「The next morning.」

Sun Li woke up with a splitting headache. That Lin Family's treasured wine really packs a punch, she sighed to herself.

When she found Lin Xiyue, she saw her sitting on a swing under a tree in the courtyard, staring into space.

Sun Li walked over, and upon seeing Lin Xiyue's red, swollen eyes, she felt a sudden pang of guilt. She must have sat here all night, crying the whole time.

"Hey... Xi Yue, I'm sorry," Sun Li said. "I just... I drank too much last night. I couldn't hold back and just said all that stuff."

"It's thanks to you that I know these things," Lin Xiyue replied. "The drinks weren't a waste."

Sun Li gave an awkward smile. "Well, I have to go to the provincial capital this afternoon, so I should head home to see my grandfather. I'll get going, then. Let's get together again when we have the chance."

Watching Sun Li's back as she practically fled, Lin Xiyue wiped away her tears, stood up, and went inside.

What a fool.

No matter where you are, I will find you.

...

「In the living room.」

Lin Fei stood silently in front of the TV, her eyes fixed on the screen as if she were intently studying something.

Lin Xiyue walked over and observed her, noting a dramatic change in her demeanor and bearing. Other than her appearance, the person before her seemed completely transformed. Within those cool eyes, there was even a faint hint of authority.

Breaking the silence, Lin Xiyue finally asked, "So you're..."

Lin Fei shifted her gaze from the television. "Right, I never told you. My real name is Xun Mi."

"Xun Mi," Lin Xiyue mused. "Like 'to seek.' A good name."

"But in my lifetime of seeking, I've had few sweet days," Xun Mi said.

Lin Xiyue changed the subject. "So Lin Fei is dead?"

Xun Mi nodded slightly.

Lin Xiyue fell silent. Although she hated Lin Fei and could never forgive her past actions, the fact that the cousin she grew up with was truly dead still stirred some emotion within her.

She couldn't remember which day or which moment it was that she and Lin Fei had started to clash, eventually walking down two completely different paths. All she could recall were the little moments from their innocent childhood, playing together happily.

"I consumed her soul and inherited her memories," Xun Mi said. "I must say, your cousin was a truly rotten person."

Lin Xiyue gathered her thoughts. "If she has a next life, I hope she can be a good person."

...

「Two days later. Capital of Hua Country, Imperial Palace.」

Lin Xiyue faced Lu Nianjiao and said earnestly, "Divine Doctor Sister, that's the situation. I want to go out and gain experience on my own. I hope you'll allow it."

"And I promise you, when I return, my cultivation won't have fallen behind Xiao Xue and the others."

Lu Nianjiao gave her a long look. "Go, but remember your promise."

"Thank you."

...

「On the high platform.」

Di Xuanji, dressed in a flowing gossamer gown that accentuated her beauty, watched her long hair flutter in the wind. She watched as Lin Xiyue's departing figure grew increasingly blurry in the distance.

"You're just letting her go like that?"

Lu Nianjiao took her arm. "What else can I do? She's Lin Jianlong's disciple, after all."

"I'm just afraid she'll become uncontrollable in the future," Di Xuanji said.

Lu Nianjiao's brows furrowed. "Are you still planning to use her?"

"My Dragon Origin couldn't save Little Mule, and besides, he's already depleted it," Di Xuanji said indifferently. "If it really comes to that... we'll have to sacrifice Lin Xiyue."

"Even if Little Mule would be heartbroken? Even if he'd hate you for the rest of his life?"

Expressionless, Di Xuanji removed Lu Nianjiao's hand from her arm and turned to leave.

"Even if he will be heartbroken and hate me for the rest of my life."

Lu Nianjiao watched her back. "It's not the final moment yet. There's still hope. Just give them a little more time."

"If Hongye were still here," Di Xuanji stated, "Lin Xiyue would already be dead."

...

After leaving the Imperial Palace, Lin Xiyue went straight to the Lin Mansion.

"Master, I need to go out for a while. I don't know when I'll be back."

Lin Jianlong looked at Lin Xiyue with a benevolent gaze. "Go. Take care of yourself."

Lin Xiyue was a little surprised. "Master, aren't you going to ask where I'm going?"

Lin Jianlong smiled and shook his head. "Everyone has their own path to walk. There's no need for me to ask. Besides, if you wanted to tell me, you would have."

"Thank you, Master."

"Silly girl, don't forget the Leisurely Fish and Dragon Dance I taught you. I've perfected it thanks to Luo Xiu's guidance. However, I fear I'll never reach its pinnacle in my lifetime, so I'm relying on you."

"I won't forget your instructions, Master. I will practice diligently!"

"Go."

...

「Time flowed like a river, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.」

「Shanhai Territory. Thunder Swamp. Burial Sword Tomb of the Thunderstorm.」

Ever since Luo Ying lifted the Blood Ban Technique, Luo Xiu had been recuperating in the Land of Lawlessness for half a month.

Thinking that Kuang Pi should be almost recovered, Luo Xiu left the Land of Lawlessness early that morning.

Loud huffing and puffing could be heard from the deck of the Ancient Warship. HUFF... PUFF... The sound was quite noisy.

As he drew closer to the sound, Luo Xiu saw a giant bear with its back bristling with swords, doing push-ups. The sight of its fat body and short, pudgy limbs doing push-ups like a human was rather comical.

"Brother Xiong, you seem to be recovering well."

Hearing this, Kuang Pi pushed himself up and sat on the deck with a thump. He patted his chest with a bear paw and laughed heartily. "It's all thanks to your elixirs and miraculous medicines, my good brother! My injuries are healed, the deathly energy has been purged from my body, and I feel great!"

Luo Xiu smiled and asked, "So, you can leave this place now?"

"That's right! There's no time to lose, Xiao Luo. We should head to the Ancient God Ruins."

Luo Xiu asked curiously, "Speaking of which, what exactly are the Ancient God Ruins? And how do we get in?"

Kuang Pi stood up. "It's a small world connected to the Shanhai Territory. Every seven hundred years, that world experiences spatial turbulence, causing rifts to randomly appear all over the Shanhai Territory."

"By passing through these rifts, you can appear at any random location within the Ancient God Ruins."

"This is also why those riffraff from the Upper Realm hold a 'great harvest' every seven hundred years. They spare no effort or resources, clawing their way into the Lower Realm to harvest opportunities of the Great Dao."

"But Xiao Luo, it's very dangerous in there. Nothing follows common sense, so we must be exceedingly careful."

Luo Xiu nodded. "Of course."

Kuang Pi reminisced, "I still remember it clearly. During the last great harvest, a powerhouse from the Upper Realm at the Dao Jade First Realm stepped on an unremarkable centipede in the Ancient God Ruins. Guess what happened?"

Luo Xiu raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Kuang Pi lowered his voice. "He died on the spot, dissolving into a puddle of blood from his feet to his head. The centipede's poison was so virulent it even seeped through the treasure garment he was wearing! Terrifying, isn't it?"

Luo Xiu's heart grew heavy. "If even an inconspicuous centipede is that frightening, then the Ancient God Ruins are no simple place."

"Indeed. But great risks come with great opportunities."

"Live or die, we'll find out when we get there," Luo Xiu said. "Let's go, Brother Xiong."

...

「Meanwhile, in another part of the Shanhai Territory.」

A spatial rift emerged from thin air, and two graceful figures jumped out.

After landing, Lin Xiyue looked at Xun Mi with a trace of admiration in her eyes. One moment they were on Earth, and the next, Xun Mi had casually torn open the Void to bring her to the Shanhai Territory.

"As expected of a Great Emperor!"

Xun Mi gave a faint smile. "That's nothing. Right now, I can only wield half of my former strength."

"Even though I've spent the last half-month refining this body, your cousin's body is still too weak."

Lin Xiyue sounded a little frustrated. "I spent nearly half my fortune on medicine to help you refine this body over the past half-month, and you still think it's weak?"

"What did you expect? If I had someone with a Nine Yang Constitution to dual cultivate with, I could recover my strength in a very short time."

Hearing this, Lin Xiyue's expression soured.

Xun Mi laughed. "Don't worry, he's your man. I won't touch him. Besides, your cousin's body doesn't have the Nine Yin Constitution, so a Nine Yang Constitution isn't a pressing necessity."

Lin Xiyue's cheeks flushed. She looked around at the beautiful scenery and changed the subject. "Where to now?"

Xun Mi closed her eyes and carefully sensed their surroundings, then suddenly smiled. "It seems we've arrived at the perfect time. I didn't expect the Ancient God Ruins to have already opened. Let's go check them out."

...

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