"Six thousand years ago…" Feng Xiang's pupils constricted as she clenched her fists tightly, her expression suddenly turning glacial. "I entered Luowu Mountain less than three days ago. How could it have become six thousand years?"
Mu Xuanling clutched Xie Xuechen's sleeve, murmuring, "What does she mean… Could she truly be someone from six thousand years past? But humans cannot possibly live to be six thousand years old…"
Feng Xiang overheard Mu Xuanling's whisper and demanded harshly, "Who sent you? What is your intention in deceiving me with such outrageous words?"
Xie Xuechen's heart sank as a sudden realization struck him—he knew who Feng Xiang was…
Feng Xiang was a great cultivator from six thousand years ago, from the same era as Lord Qianguang. She was a Peak Fashen Venerable and one of the founding masters of Lingsu Island. She had participated in the formation of the Ten Thousand Immortals Array, but she had vanished before the founding of Lingsu Island was complete.
When he first heard her name, it had only sounded vaguely familiar—possibly someone sharing the same name. He never imagined she could be a person from six thousand years ago. Moreover, from Feng Xiang's own words, she hadn't been living here for six millennia. For her, she had only entered Luowu Mountain three days prior, yet six thousand years had elapsed in the outside world…
Xie Xuechen's thoughts were mirrored by Mu Xuanling, whose face drained of color as she whispered, "Could there be something supernatural about this place? Did we travel back six thousand years, or did she somehow come six thousand years into the future?"
Feng Xiang also felt a powerful surge of unease, recognizing that the two people before her weren't intentionally lying. She recalled the images she had witnessed when she invaded Xie Xuechen's spiritual consciousness earlier… People had addressed him as Sect Master, and everything in this world seemed vastly different from what she knew.
Her mind exploded with countless thunderbolts of realization, causing her to tremble violently, her face turning deathly pale. "How can this be…"
Xie Xuechen cupped his hands respectfully and said, "Venerable must be the founding master of Lingsu Island, Venerable Feng Xiang."
Feng Xiang frowned deeply, clutching her forehead as her breathing became rapid and erratic. She muttered, "What exactly happened? This isn't right, none of this makes sense…"
Mu Xuanling's heart tightened as she trembled. "She seems to be losing her mind."
The moment those words left her mouth, they witnessed Feng Xiang's body emit a dazzling golden-red light. Her Fashen behind her released a phoenix cry, seemingly experiencing tremendous shock to her divine apertures. Xie Xuechen's expression turned grave as he quickly wrapped his arm around Mu Xuanling's waist and retreated swiftly, rapidly departing the area.
It was a sign of Fashen's imminent collapse…
The two fled like wind through the forest, not daring to pause as they escaped the valley and returned to the purple bamboo grove.
Shortly after their departure, a terrifying aura erupted from the valley, causing the earth to tremble instantly.
Xie Xuechen gazed gravely toward the valley's direction. "It's an explosion caused by the collapse of her Fashen."
Mu Xuanling, still shaken, asked anxiously, "Xie Xuechen, who exactly was that person?"
"From what she said, she's Feng Xiang, one of the founding masters of Lingsu Island," Xie Xuechen replied, his heart heavy with unease. "Her strength surpasses mine considerably; she's not someone an ordinary person could impersonate. Moreover, the Fire Phoenix Fashen is a unique manifestation that can only be cultivated through Lingsu Island's exclusive techniques."
Mu Xuanling said, "Even the longest-lived humans only survive for a thousand years. No matter how powerful she is, she's still human. How could she have lived for six thousand years? Could time in the valley flow differently from the outside world? Perhaps ten days there equals six thousand years here…" This speculation sent chills cascading down her spine. "So those who entered Luowu Mountain—no one ever saw them leave because even if they stayed in the mountain for just one day, thousands of years would have passed in the outside world… What about us…"
"Not necessarily," Xie Xuechen's steady hand pressed reassuringly on her trembling shoulder. "Luowu Mountain certainly harbors its mysteries, but we cannot jump to conclusions based on just a few words from Feng Xiang. Judging from the commotion earlier, Feng Xiang may have perished. It's growing late now; let's rest in the purple bamboo grove for the night and investigate further tomorrow."
Mu Xuanling frowned. "Luowu Mountain is far too bizarre. Do you have an absolute reason for obtaining the Changshou Lotus? What if we also perish here? Look at Feng Xiang—she was stronger than you, yet she met such a fate…"
"I must obtain the Lotus Heart Seed," Xie Xuechen said with unwavering firmness. "It's a matter of life and death."
"Is it for yourself or someone else?" Mu Xuanling asked.
Xie Xuechen was silent for a prolonged moment before answering, "For someone else."
Mu Xuanling sneered. "Must be someone extraordinarily important to risk your life for. But what does any of this have to do with me? You've dragged me into this catastrophe. Since you're going to die anyway, why not simply release me now?"
Xie Xuechen had been clinging to a sliver of hope that if he could obtain the Changshou Lotus by chance, he could quickly have Mu Xuanling consume it. That's why he had maintained the connection between them. He couldn't reveal to Mu Xuanling that the Changshou Lotus was intended for her, fearing she might become wary and resistant, potentially ruining everything.
"Just now… why did you come searching for me?" Xie Xuechen asked. "Did you encounter some danger?"
Mu Xuanling pursed her lips, frowning, but remained stubbornly silent.
She hadn't encountered any danger whatsoever. She didn't know what had gone wrong, but her legs had moved of their own volition, as if some mysterious force had drawn her inexorably toward Xie Xuechen. As soon as she drew close, she sensed that terrifying aura. Seeing the wind blades heading toward Xie Xuechen, she instinctively retrieved a Heaven-grade magical artifact from her storage bag to shield him. When she regained her senses, she immediately turned and fled…
Of course, she couldn't tell Xie Xuechen about these strange occurrences. She was also furious with herself. Fortunately, she had escaped. If she had perished there, she would have been consumed with regret even as a ghost.
Seeing the irritation etched on her face and her resolute silence, Xie Xuechen couldn't divine her thoughts. He could only sigh softly, ruffling her hair as he said in a deep voice, "I'll return there early tomorrow morning to see if the Changshou Lotus has been affected or destroyed."
Mu Xuanling turned her face away, avoiding his hand, and said coldly, "Go if you want. It's none of my concern."
She turned and walked to the opposite side, sitting down against a bamboo stalk with a visibly displeased expression.
Xie Xuechen stared at her, his eyes gradually softening. He slowly approached and sat down beside her. She shifted away with a look of disgust, patting the shoulder he had touched, and said harshly, "Get lost!"
Xie Xuechen chuckled softly but didn't retreat. Instead, he leaned even closer.
"Ling'er, are you worried about me?"
Mu Xuanling choked for a moment, then cast him a cold glance. "You're quite presumptuous. We're mortal enemies. I can't wait to be rid of you."
Xie Xuechen had thought the same. She had consumed the Heart-Awakening Water and should have severed her feelings for him completely. Her words were always harsh, never saying anything kind, yet her body seemed to crave his closeness without her conscious awareness.
His heart softened suddenly. He took her hand in his and said gently, "Don't worry. I'm not so easily killed."
Mu Xuanling struggled briefly but couldn't free herself. She turned her face away and muttered, "That makes me even more concerned."
She felt stifled in her chest but didn't know why. Frowning, she observed their shadows on the ground, leaning against each other. Suddenly, she saw Xie Xuechen raise his hand to her hair, gently inserting a hairpin.
Mu Xuanling was slightly startled. She raised her hand and felt a jade hairpin still warm from body heat. She pulled it out and discovered it was the one she had left at the noodle shop as collateral. It had been broken into two pieces in Mirror Flower Valley, but now it had been repaired and reconnected.
"I fixed it last night," Xie Xuechen said.
Mu Xuanling immediately realized that after she had fallen asleep, Xie Xuechen had secretly repaired the broken hairpin. She slowly gripped the mended piece, not understanding Xie Xuechen's intentions.
"After you left that night, I went back to the noodle shop to redeem this hairpin," Xie Xuechen's hand covered hers, his warmth slowly seeping into her blood. "At that moment, I understood my true feelings. I wanted you to stay, not merely as a demon servant. What Yunxiu Manor can give you, what Nan Xuyue can give you—I can give you too."
Mu Xuanling's heart trembled, feeling both sour and painful.
"But when the Demon Flood Dragon attacked Yongxue City, I had to prioritize the city, causing you to fall into Sang Qi's hands…" He sighed softly, filled with regret and self-reproach.
Mu Xuanling clutched the hairpin, saying woodenly, "I'm just a lowly half-demon, unworthy of Sect Leader Xie's affection."
Xie Xuechen said bitterly, "It's I who am unworthy of your sincere heart."
"I don't have a sincere heart," Mu Xuanling flatly denied.
"Do you remember what happened in the Cage of Greed?" Xie Xuechen suddenly brought up the past. Mu Xuanling was slightly startled and shook her head gently.
Xie Xuechen said, "We were both imprisoned there because we are each other's greed. Ling'er, I originally had no greed until I met you. It's the same for you, but you've forgotten it in your heart."
Mu Xuanling's eyes widened in surprise as a clear image flashed through her mind—two people embracing and kissing in the wind and snow…
Was that not merely a dream?
Xie Xuechen gently pressed a kiss to her lips. "But your body hasn't forgotten."
Mu Xuanling pursed her lips, feeling the fleeting softness. She looked up to see a gentle and doting smile in his phoenix eyes, a rare smile that made his usually cold and handsome face appear even more tender, leaving Mu Xuanling entranced.
"If I come back tomorrow…" Xie Xuechen said softly, his forehead touching hers.
"What if you don't come back?" Mu Xuanling asked with a frown.
Xie Xuechen said, "Then it's better if you forget me…"
So she wouldn't have to be consumed by sadness and heartbreak on his behalf.
Mu Xuanling lowered her eyes, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable. She pushed Xie Xuechen away, tossed the hairpin into her spatial pouch, and said coldly, "Then why are you telling me all this? I don't want to hear it!"
She stomped her feet forcefully, walked to the opposite side, sat down, and curled up into a ball, sulking.
Xie Xuechen didn't follow her. He sat quietly not far away, gazing at her for a long, long time…
Early the next morning, when Xie Xuechen was about to depart for the valley, Mu Xuanling followed behind him with an awkward expression.
"Now that Feng Xiang has perished, there shouldn't be any danger remaining in the valley," Mu Xuanling said, pausing for a moment. "Even if there is, I've already been inside yesterday, so once more won't make a difference."
Xie Xuechen smiled upon hearing this, his heart warming. He grasped her hand and gently squeezed her palm. "Alright. If we encounter any danger, you don't need to worry about me."
Mu Xuanling said irritably, "You don't need to tell me that."
She was so annoyed with herself. Why did she have to follow him? She didn't understand either. It was all so strange, as if she had no control over her own actions. This Luowu Mountain was indeed bizarre in every conceivable way…
The two cautiously returned to the valley. The surrounding vegetation had sustained some damage from the explosion, but due to the abundant spiritual energy in the valley, these damaged plants would soon regain their vitality. The closer they approached the Changshou Lotus, the more severe the destruction became, all indicating how devastating yesterday's explosion had been.
Xie Xuechen held his breath and focused his mind, finally arriving at the place where the Changshou Lotus grew. The area surrounding the Changshou Lotus was in complete disarray, with a deep crater blasted into the ground, but the Changshou Lotus itself remained unharmed, still frantically absorbing the spiritual mist.
"By the looks of it, Venerable Feng Xiang has indeed perished…" Mu Xuanling sighed.
Xie Xuechen nodded heavily, turning his gaze toward the Changshou Lotus. Just then, he heard footsteps approaching from behind. He immediately positioned himself to shield Mu Xuanling, his gaze sharp as he looked toward the sound's source.
The footsteps were light, clearly belonging to a woman. Bathed in the morning light, she slowly emerged from the deep spiritual mist.
A red robe gradually came into focus. Mu Xuanling, shocked at the beautiful and cold features of the woman before her, exclaimed, "Venerable Feng Xiang, you're alive?"
Mu Xuanling stared wide-eyed at the woman who appeared before them. With such peerless beauty and incomparable aura, it could be none other than Feng Xiang. But the explosion that had occurred here hadn't seemed false; it was indeed the phenomenon that would occur when a Fashen collapsed.
Feng Xiang looked at the two, a hint of confusion and wariness flashing across her cold eyes. "Who are you?"
Mu Xuanling said in bewilderment, "You don't remember us?"
Feng Xiang examined her up and down, saying coldly, "Who are you? Why should I remember you?"
Mu Xuanling said, "We met yesterday."
Feng Xiang said, "I'm not so far gone as to forget what happened yesterday. I've never seen you before. Who sent you? What's your purpose?"
Xie Xuechen pressed his lips together in silence. Everything unfolding before them was too strange. How could someone from six thousand years ago still be alive today? How could someone who died yesterday reappear? Why had she forgotten yesterday's meeting…
Seeing that the two didn't answer, Feng Xiang didn't press further. She shifted her gaze, looking fervently at the Changshou Lotus behind them. She walked forward in a daze, murmuring, "The Changshou Lotus… there truly is a Changshou Lotus in this world…"
Changshou—longevity.
The two characters flashed through their minds like a thunderbolt, suddenly making everything clear.
Could Feng Xiang's immortality be related to longevity?
But why had she lost her memory?
Xie Xuechen said, "Venerable Feng, if I may ask, do you know the art of longevity?"
"Are you also here for the Changshou Lotus?" Feng Xiang narrowed her phoenix eyes, showing hostility toward Xie Xuechen.
Xie Xuechen said, "No, we just stumbled upon this place by accident. We don't know what this is. We only asked because we heard Venerable Feng mention the Changshou Lotus."
Hearing Xie Xuechen say this, Mu Xuanling immediately understood—he was concerned about yesterday's events repeating themselves, and wanted to reduce Feng Xiang's wariness and hostility to extract useful information.
Sure enough, when Feng Xiang heard that the two weren't here to claim the Changshou Lotus, her expression eased slightly. Although she felt that the two young people before her weren't strong enough to pose a threat, she didn't want to waste energy fighting with others, fearing that it might damage the Changshou Lotus.
Feng Xiang said, "I've heard that the Changshou Lotus holds the secret to longevity. Consuming the Changshou Lotus can grant eternal life. Unfortunately, this Changshou Lotus hasn't bloomed yet, but it shouldn't be much longer now."
Mu Xuanling looked at Feng Xiang and asked in confusion, "What's so desirable about longevity? Venerable, you're already a Fashen with a lifespan of a thousand years. Why pursue longevity?"
Feng Xiang glanced at Mu Xuanling and smiled faintly. "Changshou and eternal vision are the lifelong pursuits of cultivators. With sufficient time, it's possible to break through the peak of Fashen and reach another realm. Moreover…" Her expression darkened. "I don't have much time remaining."
Although a Fashen body could maintain eternal youth, with no visible signs of aging, there was a difference in the eyes of a person in their twenties and a thousand-year-old person due to their vastly different life experiences. Looking into Feng Xiang's eyes, Mu Xuanling didn't sense she was a person nearing a thousand years old.
Perhaps she had encountered some catastrophic accident that greatly reduced her lifespan, which was why she felt she didn't have much time left and could only pin her hopes on the Changshou Lotus to extend her life.
Xie Xuechen's understanding of the Immortal Alliance's history far surpassed Mu Xuanling's. He recalled the events from six thousand years ago and the rumors about Venerable Feng Xiang, forming a bold hypothesis. "Venerable, you're only about two hundred years old now, with eight hundred years of lifespan remaining. Did you suffer an injury in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation that greatly reduced your lifespan?"
According to the Immortal Alliance's records, when the demon race invaded the human realm those years ago, demonic energy overflowed from the Void Sea, and the borders of the demon realm were constantly pushed into human territory. Lord Qianguang, the first great cultivator of the human race, gathered the power of ten thousand Daoist sects to form the Immortal Alliance. They paid an enormous price to establish the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, which not only blocked the invasion of demonic energy but also sealed countless demon gods within the demon realm. These prices included the lives of countless cultivators.
Feng Xiang looked at Xie Xuechen with some surprise, not expecting this cold and handsome young man to possess such keen intuition. She instinctively felt that he wasn't very old, but his cultivation was unfathomable. Such amazing talent, yet he remained unknown. She found it strange but was too disinterested to pay attention to other men. She said indifferently, "Your guess is not incorrect, but it has nothing to do with you. I don't know why you accidentally entered Luowu Mountain, but this is not a place you should be. It's best if you leave as soon as possible."
Xie Xuechen and Mu Xuanling exchanged a meaningful glance. Seeing that Feng Xiang was unwilling to say more, they didn't press further and immediately departed the valley, heading toward the bamboo forest.
"Sect Leader Xie, are you also suspecting…" Mu Xuanling asked.
Xie Xuechen nodded. "We'll confirm it again tomorrow."
The two remained awake throughout the night, keeping watch at the edge of the bamboo forest. Just as dawn broke, they suddenly heard a familiar set of footsteps.
Xie Xuechen and Mu Xuanling were both startled, holding their breath as they looked toward the approaching figure.
The person wore eye-catching red robes, with sharp eyes, slowly approaching. It was Feng Xiang.
Feng Xiang frowned slightly, looking at the two warily. "Who are you?"
Xie Xuechen's heart sank—she had lost her memory again…
No, she hadn't lost her memory. She had restarted another day, day after day, trapped in this valley, repeating endlessly for six thousand years…
A chill ran up their spines, and Mu Xuanling involuntarily shuddered.
Could this… be the secret of longevity?
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