From waterfowl, it began to transform into the Great Sun Golden Crow.

"What did you do to Jingli?"

Inside the Tangjiabao courtyard, Gu Heting questioned loudly.

As dusk settled, the mole crickets chirped in the night. Qin Wuxie pondered for a long time, but still couldn't figure out who this Jing Li was. After a while, he chuckled, "Ha, who do I have here? That big fish?"

"Guess."

"What did you do to him?" Gu Heting asked, his voice trembling with emotion. Jing Li was his friend and also his mentor. All his water-powered skills were taught to him by Jing Li.

"You're too weak, I don't want to tell you."

"You!" Two interrogations yielded no good results. Gu Heting took two steps forward, but was stopped by Tang Jingxuan. He looked at Gu Heting and shook his head.

The person before me is the Holy Son of the Blood Demon Sect.

Regardless of his cunning, his ability to use soul-searching techniques to determine cause and effect is beyond the reach of ordinary people. If he has any backup plans...

It could also hurt the little waterbird right now.

Tang Jingxuan stopped the person with the little waterbird for the same reason.

"I don't know what your intentions are. We cultivators can't be called any prestigious sect. Our cultivation is neither righteous nor evil, but we are full of schemes and treachery. I advise you to think twice. I am the second young master of Tang Family Fort, and I will not grant your wish."

After Tang Jingxuan finished speaking.

The vessel used for searching the soul slowly dissipated.

The Qin Wuxie in that memory vessel merely narrowed his eyes and smiled at Tang Jingxuan. In their final moments before dissipating, both of them heard a chilling statement.

"Second Young Master, there is a traitor in your family. I hope you can remain so calm after learning the truth."

"I'm looking forward to seeing your anxious and worried expression."

Tang Jingxuan snorted coldly and casually shattered the last memory of his soul. Although somewhat displeased, as the former Holy Son of the Golden Spirit Sword Sect, he showed no fear whatsoever.

"I'll be waiting."

One is a holy son of the righteous path, the other a holy son of the demonic path. What is there to fear?

How can a cultivator who walks among the heavens fear the demonic path?

The Autumn Water Sword was sheathed, accompanied by the mournful sound of flowing water.

Tang Jingxuan turned to look at the somewhat flustered little waterbird: "The lives of those from the Demonic Sect are always characterized by inarticulateness. You don't need to take it to heart. Qin Wuxie is, in the end, just a Holy Son of the Demonic Sect; he can't cause much trouble."

Really?

Tang Jingxuan was also unsure.

Is there a traitor within Tang Family Fortress? As the second young master, he already had a general idea in his mind, and he didn't need this person from the demonic path to remind him.

However, Qin Wuxie did manage to stir up some of the unease in his heart.

He sighed softly, "Qin Wuxie has always been secretive; this is the first time I've met him. Brother Gu Heting, why did you see him?"

A long time has passed since then.

It felt like just yesterday that Zhu Heting met Jing Li. He raised his head and told Tang Jingxuan everything that had happened back then.

My spiritual intelligence first awakened in the blessed land of Dongting.

How did Yu Jingli recognize her later? And how did she discover Lü Pingyang of the Qingmu Immortal Sect after sinking in the river?

Finally, the three immortals stood in the blessed land of Dongting.

After the three immortals left, Qin Wuxie appeared.

After Gu Heting finished speaking, Tang Jingxuan didn't know what to say. The little waterbird's life was certainly remarkable. But his next sentence made Tang Jingxuan lose her composure.

Gu Heting lowered his head, his voice even softer than the chirping of mole crickets at night: "Have you ever heard of defying fate and finding a way to survive?"

"What is the life force that defies fate?" Tang Jingxuan asked.

"Defying fate, seizing a sliver of hope, overturning everything from the past and starting anew. Until a perfect ending is achieved. What I mean is, going back in time. Altering the facts that have already happened."

"How is this possible?" The usually composed Tang Jingxuan truly lost her composure at this moment.

His lips trembled.

I don't know how to answer.

Everything in this world, once it's over, becomes the past. All that has passed is but a prologue. In this world, once a move is made, there's no going back; how can there be any reason to take it back?

Could it be that Qin Wuxie has possessed celestial artifacts capable of defying fate all along his journey?

Gu Heting recounted in detail the story of how Jing Liyu fought Qin Wuxie that day.

At the last moment, the world suddenly changed, and the rain stopped abruptly.

Everything in the world seemed to be a beat slower.

Tang Jingxuan listened with his eyes closed, but remained silent. After a long while, he stood up and shook his head repeatedly at Gu Heting.

"Brother Gu Heting, you should go back first. I'll think about this matter carefully."

Gu Heting didn't hold onto the past; he had already said so much, there was no need to remind him anymore.

When he turned around, his steps were heavy, as if he had lost his way.

After the customer left, Tang Jingxuan stood alone in the pavilion courtyard.

He held a gold-threaded brush in his left hand and a cinnabar talisman in his right.

With a slight lift of his finger, the tip of the brush touched the paper, imbuing it with the essence of heaven and earth. Tang Jingxuan began to draw talismans in front of the talisman in his hand.

"If all of this is true, then there must be something in this Dao of Heaven and Earth that I haven't seen."

The little waterbird was talking about defying fate.

Mountains and rivers flow backward, waters move against the current. Is this truly the law governing all things in the world? There must be some kind of divine rhythm within it.

What exactly is this Daoist charm?

Is it time?

Tang Jingxuan was overwhelmed by too much complicated information, and a sense of resentment grew in his heart.

If what Gu Heting said is true, then there must be a kind of Taoist method in this world that can reverse the flow of life and change cause and effect.

Tang Jingxuan is a genius who can understand the Dao of Heaven and Earth.

Since that's the case, he must find the essence of this universe.

"A touch of brilliance at the tip of the pen brings good fortune and prosperity in all things."

A golden pen tip touched the sky, and a brilliant light rose onto the paper. Tang Jingxuan's eyes shone brightly as he searched for that overlooked Daoist essence in the world.

"The destiny of life, the destiny of all living beings... No, no, this is not the Daoist essence I seek."

"What I want is..."

Tang Jingxuan stared intently at the ethereal Daoist aura surrounding her. Among the many Daoist auras, one was particularly unique. That Daoist aura took on countless forms.

The Daoist charm sometimes resembled a flower, sometimes an insect, and sometimes a butterfly.

But whether it's a flower, an insect, or a butterfly, they all go through three forms.

From adult to egg case, and then from egg case to butterfly.

Suddenly, the butterfly transformed into a withered tree, which then blossomed again and bore fruit. Soon, the Daoist aura began to shift once more.

It is vast and complex.

Tang Jingxuan then realized what that Daoist rhythm truly was. It was the Daoist rhythm of time for all living beings.

Uncaptureable, unalterable.

Everything in the world seems to have been predetermined, left to its own devices.

"The Daoist principles that can defy fate and change one's destiny actually exist."

He coughed up a mouthful of blood. Searching for that one Daoist essence amidst countless others was truly exhausting. He was mentally and physically drained, and in an instant, he suffered internal injuries.

"It's alright, we just need to guide that touch of the Dao of Heaven and Earth into the talisman."

Tang Jingxuan gently touched the golden Daoist aura.

But that Daoist aura struggled wildly, as if it had lost its mind. Soon, the Daoist aura, symbolizing time, dissipated into nothingness. It could not be guided, nor could it be captured.

Like a trickle of water flowing through your fingers.

What's past is past.