The Golden Phoenix Palace was far larger than Han Qing Li had imagined.
After passing through the outer gates, she realized that what she had seen from outside had merely been a fraction of its true size.
Golden pathways stretched toward the horizon.
Ancient spirit trees stood like silent guardians.
Floating pavilions drifted between clouds.
Countless formations hidden beneath the earth continuously gathered heaven and earth energy.
Every breath taken inside the palace felt different.
Richer.
Purified.
Powerful.
Even Han Qing Li, who had grown up within the imperial palace of the Wanling Empire, could not hide her astonishment.
Meanwhile—
Lin Shuan walked calmly beside her.
Though inwardly, his mind was anything but calm.
The words of the messenger still echoed inside his head.
"There is something concerning your clan."
His clan.
The destroyed Lin Clan.
The blood debt he had carried for years.
The reason he had endured countless hardships.
The reason he refused to die.
Every step forward made his heartbeat grow heavier.
Eventually—
the two arrived at a vast courtyard.
The moment they entered—
Han Qing Li suddenly felt a powerful pressure.
Not oppressive.
Not hostile.
Yet impossibly ancient.
At the center of the courtyard stood a lone woman.
Crimson robes.
Long black hair.
Beautiful beyond description.
Her appearance seemed capable of making countless flowers lose their colors.
Protector Yi.
The Empire Protector slowly turned around.
Her beautiful eyes immediately landed upon Lin Shuan.
A trace of warmth appeared.
But before she could speak—
her gaze shifted.
Toward Han Qing Li.
The smile on her face froze.
Just slightly.
Only for a moment.
Yet somehow—
Lin Shuan suddenly felt danger.
A very familiar danger.
Han Qing Li politely cupped her fists.
"This junior greets Senior Empire Protector."
Protector Yi smiled.
A beautiful smile.
A smile that somehow made Lin Shuan feel even more uncomfortable.
"Oh?"
Her gaze moved across Han Qing Li.
"Wanling Empire's Princess Han Qing Li."
"What a surprise!"
She slowly approached.
The smile remained.
Yet her eyes seemed to be evaluating every detail.
"You are truly as beautiful as the rumors describe."
Han Qing Li smiled politely.
"Senior flatters me."
Protector Yi nodded.
"Indeed."
"Very beautiful."
Then—
her eyes casually glanced toward Lin Shuan.
Very casually.
Far too casually.
"I heard your empire fell into Void Chaos."
Her voice became soft.
"Such a tragic fate."
Before Han Qing Li could answer—
Protector Yi suddenly stepped beside Lin Shuan.
Then—
placed her hand directly upon his chest.
Lin Shuan froze.
Han Qing Li froze.
The surrounding atmosphere froze.
Protector Yi smiled gently.
"It seems Shuan Hao helped you survive."
Her fingers lightly brushed against his robe.
"That is truly his kindness."
Lin Shuan's mouth twitched.
Han Qing Li looked at the hand resting on Lin Shuan's chest.
Something inside her suddenly felt uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable.
Yet she didn't understand why.
Still—
she answered.
"Yes."
"It was because of Shuan Hao."
A soft smile appeared.
"And..."
Her eyes unconsciously drifted toward Lin Shuan.
"I am happy that I traveled with him."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Protector Yi's smile became slightly stiffer.
Only slightly.
Yet Lin Shuan felt his scalp becoming numb.
"Oh?"
Protector Yi laughed softly.
"So you two became quite good friends."
Han Qing Li nodded naturally.
"We experienced many things together."
Something cracked.
Perhaps only inside Protector Yi's mind.
The Empire Protector slowly crossed her arms.
"Interesting."
Then she smiled.
"Though I believe I provide Shuan Hao with very good protection myself."
Han Qing Li blinked.
"I never doubted that, Senior."
Protector Yi nodded.
"Good."
Then—
she took half a step closer to Lin Shuan.
Han Qing Li's eyebrows twitched.
Protector Yi smiled.
Han Qing Li smiled.
The two beautiful women stared at each other.
Both smiling.
Both elegant.
Both polite.
Neither yielding.
Lin Shuan suddenly wanted to run away.
Inside the pendant—
Tian Wuchen was laughing so hard he nearly lost control of his spiritual form.
"Hahahahaha!"
"My heavens!"
"I haven't laughed this much in ten hundred thousand years!"
Lin Shuan's face darkened.
"Master."
"Help me."
Tian Wuchen laughed even harder.
"No."
"This is too interesting."
Lin Shuan clenched his teeth.
"What exactly is happening?"
Tian Wuchen coughed dramatically.
Then explained.
"This is the second stage."
Lin Shuan blinked.
"The second stage of what?"
"The mysterious behavior of women."
Lin Shuan regretted asking.
Tian Wuchen continued.
"When a girl sees another girl standing beside someone she knows..."
"They unconsciously begin competing."
Lin Shuan stared blankly.
Competing?
For what?
Tian Wuchen laughed.
"They try to become better."
"More attractive."
"More important."
"More noticeable."
Lin Shuan felt his head hurting.
That sounded ridiculous.
Meanwhile—
outside—
the battle of smiles continued.
Han Qing Li spoke first.
"Senior Protector Yi is truly beautiful."
Protector Yi smiled.
"Princess Qing Li is not bad either."
Han Qing Li nodded.
"Senior is also very powerful."
Protector Yi nodded.
"You are talented yourself."
The atmosphere became increasingly strange.
Lin Shuan finally couldn't endure it anymore.
"Protector Yi."
Both women turned.
Lin Shuan forced a smile.
"I think..."
"We should discuss the actual reason we're here."
Silence.
The two women stared at him.
Then—
both looked away.
Almost simultaneously.
As if nothing had happened.
Protector Yi coughed softly.
"Right."
Her expression became serious.
"Follow me."
The teasing atmosphere instantly disappeared.
Han Qing Li also became serious.
Because she could feel it.
Something was changing.
Protector Yi turned and walked deeper into the palace.
The further they traveled—
the fewer people appeared.
Eventually—
even the guards disappeared.
The palace grew quieter.
Older.
Ancient formations covered every corridor.
Some seemed older than the Da Cang Empire itself.
Others emitted a pressure that made Han Qing Li's soul tremble.
After nearly half an hour—
Protector Yi finally stopped.
Before them stood a stone gate.
Ancient.
Black.
Covered in countless strange symbols.
Han Qing Li frowned.
She had never seen such writing before.
Neither had Lin Shuan.
Protector Yi pressed her hand against the gate.
The symbols immediately illuminated.
BOOOOM—
The massive gate slowly opened.
Darkness appeared beyond it.
No.
Not darkness.
Space.
A completely different space.
Protector Yi entered first.
Lin Shuan and Han Qing Li followed.
The moment they stepped inside—
both froze.
Their pupils contracted.
Their breathing stopped.
The room wasn't a room.
It resembled an entire universe.
Countless crystal pillars floated within endless darkness.
Galaxies revolved around them.
Stars were born.
Stars died.
Nebulas expanded across infinite space.
And at the very center—
stood a crystal platform.
Within the platform—
countless galaxies continuously rotated.
As though the entire cosmos had been compressed into a single object.
Han Qing Li's mind went blank.
"This..."
"What is this place?"
Even Tian Wuchen had become silent.
Completely silent.
For the first time—
the ancient dragon emperor appeared genuinely shocked.
Lin Shuan's eyes remained fixed upon the endless cosmos surrounding them.
Countless stars revolved.
Galaxies drifted through the darkness.
Rivers of starlight flowed between crystal pillars.
Everything felt real.
Too real.
For a moment, an unbelievable thought appeared inside his mind.
"A separate universe..."
His heartbeat accelerated.
"Protector Yi... actually created an entirely separate universe...?"
The more he observed this place, the more terrifying the possibility became.
Because Lin Shuan knew enough ancient secrets to understand what such a feat truly represented.
Creating an independent world was one thing.
Creating an independent dimension was another.
But creating an entire cosmos capable of containing stars, galaxies, and the laws of heaven and earth—
that was a completely different concept.
"If this place had truly been created by Protector Yi herself..."
Then her strength had already surpassed everything Lin Shuan could currently imagine.
His thoughts instinctively drifted toward Tian Wuchen.
The Ancient Dragon Emperor.
The being who had once stood at the peak of countless worlds.
Even according to Tian Wuchen's standards, only the most terrifying experts in existence could accomplish such a feat.
"Could Protector Yi actually be comparable to Master...?"
The thought alone felt absurd.
Yet the scene before his eyes left him unable to deny it.
"Or perhaps..."
"She is even stronger..."
At that moment—
inside the pendant—
Tian Wuchen's expression had become unusually serious.
Gone was his usual laziness.
Gone was his carefree attitude.
His golden eyes stared at the endless cosmos with visible shock.
"A separate universe..."
He murmured softly.
"No..."
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Tian Wuchen slowly narrowed his eyes.
The more he observed this place, the more confused he became.
Because he understood better than anyone what level of power was required to create a world like this.
Such a feat should belong only to beings who stood at the very summit of existence.
Yet—
he had never sensed such overwhelming power from Protector Yi.
Not even once.
Whenever he observed her, she felt mysterious.
Ancient.
Dangerous.
But never to the extent that she should be capable of creating an entire universe.
That contradiction made his heart uneasy.
"Why...?"
"Why didn't I sense it before...?"
His gaze sharpened.
"Either this universe wasn't created by her..."
"Or..."
A rare trace of seriousness appeared within his eyes.
"This girl is hiding secrets even I cannot see."
For the first time since awakening within the pendant—
Tian Wuchen felt something he had not experienced in a very long time.
Uncertainty.
Protector Yi had become an existence he could not understand.
And that realization was far more shocking than the universe itself.
Meanwhile—
Protector Yi slowly approached the crystal platform.
Her crimson robes fluttered gently.
Under the endless starlight—
she appeared more mysterious than ever.
Almost unreal.
Almost divine.
Then—
she finally spoke.
"Shuan Hao."
Her voice echoed through the stars.
"When your clan still existed..."
"No warrior dared raise their eyes toward it."
Lin Shuan frowned.
His clan?
Protector Yi continued.
"It didn't matter whether they came from another continent."
"Another planet."
"Or another star system."
"There was always someone born within the Lin Clan."
"Someone capable of accomplishing what others believed impossible."
Han Qing Li froze.
Another planet?
Another star system?
What was she talking about?
Lin Shuan was equally confused.
Yet—
unlike Han Qing Li—
he knew enough ancient secrets to understand one thing.
Protector Yi wasn't joking.
Not even slightly.
Her words contained a terrifying weight.
A truth hidden beneath history itself.
Protector Yi's eyes reflected countless galaxies.
"However..."
"There is one thing no one can easily achieve."
She slowly raised her hand.
A river of stars appeared.
Time itself seemed to flow through it.
"Reversing time."
The room fell silent.
Han Qing Li stared blankly.
Lin Shuan's heart shook.
Protector Yi looked at the stars.
"Perhaps it is impossible."
"Or perhaps..."
"It simply requires a height nobody can reach."
Then—
her gaze slowly shifted toward Lin Shuan.
"I know you understand that I am not human."
Han Qing Li's eyes widened.
Lin Shuan remained silent.
Protector Yi smiled faintly.
"The one who told you that..."
"Wasn't alive during the era when I was the last heir of my clan."
Tian Wuchen's eyes narrowed.
For the first time—
the ancient dragon emperor felt uncertain.
Who exactly was this woman?
Protector Yi's expression became distant.
Almost nostalgic.
"I wish to bring back that era."
"A dream I may never accomplish."
Then—
her eyes became complicated.
"But your clan once possessed the possibility."
Lin Shuan's heartbeat accelerated.
"My clan?"
Protector Yi nodded.
"Because in ancient times..."
"The Lin Clan possessed the rarest treasure in the entire universe."
"The only treasure capable of influencing the flow of time itself."
Han Qing Li couldn't understand.
Lin Shuan couldn't understand.
Even Tian Wuchen had never heard such a thing.
Protector Yi continued.
"And throughout all known history..."
"It was used only once."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Lin Shuan finally spoke.
"Wait."
His brows furrowed deeply.
"You keep talking about time."
"My clan."
"Ancient history."
"But..."
His voice grew heavier.
"That isn't why I came here."
"What does this have to do with the destruction of my clan?"
Protector Yi looked at him.
Then smiled.
A mysterious smile.
A lonely smile.
At this moment—
she no longer resembled the Empire Protector.
Nor the woman from the palace courtyard.
She resembled a mysterious crimson-robed girl standing alone at the end of endless history.
A being who remembered things forgotten by the universe itself.
"The answers you seek..."
She spoke softly.
"Are important."
"But not truly important."
Lin Shuan froze.
Protector Yi continued.
"A war is already inevitable."
"The truth behind your clan's destruction will eventually reveal itself."
"But what I am telling you..."
Her eyes reflected countless galaxies.
"Is something even history has forgotten."
Han Qing Li felt completely lost.
Every sentence only created more questions.
More mysteries.
More confusion.
Yet Lin Shuan remained focused.
Because unlike her—
he had already encountered ancient inheritances.
Ancient ruins.
Ancient emperors.
Ancient truths.
And everything about Protector Yi suggested one thing.
She knew secrets far older than the current era.
Even Tian Wuchen had become unusually quiet.
His eyes remained fixed upon Protector Yi.
Trying to identify her origin.
Trying to remember.
Trying to connect forgotten fragments of memory.
Yet failing.
Protector Yi slowly turned.
Her crimson robes danced among the stars.
Then—
she looked directly at Lin Shuan.
For a moment—
her eyes seemed capable of seeing through everything.
His bloodline.
His soul.
His memories.
His fate.
Everything.
Then she spoke.
"And perhaps..."
"The thing I am telling you will help uncover a mystery nobody has solved."
Lin Shuan frowned.
Protector Yi slowly closed her eyes.
Then—
took a deep breath.
A strange expression appeared.
Almost disbelief.
Almost certainty.
When she opened her eyes again—
they shone with ancient light.
"I can sense an ancient fragrance around you."
A fragrance.
Not spiritual energy.
Not bloodline.
A fragrance.
Something even stranger.
Something older.
Something impossible.
Han Qing Li looked confused.
Lin Shuan's expression changed.
Because he suddenly remembered something.
The Treasure Realm.
The Primordial Garden.
The mysterious inheritance.
The unknown visions.
Protector Yi took a step forward.
The galaxies behind her revolved silently.
The crystal platform illuminated.
The stars themselves seemed to wait.
Then—
the mysterious woman finally asked the question.
The question that caused even Tian Wuchen's expression to change.
"What exactly did you see inside the Treasure Realm...?"