Fang Chen stared at the Heavenly River Diagram Artifact Spirit without speaking.
The two gazed at each other for a long time.
The corners of Fang Chen's mouth slowly lifted. His gaze lingered on that familiar face, those black strands of hair, and those eyes reflecting rivers and mountains for ten thousand miles. He opened his mouth, his voice a little hoarse. "I'm back!"
The White-Robed Woman's eyes instantly reddened.
Her lips trembled slightly, and her dark eyes shimmered with moisture.
She said nothing. She only stepped forward and reached out to gently stroke Fang Chen's cheek.
Her fingers were cool, carrying the clear chill of the mountain springs within the Heavenly River Diagram, yet they trembled slightly the moment they touched Fang Chen's skin.
"More than thirty thousand years!"
Her voice was so soft it sounded like a sigh. "I thought you'd never come back! You seem to have changed so much, yet somehow you haven't changed at all!"
"Hahaha!"
Hearing the Artifact Spirit's words, the Chaos Immortal King could not help laughing. "Senior Artifact Spirit, let's sit down and talk."
"All right!"
The Artifact Spirit nodded and waved her hand. An array of pastries and immortal fruits appeared on the pavilion table.
Everyone gathered around the table and sat down.
The Artifact Spirit turned to Fang Chen, her eyes full of curiosity. "What have you been through all these years?"
Fang Chen began recounting his experiences over the past thirty thousand years.
He started with how he had lost his way on the Starry Sky Ancient Road, then spoke of Senior Gu Daozi's guidance and the Red Water and Pure Water of the Abyss of Annihilation.
He described how the Red Water's corrosive power had eaten away his protective Immortal Light, and how the Pure Water's Assimilation Law