Western Niu Continent.
Chen Baiqing's eyes were shut. Around her was a spirit array constructed from spirit stones, arranged by Daoist Yuyang to assist in her breakthrough in the Western Niu Continent.
Chen Baiqing had now ascended to the Nascent Soul realm.
The advancement had gone smoothly enough. She'd pushed the pace a little too hard, but at least she was satisfied.
However… she felt no joy from the breakthrough.
She hadn't even stepped out of the room. She simply waited in silence, waiting for the door to be pushed open.
Would it be her master's personal reprimand… or a look of helpless sorrow?
Chen Baiqing tried to compose herself, but no matter how she adjusted, the nervousness and grief wouldn't leave.
Her thoughts churned endlessly without pause.
She almost felt that if time stayed frozen like this, it might not be so bad.
Chen Baiqing didn't know how much time had passed. It felt impossibly long—so long that she thought her master had decided he didn't want her anymore, that he would simply leave her here.
Silent. Indifferent.
That would be the most devastating thing of all.
But all she could do was stay here and comfort herself: Master wouldn't do that.
Knock—
The quiet rapping on the door interrupted Chen Baiqing's scattered thoughts.
She opened her eyes quickly and looked toward the door, speaking slowly:
"Come in…"
Only after saying it did she realize her voice sounded hoarse.
The door opened slowly, and sunlight streamed in.
Daoist Yuyang stood in the doorway, looking at Chen Baiqing seated within the formation. He saw the shift in her eyes—from nervousness to disappointment—and said calmly:
"The breakthrough went well, I trust?"
"Thanks to Senior Uncle's care, everything went well."
"Good. I didn't want to disturb you, but you've been inside for quite some time, and there are matters today that require me to come personally." Chen Baiqing stood.
"Please speak, Senior Uncle."
Daoist Yuyang smiled slightly:
"Your master has summoned you back to Tianyan Sect."
Chen Baiqing froze for a moment, studying Daoist Yuyang's relatively gentle expression. It seemed her master hadn't taken this matter too seriously after all.
She thought for a moment, then asked slowly:
"How is the situation in the Western Niu Continent now?"
"Bad." Daoist Yuyang shook his head gently. "Most of the Buddhas took advantage of that day to cross the Pudu River. But with me here and a certain attitude, at least we haven't been completely forced out of the Western Niu Continent."
"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Uncle." Chen Baiqing asked again, "And what about Wukong and the Radiant Buddha?"
"Worse off than us."
Daoist Yuyang sighed lightly and stepped aside. "But all of that is temporarily none of your concern. Go back and report to your master. I'll handle things here."
Chen Baiqing nodded gently, bowed with cupped fists once more, and then departed.
Daoist Yuyang watched Chen Baiqing's retreating figure with calm eyes, and finally let out a quiet sigh.
No matter how you looked at it, Chen Baiqing didn't seem to have come here purely on Chu Xingchen's orders.
The news from Yuzhou City, on the other hand, seemed like a good thing.
Truly hard to tell. But if it happened again, Daoist Yuyang would never believe it.
What the old monk had said… it was coming true now in some ways.
Chu Xingchen—just stay alive. Only he could keep things bound.
Tianyan Sect, Peak of One Big Happy Family.
Chu Xingchen stood silently by the corridor's edge. Bai Xuanling stood at his side, her expression calm.
They waited a moment before Li Xingtian strode in from outside the corridor.
When Li Xingtian saw his master and Bai Xuanling standing there, neither bearing any visible wounds, the stone in his heart finally dropped.
"Master!" Li Xingtian's voice carried a hint of emotion.
Bai Xuanling glanced sideways, and simultaneously reached out a hand in front of Chu Xingchen.
Chu Xingchen saw Bai Xuanling's extended hand and turned to look toward Li Xingtian. He saw that aura of blood-red energy—now the only blood-path cultivator at Tianyan Sect was likely his second disciple alone.
He smiled and said: "Well, well. My dear disciple has arrived."
Li Xingtian stepped forward quickly, looking at his master and composing his voice:
"Your disciple is here."
Chu Xingchen reached out and patted Li Xingtian's shoulder, smiling:
"Your third junior sister went to the Western Niu Continent and found Daoist Yuyang. She said she used my name to mobilize Taidao Sect cultivators. What do you make of that?"
Hearing this, Li Xingtian dropped to one knee, lowered his head, and cupped his fists:
"It was I who sent Third Junior Sister. I tricked her into thinking it was your order."
Bai Xuanling raised her hand slightly and wrote characters in the air in front of Chu Xingchen.
Li Xingtian didn't dare raise his head, so he didn't notice.
"Baiqing could be tricked by you?" Chu Xingchen's tone was curious.
Li Xingtian faltered briefly but still answered:
"It was indeed I who sent Third Junior Sister to the Western Niu Continent. I made all the arrangements. I am willing to bear full responsibility."
Chu Xingchen looked at what Bai Xuanling had written, and finally sighed softly. He reached out and helped Li Xingtian to his feet.
"Xingtian, how many times now?"
"Master, what do you mean?"
Li Xingtian raised his head to answer, but noticed Bai Xuanling writing characters in the air before his master. He found it strange but didn't ask.
Chu Xingchen asked again: "How many times have you restarted?"
Li Xingtian shook his head once more:
"Xingtian doesn't understand what Master is saying."
Bai Xuanling wrote again. This time Li Xingtian understood—it wasn't that Bai Xingtian was idle, but that something was wrong with his master.
Before Chu Xingtian could press further, Li Xingtian looked at Bai Xuanling:
"Senior Bai… what's wrong with my master?"
"He's been hit by an illusion technique. He's still working on how to break it. Your master can't hear voices right now, and can't sense external things—he can only roughly see people's shapes."
Bai Xuanling spoke as she retrieved a pill from her spatial ring, popped it into her mouth, and continued:
"From here on, write your replies yourself. Matters between you and your master—I won't pry further. I'll go clear my head outside. Come find me when you're done talking."
Bai Xuanling finished speaking and turned to leave.
Li Xingtian cupped his fists slightly, then looked back at his master.
Chu Xingchen watched Bai Xuanling leave, sighed softly, then turned back to Li Xingtian:
"Have you been reborn again?"
Li Xingtian raised his hand and wrote: [No.]
Chu Xingchen's brow furrowed, his voice sharpening:
"Then why did you send Baiqing? And how did you know Xu Linglong was lying in ambush in Yuzhou City? If you truly see me as your master, you shouldn't hide these things."
"Or is it that after your rebirth, you can't answer these questions?"
Li Xingtian was silent for a moment, then raised his hand and wrote: [It felt like a dream, yet vividly real. What Master would say, what Senior Sister and Junior Sister would say—too many coincidences in a row stop being coincidences.]
[It was as though I dreamed of what would happen in the future, like a divination, or as if someone projected stories from the River of Time for me to watch.]
[Whether it was true or false, everything that happened before it occurred matched the dream. Even if there was a one-in-a-million chance, that chance was a weight I could not bear.]
[Whether this counts as rebirth, even your disciple doesn't know.]
Chu Xingchen's voice turned cold:
"Then what price did you pay?"
[No price.]
"As your master, I could see through your previous rebirths. Do you really think I don't understand that this requires a cost?" Chu Xingchen's eyes held a trace of sorrow.
"Xingtian, do you think your master knows nothing? Between you and me—have the walls really grown this high?"
Li Xingtian looked at his master's sorrowful expression, emotions swirling within him. Finally, he wrote:
[Soul]
[
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