In an antique-styled room, Ye Xingchen slowly awakened from unconsciousness.

“Swish!”

As his consciousness returned, he suddenly sat up, his eyes gradually turning ferocious.

Wasn’t I seizing the Fortified Glazed Stone? How did I black out and end up lying in bed?

This place.

What is it?

“Creak!”

At that moment, the door was gently pushed open.

A woman with lingering charm entered, lightly sitting in a chair, naturally brushing the hair at her shoulder as she smiled: “Awake?”

This woman was very beautiful.

A face like powdered jade, skin so delicate it could break at a breath, completely flawless.

However, facing one of Eternal Sect’s two super straight men, Ye Xingchen, her somewhat curvaceous figure meant nothing, and that impeccable face was completely like a blank board.

“Who are you?”

“Zhongli Ziyan.”

“Don’t know you.”

“Now you do, don’t you?”

Zhongli Ziyan kept smiling, a smile that could captivate souls.

If this were Little Duo or any other normal martial artist, they’d probably already be overjoyed and blood pumping.

Ye Xingchen’s expression remained unchanged as he coldly said: “You’re the one who saved me?”

His memory stopped at the moment he was about to collect the Fortified Glazed Stone into his spatial ring, while several dragon beasts were going berserk and attacking. The situation was extremely critical.

“I don’t have that much ability.”

Zhongli Ziyan smiled: “The one who saved you was my alliance leader.”

“Alliance leader?”

Ye Xingchen asked: “Who?”

“Night King.” Zhongli Ziyan said.

Hearing these two words, Ye Xingchen’s facial expression instantly froze.

Ever since seeing the images representing the future in that stone cave, he’d been struggling with this name. Now… he’d actually been saved by him.

Could it be that the events representing the future are going to unfold step by step? Will I ultimately leave Eternal Sect and spend my life with that woman?

“…”

Ye Xingchen clutched his chest.

In the past, he would definitely have firmly denied it.

Now, his heart didn’t respond, seeming to waver.

What made Ye Xingchen waver wasn’t Jie Lingyao, but the child in her womb—his own flesh and blood.

“Little one.”

Zhongli Ziyan smiled: “The alliance leader is waiting for you. Follow me to the great hall.”

Go or not?

Ye Xingchen’s heart struggled.

Fearless of heaven and earth, he was now suddenly extremely afraid—afraid the future events would happen, afraid he would slowly walk the path of no return away from Eternal Sect.

Zhongli Ziyan seemed to see through Night Emperor’s thoughts and said: “Some things are destined to be unchangeable. Since you’ve reached this point, what you can do is face it calmly, not look ahead and behind.”

“Makes sense.”

Ye Xingchen relaxed.

Leaving the room, he discovered he was situated within a moving mountain, surrounded by extremely high-grade architecture.

That’s right.

This was Night King Alliance headquarters.

The mountain moved because of the Mountain-Moving Sacred Turtle.

Strangely, Ye Xingchen didn’t feel unfamiliar—he even felt somewhat familiar. In his heart he silently thought: “Probably because I saw it in the illusion before.”

…

Night King Alliance Great Hall.

In terms of specifications, it was more luxurious and extravagant than Eternal Sect.

Ye Xingchen walked in, his heart no longer able to remain calm, because the furnishings inside were no different from what he’d seen in the illusion.

Zhongli Ziyan didn’t follow him in.

So the vast hall contained only him.

The atmosphere was extremely quiet—he could even hear breathing sounds.

“You’ve come?”

Just as Ye Xingchen was surveying the hall’s environment, a gentle voice came from behind him.

He didn’t turn around, calmly saying: “I’ve come.”

“Is this place familiar?”

“Familiar.”

“Are you curious why it’s familiar?”

“If no unexpected changes occur, before long I’ll replace you and sit in the chair you’re sitting in.” Saying this, Ye Xingchen finally turned around, looking with serious eyes at the mysterious person wearing a mask sitting on the alliance leader’s throne.

Their eyes met, the atmosphere even more silent.

“Haha.”

Night King threw his head back in laughter and said: “It seems you’ve already been to the Tianyan Realm and obtained the memories left there.”

“You left them?” Ye Xingchen frowned.

“No.”

Night King paused briefly and said: “You left them.”

“Me?”

Ye Xingchen was immediately stunned.

Night King stood up, descended from above, then stood shoulder to shoulder with him, looking toward the door outside: “Among the thirty-two spirit seeds of the Canghai System, one is the Spirit of Time and Space, which can glimpse the past and future.”

“What do you mean?”

Ye Xingchen didn’t understand.

“I once had a close friend who fused with this most heaven-defying spirit seed of the Upper Universe.” Night King said.

“Making up friends out of nothing?” Ye Xingchen said flatly.

Night King ignored his mockery and continued: “He was aloof but extraordinarily talented, reaching Heavenly Mystery Realm in merely ten thousand years.”

“…”

Ye Xingchen fell silent.

Ten thousand years to reach Heavenly Mystery was indeed worth boasting about.

Counting the time, Night Emperor had been reborn for less than a century and already reached Half-Step. Wasn’t that even more exaggerated?

He didn’t think so, because his rapid advancement in this life all depended on the sect, depended on the Sect Master.

Without these factors, he’d probably still be struggling to break through to Wuwang or Wuhuang in the lower realm.

“This close friend of yours isn’t me, is it?”

Ye Xingchen understood himself fairly well. Just the description “aloof” was very suitable for self-identification.

“Correct.”

Night King said: “It’s you.”

Ye Xingchen wasn’t surprised.

Actually, after entering this extremely familiar great hall, he’d already mentally prepared himself. No matter what secrets he learned, he would remain composed, unless… he couldn’t help it.

“Later.”

Night King continued: “This close friend of mine wasn’t satisfied with the status quo. Single-mindedly pursuing higher realms, he began using the Spirit of Time and Space, frantically peering into the future, hoping to gain enlightenment.”

“Very unfortunately.”

“Though the spirit seed is powerful, each use reduces lifespan, until one day he was completely exhausted.”

“Dead?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Ye Xingchen was speechless.

Reaching Heavenly Mystery Realm didn’t guarantee absolute immortality, but one could at least live for a very long time. This kind of operation where one literally plays themselves to death was truly too impressive.

“Fortunately.”

Night King said: “He also had the Spirit of Reincarnation.”

Ye Xingchen asked in surprise: “He fused with two spirit seeds?”

In his understanding, among the spirit seeds existing in the Upper Universe, except for the Sect Master who was an exception, everyone else could only inherit one.

“Correct.” Night King nodded.

“Heh.”

Ye Xingchen said: “This friend of yours is no simple character.”

“I forgot to tell you.” Night King said: “He fused with a total of ten spirit seeds. The other eight were: Spirit of Evil, Spirit of Fire Soul, Spirit of Space, Spirit of Five Thunders, Spirit of Sand, Spirit of Withering and Flourishing, Spirit of Purgatory, and Spirit of Frost.”

“…”

Ye Xingchen’s mouth fell open, his eyes widened.

He’d clearly mentally prepared himself, yet this time… he really couldn’t help it!

One person.

Gathering ten spirit seeds.

Not even the Sect Master was this demonic!

“Unfortunately.”

Night King shook his head: “Because he pried into heavenly secrets, he suffered brutal punishment. After his body died and his dao dissipated, all ten spirit seeds separated and returned to an ownerless state. I wonder if they’ve been inherited by others in all these years.”

“…”

Ye Xingchen fell into silence.

Of these ten spirit seeds, two were inherited by the Sect Master, one by Gu Zhaoxi, one by Liu Sinan, one by Gongsun Hou, one by Second Senior Brother. If the remaining ones were also taken, it would be like Eternal Sect getting the complete set.

“Having said so much, you should understand by now, right?”

“I was your close friend, I had ten spirit seeds.” Ye Xingchen lowered his head and walked forward, stopping before the alliance leader’s throne, his back to him as he said: “I was also Night King.”

“Correct.”

That person said: “You are Night King.”

“I am Night King, then who are you?” Ye Xingchen said with a somber face.

That person stood in place, slowly removing the mask from their face and said: “You can call me Jie Lingyao, or you can call me Empress Lingyao.”

—