There is one?

There was?!!!

Not just Xuanyue Xianzi, but all the remaining great cultivators were shocked with eyes wide open, hardly believing what they had heard!

What had Xuanyue Xianzi asked?

She had asked whether these two had any “past connections”!

Past connections!!!

These two had almost unanimously and calmly answered “yes”?!

Obviously…

In any case, this development wasn’t quite right!

Including Xuanyue Xianzi who had originally asked the question, no one expected anyone from Kunwu or Yashan to come forward and directly answer this question. After all, Hengxu Zhenren had wanted to kill someone, and Jian Chou had stepped forward to stop Chen Tingyan who seemed about to say something. Based on this judgment, Xuanyue Xianzi had deliberately used that joking laugh to ask, because if nothing could be asked, at least it wouldn’t offend Kunwu or Yashan, and could be dismissed as a “joke.”

But who could have imagined!

These two people had actually answered so clearly and directly, and not with denial, but admission! Without the slightest intention of concealing anything! Completely straightforward!

What did this mean?

They had past connections!

Then what Chen Tingyan had said earlier about “deeply in love as husband and wife” and “growing old together” probably wasn’t groundless either? Moreover, this person was originally from the human island and should know more than these cultivators from the Nineteen Continents!

Husband… husband and wife?

The two most outstanding disciples of this generation from Yashan and Kunwu had actually had “past connections” when they were mortals, and very likely had been “husband and wife”?!!

Then from the hidden realm of Qingfeng Nunnery to the esoteric sect of the snowy region…

How did they end up wanting to kill each other?

Moreover, Jian Chou’s words “there was” were quite meaningful.

For such brilliantly talented people to appear, one would already be enough to make all the sects in the Nineteen Continents envious. Now two had appeared, and they were told these two had “past connections”???

Were they dreaming?!

Several great cultivators trembled in their hearts and couldn’t help but curse silently.

If not for years of cultivation, at this moment Xuanyue Xianzi could have bitten off half her tongue in shock!

Her gaze fell on Jian Chou’s face and she couldn’t speak; her gaze fell on Xie Buchen’s face and she still couldn’t speak; only when she looked toward Hengxu Zhenren did she regain some rationality.

“Zhenren, this…”

But before she could finish asking, Jian Chou had already interrupted her with a gentle smile: “Past matters are, after all, private affairs between this junior and Fellow Daoist Xie. If the Xianzi asks further, we have nothing more to say. Now that Ghost Gate Pass has just been conquered two days ago, we still need to discuss how to further take the Extreme Domain. Time is pressing, so why don’t we quickly go to the garrison to discuss matters rather than delay here on the road?”

“…”

This clearly showed she didn’t want to talk.

Looking at Jian Chou’s unruffled face, Xuanyue Xianzi momentarily sensed from this legendary junior a composure that remained unchanged even when Mount Tai collapsed before her, and vaguely detected a magnanimity and composure that even her peers and some great cultivators could hardly match.

The atmosphere became even more subtle.

At this time, Fudao Shanren glanced at his disciple, his face showing no smile, only saying flatly: “My disciple speaks correctly. Since we’ve already visited Buyu, let’s return to the garrison next and discuss what comes next.”

One sentence directly sealed everyone’s mouths.

Chen Tingyan had already been taken away, and Jian Chou and Xie Buchen remained tight-lipped. Seeing that nothing more would really be said, and with Fudao Shanren speaking up, even if the great cultivators wanted to set aside their dignified bearing and shamelessly probe further, they couldn’t.

On this journey, they really had no choice but to go to the garrison in the City of Wrongful Death.

But what was actually discussed midway, the great cultivators really had no idea. They would need to call upon their spiritual consciousness to record their memories to recall.

What could they remember?

Their minds were full of thoughts about what had happened at the alley entrance!

The more they thought about it, the more they felt surrounded by suspicions.

Being shocked that Jian Chou and Xie Buchen had “had” past connections was just one thing, but after leaving the alley and sitting down to think carefully, they felt there was something unsettling and terrifying about this matter—

Chen Tingyan had indeed revealed the relationship that Xie Buchen and Jian Chou might have had in the past, but the unspoken latter half of the sentence, especially the obvious word “kill” at the beginning, really made people think more.

Because these words were said to Xie Buchen!

The ghost cultivators of the Extreme Domain all spread that Xie Buchen killed—killed whom?

Connecting this with the barely concealed confrontation between Jian Chou and Xie Buchen, completely unlike the usual friendliness between disciples of Kunwu and Yashan sects…

The great cultivators weren’t fools!

Each one was sharp as a tack!

The deeper they thought, the more chills ran down their spines.

Though they showed nothing on their faces, when they looked again at Hengxu Zhenren presiding over the discussion and the composed Jian Chou and Xie Buchen acting as if nothing had happened, they all sensed an unfathomable profundity.

When the discussion ended and everyone left.

Fudao Shanren glanced at Jian Chou, seeming to want to say something, but in the end only walked up and patted her shoulder before slowly walking out with his broken bamboo staff.

The dim light of the Extreme Domain cast his shadow on the ground, creating a blurred desolation.

Jian Chou only felt the palm on her shoulder was heavy and aged. Looking at his back, she inexplicably felt a pang in her heart.

He looked unchanged.

But ever since slaughtering those seventeen soul puppets in the battle at Ghost Gate Pass, her master had never again shown any joking expression, and his body was always shrouded in an indescribable depression.

She knew that next, Fudao Shanren would join Hengxu Zhenren and several great cultivators to open the eighteen levels of hell below and search for the Nine-headed Bird’s remnant soul at the location she had described from her memories.

But this time, not many people needed to go.

She didn’t need to go, and neither did Xie Buchen.

When leaving the conference hall, most people had dispersed. As Jian Chou and Xie Buchen passed each other, her steps paused slightly. She turned her head slightly and said quietly: “Fellow Daoist Xie, your master seems quite protective of you.”

“…”

Xie Buchen, in his blue robes, indifferent and noble, turned to look at her.

But after saying this, Jian Chou smiled and walked away with her hands behind her back, as if she had just casually mentioned it in passing, like mockery yet seeming to hide some deeper meaning.

She left, but Xie Buchen still stood in place.

His calm eyes slightly lowered, not knowing what he was thinking.

“Old friend—”

After leaving the conference hall, Jian Chou planned to first return to Yashan’s temporary quarters to find several trusted junior disciples to arrange some matters, but she hadn’t walked far before hearing a call from behind.

She turned to look.

Fu Chaosheng had already walked over from behind, walking alongside her.

Fu Chaosheng had listened carefully during the earlier discussion.

After setting up spirit-gathering arrays within Ghost Gate Pass and the hundred-li range behind it, covering everything with heaven and earth spiritual energy, the Nineteen Continents would once again attack the Extreme Domain, with their sword edge pointing directly at the Eight Directions City!

But strangely, Jian Chou actually didn’t want to participate in frontal combat.

Fu Chaosheng came to ask her: “Earlier, all the cultivators from your Nineteen Continents said that now that Ghost Gate Pass has been taken, the next step should be to advance unstoppably. Even that Qu Zhengfeng returned to the cultivator formation. Why did you refuse instead, old friend?”

Jian Chou lowered her eyes to look at the ground beneath her feet, walking forward step by step, her expression appearing silent. After a while, she replied: “I’m just afraid I can’t control myself.”

“Can’t control yourself?”

Fu Chaosheng didn’t understand.

Jian Chou slowly sighed: “Although you’re not of my race, you once lurked in the Extreme Domain for many years investigating reincarnation matters, and served Lord Qin Guang. How much do you know about the Ghost King clan and soul puppets? When Ghost Gate Pass was broken, Lord Qin Guang threw out seventeen soul puppets—what was his real intention? Where there’s one, there’s two—it’s not that simple.”

No matter what existence he had once been, the current Lord Qin Guang controlled the entire Extreme Domain. How could he willingly hand over Ghost Gate Pass for nothing?

The seemingly harmless soul puppets touched the deepest wounds of the Nineteen Continents.

Such intentions could not be called anything but poisonous.

Even a rational cultivator like Jian Chou, who hadn’t experienced the yin-yang realm war of the past, had generated uncontrollable hatred and madness in that instant. What kind of deep, heavy pain must those who had personally experienced it bear?

There wouldn’t be only seventeen soul puppets, and they wouldn’t appear only once.

Although she was already strong enough, the deeper she understood, the more she actually feared to face it. However, the fact was that she had to face it, and face much more and deeper.

Because she was the eldest senior sister of Yashan.

Though her face bore a faint smile, in front of Fu Chaosheng, she didn’t hide her worry and heaviness: “I’m hidden among the Wuchang clan, using Lian Zhao’s identity as disguise. So far I haven’t been exposed, and the ten great ghost clans of the Extreme Domain don’t know that Jian Chou is ‘Lian Zhao.’ So I plan to infiltrate the Wuchang clan again to investigate the truth of the matter.”

If possible, cutting off the source first would be better than encountering it on the battlefield.

“Oh…”

Is that so?

Actually, Fu Chaosheng was just asking casually. After getting such an answer from Jian Chou, he responded, opened his mouth, but then closed it again.

Jian Chou was curious, feeling for the first time that this supreme evil demon seemed somewhat hesitant: “Fellow Daoist Chaosheng seems to want to say something but stops?”

Fu Chaosheng didn’t speak.

The thumb ring carved with a fish that he wore spoke up: “If you want to ask, just ask. With your stammering, those who don’t know might think you’re being coy for a demon.”

Merciless mockery.

At this moment, Fu Chaosheng really wanted to cook it!

Although she rarely saw Kun Peng’s true form, this kind of ancient divine beast-level existence bickering with Fu Chaosheng, especially when unilaterally mocking, Jian Chou had seen quite a lot.

She wanted to laugh but coughed to cover it.

Then she agreed with the salted fish Kun’s words: “Since you’ve already joined this yin-yang realm war that you didn’t need to participate in because of me, our friendship is already quite deep. If you have any doubts in your heart, feel free to speak.”

“It’s nothing much…”

He slowly covered the fish thumb ring on his finger, as if preventing Kun from saying anything else nonsensical, then Fu Chaosheng looked at Jian Chou and slowly spoke.

“I’m just curious why you don’t speak frankly about what happened between you and that Xie fellow in the past?”

Even though he didn’t know much about cultivators’ affairs and especially couldn’t experience them personally, based on what he knew, speaking about such things would probably cause considerable controversy and sensation. Especially with Jian Chou also being from Yashan, that Xie fellow from Kunwu probably wouldn’t get any good outcome.

Earlier, Chen Tingyan was just one sentence away from revealing the truth.

But it was precisely at this moment that Jian Chou came forward, blocking Hengxu Zhenren’s attack with one hand and sealing Chen Tingyan’s words with the other, actually covering up this matter in just a few words…

Well, acknowledging her “past connections” with Xie Buchen.

In Fu Chaosheng’s view, he completely couldn’t understand this matter.

But Jian Chou had her own reasons.

Hearing Fu Chaosheng’s confusion, she was rarely stunned for a moment before reacting: “So Fellow Daoist Chaosheng wanted to ask about this matter.”

But there really wasn’t much to say about this.

“The matter between Xie Buchen and me, no matter how big, is still a private grudge; revenge and killing are also private affairs. There’s no need to make it known to everyone. I just want to kill him—I don’t need others to condemn what he did, nor do I need the world’s pity.”

In other words, she did what she did, and she didn’t care about others.

“Given the current situation, we shouldn’t add more variables. Moreover, this matter doesn’t seem so simple…”

“Not so simple?”

Fu Chaosheng frowned slightly.

Jian Chou nodded: “Although Chen Tingyan didn’t finish speaking, he mentioned that his information also came from ghost cultivators from the human island. What Xie Buchen did to kill me back then was extremely secretive, not to mention that Hengxu Zhenren personally came to the human island to take him as a true disciple. A great cultivator with realm boundaries should not have left any loose ends. How could the events of that year have spread for everyone to know?”

Fu Chaosheng finally heard something wrong and looked thoughtful.

Jian Chou smiled: “Revenge must be taken, and he must be killed. But I always hate being used by those with ulterior motives, having other things mixed into this pure grudge. So, it’s better not to speak than to speak. Heaven knows, earth knows, justice knows, but everyone needn’t know.”

She looked really too peaceful.

Simply so calm and rational that she didn’t seem to have any grudge with Xie Buchen at all.

However, Fu Chaosheng actually recalled a phrase he had heard on the human island, and strangely comprehended it at this moment: Still waters run deep. The less one needs the world to know their suffering or uphold their justice, the firmer and more determined their heart becomes. Killing intent isn’t moved by the vulgar, nor changed by others.

He blinked, looking at her, and after a while suddenly said: “But I really don’t like this person.”

Don’t like?

Such words were rare to hear from Fu Chaosheng’s mouth.

Jian Chou was immediately slightly stunned, vaguely feeling there must be some reason behind this, and directly asked: “Why?”

“When you weren’t around earlier, I went with this person to scout near Ghost Gate Pass. He said some things to me that I found uncomfortable.”

Fu Chaosheng had no idea that in human society, this counted as “tattling.”

He then repeated Xie Buchen’s words from that day exactly.

About “outsiders,” “humans and demons walking different paths,” “sectarian prejudice,” “great differences between races,” and “a gentleman doesn’t stand under a dangerous wall”…

He walked beside Jian Chou with his hands behind his back, finished speaking.

Then he looked ahead and said: “Did this person mean that I’m a demon and shouldn’t be here?”

“…”

Jian Chou’s footsteps suddenly stopped.

“Did Xie Buchen personally mention this to you?”

Fu Chaosheng also stopped: “That’s right. Is there something improper?”

The moment she heard his affirmative answer, her expression darkened, and vague shadows passed through her eyes.

At the same time, old concerns surfaced in her heart.

Before the restart of the yin-yang realm war, the dispute in Mingri Xinghai had already made her alert. And Xie Buchen, as a disciple of Kunwu, actually “reminded” Fu Chaosheng like this—was it because he personally disliked Fu Chaosheng, or because he was in Kunwu, beside Hengxu Zhenren, and had learned something?

Cultivators, demons…

Just as Xie Buchen had said, sectarian prejudices couldn’t be completely eliminated. Although the greater picture was at hand, could this “racial difference” truly be completely removed from their hearts?

How did the other cultivators of the Nineteen Continents view Fu Chaosheng?

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind at once.

Jian Chou had already had concerns, and now she inevitably developed an uncontrollable, reasonable suspicion.

She was about to answer Fu Chaosheng’s question.

But at the moment of speaking, like lightning flashing through her mind, she suddenly recalled her deliberately meaningful reminder to Xie Buchen when leaving the conference hall earlier.

“Attacking cities is inferior; attacking hearts is superior.”

What she was doing, Xie Buchen was also doing, and even more circuitously and covertly!

Jian Chou couldn’t help but laugh, but after laughing, her expression became more complex. She sighed self-mockingly: “I fell into the trap…”