After clearing the level, the fairies were reborn!

It was a bright star, located in the very center of the star chart, surrounded by countless smaller stars.

It was larger and brighter than any other star, emitting a faint golden glow.

“And I,” the woman pointed to another star, “am here.”

That star was extremely close to the central star, almost touching it.

It was equally bright, yet it emitted a cool, silvery light.

“We were once the closest of people,” the woman said softly. “Senior brothers and sisters, Daoist partners, confidants… We cultivated together, discussed the Dao together, and traveled the world together.”

Xu Ze remained silent.

He could sense something heavy in those words.

"and after?"

"And then?" The woman's lips curled up slightly, forming a gentle smile.

The curve of his lips seemed to be smiling, but it revealed no emotion. "Later he died."

Xu Ze: "..."

“He died a very thorough death,” the woman continued. “His soul was scattered and he couldn’t even enter the cycle of reincarnation. It took me thousands of years to find a wisp of his remnant soul from the world and send it into the cycle of reincarnation.”

She paused, then looked at Xu Ze.

"Of course, this is conditional."

"The condition is that I must remain in this world of the Heavenly Book for the rest of the long years to come, until... ten thousand years later."

“When he is reincarnated, the ‘small world’ sealed by the Heavenly Book will also reach its limit and will be unable to be maintained.”

a thousand years.

This number is much longer than Mu Yan's three hundred years.

Xu Ze looked at her, a complex emotion welling up inside him.

"The senior brother you're talking about, could it be me?"

The woman remained silent for a moment.

She didn't answer Xu Ze's question, but instead spoke to herself:

"The Path of Ruthlessness is a path that severs all ties and transcends emotions," she said calmly. "Cultivating this path will eliminate all suffering."

Are you in pain right now?

The woman turned her head and looked at him.

Those calm, expressionless eyes suddenly showed a slight tremor.

"You're concerned about me?"

Xu Ze did not answer.

The woman withdrew her gaze and continued looking at the star map.

“Ten thousand years is too long,” she said. “So long that I have forgotten what pain, joy, and longing are… Now, I am merely a cultivator practicing the Path of Ruthlessness.”

Xu Ze felt an indescribable sadness welling up inside him.

He suppressed his curiosity and asked a seemingly meaningless question:

"Do you still remember me?"

The woman is silent.

a long time.

“I remember,” she said, “but that’s all.”

She turned around to face Xu Ze.

Lin Yueyan's face remained expressionless, and she said in an icy tone:

"Senior brother, you lost."

"The Heavenly Court has existed for countless eons and is connected with all things in the world. No one can rival it."

"You can be reborn this time... but what about next time?"

The woman turned around and looked calmly at the young man in front of her.

“…The Heavenly Court?” Xu Ze was stunned.

He looked at the woman in front of him, at her cold and aloof face.

All the guesses in his mind, at this moment, were like precise gears, quietly tightening and making a huge roar.

Chapter 156 Breaking the Formation

"From now on, you stay here and don't go anywhere else."

Lin Yueyan's voice echoed in the hall, cold as frost, leaving no room for doubt.

Xu Ze stood there, stunned, unsure of what to say.

Stay here?

What do you mean?

“Senior…” he began.

"No need to say anything more." Lin Yueyan interrupted him, turned around, and continued to look at the star map. "I have already made my decision."

Xu Ze frowned.

"What gives you the right to decide whether I stay or leave?"

Lin Yueyan did not turn around.

“Because you are his reincarnation,” she said, “because I have waited for you for ten thousand years.”

Xu Ze remained silent.

a thousand years.

This number is so significant that it's impossible to refute.

“But I am not him,” he said.

Lin Yueyan's body stiffened slightly.

“I don’t remember you, I don’t remember what happened between us,” Xu Ze continued. “I am Xu Ze, not your senior brother.”

a long time.

Lin Yueyan spoke, her voice still calm:

You'll remember.

She raised her hand and waved it gently.

Xu Ze felt a blur before his eyes, and the scenery around him changed instantly.

When he came to his senses, he was already standing in a small courtyard.

The courtyard was small, but extremely tidy. Several brick and tile houses were scattered in a pleasing manner, and a few unidentified flowering trees were planted in the courtyard, blooming in full glory.

"This is……"

"Your place to stay." Lin Yueyan's voice rang in his mind. "Stay here and feel free to ask if you need anything."

Xu Ze looked up at the sky.

There, a faint light curtain enveloped the entire courtyard.

That's a formation.

The formation that trapped him.

“Senior,” he took a deep breath, “what you’re doing is no different from imprisonment.”

silence.

a long time.

“There is a difference,” Lin Yueyan’s voice rang out again. “Imprisonment is coercion. Here, it is protection.”

"Protect?"

“It’s dangerous out there,” she said. “You have too many enemies, and they’re too strong. Staying here is at least safe.”

Xu Ze gave a wry smile.

"What about my friends? What about my lover? They're still waiting for me outside."

Another long silence followed.

Then, the voice disappeared.

No matter how Xu Ze called out, there was no response.

Xu Ze stood in the courtyard for a long time.

Finally, he sighed and turned to walk towards the few tiled houses.

They come, the security.

He wanted to see what this crazy woman was up to.

Pushing open the door to the main room, you'll find the furnishings simple yet elegant.

A bed, a desk, several bookshelves, and a blue lamp on the desk, exactly the same as the one in the main hall.

Xu Ze walked to the desk and casually picked up a scroll.

Upon unfolding it, one finds a cultivation technique recorded on it—named "The Heart Sutra of Ruthless Dao".

He frowned and put down the book.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside.

Xu Ze turned his head to look.