Qin Jianglan was the first person to actively sacrifice himself to the Liuguang Mirror, and he, at the critical moment between life and death, also understood the path the Liuguang Mirror wanted to take. That mirror no longer possessed spiritual intelligence—it had nearly exhausted all its primordial spirit power in its final act to seal the True Spirit Realm.
So it wouldn’t teach him what to do. Only when he comprehended it himself did he trigger that trace of weak divine consciousness that had been slumbering within the Liuguang Mirror. He had gained control of the Liuguang Mirror, but only temporarily. The current Qin Jianglan was not yet the true master of the Liuguang Mirror.
He had to find a way to help the Liuguang Mirror achieve its wish. For the Liuguang Mirror, for Su Zhuyi, this reborn one whom Heaven’s Dao would not tolerate, and perhaps for himself as well.
Qinghe was the second to actively offer sacrifice to the Liuguang Mirror.
What the Liuguang Mirror needed was life force. Although Qinghe was the Longquan Sword, filled with murderous energy, he was ultimately one who had merged with the sword—he was alive. After entering, he could provide vitality to the world within the Liuguang Mirror. With his powerful strength, he could persist for a very long time. Most importantly, with the Liuguang Mirror now under his control, Qinghe would not dissipate or lose his memories.
For Qinghe, who was controlled by the evil sword, staying within the Liuguang Mirror was far better than remaining in the outside world. Those powers he couldn’t control would instead become the driving force supporting the world within the Liuguang Mirror.
Qin Jianglan put away the Liuguang Mirror and returned to the Songfeng Sword, carrying the still-sleeping Su Zhuyi back to Luoxue Peak of the Gujian Sect.
His hand gently caressed her hair, fingers threading through the dark strands, combing downward bit by bit, then lightly massaging her head to help her sleep more comfortably.
Qin Jianglan sat beside her, his gaze tender. He didn’t even need to control the Songfeng Sword.
The Songfeng Sword was an immortal sword with a sword spirit—it could fly by itself.
Songfeng Sword: “…”
At least it wasn’t directionally challenged.
Before long, Qin Jianglan brought Su Zhuyi back to the Gujian Sect. In his previous life, he had been the Master of Yunxiao Sect, leader of the Righteous Path, bearing the responsibility of an entire sect, even the whole world. Preserving Su Zhuyi’s life had already defied all conventions.
This time, he had warned his former master, but no longer wished to bear that previous identity.
So he returned to the Gujian Sect.
Although the Gujian Sect had lost many people and even their sect leader had perished, life had to go on. When they returned, the disciples with lighter injuries were all busy working.
Luoxue Peak was the foundation and faith of the Gujian Sect. They had sent people to restore it. When Qin Jianglan brought Su Zhuyi back, everything here had already been restored.
Luoxue Peak had been cleaned thoroughly. The accumulated snow was white again, those damaged buildings had been reconstructed, and several disciples had even transplanted a large pine tree, burying it in the big pit in front of Su Zhuyi’s house.
That pine tree grew luxuriantly—who knows from which deep mountain forest they had dug up this ancient pine? Its crown was verdant, even more robust than the pine tree manifested by the Songfeng Sword.
Songfeng Sword: “…”
…
When Su Zhuyi awoke, she found herself lying on a familiar bed. Little Skull and Qin Jianglan sat side by side at the door, with Xiaoxiao lying beside Little Skull.
Xiaoxiao had already opened its eyes. Its body had been sewn up by Little Skull using needles and silk thread. Now it had truly healed together, and under the nourishment of spiritual energy, its hind legs seemed able to move. Once it recovered fully, the threads could probably be removed.
“Those spirit beasts on Luoxue Peak, hmph, I don’t even want to bother with them anymore,” Little Skull was complaining to his little uncle. “When Big Sister was being bullied, none of them came out. Only Xiaoxiao ran out, and Xiaoxiao is the weakest among them.”
“Spirit beasts, especially high-level ones, are particularly sensitive and can actively avoid danger. Given the situation at that time, if they had come, they would all have died, so they would hide, the farther the better.”
Little Skull thought simply: “But Xiaoxiao came out. Wasn’t it afraid?”
“It was afraid, too, but it wanted to protect Big Sister, just like you and me.”
“Because it wanted to protect, it could overcome fear.” He turned to glance at Little Skull. “Wu’er, Xiaoxiao is very brave.”
Wu’er lowered his head slightly and said in a muffled voice: “Mm, I need to be braver in the future too.” He poked the ground with his finger. “I have the ability, but I didn’t protect them well.”
Su Zhuyi listened with her eyes closed, then sat up in bed. As soon as she moved, both the big and small figures at the door turned to look at her—a handsome man plus a skull head, and a dog that had turned around wagging its tail with its tongue out, then showed terror and tucked its tail. This scene had quite an impact, making her slightly stunned before asking: “How long have I been sleeping?”
That dog—she didn’t dislike it anymore. Of course, this was limited to Xiaoxiao only.
She had once said that if they could all survive, she would not dislike it anymore. Since they were all alive now, she couldn’t go back on her word. Thinking of this, Su Zhuyi glanced at Xiaoxiao, her divine consciousness much gentler than before, and also took a look at Xiaoxiao’s injuries. At that time, it had been cut in half by Qinghe, yet it still crawled to her and gave her a fruit.
Using her divine consciousness to examine the injuries, Su Zhuyi immediately discovered that her spirit had recovered quite well, and her bodily injuries had improved significantly. Given how severely injured she had been, it couldn’t have healed in just two or three days.
Similarly, for Xiaoxiao to recover to seventy or eighty percent from such severe injuries would require at least ten days to half a month, right?
“One month,” Little Skull quickly said. “I’ve been hoping every day for Big Sister to wake up.”
What!
Su Zhuyi was stunned. She had slept for a month? Taking a deep breath, she noticed calming incense burning in the room. Su Zhuyi immediately understood why she had slept so long, and her heart became somewhat anxious: “What about Qinghe?”
How was Qinghe doing?
At this moment, Xiaoxiao looked at Little Skull and whined once, as if talking to him.
Little Skull reacted immediately, quickly wrapping Xiaoxiao in spiritual energy, afraid Big Sister might get angry. But seeing that Big Sister went straight out of the room without scolding Xiaoxiao, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Jianglan glanced at Su Zhuyi, then looked down at the space beside him.
Su Zhuyi directly sat down next to him, forming a row with them.
Qin Jianglan: “…”
There was no extra expression on his face, but his heart felt a trace of sweetness. The slight discomfort from her asking about Qinghe upon opening her eyes immediately faded away.
“Qinghe is fine,” Qin Jianglan said in a calm tone. “He’s now inside the Liuguang Mirror.”
His voice was clear and bright, like jade striking jade.
“Ah?” Su Zhuyi was stunned. Qinghe was inside the Liuguang Mirror? Was he dead or alive?
Qin Jianglan briefly explained the information about the Liuguang Mirror to Su Zhuyi.
Su Zhuyi reacted quickly and immediately understood: “So you’re saying the Liuguang Mirror wants to create a cycle of reincarnation? And this would be a supplement to Heaven’s Dao, so if successful, it would be accepted. Then why is it that every time the Liuguang Mirror appears, I feel like I’m about to be struck by lightning?”
“Relying on the Liuguang Mirror for rebirth is indeed going against heaven, so Heaven’s Dao won’t tolerate it.”
“But now, what we need to do is not this.” Qin Jianglan said slowly.
Su Zhuyi had also read secular storybooks, and she had read even more than Qin Jianglan. After pondering for a moment, “You mean establishing a cycle of reincarnation so that primordial spirits won’t directly dissipate into heaven and earth, then survive in the world within the Liuguang Mirror, and even be able to reincarnate?”
“Just like the underworld in storybooks. Those who committed many evil deeds in life would be punished after death, and those who accumulated virtue and did good deeds in life could be reborn into good circumstances. Isn’t this something those pitiful mortals who were oppressed and couldn’t get revenge came up with to comfort themselves?”
You did evil, I can’t do anything to you, but you’ll suffer punishment in the underworld after death. I lived honestly doing good deeds my whole life—even though my days were hard, I was accumulating blessings for the next life.
For Su Zhuyi, this demoness, she disdained such thinking. After all, she was that kind of greatly evil person. If there was such a cycle of reincarnation, then after her death, she would have no peace—climbing mountains of knives, descending into seas of fire, entering cauldrons of oil…
In her next life, she’d be reborn into the animal realm.
“But I think it’s necessary to exist.” Qin Jianglan pointed to the sky. “The Liuguang Mirror has also realized this point. It seems Heaven’s Dao agrees with it, too.”
“Then how would you judge a person’s deeds in life?” Su Zhuyi asked again.
“Have you forgotten what the Liuguang Mirror is?” When Qin Jianglan said this, he looked at Su Zhuyi with eyes that carried a hint of indulgence.
Su Zhuyi: “…”
She inexplicably felt her scalp tingle. Back then, Qin Jianglan on the Wangtian Tree would never give her a good look. After being touched so many times by her divine consciousness in the Liuguang Mirror, had he become a docile little lamb after coming out?
Thinking of the extremely realistic dream she’d had before, Su Zhuyi suddenly wondered—if he cooperated a little, wouldn’t the experience be even more enchanting? She was a bit curious to try. After all, he seemed so powerful now. If they could dual cultivate, she would be the one to benefit. Her body softened, and she unconsciously leaned closer to him. But after getting close, Su Zhuyi felt somewhat cold.
In the dream, his body had been burning hot. When she entwined with him, she could feel his heat, hear his pounding heartbeat, and even touch his hot sweat.
In that dream realm, she had been the one actively seducing, yet she had also been intoxicated, enjoying that pleasurable taste. Now, however, she felt quite a contrast. What exactly was wrong with him now?
She was slightly stunned and stopped her movements, just quietly leaning against his shoulder, listening to him continue.
The Liuguang Mirror was formed from the Quicksand River, existing since the beginning of heaven and earth, like flowing time itself, witnessing the life trajectories of all things in the world. It was precisely for this reason that they could follow the reverse flow of time and be reborn a thousand years ago.
So what a person had done in life was clear at a glance to the Liuguang Mirror.
As for how to judge…
Qin Jianglan paused: “So we still need a judge.”
“Me?” Su Zhuyi’s eyes dimmed slightly as she came back to her senses, pointing at herself.
But Qin Jianglan gave her a light glance, then said nothing. Su Zhuyi also understood the meaning in his eyes.
She understood him quite well.
Right now, he was probably feeling quite disdainful in his heart. With her character, if she were to judge a person’s behavior, it would be: killed well, evil done well, damn right they should be killed, massacre them all!
“So you’re saying, if the Liuguang Mirror truly establishes this cycle of reincarnation, even if we break through the Dao, we can control our destinies? We won’t be constantly struck by lightning, won’t be rejected by Heaven’s Dao, won’t always be pushed by those hands toward a predetermined ending.”
“Mm.” Qin Jianglan nodded.
As long as they succeeded, he wouldn’t remain in this current state of being neither dead nor alive, not within Heaven’s Dao.