Chapter 35
Morning arrived far too quickly.
Unfortunately for Zhou Yi Chen and Zhao Yuanzhou, neither of them had slept much.
For completely different reasons.
At least that was the excuse they were both planning to use.
The moment they returned to the others, Ying Lei narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“You two look strange.”
“We don’t,” Zhou Yi Chen replied instantly.
“You do.”
“We don’t.”
“You absolutely do.”
Before the argument could continue, Ying Zhao cleared his throat.
Immediately everyone became serious.
The old mountain god stood before the massive Qian Kun Gate.
Ancient formations glowed beneath his feet.
“The time has come.”
“The star formation requires two mountain gods.”
He gestured toward himself and Zhu Yin.
“Zhu Yin and I will maintain the celestial array.”
“Wen Xiao will guide the Baize resonance.”
Then he looked toward Zhao Yuanzhou and Zhou Yi Chen.
“As for you two…”
Ying Lei immediately covered his ears.
“I don’t want to hear about weddings again.”
Ying Zhao ignored him.
“You only need to activate the Baize Order inside the formation.”
Zhou Yi Chen nodded.
“Understood.”
Yet before the ritual began, Pei Sijing quietly stepped away from the group.
Wen Xiao noticed immediately.
She followed.
The two women stopped beneath a cluster of ancient trees.
“What are you planning?”
Pei Sijing remained silent.
Wen Xiao folded her arms.
“Chongwu Camp knows our movements.”
“The route.”
“The timing.”
“Even our destination.”
Her gaze sharpened.
“Someone keeps feeding them information.”
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Pei Sijing sighed.
“You still suspect me.”
“I suspect everyone.”
“That’s a terrible answer.”
“It’s Commander Zhou’s answer.”
“…Fair.”
A reluctant smile appeared on Pei Sijing’s face.
Then vanished just as quickly.
BOOM.
The entire Kunlun range shuddered.
Everyone immediately looked toward the Qian Kun Gate.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
At the center of the formation-
Ying Zhao’s eyes widened.
The celestial array had already activated.
Zhao Yuanzhou and Zhou Yi Chen stood inside the formation.
The Baize marks began appearing.
Golden light behind Zhao Yuanzhou’s ear.
Crystalline blue patterns across Zhou Yi Chen’s forehead.
Everything was proceeding perfectly.
Until-
Zhu Yin withdrew his hand.
The spiritual flow collapsed instantly.
The formation faltered.
The stars flickered.
Ying Zhao staggered.
“What are you doing?!”
For the first time in countless years, genuine shock appeared on the old mountain god’s face.
Zhu Yin calmly stepped backward.
His expression remained unreadable.
Then-
he smiled.
A smile that immediately made everyone’s hearts sink.
“You finally noticed.”
Even Ying Zhao couldn’t believe it.
“Zhu Yin…”
The mountain god lowered his gaze.
“I am sorry.”
Then the Qian Kun Gate exploded.
A deafening roar echoed across Kunlun.
Ancient barriers shattered.
The heavens themselves seemed to tremble.
Several figures emerged from the fractured gateway.
Dark energy flooded outward.
Demons.
Not soldiers.
Not assassins.
Demons of the Great Wilderness.
Leading them was a man dressed entirely in black.
Behind him stood two terrifying figures.
One carried crimson scales.
The other radiated monstrous killing intent.
Even Zhao Yuanzhou’s expression darkened.
“Heng Gongyu.”
“And Zheng.”
The second demon cracked his neck.
Both were ancient wilderness demons.
Invulnerable.
Violent.
Feared.
inside the formation, Zhou Yi Chen and Zhao Yuanzhou couldn’t move.
The Baize Order had already begun activating.
Interrupting now could destroy everything.
Wen Xiao stepped forward.
Her flute appeared instantly.
Her eyes fixed on Zhu Yin.
“Why?”
The question echoed through the mountain.
“Why betray the wilderness?”
For the first time-
sadness appeared in Zhu Yin’s eyes.
But before he could answer-
someone laughed.
A familiar laugh.
A dangerous laugh.
Everyone turned.
A black mark spread across Zhu Yin’s neck.
Then Li Lun emerged.
Not physically.
But through possession.
The sight alone made Zhao Yuanzhou’s face darken.
“Li Lun.”
The huai demon grinned.
“Missed me?”
Li Lun laughed louder.
“As for your question…”
His gaze moved toward Wen Xiao.
Toward Ying Zhao.
Toward everyone.
“We simply share the same dream.”
“The barriers.”
“The divisions.”
“The rules.”
“They should all disappear.”
His voice echoed through the shattered gate.
“Humans.”
“Demons.”
“The wilderness.”
“The mortal realm.”
“Why separate them at all?”
“Wouldn’t freedom be far more interesting?”
Ying Zhao’s expression hardened.
“Freedom?”
Li Lun laughed.
“No.”
“Chaos.”
The old mountain god spoke the truth without hesitation.
Li Lun’s grin widened further.
“Exactly.”
Then his gaze found Zhao Yuanzhou.
And beside him-
Zhou Yi Chen.
The smile became almost gentle.
Which somehow felt worse.
Far worse.
“Besides…”
His voice softened.
“The Blood Moon rises tonight.”
The entire mountain fell silent.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s eyes narrowed.
Li Lun looked delighted.
“As for our beloved Commander Zhou…”
His gaze lingered on Zhou Yi Chen.
The way a hunter watches prey.
Or perhaps the way someone watches a memory.
“Let’s see whether fate chooses him this time.”
And above Kunlun-
the first traces of crimson began spreading across the sky.
❄️❄️❄️✨✨✨⚔️⚔️⚔️
The moment Zhuo Yichen hit the ground, the world seemed to stop.
“YICHEN!”
The Yun Guang Sword slipped from his fingers.
Blood stained the white stone beneath him.
For a terrifying second, nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Above them, the Blood Moon burned crimson.
Its light painted everything in shades of red.
Including Zhao Yuanzhou’s eyes.
The dream curse had succeeded.
Zhuo Yichen lay motionless.
And Zhao Yuanzhou stood frozen.
The negative energy swirling around him suddenly trembled.
Darkness.
Endless darkness.
Zhuo Yichen opened his eyes.
He stood in a field of snow.
White.
Silent.
Cold.
A child was crying nearby.
His heart tightened.
That cry.
He knew that cry.
Slowly, he turned.
A man knelt in the snow.
Long black hair.
Blood-covered robes.
His face-
The same as Zhuo Yichen’s.
The same eyes.
The same features.
The same soul.
The man was clutching a baby against his chest.
Trembling.
Protecting him from invisible enemies.
Tears streamed down his face.
“Please…”
His voice broke.
“Please let my child live.”
Zhuo Yichen felt his entire body freeze.
Again.
That memory.
That dream.
The one that had haunted him for weeks.
The man looked up.
And this time-
their eyes met.
Directly.
The stranger smiled sadly.
As though he had been waiting.
For a very long time.
“You finally came.”
Zhuo Yichen couldn’t speak.
The man lowered his gaze to the child.
His hands shook.
“I couldn’t save him.”
Pain.
Unbearable pain.
Flooded through the dream.
“I couldn’t save either of you.”
The snow around them began falling faster.
Then another figure appeared.
Far away.
Standing beneath a blood-red sky.
Zhuo Yichen’s breathing stopped.
Zhao Yuanzhou.
Or rather-
the Zhao Yuanzhou from another lifetime.
His clothes were soaked in blood.
His eyes were filled with despair.
And in his hand-
a sword.
The same man.
The same face.
The same soul.
The same person.
Past and present overlapping.
The truth finally beginning to reveal itself.
The blood-covered Zhao Yuanzhou was crying.
Actually crying.
His shoulders shook.
His hand trembled.
“I’m sorry.”
The words shattered the silence.
“I’m sorry.”
Again.
And again.
And again.
As though saying it enough times might somehow change fate.
The man holding the child smiled sadly.
“I know.”
The answer hurt more than any blade.
“I know.”
Zhao Yuanzhou collapsed to his knees.
The sword fell from his hand.
“I looked everywhere.”
His voice broke.
“I looked through every realm.”
“I searched every mountain.”
“I begged every god.”
“I tried everything.”
The baby began crying louder.
The sound pierced Zhuo Yichen’s soul.
Then came the words that finally broke him.
“I couldn’t save you.”
The world shattered.
The snowstorm exploded around them.
Fragments of memories rushed forward.
A wedding.
A red thread.
A small house.
Laughter.
A child learning to walk.
A hand being held.
A forehead kiss.
Promises.
Dreams.
A family.
Then blood.
Fire.
Separation.
Death.
Everything vanished.
Zhuo Yichen staggered backward.
His heart felt as though it had been torn open.
Because suddenly-
he understood.
Not completely.
Not yet.
But enough.
Enough to realize why Zhao Yuanzhou looked at him with such unbearable sadness.
They had already belonged to one another.
The realization nearly brought him to his knees.
Then another voice echoed through the dream.
Soft.
Broken.
Familiar.
“Yichen…”
Everything froze.
The snow.
The wind.
The memories.
All of it.
Because this voice belonged to the present.
Not the past.
Not a memory.
Zhao Yuanzhou.
Outside.
Calling him.
Desperately.
The dream began cracking.
Like glass.
“Yichen…”
Another crack.
“I can’t…”
His voice trembled.
The dream world shook violently.
Outside the dream-
the monstrous Zhao Yuanzhou stood motionless.
Negative energy still covered him.
Yet tears were falling from his eyes.
Nobody understood why.
Li Lun’s smile slowly faded.
Because something unexpected was happening.
The dream curse was breaking.
Not because of force.
Not because of power.
But because Zhao Yuanzhou was resisting it.
For him.
Again.
Just like every lifetime before.
Inside the dream, Zhuo Yichen heard the final whisper.
So quiet.
So full of pain.
“Please come back.”
The dream shattered.
And Zhuo Yichen’s eyes opened.
The Blood Moon still hung above Kunlun.
The world was still collapsing.
Li Lun was still smiling.
The Baize Order still trembled.
But now-
there were tears in Zhuo Yichen’s eyes…