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

"Who is he?"

Yu Youwei was also shocked to see this scene, but she quickly reacted and activated the Qingyue Phenomenon to protect Jiang Chuan.

"Protect him!"

A voice suddenly rang in Yu Youwei's mind.

She turned her head and looked around, but couldn't find the source of the sound.

The strange phenomena in the world are becoming more and more astonishing, and the vortex of spiritual energy has expanded to cover the entire Longhai County.

The people of the city were terrified and knelt down to pray. The various cultivators hidden in the city had different expressions: some were awe-inspiring, some were greedy, and some seemed thoughtful.

"What powerful phenomena will arise from such a terrifying act of devouring?"

An old monk who had lived in seclusion for many years murmured.

In Yin Wending's "Nine Heavens Sword Tomb" phenomenon, ten thousand swords rang out in unison, while in Yu Youwei's "Cold Moon Frosty Sky" phenomenon, ice crystals flew everywhere. The combined pressure from these two Bitter Sea phenomena caused the entire city's buildings to tremble.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the bluestone bricks where Jiang Chuan was kneeling on one knee, and the blood seeping from his seven orifices drew strange patterns on the bluestone bricks.

Those once clear eyes were now bloodshot, and the pupils had strangely expanded into two dark vortexes.

"They actually managed to withstand our combined phenomena for thirty breaths."

Yin Wending was dressed in white, his sword case humming and vibrating behind him.

He suddenly frowned and noticed that Jiang Chuan's lips were twisted into a distorted arc.

"wrong!"

Yu Youwei formed a hand seal with her delicate hands, and her moon-white long dress moved without wind.

She saw that pale golden mist was seeping from Jiang Chuan's pores, and that mist condensed into tiny lotus-shaped runes in the air.

Suddenly, the sound of bones grinding together rang out on the deathly silent battlefield.

Jiang Chuan slowly stood up in a posture that defied human anatomy, his cervical spine making a sickening sound.

When he was fully upright, his neck was still bent at a bizarre 90-degree angle.

"Life and death, the cycle of reincarnation."

The hoarse voice seemed to come from an ancient tomb, each word carrying a metallic, scraping tremor.

Yu Youwei's fingertips felt cold; she clearly saw a penetrating wound in Jiang Chuan's throat—

That was a wound inflicted by Yin Wending's sword energy half an hour ago, a wound that should have been fatal.

Yin Wending's sword finger trembled slightly, and his natal flying sword "Jade Dragon's Roar" in the Nine Heavens Sword Tomb emitted a clear and melodious sword cry, as if issuing a warning.

He suddenly realized that his strange phenomenon of the Sea of ​​Bitterness was being eroded by some kind of force, and the suspended sword energy began to change direction uncontrollably.

"Planting a lotus in a sea of ​​suffering"

Jiang Chuan's twisted neck suddenly snapped back into place, and two golden lights shone in his empty eye sockets.

A fleeting moment of beauty, an eternal sky.

As the hymn sounded, huge lotus patterns suddenly appeared on the ground of the entire Longhai County.

Yu Youwei was startled to realize that her Cold Moon Phenomenon was melting away. The trajectories of the falling ice crystals all veered off course and surged toward Jiang Chuan, turning into golden specks of light three feet away from him.

"He is using our vision to create the heavens!"

Yin Wending finally changed color, and the sword energy condensed at the tip of the Jade Dragon Chant sword suddenly dissipated.

For the first time, this proud swordsman felt his hand trembling as he held the sword.

It wasn't fear, but rather a suppression from a higher level of Daoist energy.

Yu Youwei suddenly took a step forward.

This action instantly ripped her moon-white dress in more than ten places with the sword energy, and fine beads of blood seeped from her snow-white skin. But she still stubbornly reached out her hand, her blood-stained fingertips touching Jiang Chuan's left hand.

"Jiang Chuan!"

This call seemed to break some kind of taboo.

The pale golden mist around Jiang Chuan's body suddenly surged, and the lotus runes spun wildly and disappeared into his brow.

Yu Youwei felt a burning pain in her palm. Looking down, she saw that her hand was merging with the other person's flesh and blood, and two completely different Daoist energies were colliding fiercely at the point of connection.

"Let go!"

Yin Wending shouted, but Yu Youwei gripped his hand even tighter.

The woman's hair had long since come undone, her black hair dancing wildly in the raging spiritual energy, blood constantly spilling from the corner of her mouth yet she still wore a smile.

His sea of ​​suffering is taking shape.

At this moment, a chaotic turmoil was churning deep within Jiang Chuan's consciousness. Countless fragments of memory flashed back like a revolving lantern.

The finger he cut when he held a sword at the age of three; the sword he wielded three thousand times in a rainstorm at the age of twelve.
The images of the fire that changed his life when he was eighteen suddenly shattered, revealing the vibrant green lotus seed at its core.

"I see."

Jiang Chuan chuckled from the depths of his consciousness. He saw the lotus seed absorbing the golden light from the outside world, which was Yin Wending's sword intent and Yu Youwei's moonlight.

As the last golden light was swallowed up, the lotus seed burst open its first petal with a "pop".

In the real world, a ring-shaped shockwave erupted centered on the three individuals.

Yu Youwei was thrown more than ten feet away, and when she landed, she found that the strange shackles that had bound her had disappeared.

She hurriedly looked up and saw lotus leaves rising to the sky behind Jiang Chuan, with a bright moon cradled in the flower buds.

"From chaos arises a blue lotus, the bright moon illuminates a sea of ​​suffering."

Yin Wending sheathed his sword, his shock gradually turning into relief.

"Jiang Chuan, you really were right."

Before the words were even finished, the blue lotus suddenly bloomed in full.

Golden light emanating from the lotus heart shot straight into the heavens, tearing a massive gap in the dark clouds that shrouded the city. Sunlight poured down like a celestial river, illuminating the river...
Chuan's face was completely transformed—all the horrific wounds had disappeared, and a pale golden glow flowed beneath his skin.

"Thank you both for your help."

As Jiang Chuan cupped his hands in greeting, the strange phenomenon behind him slowly subsided.

But Yu Youwei clearly saw that two tiny blue lotus phantoms still lingered deep in his pupils.

Yin Wending suddenly burst into laughter, the sound of which shook the roof tiles in the distance.

"What a truly invincible figure in the same realm!"

He untied the sword case and slammed it heavily into the ground.

"Today I will not use my swordsmanship to suppress you, but between us..."

"Ultimately, the sword must come to settle the score."

Jiang Chuan responded, a three-inch golden ray condensing at his fingertips.

The golden light flickered and changed shape, sometimes like a sword and sometimes like a lotus, causing Yin Wending's jade dragon chant to resound endlessly within the box.

The two stared at each other for a moment, then Yin Wending suddenly turned around.

"When you reach the fifth realm, I will come to take this sword."

The white-robed swordsman ascended into the sky, the strange phenomena of the Nine Heavens Sword Tomb transforming into flowing clouds that followed him across the heavens.

It left behind sword marks that would never fade.

Just as Yu Youwei was about to speak, a thunderous roar suddenly came from afar.

King Zhang Wei of Dushan arrived riding on thunderclouds, the true form of the Snowwing Wolf King appearing and disappearing. But a gray shadow, arriving first from behind, reached the Lonely City.
With a single palm strike, he shattered the thunderclouds into a shower of sparks.

"roll."

A single, simple word revealed Zhang Wei's true identity.

The snow-winged giant wolf howled as it fell, managing to twist and escape before crashing into the city wall.

The lone city dweller stood atop the city wall with his hands behind his back, his gray robe fluttering in the wind.

"It's time to close the gambling game at the Liang Prince's Mansion."

At the same time, the sandalwood table in the Liang Prince's Mansion suddenly split in two.

Ye Qiu toyed with the half-piece of wood, looking at the black-robed demonic cultivator with a mocking expression.

"Brother Wang, aren't you leaving yet? Perhaps you want to test the Great Annihilation Hand of Lonely City?"

Wang Zhenyu's fists clenched so tightly beneath his black robe cracked, but in the end he only let out a cold snort.

Before he vanished into the black mist, he took a deep look in the direction of Jiang Chuan.

"Chaotic Green Lotus. Interesting."

The autumn rain fell like silk threads, continuous and incessant, as if to soak the entire Longhai County in a damp and cold chill.

Gu Cheng stood on the ruins of the south gate, rain dripping from the edge of his straw hat.

Behind him, the iron-eating beast lay lazily on the ground, gnawing on a piece of iron ore it had found from who-knows-where, making a "crunching" sound.

"My lord, the King of Dushan has already withdrawn his troops."

Zhou Ze walked over with an umbrella, raindrops hitting his boots and splashing up tiny water droplets.

Gu Cheng didn't turn around, but simply gave a faint "hmm".

His gaze pierced through the rain, looking at the faint outline of the Liang Prince's Mansion in the distance.

"What about those two from the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect?"

"They went straight to Gaomo Alley without even saying hello."

Zhou Ze's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

Gu Cheng's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

"Are you in such a hurry to confirm the news? Let's go back home."

Upon hearing its master's command, the iron-eating beast slowly stood up and shook off the rainwater.

Gu Cheng mounted its back, with Zhou Ze following behind. The three figures gradually disappeared into the rain. At the main gate of the Liang Prince's Mansion, Ye Qiu held a green umbrella, its surface embroidered with a few delicate plum blossoms.

Behind him, his two maids, Fan Su and Xiao Man, each stood with a sword in hand, raindrops dripping from the tips of their swords and splashing small water droplets on the ground.

"Young Master Ye, what a refined taste you have, enjoying the scenery in the rain?"

The sound of the lonely city came from the rain, and the footsteps of the iron-eating beast gradually became clearer.

Ye Qiu turned around, a faint smile on his face.

"Lord Gucheng has returned in triumph. Congratulations!"

Gu Cheng jumped off the back of the iron-eating beast. The raindrops hit his black robe, but it seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier, and his clothes were not wet at all.

"Come on this."

Gu Cheng abruptly interrupted the pleasantries.

Why did you let the Demonic Sect members go?

Ye Qiu's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal.

"I never came here to kill the people of the Demon Sect."

"Oh?"

Gu Cheng raised an eyebrow.

"Why is that?"

"Mermaid pearls".

Ye Qiu stopped smiling and looked directly into Gu Cheng's eyes.

"It's time to give it to me as agreed."

Gu Cheng let out a cold laugh.

"The mission is not completed, so how can there be mermaid pearls?"

Ye Qiu's eyes flashed with anger, but he quickly suppressed it.

"Is Lord Gucheng going back on his word?"

"No."

As the lone city took a step forward, the raindrops parted automatically at his feet.

"I can give you a chance—kill someone in the Liang Prince's mansion, and the mermaid pearl will be yours."

Fan Su and Xiao Man gripped their sword hilts tightly, watching Gu Cheng warily.

Ye Qiu's face instantly darkened.

Are you trying to make things difficult for me?

"You can think so."

Gu Cheng did not back down; instead, he revealed a provocative smile.

"If you don't agree, I don't mind killing you too."

The sound of rain seemed to grow louder at that moment, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

Ye Qiu remained silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"Alright, I promise. But if I can't hand over the mermaid pearl..."

A cold light flashed in his eyes.

"I wouldn't mind killing you too."

After speaking, Ye Qiu turned and strode into the Liang Prince's Mansion, with Fan Su and Xiao Man following closely behind. The rain pattered on their departing figures, making them appear exceptionally lonely.

Gu Cheng stood there, watching the three disappear into the depths of the palace, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"grown ups."

Zhou Ze hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Go and prepare.

"Gu Cheng said without turning his head."

"The show is about to begin."

Meanwhile, in a secluded courtyard on the outskirts of the city, Jiang Chuan sat cross-legged on a stone platform, his body enveloped in a faint blue light.

Yu Youwei stood beside him, her slender fingers gently touching...
His brow.

"Concentrate your mind and let the vision lead you into the sea of ​​suffering."

Her voice was soft but firm.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Jiang Chuan's forehead, his brows furrowed. Within his body, a sea of ​​suffering churned, and a phantom of a blue lotus floated within, radiating a powerful life force.

I can't control myself.

Jiang Chuan gritted his teeth, his voice filled with pain.

Yu Youwei's eyes showed worry, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

"You can do it. Think about your promise to Yokoyama."

Jiang Chuan saw the image of the Mountain Demon in his mind, and he seemed to hear the words, "Take back the broken blade of the Wufeng Sword."

The speed at which his spiritual energy circulated suddenly increased.

"Give it to me—take it!"

With a low shout, the illusory image of the Azure Lotus slowly sank into the Sea of ​​Bitterness and eventually disappeared completely.

Jiang Chuan's body was enveloped in a restrained blue light, and an unprecedented sense of power surged throughout his body.

"Success!"

He opened his eyes, his eyes filled with excitement.

Yu Youwei smiled with relief.

"Congratulations, Chaos Green Lotus. This is the strongest Bitter Sea Phenomenon I have ever seen."

Jiang Chuan stood up and suddenly grasped Yu Youwei's hand.

"Thank you, Youwei. Without you, I couldn't have mastered it so quickly."

Yu Youwei's hand trembled slightly, but she did not pull it away. The raindrops fell on their clasped hands, but they felt no chill.

"The Chaos Green Lotus symbolizes the Tao giving birth to One, One giving birth to Two, Two giving birth to Three, and Three giving birth to all things."

Yu Youwei said softly.

"It contains endless vitality, and your future is limitless."

Jiang Chuan stared into her eyes.

"Compared to you, I am still far behind."

Yu Youwei shook her head.

"You are very intelligent, and one day you will surpass me."

The rain intensified, but the two remained oblivious.

Jiang Chuan looked at Yu Youwei's hair, which was wet with rain, and couldn't help but reach out to wipe the water droplets from her face.

"Youwei, it's me."

Yu Youwei suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Don't ask, Jiang Chuan. Some things are not the right time yet."

Jiang Chuan nodded, not pressing her about her relationship with Yin Wending, nor about the many mysteries surrounding her.

He knew that this woman had a clear goal and would do anything to achieve it.

The two stood facing each other in the rain, and finally, Jiang Chuan gently embraced her.

Yu Youwei's body stiffened at first, then slowly relaxed, leaning against his chest.

"Jiangchuan."

Her voice was barely audible.

Just then, a deafening explosion came from afar, shaking the entire Longhai County.

The two looked up at the same time and saw a huge fireball rising from the direction of the Liang Prince's Mansion.

Even from this distance, I could feel the impact.

"That is."

Jiangchuan's pupils contracted.

Yu Youwei's expression changed drastically.

"not good!"

Two streaks of light shot into the sky from the center of the explosion, disappearing into the rain in the blink of an eye.

Yu Youwei stared at one of the figures, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"I have to go."

She suddenly said, breaking free from Jiang Chuan's embrace.

"Youwei?"

Yu Youwei released a green snake from her sleeve; it was the same one she had been suppressing.

After landing, the green snake transformed into human form, appearing as a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl. She glared angrily at Jiang Chuan, clutching a peach blossom in her hand.

"Xiaoqing will stay with you for now."

Yu Youwei spoke quickly. (End of Chapter)