"When you can manifest his Dharma Image, you will understand that he alone can carry all hope."
Long Jun turned his head to gaze into the distance, his voice soft, his eyes filled with nostalgia.
Long Qing, meanwhile, continued to ponder over Long Xin the Dragon Heart Emperor. After a while, he began asking about the emperor's deeds.
Since Long Qing had already entered the initial stages of cultivating the Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect, Long Jun's attitude towards him had shifted. He finally started recounting the stories of Long Xin the Dragon Heart Emperor, and Long Qing listened intently.
The more he heard, the more at peace he felt.
Understanding the past of the Long Clan would allow him to grasp its true essence, strengthening his sense of honor and disgrace.
"Looking across the ages, in my view, the Long Clan's downfall was deserved. When we were at our strongest, we oppressed countless realms, and many of our prodigies took extreme paths. But even so, the Long Clan should not have been oppressed by the War Court. To break the shackles of fate on our clan and to destroy the War Court is a matter of cause and effect. After all, the War Court was created by us, but now, under its banner, unspeakable sins are committed. Since it all began with the Long Clan, it must also end with the Long Clan."
Long Jun's voice was deep and solemn. After a pause, he added, "Your descendants must never bear the surname Long again."
Hearing this, Long Qing did not object. He remained immersed in the legend of Long Xin the Dragon Heart Emperor.
Although he had only seen the emperor's back, he had already been utterly captivated, developing an intense sense of admiration.
He began to anticipate the day when he would master the Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect.
At the very least, once he had mastered it, he could finally see Long Xin the Dragon Heart Emperor's full glory.
…
A hundred years passed, and the world had once again changed.
The Nine Spirits Continent was finally caught in the storm of chaos sweeping across the lands. More and more powerful cultivators fled to this continent, setting off great upheavals.
At the edge of the continent, on a vast sandy shore, two women descended from the sky. The moment they landed, they immediately sat cross-legged, circulating their qi to recover.
One of them was dressed in blue, her face exquisitely made up, though her hair was slightly disheveled. The other wore a white robe and was even more stunning, akin to an immortal from the heavens. However, her complexion was deathly pale, clearly suffering from severe injuries.
The blue-robed woman opened her eyes, looking at the white-robed woman, and asked, "Sister, now that we've escaped to this place, we should be safe, right?"
The white-robed woman was named Li Xuanyu. She slowly opened her eyes and looked into the distance, her voice carrying a faint melancholy, "It's hard to say."
The blue-robed woman, Tang Cai, furrowed her brows at her words, letting out a soft sigh.
"How much longer do we have to keep running? How will Li Ya find us?" Tang Cai asked, her voice filled with concern.
Li Xuanyu did not respond. She simply closed her eyes again, continuing her healing process.
Seeing this, Tang Cai also closed her eyes, focusing on her recovery.
Time passed quickly.
An hour later.
From the end of the ocean, a fierce wind suddenly rose, causing both women to snap their eyes open.
"Let's go. It looks like they won't let us off," Li Xuanyu said as she stood up. However, the moment she got up, her body swayed, nearly collapsing. Fortunately, Tang Cai quickly caught her.
Without hesitation, Tang Cai summoned a magical artifact, supporting Li Xuanyu as they flew toward the heart of the continent.
Not long after they left, a swarm of countless black crows swept in from the horizon. They were so densely packed that they blotted out the sky. Moving at terrifying speeds, they surged into the continent.
Tang Cai, who was controlling the flying artifact, suddenly felt something. She turned her head and immediately paled, her face filled with horror.
"They're too fast! What do we do?"
Tang Cai looked at Li Xuanyu beside her and asked in a low voice.
Though Li Xuanyu was severely wounded, she had always been Tang Cai's pillar of strength. If not for her constant efforts to protect Tang Cai, she would never have been injured so badly in the first place.
Li Xuanyu's expression remained calm as she said, "Drop me. You go. Their main target is me."
Tang Cai's face turned red with anger. "What nonsense! I promised Li Ya that I would protect you no matter what!"
"Either we die together, or you live and find Li Ya in the future to avenge me," Li Xuanyu said, her tone utterly calm as she looked at Tang Cai.
Tang Cai opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but no words came out.
Li Xuanyu suddenly grabbed Tang Cai's wrist, holding her gaze firmly.
Tang Cai gritted her teeth, controlling the flying artifact as she descended.
The two of them landed in a dense forest, and Tang Cai carefully helped Li Xuanyu sit down against a tree.
"Hurry up and leave, stop dawdling," Li Xuanyu urged after settling down. Her face had turned even paler, yet she still forced herself to speak.
Tang Cai stood up, taking a few steps forward before stopping in place.
She clenched her sleeves tightly, unable to bring herself to leave.
Li Xuanyu looked at her, a hint of appreciation flashing in her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, a voice came from deep within the forest.
"Are you outsiders?"
Both Li Xuanyu and Tang Cai turned their heads abruptly.
A woman dressed in yellow robes walked out from between the trees. She held a bamboo basket in one hand and had a gentle smile on her face.
It was An Xin.
Li Xuanyu frowned slightly, carefully observing her.
Tang Cai, on the other hand, asked warily, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
With her cultivation at the Nirvana Realm, she had sensed no living beings within a thousand miles. Yet, this woman had appeared behind them without making a sound. How could she not be on guard?
An Xin smiled. "My name is An Xin. I was just passing by, but after making a small calculation, I realized I was fated to meet you two, so I came to offer my help."
She was actually quite curious herself, wondering which of them was Li Shibo's sister and which was his lover.
Her gaze landed on Li Xuanyu. This woman bore some resemblance to Li Shibo, so she guessed she was his sister.
Li Xuanyu found the name "An Xin" somewhat familiar as if she had heard it somewhere before. But no matter how hard she tried to recall, she couldn't remember. Perhaps it was just a coincidence with someone else's name.
"And how exactly do you plan to help us? Do you even know what we're running from?" Tang Cai asked, her guard still up.
An Xin chuckled. "You don't have a choice, do you? You're not going to abandon her, are you?"
Tang Cai fell silent.
At that moment, a mass of black crows surged out from deep within the forest, so dense that they resembled a devouring wave of darkness.
Tang Cai's expression changed drastically, and even Li Xuanyu reflexively raised her hand in defense.
An Xin swiftly turned, a long brush appearing in her hand. With a single stroke, the black crows disintegrated into ash, forming a thick black mist that dispersed into the forest.
Tang Cai's eyes widened, and even Li Xuanyu was momentarily stunned by An Xin's effortless display of power.
The wind rustled through An Xin's hair and robes. She turned her head slightly, glancing at the two women with a smile. "Does that count as helping you?"
Tang Cai muttered in disbelief, "Yes… but the real ones after us are still behind."
An Xin asked, "What's their cultivation level?"
"Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm…"
"Perfect," An Xin grinned, raising her brush. "This brush of mine is just enough to wipe out a Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal."
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the treetops, casting a glow over her figure.
To Tang Cai, An Xin looked entirely different now.
She had only ever seen this kind of confidence in Li Ya before—the absolute certainty that no problem was beyond her ability to solve.
Even Li Xuanyu had to admit that An Xin exuded an aura that made people want to trust her.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced. The reason she had heard of An Xin's name before… it was from Li Ya.
But why had he mentioned her? The memory was too distant, and she couldn't recall the details.
If this woman knew Li Ya, then perhaps she could be trusted.
An Xin put away her brush and turned around, smiling. "Come with me. I'll take you somewhere to heal. This is your first time on the Nine Spirits Continent, isn't it? You might want to stay for a while—you never know what opportunities you might find."
Tang Cai hurriedly bowed in gratitude. "Senior, why are you helping us?"
She needed an answer before she could feel at ease.
An Xin blinked and said, "I know Li Ya. Is that enough?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Cai didn't seem relieved. Instead, her eyes flashed with suspicion.