The Jianmu Tree was a bridge connecting the immortal and mortal realms.

Those who hadn’t ascended couldn’t see the Jianmu Tree, and since they couldn’t see it, climbing it was impossible. But ascending this Jianmu Tree wasn’t too difficult—after all, in the memories of the earth-bound spirit Little Phoenix, someone had once climbed up to help her find her family.

The key was whether one could see it. It should be like that.

Throwing the Liuguang Mirror in her hand aside, Su Zhuyi discovered that the towering tree standing among the clouds, erected between heaven and earth, had disappeared. When she picked it up again, the tree reappeared before her eyes.

She held the mirror in her hand, playing with it, her fingers touching the cold mirror surface. Even after warming it against her chest for a day and night, this mirror remained ice-cold, exactly like Qin Jianglan back then.

His body was cold, and he had no heartbeat.

Just like this mirror.

But his emotions back then were burning and passionate…

Thinking of this, Su Zhuyi leaned sideways against the wooden door, stretching out her long legs, pointing her jade feet forward to touch the tender leaves of the Wangtian Tree outside. Her skin was white, tender, delicate as jade, her nails pink and adorable. After lightly tapping among the green leaves a few times, she withdrew her feet with boredom, the corner of her mouth showing a mocking smile.

On the Wangtian Tree, constantly displaying her body’s beauty had seemingly become a natural habit.

Because long ago, she had used all her wits here to tease and seduce a man.

If that Wangtian Tree had become sentient, it would probably have grown needle eyes by now.

“So men who claim to be devoted are all liars.”

“Only heart demons would have eyes only for you.”

In her past life, she had never given men a single bit of true affection. The one time she finally fell in love, he said he’d sever it and did, became immortal and ascended, even daring to use her as a stepping stone. Did he think I was easy to bully?

Su Zhuyi stayed a while longer before leaving Yunxiao Sect. She flew on her sword without rest, spending a day and night, arriving once again at the foot of the Jianmu Tree.

She didn’t know if this newly grown Jianmu Tree had any connection to the previous tree that had been chopped down. Standing at the tree’s base now, Su Zhuyi thought for a moment, then gently knocked twice on the trunk, wanting to greet it.

She had once seen some of the Jianmu Tree’s memories. Back then, what Quicksand River wanted to become a god and change was this tree’s fate.

It was restricted by heavenly dao rules, only able to stand here as a bridge connecting heaven and earth, while the maiden transformed from Quicksand River wanted to roam the entire world with him, watching flowers bloom and fall, clouds gather and scatter.

But now the Liuguang Mirror had become a divine artifact, yet this tree still stood here. It seemed like all those years of struggle had been in vain, with no change whatsoever. If Quicksand River hadn’t harbored such thoughts back then, perhaps now she would still be flowing gently at the foot of the Jianmu Tree, able to transform into human form, sitting on the treetop, swinging her feet, smiling carefree.

Unfortunately, she refined herself into a divine artifact, her body becoming a mirror, her primordial spirit completely shattered. In the end, the divine artifact was completed, but what meaning did it have?

Taking out the Liuguang Mirror and gently touching the Jianmu Tree with it, it seemed like a breeze passed by, making the leaves sway and rustle.

Su Zhuyi lightly touched her toes and leaped onto a branch. She thought climbing from the roots to the sky would be very difficult, but unexpectedly, each time she went up, the gently swaying branches seemed to give her a little assistance.

The branches swayed, with the wind beneath her feet.

Good wind lends its strength, carrying me to azure clouds.

She climbed up with determination like this, from sunrise to sunset, through day and night alternation. She didn’t know how much time had passed before Su Zhuyi finally saw the end.

But just as she was about to clench her fists and climb to the end with one final push, a branch beneath her feet bounced, and a force sent her to a small branch on the side. Her heel had just landed when she felt the scenery before her eyes change.

Could this be where immortals lived?

Had the Jianmu Tree sent her over?

Before Su Zhuyi could express thanks, she saw the Liuguang Mirror in her hand suddenly increase in weight, becoming so heavy she couldn’t hold it. Her hand loosened, and the mirror was immediately wrapped by the branch that had just bounced her, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Su Zhuyi was dumbfounded. She hadn’t expected that when she tried greeting the Jianmu Tree at the bottom for so long without any response, she thought this newly grown tree had no connection to the past. Now it seemed that since it could take away the Liuguang Mirror, it probably still remembered Quicksand River.

But now, Su Zhuyi didn’t have much thought to spare for others. She lifted her foot and stepped forward.

What was the place where ascended immortals lived like?

She had imagined it would at least have immortal qi floating about, auspicious clouds everywhere, rare treasures and plants all over, immortal spirit beasts visible everywhere—in short, a place where one step could crush an immortal flower, and one breath of immortal qi could increase cultivation by ten years.

But unexpectedly, after taking this step, what she saw was a gray darkness.

Where was this?

The air seemed to have no spiritual qi, and it was frighteningly cold.

Luoxue Peak had heavy snow year-round, yet it was much warmer than here. The cold here seemed to seep into one’s bones, even protective barriers could hardly resist it. Su Zhuyi saw frost forming on the back of her hands, and the Qingxia Sword was almost freezing in her palm.

She circulated her cultivation technique and ate a pill before catching her breath slightly.

What kind of ghostly place was this? Why was it so gloomy and terrifying?

Su Zhuyi silently took out a Straw Man substitute before continuing forward.

There was nothing around.

Walking in this desolate, cold, and extremely quiet place, her heartbeat became particularly obvious.

Was this really where ascended immortals stayed? Su Zhuyi didn’t believe it at all.

What to do?

Su Zhuyi felt she was getting a bit scared.

She had been living well down below—why act on momentary anger and come up here to suffer? She could have lived well for several thousand more years, but now she felt her life and death were uncertain.

If she continued forward, would she lose her life?

But thinking again, there was nothing to fear about dying. Now, there was still reincarnation after death. She had accumulated quite a bit of merit in this lifetime. Although her senior brother and master couldn’t give her backdoor privileges, if she went to reincarnation, she could probably be born into a good family next time…

Bah, I haven’t lived enough yet.

Gripping tighter with her hand, Su Zhuyi clutched the Straw Man substitute more firmly. She continued walking forward for a stretch and suddenly saw a stone ahead.

Su Zhuyi’s heartbeat disappeared.

At that moment, her originally wildly beating heart seemed to be suddenly gripped tightly by someone. After a brief pause, there was a thunderous rumbling sound.

Thump thump thump thump…

Su Zhuyi’s heart pounded like drums.

That wasn’t a stone.

That was a back figure.

Someone was sitting on the ground, having sat there for who knows how long, almost becoming a lump of stone in this gray heaven and earth.

Was he Qin Jianglan?

Su Zhuyi’s mind exploded with a bang.

She simply couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She had come up to fight Qin Jianglan, originally planning to have a spectacular battle with an ascended immortal, but who would have thought it would turn out like this?

Su Zhuyi walked very slowly at first.

She carefully approached that stone. Later, her steps became faster and more urgent. She flew through the air and landed directly in front of the stone.

His aura was weak, with almost no vitality left.

Su Zhuyi slowly extended her hand. Her hand was trembling, not daring to touch him.

“Qin Jianglan.”

“Is it you?”

She gently brushed away the white hair covering his face. When she saw that face full of wrinkles, Su Zhuyi’s hand froze there, her eyes stinging, her vision instantly blurring.

Her fingers were white, tender, and clean, but the skin her fingertips touched was covered in wrinkles, like withered wood.

Su Zhuyi grinned, “Fool, I thought you were living happily and freely as an immortal in heaven. Who would have thought you’d aged like this? What happened? Didn’t you sever your heart demon and ascend? How did you ruin yourself into this inhuman, ghostly state?”

Her trembling fingertip touched his brow. “You abandoned your wife and nephew; now you’re suffering the consequences, aren’t you?”

Wu’er called him little uncle every day, so he counted as a nephew.

Though her face wore a mocking smile, tears kept falling uncontrollably. Su Zhuyi tremblingly reached for pills. When she took out the pill bottle, her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Those round, smooth pills all fell through her fingers, rolling all over the ground like scattered pearls, making crisp tinkling sounds.

She lowered her head to frantically collect them. When she picked up the pills and brought them to Qin Jianglan’s mouth, she saw Qin Jianglan open his eyes.

His gaze was murky and weak as he said softly, “Su Zhuyi.”

“Dreaming again.”

Those dim, lifeless eyes had no spirit. His eyelids trembled slightly twice, about to slowly close.

Su Zhuyi couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into tears with a wail, “Old Dog Qin, how did you make yourself like this? Look at yourself now, like a mangy dog. Didn’t you ascend? Didn’t you go to heaven without even looking at me? How the hell did you end up like this?”

Qin Jianglan’s body trembled slightly.

After a long while, he smiled.

“You came.”

“You came to save me.”

“Bullshit, I came to kill you. Who knew before I could act, you were already about to die?” Su Zhuyi carefully fed the pill into Qin Jianglan’s mouth, then transferred her spiritual qi to him. Seeing his body was ice-cold, she directly embraced him tightly.

Fiercely holding him tight.

Su Zhuyi loved beauty most of all.

She had always felt that she could fancy Qin Jianglan and had no interest in other men because Qin Jianglan was good-looking.

However, now he was an ugly old man too terrible to look at, yet she still embraced him.

Holding this wretched old man, Su Zhuyi felt tears blurring her eyes. As long as he was still here, nothing else mattered. Only while alive could one settle scores later.

His body gradually warmed up.

His chest also had a faint heartbeat.

Though weak, it truly existed, completely different from his previous body.

“Zhuyi.”

“Mm?”

“Take me down, okay?”

“You have to beg me.” Though completely confused, Su Zhuyi knew that with Qin Jianglan’s current condition, continuing to stay here definitely wouldn’t work. She had to take him down.

He hadn’t become immortal.

This wasn’t fairyland either. Whatever this place was, she had to save him and bring him back.

Without waiting for Qin Jianglan’s answer, Su Zhuyi had already put Qin Jianglan on her back.

His body was light and weightless.

After getting him on her back, as Su Zhuyi walked back, she heard a hoarse voice in her ear, “I beg you.”

Knowing I was angry, now he’s accommodating me in everything, even able to say words like begging me. She wanted to curse, but her divine sense detected that Old Qin had already passed out. Su Zhuyi said nothing more and quickly returned.

She climbed down the Jianmu Tree all the way, carrying Qin Jianglan back to Luoxue Peak.