Upon hearing the words “old friend,” Jian Chou understood immediately.

On the Thirteen Immortal Islands, that mysterious youth had claimed to be transformed from a mayfly, later departing from the Western Sea riding a Kun whale. His identity and origins were extraordinary in every way.

Yet she wondered—why had he made the dew drops fall and guided her with his thoughts? What was his true purpose?

This person’s cultivation was extremely high, his abilities perhaps reaching the heavens. If he meant her harm, he would have acted long ago instead of setting up some so-called “Hongmen Banquet.”

So when Jian Chou heard his invitation, she didn’t refuse. With one step, she was already standing on the boat.

At this moment, Fu Chaosheng was lifting the fish, casually removing his bamboo hat to reveal a full head of jet-black hair.

He looked up at Jian Chou as if he had known her for a long time, saying casually, “The small boat is simple, please sit.”

His hospitality was truly modest indeed.

But Jian Chou wasn’t particular. She sat down casually, watching the rolling river waters flowing beside them, her gaze falling on the black fish in the bamboo fish basket.

This fish looked completely black, no different from ordinary fish, except it lay in the bamboo basket on the boat’s deck, breathing slowly and shallowly, looking as if it were about to die.

“If you have fish, why still need to angle?”

“Have fish?”

Fu Chaosheng pointed his fingers like a knife, gutting and cleaning the plump perch in his hands. Hearing this, his eyes turned, following the direction of her gaze.

Black fish.

It was the Kun.

In this instant, he fell silent for a moment, then smiled, “Would my old friend like to eat this fish?”

“…”

The black fish silently turned over in the bamboo basket, hiding its white fish eyes.

Perhaps finding Fu Chaosheng’s gaze somewhat strange, or perhaps finding this black fish somewhat strange, Jian Chou pondered for a moment before finally shaking her head.

She turned her gaze back to Fu Chaosheng, studying him.

The light azure ancient robe still draped over him, though now covered by an old straw raincoat from somewhere, concealing all but vague patterns.

That color was like moss growing from rock crevices.

This feeling was truly wondrous.

Back then, she had not yet truly stepped onto the path of cultivation, hadn’t even entered the Nineteen Provinces. Now she was already the leader of the Left Three Thousand Small Assembly, first of the One Person Platform.

Watching Fu Chaosheng’s reasonably clean and efficient movements, Jian Chou sat down peacefully, letting the morning mist brush her cheeks. In the distance, only the moon’s outline remained on the horizon, while daylight already illuminated her.

“Splash.”

The sound of water rippled softly.

The cleaned fish had been slowly placed into the pot by Fu Chaosheng.

Water heated to crab-eye bubbles submerged the perch’s body, and he tossed in some spices from beside the pot.

Jian Chou smiled at this but said nothing.

Fu Chaosheng, sitting across from her, had something flash in his eyes, as if hiding the changes of years. Seeming puzzled by her smile, he asked, “What is my old friend smiling about?”

If one only wanted fish soup, there was no need to add spices.

There had been some days when she was quite skilled at stewing fish soup.

Unconsciously remembering those memories she had relived in the Gate of Right and Wrong Karma, Jian Chou wasn’t familiar with the mayfly, so she didn’t elaborate, only saying, “After that glimpse at the Western Sea, I received your letter. But Jian Chou doesn’t know—where do these words ‘old friend’ come from?”

This question was one Fu Chaosheng hadn’t anticipated.

He looked at Jian Chou across from him, thinking of all the various experiences in the mortal world these past two or three years, but found that all the people he had encountered in the mortal world were different from her. Even when serving as a national advisor on a mortal island, forcing Zhang Tang to his death, he had never met a woman like her.

Perhaps this was what people meant by everyone being different.

As for the words “old friend”…

“Mayflies live and die in a single day, and I was born only upon hearing the Dao at dawn.”

His finger slowly traced over the sharp thorns protruding from his bamboo hat, that voice carrying neither youth nor age, only a lament tinged with three parts mockery.

“I was born upon hearing my old friend’s Dao.”

Born upon hearing the Dao.

Jian Chou suddenly froze.

Fu Chaosheng continued, “Being born and meeting a fellow cultivator, exchanging a few words—to my old friend, this is merely a brief moment, a chance encounter with a passing stranger; to Chaosheng, this is already half a lifetime, a long-acquainted old friend.”

So it was.

If he were merely an ordinary mayfly, he would indeed live and die in a single day.

One day for humans was his entire lifetime.

Jian Chou roughly understood a little.

Fu Chaosheng picked up a dry piece of firewood from beside the stove, breaking it with a “crack” and tossing it into the fire. In the blink of an eye, the flames licked the wood red.

“There was something mixed and complete, born before heaven and earth, silent and void… independent and unchanging, circulating without cease, worthy of being the mother of all under heaven. I do not know its name, so I call it Dao, forcing a name upon it as Great. Great means passing, passing means distant, distant means returning. Dao is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and kings are great. In this realm there are four great things, and kings occupy one. Humans follow earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows Dao, Dao follows nature…”

“The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao.”

“The Dao is eternally nameless; though simple and small, none under heaven dare make it their subject.”

Word by word, he recited with extreme clarity.

Jian Chou suddenly felt this sounded familiar: “This is…”

“This is the Dao my old friend once heard from me. Later, when I went to the mortal island, I discovered these were passages recorded in the Dao De Jing.” Fu Chaosheng’s face bore a smile, but his next words turned elsewhere: “It seems this is neither my old friend’s Dao nor mine.”

Books and scrolls often contain sages’ discussions of the Dao, but the “Dao” in cultivation cannot be discussed through books and scrolls.

Only very few people could combine the “Dao” of books with the Dao of cultivation.

The Dao moves beneath one’s feet, yet is not found in books.

Being born upon hearing the Dao might indeed have originated from meeting Jian Chou, or perhaps it was merely a coincidence under some karmic opportunity.

Fu Chaosheng didn’t know what the Heavenly Dao actually looked like; he only knew what shape he wanted the Heavenly Dao to take.

Breaking another piece of dry wood into the fire, he said, “Now that my old friend is also on the path of cultivation, I wonder how you comprehend the Dao?”

Comprehend the Dao?

Jian Chou smiled, “I still don’t know what the Dao is.”

She might even die upon leaving her body.

These words came quite straightforwardly.

Fu Chaosheng then remembered that mortals’ cultivation seemed to require daily accumulation, so he suddenly fell silent.

The air began to drift with the fragrance of fish soup.

At some point, the boat had begun floating downstream, breaking through the thick fog, blurring the forests dyed brilliant by autumn colors on both banks and the distant mountains into dark shadows.

The daylight was beginning to brighten slightly.

Fu Chaosheng looked at the scenery outside, then glanced at the Cloud Sea Plaza high above, finally resting his gaze on the completed fish soup.

“My old friend gave birth to me, she is the ’cause,’ but I wonder where the ‘effect’ will be in the future.”

“The fish soup is ready.”

Jian Chou reminded him flatly.

“…”

A moment of silence.

Fu Chaosheng looked at her with a somewhat strange expression, then simply reached into the river. When he withdrew his hand, the rolling river water had been grasped in his palm, forming two small bowls condensed from river water.

Looking closely, the water still flowed, forming wave-like patterns on the surface—extremely wondrous.

Using these bowls formed from river water, Fu Chaosheng ladled soup from the pot and handed it to Jian Chou.

Taking the bowl, Jian Chou felt it cool to the touch. Holding it, she seemed to feel the river water’s flowing patterns, sense the pulse of the surging waves, as if she had the illusion of being spiritually connected to the entire river.

He had drawn not just river water, but the river’s meridians and soul!

Her pupils contracted slightly, and wariness flickered in Jian Chou’s eyes.

The fish soup in the river water bowl emitted an overly strong fragrance of spices.

She held it but didn’t drink, only asking, “One doesn’t visit the Three Treasures Hall without cause. Having Lord Mayfly guide me here at dawn surely isn’t just for this bowl of fish soup?”

“Naturally not.”

The fish soup was merely something he had seen previously at the Gate of Right and Wrong Karma, tested casually.

Fu Chaosheng didn’t consider himself someone with such leisurely sentiments—he was just bored while waiting.

Since Jian Chou had asked directly, he wouldn’t beat around the bush, stating plainly, “I’ve come to borrow the Universe Eye.”

“…”

Her hand trembled slightly, and ripples appeared in the fish soup.

After the flounder achieved success in cultivation, it would have cosmic dual eyes capable of observing the four directions and all time, past and future.

Jian Chou had indeed obtained this item in the Fish Eye Tomb.

But when the Fish Eye Tomb closed, how did this person know about it?

Jian Chou lowered her eyes, concealing the emotions in them, and slowly cooled the fish soup before taking a sip.

The spice fragrance was too heavy, masking the fish’s natural freshness. Fortunately, this perch was quite plump, its quality salvaging the soup.

But still…

What a waste of good ingredients.

This thought inexplicably arose in her mind. After finishing the fish soup in small sips, Jian Chou raised her head again, “I have the Universe Eye. However, I’ve also said this word ‘borrow’ to others before.”

Not long ago, she had forcibly “borrowed” Gu Qingmei’s Heaven-Connecting Platform Seal for use. Whether it was “borrowing” or “robbing,” only she knew in her heart.

She was quite familiar with bandit tactics.

Now Fu Chaosheng spoke of borrowing as if it were simple.

But Fu Chaosheng showed no unusual expression, nor did he find Jian Chou’s words impolite.

He only smiled, “Then will my old friend lend it?”

“…”

Jian Chou didn’t know what she was feeling.

She stared at the empty soup bowl for a long while, finally uttering one word: “Lend.”

As the word fell, the black fish in the basket turned over, its lifeless fish eyes rolling as if looking toward the person and mayfly by the stove.

Fu Chaosheng narrowed his eyes slightly, something unfathomable in them as he studied Jian Chou.

But Jian Chou slowly placed the soup bowl toward the Nine-Head River. In an instant, the bowl turned into rushing water, merging with the rolling river current and disappearing.

She straightened up, flipped her hand, and the small gray-white fish eye appeared between her fingers.

After turning it in a circle, Jian Chou still tossed it to Fu Chaosheng.

Catching it lightly, the Universe Eye was already in his palm.

But Fu Chaosheng suddenly felt that Jian Chou before him had become a cloud of mist: “I have the Space Eye, only lacking the Time Eye. Aren’t you going to ask what I’m borrowing it for?”

“It’s ultimately your business and has nothing to do with me.”

As expected, this person was a mayfly with somewhat mysterious cultivation. Jian Chou had no intention of wading into these murky waters for now, treating it as if she knew nothing.

Or perhaps…

There was that bit of strangely indifferent friendship between acquaintances?

Of course, it might also be that she felt she had to lend it whether she wanted to or not.

Jian Chou didn’t explain much.

Fu Chaosheng hadn’t expected this.

The Space Eye could observe the four directions, but couldn’t see the past and future he cared about, much less glimpse what fate awaited the mayfly race. So this “Time Eye” was something he was determined to obtain.

But getting it had been too easy.

The surrounding thick fog was gradually beginning to dissipate.

Due east, a piercing ray of light shot up from the earth, so the shadows of the Kunwu peaks also gradually took shape in the thick fog.

Fu Chaosheng said, “I will return this Universe Eye in the future.”

Jian Chou paid no attention to this, but raised her head, looking at the brightening sky around them.

Those dark pupils, under the daylight’s illumination, held a profound depth full of meaning. She squinted slightly, concealing the flash of cold light in her eyes, but her heart was already surging with different emotions.

Rising from beside the extinguished stove, Jian Chou’s thoughts were completely off the Universe Eye.

Dawn had broken.

She wondered if that “old friend” who had been long-awaited would return to Kunwu on time.

A smile played at Jian Chou’s lips as she said to Fu Chaosheng, “Different races cannot communicate well. The fish soup you stewed doesn’t taste good.”

As her words fell, she had already stepped over the river waves blocked by fog, returning to the riverbank and following her original path back toward Kunwu’s main peak.

Behind her, Fu Chaosheng remained on the boat, clutching the Universe Eye, but said nothing more.

Watching the riverbank from afar, Jian Chou didn’t look back once, quickly disappearing into the dense forest.

The brilliant red light on the horizon had already shone down, and the river water was covered with layers of red and gold, even the fog’s color becoming intense.

The forest was dyed through with autumn’s increasingly desolate mood.

The black fish in the basket rolled its eyes: “For them humans, those who give birth to them are parents. You shouldn’t have said ‘my old friend gave birth to me.'”

“Is there a difference?”

Fu Chaosheng didn’t seem to understand.

It was certainly offensive.

The black fish sighed wearily, “Different races find it hard to communicate.”

Then, with a forceful arch of its spine and push of its tail, it actually jumped directly into the river water with a “splash,” disappearing without a trace.

On the boat, Fu Chaosheng looked at Kunwu’s main peak shrouded in layers of fog, finally putting away the Universe Eye.

Whoosh.

A gust of wind blew, and the river surface was suddenly empty.

The small boat had vanished without a trace. Only a withered yellow leaf remained drifting on the river surface, carried away by the waves, gradually disappearing…

Kunwu Main Peak Mountain Path.

Jian Chou’s pace could be considered brisk. Ascending the steps all the way, she had just reached the mountainside when she could already see early-rising Kunwu disciples moving among the surrounding pavilions and corridors, with human voices beginning to mingle faintly with bird songs and insect sounds.

Though dawn had barely broken, these people were already doing morning lessons, pursuing their individual cultivation.

A great sect supporting the Central Domain was truly worthy of its reputation.

Having stayed at Kunwu for several days, Jian Chou had gained some understanding of the sect. Walking and observing along the way, she appeared no different from usual.

Perhaps only the gleam in her eyes was somewhat more pronounced, like a barely containable sharpness.

Ahead on the path was a platform where a red-clothed young woman stood, looking up and saying something to the white-robed man before her.

As Jian Chou walked along the mountain path, she looked up and saw them.

The white-robed man standing on the path had an outstanding bearing—this was Kunwu’s White Bone Dragon Sword Wu Duan, whom she recognized. The red-clothed young woman’s back also looked familiar. After thinking briefly, she knew it was Nie Xiaowan.

After the recent small assembly ended, most major sects had already departed.

Nie Xiaowan should have left with her sect’s elders, yet she appeared here now?

Curious, Jian Chou approached.

Wu Duan listened to Nie Xiaowan’s words, nodding slightly. He was about to say he would help her find Jian Chou later when he looked up and saw Jian Chou coming up the mountain path from below. Surprised yet delighted, he cupped his hands and smiled, “Senior Sister Jian Chou, why are you coming from below so early this morning?”

“Junior Brother Wu is also quite early. I got up early in good spirits, saw Kunwu’s scenery was excellent, so I went down for a walk.”

Her face showed a kind smile, without a trace of killing intent.

Jian Chou exchanged casual pleasantries.

Wu Duan heard nothing unusual and suspected nothing.

Looking at Nie Xiaowan, he said, “Senior Sister Jian Chou comes at just the right time. Junior Sister Nie Xiaowan from Wuwang Studio is an old acquaintance of yours. Today she accompanied Master Jade Heart back to Kunwu to discuss some minor matters with Master, and she has something to find you about.”

Nie Xiaowan bowed accordingly, her face showing some shy smile, “Xiaowan pays respects to Senior Sister Jian Chou.”

“Enough, if you’re not tired of it, I’m getting annoyed.”

Jian Chou stepped forward, pulling her up, not standing there to talk but walking forward naturally.

“Is there something urgent?”

From ahead came the sound of weapons clashing, mixed with people’s shouts.

Wu Duan said nothing, only followed Jian Chou while looking at Nie Xiaowan with somewhat searching eyes.

From their earlier conversation, he gathered this matter was related to old Jianzhu Sect business.

Indeed, Nie Xiaowan walked on Jian Chou’s right side, seeming somewhat hesitant, but still spoke: “The Jianzhu Sect matter from some time ago has been settled and should be concluded. Among them, Xu Lan’er’s meridians were completely destroyed, reportedly leaving her like a useless person, so Candle Heart didn’t bring her when going to Cloud Sea Plaza. Because of this, she escaped disaster.”

Right.

There was still Xu Lan’er.

Jian Chou walked on, already seeing the source of the weapon sounds ahead—a large flat area where many Kunwu disciples were practicing sword techniques, quite lively.

“What does Junior Sister Xiaowan plan to do?”

“Xu Lan’er is vicious-hearted. As long as she lives, none of us can rest easy. Even with destroyed meridians, we cannot feel at ease.”

Nie Xiaowan feared that her next words would make people think her malicious.

But eliminating evil required thoroughness—what use was cutting grass without removing the roots?

After thinking for a moment, she said, “Xiaowan already knows she’s near Kunwu. I want to find her whereabouts to eliminate future troubles.”

After speaking, she looked at Jian Chou somewhat cautiously.

Jian Chou was known to be kind-hearted—many people knew this.

Wu Duan also knew this.

So he was curious about Jian Chou’s reaction.

Jian Chou had already stopped walking, moving her gaze from the sparring Kunwu disciples back to Nie Xiaowan.

Nie Xiaowan blinked, looking at her expectantly.

At this moment, Jian Chou laughed aloud, “What are you afraid of? Afraid I’ll think you’re malicious?”

“Won’t you?”

Nie Xiaowan was somewhat surprised.

Jian Chou felt somewhat helpless, finally unable to resist patting her head, “If that’s the standard, I’m much more malicious than you.”

Wu Duan immediately looked at her.

But Jian Chou didn’t explain, only saying, “If you want to do it, go ahead—there’s nothing wrong with it.” Though Xu Lan’er possessed the “Insufficiency Manual,” it was useless to someone with completely destroyed meridians.

Even more…

This might become a fatal disaster.

As long as they found out where Xu Lan’er was and spread the news, there would probably be plenty of ill-intentioned people in the Nineteen Provinces pursuing her—Nie Xiaowan wouldn’t be the only one.

This was also her original plan, which she had only told her fellow sect brother Shen Jiu, and this fourth junior brother had happily taken charge of the dirty work.

Nie Xiaowan didn’t really understand, but knowing that Jian Chou supported her was already perfect.

She smiled, seeing Jian Chou stop walking, immediately curious: “What does Senior Sister Jian Chou want to do?”

“Just a bit curious.”

Jian Chou was still watching the people on the practice field. Most were practicing the same technique—drawing the sword, swinging the sword, bringing down the sword, with their own flowing grace.

Seeing this, Wu Duan said, “This is one of our Kunwu’s thirty-six weapon training grounds, for disciples’ daily practice. The sword practitioners on this field are all newly admitted disciples, practicing our sect’s basic sword forms called the Azure Mountain River Star Sword—just sword techniques.”

“Azure Mountain River Star Sword?”

Though it only had sword techniques, Jian Chou could taste something in it as she watched.

Speaking of which, throughout the vast Nineteen Provinces, though there were hundreds of weapons of strange shapes, most people used swords.

Among them, the two top sects Kunwu and Yashan were particularly prominent.

However, Kunwu’s swords excelled in complexity, while Yashan’s swords were famous for being dangerous, earning the reputation of “One Yashan sword dominates the world.”

Wu Duan stood with hands behind his back, watching these disciples who were either his junior brothers or nephews practice, having seen it many times with a calm expression.

“Senior Sister Jian Chou seems quite interested?”

“I am somewhat interested. Though the sword techniques are simple, they have some flavor to them.” Jian Chou nodded.

“Flavor?” Wu Duan glanced at her, saying, “I also practiced this sword technique hundreds of years ago. At the time, I didn’t sense any flavor until I developed my first sword intent and awakened the White Bone Dragon Sword—only then did I taste one or two true meanings. For Senior Sister Jian Chou to see the flavor at a glance, you might have considerable talent in the way of the sword. Why not take a sword and try it out?”

Try it out?

Jian Chou said, “Would that be acceptable?”

Stealing techniques was a grave crime.

Wu Duan smiled, “No problem. The Azure Mountain River Star Sword is too ordinary in Kunwu. Even the woodcutters in the forest and fishermen on the river within the Nine-Head River Bay territory can demonstrate a move or two.”

So all Kunwu disciples started learning from this unremarkable sword technique?

Jian Chou understood somewhat, but shook her head, “Unfortunately I use an axe, not a sword.”

But after speaking, she suddenly looked at Wu Duan, her eyes flickering with tiny glints of light, a smile playing on her lips: “From our past meeting at the Western Sea, how is Senior Brother Wu Duan’s White Bone Dragon Sword now?”

At the Western Sea, Wu Duan had fought Qu Zhengfeng and suffered a crushing defeat.

The White Bone Dragon Sword had been severely damaged, once bearing a crack.

Mentioning this, Wu Duan’s face showed complex emotions that were hard to describe. He raised his hand, and the sheathed sword appeared in his palm, offering it to Jian Chou: “This sword can be lent to Senior Sister Jian Chou for a try.”

Jian Chou had spoken precisely to borrow the sword. Seeing Wu Duan’s generosity, she wasn’t polite, simply saying “Thank you” and taking the sword.

The scabbard was snow-white, seemingly made of mother-of-pearl, smooth and cool to the touch.

Grasping the sword hilt, Jian Chou’s eyes held some amazement as she slowly drew it out. Since the White Bone Dragon Sword was forged from dragon bone, there was no cold gleam when unsheathed, only a somewhat sinister cold whiteness.

The crack on the blade had become very faint, almost invisible.

It seemed that over these two years, Wu Duan had restored this sword almost completely.

This was a sword wielded by a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

The moment the sword tip also emerged from the scabbard, Jian Chou squinted slightly, made a sword flourish with her hand, looked at the training ground once more, then turned back: “I’ll go try it.”

With that, she walked toward the center of the field.

Many Kunwu disciples saw her enter and looked surprised.

Wu Duan knew Jian Chou was going to “steal techniques,” and standing at the field’s edge, he shouted, “What are you all doing, not focusing on sword practice!”

Everyone immediately became like mice seeing a cat, uniformly resuming their sword practice.

Standing beside Wu Duan at the field’s edge, Nie Xiaowan clicked her tongue quietly.

Wu Duan explained, “New disciples need discipline to behave.”

Moreover, as a true disciple under Real Person Hengxu, his status was higher than other ordinary disciples. He often had duties teaching lower disciples and juniors, so scolding them occasionally was no problem.

Jian Chou had already entered the sword-practicing crowd with the White Bone Dragon Sword, her interest greatly increased.

Whenever she saw good sword techniques, she would stop to watch carefully, and those moves quickly became clear in her mind.

When it came to stealing techniques, she was an expert beyond others’ reach.

Wu Duan and Nie Xiaowan stood outside watching, finding this scene somewhat wondrous.

“Whoosh—”

Two sounds of air being cut came faintly from above.

Nie Xiaowan didn’t hear it, focusing only on watching Jian Chou in the field, seeing her gradually blend among the Kunwu disciples until she could barely find her figure.

Wu Duan, as a late Nascent Soul stage cultivator, had extremely keen senses. Almost simultaneously with those two streaks of light approaching this area, he turned to look.

Under the morning sun, the snow-white layered clouds in the sky were split by the two arrivals into a light blue line.

Two rays of light, one clear and one purple, landed nearby in succession.

One was Bai Yue Valley’s medicine woman Lu Xiangleng, wearing her white clothes. When she landed back on Kunwu’s ground, her eyes seemed to flash with some complexity. The other was Xie Buchen.

In his azure robe carrying the ink color of distant mountains, his brow peaks slightly cold, shrouded in several degrees of steep frost.

Though clearly emanating scholarly elegance, as if one could smell the ink fragrance and book refinement on him, he gave people a sense of distant indifference.

He came along the path, following the old route upward.

Seeing him, Wu Duan first frowned severely, remembering that river battle of old—

He had never much liked this thirteenth junior brother.

But he was extremely talented and most favored by their master, having once used the River Flow Sword Intent learned from Second Senior Brother Yue He to battle him in sword intent, even gaining a slight advantage, really making Wu Duan feel uncomfortable.

But now with the hidden realm journey to Azure Peak Nunnery imminent, and everyone waiting for his return, Wu Duan paused before walking over.

“Junior Brother Xie, you’ve finally returned.”

“Senior Brother Wu.”

Seeing Wu Duan, Xie Buchen remained unperturbed, his face bland.

Lu Xiangleng fell back two steps, maintaining her cool composure, nodding to Wu Duan: “Senior Brother Wu.”

“Junior Sister Lu coming together couldn’t be better.”

He had heard from their master about Lu Xiangleng encountering Xie Buchen on the road, and with a healer’s compassionate heart, treating his injuries, which caused some delay on their journey.

Wu Duan felt no surprise inwardly, showing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Senior Sister Jian Chou happens to be here too. Wait a moment while I call her over, then we’ll go to One Crane Hall to pay respects to Master.”

With that, Wu Duan turned toward the training ground.

Hearing “Jian Chou,” Lu Xiangleng’s eyes brightened, showing surprise, then smiling with rare warmth.

Xie Buchen slowly lifted his eyelids, following Wu Duan’s steps while looking in the direction Wu Duan was heading.

Directly ahead stood a red-clothed woman with a slender figure.

Hearing movement behind her, she turned around, speaking a few words with Wu Duan, showing some surprise.

Then Xie Buchen saw her clearly—a somewhat round face with a chin that had become pointed, showing the state of a young girl coming of age, with some shyness and innocent appearance, her eyes unable to hide their cleverness.

But…

It wasn’t her.

That person had been pierced through the burning chest by his sword; he still remembered her soft body, hot blood.

The dead cannot return to life.

Indeed, as he had thought when seeing the name on the Heaven Tablet, this was just someone with the same name.

Blinking slightly, Xie Buchen lowered his eyes, concealing all emotions in an instant, leaving only complete emotionlessness and indifference, standing there almost coldly detached.

But then, in the next moment…

“Senior Sister Jian Chou.”

That red-clothed woman finished speaking with Wu Duan and looked toward the training ground, calling out joyfully upon seeing a certain figure.

“…”

Senior Sister… Jian Chou?

Hearing this joyful call, Xie Buchen suddenly realized: she wasn’t that “Jian Chou”!

Looking up, in this instant, his form finally froze in place, unable to move at all.

On the training ground, a moon-white figure holding the White Bone Dragon Sword, with a smile on her face, walked out from among the many Kunwu disciples.

The rough plain clothes of the past were gone, replaced by simple yet refined moon-white robes, steady yet more elegant, peaceful yet hiding barely concealed sharpness.

Her brows and eyes were both familiar and strange.

Only the expression in her words and laughter could let one glimpse traces of the past…

Jian Chou had originally been walking toward Nie Xiaowan and Wu Duan, but after only two steps, she caught sight of someone else from the corner of her eye.

A figure…

Almost carved into bone and blood, hated to madness!

Compared to the past, he seemed unchanged in any way.

His azure robe flowing, brows and eyes the same, still that scholar who held an umbrella, walking out from the rain curtain, gently leaning the umbrella by the door!

Still…

That person who had nearly indifferently pierced her heart with one sword, burying her and her unborn child’s lives—Xie Wuming!

Towering killing intent, long brewing, suddenly became tangible, ultimately impossible to suppress.

Jian Chou stood in place, her aura changing several times in an instant, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Wu Duan frowned, instantly sensing something wrong: “Senior Sister Jian Chou!”

But unfortunately…

Too late!

Jian Chou’s brows and eyes became completely icy, treating Wu Duan’s attempt to stop her as if she hadn’t seen it. Her wrist shook, and the White Bone Dragon Sword suddenly rose!

A bone dragon phantom instantly leaped from the sword’s body.

Sword qi crisscrossed, the bone dragon roared within the sword qi, striking toward Xie Buchen with tremendous force!

“Is your life still intact!”