The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

"Sister Youwei has been waiting for you since this morning, and she's changed the tea three times."

"Azure Scales!"

Yu Youwei's ears turned slightly red, and she glared at the little girl reproachfully.

Jiang Chuan laughed loudly, picked up Qing Lin, and walked to the stone table to sit down.

Yu Youwei approached gracefully, her delicate hands holding a teapot, and poured tea for him. The amber-colored tea was poured into the white porcelain cup, and wisps of steam rose from it.

"Try it, the newly picked autumn tea."

She pushed the teacup towards Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan reached out to take it, and inadvertently touched Yu Youwei's fingertips.

Both of them were startled, but neither of them immediately pulled back.

Jiang Chuan took the opportunity to grasp that soft hand and gently squeezed it.

"Miss me?"

His eyes were smiling.

Yu Youwei smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"Who misses you? It's Qinglin who's been insisting on seeing you."

"Not at all!"

Qinglin peeked her little head out from Jiang Chuan's lap, her face full of innocence.

"Last night, Sister Youwei was talking in her sleep, calling out Brother Jiangchuan's name."

"Azure Scales!"

Yu Youwei's neck turned red, and she pretended to pinch the little girl's mouth.

Jiang Chuan laughed so hard he almost fell over, and held Qing Lin protectively in his arms.

"Alright, alright, our Qinglin is the most honest. I'll buy you candied hawthorns later."

Yu Youwei shook her head helplessly and poured Jiang Chuan another cup of tea.

Jiang Chuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his eyes lit up immediately.

"Good tea! This aroma... is it because osmanthus was added?"

"Yes, it's the old osmanthus tree in the yard that's blooming."

Yu Youwei's eyes were filled with smugness.

"I picked them myself, only the tenderest stamens."

Jiang Chuan took another sip and deliberately smacked his lips.

"Tsk, my wife's cooking is really good."

"Who's your wife!"

Yu Youwei slapped him lightly, embarrassed and annoyed, but couldn't hide the smile on her lips.

Qinglin tilted her head, her big eyes full of curiosity.

"Brother Jiangchuan, what is a wife?"

"this one"

Jiang Chuan scratched his head, unsure how to explain.

"It's about the closest people, the kind you spend your whole life with."

Qinglin suddenly realized and clapped his hands.

"Then I understand! Sister Youwei is Brother Jiangchuan's wife, and Brother Jiangchuan is also my wife!"

"puff--"

Jiang Chuan spat out a mouthful of tea, choking and coughing.

Yu Youwei laughed so hard she was shaking, patting Jiang Chuan's back as she spoke.

"Serves you right for teaching such things wrong, now you're reaping what you sowed!"

After finally stopping his cough, Jiang Chuan pinched Qing Lin's little face.

"Silly girl, that's not how it's calculated."

Qinglin had already jumped off his lap and skipped to the persimmon tree.

"I'm going to pick some persimmons! You two can continue your conversation about your wives!"

Watching the little girl's cheerful figure disappear into the distance, Jiang Chuan and Yu Youwei exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with tenderness.

But soon, Yu Youwei's smile faded, replaced by a solemn expression.

"Jiangchuan."

She lowered her voice.

"I've called you here because I have something important to tell you."

Jiang Chuan noticed the change in her tone and his expression turned serious.

"What happened?"

Yu Youwei took a deep breath.

"You are right here at the heart of a great storm."

Jiangchuan frowned.

"Is it because of Zhao Weiyuan's death?"

That was just a starting point.

Yu Youwei shook her head.

"The real target is you."

"I?"

Jiang Chuan's pupils contracted slightly.

"The Demonic Sect wants to kill me? Why?"

Yu Youwei tapped the table lightly with her fingertips.

"Isn't the identity of the eldest son of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect enough? Killing you will not only severely damage the morale of the Immortal Sect, but also undermine your father's prestige."

Jiang Chuan was startled.

Although he knew his identity was sensitive, he never expected to become the primary target of the Demonic Sect.

"They sent out three saints and seven sages."

Yu Youwei's voice was even lower, almost inaudible.

Jiang Chuan took a breath of cold air.

"The Three Saints and Seven Sages? The Demonic Sect has come out in full force!"

The Three Saints and Seven Sages represent the Demonic Sect's most elite fighting force.

The three saints were all powerful beings who could penetrate heaven and earth, and the seven sages were also ruthless characters with notorious fears.

This lineup is enough to sweep aside any opponent.

"The immortal sects will not stand idly by."

Yu Youwei continued.

"As far as I know, four chief disciples and nine great and small sages have been dispatched to intercept the people of the Demonic Sect."

Jiang Chuan clenched his fist. Four chief disciples and nine true immortals—that was practically half of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect's high-end combat strength!

"and many more."

Something suddenly occurred to him.

"So, Su Wen's guess might be correct? Senior Brother He Jie from the Sword-Holding Hall."

Yu Youwei nodded heavily.

"I'm afraid the odds are against them. This thousand-mile hunt has spread far and wide, even the Grand Preceptor of the Great Zhou, Cheng Zizai, has been involved and his whereabouts are now unknown."

Jiang Chuan felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. The Imperial Preceptor, Cheng Zizai, was a figure comparable to his father! If even he...
“A giant net has been laid across the entire county.”

Yu Youwei's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet every word was like thunder.

"And you, Jiang Chuan, are right at the center of this web."

Jiang Chuan sat at the stone table in the courtyard, his fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of his teacup. The tea had gone cold, but he was completely unaware.

Yu Youwei picked up the purple clay teapot and poured him a fresh cup of tea, the steam rising gently in the cold rain.

"With Zhao Weiyuan dead, the sixteen cities in the northern border immediately rose up in rebellion. No one would believe that this was not orchestrated by someone."

Jiang Chuan stared at the swirling tea leaves in his cup, his voice low and deep.

"I'm just a prelude; their real target is the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect."

Yu Youwei tucked a strand of rain-dampened hair behind her ear, her rose-red eyes gleaming faintly in the shadows.

"If word gets out that the Great Zhou court is colluding with the Demonic Sect, it will shake the entire cultivation world."

"That's why I'm in more danger."

Jiang Chuan gave a wry smile and looked up at the gray sky.

"If I die in the North, the Demonic Sect can both save face and frame the rebels, killing two birds with one stone."

As the rain intensified, Yu Youwei held up an oil-paper umbrella and moved it over Jiang Chuan's head.

She suddenly leaned down and whispered almost into his ear.

"Are you afraid?"

A warm breath brushed against his earlobe, and Jiang Chuan's heart skipped a beat, but he pretended to be calm and asked in return.

"Are you worried I'll get killed on the road?"

Yu Youwei straightened up, a dangerous smile curving her lips.

"I won't let you die."

Her voice was soft as water, yet carried an undeniable firmness.

"Whoever dares to kill you, I will kill them."

Jiang Chuan turned to look at her and suddenly noticed that the color of her eyes had changed from rose red to deep blue, as mysterious and unpredictable as the deep sea. What shocked him even more was that Yu Youwei's cultivation level had dropped from the fourth realm of Supreme Being to the third realm of Knowledgeable Mind.

"you"

Jiang Chuan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Yu Youwei seemed to see through his thoughts and chuckled softly.

"You want to ask me why I'm so confident? Even three fifth-realm experts like Ye Qiu, Gu Cheng, and Lu Jianxiong couldn't protect you, so what makes me think I can?"

Jiang Chuan did not answer, but the doubt in his eyes was obvious.

Just then, the blue scales outside the courtyard suddenly bristled and let out a low growl.

Jiang Chuan's heart tightened as he sensed a sharp killing intent emanating from the alleyway entrance.

"coming."

Yu Youwei spoke calmly, as if she had expected this.

A man in black robes walked slowly out of the rain, his figure hunched but his steps steady.

With each step he took, the puddles on the ground mysteriously avoided him, as if afraid of his arrival.

As he approached, Jiang Chuan saw the wrinkled face clearly—it was Zhu Lu, the old eunuch of the Great Zhou Imperial Palace.

Zhu Lu pushed open the courtyard gate, his cloudy eyes fixed on Jiang Chuan, his voice hoarse.

"Young Master Jiang, this old servant is ordered to take your life."

The sound of rain suddenly intensified, as if heaven and earth were cheering on the impending slaughter.

Yu Youwei stood calmly in front of Jiang Chuan, her oil-paper umbrella drawing a graceful arc in the rain.

"Eunuch Zhu, have you thought this through before offending someone from the immortal sect?"

Yu Youwei's voice remained gentle, yet it carried a chilling edge.

A smile forced onto Zhu Lu's gaunt face.

“Miss Yu, this old servant will only kill Jiang Chuan, and will not harm you in the slightest. Please step aside.”

What if I don't allow it?

Yu Youwei countered with a question, her azure eyes carrying an eerie quality.

Zhu Lu sighed.

"Then please don't blame this old servant for offending you."

Before the words were even finished, Zhu Lu's figure suddenly blurred, and the next moment he appeared in front of Yu Youwei, his withered hand reaching for her throat. His speed was so fast that not even a afterimage was left.
His peak strength at the fifth realm was on full display.

Jiang Chuan was terrified and was about to make a move when he saw Yu Youwei neither dodge nor evade, but simply raise her left hand slightly.

"Zheng——"

A sword's cry echoed through the courtyard, and the renowned sword Autumn Water automatically unsheathed itself, hovering beside Yu Youwei, its blade gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light. But strangely, she showed no intention of taking the sword.

Zhu Lu's offensive came to an abrupt halt, his cloudy eyes filled with surprise and doubt.

"You are not Yu Youwei!"

In the blink of an eye, a dark figure shot out from inside the house, and with a flick of her wrist, the Autumn Water Sword fell into her hand.

The man was completely shrouded in a black robe, revealing only his eyes and...

Youwei has the same deep blue eyes.

"It's too late to realize this now."

The woman in black sneered and thrust her sword forward with one hand.

This seemingly ordinary sword strike caused the temperature in the courtyard to drop sharply.

Raindrops condensed into ice crystals in mid-air, and frost quickly formed on the ground. In the blink of an eye, the entire courtyard was covered in ice and snow. Blizzard.

Born out of thin air, it roared and swept across every corner.

Jiang Chuan stared wide-eyed as Zhu Lu's body rapidly froze within the sword energy, eventually transforming into a frosty white ice sculpture.

An expression of disbelief remained frozen on that wrinkled face; life had been completely extinguished.

"It's just a clone, hiding its head and tail, ridiculous."

The woman in black sheathed her sword, her tone dismissive.

Sure enough, a dark light shot out from the ice sculpture, attempting to escape the courtyard.

The woman in black did not give chase, but simply called out softly.

"Uncle Long."

The swordsman in the straw raincoat appeared out of nowhere, soared into the air, and chased after the dark light, disappearing into the rain in the blink of an eye.

The courtyard returned to silence, with only the howling wind and snow remaining.

Jiang Chuan looked at the two "Yu Youwei"s standing in front of him and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Their aura, appearance, and even eyes were completely identical; the only difference was their clothing and temperament—one was gentle as water, and the other was cold as ice.

"What the hell is going on?"

Jiang Chuan's voice was hoarse, and his gaze shifted back and forth between the two women.

The woman in black robes held a long sword that gleamed coldly, its tip still dripping with fresh blood.

She turned around, her fiery red eyes, like burning embers, standing out starkly against the falling snow.

The girl in the ruqun standing next to her had a face that was exactly the same as Yu Youwei's, except that her eyes were as blue as the deep sea.

"Young Master Jiang, how have you been?"

The woman in black robes smiled slightly, her voice gentle yet carrying a sharpness Jiang Chuan had never heard from Yu Youwei before.

Jiang Chuan unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes.

"Which of you is the real Youwei?"

The girl in the ruqun covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her expression exactly the same as Yu Youwei in Jiang Chuan's memory.

Before she could speak, the woman in black robes raised her hand and pointed at her.

"She is my alter ego."

"Clone?"

Jiang Chuan frowned, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men.

"But you look..."

"They look exactly the same, don't they?"

The woman in black sheathed her longsword, and the snowflakes that landed on her shoulder melted instantly.

"This is a clone formed from soul power. The caster needs to allocate a portion of their soul power and then shape it with true qi. Although it is simple, it is ultimately just a clone."

Jiang Chuan's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the woman in the black robe.

Every subtle movement she made, every slight twitch of her eyebrow, was exactly like Yu Youwei's, yet with an added layer of inexplicable charm.

An indescribable quality.

"and you."

Jiang Chuan's voice trembled slightly.

The woman in black smiled slightly, a smile that sent a shiver down Jiang Chuan's spine—it was so familiar, yet strangely unsettling.

"I am the result of my original body transforming into a spirit in the Purple Mansion."

She spoke softly, a flame seemingly flickering in her red eyes.

"In a sense, I am the entity itself."

"Neo-God Transformation in the Purple Mansion?"

Jiang Chuan gasped, the description of the fourth realm of the Pure Yang True Scripture flashing through his mind like lightning—the Nascent Soul opens its eyes, achieving divinity.

He stared in disbelief.
A woman in a black robe.

"How could you have done this?"

The woman in black robes—or rather, the real Yu Youwei—had an approving look in her eyes.

"It seems that Young Master Jiang is not entirely ignorant about the path of cultivation."

Jiang Chuan's thoughts were in complete disarray.

He originally thought that Yu Youwei was at most at the third realm of cultivation, but the Purple Mansion Nascent Soul stage was a realm that only a fifth-realm sage could reach!

His gaze involuntarily fell on the jade pendant at Yu Youwei's waist—the jade pendant he had once thought was just an ordinary ornament, which was now emitting a faint spiritual light.

"So, you've been hiding your true strength all this time?"

Jiang Chuan's voice was tinged with bitterness.

"why?"

Yu Youwei did not answer directly, but turned her head to look in a certain direction outside the courtyard, her red eyes slightly narrowed.

"There are some things that are not good for you if you know too much about them."

Just then, the girl in the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) suddenly swayed and turned into a wisp of green smoke, disappearing into the wind and snow.

Jiang Chuan stared in astonishment at the scene, while Yu Youwei remained calm.

"Soul Power Clone Maintenance"

Not long after.

"Then what about your Purple Mansion Nascent Soul stage?"

Jiang Chuan couldn't help but ask.

"How long can it last?"

Yu Youwei turned her head and stared directly at Jiang Chuan with her red eyes.

"I can exist as long as I want."

"But now is not the time to talk about that."

She suddenly raised her hand, and an invisible barrier unfolded around the two of them, keeping the falling snowflakes out.

Jiang Chuan felt an unprecedented sense of oppression—it wasn't murderous intent, but rather...
A higher level of power and pressure.

"Young Master Jiang, do you know what lies beyond the Fifth Realm?" (End of Chapter)