Chapter 43:

“Six thousand years ago…” Feng Xiang’s pupils contracted, her fists clenched tightly, and her expression turned cold abruptly, “I entered the Luo Wu Mountains less than three days ago, so how could it already be six thousand years ago?”

Mu Xuanling held tightly to Xie Xuechen’s sleeve, murmuring, “What does she mean… Could she really be from six thousand years ago? But no human can live for six thousand years…”

Feng Xiang overheard Mu Xuanling’s whisper and asked sternly, “Who sent you here? What is your intention in saying such things to deceive me?”

Xie Xuechen’s heart sank. Suddenly, he recalled who Feng Xiang was…

Feng Xiang was a great cultivator from six thousand years ago, a contemporary of Qian Guangjun, a revered master at the peak of the Dharma Manifestation stage, and one of the founding patriarchs of Ling Ju Island. She had participated in the formation of the Ten-Thousand Immortals Formation, but had vanished without a trace before the founding of Ling Ju Island.

When he first heard her name, Xie Xuechen merely found it familiar, suspecting there might be someone else with the same name. He never imagined she could actually be from six thousand years ago. Moreover, according to Feng Xiang’s words, she had not lived here for six thousand years. To her, it had only been three days since she entered the Luo Wu Mountains, yet six thousand years had already passed in the outside world…

What Xie Xuechen was thinking was exactly what Mu Xuanling was thinking. Her face turned slightly pale as she whispered, “Could there be something strange here? Are we the ones who traveled back six thousand years, or is it her who has come forward six thousand years?”

Feng Xiang also felt a surge of intense unease. She realized that the two before her were not lying to her deliberately. She recalled the vision she had seen when she invaded Xie Xuechen’s consciousness earlier—those people calling him “Patriarch,” and how everything in this world seemed different from what she knew.

It was as if countless thunderbolts exploded in her mind, causing her to tremble violently, her face instantly turning deathly pale: “How could this be…”

Xie Xuechen clasped his hands together respectfully and said, “Senior, you must be Feng Xiang, the founding ancestor of Ling Ju Island.”

Feng Xiang furrowed her brows. She held her forehead, her breathing rapid and irregular, murmuring, “What exactly has happened? No, something is wrong… All of this is wrong…”

Mu Xuanling felt a tightening in her chest and whispered with a trembling voice, “She seems like she’s about to lose control.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a dazzling golden-red light erupted around Feng Xiang. A phoenix cry rang out from the Dharma Manifestation behind her, as if her spiritual orifices had been violently shaken. Xie Xuechen’s expression turned grave. He immediately wrapped an arm around Mu Xuanling’s waist and swiftly retreated backward, fleeing the area rapidly.

—This was a sign of Dharma Manifestation collapse…

The two of them moved like a gust of wind through the forest, not daring to pause as they left the valley and returned to the purple bamboo grove.

Shortly after they left, a terrifying aura erupted from the valley, causing the earth to tremble violently.

Xie Xuechen gazed gravely toward the valley: “That was an explosion caused by Dharma Manifestation collapse.”

Still shaken, Mu Xuanling asked uneasily, “Xie Xuechen, who exactly is that person?”

“According to her words, she is Feng Xiang, one of the founding ancestors of Ling Ju Island,” Xie Xuechen said, his tone heavy. “Her power surpasses mine. She is definitely not someone who can be impersonated easily. Moreover, the Fire Phoenix Dharma Manifestation is a unique technique cultivated exclusively within Ling Ju Island.”

Mu Xuanling said, “The maximum human lifespan is only a thousand years. Even if she is powerful, how could she have lived for six thousand years? Could it be that time flows differently within the valley? Ten days here equals six thousand years… This thought chilled her to the bone. “So those who enter the Luo Wu Mountains are never seen leaving because even if they stay for a single day, thousands of years have already passed in the outside world… Then what about us…”

“It may not necessarily be like that,” Xie Xuechen said firmly, placing a steady hand on her trembling shoulder. “The Luo Wu Mountains are indeed strange, but based solely on a few words from Feng Xiang, we cannot jump to such a conclusion. From the commotion earlier, Feng Xiang may have perished. It’s already getting late. We’ll rest in the purple bamboo grove for tonight and investigate further tomorrow.”

Mu Xuanling frowned: “The Luo Wu Mountains are too strange. Do you really have a reason that’s worth risking your life for the Immortal Lotus? What if we also perish here? You saw how even Feng Xiang, who was stronger than you, ended up dying…”

“I must obtain the lotus core,” Xie Xuechen said firmly. “It’s a matter of life and death.”

“Is it for yourself or for someone else?” Mu Xuanling asked.

Xie Xuechen was silent for a moment before replying, “For someone else.”

Mu Xuanling sneered, “How important must that person be to you, that you’d risk your life for them. But what does this have to do with me? You dragged me into this mess. Since you’re going to die anyway, just release me now.”

Xie Xuechen always clung to a sliver of hope—if he could somehow obtain the Immortal Lotus, he could quickly have Mu Xuanling consume it. That was why he had never undone the spiritual tether binding them. He couldn’t tell Mu Xuanling that the lotus was for her, fearing she would become wary and rebellious, which might ruin everything.

“Why did you come looking for me just now?” Xie Xuechen asked. “Did you encounter some danger?”

Mu Xuanling pursed her lips, her brows furrowing, but she remained silent.

She hadn’t encountered any danger at all. She didn’t even know what she had done wrong—her legs had moved on their own, as if pulled by an inexplicable force toward Xie Xuechen. As soon as she approached, she felt that terrifying aura. She saw the wind blades heading toward Xie Xuechen and, without thinking, took out a Heaven-tier magical artifact from her interspatial pouch to block the attack. By the time she came to her senses, she had immediately turned and fled…

She naturally couldn’t say such strange things to Xie Xuechen. She was even angry at herself. Fortunately, she had managed to escape. If she had died there alongside him, she would be filled with regret even in death.

Seeing her angry expression without a word, Xie Xuechen couldn’t guess her thoughts. He merely sighed softly, ruffled her hair, and said gravely, “Tomorrow morning, I’ll go there again to check. I wonder if the Immortal Lotus was affected and destroyed.”

Mu Xuanling turned her face away, dodging his hand, and coldly said, “It’s none of my business whether you go or not.”

She turned to walk away and sat down leaning against a bamboo stalk, clearly displeased.

Xie Xuechen stared at her for a moment, his expression gradually softening. He slowly walked over and sat beside her. She immediately scooted away with a look of disgust, patting the shoulder he had touched and snapping angrily, “Move away!”

Xie Xuechen chuckled softly but didn’t move away. Instead, he leaned closer.

“Xuanling, are you worried about me?”

Mu Xuanling was taken aback, shooting him a cold glare: “You’re so conceited. We’re enemies, and I can’t wait to get rid of you.”

Xie Xuechen had always thought the same. After she drank the Enlightenment Water, she should have severed all emotional ties to him. She had never said a kind word to him, yet her body seemed to unconsciously crave his closeness.

A sudden tenderness stirred in his chest. He took her hand gently and said warmly, “Don’t worry, I’m not easy to kill.”

Mu Xuanling struggled slightly but couldn’t pull away. She turned her face away and muttered, “Then I’m even more worried.”

She felt a strange unease in her heart but couldn’t understand why. Frowning, she looked at their shadows on the ground, only to see Xie Xuechen raise his hand, gently caress her hair, and insert a hairpin into her bun.

Mu Xuanling was slightly startled. She reached up and touched a jade hairpin still warm from his touch. She pulled it out and saw that it was the same one she had left at the noodle shop. It had been broken into two pieces during the Mirror Flower Valley incident, but now it had been rejoined seamlessly.

“I fixed it last night,” Xie Xuechen said.

Mu Xuanling immediately realized that Xie Xuechen had secretly repaired the broken hairpin after she fell asleep. She slowly tightened her grip on the pin, not understanding his intentions.

“That night after you left, I went back to the noodle shop and redeemed this hairpin,” Xie Xuechen’s hand covered hers, his warmth gradually seeping into her blood. “At that time, I finally understood my true feelings. I wanted you to stay—not just as a demonic servant. Whatever Yun Xiu Village could offer you, or whatever Nan Xu Yue could give you, I could provide as well.”

Mu Xuanling’s heart trembled with a mix of pain and sorrow.

“But when the Demon Jiao attacked Yong Xue City, I had no choice but to prioritize protecting the city, which resulted in you falling into Sang Qi’s hands…” He let out a deep sigh, his voice heavy with regret and self-blame.

Mu Xuanling gripped the hairpin and said numbly, “I’m just a lowly half-demon, unworthy of your affection, Master Xie.”

Xie Xuechen said bitterly, “It’s I who am unworthy of your sincere heart.”

“I have no sincere heart,” Mu Xuanling denied immediately.

“Do you remember what happened in the Lust Demon’s cage?” Xie Xuechen suddenly brought up the past. Mu Xuanling was slightly startled and shook her head gently.

Xie Xuechen said, “We were in it together because we were each other’s lust. Xuanling, I had no desires until I met you. It’s the same for you, only you’ve forgotten in your heart.”

Mu Xuanling’s eyes widened in shock. A vivid image flashed through her mind—two people locked in a passionate kiss amidst wind and snow…

Could that not have been a dream?

Xie Xuechen gently kissed the corner of her lips: “But your body hasn’t forgotten.”

Mu Xuanling bit her lip, feeling the fleeting warmth. She lifted her gaze and saw a rare, gentle, and affectionate smile in his phoenix eyes. That unusual softness made his usually cold and handsome face even more tender, leaving Mu Xuanling momentarily entranced.

“When tomorrow comes, if I return…” Xie Xuechen gently pressed his forehead against hers.

“And if you don’t come back?” Mu Xuanling asked with a frown.

Xie Xuechen said, “Then forget me. It would be better for you…”

So she wouldn’t have to grieve for him anymore.

Mu Xuanling lowered her gaze, feeling strangely uneasy. She pushed Xie Xuechen away, threw the hairpin into her interspatial pouch, and said coldly, “Then why are you telling me all this? I don’t even want to hear it!”

She stomped her foot angrily and walked to another spot, hugging her arms and sulking.

Xie Xuechen didn’t chase after her. He sat quietly not far away, gazing at her for a long, long time…

Early the next morning, Xie Xuechen prepared to head to the valley. Mu Xuanling, looking reluctant, followed behind him.

“Now that Feng Xiang has perished, there shouldn’t be much danger in the valley anymore,” Mu Xuanling said, pausing briefly. “Even if there is, I already went in yesterday, so one more time won’t make a difference.”

Xie Xuechen couldn’t help but smile at her words, a warm ache in his heart. He gently took her hand and gave it a light squeeze: “Alright, if danger comes, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Mu Xuanling grumbled, “You don’t have to tell me that.”

She was so annoyed. Why did she have to follow him? She didn’t understand herself. Everything felt strange and uncontrollable, as if the Luo Wu Mountains were indeed filled with mysteries…

The two cautiously returned to the valley. The explosion had left the area damaged, but due to the valley’s abundant spiritual energy, the plants would soon recover. The closer they got to the Immortal Lotus, the more severe the destruction became, revealing the intensity of yesterday’s explosion.

Xie Xuechen focused his mind and finally reached the place where the Immortal Lotus grew. The area around the lotus was in ruins, with a deep crater in the ground, but the Immortal Lotus itself remained unscathed, still greedily absorbing the spiritual mist.

“Judging by this situation, Senior Feng Xiang must have perished…” Mu Xuanling sighed.

Xie Xuechen nodded heavily, his gaze fixed on the Immortal Lotus. At that moment, he heard footsteps from behind. He immediately shielded Mu Xuanling and turned his sharp gaze toward the source of the sound.

The footsteps were light and delicate, clearly belonging to a woman. Emerging from the morning light within the spiritual mist…

A figure in red gradually came into view. Mu Xuanling stared in shock at the woman’s breathtaking beauty and cold elegance, exclaiming, “Senior Feng Xiang, you’re alright?”

Mu Xuanling’s eyes widened at the woman before her—the incomparable beauty, the unparalleled aura—it was definitely Feng Xiang. Yet the explosion that had occurred here was no illusion; it was clearly the aftermath of a Dharma Manifestation collapse.

Feng Xiang looked at the two of them, a flicker of confusion and wariness in her cold eyes: “Who are you?”

Mu Xuanling was stunned: “You don’t remember us?”

Feng Xiang examined her from head to toe and said coldly, “Who are you? Why would I remember you?”

Mu Xuanling said, “We met yesterday.”

Feng Xiang said, “I haven’t forgotten yesterday’s events. I’ve never seen you before. Who sent you here, and what is your purpose?”

Xie Xuechen remained silent, his heart filled with unease. Why could someone from six thousand years ago still be alive? Why had someone who died yesterday reappeared? Why had she forgotten their meeting…

Seeing their silence, Feng Xiang didn’t seem to care. She shifted her gaze, her eyes burning with intense interest as she looked past them at the Immortal Lotus behind them, walking forward in a daze, murmuring, “The Immortal Lotus… So it truly exists…”

Immortality…

The word flashed through his mind like thunder, suddenly illuminating everything.

Could it be that Feng Xiang’s immortality was related to the Immortal Lotus?

But why had she lost her memory?

Xie Xuechen asked, “Senior Feng, may I ask—do you know of the Immortality Art?”

“You’re also here for the Immortal Lotus?” Feng Xiang narrowed her phoenix eyes, displaying hostility toward Xie Xuechen.

Xie Xuechen replied, “No, we merely wandered in here by accident and didn’t know what this was. We only asked because Senior Feng mentioned the Immortal Lotus.”

Hearing Xie Xuechen’s explanation, Mu Xuanling immediately understood his intention—he was trying to prevent a repeat of yesterday’s events, hoping to reduce Feng Xiang’s wariness and hostility to extract useful information.

Indeed, upon hearing that the two were not here to seize the Immortal Lotus, Feng Xiang’s expression softened slightly. Although she found the two young people’s strength negligible, she had no desire to waste energy fighting them, fearing harm might come to the Immortal Lotus.

Feng Xiang said, “I’ve heard that the Immortal Lotus contains the secret to immortality. Consuming it grants eternal life. Unfortunately, the lotus hasn’t bloomed yet, but it shouldn’t be long now.”

Mu Xuanling looked at Feng Xiang, puzzled: “What’s so great about immortality? Senior, you already have a thousand-year lifespan as a Dharma Manifestation cultivator. Why pursue immortality?”

Feng Xiang glanced at Mu Xuanling and smiled faintly: “Immortality is the ultimate goal of cultivators. With enough time, one might break through the peak of Dharma Manifestation and reach a higher realm. Besides…” Her expression darkened, “I don’t have much time left.”

Although a Dharma Manifestation body remains youthful in appearance, the eyes of a twenty-year-old differ from those of a thousand-year-old. Looking at Feng Xiang’s eyes, Mu Xuanling didn’t believe she was nearly a thousand years old.

Perhaps she had suffered some accident that severely damaged her lifespan, leading her to seek the Immortal Lotus to extend her life.

Xie Xuechen, with far greater knowledge of the Immortal Alliance’s history than Mu Xuanling, recalled events from six thousand years ago and the legends surrounding Senior Feng Xiang. He boldly speculated, “Senior, you are no more than two hundred years old and should still have eight hundred years of life left. But were you injured during the Ten-Thousand Immortals Formation, causing a significant loss of lifespan?”

The records of the Immortal Alliance stated that six thousand years ago, when the demon race invaded the human world and the Void Sea overflowed with demonic energy, the border of the demon realm continuously advanced toward the human world. The supreme human cultivator, Qian Guangjun, rallied the forces of ten thousand sects to form the Immortal Alliance. At a tremendous cost, they established the Ten-Thousand Immortals Formation, which blocked the demonic energy and sealed countless demon gods within the demon realm. These sacrifices included the lives of innumerable cultivators.

Feng Xiang looked at Xie Xuechen in slight surprise, not expecting this clear-eyed, cold man to possess such sharp intuition. She sensed that he was young, yet his cultivation was unfathomably profound. Such astonishing talent being unknown unsettled her slightly, but she had no interest in other men and simply said indifferently, “Your guess is correct, but it’s none of your concern. I don’t know why you wandered into the Luo Wu Mountains, but this is not a place for you. Leave as soon as possible.”

Xie Xuechen and Mu Xuanling exchanged glances. Seeing Feng Xiang’s unwillingness to speak further, they didn’t press her and immediately left the valley, heading toward the purple bamboo grove.

“Master Xie, are you also suspecting something in your heart…” Mu Xuanling asked.

Xie Xuechen nodded: “We’ll verify it again tomorrow.”

The two stayed awake the entire night at the edge of the purple bamboo grove. As dawn broke, they suddenly heard familiar footsteps approaching.

Both Xie Xuechen and Mu Xuanling tensed, holding their breath as they looked toward the approaching figure.

The figure wore a striking red robe, with sharp, piercing eyes. She approached slowly—none other than Feng Xiang.

Feng Xiang’s brows slightly furrowed as she warily looked at the two: “Who are you?”

Xie Xuechen’s heart sank—she had lost her memory again…

No, she hadn’t lost her memory. She had reset the day again, repeating the same day over and over, trapped in this valley for six thousand years…

A chill ran down Mu Xuanling’s spine, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

Could it be… this was the secret of immortality?