Ming Li had guessed that Zhou Zixi had not had a good life before, but now, hearing about it, his experiences were more distressing than she had imagined.

In life, there are always a few times when one regrets the choices made.

One always wonders what one would do if given another chance.

If Cheng Jingbai had known what Zhou Zixi would experience after returning to the Ice Wastes, perhaps he wouldn’t have gone to Bei Dou. But even if he hadn’t gone to Bei Dou, the Calligraphy Sage, knowing Zhou Zixi wasn’t dead, would have found ways to locate him.

But if Cheng Jingbai and the others had died for this, Zhou Zixi wouldn’t have been able to let it go.

Their opponents were too powerful, making the Earth Ghosts seem so weak and powerless, only able to be threatened repeatedly and caught in dilemmas.

After finishing his story, Cheng Jingbai came to a small path outside the Star-Gazing Platform and sat down against a flowering tree, raising his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, silently.

Zhou Xiang crouched beside him, blinking as she looked at him.

Cheng Jingbai said, “Sometimes I feel I’m hateful.”

Zhou Xiang shook her head. She said, “If there’s anyone to blame, blame me for taking Zixi to Ice Wastes.”

At this moment, Zhou Xiang wasn’t showing her timid and weak side, nor her bloodthirsty and cruel side, but was incredibly calm and serious, completely unaffected by the negative influence of the Heart Meridian.

“If I hadn’t let Zixi take me back to Ice Wastes, he wouldn’t have met the Calligraphy Sage, and all those things wouldn’t have happened afterward. Perhaps he could have come to Bei Dou earlier.”

Zhou Xiang looked at Cheng Jingbai earnestly and said, “If we must find a reason, then the person who should be hated should be me.”

After hearing this, Cheng Jingbai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and instinctively reached out to pat her head: “Why are you competing with me over this?”

But Zhou Xiang shook her head and said, “I think so.”

Cheng Jingbai: “That’s a good thought, but don’t think like that anymore.”

Lin Xiao and Li Bushuo stood not far away, watching the two of them. Chen Zhou came over and greeted them, gesturing with his eyes about how Cheng Jingbai was doing.

“It’s fine,” Lin Xiao said. “For these past few years, whenever Zixi appears, he always talks about this matter, even annoying Zixi. In the end, he’s the only one who can’t let it go.”

When Cheng Jingbai first saw Zhou Zixi’s completely changed appearance, he felt as if he had committed some unforgivable sin. The person who had vaguely admired Zhou Zixi in his heart was almost drowned by guilt.

The young man knelt on the ground, crying in anguish. Zhou Zixi said several times that it didn’t matter, but each time he appeared, he was still met with Cheng Jingbai’s teary-eyed gaze, apologizing regretfully countless times.

Finally, Zhou Zixi frowned and said, “Are you deaf or something? I’ll say it one last time: I returned to Ice Wastes because I didn’t want Bei Dou to discover my Earth Ghost identity. It has nothing to do with you. If you keep crying and wailing at me, I’ll kill you every time I see you.”

The scolded Cheng Jingbai: “…”

The heartless Zhou Zixi occasionally said and did things that tested the patience and endurance of normal people, and even Zhou Xiang sometimes couldn’t help but want to rebuke him.

But Cheng Jingbai never had a word of complaint. Whatever Zhou Zixi said, he did, even if he knew nothing, even if he had to stay under the watchful eyes of a Pilgrim for a long time, it didn’t matter to him.

Perhaps it was because at their first meeting in Ice Wastes years ago, when Zhou Zixi stood in front of him blocking the Calligraphy Sage’s life-destroying moment, Cheng Jingbai began to aspire to become someone like Zhou Zixi one day.

*

Only Ming Li and Song Tianjiu remained on the Star-Gazing Platform.

When Cheng Jingbai and the others left, Song Tianjiu was about to leave with them, but Ming Li called for him to stay.

In that moment, Song Tianjiu had a feeling his life wouldn’t last much longer.

He straightened his back, forcing himself to summon the spirit to deal with Ming Li, thinking she wanted to settle the score about his brother going to the Northern Border Ghost Plains to kill her.

Ming Li raised her hand to summon countless star threads to form a formation. Without looking at Song Tianjiu, she said: “From what I know, the Awakening Marrow, like Shi Fei, as a superior Divine Martial weapon, has an endless flow of star power that can supply an entire sect for thousands of years, sustaining itself endlessly.”

“I don’t know what Bei Dou’s Shi Fei can do, but my family’s Awakening Marrow mainly can awaken star meridians early, shortening the time for awakening cultivation. If star meridians are injured or eliminated, they can also regrow.” Song Tianjiu scratched his head and said, “But I’ve tried, and it can’t awaken life meridians.”

Ming Li: “Perhaps your method is wrong, otherwise, the Wandering Soul Tribe wouldn’t have Earth Ghosts steal the Awakening Marrow.”

Song Tianjiu nodded; he had also thought it might be like this.

“Awakening star meridians isn’t something the Awakening Marrow can control. It only shortens the time, allowing you to awaken before others and to learn spirit techniques earlier than others. What star meridian can be awakened is uncontrollable.”

Song Tianjiu thought for a moment and said: “My brother experimented with the Awakening Marrow earlier than I, to see if it could awaken life meridians, but in my memory, he never told me about this. The special powers of each family’s superior Divine Martial weapons are kept secret, but I suspect… the Calligraphy Sage’s second awakening back then was helped by the Awakening Marrow.”

Only then did Ming Li turn to look at him.

Once under someone’s gaze, Song Tianjiu felt goosebumps all over, uncomfortably shrinking his neck.

Ming Li asked: “Did Song Tianjiu lend the Awakening Marrow to the Calligraphy Sage?”

Song Tianjiu nodded, his expression hesitant: “I heard it from my mother. Before they both had breakthroughs, they once trained together. It was shortly after lending the Awakening Marrow to the Calligraphy Sage that he had a second awakening and became a Pilgrim.”

“But after their breakthroughs, their relationship cooled.”

“My mother said the Calligraphy Sage was like a teacher to my brother. He knew so much, both in knowledge and understanding of cultivation, that my brother greatly admired him.”

Ming Li hadn’t expected there was such a relationship between Song Tianjiu and the Calligraphy Sage; it wasn’t apparent at all back then.

“So your brother has seen the Calligraphy Sage’s true face,” Ming Li held a star thread thoughtfully. “Since they were once so close, why did they later become like strangers?”

“It might be related to the Divine Oracle,” Song Tianjiu tried hard to recall the past for clues. “My brother never told me about his relationship with the Calligraphy Sage; it was all from my mother. When the Imperial Capital’s crown prince was selecting consorts, she warned us not to go to the Imperial Capital and get involved, saying the Calligraphy Sage and Emperor Wen Xiu were equally inscrutable, and to avoid them if possible.”

“The Awakening Marrow can enable a second awakening. This method was likely told to the Calligraphy Sage by the Wandering Soul Tribe:” Ming Li cut the star thread in her hand and regenerated it, saying softly, ‘This explains why the Calligraphy Sage would cooperate with the Wandering Soul Tribe.”

Song Tianjiu nodded like a pecking chick: “That’s what I think too.”

When he had many views on a topic, and there weren’t many people around, in a one-on-one situation, Song Tianjiu could speak well: “There must be some special connection between the Awakening Marrow and star meridians. Star meridians that have been eliminated can regain sensitivity under the healing of the Awakening Marrow. Perhaps there’s much we don’t know about the power of the Awakening Marrow, but the Wandering Soul Tribe does.”

This led to reconsidering the existence of the Wandering Soul Tribe.

The deepest part of the north had always been a place people of the Tong Gu continent couldn’t reach; countless cultivators went without return.

Similarly, the thirty-three tribes of the north couldn’t reach the inner cities. There were always people at the border of the Northern Border Ghost Plains on strict guard, especially the Bei Dou Qi Zong, who had blocked them for thousands of years.

“The Wandering Soul Tribe is like a group of people quietly hiding in invisible places, causing trouble. They seem to have an innate hostility toward people of the inner cities. If before I thought the Wandering Soul Tribe wanted to seize the territory of foreign tribes to survive, since remembering what my brother said, I find the Wandering Soul Tribe increasingly strange.”

Song Tianjiu rarely took the initiative to look at Ming Li and said, “Is it possible that the Divine Oracle’s power remains so strong today because someone, or a group of people, is helping to maintain this power?”

Ming Li also looked at him, directly into his eyes, and said as Song Tianjiu hung his head: “The Divine Oracle hasn’t always been extremely powerful. Compared to before, its power is growing weaker, otherwise, it wouldn’t allow you to remember things related to the life meridian.”

Song Tianjiu was stunned upon hearing this: “Then, then was I wrong?”

“No, you weren’t wrong. It’s very possible,” Ming Li turned back to look at her star threads. “The people of the Wandering Soul Tribe are naturally Full Meridian Pilgrims. They indeed can maintain the Divine Oracle.”

Song Tianjiu was too shocked to speak.

“The battle between the Divine Oracle and life meridians has lasted too long. During this long time, many things have changed. The existence of life meridians was gradually erased; people could no longer see or sense life meridians. But now changes are occurring again.”

Ming Li said, “Even if it’s just a small number, compared to before, more and more people are becoming aware of the existence of life meridians and the Divine Oracle.”

“Whether Pilgrims, the Wandering Soul Tribe, or Earth Ghosts, in the Tong Gu continent, they are just a small part. The majority, the largest proportion, the other people who make up this world, are the ones who can determine the future.”

Song Tianjiu gradually relaxed. He found that talking with Ming Li wasn’t as difficult as he had imagined, because regarding life meridians, they shared quite a few similar views.

“If the Wandering Soul Tribe stole the Awakening Marrow to help people have a second awakening of life meridians, isn’t that strange? Didn’t they want to eliminate life meridians?” Song Tianjiu asked.

“The Wandering Soul Tribe not only wants the Awakening Marrow but also Shi Fei,” Ming Li said. “Shi Fei has super strong healing abilities, and like the Awakening Marrow, targets star meridians. If the Wandering Soul Tribe is using the Awakening Marrow to try to awaken life meridians, then Shi Fei…”

She stopped halfway through her sentence, narrowing her eyes as if lost in thought.

Song Tianjiu was still waiting for Ming Li’s explanation when he saw her wave a star thread over.

“Cut it,” Ming Li said.

“Huh?” Song Tianjiu grabbed the star thread, and after realizing what she meant, said “Oh” and cut it easily.

The moment the star thread broke, the other star threads floating around Ming Li suddenly transformed into long swords, unsheathing and piercing through her like countless arrows. Song Tianjiu watched Ming Li fall, immediately standing up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Faced with this strange turn of events, Song Tianjiu’s brain hadn’t yet processed it when the fallen Ming Li opened her eyes as if nothing had happened. If not for her being covered in blood, Song Tianjiu would have thought it was just an illusion.

“You…”

Ming Li stood up from the ground, facing Song Tianjiu’s nearly collapsing expression, and said, “Oh, I tested Shi Fei’s ability. It can shorten the time for life meridian resurrection, making it almost instantaneous.”

Song Tianjiu couldn’t catch his breath: “Then you should let an Earth Ghost try it!”

“The more times Cheng Jingbai and the others die, the greater the probability of being discovered by the Divine Oracle, so there’s no need,” Ming Li said. “I can do it myself.”

The impression of “Earth Ghosts” was deeply ingrained. Even though Song Tianjiu knew about the existence of life meridians, subconsciously, he still separated Earth Ghosts and humans, so his first reaction was to tell Ming Li to let Earth Ghosts try.

Only after he reacted did he realize that the person in front of him was also an “Earth Ghost.”

Song Tianjiu stammered: “You… you could call this… a second awakening, right?”

“I suppose so. Rather than hearing others talk about life meridians, it’s better to experience it myself,” Ming Li said, and another star thread appeared in front of Song Tianjiu. “You just need to cut it.”

This isn’t just about cutting a star thread!

Every time you cut one, you get killed once, which means I’m killing you. What my brother couldn’t do, I’m doing. Not only am I doing it, but I have to do it several times.

This isn’t something to be happy about!

Song Tianjiu shook his head frantically.

Ming Li said, “I won’t die.”

Song Tianjiu still shook his head.

Ming Li looked at him and smiled: “Alright, if you cut the star thread, I won’t die. But if you don’t do as I say, whether you’ll die or not, I don’t know.”

“You’re joking, right?” Song Tianjiu wanted to cry.

Ming Li moved her neck and smiled at him: “No.”

Song Tianjiu closed his eyes, reached out to cut the star thread, and heard the sound of star threads piercing through flesh and blood.

Ming Li had previously wanted to use death to explore life meridians, but knew none of those around her would do it. She had originally planned to discuss it with Xiang An’ge, but Xiang An’ge was busy making a tongue for Dong Yu, and she needed to create new Divine Martial weapons, so this matter was shelved.

Now Song Tianjiu’s arrival was just right.

Song Tianjiu kept his eyes closed throughout, following Ming Li’s commands to cut star threads.

After several deaths, Ming Li concluded, “Life meridian resurrection takes some time. Shi Fei can offset the delay in the life meridian resurrection. Because of its super strong healing ability, combined with the life meridian’s resurrection ability, when facing a fatal attack that triggers the life meridian, Shi Fei accelerates the resurrection speed, making it seem like you never died.”

Song Tianjiu opened one eye: “Simply put, when life meridians and Shi Fei combine, resurrection has no delay, and death doesn’t make you sluggish, which means… You appear unkillable.”

Standing on the table, Ming Li lowered her gaze to look at the seated Song Tianjiu, raising an eyebrow: “You’re not dumb after all.”

Song Tianjiu covered his eye with his other hand: “No more tests, right?”

Ming Li: “Not for now.”

Song Tianjiu: “…”

For now?

He cried as he slid to the ground. Why am I the unfortunate one responsible for cutting the star threads?!

Ming Li grabbed her hair ends, lightly rubbing the blood color, glancing at the ground where blood was splattered, with blood drops still falling from the edges of the stone platform.

“You go tell them, I’ll clean up here myself,” Ming Li said. “After I finish making the Divine Martial weapon, I’ll come find you.”

Song Tianjiu left the Star-Gazing Platform, crawling and rolling.

Waiting outside, Qing Ying and Chen Zhou saw Song Tianjiu roll out and collapse on the ground, their eyes filled with confusion. Song Tianjiu happened to roll to Cheng Jingbai’s feet. Cheng Jingbai scratched his head, gently tapping Song Tianjiu’s shoulder with his toe: “Hey.”

Song Tianjiu lay on the ground, lifeless: “My legs are weak, I can’t get up, don’t mind me.”

*

Ming Li didn’t let anyone enter the Star-Gazing Platform. She sat at the table, looking at the white papers all stained with blood, calmly spreading her five fingers, looking at the stars in the sky through the gaps between her fingers.

She used Divine Machine Dream Entry again, but still couldn’t establish contact with Zhou Zixi.

The Wandering Soul Tribe’s goal, it seemed, wasn’t to eliminate life meridians.

This was different from what the Calligraphy Sage wanted.

Ming Li closed and opened her fingers; in her palm were two listening stones.

One was left by Dong Yeshou.

The other was given by Princess Chang Xi.

The day Princess Chang Xi went to see Emperor Wen Xiu, she had already been influenced by the Heart Meridian Spirit Technique · Subtle Instigation that Ming Li had left in the plum vase, amplifying the desire in her heart, unable to stop her investigative steps. She recorded the content of her conversation with Emperor Wen Xiu using a listening stone, leaving it behind before being taken away by the Calligraphy Sage.

Ming Li listened again to the conversation between Emperor Wen Xiu and Princess Chang Xi.

In the end, he also used a spirit technique similar to Subtle Instigation, guiding Princess Chang Xi to seek revenge against the Calligraphy Sage.

Ming Li fell into deep thought about who Emperor Wen Xiu’s final target was: Princess Chang Xi or the Calligraphy Sage.

The light of the stars in the sky gathered here, falling from the distant celestial pole beside Ming Li, pale purple phosphorescence hovering and moving.

Ming Li turned to look at this phosphorescence.

Just as the blind old man had said, she could hear another voice.

Not the Divine Oracle, but one called Tong Gu, the voice of this continent.