"BOOM-"
Sword qi burst forth like a rainbow, wrapped in an immense torrent of Spiritual Energy, colliding violently with Mu Zhao's Dao Domain.
The skies and earth immediately changed color, and a massive vortex formed with the four individuals at its center.
Heaven and earth trembled. The sound shook the firmament.
But Chen Kuang's body suddenly went stiff, as if he could no longer hear the terrifying roar of battle around him. In his eyes, only the distant figure of that woman remained.
A familiar voice, spoken in a calm tone, yet within it lay an uncontrollable tremor.
As though she had been suppressing it for far too long, no, as though she could not suppress it any longer.
"Senior Tongjun..."
That form of address... belonged to only one person.
Chen Kuang lifted his head, and in the blink of an eye, his gaze locked with that of the stunning Daoist nun standing before him.
The Dao Lord of Earthly Spirit in the present era, Lu Zhexuan, and the cultivator Lu Zhexuan from 2,300 years ago had become two entirely different people, with the exception of their appearance.
What felt like only yesterday for Chen Kuang... had been an eternity for Lu Zhexuan.
She had stood at the summit of power for too long, with countless disciples under her name. Her disposition and thinking had changed drastically from years of cultivation and worldly experience.
The cautiousness and shyness of her youth had long been replaced by the dignity and icy severity of someone in authority.
Her naturally alluring face, charming as a celestial fox, had been gradually dulled by this cold authority. Few noticed that the Dao Lord of Mysterious Divine Path Sect possessed a beauty that surpassed all those listed in the Rouge Review.
In fact, few people even dared to lift their heads and look directly at this mighty being who stood at the very peak of Cangyuan.
Lu Zhexuan had fulfilled the vow she once made to herself.
She rejected every shortcut that heaven granted her, beauty, physique, cultivation technique... she had cast them all aside.
Unwilling to sink into mediocrity, she climbed step by step to her current position through her own strength. The hardship she endured could never be put into words.
In all the 2,300 years that passed, Lu Zhexuan had never once complained about the unfair destiny that placed so many trials in her path.
Even at that one moment, eight hundred years ago, when she had exhausted her life span and still failed to break into the Profound Rank, staring into despair itself, she never lowered her head nor shed a single tear.
But now, when she accidentally caught sight of that familiar yet foreign figure, and sensed the faint fragrance of the sachet she had once gifted, those years of bitterness, anxiety, and sorrow suddenly exploded in her tear-filled eyes.
That woman's gaze fixed firmly on him.
Though she said nothing, it was as if a thousand unspoken words had crossed the oceans of time and mountains of fate to land heavily, silently, upon Chen Kuang's heart.
In this moment, language was too feeble.
Chen Kuang's voice was dry as he managed to say:
"Long time... no see."
Chen Kuang could feel the emotions buried beneath Lu Zhexuan's composure, but truthfully, it didn't strike him with much force.
Because for him, it really hadn't been long at all since they parted.
Lu Zhexuan felt dazed for a moment.
He hadn't changed at all!
That hazy image long buried in her memory had become crystal clear the moment she saw Chen Kuang.
He looked exactly like the white-clad zither player Tongjun she remembered, no different at all. As if he had walked straight out of her dreams.
He even wore that ridiculous blindfold!
But Lu Zhexuan's cultivation now far surpassed Chen Kuang's. The Mist-Flower Silk no longer had any effect on her.
She saw clearly, effortlessly, the face she had once longed so desperately to behold.
Her eyes traced every contour of his refined features, carefully, thoroughly, as if to imprint them onto her soul, never to forget.
"Well now! Very well, very well, very well!"
"I was wondering what gave you the guts to kill two of my disciples..."
Mu Zhao looked at the sword tip that had pierced through his fist, then turned his gaze toward the Daoist nun across from him, a mocking sneer curling his lips.
"So that's it, backed by a lover from the Mysterious Divine Path Sect!"
Mu Zhao's experience surpassed even Lu Zhexuan's.
His insight was sharp as a blade. He saw it instantly, the atmosphere between these two was wrong. This wasn't the reunion of old acquaintances or senior and junior, it was a man and woman with entangled emotions.
He made no attempt to lower his voice.
At this moment, their Dao Domains were clashing, and everyone far behind, who had long fled to avoid the fallout, could not hear a word being said between them.
But Shen Meinan could.
Her dark robes flapped violently in the storm winds, nearly lifting her into the air. She had to channel all her Spiritual Energy at the center of the vortex just to keep from being blown away.
Shen Meinan saw that Chen Kuang was safe.
She saw that her Master had, without warning, ceased her obstinacy and come to his aid.
She hadn't even had time to show the joy of her double delight, and then she heard Mu Zhao speak that sentence.
The girl's mind went blank.
Mysterious Divine Path Sect Leader's... lover?
If it had come from anyone else, Shen Meinan might have thought the words referred to her.
After all, she currently bore the identity of Mysterious Divine Path Sect's "Daobiao", a prodigy known across the land.
However... the speaker was the Martial Saint.
In Mu Zhao's eyes, it was because of this "lover" that Chen Kuang had dared kill his disciples.
Which meant the one he was referring to... could not possibly be the junior Shen Xingzhu.
It could only be the other woman present.
The Dao Lord of Earthly Spirit, of Mysterious Divine Path Sect, Lu Zhexuan.
Shen Meinan's mind struggled to process it all.
She stared blankly at the scene before her..
Impossible...
Master and.... Chen Kuang?
They don't even know each other!
Regardless of their relationship, if Lu Zhexuan had even the slightest acquaintance with Chen Kuang, she would never have allowed the Martial Saint to issue that kill order back in the imperial capital.
And later on, she would never have responded to news of Chen Kuang's death with such indifference!
So how could she possibly only now be recognizing him?
And Chen Kuang, now merely nineteen years old, before his imprisonment following the fall of his nation, he was nothing but an ordinary man.
How could he possibly have known someone who had been a Dao Lord for over a thousand years?!
Shen Meinan couldn't comprehend it.
Lu Zhexuan was silent for a moment, then raised her sword and spoke coldly:
"Matters of love and death, are simply part of the human condition."
"Everyone knows Li Hongling died because her skill was inferior. She died by the enemy's hand, what of it? She got what she sought. Since that's the case, everything should be decided by strength. When you ordered the Martial Saint Pavilion to hunt him down, no one spoke up against you."
"As for your other disciple... the seven surviving witnesses are unlikely to have suddenly colluded to frame someone with whom they had no prior enmity."
"Given that-"
Lu Zhexuan's eyes were bright and unwavering, her feathered robes flowing like a celestial crane. Her words were slow, deliberate, and absolutely clear:
"You had Wenyao set a trap to slaughter the elites of the younger generation from all the major sects. What exactly were you hoping to achieve? You know the answer yourself!"
"Trying to twist the truth here, using cunning rhetoric... all it does is further disgrace your title of 'Martial Saint.' It serves no other purpose!"
Mu Zhao's expression twisted further. From his throat emerged a few chilling, guttural chuckles:
"As expected... those from the Mysterious Divine Path Sect are the best at playing with words."
"But in this world... only the strong get to speak! Those who survive are the ones who decide the truth! Today, none of you will leave!"
Mu Zhao stretched out his five fingers and twisted his arm and palm unnaturally. Ignoring Lu Zhexuan's Dao Domain, he forcibly grabbed her sword with his bare hand!
In that instant, his Dao Domain, known as Tyrant's Path, surged violently.
A thousand li in every direction was suddenly engulfed in Mu Zhao's oppressive control.
Shen Meinan, still reeling from Lu Zhexuan's silent confirmation, suddenly felt a gentle force shove her out of the collision zone between the two Dao Domains.
Her pupils contracted as she instantly realized Lu Zhexuan's intent. She tried to resist, mobilizing her Spiritual Energy.
But she was too weak now, not even capable of fully unleashing the power of her own body, let alone overcoming the injuries she'd sustained in the Ancient Battlefield of Meditation.
She was pushed back uncontrollably, her throat seized by that gentle force, leaving her unable to even scream.
It was... just like when she first arrived at Mysterious Divine Path Sect, and Lu Zhexuan gently grasped her injured hands with warm, soft palms.
Lu Zhexuan's voice rang in her ears:
"Meinan, Xingzhu... from now on, the Mysterious Divine Path Sect is in your hands. I've lived for 2,300 years, a thousand of them in ceaseless toil. I suppose I am... a bit tired."
Shen Meinan's mind went blank, a foreboding sense of fear clawing at her heart.
She shouted inwardly:
"Shen Xingzhu! Switch back with me!"
"Go, go help Master and Chen Kuang!"
Shen Xingzhu's voice was distant, gentle, and sighed softly:
"A battlefield between Upper Third Rank cultivators... is not something you or I can interfere with."
The force that sent Shen Meinan away was Lu Zhexuan's Dao Domain.
Its name was Sincere Heart.
That's right, contrary to what many believed, the famously severe and stern Dao Lord of Earthly Spirit had realized a path rooted in a single, unwavering truth: a heart of utmost sincerity and gentleness.
Within this Dao Domain, any action Lu Zhexuan performed from her true heart would receive amplification from the laws of heaven and earth.
The stronger her inner fire burned, the more potent her power became.
Those watching from afar now also heard Lu Zhexuan's voice via spiritual transmission:
"This place is perilous. All of you, leave at once."
Everyone's hearts clenched.
Normally, Dao Domains of the Upper Third Rank served more as deterrents and were rarely used in full combat. But Lu Zhexuan and Mu Zhao were now locked in a fight to the death!
The Grandmasters hurriedly gathered their young elites and retreated another thousand li to ensure their safety.
Chen Kuang, too, felt the force beginning to send him away but in the instant before it took hold, Mu Zhao, who had been watching him the whole time, reacted.
CRACK!
With a savage glare, Mu Zhao crushed the long sword in his grasp.
"Brat, leave your life!"
His hand was nearly severed by the blade, but with the physical strength of a Martial Saint, it healed instantly.
A Profound Realm Dao Domain was meaningless before the full might of a Martial Saint, it was like tissue paper before a raging inferno.
Mu Zhao clutched a shard of the broken sword and hurled it toward Chen Kuang.
"Whoosh-BOOM!!!"
The moment the shard was thrown, it was infused with the overwhelming will of the Tyrant's Path, gaining speed and force beyond imagination.
The shard cut through the air like a meteor, trailing a brilliant fiery tail.
Everywhere it passed, white shockwaves rolled like tides. Even the land below blackened from the heat.
In a single breath, the shard arrived before Chen Kuang.
Its razor edge reflected in his pupils, shimmering as it hurtled straight for his heart!
Chen Kuang's face turned grim. He backstepped rapidly, the sword in his hand shimmering with light. The essence of the Path of Time glimmered along his blade.
Within his vision, the shard's speed was slowed to a crawl, unable to reach him.
But the moment lasted only a few seconds.
Then, Mu Zhao's voice rang cold and absolute.
"Break!"
The Path of Time imbued in Chen Kuang's sword was instantly suppressed by the tyrannical might of Tyrant's Path, completely silenced.
At the same time, Mu Zhao charged at him again.
He raised his fist, his signature martial technique:
Tyrant Storm of Wind and Rain!
The sky collapsed. A pitch-black vortex formed before his fist, exuding a crushing presence. Even heaven and earth seemed small before it.
This... was a true Saint's Dao Domain.
Chen Kuang felt as if he couldn't breathe.
He had not yet stepped onto the Dao, he was still only at the Moon-Embracing Realm, not even a Grandmaster.
The disparity in power made him almost entirely immobile.
Mu Zhao's fist descended.
But it didn't strike Chen Kuang.
It struck Lu Zhexuan, who had moved to stand in front of him.
"Kuh-!"
Lu Zhexuan's face flushed red, then turned deathly pale. She let out a muffled cough.
She gently embraced Chen Kuang, and her gaze toward him remained soft.
Chen Kuang felt her body tremble violently, as though the world were shattering, yet the force transmitted to him was incredibly faint.
He froze, and then suddenly understood.
Back then, Wensi Senior Brother lent him a Dao Domain, but even then, he couldn't last a single exchange against Mu Zhao's descending incarnation.
Now, Lu Zhexuan's Dao Domain clearly stood no chance either.
So she simply withdrew her Dao Domain after sending Shen Meinan away and compressed it into a space just large enough to shield one person.
Thus, the power of the domain could reach its absolute limit.
This utterly selfless Sincere Heart was given to just one person.
A ringing buzz filled Chen Kuang's ears. His blood felt like it flowed backward. His face was expressionless, he didn't know what expression he should wear.
He had once believed his connection with Lu Zhexuan was a fleeting romance. That the passage of time would wash it all away.
The world collapsed around him. Lu Zhexuan looked at him and said:
"I told them my Dao was 'Sincere Heart.'"
"But it wasn't."
"It was Foolish Heart... my own foolish infatuation."
"I tried to let go, to forget you. I thought it would be easy. But in the final moment, when my eight hundred years of lifespan ran out, I don't know why, but your image flashed through my mind."
"And then, I stepped into the Profound Realm."
"I, a Dao Lord of Earthly Spirit, how could I prove such a ridiculous path? So I lied to everyone."
"I'm not a proper master. I can't even imagine how I ended up competing with my disciple for a man's affection... But this is fine."
Lu Zhexuan smiled peacefully, her vitality rapidly fading away. She whispered:
"I still remember. You once said, someday, you and I would exchange hearts, and treat life and death as nothing..."
Her voice grew lighter and lighter:
"I've done it. You mustn't forget me."
Chen Kuang cradled the Daoist nun in his arms while his lips trembled.
He still couldn't understand Lu Zhexuan's decision. He wanted to tell her..
"In my eyes... you were just a mayfly. Here at dawn, gone by dusk."
He had only spent a year with her. Their farewell was just yesterday.
But Lu Zhexuan had waited two thousand years.
How could a human understand a mayfly's entire life?
And now he knew, how cruel it truly was when summer insects could not comprehend the cold of winter.
Yet in this moment, Chen Kuang longed desperately to see Lu Zhexuan's entire life, her longing, her despair, her hope, and her regret through those long, long years.
And so, he saw it.
The river of time surged, like an ancient scroll unfurling before his eyes, swallowing even the collapsing heavens and earth.