Chapter 71: Her Previous Life.
The Golden-Winged Roc soared through the clouds, carrying the trio to a bizarre high-altitude domain.
This wasn’t the true sky but a void platform woven from countless Dao laws.
On it, towering figures stood or sat—some with hands clasped behind, others cross-legged in meditation, one even lounging with legs splayed. Each exuded a terrifying aura that made the heavens bow.
Every figure was the sole core of this void. A mere glance inspired awe, as if a hint of malice would trigger the universe’s laws to crush you instantly.
These were beings beyond mortal limits.
Ye Zhuxian stood on the roc’s head, hair fluttering, gazing at the faint outline of Nether Ancient Town below. She instructed Xie Qiyang and Li Tianxing: “When we reach the spot, we’ll pry the realm’s ‘door’ open a bit more. I’ll lead the way to ensure you get in safely.”
She looked at Xie Qiyang with trust and expectation. “Little Ningshuang, the core area’s ‘Realm-Suppressing Tower’ and clues to the Heavenly Venerate’s legacy are key. Bring them back if you can. As for peripheral treasures, take what you can, but don’t force it.”
She glanced at Li Tianxing with a teasing wink. “As for me… heh, Grandma’s off to ‘visit the neighbor’s garden,’ see if I can ‘pick’ some sacred herbs for a snack.”
Patting Xie Qiyang’s shoulder confidently, she added, “Other Holy Lands and Imperial Clans will send their ‘kids’ in too. With your skills, you’ll have those arrogant brats crying for their parents, no problem! But…”
Her tone turned playful, eyeing Li Tianxing. “Make sure to protect our Little Tianxing. Don’t let him get bullied.”
“Huh? Protect… me?” Li Tianxing pointed at himself, incredulous, his handsome face flashing with shock and a trace of… defiance?
What a joke! He’d re-cultivated the mightiest imperial scriptures from his past life, choosing the most dominant techniques for each realm.
Sure, in a spar, his wife might temporarily outmatch him, but in a life-or-death fight, his battle experience guaranteed victory.
Despite a thousand questions and a bruised ego, he couldn’t muster any defiance against Ye Zhuxian.
This grandma… was too enigmatic! Even at his past life’s peak, she was a puzzle wrapped in mist.
Perhaps only the “her” who reached the ultimate pinnacle could see through Ye Zhuxian’s depths.
Li Tianxing’s gaze drifted to the black-and-silver-haired woman beside him—Jiang Ningshuang—brimming with confidence.
A complex emotion welled up, a mix of fate and absurd pride.
Life… was truly bizarre!
He marveled inwardly. The untouchable, moon-like figure from his past life, whom he chased but never reached, was now, by some twist, utterly captivated by him in this life?
In their past life, they’d only briefly crossed paths, and he could only watch her vanish into the horizon.
In that final battle deciding the heavens’ fate, he was a mere spectator, watching her duel towering existences alone…
Would this life repeat that tragedy? Having finally won her, would he be left chasing her shadow again?
His heart churned, a mess of emotions like a spilled spice rack, heavy with frustration.
Ye Zhuxian caught every flicker of his expression, the turmoil in his eyes. She sighed softly. She genuinely saw this son of an old friend as her own grandson, especially given his great debt to her.
“Sigh…” Her voice carried a weathered wisdom and quiet joy. “You two kids, carrying immense secrets and destinies, are bound for greatness. Yet… you’re still tangled in these petty worries?”
Her smile lingered, eyes shifting between them, as if peering into their souls. “In a few years, you’ll leave this old bag of bones far behind, unable to even see my shadow.”
She paused, then added with a sly glint, “Your secrets? Grandma’s not curious, nor should I pry. But…” Her finger tapped the void, and an invisible barrier of spatial laws snapped up, sealing the roc’s head from the outside world.
The howling gales outside fell silent, the titans’ auras muted.
“There!” Ye Zhuxian clapped, like a kid who’d pulled off a prank. “Now it’s absolutely secure, totally private! Even those old fogeys can’t see or hear! Got any secrets, spats, or… ahem, other ‘matters’ to settle?”
She winked at Li Tianxing. “Hurry up, strike while the iron’s hot! Grandma’s got your back!”
This sudden “lock-in” move yanked Li Tianxing from his heavy thoughts and made Xie Qiyang, engrossed in her power boost and “protect my little wife” mission, blush faintly.
Their focus shifted, thanks to Ye Zhuxian’s masterful pivot.
Eyes met within the barrier, the air turning… subtly charged and ambiguous.
…
Ye Zhuxian knew both harbored secrets, their hidden burdens souring their moods, but as an elder and outsider, she had little say.
Watching the awkward couple, her “they could do better” frustration melted into a soft sigh.
Her eyes, deep as ancient pools, reflected eons of joys and sorrows. Her voice carried a timeless wisdom: “In the contest of the Dao, companions walk together. If you can’t share your heart’s knots with your Dao partner, who else? A small barrier, left unresolved, becomes a shackle, blocking your path to the peak.”
Her words struck like a temple bell, resonating in their hearts. “Will you wait until all turns to dust, looking back with regret?”
The gentle, sisterly Ye Zhuxian suddenly exuded a sage’s aura, catching them off guard.
Without another word, she waved, shoving them into a “little black room” of her making.