Dusk Returns to the Ruined Building

The world is often filled with rainy nights, and travelers hurry by. Every chance encounter, though seemingly ordinary, can actually change a great deal, though the world is unaware of it.

To put it another way, the world is actually a game of chess, with tribulations within tribulations, events within events, and thoughts within thoughts.

Inside the well in Wanfeng Forest, there is a dungeon. To be precise, there is a dungeon beneath Wanfeng Forest. The array power of Wanfeng Forest originates from the dungeon, yet it also protects the dungeon.

The old woman sitting in the rattan chair stopped in front of a coffin. If Shen Yichen saw it, he would be very shocked, because it was the Xuan Yu Coffin!

There was a person lying inside, probably a woman. Her face was not clear, but her figure and long hair were vaguely visible.

The old woman stroked the black jade coffin and whispered:

"Feng Huang, it's been five hundred years since we last met, hasn't it? I remember the last time we met was when Ji Xuanfeng entered Luowu Ancient City. Ah, time flies!"

The old woman withdrew her hand, and the rattan chair moved back a little.

“Feng Huang, Qiong An has entered Luowu Ancient City. It has been five hundred years since I last saw him. Back then, when Ji Xuanfeng ventured alone into the Loyal Souls Tomb in Beimeng Mountain, he asked me for help. I stepped in to help him, but he still blames me to this day!”

“Feng Huang, I haven’t seen the evil spirit for five hundred years. He went to the Ancient Miao Region to find a cure for our illnesses, and he’s been gone for five hundred years without a trace. I tricked Ji Xuanfeng into going there, but I don’t know if Ji Xuanfeng went or not. Ji Xuanfeng doesn’t trust me, but I haven’t heard from Ji Xuanfeng for five hundred years!”

The old woman turned around, her back to the black jade coffin, and said calmly:

“Feng Huang, I’m here today to say goodbye and to apologize. I shouldn’t have saved him back then, but it was too late. The moment he entered my body, I knew that everything was irreversible. We always thought that the people of the Dark Realm controlled people with power, so we assumed that I was safe because I didn’t have the power of the Ghost Vein. It wasn’t until five hundred years ago, when I drove away Ji Xuanfeng, that I realized I was wrong. Everything was wrong!”

The old woman suddenly turned around, her expression changed, becoming somewhat sinister and strange.

“Feng Huang, he has devoured my heart. I am no longer the person I used to be. I am sorry to you all, but when I realized it, it was too late. Nothing can be changed. My heart has changed, but I was completely unaware of it. The Ji family and Xuantian Pavilion were indeed prescient in stopping the threat to the Dark Realm!”

The old woman looked up at the dungeon walls, her brows furrowed in deep thought.

“Feng Huang, do you know why Qiong An entered Luowu Ancient City? The person we were waiting for has arrived, but he comes from the Ji family. Fate is truly amazing. When Ji Qingyun came to Luowu Ancient City, I told him about the misalignment of the six lines and the matter of the chosen one.”

Looking back now, those words were meant to be said by him, not by me. Yet Ji Qingyun believed them. The Chosen One is the calamity of the Ji family—I think that's what he really wanted to tell Ji Qingyun. Ji Qingyun's cleverness backfired; he truly destroyed the Chosen One's Six-Line Body!

The old woman smiled slightly!

“Feng Huang, do you know? Just now, in the Wanfeng Forest Formation, I saw him. Only the Azure Dragon and the Netherworld Soul were in their proper positions. It’s really strange. If the Azure Dragon’s body was trapped by Ji Qingyun, then who trapped the Netherworld Soul? My heart tells me it’s not someone from the Dark Realm!”

"Feng Huang, do you think it could be someone from the Xuan Tian Pavilion? The Chosen One is destined to change the inheritance of the Heavenly Dao and the rules of the world. It seems that both the Ji family and the Xuan Tian Pavilion have motives!"

The old woman turned around again, lowered her head in deep thought, and after a long while, sighed softly:

“Feng Huang, Qiong An came to return to his position. He believes that since Qinglong and Youhui only returned to their positions halfway, it is not wrong for me and him to return to our positions halfway as well. But what Qiong An does not know is that I cannot return to my position either. My heart is the Heart of the Dark Realm, and I cannot return to my position!”

The old woman turned her face toward the black jade coffin again.

“Feng Huang, actually I’m thinking about another question. If none of the six lines can return to their proper positions, can you still call him the chosen one? We’ve waited for thousands of years, and yet a flawed chosen one has appeared. We ourselves are also flawed. What exactly does this destiny mean?”

The old woman's wrinkles gradually smoothed out; she was probably too tired, so she simply lay down on her back.

“Feng Huang, Shan Ruoshui, who killed him back then, has a successor. Alas, if it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t have been asleep forever. I’m so sorry to you. He said that Shan Ruoshui was one of the Five Elementalists of Guanxing Mountain. Back then, the King of the Dark Realm led his five great generals to attack Guanxing Mountain, but they were blocked by the Five Elementalists. Some were killed, some died, and some fled.”

For a thousand years, he and I have been investigating the secrets behind this matter, but we haven't found a single clue!

The old woman turned around, waved her hand, and a vortex appeared.

"Feng Huang, after all I've said, do you understand? The Shui Sheng you knew is gone. I am now the Shui Sheng of the Dark Realm, and I may never come to see you again!"

The rattan chair and the old woman disappeared together into the dungeon.

The night was cool and still, and all was quiet!

Inside the Maple Forest, Yi Xuan panicked. He searched the entire forest but couldn't find even a trace of Shen Yichen's presence. This shouldn't be the case. He possessed the Heavenly Astral Dragon, so he should have been able to easily pinpoint Shen Yichen's aura.

The old woman sitting in the rattan chair was stopped by Yixuan. To be precise, it was the old woman who stopped Yixuan, but the timing of her appearance was so good that it seemed more like Yixuan had taken the initiative to stop her.

Looking at the frail old woman before him, Yi Xuan was extremely nervous. Tian Xianglong kept warning him of danger, but Yi Xuan did not leave immediately.

"Senior, I have two friends who have gotten lost in the maple forest. Have you seen them?"

The old woman, Shui Sheng, smiled!

"Little kid, just say what you want to say. Do you suspect I killed them?"

Upon hearing this, Yi Xuan was startled and took two steps back.

"So, senior really killed them?"

"Yes, the best nourishment for this Maple Forest is the true essence of all the martial artists in the world. Since we are friends, let's stay and keep each other company!"

The old woman, Shui Sheng, harbored murderous intent because she couldn't see through the young man in front of her. He was really strange, and she had to find out Yi Xuan's true colors.

With a wave of her hand, the old woman sent six long vines directly attacking Yi Xuan.

Yi Xuan's expression changed slightly, and the Heavenly Phase Dragon on his wrist transformed into a ring, meeting the six long vines.

"Tianxianglong!"

The old woman, Shui Sheng, exclaimed in surprise; in reality, this was the memory of Ming Jie Shui Sheng.

Yixuan and the old woman Shuisheng both stopped and looked at each other quietly.

Yi Xuan was naturally shocked. Tian Xianglong had not entered the martial world for a thousand years, and very few people in the Ji family's capital city knew about him. How could this old woman possibly know? This must be a joke!

"Senior, how...how do you know me?"

Yixuan did not deny it; he was more concerned about the reason.

The old woman, Shui Sheng, looked up at the dark sky, a smile appearing on her lips!

"Little one, tell me where you're from, and I'll let you go!"

The formation in the Maple Forest was activated, and countless branches were poised to unleash their power.

Yi Xuan understood why Tian Xianglong had given the warning; there really was something strange about the maple forest!

"Sure, senior, I agree, but you should answer first. I asked first!"

"My answer is simple: I've seen Tianxianglong!"

Yi Xuan looked horrified and denied it:

"impossible!"

"Little one, it's your turn to answer. Don't lie to me, or you'll suffer a terrible fate!"

Yixuan smiled when he heard that.

"Since you've met Tian Xianglong before, you should know that you can't keep me here. Farewell!"

Yi Xuan left, and the celestial mirror reflected the light of a waning moon, revealing a path to heaven that led directly into the void.

The old woman, Shui Sheng, did not attack. She seemed to know that attacking was useless, but a strange smile appeared on her lips.

Watching Yi Xuan's departing figure, Ming Jie Shui Sheng murmured to herself:

"A thousand years have passed; it's time for some things to reveal their true nature!"

Mingjie Shuisheng had seen this road to heaven before; they had traveled it before. It was the path to Guanxing Mountain, but only a part of it.

"My body is my body, my mind is your mind, so who am I really? Alas!"

The old woman sighed softly and disappeared into the maple forest.

Outside the maple forest, on the same mound where Shen Yichen, Ning Menghuan, and Yi Xuan had been gazing at the forest, a figure stood under the moonlight, watching a fleeting figure disappear into the void, muttering to himself:

"What a troublesome child!"

In the dappled shadows of the trees, all that could be seen was that faint smile!