, too.”

“Among all the imprisoned elders, Elder Qi, you are the only one who was betrayed because of a disciple…”

“So you think I would scold you, telling you not to be emotional like me?”

Yin Changli also wanted to drink, but he resisted. “I’m very afraid of unsealing those ten years of memories. Through Xiao Bai’s narration, I’ve discovered that I wasn’t ill; it was very much like before…”

“Before, my father would often scold me for my cowardice. Now, only Elder Qi dares to scold me.”

Qi Yin patted his shoulder. “Changli, although your father scolded you, did he ever force you?”

Yin Changli was silent for a long time. “Because I disappointed my father too much, he gave up on me early.”

Qi Yin shook his head. “Do you know that when your father mentioned you to me, it was never with disappointment but with pride? You probably don’t know that among all your brothers, you were your father’s favorite.”

Yin Changli frowned slightly.

“Why did our ancestors want us to learn the Human Way? The Human Way is closest to the Heavenly Way.” Qi Yin rarely spoke to him so kindly. “Neither the Heavenly Race nor our Mountain and Sea Clan is naturally reverent toward all things, but you possess this heart.”

“Changli, this isn’t cowardice. The Buddha pities all living beings—would you call them cowardly?”

Qi Yin, like a loving elder, gently pressed on his head. “Your current avoidant mindset is true cowardice…”

Yin Changli’s pupils contracted slightly.

He didn’t respond, and Qi Yin just drank wine without saying anything further.

After a long while, Yin Changli said, “Keep an eye on me; I’ll enter my posterior spirit realm.”

“Good.”

…

Yin Changli had long noticed that his originally barren posterior spirit realm was now filled with sunflowers and covered with dense writing.

But he had only entered once, looked briefly, felt nauseated to the point of vomiting, and immediately fled.

Upon returning here, he began to endure the nausea and read word by word.

…

Today, Miss Xiang is still very afraid of me.

I’ve sewn my mouth shut.

I truly don’t understand how my former self could have been so disrespectful to people.

Yin Changli, others are fools, but are you so excellent?

Look at this scorched earth in your posterior spirit realm. At your age, you’ve ended up alone. You’re truly excellent!

…

Through my persistent efforts, Little Kui isn’t so afraid of me now.

She smiles at me now.

Every time she smiles at me, I come to plant a sunflower.

She faces the sun; I face her.

…

Today, Little Kui was injured again protecting me.

I want to protect her, but I am so powerless.

But fortunately, I’m not truly powerless. Once I recover, I’ll never let anyone bully me again.

She always worries that after I recover, I’ll no longer like her. How could that be possible?

Even now, when I can’t think properly, I can see Little Kui’s goodness. There’s no reason that when I regain my former wisdom and ability to see through people’s hearts, I would fail to see her goodness.

She is so wonderful.

Without doing anything, just standing in the sunlight, she shines brilliantly.

If I can’t see that, it only means that those years of my life might have been lived as a dog.

Remember to open your dog’s eyes and truly look at this beautiful world and the most beautiful girl beside you.

…

These days, terrifying images keep appearing in my mind.

Those are my memories.

I’m beginning to fear, becoming somewhat afraid to face them. I finally understand why Little Kui has always worried that after I wake up, I would harm her.

I also understand why, no matter how hard I try, she remains unmoved.

Because my mind is no longer constantly filled with thoughts of Little Kui.

I’ve even begun to think she’s somewhat foolish.

I carefully reflected on this. She hasn’t changed; it’s I who’s changing.

She is still that beautiful ray of proud sunlight, but my heart is increasingly drawn to darkness.

Han Qi said I failed in changing fate.

I don’t think so. I’ve been sinking in the sea of suffering all along, but now, someone has finally reached out to me, pulling me ashore.

I must, must remember.

Rather than scheming about the future all day, it’s better to open the door to the past and sweep away the dust that has settled on my heart along this journey.

I hope that when I awaken, even if I’m filled with weariness, before her, I’ll still be that young man whose eyes hold only her.

Being a young man who belongs only to her.