The Immortal Alliance did not know she still held the Soul-Returning Lamp.
She was just missing the Trace World Mirror.
Liu Qiao’e’s heart pounded wildly, nearly erupting in a long howl!
Just the Trace World Mirror—
And she could gather the three Dao artifacts, fulfilling her long-cherished wish!
All these years, her painstaking schemes, enduring humiliation, even choosing to part ways with Mu Daoying—all for this day!
The mirror light was everywhere. Though she tried her utmost to evade, bending her form lithely and lightly like tumbleweed in the wind, drifting freely, she was still caught off guard. The mirror light scorched a small patch of her skin, and fragmented memories flashed past her eyes.
In the memories, Luo Naji smiled warmly and elegantly, his lazy voice still echoing in her ears.
“Though the Soul-Returning Lamp can revive the dead and regrow flesh and bone, the righteous path has held it to this day yet never revived a single person.
“Because back then, this secret art of life and death was mastered only by our Demonic Ancestor.”
“How can you say that?” She heard her own cold voice asking.
Luo Naji laughed: “Otherwise, why do you think Jiang Wenzhao couldn’t kill the Demonic Ancestor?”
“As long as you help me gather these three Dao artifacts and unseal the Demonic Ancestor, I will use the Demonic Sect’s secret art of life and death to help you revive Meng Ci.”
Meng Ci!
Liu Qiao’e silently recited in her heart! For so many years, she had buried this name deep within, not daring to think of it, not daring to utter it.
Just saying those two words brought heart-wrenching, soul-burning agony!
But now, she could utter those two words, couldn’t she?!
Ever since Lan Shuying released the Trace World Mirror, her eyes had held only this treasure mirror!
Under the mirror light’s illumination, her cultivation was not enough to make her lose her reason like the other demonic soldiers and cultivators.
But in the salty sea breeze, fragmented memories still brushed past her temples.
Each one only strengthened her resolve, charging toward that mirror high in the night sky without hesitation!
The light pillar shook more and more violently. Above the vast sea surface, it was as if pillars of the Heavenly Dao had been erected, trapping that tiny figure!
In this way, Liu Qiao’e inevitably had her skin illuminated by the mirror light. Wherever the mirror light shone, it immediately burned like fire, scorching her flesh until the skin charred and peeled, with blood flowing freely.
Yet she seemed entirely unaware and did not pause. While leaping forward rapidly, she released the Mountains and Rivers Sword! The Mountains and Rivers Sword transformed into a massive snow dragon that twisted and soared between the light pillars, shattering a field of scattered silver!
The charred skin flaked off piece by piece, but Liu Qiao’e pressed on without hesitation, exhausting every ounce of her cultivation to charge fiercely toward that mirror!
Lan Shuying was truly startled by her obsessive and frenzied appearance. She quickly pinched her fingertips and exerted herself to shake the mirror light, directing the light pillars continuously at Liu Qiao’e, forming a cage that spanned heaven and earth.
Sacrificing the Trace World Mirror was a dangerous gamble.
The fierce struggle between the two dao artifacts brought intense pressure backlash, causing blood to surge in Lan Shuying’s chest as she spat out a mouthful of blood.
Lan Shuying knew well that although her cultivation had reached the Eight Realms, Liu Qiao’e had already surpassed her by a step half a year ago and entered the Breaking Delusion Realm.
In contrast, she, this senior, had only barely broken through under the protection of the Immortal Alliance, which truly made her ashamed.
The speed of that person’s progress was even more chilling!
With the Mountains and Rivers Sword in hand, Liu Qiao’e now almost lorded over the entire Eastern Florescence Realm.
If she did not sacrifice the Trace World Mirror, she would eventually lose to her, and the mirror would be taken anyway. Better to stake it all now!
“Mu, my young friend!” Lan Shuying shouted loudly. “I’ll control the mirror! You all go block her! Right now!”
Unlike Liu Qiao’e, she had not cultivated the Saint Lord’s remnant pages and could wield the Mountains and Rivers Sword without issue.
Activating the Trace World Mirror had already consumed nearly all her mental energy; she truly could not divide her attention.
Mu Daoying also knew that victory or defeat hinged on this moment. He must block Liu Qiao’e!
This time, he could not afford romantic sentiments. His sword would pierce her heart and lungs if necessary.
He urged his mind, and his natal Encounter Spring Sword turned into a streak of meteor light that submerged into his body! It completed the remnant sword bone within him!
Mu Daoying’s eyelashes twitched as he felt excruciating pain transmit through his limbs and every bone in his body.
In an instant, his black hair turned white.
A cold, brilliant light flowed through his eyes. His originally pitch-black pupils instantly shifted to a transparent hue like pale glass, with faint golden brilliance swirling faintly at the depths.
His fair skin also took on a faint, eerie clear jade tint.
His aura throughout his body changed entirely, with extremely faint and subtle cyan-gold sword qi faintly self-circulating around him.
As the sword qi wandered continuously, it released rings of hair-thin sword gleams. Wherever they passed, they could sever hairs or slice through metal and jade. Even the moonlight around him was severed, shattering into scattered silver flakes.
After his sword bone was extracted, Mu Daoying had pondered and studied his path forward day and night.
Today was the most perfect alternative he had researched over the past half year.
That was to combine the sword forging array, transforming himself into a sword as well, incorporating Encounter Spring into his body to complete that missing section of sword bone.
Man and sword as one, minds linked, he shot forward in a burst of effort, merging into a streak of sword qi as he chased straight after Liu Qiao’e!
Only one foot from the Trace World Mirror, she suddenly saw Mu Daoying appear out of nowhere, floating into the clouds to block her path.
One could imagine Liu Qiao’e’s reaction.
Her recollections of her lover interrupted, fury erupted inch by inch from her almond eyes, frosting even her eyelashes. The icy sword intent of the Mountains and Rivers Sword swept through her body, converging into a heaven-rushing, undisguised killing intent!
Liu Qiao’e spoke word by word, her red lips curling as she blotted out sun, moon, and stars, her killing aura surging to the heavens: “You’re blocking me again?!”
“I will kill you.” Mu Daoying said concisely, parting the vast sword qi as he spoke.
His glass-like eyes were calm as a mirror.
Both knew it in their hearts.
This time, no lingering affections—only killing intent to place the other in the grave!
The Mountains and Rivers Sword’s sword qi swept first toward his neck! The sword qi pressed down inch by inch, compressing the sea surface as if it could not withstand the overwhelming spiritual pressure, shaking violently and raising massive waves that blotted the sky!
Mu Daoying did not dare meet it head-on. In the time it took for his figure to flicker twice, he had already appeared atop another wave crest.
In that brief moment of respite, as he looked up, Liu Qiao’e’s figure had already closed in on the Trace World Mirror! Her fingertips were mere feet from the mirror frame!
Seeing this, Mu Daoying swiftly urged his sword light. The sword light pressed out another massive wave, timely blocking Liu Qiao’e’s path!
Liu Qiao’e was about to swing her sword to cleave the giant wave when she suddenly spotted faint silver glimmers flickering within the sea waves.
One flash, then another, and suddenly a volley of sword gleams burst forth like rain!
Within these sea waves, Mu Daoying had hidden thousands of sword lights.
If she had not dodged in time, being riddled like a sieve by this barrage was entirely possible.
Liu Qiao’e had no mind to reproach the man’s ruthlessness. She coldly raised her hand, her red threads coiling around every sword gleam, returning them in kind as she flung them overwhelmingly toward Mu Daoying!
Mu Daoying immediately channeled a sea wave to block them, then pressed on relentlessly, continuing to chase Liu Qiao’e.
Fortunately, at this moment, Zhao Yange and the others also blocked Liu Qiao’e’s path.
Though their cultivations were far inferior to Liu Qiao’e’s, their combined power was not to be underestimated.
This obstruction successfully slowed Liu Qiao’e by half a beat.
Mu Daoying also reached the Trace World Mirror at this moment.
The two reached out almost simultaneously.
Fingertips facing each other.
But just then, Lan Shuying finally reached her limit!
With a massive boom, the Trace World Mirror suddenly blazed with light.
Her spiritual energy backlashed, shattering every bone and sinew in her body. She spat blood and flew backward.
The Trace World Mirror lost its support and plunged straight into the sea depths, smashing through snow waves and floating foam.
The enormous impact force from the dao artifact’s explosion was something even Liu Qiao’e could not resist.
Everyone, including Mu Daoying, Liu Qiao’e, and Lan Shuying, tumbled from the clouds all at once!
The mirror light surged wildly, devouring all life on the sea surface.
In the instant the mirror light dragged everyone into the illusion, Mu Daoying and Liu Qiao’e, desperate for the mirror and closest to it, fell together. Yet they retained a thread of reason amid the plunge, simultaneously reaching out to seize the Trace World Mirror.
Another massive boom resounded.
Their fingertips, one left and one right, clasped the treasure mirror together as they plummeted into the icy, endless deep sea.
–
The Trace World Mirror smashed through snow waves and floating foam.
Shattered silver floated up continuously like stars.
The tiny illusions composed of countless demonic cultivators’ and cultivators’ memories were like shattered glass, refracting a dizzying light. They twisted, flashed, and reformed into bizarre, grotesque dreamscapes.
Mu Daoying’s soul rapidly switched through these twisted, absurd dreams, so fast that wind howled by his ears and his head throbbed as if splitting. It seemed like only an instant had passed, yet also like he had lived through countless lifetimes in the dreams of myriad people.
Finally, the howling wind ceased.
The final frame fixed on a bright, pristine full moon.
Beneath the moon, a young girl wandered aimlessly. She wore a green robe, with snow-white skin and black hair, plump flesh, almond eyes, a round face, pearly teeth, and cherry lips.
Mu Daoying’s expression changed abruptly. His heart jolted, and he instinctively assumed a defensive stance ready for attack.
Was it Liu Qiao’e?!
No.
The Liu Qiao’e before him had no intention of attacking.
She did not even look up at him, merely gazing silently at the scattered moonlit silver on the ground, as if lost in thought.
Only then did Mu Daoying notice the differences.
The Liu Qiao’e before him had clearer eyes, more innocent brows and features, lacking that bewitching gaunt chill and gloom.
If the Liu Qiao’e he knew was a mountain moon on a branch tip, aloof and hard to reach.
Then this one was the full moon at fifteen years old.
The girl furrowed her two dark brows. Her large almond eyes blinked, her round cheeks glowed with a lustrous sheen, and a youthful melancholy lingered between her brows—an innocent, pure beauty like a jade moth.
Mu Daoying paused slightly. Combining what he had witnessed before falling into the water, it was not hard to deduce.
This was Liu Qiao’e of the past.
Perhaps because they had grasped the Trace World Mirror together, he had fallen into her memories.
Just what was Liu Qiao’e’s past like?
Mu Daoying could not help but wonder. The next second, his heart chilled, and he sternly warned himself: he absolutely could not indulge in romantic sentiments again.
He closed his eyes and gently told himself.
He now felt neither love nor hate toward her; all affections were long gone.
“I truly know Mu Daoying!”
When he heard the girl’s firm, clear shout.
Mu Daoying paused, finally unable to resist opening his eyes to look.
Four or five Harmonious Union Sect disciples had her completely surrounded.
She was somewhat flustered and could only repeat herself.
“I truly know Jade Sword True Heart Mu Daoying. Really.”