Her plain-colored robe could no longer show its original color, and her fair skin was completely stained with blood.

The thousand-foot giant Buddha still sat cross-legged between heaven and earth. Jian Chou leaned against the lotus platform, beside the Buddha’s feet, like an insignificant ant in the world.

She blinked, with blood droplets clinging to her thick long lashes, then falling down and sliding across her cheek like a tear.

Ten steps away stood Xie Buchen.

Xie Buchen holding the Human Emperor Sword in his hand.

Her voice was broken in her throat, completely losing its former clear and mellow tone.

“Words… become law?”

Xie Buchen also bore heavy injuries, and could even be said to be in tremendous pain. His chest had a gaping hole, the blood had stopped flowing, but a pool of blood had still accumulated at his feet.

Hearing Jian Chou’s four words “words become law,” he slightly curved his lips, his gaze completely calm.

“Nothing more than a ‘Realm’…”

Where was there any “words become law”?

Realm.

That is, domain.

The cultivation of Nineteen Continents cultivators consisted of nine levels total, nine heavens. The eighth realm was called “Having Realm,” meaning complete comprehension of spatial rules, creating one’s own small world, also called “opening heaven and earth.”

Once a cultivator crossed the Out-of-Body stage, they entered the phase of cultivating the heart, initially comprehending the various rules between heaven, earth, and universe, so they could achieve “teleportation,” which was one level higher than flying through the air.

The further one cultivated, the more rules one comprehended.

The ultimate principles of heaven and earth, once truly mastered by a cultivator, could finally reach the realm of unity between heaven and man, called “attaining the Dao and becoming immortal.”

This single word “Realm” was almost the hallmark of all powerful cultivators.

Though Jian Chou’s cultivation was shallow, she was still clear about these most basic concepts. After hearing Xie Buchen’s single word “Realm,” she completely understood, yet found it hard to comprehend—

How could a mere Golden Core realm cultivator comprehend spatial rules and use the power of “Realm”?!

Xie Buchen had no intention of explaining, only slowly stepped forward one step, bringing death one step closer to her.

Before reaching Golden Core, he had already been able to fly through the air. Now being able to initially use the power of “Realm,” controlling the spatial force within a certain area, even freezing it to restrain opponents, didn’t seem like anything extraordinary.

At least, Xie Buchen didn’t think there was anything world-shaking about it.

“Drip.”

From the tip of the edgeless sword, a drop of blood fell onto the lotus platform.

Xie Buchen continued walking forward, only saying indifferently: “In the end, it’s still me killing you to prove my Dao.”

Only this time was different from the first.

He didn’t know what had happened to Jian Chou, nor did he know how she had died and come back to life. He only knew she was standing alive before him again.

Like a thought that had been severed, sprouting again.

With such a “thought” present, his “Dao” had an unavoidable crack.

If he could kill her once, there could be a second time.

It could even be said that the second time would be simpler.

Xie Buchen felt none of the hesitation he once had, none of the struggle he once had, only that inevitable coldness and cruelty.

He clearly knew that he still deeply loved the woman before him.

She had once made his heart flutter, and even now still made his heart flutter.

But that was all.

Harboring love, yet still having to kill!

Every step was his own choice.

And he didn’t like retreat.

“Patter.”

Another step.

Jian Chou’s consciousness was even somewhat blurred.

Xie Buchen had used the power of “Realm,” creating an effect similar to “words become law,” causing the entire space centered on her to collapse. Naturally, she who was within that space couldn’t escape unscathed.

It was like being chopped section by section with a giant axe, severing her body. Her hands were no longer hers, her legs were no longer hers.

She looked with some difficulty at that figure approaching her, and in her daze actually felt this blood-stained shadow was walking from the misty distant mountains and rain of the Human Realm Island.

Holding that green oil-paper umbrella, opening up that hazy curtain of rain…

Thus, a long-forgotten question suddenly surfaced in her heart.

Jian Chou suddenly laughed, then heard her own voice, obscure and unlike herself: “You kill me to prove your Dao, but I’m about to die, yet still don’t know what Dao you’re proving… Xie Buchen, at least let me die with understanding…”

“…”

Die with understanding.

Xie Buchen’s advancing steps paused for a moment.

He was still seven steps away from Jian Chou, only seven steps.

The surrounding waves had calmed, and the red lotuses filling the sky had shattered.

Wind and rain had ceased. In the hidden realm, it was incredibly quiet. He could hear her sharp intake of breath from pain, and could also hear the continuous dripping sound of blood from his own body.

He should raise his sword and thrust it into her chest once more, thus severing the root of his inner demons and all uncertain factors.

But somehow…

Just looking at her like this, he discovered that his heart had actually softened.

Despite those mocking eyes, those indifferent eyes.

He was still trapped by love and affection, still hadn’t truly broken free, yet she had already completely flown away from the boundary of this pain, no longer trapped by these most worldly emotions.

Proving the Dao…

What Dao was he proving?

Xie Buchen seemed to stand atop the Nine Heavens Palace, holding the Human Emperor Sword, his features containing a vast and profound meaning that was hard to fathom.

He murmured, seeming to be asking himself, and also seeming to be repeating Jian Chou’s question.

After a while, he suddenly laughed and said gently to her: “Supreme and solitary, the Human Emperor Dao.”

What he was proving was the loneliest Dao in the world!

At that moment, an extremely complex feeling suddenly gathered and accumulated upon him.

Some young, some aged;

Some sage-like, some foolish;

Some glorious, some decadent…

Like an aged elder who had experienced thousands of different lives, yet also like a traveler still full of hope for tomorrow—

The person standing before Jian Chou seemed to be Xie Buchen, yet also seemed not to be Xie Buchen.

Seemed to be one Xie Buchen, yet also seemed to be ten Xie Buchens.

Complex.

Contradictory.

Fierce.

Detached.

…

Everything was there, except struggle!

All these temperaments, though they might have many differences, many contradictions, without exception all carried that lofty solitude, all carried that composed and indifferent certainty!

Having made a choice, never regretting again, never hesitating again!

Splitting the soul, transforming into ruthlessness.

The him of the past could thrust a sword through his wedded wife’s chest. The him of today would only be more composed, even more cruel!

He certainly loved her, but couldn’t overcome the great Dao of the world…

Xie Buchen stepped forward again, drawing slightly closer to Jian Chou.

He seemed not to see Jian Chou’s horrified gaze watching him, nor did he think about whether she had truly given up resistance and was waiting for death.

He only spoke: “Jian Chou, have you heard of reincarnation?”

…

Reincarnation?

Her five fingers had split apart, already revealing white finger bones, poking into the ground.

Between Jian Chou’s fingers, somehow a section of red rope was wound, with a small silver lock that had been stained with blood, its original cast patterns and shape long since unrecognizable.

Hearing Xie Buchen’s question, many things suddenly came to mind in Jian Chou’s head.

She just didn’t understand what relationship the Dao that Xie Buchen wanted to prove had with reincarnation.

“Pigs and sheep sit on the heated bed, six relatives boil in the pot…”

Xie Buchen spoke indifferently, the smile on his face not diminishing, but deep in his eyes hid a trace of strange sadness.

All earth-shaking changes had occurred within just these two years.

It could even be said, only in that one evening, only in the moment he looked over.

Memories came flooding back.

The dazed look in Xie Buchen’s eyes suddenly deepened.

In the past, he and Jian Chou had lived anonymously in Gurongshu Village.

He no longer mentioned any past related to the Marquis Xie Manor, and she absolutely never asked him about any related plans.

Only during those long, difficult nights, when he stood by the window looking out at the boundless darkness, would she show a hint of vague melancholy, silently sigh, and quietly push the door to go out, letting him be alone.

People can deceive others, but cannot deceive themselves.

They had actually lived such peaceful days for a long time, but how could they let go?

The Marquis Xie Manor fell as soon as it was said to fall, was raided as soon as it was said to be raided.

The causes and consequences were all vague, and the court and opposition were reluctant to speak of it.

Hundreds of lives just disappeared completely like that…

That former Third Young Master Xie was ultimately of noble imperial blood. He could endure plain tea and simple food, but how could he turn a blind eye to such deep hatred?

So on that night, he still called out to her who was about to push the door and leave, gently grasping her hand.

He said there were old people from the Marquis Xie Manor in the county and prefecture offices who hadn’t been affected and could be used by him.

He wanted to change his name and surname, re-enter the imperial examinations. He wouldn’t aim for the Golden Throne, just seek a minor official position, let her be an official’s wife, which would be better than plain tea and simple food in this village.

At that time, she looked at him, and in her clear eyes seemed to hide something. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately it only turned into that understanding and considerate smile.

Xie Buchen thought that moment’s self was filled with guilt.

Because even he couldn’t distinguish whether this was deceiving her or deceiving himself.

In the days that followed, he used his past learning to pass the county student examination and entered the county school.

Every day he would rise early, have the clear porridge she cooked, follow the village paths, greet every simple villager he encountered, pass by the lush ancient banyan tree, and take the mountain path to the county school.

Xie Buchen didn’t know what he wanted to do, nor what he needed to do to reverse the defeat.

He felt he seemed confident on the surface, but was actually like a headless fly…

Yet all of this, he didn’t even dare mention a word to her.

She had already endured too much…

How could he bear to make her worry and fear for him again?

Thus, confusion grew heavier day by day.

He wrote thousands of brilliant essays, spoke tens of thousands of pearl-like words, witnessed the surrounding thunder and lightning, wind and rain, old age, sickness and death, grudges and emotions…

But what he didn’t understand, he still didn’t understand.

Where did it all come from, where was it all going?

Everything was trapped in tranquility, without the slightest ripple.

Until the arrival of Master Hengxu, who punctured all of this.

That was a day with gloomy skies. He bid farewell to his county school classmates and borrowed an umbrella.

On the way home, rain indeed began to fall.

The wind was strong and blew the rain sideways. He feared getting wet the robe that Jian Chou had just washed yesterday, so he kept the umbrella rim pressed low, seeing only the mud before his eyes.

Water cascaded down from the umbrella’s edge, splashing up dirty water.

In the small county town, almost everyone had already returned home. Along the way, he couldn’t even see a second traveler.

Xie Buchen walked all the way out of the city. Life had already had its ups and downs, and now walking in the wind and rain, he felt quite at ease.

He just hadn’t expected that shortly after leaving the city, when he reached a desolate temple in the wilderness, he would hear laughter coming from inside, piercing through the rain curtain. It seemed hearty, yet also seemed thin; seemed ignorant, yet also seemed enlightened.

The rain sounds of the whole world couldn’t weaken this laughter even slightly.

So his steps paused, and he lifted the pressed-down umbrella rim upward.

In the wilderness, there were broken walls and ruins.

Several years ago, this had been a Buddhist temple with very prosperous incense. Unexpectedly, one day a drought thunder struck from the sky, directly toppling the tallest bodhi tree in the temple.

People spread rumors that the monks in the temple didn’t follow the Buddhist precepts and angered heaven.

The temple’s incense gradually grew cold.

Over time, the Buddhist temple became neglected and gradually fell into ruin, with many jackals, wolves, foxes, and rats making their homes there.

Now when Xie Buchen looked, he could only see layers of old green moss on the fallen temple gate, though there were traces of someone having stepped over it.

At this moment, the moss was wet with rain and actually looked quite vibrant.

Such a ruined temple, such laughter—originally nothing strange, perhaps just a traveler taking shelter from the rain.

Though Xie Buchen felt this laughter was somewhat different from ordinary laughter, he had no intention of going in to look. He was about to turn and leave.

Unexpectedly, just as he turned around, a sigh arose from within the temple.

“Strange and odd, odd and strange…”

“The female eats the mother’s flesh, the son beats the father’s skin drum.”

“Pigs and sheep sit on the heated bed, six relatives boil in the pot…”

“Splash…”

The rain was heavy, and water cascaded down from the umbrella’s edge.

Xie Buchen’s fingers holding the umbrella suddenly trembled, and his green robe was soaked by the pouring rain.

He turned back and looked toward the temple.

Under the gloomy sky, in the desolate temple, shadows moved vaguely inside. Nothing could be seen clearly, only that gradually lowering voice.

In the following two years, Xie Buchen had also wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t gone in at that time.

But he also knew very clearly that as long as the person passing by the temple that day was named “Xie Buchen,” such a “what if” would never appear.

Just as when he walked in and looked at the old Daoist’s gaze, he knew the man had come looking for him. Much later, when Xie Buchen recalled that scene, he also knew he would definitely have gone in—the same certainty.

The temple walls had collapsed, and even the roof tiles had been picked up by the poor rascals from outside the city for their own homes.

The entire temple was desolate. Rain fell from the sky, leaving few dry places in this ruined temple, with pattering sounds everywhere.

The golden body of the Buddha statue in the temple had long since peeled off, looking mottled, just lifeless clay and wooden puppets.

In front of the Buddha statue, however, sat properly a white-haired and white-bearded old Daoist with clear eyes. He seemed like an ordinary mortal, yet had no trace of worldly air.

In front of the old Daoist was a large iron pot with several thick wooden logs burning beneath it.

The pot was half full of water, steaming hot, with several pieces of white meat floating inside.

The delicious meat fragrance was blown by the wind through the hall, immediately dispersing into the rain with a strange attraction.

It seemed to be venison.

The deep red and bright yellow firelight also suddenly added some warmth to this cold, ruined temple.

In the pure Buddhist temple, the old Daoist sat alone, setting up a large pot to cook meat.

No matter how one looked at it, it was inappropriate, even absurd…

Yet at that moment, Xie Buchen truly couldn’t describe his inner feelings.

When he saw the old Daoist, the old Daoist also saw him.

Just with that one look, Xie Buchen didn’t even need to ask to know easily: this old Daoist was here specifically waiting for him.

At that time and place, with the temple desolate and Buddha statue toppled, he still didn’t know this old Daoist was Master Hengxu.

When he later left the Human Realm Island, severing all worldly thoughts to go to the Nineteen Continents, he learned he was Master Hengxu, but to him, the man’s identity no longer mattered.

All worldly concerns severed, leaving only a ruthless soul.

He had already become the existence in the entire Nineteen Continents naturally closest to the Heavenly Dao.

Heaven is the ancestor of all things; nothing is born without heaven.

Heaven has yin and yang, humans also have yin and yang.

When heaven and earth’s yin energy rises, human yin energy responds and rises; when human yin energy rises, heaven’s yin energy should also respond and rise.

The Dao is one.

Those who are emperors are born bearing the Mandate of Heaven, called “Son of Heaven.”

Those who cultivate the Dao grow following the Heavenly Dao, called “Son of Dao.”

Master Hengxu at that time looked at him and pointed to the pot of fragrant white meat, asking him: “Ten lifetimes as Human Emperor, ten lifetimes as Son of Heaven; one lifetime Buchen, one lifetime Son of Dao. This lifetime, are you truly Buchen?”

He only looked where the man pointed, toward the pot.

At that moment, heaven and earth reversed, ten lifetimes of reincarnation rushed toward him, all loaded upon his single lifetime!

He was the supreme and solitary being in this world, the one chosen by heaven for ten lifetimes, the “Son of Heaven” and also the “Son of Dao”!

All causes and effects, thousands of threads—how absurd, yet how reasonable?

Everything was actually gathered entirely in that single pot!

What was being cooked in the pot—where was it venison? It was clearly the blood relatives of his past lives, the beloved ones of his past lives, the close friends of his past lives!

Pigs and sheep sit on the heated bed, six relatives boil in the pot…

Xie Buchen blinked and slowly came back to his senses from the daze, his heart calm as a still lake: “This heaven and Dao do not tolerate emotion, controlling people’s reincarnation, and also do not tolerate love…”

He slowly walked toward Jian Chou, one step, two steps, three steps.

Getting closer and closer.

The air of worldly wandering that filled him suddenly grew thicker in these three steps, replaced by the lofty superiority of “bearing heaven’s mandate, ruling all people”!

The Human Emperor Sword became a butcher’s knife, making this indifferent figure fierce!

Jian Chou just watched like this, watched as that elegant scholar disappeared, and standing before her was only a ruthless “Son of Heaven,” a ruthless “Son of Dao”!

She finally couldn’t suppress the bloody smell rolling in her throat, gritted her teeth and questioned: “Because heaven and earth are ruthless, supreme and solitary, because you imperial bed cannot tolerate others sleeping soundly… so I should be killed, should die?!”

The three-foot azure blade pointed diagonally at the ground, its tip stained with blood.

The wind blowing on him was slightly cold.

Xie Buchen lowered his eyes slightly, standing before her with complete indifference, answering faintly: “Correct.”

“Hahaha, what a ‘correct,’ what a ‘should die’!”

At that moment, Jian Chou couldn’t help but burst into laughter, her manner crazed.

How could she not laugh?

Decades of study in poetry and books, and this was the result!

In the past, she had been blind to entrust her life to such a madman!

She laughed, laughed loudly.

Not knowing whether she was laughing at her own stupidity, at Xie Buchen’s madness, or at this so-called ruthless Dao of heaven and earth—how absurd!

In the entire hidden realm, atop the heavenly lake, for a moment, no other sounds could be heard.

Only her loud laughter.

Laughter that nearly brought tears.

Xie Buchen stood there ruthlessly and unfeelingly, yet with a pair of emotional eyes, only slowly raising his long sword, the tip of the blunt, edgeless sword pointing toward Jian Chou’s brow.

That was killing intent locked on in an instant.

Jian Chou’s laughter suddenly stopped.

She had even laughed until her eyes were full of tears.

Just looking at him like this, looking at this Human Emperor Sword pointing at her brow, Jian Chou’s eyes showed no fear whatsoever, only a kind of pity, sadness, and mockery as if looking at a dead person.

At her lips, only a faint curve.

“Fellow Daoist Xie, all this way here, aren’t you curious where my strength comes from?”

In Xie Buchen’s mind, lightning suddenly flashed!

The rumored cultivation level versus the cultivation level he had sensed along the way, the spiritual power of a normal cultivator versus the profound spiritual power she displayed when fighting others, and—

At this moment, she clearly had exhausted all her trump cards, yet wore a fearless smile!

It was the One Person Platform!

That place he had never obtained, the place he had missed!

At this moment, all the abnormalities he had ignored accumulated together, making a chill rise from the bottom of his heart!

The hand holding the sword suddenly trembled.

It was just this one tremor that turned the malicious smile at Jian Chou’s lips into almost crazed delight!

Her eyes, bright as winter snow, cold as an unsheathed blade!

You understand?

Too bad—

“Too late!”

At that moment, though she clearly had no power to fight back, she actually raised her hand lightning-fast, as if grasping the void before her, and just so fiercely and brutally—

Tore it apart!