Everyone says that Daoist Lord Suiheng was cold-hearted by nature, devoted solely to the sword.

At sixteen he left his sect alone. At eighteen his master perished. From then on he drifted abroad until his ascension.

He had sect elders, he had fellow disciples, yet he never once looked back.

Everyone said it was because his dao heart was firm, but he himself knew—it was because he had nothing to hold onto.

He had never established lasting connections with anyone. Even with his master, they only met occasionally, and every meeting was with crossed swords.

His master said their sect trained through battle, so they only comprehended the dao through combat. Each time he saw his master, he came away covered in wounds.

In his youth he felt wronged and dissatisfied, but one night, he felt someone applying medicine to him. He secretly opened his eyes and saw it was his master. Suddenly he became happy.

After that, he had no complaints.

When he was sixteen, he found a piece of meteoric iron and forged a sword with his own hands, giving it to his master as a birthday gift.

But his master took the sword and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he threw the sword into a nearby lake and said coldly: “Leave.”

He was expelled from the sect. From then on, he had nowhere to return.

And now he saw this sword again. The man in the water mirror looked exactly like the figure he had seen on the stone wall in Lin Yanzhi’s tomb, with not half a resemblance to the master in his memory. But that sword, his walk, his speech—he still recognized at a glance that this was the person who had raised him to adulthood.

“Surprised?”

Wonderous Words Venerable observed him. Jian Xingzhi stared blankly at the water mirror without speaking.

“To be honest, I’m surprised too.” Wonderous Words Venerable sensed his emotions and turned to look at the people in the water mirror. “I never imagined they would use this method.”

Jian Xingzhi couldn’t understand, but he didn’t want to listen either.

He just quietly watched the water mirror.

In the water mirror, after brief astonishment, Qin Wanwan became happy: “Father, you’re fine too.”

As she spoke, Shangsui floated down from above. Qin Wanwan stepped forward and grasped Shangsui’s hand. Shangsui’s hand was very cold. She looked at Qin Wanwan tenderly. After Qin Wanwan used spiritual power to confirm Shangsui was unharmed, she relaxed.

“Father, Mother,” Qin Wanwan quickly spoke. “I have a friend still trapped by the Evil God. Let’s go rescue…”

“No need.”

Shangsui grabbed her hand. Qin Wanwan froze. She looked up at Shangsui and unconsciously repeated: “No need?”

As she spoke, footsteps came from the cave entrance. Qin Wanwan turned around to see Xie Gutang and Cuilu appear together at the entrance.

Jian Xingzhi wasn’t following behind them. Qin Wanwan didn’t speak. She stared intently at the two people at the entrance.

She didn’t dare ask, and the two at the entrance acted as if they hadn’t seen her, bowing respectfully to Shangsui and Taiheng: “Immortal Lord.”

“You,” Qin Wanwan feigned composure, though her voice still trembled slightly. “You knew my parents were fine here all along?”

“Yes.”

Xie Gutang answered steadily. Qin Wanwan forced a smile: “Sister Cuilu has met my parents before, so that’s not strange. But Brother Xie—”

“A hundred years ago, at Heavenly Sword Sect,” Xie Gutang’s face showed no expression. “We met.”

“A hundred years ago, at Heavenly Sword Sect?”

Qin Wanwan turned to look at Shangsui. Shangsui gripped her wrist, lowered her eyes, and explained: “We set today’s plan.”

“What plan?”

Qin Wanwan’s voice trembled.

No one spoke. Qin Wanwan only asked one question: “Tell me,” she stared at Shangsui, “is Jian Xingzhi truly the one soul and four spirit essences that Lin Yanzhi separated back then?”

“Yes.” Shangsui lowered her head in response. Qin Wanwan suddenly shook her off and turned to leave.

Xie Gutang and Cuilu had both come, which meant they had abandoned Jian Xingzhi.

They followed Shangsui and Taiheng’s orders. They had a plan, and Jian Xingzhi was Lin Yanzhi’s one soul and four spirit essences.

She understood what they wanted to do.

However, before she could reach the cave entrance, she heard Shangsui’s cold voice: “Why don’t you let me finish?”

Qin Wanwan stopped. Shangsui spoke: “We’re not trying to harm him. This is a plan he himself set a hundred years ago.”

Qin Wanwan didn’t move. Shangsui walked toward her.

“You were born without a golden core, with a weak constitution. The Medical Immortal predicted you wouldn’t live past three hundred years. We tried everything, sought doctors everywhere. Finally, over a hundred years ago in this small world, we saw your karmic fate.”

Qin Wanwan listened quietly. Shangsui recalled those days: “We learned you cultivated the Thousand Lives Dream Dao to become my child. We didn’t mind—everyone has reincarnations. You were born through my thousand hardships. I watched you grow from unable to speak to calling me mother. You are our child. We traced your past lives and discovered that your Thousand Lives Dream Dao was never completed. You should have died in your thousandth life. It was Lin Yanzhi who helped you, but this also exploited a loophole in the heavenly dao. So the heavenly dao wouldn’t allow you to become an immortal fetus this way. You were destined to perish in three hundred years. Whether you had a golden core or not—this was your fate.”

“So what?”

Qin Wanwan’s voice was hoarse.

“So there was only one way to save you,” Taiheng came out, reaching out to pull his wife closer. “To gain the heavenly dao’s recognition, to give you sufficient merit. In this world, there was originally one person of great merit—Lin Yanzhi. He owed you a golden core, so we made an agreement with him. We would help him eliminate the Evil God, and after he gained the merit of saving the world, he would use all that merit to save you.”

“And then?”

“But then we failed,” Taiheng’s voice held little emotion. “We have many restrictions in this small world—we can’t interfere too much. So we planned to lock him in Lin Yanzhi’s body and completely eliminate him through a hundred years of purification. But as you know, in Ghost City, Desolate City, and Flower City, there were always people helping the Evil God. In Ghost City, Hua Rong betrayed. In Desolate City, family members turned against each other. In Flower City, love turned to hate. Throughout Lin Yanzhi’s life, he had no place of refuge. Until finally, Lin Yanzhi split his soul in two. We fought a great battle with him, both sides injured. After that, we couldn’t find him again.”

“I know all this,” Qin Wanwan turned to look at Shangsui and Taiheng. “So what exactly is your plan?”

“Later, when they were gravely injured,” Cuilu spoke up, taking over. “They brought one soul and four spirit essences of the Divine Lord to Heavenly Sword Sect. The Divine Lord himself proposed a final method to eliminate the Evil God—have the two Immortal Lords take his one soul and four spirit essences to reincarnate. After his soul was nurtured strong enough, he would return to this small world. At that time, the Evil God would inevitably find him and fuse with his soul. Once the Divine Lord’s soul returned to its place, he would completely awaken. He would use his soul to lock down the Evil God, and we would strike in time to completely eliminate him. Before then, we had to pretend we knew nothing to avoid the Evil God’s detection.”

“Then,” Qin Wanwan understood. She felt as if her heart had been gouged. “Who… who took Lin Yanzhi to reincarnate?”

“I did.”

Taiheng spoke. Qin Wanwan turned to look at him. Taiheng’s expression was calm: “I took him to another small world, to the sect I belonged to before becoming immortal.”

“You were his master.”

Qin Wanwan stated with certainty. Taiheng lowered his eyes: “I only raised him.”

“You knew he was going to die,” Qin Wanwan’s eyes reddened as she stared at Taiheng. “So you didn’t dare get too close to him, and you didn’t let him get close to others either.”

“This is the path he chose himself.”

“This is not the path Jian Xingzhi chose!”

Qin Wanwan shouted. She clenched her fists, staring intently at Taiheng: “Do you know he’s never held an umbrella once in over a hundred years? Do you know he never learned how to get along with people? He’s never eaten sweet rice balls or candied hawthorn. He doesn’t even know how to express feelings normally. Father, you raised him with your own hands—how can you bear this?!”

Taiheng didn’t dare answer. He lowered his eyes, not daring to listen to Qin Wanwan’s words. He only explained what happened: “Originally his divine soul needed more time to nurture, but when Linglong Jade emerged, the Evil God acted early. We had no choice but to summon you here ahead of schedule. His body was too strong—I never imagined he would be this strong. Once he entered this small world, if the Evil God seized such a powerful body, we might not be able to kill him. So we made a deal with a race from another world that specializes in maintaining world order and obtaining energy. We summoned your divine souls and placed them in the most suitable bodies. They would guide you to sabotage the Evil God’s plans. When world order is maintained, they would also gain energy.”

“Even 38 was…”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan couldn’t help but laugh. She turned to look at Xie Gutang: “And you?”

Xie Gutang lowered his head without responding. Qin Wanwan pressed: “Cuilu followed us all along for her Pristine Divine Lord. What about you? Why were you here? Did you also have ulterior motives from the beginning?”

Xie Gutang didn’t speak. He wanted to answer but felt unable to voice it.

“Speak!”

Qin Wanwan screamed.

Cuilu spoke for him: “He didn’t know anything at first. Later, the night before we left Flower City, the barrier of the Realm of Life and Death was broken by the Evil God’s influence. Luo Bufan urgently contacted everyone and revealed the secrets from a hundred years ago. So all the immortal sects decided to join forces, using the Immortal Alliance Leader selection as bait, actually wanting to draw out the Evil God and make him fuse with Jian Xingzhi early. The time has come today. Last night, Luo Bufan gave him a mission—to assist me in leaving Jian Xingzhi for the Evil God today.”

“The labyrinth was placed in a cyclical space deliberately by you all?” Qin Wanwan understood.

“Yes,” Cuilu confirmed. “Setting it here was to conveniently trap both Jian Xingzhi and the Evil God. Outside the cyclical space, Heavenly Sword Sect and other sects have already laid formations, just waiting for the Evil God and Jian Xingzhi’s souls to fuse. When Pristine Divine Lord returns to his place and controls the Evil God for a moment, we can kill him together.”

“But what does the Realm of Life and Death’s barrier breaking have to do with Jian Xingzhi?” Qin Wanwan stared at Xie Gutang.

“The Realm of Life and Death imprisons countless evil demons—malicious thoughts breed there,” Xie Gutang finally explained. “Right now Heavenly Sword Sect struggles to support it, but they can’t hold much longer. So Jian Xingzhi must control the Evil God before Heavenly Sword Sect can no longer hold, giving us a chance to defeat them one by one. If we wait until the evil demons of the Realm of Life and Death all emerge before killing the Evil God, the cultivation world will be surrounded on both sides with no chance of victory.”

“And once the Evil God uses Linglong Jade to open the Ascension Gate and leave this small world, all the malicious thoughts of three thousand worlds will become his energy,” Shangsui added. “Then even your father and I, and all the immortals of the heavenly realm, will be powerless against him.”

With that, Shangsui looked up at Qin Wanwan.

“Wanwan, the immortal path is long. Your time with him wasn’t long—you’ll forget eventually.”

“After he sacrifices himself to the Evil God, this cultivation world will regain peace. You’ll have merit for saving the world,” Shangsui looked at her red-eyed daughter, speaking with difficulty. “Then you can be like an ordinary immortal—long-lived and undying, forever enjoying your immortal years.”

The moment her words fell, the water mirror shattered.

Wonderous Words Venerable—or rather, the Evil God—his face gradually transformed into Lin Yanzhi’s appearance. He crouched down, stopping by Jian Xingzhi’s ear: “Did you hear that? This is their wish. No one expects you. No one cares about Jian Xingzhi. Everyone—Taiheng, Shangsui, Cuilu, Xie Gutang… even Qin Wanwan—what they’re truly waiting for is Pristine True Lord, Lin Yanzhi.”

“From birth, you were their tool. In their eyes, Jian Xingzhi never existed, never came.” The Evil God leaned over, observing his expression, raising his hand to place on his heart. “Oh my, you’re so sad.”

“You,” blood congealed in Jian Xingzhi’s hair. He looked up at him. “What do you want to do?”

“You are my one soul and four spirit essences,” the Evil God drew near, greedily watching his eyes. “We are one person. We should merge into one. Only then will we be complete. I’ve been preparing for over a hundred years. As long as you return, I’ll be the strongest existence in this small world. As long as we can get Linglong Jade to break the heavenly dao’s restrictions on me, with the energy of three thousand worlds at my disposal, we’ll have no rivals.”

“Why?” Jian Xingzhi looked at him through the blood. “You already know their plan—why still go along with it? Aren’t you afraid?”

The Evil God smiled without speaking. Jian Xingzhi continued pressing: “Why didn’t you find me at the very beginning and devour me?”

“Aren’t you in pain?” The Evil God ignored his questions, only reminding him: “They’ve all abandoned you. You’ve never given your true heart before. The first time you did, this is the result. Aren’t you sad?”

Jian Xingzhi gripped his sword tightly, continuing to press: “In Desolate City, why did you first remind me to like Wanwan, then later want to kill me because I was moved?”

“I said I was jealous,” the Evil God smiled. “Do you believe me?”

“I don’t.”

Jian Xingzhi supported himself, slowly standing up: “At Heavenly Sword Sect, you were Centennial Worry, but at that time, you didn’t know who I was.”

“By the time we reached Flower City, you knew who I was, so you trapped Hua Rong and altered Hua Rong’s formation, trying to use the formation to merge with me. But you didn’t complete it in time. Yet it was also at that time that you began to sense my emotions, right?”

The Evil God smiled without speaking. Jian Xingzhi gasped: “By Desolate City, you felt my feelings for Qin Wanwan. You became irritated and confused. You and I are one—you wouldn’t be jealous of me. You were jealous of Xie Gutang, so you reminded me. But then you discovered something—”

With that, Jian Xingzhi leaned closer: “The fact that I fell in love might mean our souls won’t merge.”

The Evil God’s face turned cold. Jian Xingzhi laughed: “You are evil. The reason you dare devour me is because you know I might also become evil. So now you show me these things—why don’t you dare let me see more? Because you’re afraid I’ll see other beautiful things in this world. You only dare show me ugliness.”

“Back then, Lin Yanzhi was influenced and fell into demonic cultivation. Today I could too. They’re betting that Lin Yanzhi’s goodness will always be good, while you’re betting that good can also become evil. As long as I fall into demonic cultivation, I’ll betray them. After you devour me, you’ll only become stronger, and they’ll have no way to stop you, right? But if I still hold beauty in my heart, you can’t devour me.”

“So what?” The Evil God stood up. He sneered: “Do you think you’re nobler than Lin Yanzhi? Your heart is already dirty. If I devour you, do you think you can still maintain your sanity? I just don’t want to use such troublesome methods.”

“I don’t know if I’m nobler than Lin Yanzhi,” Jian Xingzhi gasped. “I only know one thing.”

“Hmm?”

“Wanwan,” Jian Xingzhi spoke, his blood-stained smile carrying some brightness, “has been clutching the magnolia I gave her this whole time.”

The Evil God froze. The young man’s eyes were like gems washed by clear water—clean, beautiful, indestructible.

“Wanwan is waiting for Jian Xingzhi,” Jian Xingzhi raised his sword. “And I will forever be Jian Xingzhi.”

With that, his sword fiercely struck toward the Evil God. The Evil God saw the sword light, slightly disappointed: “Since you’re so obstinate—then let me see—”

With that, Jian Xingzhi’s surroundings suddenly transformed into a long, endless road. Along the road were memories of Lin Yanzhi and his youth—painful, unwilling memories. The Evil God’s voice came from afar: “How far can you walk? Can you reach the end of this road?”

Jian Xingzhi didn’t speak. He raised his sword and looked up. At the beginning of the long road was blood everywhere—a sinful infant’s birth, Lin Fengxi’s tearful pleas, Ning Huihe’s nine months of pregnancy ending with blood spilled in an ancient tomb, Hua Rong who raised him turning the blade against him, young Jian Xingzhi eagerly watching Taiheng, wanting a hug.

Jian Xingzhi’s hands were covered in blood. He trembled as he raised his hand and gripped the jade pendant at his neck.

“Want to try?” He smiled. Even covered in wounds, he was like a phoenix bathed in fire. “See if there’s anything Jian Xingzhi cannot do.”

With that, he rushed forward, slashing through those memories all the way, shouting: “You bastard, come out and face death!!”

The scenes were shattered by him. The fragments became blades cutting across his body.

Qin Wanwan clearly sensed his injuries. She couldn’t feel his pain, but she knew he was still alive, knew what wounds he’d suffered.

She looked at the people around her and smiled, repeating Shangsui’s words: “Long-lived and undying, forever enjoying immortal years?”

“If Jian Xingzhi dies,” she raised her hand to her chest, looking at Shangsui, “dies for me—how can you ask me to forever enjoy immortal years? Won’t you be sad? Won’t you suffer? Won’t you feel guilty? Why are you all so certain your method will work? Didn’t Lin Yanzhi try this before? Lin Yanzhi once used his body to trap the demon, ultimately creating the Evil God’s counterattack. How is what you’re doing today any different from back then?!”

“Back then, we gave him time.”

Shangsui spoke coldly: “But this time, we’ve already laid an inescapable net outside the labyrinth. As soon as their souls merge, we’ll strike immediately.” With that, she looked up. “Besides, you still have a heart-linking talisman in your hand, don’t you?”

“Aren’t you afraid Jian Xingzhi will fall into demonic cultivation again like Lin Yanzhi?”

Qin Wanwan said through gritted teeth.

“He carries Lin Yanzhi’s goodness,” Taiheng affirmed. “I know he won’t.”

“But goodness can also become evil! When the human heart is sufficiently disappointed, it becomes despair!”

“Then what would you have us do?” Shangsui looked at Qin Wanwan. “The Evil God is a god because he has no physical body. He’s a soul, a belief. Without a container to hold him, he can’t be completely destroyed. If he doesn’t die, what about the other cultivators? If there were any other way, we wouldn’t choose this one.”

“What if it were me who had to die today? Or Father?!”

Qin Wanwan raised her voice. Shangsui’s eyes reddened. She said through gritted teeth: “The same decision.”

“We won’t indulge evil demons for selfish reasons, Qin Wanwan,” Shangsui enunciated each word. “If you have no other solution, you must give him up!”

Qin Wanwan couldn’t speak. She and Shangsui looked at each other. After a long while, she spoke: “You won’t let Jian Xingzhi return from the immortal realm because he only has one soul and four spirit essences—the Evil God might control his body. What if his soul were complete?”

Shangsui didn’t answer. Qin Wanwan continued pressing: “If he weren’t Lin Yanzhi’s one soul and four spirit essences—if he were only Jian Xingzhi—could he kill the Evil God?”

“The Evil God is a god!”

“But he was once human!” Qin Wanwan raised her voice. “On the snowy mountain, he was once just an ordinary scholar, wasn’t he?!”

“You’ve already sacrificed Lin Yanzhi once. This time,” Qin Wanwan raised her sword and turned around, “I won’t let Jian Xingzhi follow in his footsteps.”

“Qin Wanwan!” Shangsui said through gritted teeth. “Don’t be willful! All the major sects have already laid formations there to kill the Evil God. This was the agreement Lin Yanzhi and Luo Bufan made back then. The cultivation world has planned this for a hundred years—it can’t change just because you say so. If you go, we won’t stop you!”

“Mother,” Qin Wanwan’s back was to her, her voice steady. “I know in your heart, I’m lazy, playful, weak—I avoid things when I can, need your help with everything, need you to shelter me from wind and rain.”

Shangsui froze. Qin Wanwan looked up, gazing into the distance. Before her eyes appeared Jian Xingzhi’s usually vibrant appearance: “But I met Jian Xingzhi. He urged me on, accompanied me. He taught me persistence, taught me courage. He let me feel what winning is like, and made me understand that as long as I’m alive, I can’t give up.”

“This time, this is my choice. If you’re willing to help, I’m grateful,” Qin Wanwan walked out of the cave. “If you’re not willing, it was my own path to walk anyway.”

With that, Qin Wanwan left the cave.

Nanfeng hesitated for a moment. He turned back, glanced at the people in the cave, his gaze finally settling on Xie Gutang.

“Dao Lord Xie, Lord Cuilu, I’m just a little ant. I don’t understand your so-called righteousness for all beings. But I know one thing. Dao Lord Jian bathes me and feeds me candy. He doesn’t fail me, so I won’t fail him. Dao Lord Jian considers you friends,” Nanfeng stared at Xie Gutang. “Is this how you dao lords make friends? Or do you who cultivate the Wenxin Sword truly have no hearts left?”

“Nanfeng…”

Xie Gutang murmured. Nanfeng turned and chased after Qin Wanwan, rushing out.

Nanfeng transformed into a giant ant, racing to Qin Wanwan’s side, shouting: “Master, get on!”

Qin Wanwan looked back in surprise, seeing Nanfeng. She quickly reacted, descending from the sky onto Nanfeng, urgently asking: “Why did you come?”

“I’m going with you to find Dao Lord Jian!”

“You…” Qin Wanwan was somewhat speechless. “Don’t you want to ascend? I’ll release the spirit contract later, and you’ll be free…”

“I want to save Dao Lord Jian!”

Nanfeng interrupted her. Seeing they were about to reach where the cultivators had laid their formations, Nanfeng urgently instructed: “Master, in a moment I’ll charge in and scatter these cultivators. You head straight for the labyrinth!”

“Be careful.”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan knew there was no time to think more. She patted Nanfeng’s head: “Later, I’ll give you more candy.”

“Dao Lord Jian feeds me every day anyway.”

After Nanfeng finished speaking, he suddenly accelerated, shouting: “Master, hold tight!”

As he spoke, Nanfeng suddenly grew larger, charging directly into the crowd.

Led by Luo Bufan, over a hundred cultivation world elites stood at the formation’s center. A small-mountain-sized ant suddenly charged over. The cultivators turned and unleashed a barrage of spells. Nanfeng suddenly flicked, sending Qin Wanwan flying through the air. Nanfeng crashed left and right through the crowd. Qin Wanwan raised her sword and struck fiercely at the seemingly empty air!

A thunderous boom sounded. The air’s spiritual energy fluctuated, but the space seemed completely unmoved.

Seeing who had arrived, Luo Bufan quickly regained his composure and looked up at the girl in the air: “Qin Wanwan, what are you doing?”

Qin Wanwan didn’t speak. She immediately condensed spiritual energy on her sword and struck another fierce blow.

Nanfeng crashed around in the crowd, threatening the surrounding cultivators: “Come on! Come fight!”

“Qin Wanwan,” Luo Bufan understood what Qin Wanwan wanted to do. He spoke urgently: “You can’t open this space barrier!”

“Then mind your own business!”

The third sword struck down fiercely. The excessive force caused Qin Wanwan to spit up a mouthful of blood.

Without hesitation—the fourth sword! The fifth sword!

Her strikes made the surrounding earth shake and mountains tremble. The four people in the cave sensed the spiritual power tremors but didn’t speak.

After a long while, Xie Gutang suddenly stood up and walked out of the cave.

Atop the snowy mountain, heavy snow fell. Xie Gutang stood at the cave entrance, watching sword light and other spell lights repeatedly illuminate the distant sky.

Cuilu stood beside Xie Gutang, her voice calm: “Aren’t you going?”

Xie Gutang didn’t answer. Cuilu spoke to herself: “I don’t dare go. I really envy you—cultivating the Wenxin Sword, you won’t feel so sad.”

“You’re waiting for Pristine True Lord,” Xie Gutang watched the snowflakes fall. “Will you also feel sad?”

“I’m waiting for Pristine True Lord,” Cuilu lowered her eyes. “But after spending so much time with Jian Xingzhi…”

“I have no friends.” Xie Gutang suddenly spoke. Cuilu was puzzled, then heard Xie Gutang speak flatly: “Since childhood, everyone said I cultivate the Wenxin Sword—cold heart, cold emotions. I won’t have family or friends. But actually I do feel sad. I don’t know how I’m different from others, but everyone says I’m cold-hearted and cold-blooded. Because I don’t know how to smile or cry.”

“I worked hard to learn. I studied everyone’s expressions, everyone’s movements. But I still knew I was different. Only Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan—”

Xie Gutang turned to look at Cuilu: “Only they ever acknowledged me as a friend.”

“Xie Gutang…”

Cuilu stared at Xie Gutang blankly. Xie Gutang turned his head, watching the wind and snow.

“Everyone says the Wenxin Sword is the sword intent closest to the heavenly dao. We can glimpse the rules closest to the heavenly dao.”

“If I can glimpse the heavenly dao’s rules,” Xie Gutang extended his hand, catching snowflakes. Before his eyes, countless golden threads like stellar tracks appeared inexplicably. He walked into the snow, murmuring in confusion: “Can the heavenly dao tell me—back then on the snowy mountain, why did leaving behind that one scholar turn him into the Evil God? Why did Lin Yanzhi’s sacrifice of his body to feed the demon ultimately lead to his own demonization? And now with Jian Xingzhi—will he truly, because of pure and perfect goodness, turn out as we wish?”

Cuilu couldn’t speak. As Xie Gutang asked these questions, the surrounding golden threads transformed into golden particles, scattering around him. He looked at the cause and effect connected by these golden threads, reached out his hand, and slowly closed his eyes.

In his mind was that drunken night in Flower City. Jian Xingzhi sat on the boat with a wine flask, looking up at the lotus leaves above.

The water reflected starlight. He spoke casually: “I told Wanwan—if you’re willing to go, when you ascend, I’ll ask you to be my best man and Cuilu to be my bridesmaid.”

“Xingzhou said that the Wenxin Sword…”

“I don’t believe it,” Jian Xingzhi turned to look at him with a smile. “I only believe what my eyes see and my ears hear. Anyway, in my heart, you’re my friend.”

In that instant, radiance fell upon him, and spiritual energy around him surged.

“Xie Gutang…” Cuilu felt uneasy. She watched spiritual energy continuously swirl into Xie Gutang’s body. “What are you trying to do?”

“Cuilu,” Xie Gutang slowly opened his eyes. “The heavenly dao I see isn’t like this.”

“I,” he spoke, slowly forming a smile, “don’t want to give up on Jian Xingzhi.”

In the past, he actually didn’t know what smiling or crying was. He spent a lot of time imitating others. But in this moment, he clearly knew what smiling represented.

As he spoke, he vanished from where he stood. Cuilu cried out in panic: “Xie Gutang!”

At this time, Qin Wanwan stood in the formation prepared by all the major sects. Her body was covered in blood. Nanfeng had long been bound to the side with immortal-binding rope, struggling with whimpering cries.

She couldn’t break through this cyclical space. Instead, she suffered backlash from her own spiritual power.

Everyone stood nearby, not daring to touch her, only able to persuade: “Miss Qin,” Liu Yuehua watched her walk forward step by step. “You’ve tried many times already. Give up.”

Qin Wanwan didn’t speak. Blood smeared her eyes. She gripped the magnolia jade pendant Jian Xingzhi had given her in her hand, struggling to reach the transparent space barrier.

“Jian Xingzhi.”

She struck the barrier with her sword again and again: “Jian Xingzhi.”

Her blood dripped onto the space barrier.

Jian Xingzhi gripped the jade pendant, walking on the endless road. Faintly, he seemed to hear someone calling him.

He looked up toward above.

All around him were human figures. He didn’t know how long he’d been walking, didn’t know who he was, didn’t know where he came from, didn’t know where he was going.

But he just had some inexplicable conviction that kept him walking forward.

And now, he finally heard a voice from the outside world.

“Jian Xingzhi.”

Jian Xingzhi—his name.

In this world, there was one person who had been waiting for Jian Xingzhi all along.

“Qin…”

Memories came flooding back. He murmured: “Wanwan…”

The moment his voice fell, he seemed to sense something. His eyes flew wide open. He raised his hand with one sword strike, slashing fiercely forward.

His sword went directly out through the first passage he’d broken through, touching Qin Wanwan’s sword striking from outside. In that instant, the two spaces finally merged. It was as if separated by a layer of glass, they saw each other covered in wounds.

The crystalline barrier began to shatter. Qin Wanwan saw Jian Xingzhi. She broke into a smile, her whole body relaxing as she fell forward. Jian Xingzhi caught her in one motion. He too had no strength left. His knees buckled and he knelt on the ground, holding Qin Wanwan in his arms.

“He’s out!”

Someone cried out in alarm. Luo Bufan immediately ordered: “Form the array!”

The moment his voice fell, a giant sword descended from the sky, falling toward Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan embracing in the formation.

“Wanwan…”

Jian Xingzhi hoarsely murmured, one hand protecting her back, the other condensing his feeble spiritual power on his sword.

However, just as the giant sword was about to strike them, a sword light descended from the sky, colliding with the giant sword with a thunderous boom.

Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan turned back together to see Xie Gutang with sword in hand, blocking before them.

Divine Transformation cultivation spread outward. He was like the gentleman sword cultivator they’d first known—wide sleeves fluttering, long hair flying.

“Go.”

He didn’t turn back, speaking calmly.

Seeing who had arrived, Jian Xingzhi quickly reacted, holding Qin Wanwan as he transformed into a radiant light and swiftly retreated.

“Gutang!”

Luo Bufan looked in shock at the person who appeared. Xie Gutang struck the formation with his sword, flourished his blade, and stood blocking Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan’s path: “Sect Leader.”

“Have you gone mad?” Luo Bufan spoke urgently. “Your master struggles desperately to maintain the barrier in the Realm of Life and Death. He can’t hold much longer. Do you know what the consequences will be if we don’t kill the Evil God before the Realm of Life and Death’s barrier completely breaks and those evil demons join forces with him?!”

“I know.”

Xie Gutang spoke calmly. Then he raised his hand holding the sword and knelt on one knee: “Therefore, Gutang requests to enter the Realm of Life and Death to replace my master and become the Wenxin Sword’s next guardian.”

Luo Bufan froze. Xie Gutang spoke calmly: “Gutang has touched the heavenly dao, reached Divine Transformation great perfection, half a step from tribulation transcendence. I’m willing to guard the Realm of Life and Death. If the Evil God joins forces with the Realm of Life and Death, Gutang is willing to use his soul and cultivation to fill the seal, life after life, never entering reincarnation, to ensure our cultivation world remains safe.”

“Senior brother!”

Hearing this, Luo Xingzhou cried out in shock: “What are you saying?”

“There shouldn’t be only one Lin Yanzhi in this world,” Xie Gutang looked up at Luo Bufan. “Please grant your approval, Sect Leader.”