Leaving the Merit Sub-Station, Zhang Ruochen headed straight for Wuding Mountain, worried he’d arrive too late and find Cang Long already attacking.
Though the Moon-Worshipping Demon Sect was the foremost of the Kunlun Realm’s seven ancient sects, it had long lost its former glory. Even with the Kunlun Realm’s revival, it hadn’t produced many powerhouses, with few Saint Kings, making it no match for Cang Long.
Still, the sect’s long history suggested it might possess formidable hidden strengths, not to be underestimated.
“Wuding Mountain.”
Standing on the boundless Copper Furnace Plain, gazing at the majestic, towering mountain in the distance, Zhang Ruochen paused.
He thought he was prepared to face Ling Feiyu calmly, but nearing Wuding Mountain, he felt a flicker of nervousness, hesitant to ascend.
When Ling Feiyu overheard his conversation with Mu Lingxi and left the Truth Heavenly Domain alone, she might have been heartbroken, feeling betrayed. Zhang Ruochen had always wanted to explain everything to her.
“What must be faced cannot be avoided. Evading only breeds more trouble and sorrow. I hope we can talk properly this time.”
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Ruochen stepped forward.
With the Kunlun Realm’s revival, Wuding Mountain had transformed, becoming grander and more majestic, an awakened saint or even divine land, brimming with dense saint energy, ideal for cultivation.
“Who dares trespass on the Moon-Worshipping Divine Sect?”
At the mountain’s base, Zhang Ruochen was intercepted.
Without forcing his way, he said calmly, “Please inform Palace Master Ling that Zhang Ruochen requests a visit.”
The disciple’s expression shifted, staring at Zhang Ruochen for a long moment before saying, “Please wait, Young Master Zhang. I’ll report to Palace Master Ling.”
Zhang Ruochen wasn’t in a rush, waiting quietly at the base.
Seeing the sect’s tranquility, he felt some relief, grateful he hadn’t arrived too late.
Soon, the disciple returned, respectfully saying, “Young Master Zhang, Palace Master Ling awaits you in the Saintess Palace. This way, please.”
A person’s reputation casts a long shadow, and Zhang Ruochen’s fearsome renown commanded respect.
Nodding slightly, Zhang Ruochen climbed toward Saint Water Peak, needing no guide.
Having visited Wuding Mountain multiple times, he knew Saint Water Peak’s location and the Saintess Palace’s position, despite the mountain’s changes.
Saint Water Peak was serene, unlike the verdant spring of other saint peaks. In winter, it was blanketed in snow, a breathtaking white expanse.
In the distance, a peerless, graceful figure caught Zhang Ruochen’s eye.
After years apart, Ling Feiyu’s aura was even more ethereal, like a lofty goddess, untouchable, inspiring awe.
Seeing her, Zhang Ruochen froze briefly before approaching step by step.
He couldn’t retreat now.
Finally, he stood less than a meter from Ling Feiyu.
Their eyes met, emotions swirling, as if time stilled.
Zhang Ruochen’s calmed heartbeat quickened, more nerve-wracking than facing top powerhouses.
Today, Ling Feiyu wore a white gown instead of her Lightning Empress robe, blending with the snow, accentuating her tall, curvaceous figure. Her full chest and hips, paired with long, slender, fair legs, were captivating, her exquisite face like a jade maiden from a painting, impossibly beautiful.
Zhang Ruochen’s mind flashed to a past scene: after battling the Azure Blood Emperor, Ling Feiyu, mentally wounded, became a stone beauty, auctioned by Pearl Light Pavilion. She had worn a similar outfit, sitting by a lake, serene.
The memory stirred countless thoughts, their shared moments in the Seven Lives Seven Deaths Chart vivid in his mind, etched deeply, never forgotten.
“I thought you wouldn’t dare see me,” Ling Feiyu said, breaking the silence.
Snapping back, Zhang Ruochen shook his head. “I thought you wouldn’t see me, that you’d keep avoiding me.”
“I’m not as fragile as you think. My path isn’t in the Truth Heavenly Domain, so I left,” Ling Feiyu said calmly.
Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly. “I overthought it. The most dazzling Feiyu Sword Saint since the Sword Emperor—how could mundane matters sway you?”
He was inwardly surprised. In just a few years since leaving the Truth Heavenly Domain, Ling Feiyu’s cultivation had soared to the Rule Heaven and Earth realm. What opportunities had she encountered?
Yet, for a prodigy like her, who reached Saint King and perfected Sword Nine before the Kunlun Realm’s revival, such progress wasn’t shocking.
Ling Feiyu turned, walking slowly. “Walk with me.”
“Alright,” Zhang Ruochen followed.
Soon, he caught up, walking side by side.
Neither spoke, leaving two trails of footprints in the snow.
“It’s snowing,” Zhang Ruochen said, looking up at the crystalline snowflakes.
The snow was beautiful, pure, and flawless, like Ling Feiyu beside him.
“I heard you won a major battle in the North Domain. Why come to Wuding Mountain so soon?” Ling Feiyu asked.
Turning to her, Zhang Ruochen said, “Do you not want to see me?”
“Seeing or not doesn’t matter much. I’m not the one in your heart,” Ling Feiyu said lightly.
Zhang Ruochen stopped, grasping her hand, gazing into her eyes. “You’ve always had a place in my heart. I know saying this is unfair to you and Lingxi, but I want you to know I never saw our time in the Seven Lives Seven Deaths Chart as a dream. Everything we experienced is etched in my memory, unforgettable.”
“We’re just a fated mistake, doomed to no future. You should let go and cherish Lingxi. She’s sacrificed so much for you, the one meant to be with you,” Ling Feiyu said, shaking her head, trying to pull her hand free.
But Zhang Ruochen held tighter, as if fearing he’d lose her again. “I’ll cherish Lingxi, but I won’t let you go. I don’t believe you’re unaffected by our time in the Chart. Will you keep running from this?”
Ling Feiyu met his gaze, a bitter expression crossing her face. “What do you want me to do? What about Lingxi? Let go, Zhang Ruochen. We’re not meant to be.”
Pulling her close, Zhang Ruochen embraced her tightly. “How can you know without trying? This time, I won’t let go, no matter what.”
Held tightly, Ling Feiyu stiffened, her expression complex.
The snow fell heavier, blanketing them, as if to engulf them.
Zhang Ruochen said nothing more, holding her, refusing to let go.
He’d missed her once in the Truth Heavenly Domain and wouldn’t again.
Another miss, and they might be parted forever, a lifelong regret.
After a long while, Ling Feiyu raised her arms, gently embracing him. Her sharp, sword-like eyes softened, tears welling in them.
Feeling her embrace, Zhang Ruochen’s heart trembled, holding her tighter.
He wished time could freeze this moment, making it eternal.
Eventually, he slowly released her, but kept hold of one hand.
Ling Feiyu gave a radiant smile. “Tell me about your years.”
“Alright, I’ll tell you everything,” Zhang Ruochen nodded.
Hand in hand, they walked through the snow, like a divine couple.
As they walked, Zhang Ruochen recounted his experiences since their parting, holding little back.
With a flip of his hand, he presented the Merit Sword-Washing Marrow from the Merit Main Station. “I got this for you. It should be useful.”
Ling Feiyu accepted the twenty bottles naturally, without pretense. “Where’s the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree? I’d like to pay my respects.”
As a Kunlun Realm cultivator, honoring the tree, the mother of all its beings, was natural.
Zhang Ruochen hesitated. “It’s in the Qiankun Realm, not easy to take out. If you want to pay respects, you’d need to enter the Qiankun Realm.”
“Since it’s with you, there’s no rush. Let’s head back,” Ling Feiyu said, smiling.
They’d walked long enough that dusk was falling, the storm had ceased, and the snow had thickened, enough to swallow an ordinary person.
Smiling, Zhang Ruochen took her hand, using spatial shift to instantly appear before the Saintess Palace.
“Bang.”
The palace’s saint doors opened automatically.
Ling Feiyu slipped her hand free, gliding into the palace, landing on a floating island at its apex.
She usually cultivated here in seclusion, the setup simple yet elegant.
Most striking was a chilling saint jade bed, etched with delicate, natural patterns, untouched by carving.
Ling Feiyu sat on it, smiling at Zhang Ruochen outside.
With a flash, Zhang Ruochen appeared on the island.
A faint, soothing fragrance filled the palace, calming the mind.
Sitting by the jade bed, Zhang Ruochen gazed at Ling Feiyu, memories flooding back. “Feiyu, do you remember our seventh life in the Seven Lives Seven Deaths Chart? I could no longer restrain myself, unleashing six lives’ suppressed emotions. We married, had children…”
Ling Feiyu listened quietly, smiling as he recalled their sweet memories.
By the end, her icy jade face warmed with a smile. “To live a lifetime together in an illusion, growing old—that’s something countless cultivators envy.”
A faint blush colored her cheeks, revealing a rare, girlish shyness.
Zhang Ruochen’s heart stirred, a glint in his eyes, a doubt forming. “In the seventh life, I awoke late and withdrew. Why does she say we lived a lifetime? Something’s off. Is she really Feiyu?”
Lunging forward, he embraced her again, pressing her down, his hands roaming her curvaceous form.
Ling Feiyu tried to resist.
But Zhang Ruochen was forceful, his hand on her nape, kissing her crystalline lips, their soft, silky touch overwhelming.
