Chapter 315: Whispers of the Past, A Storm on the Horizon
“Ugh!”
Chi Lingyuan suddenly frowned in pain, pressing her hand against her forehead.
Seeing her sudden discomfort, Lin Tianlu stood up and asked with concern: “Miss Chi, do you have a headache or feel dizzy?”
“It really… hurts.”
Chi Lingyuan bit her lip lightly, her already pale face now even more ashen and haggard, as if she were about to faint again.
Lin Tianlu quickly stepped forward and supported her shoulders, but he suddenly felt her delicate shoulders trembling slightly.
His thoughts racing, he quickly said in a calming voice: “Don’t think about the past, control your emotions, take a deep breath, and focus your mind.”
“Hu—”
Chi Lingyuan exhaled shakily, sweat beading on her forehead, forcing herself to calm down.
But seeing her worsening condition, Lin Tianlu had a sudden inspiration. He focused his mind, channeled his energy, and placed his right hand, infused with a faint spiritual energy, on her back.
As the spiritual energy flowed into her body, Chi Lingyuan suddenly trembled, a seductive blush appearing on her face, and she let out a soft moan. Her complexion improved, and the pained and gloomy look in her eyes dissipated.
Lin Tianlu softened his tone and whispered: “Are you feeling better, Miss Chi?”
“…Thank you, sir, this energy is truly warm.”
Chi Lingyuan nodded slightly, leaning against him, her soft voice carrying a hint of weakness and vulnerability. But her golden eyes, which had reopened, flickered with complex emotions.
“But I didn’t expect it to be like this…”
“Have you recalled some of your past, Miss?” Lin Tianlu frowned: “If you’re feeling unwell, it’s better not to overthink things.”
“I’m fine now, there’s no need to worry, sir.”
Chi Lingyuan glanced at the surrounding peach blossom garden and then looked back at the man beside her, gazing deeply into his eyes, and murmured: “I think I understand why I’ve been having these strange dreams all these years.”
“Why?”
“My soul and consciousness were born from the Heart Sea Soul Pendant, so the thoughts and feelings in my heart are all from the memories contained within that divine object.”
Chi Lingyuan raised her hand and placed it on her chest, a faint smile on her face: “I just borrowed someone else’s thoughts and mistakenly believed they were my own experiences from before I lost my memory. It was just wishful thinking.”
So it was because of the jade pendant, not Chi Lingyuan’s own memories.
Lin Tianlu sighed inwardly, but seeing her calm expression, he smiled: “You seem to be in a good mood after discovering the truth, Miss?”
“Although the memories aren’t mine, this four-thousand-year dream wasn’t entirely fake.”
Chi Lingyuan didn’t seem disappointed or melancholic, instead, she smiled frankly: “The past has dissipated like the wind and clouds, but the memories that remain are precious and enough to last a lifetime.
Being able to spend four thousand years with you in this solitary mountain, side by side, I’m content and grateful, sir.”
Seeing that she wasn’t troubled by the past memories and was even chatting happily, Lin Tianlu’s worries completely disappeared, and he chuckled: “Why do you think the person in your dreams was me, Miss Chi?”
“Although I couldn’t see his face clearly, your auras are identical. The moment we met, I recognized you.”
Chi Lingyuan’s golden eyes twinkled, and she chuckled: “Or perhaps, the moment our eyes met, we fell in love, and you stole my heart, that’s why your image filled my mind~”
“Cough!”
Lin Tianlu coughed awkwardly.
Why did she suddenly start joking?
Chi Lingyuan chuckled softly and said: “However, you do have a deep connection with the Wan Sheng Immortal Sect, Master Lin. The Heart Sea Soul Pendant is one of their divine objects. After the sect’s destruction, it fell into your hands, and the spirit within was even revived…
Perhaps, you are its true master.”
Lin Tianlu pondered for a moment, feeling that these thousand-year-old matters were truly confusing, but his heart wasn’t troubled, instead feeling clear and bright.
As if… he had no attachments, only calmness and tranquility.
“By the way!”
Lin Tianlu quickly took out the ancient broken sword from his embrace: “Since you know about the Heart Sea Soul Pendant, Miss, do you recognize this sword?”
Chi Lingyuan examined it for a moment and shook her head: “The Wan Sheng Immortal Sect had countless treasures, I don’t know the origin of this sword. It just looks like an ordinary broken sword.”
“That’s a pity…”
He still didn’t know the sword’s name, it felt a bit sad to just call it a “broken sword.”
Chi Lingyuan said softly: “If you really want to know more about the Wan Sheng Immortal Sect, you should ask Xuanling after she wakes up.
As the spirit of the jade pendant, she probably knows more than me, but her foundation was damaged, and her soul was hazy, so she couldn’t remember clearly.”
Lin Tianlu smiled and cupped his hands: “I understand.”
Chi Lingyuan lowered her eyes slightly and sighed, glancing at the Go board on the stone table with a wistful expression.
Seeing her nostalgic look, Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but ask curiously: “Are you fond of Go, Miss?”
Just like the surrounding garden scenery, the Go board on the stone table was almost identical to the one in his dream.
“—No.”
But Chi Lingyuan said softly: “I just find this game quite profound and would often ponder and analyze it in my free time. Thinking back, perhaps I was just unwilling to admit defeat, wanting to find a way to win.”
She suddenly smiled gently: “If you don’t mind, Master Lin, how about a few games? I can tell you about the eight clans while we play.”
Lin Tianlu asked in surprise: “Wouldn’t it be inappropriate to discuss the eight clans with outsiders, Miss?”
“If you’re asking about their internal secrets, I naturally don’t know, I can only tell you some superficial things.”
Chi Lingyuan shook her head and chuckled: “Although I made an agreement with the eight clans four thousand years ago to guard this place, I only had a connection with one person, a young girl from the eight clans. She was kind and gentle, treating others with sincerity. It was her kindness that gave me this place to live.”
Lin Tianlu sat back down and started arranging the Go stones.
“What happened afterward?”
“The eight clans gradually declined and were no longer able to compete with the rising factions. Although they outwardly claimed to be living in seclusion, unwilling to fight anymore, it was more likely that their inheritance had weakened, and their power had waned. They could only seek a secret realm to continue their bloodline and ensure the survival of their clans.”
Chi Lingyuan’s voice lowered: “But this eight clans’ secret realm, which they painstakingly created as their home, has now become their final resting place.”
“The ancient eight clans… are all extinct?”
“Indeed, within the eight clans’ secret realm.”
Chi Lingyuan sighed: “The world is constantly changing, with endless power struggles, what faction can truly last forever? Even the once mighty Wan Sheng Immortal Sect is now in ruins, let alone the eight clans?
Facing the increasingly chaotic situation and insurmountable enemies, even though they were the ones who created this demon and ghost world, enjoying a period of unparalleled glory, in the end, they could only choose to seal themselves away and perish, perhaps to preserve the last of their dignity.”
“Such an ending is truly lamentable.”
Lin Tianlu sighed with emotion.
According to Yun Yue, the eight clans were renowned and mysterious existences thousands of years ago, their whereabouts unknown to ordinary people.
And now, they had completely vanished from the world, only those who lived thousands of years ago still remembered them, but no one knew how the once powerful eight clans had perished.
“But this demon and ghost world was truly created by the ancient eight clans…”
“They were the founders, and also the old and stagnant ones who clung to the past.”
Chi Lingyuan chuckled wryly: “I don’t know what the world has become now, but it has little to do with the ancient eight clans, who have been trapped in their own mire for four thousand years. They have long since turned to dust in the course of history.”
She blinked her seductive golden eyes and said softly: “Alright, make your move, Master Lin. I want to see if your Go skills are truly as extraordinary as they say. To be able to break the formations I set up outside, you must be quite skilled.”
Lin Tianlu put aside his thoughts, picked up a Go stone, and chuckled: “Then I’ll have to let you experience it, Miss.”
“Hey!”
Just then, a folding fan suddenly appeared before them:
“Don’t forget your special ability, Master Lin, you can’t play Go.”
“Ah——”
Lin Tianlu awkwardly withdrew his hand: “You reminded me, I almost forgot about that.”
Chi Lingyuan paused slightly, looking at Youluo, who had appeared beside them, puzzled: “Why can’t he play?”
Youluo tilted her head slightly, a meaningful and ambiguous smile on her face: “His spiritual energy and Yang energy are too abundant. For you, in your current weakened state, Miss, it would be too much. You might even show a rather embarrassing side of yourself. Moreover, the changes and artistic conception within a Go game are profound and unpredictable, it’s better to wait until you’ve fully recovered before playing against Master Lin.”
“Is it really that extraordinary?”
Chi Lingyuan looked surprised and even more curious.
But she didn’t seem disappointed at all, standing up with a smile: “Well, since we can’t play Go for now, how about sparring with me instead?”
“Sparring?”
“I’ve been in this mountain for four thousand years, spending my days honing my martial arts skills. But you easily defeated me with just a few moves, Master Lin, I’m still a bit unwilling to accept it.”
Chi Lingyuan’s golden eyes sparkled with excitement: “If you don’t mind, how about we spar again and exchange some insights? If you don’t think much of my techniques, Master Lin, you can also teach them to your two wives, it can be considered a form of self-defense.”
Lin Tianlu stood up with a smile and shook his sleeve: “There’s no need to be so humble, Miss Chi, your martial arts skills are truly earth-shattering. It was my honor to witness them.”
“Then let’s stop with the formalities, come on!”
Although Chi Lingyuan’s face was still pale, her eyes were filled with a burning fighting spirit, a bright smile blooming on her face: “I’ll let you witness the true essence of my Emperor Heaven Dual Martial Arts!
And if the fight gets exciting, I’ll tell you about my Chihuang Clan and broaden your horizons, Master Lin!”
Youluo couldn’t help but chuckle softly, stepping back gracefully to make room.
Although this woman was ancient, her pure and untainted martial heart hadn’t faded in the slightest over the millennia, but had become even more resolute, truly admirable.
But this Northern Yu Divine Palace, Chihuang Clan…
This scholar was truly fortunate.
…
In Fengtai County.
Under the moonlight, a restaurant was still quite lively.
Fuxiao sat alone, sipping wine with a cold and stern expression, his aura seemingly merging with the surroundings. Patrons came and went outside, but no one could see him.
Until a white-haired man quietly entered the private room, waving his folding fan, a gentle and elegant smile on his face: “I didn’t expect the East Fuxiao King to have such refined taste, coming to a mortal restaurant. There are countless fine wines in the ancient realm, and the tributes offered to you from all over are dazzling, why come here to taste such crude and bland wine?”
“You… still dare to appear before me?”
Fuxiao glanced at him coldly.
Just a single sentence, and an invisible pressure descended like a hammer, making the white-haired man’s smile freeze, his knees trembling, almost buckling.
But he quickly regained his composure, dispelling the pressure with his fan, and chuckled frivolously: “It seems that even the reclusive East Fuxiao King has heard the news spread by the Cleansing Hall?”
“Deceiving your superiors and muddying the waters, you Luo Xing Soultaker truly treat our ancient realm like a theater, coming and going as you please, stirring up trouble?”
Fuxiao’s expression was cold, his gaze as chilling as ice: “You should pay for your crimes with your life.”
“You wrong me, East King.”
The white-haired man put on a look of feigned sincerity and sighed: “My actions were all to eliminate the greatest variable and threat as soon as possible, so our Luo Xing and the ancient realm can obtain the treasures of the eight clans’ secret realm without worry. If there’s a powerful enemy lurking in the shadows, I don’t think the kings of the ancient realm would sit idly by, right?”
“There’s no need to tell me these lies.”
Fuxiao sneered and took another sip of wine.
Seeing that he didn’t have any real killing intent, the white-haired man’s eyes flickered, and he said with interest: “Now, six kings of the ancient realm and three Luo Xing Soultakers have joined forces, along with experts from various other factions gathering in Fengtai County. It will be a gathering of heroes, and only the strongest will be able to claim the treasures of the secret realm. I wonder if the East King is interested—”
“—Get out.”
A single word, like a thunderclap.
The white-haired man’s pupils constricted, feeling the impact, and he stumbled back two steps, his expression darkening slightly.
“Are you really not interested in cooperating with me, East King? Although your cultivation is heaven-defying, without accurate information, you still won’t be able to obtain the treasures of the eight clans’ secret realm—”
“I should indeed thank you.”
Fuxiao suddenly chuckled, his expression turning even colder: “You’ve found me an excellent opponent, a worthy adversary for a lifetime, that’s more than enough. As for those so-called power struggles and the eight clans’ secret realm, how laughable!
In other words, you’re no longer of any use to me.”
Hum!
A black lightning bolt suddenly flashed from his fingertips.
The white-haired man’s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly raised his hand to block the attack, but he was still sent flying backward, crashing through the restaurant wall and falling into the main hall, causing a commotion and screams outside.
“Cough!”
He clenched his hand, which was emitting green smoke, his expression changing constantly.
Ignoring the panicked mortals in the main hall, the white-haired man sneered and flung his sleeve, leaving.
“…”
Fuxiao, as if having already forgotten about the Luo Xing Soultaker, ignored the commotion in the restaurant and calmly picked up his chopsticks again.
Feeling the greasy taste in his mouth, he couldn’t help but frown, murmuring: “That scholar usually lives in such an environment… could this be what they call ‘returning to basics’?”
Looking down at the cloudy wine in his cup, the scene from a few days ago flashing through his mind, his gaze turned even colder.
“Cultivating in the mortal world is also a way to temper one’s mind and spirit. I must make a decisive break from the past!”
“Otherwise, I’ll never be able to break through the Nightmare Realm, let alone reach the realm above it—”
…
Late at night, the streets were almost deserted.
The white-haired man hurried along, a mocking chuckle coming from nearby: “It seems your plan to win over the East Fuxiao King has failed.”
“That man is just a mindless brute, although powerful, difficult to control. Whether he joins us or not makes no difference. With his strength, he will play a role in the end.”
The white-haired man sneered and glanced sideways: “As for you, also a Luo Xing Soultaker, you haven’t made a single move. Are you planning to sit back and reap the benefits without lifting a finger?”
“Hahahaha! With the current chaotic situation, why should I intervene? When the eight clans’ secret realm opens, it will naturally become a mess, a bloody battle is unavoidable.”
A figure sat on a rooftop not far away, casually leaning sideways with his knee propped up, and grinned: “But your actions have failed, you’ve offended the ancient realm, and now our Luo Xing has to bear the consequences before the battle even begins. I really want to see how you plan to turn things around.”
“Hmph! Our goals are the same, why bother trying to quell the chaos and resolve the conflict? The more chaotic it is, the better.”
The white-haired man narrowed his eyes and sneered: “When the secret realm opens tomorrow, everyone will rely on their own abilities, life and death will be decided by fate… Those above will surely be more interested in seeing who is more valuable in this era.”
“But you’ve already made a wrong move.”
The figure in the shadows suddenly chuckled: “Your plan to assassinate and threaten Lin Tianlu has failed, you escaped empty-handed. You should know better than anyone how extraordinary his abilities are.”
“Heh! No matter how powerful he is, he can’t protect everyone.”
A sinister smile appeared on the white-haired man’s face as his figure gradually dissipated into mist.
“This Fengtai County will be his burial ground.”
