After rebirth, the eldest sister voluntarily abdicated and gave way to the wise.

Holding her birth mother's remains, Jiang Liqian walked aimlessly through the bamboo forest. She stumbled forward, and falling bamboo leaves landed on her hair and clothes, like a soft, emerald snowfall.

At this moment, she opened her eyes, but the sky in front of her seemed unclear. The bamboo forests surrounded her like an invisible net, trapping all her struggles and ways to survive.

Wind blows.

Leaves fall.

People get lost.

Pushing open the bamboo door from her memory, Jiang Liqian's legs trembled slightly, and she could barely stand. She gripped the edge of the bamboo door tightly, took several deep breaths, and then dragged herself in step by step.

This time, however, there was no longer that gentle, spring-like person waiting for her.

On the stone table covered with fallen bamboo leaves, a letter imbued with the fragrance of bamboo lay quietly in the breeze. Beside the letter, a piece of bamboo leaf wrapped around something slightly bulging.

Her face paled, as if she had a premonition of something. She rushed over, but her hands trembled so much that she couldn't open the letter. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, violently blowing the letter away, and it fluttered down, covering layer upon layer of bamboo leaves.

Each stroke, like jade being carved, clearly appeared before her eyes.

[Born from the root, do not grieve for autumn and winter.]

Why bother with thoughts? Nothing comes from emptiness.

As the bamboo leaves unfurled, a crystal-clear stone rested quietly in the sunlight, its surface shimmering with light and exuding a gentle aura, as if an old friend were still there, never having left.

Yes, a delicate heart.

One of the artifacts she dug out herself, and now she's going to dig it out again.

How cruel! She was going to kill her closest people one by one with her own hands.

Tears blurred her vision. Jiang Liqian knelt on the ground, picked up the stone, and felt so heartbroken that she couldn't breathe.

Brother Tingfeng, I only ever wanted you to stay out of this mess, but in the end, it was me who dragged you into this cruel game of fate.

sorry Sorry……

With a creak, the bamboo door was pushed open, and Jiang Liqian was startled, suddenly looking up.

In the old light and shadow, someone walked in with their back to the light. They were tall and slender with black hair and white hair. Their green robes fluttered in the wind and a fallen green bamboo leaf caught on them.

Her pupils dilated, and she scrambled to her feet, rushing over in a disheveled state.

"Brother Tingfeng!"

She clung tightly to his arm, her eyes red-rimmed.

The newcomer's expression was indifferent, and the voice that came out was like the silent wind and snow that had been accumulated for thousands of years: "I am not him, Jiang Liqian."

She was taken aback, then shook her head and backed away.

Seeing her broken state, the man seemed to feel a pang of pity and sighed, "I am Juanjun."

"He is a wisp of divine consciousness that I placed inside the wooden puppet. Three hundred years ago, I obtained a piece of exquisite heart by chance and, following the will of Heaven, placed it inside the wooden puppet. Thus, Tingfeng descended to earth."

"He should never have existed, nor should he have had life. He was born of himself, and ultimately returned to the state of nothingness."

After a pause, Juanjun stared into her tearful eyes and said softly, "He existed because of you, waiting for you all these years. He has already fulfilled his mission, so... don't be sad anymore."

Jiang Li stood there blankly, head bowed, her fingertips clutching the divine stone in her hand. In its pale blue hue, her gaze had suddenly dimmed.

"He won't... come back, will he?"

Juanjun remained silent.

She nodded, put away her clever thoughts, and strode out.

As Juanjun watched her leave, a sense of melancholy lingered in his heart for a long time. He gazed at her departing figure with a bewildered expression, unsure whether it was the lingering sound of the wind bidding farewell to a former friend, or whether he was suddenly struck by a pang of sorrow and pity for the girl who was suffocating under the weight of fate.

-

Jiang Liqian went to Wuji Pavilion, bowed three times to the statues of the patriarch and the Three Pure Ones, and respectfully offered incense and candles.

The bells outside the pavilion tinkled softly under the eaves, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

Jiang Liqian stood up and walked to the Remnant Sky Bell. The distant and ethereal sound of the bell became even louder and clearer, as if it came from the distant past and drifted towards the myriad futures.

Every time she came, she could hear that voice.

Each time, it seems to be telling the same story, the same distant and vague myth.

"Were you waiting for me too..." she murmured, raising her hand. The broken bronze bell that had been hanging under the eaves of Wuji Pavilion slowly floated up and gently fell into her palm in the breeze.

In an instant, a bright blue light shone, a gentle breeze rustled, and the fluttering hem of her skirt was tinged with tiny glimmers of light.

At that moment, her heart was brighter and clearer than ever before. Something obscure, repressed, and dull flew out from her heart. She felt as if she had become much lighter, ready to float away and merge with the world at any moment.

I live for myself, and I die for myself.

I was born with heaven and earth, and I grow with the Tao.

Suddenly, a brilliant purple light burst forth, and within the overwhelming radiance, a graceful figure in a pink veil emerged from her chest. Adorned with gold hairpins and jade ornaments, adorned with long ribbons and gauze, with porcelain-white eyebrows, bright eyes, and white teeth, she appeared in the sacred light like an unapproachable frost goddess.

Jiang Liqian recognized her at a glance; it was Xinxin.

Not a tiny heart, but a heart as big as her, ethereal and pure.

The fluttering veil brushed against her cheek, and Xin Xin's reflection was in her eyes. She flew to her and gently cupped her face in her hands, pressing her forehead against Xin Xin's.

“Master,” she called softly.

Jiang Liqian stared at her blankly.

"I'm leaving." She chuckled softly.

Grasping her hand tightly, Jiang Liqian's lips trembled, as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

Xin Xin shook her head. She was her own Xin Xin, and she would always know what her heart was thinking and longing for.

“I have not disappeared, Master.”

"As long as you exist, I will exist. I've said it before, I will always be with you, you will never be alone."

Jiang Liqian couldn't help but tighten her grip on her hand, her eyes slightly reddening.

Xin Xin smiled, her eyebrows arching, and just like before, pressed her face against hers, nuzzling affectionately. A light, tinkling sound of golden bells drifted on the wind, and Jiang Li looked up to see the bells she had wrapped in her hair hanging down onto her hair bun.

"Ring ring!" "Ring ring!"

[Ding! Master's inner demon backlash value has decreased by one percent. Current backlash value: zero.]

“Xinxin…”

Her beautiful figure vanished in an instant, and the bells of the setting sun rang.

After that, only one person remained.

Jiang Liqian leaned against the door frame, closed her eyes, and held the Shitian Sword in her hand. Cool dewdrops slid down the scabbard and disappeared into the sound of bells and chimes from Wuji Pavilion.

In the first year of the reign of the Celestial Venerable Shangli of the Tianqian Sect in the cultivation world, Jiang Liqian, the 333rd generation disciple of the Sword Peak of the Tianqian Sect, received the mandate of Heaven and the order of her master to succeed as the 33rd generation sect leader of the Tianqian Sect. In accordance with the last wishes of her master, she led the people of the cultivation world to slay demons and save the world, and respectfully served the Celestial Venerable Shangli.

The succession hall was extremely solemn and grand. On the 19,990 white jade steps, the bells and chimes of Wuji Pavilion rang 333 times. Clouds gathered in the sky, and rosy clouds scattered in all directions. Dragons and phoenixes leaped in the sky and roared through the heavens.

Below the square, the disciples stood solemnly. When the sect leader sat down, they all bowed and shouted, "Disciples pay respects to the sect leader!" Their voices were loud and clear, echoing in the sky for a long time.

The two peak masters bowed down in unison, their expressions filled with respect and submission: "We pay our respects to the sect leader!"

After that, the leaders of various sects, large and small, congratulated him on ascending to the position of sect leader.

When the bells and chimes stopped, the rainbow light swirling around the peaks shot into the sky, converging above the Tianqian Sect into a huge shadow of the Heavenly Sword, which then suddenly dispersed, turning into scattered drops of light that fell for three months.