Yu Mu raised the tourmaline ruyi scepter, his blood-red eyes flashing with mad delight. All along, he had always lived a life of scheming and calculation. Finally being able to fight openly and honestly to the death with Yanji and Dong Tianyun—even he himself felt his backbone had straightened considerably.

It was like being trapped in dark gloom when suddenly a wild wind swept everything away. Though it scraped painfully across his entire body, it was also refreshingly uninhibited. He finally felt that kind of heroic passion with hot blood surging. As long as he defeated Yanji and Dong Tianyun, he could continue living this way!

The drum sound for withdrawing troops suddenly rang out. Yu Mu frowned. To be able to issue the order to withdraw troops over his authority, it must be the Celestial Emperor. Yu Mu clenched his teeth, unwilling to give up the opportunity to fight with all his strength against Yanji. The drum sounds came in rapid succession, ringing so annoyingly that Yu Mu saw the mocking cold smile in Yanji’s eyes, as if he had already seen through that Yu Mu wouldn’t disobey his father emperor’s command.

Yu Mu suddenly felt a surge of reckless anger. He had arranged and planned for many years, all for nothing more than to eliminate these few people who refused to willingly submit. Now at this critical juncture, he still had to obey his father emperor’s command and withdraw troops at the battle line!

“Crown Prince, the Celestial Emperor commands you to return quickly to the cloud pavilion!” The messenger sent by the Celestial Emperor spoke with some severity. Yu Mu frowned, then suddenly deflated and put away the tourmaline ruyi scepter, following the messenger back. He had already exhausted much effort to become Crown Prince. He was only half a step away from the position he constantly thought about—he truly couldn’t afford even the slightest mistake.

Yanji wasn’t surprised by his choice. He even let out a pitying sigh watching his retreating figure. Yu Mu was someone who had abandoned everything for his goal—women who admired him, friends, family, even himself. Even if he achieved his wish in the future, he would still be someone with nothing. Yu Mu heard his sigh and urged his cloud even faster, disappearing in the blink of an eye into the dark mist pervading above the Abyss River.

Not long after the Celestial Clan’s great army withdrew, in the distance came the grand sounds of clearing the way. Yanji went to Dong Tianyun’s side to watch together with him. It turned out to be Yuanhou and Jin Zhan bringing elite earth spirits and wood spirits to provide reinforcement.

Dong Tianyun had suffered considerable injuries. Both his left arm and below his ribs had been slashed open with bloody wounds. He supported his body with Gu Wen, fresh blood slowly flowing over the sword body. His long hair hung loose, also stained with blood. Perhaps this was the most wretched moment of his life, yet he radiated a fierce domineering aura more than at any other time. With his strength alone, to resist the Celestial Clan’s numerous celestial spirits for so long—within the three realms, this would probably become legendary tale once again.

When Yuanhou and Jin Zhan rushed to the front and saw Dong Tianyun’s battle situation, Yuanhou revealed a guilty expression.

“I thought you were only concerned with pleasure and wouldn’t remember to help me.” Dong Tianyun’s breathing was somewhat unstable, yet he still had to mock his good friend with a few sharp words.

Yuanhou turned his face to observe the enemy situation, pretending not to hear his words.

Jin Zhan didn’t speak. That he could comprehend the usage of the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron in such a short time and mobilize such a large group of wood spirit elites could already be considered quite remarkable.

“Since Yuanhou and Jin Zhan have come, I can take you to see someone.” Yanji said with a smile, though there was an indelible loss in his eyes.

Dong Tianyun’s hand trembled. Even though Yanji hadn’t specified, he knew who it was.

“Guard the Nine Darkness Mountain well for me.” Dong Tianyun smiled with breezy ease. Though the movement of raising his hand to sweep Gu Wen into its sheath was somewhat stiff, his signature elegance was not diminished in the slightest. The heroic passion brought by successive battles temporarily covered up the despondency from losing Xiang Su.

“Your injuries…” Yuanhou glanced and frowned with concern.

“I won’t die,” Dong Tianyun raised his eyebrows slightly with a provocative expression. “If you had come earlier, I probably wouldn’t even have needed to suffer these minor injuries.” Very clearly reproaching Yuanhou for false kindness.

Yuanhou couldn’t refute and twisted his lips.

Jin Zhan looked at the Celestial Clan’s movements. “You’d better go and return quickly. I’m afraid Yu Mu will soon persuade the Celestial Emperor.”

Yanji made a sound of agreement. The Nether Fish immediately revealed its true form and waited for him to sit gracefully upon it. Dong Tianyun glanced at him with disdain. This fellow, having recovered his identity as Water Lord, was even more unpleasant than before. “Wait, I still need to bring someone else.” Though he clearly had the suspicion of deliberately delaying, Yanji still sat on the Nether Fish with good temper, his immortal demeanor gentle and refined.

Watching this, Jin Zhan felt both that the Qingze Water Lord should indeed be like this, and also that the unruly young man who had desperately searched for a wet nurse for Xiang Su in the mortal realm had disappeared, leaving him with very complicated feelings.

Throughout the journey, Dong Tianyun didn’t converse with Yanji either. As for what exactly had happened that night, Dong Tianyun had roughly sketched it out in his mind.

Chilin had followed him to Autumn Peace Mountain and saw Hu Chen reveal her secrets. In her angry desperation, what she thought to do first was to go kill You Yue. Because once the facade was torn off, she would probably never have another chance to act. You Yue had already become like Xiang Su—a poisonous thorn in her heart. As long as she could remove it, she simply didn’t think about the consequences or gains and losses. She had never been a shrewd and rational person. Jealousy made her commit one mistake after another, distancing herself further and further from what she wanted to obtain.

Jin Zhan had already returned to the Wood Governing residence at that time, secluding himself to comprehend the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron. Only Yanji remained at the Nine Darkness Mountain. It seemed that in the exchange with Chilin, he had instead broken through the seal, recovering his memories and magical power. Chilin simply couldn’t deal with the Water Lord who had already recovered his spiritual consciousness, so she could only retreat resentfully.

But… why did Yanji take You Yue away instead of forcing Chilin to leave? Actually, Dong Tianyun had still detected Yanji’s fondness for You Yue. He couldn’t help but coldly glance at Yanji again. Though unhappy in his heart, he also felt that having You Yue temporarily stay at Qingze residence was actually the best arrangement, which made him feel even more uncomfortable.

The building where Yanji had settled You Yue was in the depths of Qingze residence. Dong Tianyun felt that Yanji deliberately wanted to lead him on foot because he wanted You Yue to see his wretched appearance of insufficient stamina after being injured. He increasingly felt that Yanji had thoroughly recovered his dark nature from the past. He was truly the worst friend Dong Tianyun had ever made in this life. Compared to him, Yuanhou could almost be considered a purely good person with passionate loyalty.

The hall doors were tightly closed. Two maids with worried expressions stood outside the hall.

“Junshang, the young lady says she doesn’t wish to receive visitors.”

Dong Tianyun’s eyebrows involuntarily twitched. Won’t see anyone? Did she know it was him coming?

Yanji still had a calm expression, as if he had expected this all along. “Go tell her again that Dong Tianyun has come.”

One maid quickly curtsied in agreement, opened the hall door a crack and slipped inside, then closed it tightly again—clearly she had received instructions. Dong Tianyun’s brows furrowed. Watching that maid quickly slip out again, she said with great difficulty, “The young lady says she won’t see anyone.”

Before Yanji could speak, Dong Tianyun kicked the hall door open. Because of the force used, the wound under his left ribs split open, blood dripping along the way onto the fine bluestone floor tiles.

“I already said I won’t see anyone!” The young girl’s delicate voice carried choking sobs, coming from the inner hall. Dong Tianyun had already led Kunpeng around the screen. Hearing this sentence, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

Kunpeng, who had just transformed into human form, wasn’t even as tall as Dong Tianyun’s thigh. His fair and tender little face, because of his full set of serious black robes, appeared even more adorable. He stared at “You Yue’s” back, also not expecting that someone originally in about the same situation as him had suddenly become a delicate young maiden. He pulled on his master’s hand, but for a long time his master didn’t speak. The imposing manner of kicking open the hall door just now had also vanished—clearly he really had suffered serious injuries.

Kunpeng released Dong Tianyun’s hand. Though small, his bearing was not small at all. He walked over and grabbed “You Yue’s” arm in one motion, pulling her around forcefully. “Why won’t you see Master?”

Probably You Yue had grown up and become ugly. She shook him off very forcefully, covering her face with both hands, not letting anyone see her appearance. Kunpeng was small after all and was flung down to sit hard on the ground.

Kunpeng heard his master walk over and thought his master was coming to help him up. He didn’t expect his master to walk directly past him, even dripping several drops of blood on his head. Kunpeng immediately felt very aggrieved, pouting as he climbed up by himself.

Dong Tianyun raised his hand extremely slowly, pulling away her hands that covered her face. He actually felt afraid. What if it was another illusion? What if only the voice was similar?

“Xiang Su…” He called her gently.

The exquisitely beautiful face beneath her hands was full of tear tracks. When her eyes looked into his eyes, both people were speechless for a long time.

Actually they had been separated for less than two days, yet it felt like several lifetimes had passed.

“Xiang Su!” Dong Tianyun seemed to suddenly come to his senses, fiercely pulling her into his embrace. Wasn’t this the person he had painfully searched for throughout the vast heaven and earth with nowhere to pursue? She was alive before his eyes. She was still so fragrant, so soft. When this delicate and weak body nestled in his arms, it filled his entire world.

“Dong Tianyun… Dong Tianyun…” Xiang Su’s tears fell like rain. Even though she had always stayed by his side, now it finally felt like a true reunion.

Yanji had been standing silently in front of the screen watching all along. Xiang Su saw him from within Dong Tianyun’s embrace and finally moved uneasily, pushing against Dong Tianyun’s chest with her hands in refusal, separating them by a distance.

Dong Tianyun’s spine was abnormally rigid. She clearly hadn’t touched his wound, yet he felt pain piercing to the marrow. She had only pushed him away by this small distance, yet his heart suddenly tore open into bottomless emptiness and loss.

He lowered his head to look at her, suddenly not even wanting to know the reason.

“Jun… Junshang…” Xiang Su trembled like chaff in a sieve, not knowing if it was because the heartache was unbearable or because she was afraid she didn’t have the courage to say what came next.

“Why?” Dong Tianyun asked expressionlessly. He felt his whole person was so exhausted he was about to collapse. There were too many things he didn’t know, and they seemed to have endings he wasn’t happy to see.

Xiang Su bit her teeth and stood up. Naturally this also meant leaving Dong Tianyun’s embrace. She even walked a few steps toward Yanji—only by being close to him did she have the courage to continue speaking.

“In the small town barrier, I met Yanji who was undergoing tribulation. He gave me a Profound Heaven Heavy Water bead, which allowed me to preserve my soul in Heaven’s Fire. Jin Zhan always protected my soul pearl until you revived me with your spiritual blood. Because…” Xiang Su paused, lowering her eyelids. “Because you were going to marry Chilin, I… I didn’t reveal the secret, also hoping you could smoothly restore your celestial essence.”

Facing such serious distortion, Dong Tianyun didn’t make a sound. He maintained his previous posture, his back to Xiang Su and Yanji, not turning around.

Xiang Su swallowed several times, feeling like there was fire burning in her throat. “That day when Chilin suddenly came to kill me, it was Yanji who desperately protected me. At that time he hadn’t yet recovered his spiritual consciousness. To protect me, he was nearly burned to death by Chilin. It was also because of being near death that he finally broke through the seal and could summon the Phoenix Qin to take me away.” Because this part was the actual situation at the time, Xiang Su spoke very fluently. But the words that came next—her body trembled and she couldn’t speak for a long time. “I… I’ve decided to be… to be with Yanji.”

Dong Tianyun stood up and turned around to look at Xiang Su calmly and without ripples. Suddenly he frowned. “What’s wrong with you again?” Whether it was the real her or the fake her, hearing such words again and again, he simply felt annoyed and tired.

Xiang Su stared with eyes that were too hollow, appearing abnormally calm. She said word by word: “Having experienced so many things, I feel that living on is most important.”

Dong Tianyun was stunned, slowly lowering his eyelashes. She wasn’t wrong at all. The current him couldn’t even guarantee tomorrow. So what even if she was still the Xiang Su who loved him wholeheartedly? What could he say to her? Come with him? Go to the bloody Nine Darkness Mountain? Never separate again? So what even if the water, wood, and earth spirit realms stood on his side? As long as the Celestial Clan didn’t eliminate him and seize back Gu Wen, the war wouldn’t end. Should he take her to die together with him?

Yanji behind Xiang Su laughed bitterly, softly and even more softly. It had to be said, she was truly a genius at hurting hearts. In the current situation, just this one phrase “living on” was enough to destroy all of Dong Tianyun’s confidence. Actually only he understood the true meaning in her words. This fool still thought this phrase could awaken Dong Tianyun.

Dong Tianyun turned back and pulled up Kunpeng’s hand. “Since it’s like this, that’s fine. I’ll entrust Kunpeng to your care.” He wanted to put Kunpeng’s small hand into Xiang Su’s hand. Unexpectedly Kunpeng shrank back, broke free of his hand, and tightly grasped Dong Tianyun’s robe hem.

Kunpeng kept a straight face. His childish voice still didn’t prevent his meaning from being resolute. “Master, Kunpeng will absolutely never leave you.”

Hearing this, Dong Tianyun bitterly lifted the corner of his mouth. Recognizing a master and following them through life and death was Kunpeng’s nature. No matter how much he wanted to make better arrangements for him, it was useless.

Xiang Su’s teeth chattered lightly against each other. No matter what the reason, she was always the one who betrayed.

Yanji watched somewhat amusedly as Dong Tianyun pulled the tiny Kunpeng and walked outward. This scene really looked like a father leading a child in a failed search for the mother. Dong Tianyun walked a few steps, then suddenly turned back. He walked quickly to Xiang Su’s front, took out the hairpin and silk ribbon from his chest, and personally helped her put them on. He felt he had nothing more to say to her. Yanji was very good—even better than the Long Zhun that the fake Xiang Su had chosen back then.

He lovingly stroked her silky beautiful hair and smiled. Loss was loss. This was fate’s arrangement for him and Xiang Su.

Yanji watched him pull up Kunpeng and walk toward the hall exit with chaotic steps. “Wait, Dong Tianyun.” Dong Tianyun had already walked out the hall door. “Wait for me to say a few words to her.” Dong Tianyun’s steps didn’t stop. Yanji smiled. “You must wait, or you’ll regret it.”

Dong Tianyun hesitated, a trace of mocking smile floating at his lips. Was he actually going to wait for Yanji to go speak with Xiang Su?

Regret? He raised his head to look at the sun half-hidden behind dark clouds, suddenly feeling that in this life of his, there was actually nothing left to regret.

When Xiang Su came crying and stumbling in pursuit, Dong Tianyun had already disappeared. “Dong Tianyun! Dong Tianyun!” Xiang Su shouted loudly toward the sky, hoping he hadn’t gone far yet, hoping he could hear her calling. He never seemed to wait for her, never even gave her a chance to explain!

“He left?” Yanji walked out leisurely, his robes swaying gracefully, his tone light and breezy. Having recovered his spiritual consciousness, he made Xiang Su feel both familiar and strange—like the arrogant child from the small town had grown up, and also like… actually the Qingze Water Lord and the Nine Darkness Palace Master were extremely similar in many ways, their terrible tempers being one example.

“He just left!” Xiang Su cried and stamped her feet, full of resentment. She didn’t understand how he could joke about what she considered the most solemn matter in this world. She had suffered day and night with tears over her choice, yet he treated this matter so lightly, even including mockery and teasing!

“It seems he’s really changed.” Yanji smiled nonchalantly. “In the past, he only cared about what he himself thought.”

“I’m going to find him!” Xiang Su didn’t want to hear how he evaluated Dong Tianyun at all. She only hoped she could still catch up to him.

“I’ll take you there. Without the Nether Fish, you probably can’t even fly past the outer barrier the Celestial Clan has set up.” Yanji smiled and summoned the Nether Fish.

Xiang Su looked at him coldly and angrily, yet couldn’t bring herself to hate him. After all, he had released her, allowing her to pursue Dong Tianyun so openly. She impatiently stepped onto the Nether Fish. Turning her face to look, Yanji was still maintaining an elegant posture, lifting his robes to slowly sit on the Nether Fish’s back. Xiang Su immediately felt evil rising in her heart. What time was it now? He was still putting on airs?!

Actually she had never truly feared him. Really driven to desperation, her courage also grew. She pushed Yanji off the Nether Fish’s back in one motion. Yanji was unprepared and she really succeeded.

“I hate you!” She glared at him fiercely again and urged the Nether Fish to go quickly. Unfortunately, the Nether Fish wouldn’t listen to her commands. Yanji also felt his current self was somewhat laughable. He waved his hand, letting the Nether Fish follow Xiang Su’s instructions. When the Nether Fish really soared into the air, Xiang Su suddenly became apprehensive and uneasy. She looked back at Yanji standing on the ground. “You… aren’t you coming?”

Yanji smiled. “Since I promised you, I’ll do it. I still have some matters to attend to. I’ll come shortly after.”

Xiang Su felt reassured and focused on urging the Nether Fish to hurry, crying and laughing at once, her expression very complicated.

Yanji watched Xiang Su disappear into the thick cloud layers in the blink of an eye. His smile slowly fell silent. Indeed, when you can’t keep someone’s heart, whatever you do is useless. With just one sentence, she could leave so completely without reluctance.