Ji Yutang raised her hand and placed it on Li Jingyu’s slender shoulder.
She gazed at the person in front of her, gritting her teeth as she squeezed out two words: “Happy.”
Li Jingyu met her gaze and said with a faint smile, “I knew you’d be happy for me.” Sensing the grip on her shoulder blade tighten, she raised an eyebrow but didn’t continue.
“How much preparation did you do? Didn’t you ever consider the possibility of failure?” Deep inside, Ji Yutang was extremely anxious, as if a raging fire was burning.
She released her hand from Li Jingyu and pressed her fingertips hard against her own brow.
In Jiuzhou, the two of them had a sure victory, yet Li Jingyu chose such an extreme path, one she hadn’t even discussed with her.
Was she expelled by the purple aura because of Li Jingyu’s methods? Was she so unwilling to be honest with her? It was like this at the start, and it’s still like this now! Ji Yutang was so angry that her heart ached.
Li Jingyu said, “There won’t be any ‘what ifs’.” This was a path she had to take, and she had to thank the Tai Shang lineage for giving her the opportunity.
Of course, it was all because of Tai Shang; if it weren’t for the “Dao Mother fetus,” she wouldn’t have been implanted with the Taiyin Fiend, wouldn’t have been limited to one end, and wouldn’t have had to replay her own path.
“Are you—are you crazy?!” Ji Yutang pointed at Li Jingyu, her body trembling.
She had entered this realm with a wisp of divine intent, and her anger made this intent unstable, the light around her flickering as if about to dissipate.
Li Jingyu rested her chin on her hand, looking leisurely, “What are you worried about? Are you afraid I’ll die?”
“What do you think?” Ji Yutang bit her lip, her anger burning, but looking at the smaller version of Li Jingyu in front of her, she suddenly deflated, “I don’t want you to die.
If something happens to you, what will I do?”
“Live as you did before, won’t you?” Li Jingyu’s eyes flickered, and she smiled, “Didn’t you always want to be free of me?”
“That’s completely different from dying!” Ji Yutang retorted.
“Is that so—” Li Jingyu drew out her words, glancing at Ji Yutang, “Now that you’re sure I’m still alive, you can leave.
Looking at me now, I can’t imprison you, can I?”
Ji Yutang was so angry that the light around her flickered, like a candle about to go out in the wind.
But once she left this realm, who knew how long it would take to find this new world again.
She didn’t look at Li Jingyu’s infuriating face anymore, directly pressing her finger to her brow, sealing her consciousness, and sitting cross-legged under a tree with her eyes closed.
Li Jingyu clicked her tongue, her eyes deeply fixed on Ji Yutang.
The day and night in this world passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three days had gone by.
Ji Yutang opened her eyes to see Li Jingyu close in front of her, startling her at first.
It took her a while to calm down.
She drooped her eyes, pursing her lips, her heart feeling like it was stuffed with cotton, her chaotic emotions floating, both happy to see Li Jingyu and annoyed at her.
“You don’t need to hide.
In our current state, we can’t do anything.” Li Jingyu placed her hands on her knees, speaking slowly.
Ji Yutang turned her eyes away, not looking at Li Jingyu.
Li Jingyu’s hand fell on Ji Yutang’s chin, gently turning her face back.
She smiled, “Angry again?”
Ji Yutang looked frustrated, muttering, “You’re always making me angry.”
Li Jingyu asked back, “Aren’t you the same? It’s just that I don’t get as angry as you do.”
Ji Yutang: “…”
Li Jingyu sighed, “Xiao Tang, wouldn’t it be better to be honest?”
Ji Yutang: “?” Her expression changed slightly, glaring at Li Jingyu, “You lied to me and still want me to be honest?” The returning anger raised her tone, revealing her obvious displeasure.
Li Jingyu remained unfazed, “That’s all in the past, but you towards me…” She chuckled, looking intently at Ji Yutang, “Is that the past? Oh, it is, but it’s the past, the present, and will be the future.”
Ji Yutang: “…” She had no desire to talk to Li Jingyu, and facing that obviously young and innocent face, she felt even more powerless than before.
She huffed, transforming into a White Dragon lying on the soft grass, her golden dragon eyes staring blankly at her tail tip.
Seeing this, Li Jingyu shook her head.
She picked up the small White Dragon clutching the grass and placed it on her left wrist.
Seeing her curl up as before, she smiled, “How long can this divine intent stay here?”
Ji Yutang mumbled, “I don’t know.” After a pause, she added, “Can’t you leave?”
Li Jingyu said, “Not for now.
This world is nourished by my flesh and Primordial Qi, and I rely on this world’s nurturing to return.
Until it fully matures, I have to stay here until the world is named.”
Ji Yutang: “If I hadn’t come to find you, you—”
Li Jingyu blinked, “Then I would endure thousands of years of solitude alone.”
Ji Yutang wasn’t satisfied with this answer.
She lifted her tail and slapped it on Li Jingyu’s wrist, “You’re really heartless, no, you have no heart.”
Li Jingyu raised an eyebrow with a smile, “I indeed have no heart; it’s with you.”
As Dao Mother, Li Jingyu, though guarding this world, did not interfere with the activities of its inhabitants.
The people worshipped Dao Mother, receiving her protection, and under the nourishment of their faith, Li Jingyu grew rapidly.
Initially appearing thirteen or fourteen years old, she had grown to look twenty within half a year.
Though she occasionally transformed into her younger self to tease Ji Yutang, the latter never took the bait.
When she shrank, Ji Yutang would transform into an even smaller dragon form, leaving Li Jingyu to abandon those whimsical thoughts.
Ji Yutang lazily sat across from Li Jingyu, in front of a chessboard.
She furrowed her brows, holding a chess piece as if in thought, but her words continued, “This form is more comfortable to look at.”
Li Jingyu glanced at Ji Yutang, “I didn’t know you judged by appearances.” She pointed to her own face, speaking slowly, “Doesn’t this remind you of someone?”
“What?” Ji Yutang was taken aback, taking a moment to recall an old matter.
After pondering, she said, “Years ago, I went to Southern Border, and the seniors mentioned Ran Guzhu.”
Li Jingyu looked at Ji Yutang, “Her body and soul are in my cave.
Keeping them serves no purpose; the master will send her away.”
Ji Yutang made an “oh” sound, not continuing to inquire.
She wasn’t concerned about Ran Guzhu’s fate.
Ji Yutang stayed in this small realm for nearly a decade, and this divine intent, which had crossed countless chaotic streams to find its way, was nearing its end.
This visit was by chance, and who knew how long it would take to find this newly born world again.
Li Jingyu turned her head to look at Ji Yutang’s soon-to-dissipate figure, asking softly, “As we part, don’t you have anything to say to me?”
Ji Yutang thought for a moment and said, “Wait for me.” Since she could find it the first time, she could find it the second time.
No matter how many years it took, time held little meaning for cultivators of their level.
Li Jingyu sighed softly, nodding, “Alright.”
The divine intent shattered like glass, and within moments, half of it turned to dust, blown away by the wind.
Ji Yutang suddenly raised her hand, using her last strength to point forward.
A loud sound echoed, and a brilliant firework appeared in the sky, slowly forming the shape of a heart.
Li Jingyu smiled, her gaze falling on the spot where Ji Yutang had stood.
There was nothing left, not even a trace of familiar aura as the wind blew past.
Li Jingyu’s smile faded, suddenly feeling an urgency.
She could wait for Ji Yutang here, but ultimately, she had to return to Jiuzhou.
She needed to immerse herself fully in this world until it was named, leaving her mark on the great river of the Dao, rather than disappearing like countless other small realms in the chaotic streams.
In Jiuzhou, the passage of years allowed upper-realm cultivators to grasp new methods, and they eagerly recruited disciples to rebuild their once-declined sects.
In this process, whoever could take the lead would gain significant influence in this new era.
The Eight Great Immortal Sects had collapsed, but they still had disciples.
Not everyone followed Yang Xizhou during that calamity.
These surviving disciples reopened their sects, but they didn’t change their original names.
The Three Supreme Palaces and the righteous path still existed, but they were entirely different from before.
Ji Yutang silently entered Bailu Academy.
She saw a familiar figure, her brows showing a bit of surprise and understanding, but the person didn’t recognize her, bowing before turning away.
“Junior Sister Ji.” Shen Zao’s voice sounded in her ear, and Ji Yutang turned to look at her.
Now, Shen Zao had become a master at Bailu Academy, but her nature hadn’t changed at all.
She only restrained herself a bit in front of disciples, not showing too much frivolity and the smell of alcohol.
Seeing Ji Yutang turn around, Shen Zao smiled again, “It was sent by Senior Sister Yun, but although she survived, it’s not good here.” As she spoke, Shen Zao pointed to her head.
Ji Yutang nodded, “That’s fine.” But compared to the person who had just passed by, she was more concerned about Shen Zao’s relationship with Yun Chixin and the others.
She blinked, “Did she return to Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace?”
Shen Zao shook her head, “She did kill innocent disciples of Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace back then, so she can’t go back.” After the obsession faded, none of them could return to the beginning.
Tai Shang Ji had perished, but the things “Tai Shang Zhi” brought to them were hard to truly erase.
Yun Chixin had obsessions, and didn’t she herself have them too? After pondering for a moment, she asked, “Did you find the person?”
Earlier, Shen Zao had heard about Ji Yutang’s seclusion.
Of course, it wasn’t to improve her cultivation but to find the person who disappeared in that battle.
Ji Yutang smiled, “I found her, but it’s not time yet.” She had come this time to see the changes in Jiuzhou and visit old friends.
Afterward, she would search for that small realm again.
Perhaps with more divine intent, the realm could grow faster? After chatting with Shen Zao for a while, Ji Yutang returned to her place of seclusion.
The Heavenly Seal of Morality floated beside her, strands of Dao charm being drawn, nourishing her dharma body.
She had thought that after visiting that realm once, she would have more or less absorbed its aura, but in reality, she hadn’t captured much.
Her divine intent wandered in the vast river of starlight, and those unnamed small realms were like rootless duckweed, possibly appearing in the past or manifesting in the future.
In the chaotic streams of time and space, even Ji Yutang herself didn’t know how many years had passed.
One day.
A rumbling sound resonated in the sky, and in the vast starlight, a dim light suddenly burst forth, as if illuminating the entire universe.
A distant, grand Dao sound echoed through the cosmos, and suddenly, the words “Lingxuan Heaven” appeared in the river.
This world floated up, and after being named, it had its own foundation, no longer ethereal and traceless.
Ji Yutang’s divine intent dissipated in that dazzling light, and her eyelids twitched as she awoke from her meditation.
She seemed to sense something, suddenly looking forward.
Sure enough, Li Jingyu came gracefully like a fleeting shadow.
Li Jingyu smiled at her, “I don’t like waiting for people.”
