A Long-Awaited Leisurely Respite

Ji Lanzhi's body trembled almost imperceptibly, not entirely from fear, but more from the rapidly churning doubts and weighing of her options in her mind.

She thought rapidly: ' The Artificial Heavenly Derivation Sacred Body "... that's nothing more than a crazy idea that the Lineage poured all its resources into but ultimately failed, an unrealized ambition...'

'To exchange a fragmented record destined to be unrealizable for a tangible Chuanliu Pavilion that could bring countless cultivation techniques and possibilities? The price... is far too light. So light... it's unsettling.'

Ji Lanzhi suddenly realized that this might not be an equal exchange at all.

The Divine Son's demand for that worthless record book was perhaps just a pretext, a way out.

This seemingly benevolent "deal" may have a deeper, unseen intention behind it.

In the end, all the struggle, doubt, and resentment turned into a hoarse, submissive whisper in his throat:

"Yes..."

There was no argument, only obedience.

This is the fate of the loser.

Qin Wangchuan looked at her slightly trembling shoulders and heard her barely audible "Yes," and knew that she clearly did not fully understand his intentions.

But this doesn't cause any problems.

The seed has been sown; whether it will take root and sprout or be crushed by a stubborn rock depends on her and the Ji Clan's own destiny.

"Go." Qin Wangchuan's voice remained calm, devoid of any emotion. "Bring my will back to the Ji Clan."

There were no threats, no urging; it was as if he were simply instructing someone on a trivial matter.

Ji Lanzhi got up and blended into the crowd, quickly disappearing from sight.

Li Qingluan withdrew her gaze from the direction where Ji Lanzhi had disappeared and placed it on Qin Wangchuan's profile, saying calmly:

"It's time to go in."

Qin Wangchuan nodded and walked with her toward the Immortal Path Entrance.

The surrounding clamor surged into his ears again, and the brief but intense confrontation just now seemed like a trivial interlude before the opening of the Immortal Path.

However, only Qin Wangchuan himself knew that a piece that might profoundly influence the future had already been placed.

As Qin Wangchuan and Li Qingluan stepped into the Immortal Path Entrance, a bizarre and fantastical scene instantly enveloped them, with rich Spiritual Qi and subtle spatial fluctuations intertwining.

However, Qin Wangchuan did not immediately move forward, but suddenly turned around and landed precisely behind him—

There, a thin boy wearing a tattered Star Pattern Cloak was subconsciously pulling down the brim of his hat, trying to conceal himself.

Their gazes suddenly met in mid-air.

Shen Xinghe froze abruptly, as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest.

'I've been discovered?!' A wave of immense terror washed over him, and his blood seemed to freeze.

Shen Xinghe instinctively wanted to turn around and run away.

However, the expected scolding or capture did not occur.

The unapproachable Divine Son merely nodded very slightly to him across the bustling crowd, his gaze calm and without hostility.

Shen Xinghe froze, blinking incredulously, even subconsciously pointing to himself, his face filled with confusion and astonishment—was he calling me?

Qin Wangchuan gave him another approving look.

A powerful emotion, a mixture of bewilderment and a sliver of hope, replaced the fear.

Shen Xinghe took a deep breath, suppressed his wildly beating heart, mustered his courage, and quickly squeezed through the crowd to stand in front of Qin Wangchuan.

His fingers trembled with nervousness, but he still bowed respectfully according to etiquette, his voice hoarse with tension. "I... I am Shen Xinghe, greetings to the Divine Son."

As he gave his name, he felt even more uneasy, wondering if this Divine Son who had destroyed the Ji Clan would react to this surname.

Qin Wangchuan sized him up. The boy in front of him was still somewhat different from the ruthless and resilient young man in the simulation who had gone through hardships, but the stubbornness hidden deep in his bones was beginning to show.

"Your Shen Clan has studied this Immortal Path for a long time, you should be very familiar with it," Qin Wangchuan said calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger. "Let's go together. And while you're at it, show us around."

Li Qingluan frowned as she listened from the side; it wasn't that she disliked having another person around.

But... I've never heard of the Shen Clan before.

Shen Xinghe's heart skipped a beat. Although he had a mission to fulfill, he dared not refuse and could only bite the bullet and say, "Yes."

He trailed Qin Wangchuan by half a step, leading the way while carefully choosing his words, his voice still tinged with nervousness. "Actually... the Immortal Path wasn't called the Immortal Path a long time ago..."

They carefully selected the information they could reveal, avoiding all mention of the Shen Clan's mission, but did not conceal the existence of the World Devouring Beast.

Li Qingluan listened quietly to the sound, a hint of surprise and realization flashing in her cool eyes.

She nodded slightly and said softly, " At the End of Immortal Path, there is actually a World Devouring Beast."

Although it is called the Devouring Realm, a terrifying name, in reality... this High Antiquity remnant not only has no destructive power, but also possesses the ability of the 'Living Realm', able to nurture a glimmer of light in annihilation and stabilize the Qiankun in nothingness.

It should have been freely roaming the chaotic heavens, but for some reason, it has lingered here for so long...

After saying that, Li Qingluan subconsciously looked at Qin Wangchuan beside her.

But he remained calm, his gaze lingering on the bizarre and wondrous sights deep within the Immortal Path, as if all the ancient secrets Shen Xinghe had spoken of were already within his expectations and could not stir the slightest ripple.

Li Qingluan's heart skipped a beat, 'Something's strange...'

Shen Xinghe led the way, guiding the two through a bamboo forest shrouded in a thin mist.

The bamboo leaves are lush and green, with glistening dewdrops hanging from their tips, refracting delicate halos of light in the air.

"This is the 'Qingming Bamboo Sea'," Shen Xinghe said softly. "Legend has it that the dew on the bamboo leaves can reveal one's past life..."

The scenery here is indeed extraordinary; it was discovered by the ancestors of the Shen Clan family who stumbled upon this place while traversing the Immortal Path.

At that time, the Immortal Path was still under the control of the Ji Clan. Let alone wandering in the Immortal Path, even getting in was a problem.

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Wangchuan had already raised his hand and plucked a drop of dew. With a flick of his fingertip, the droplet flew towards Li Qingluan's brow.

"What did you see?" he asked.

Li Qingluan's eyes flickered slightly, and a blurry Sword Light was reflected in the dew—it was the first time she held a sword when she was three years old.

"Just some boring stuff." She turned her head away, and dewdrops fell to the ground, shattering into tiny specks of light.

After passing through the bamboo forest, a bright and open view suddenly appeared before me.

An endless lake lies still in the void, its waters as clear as a mirror, yet tinged with a faint blood-red hue. In the heart of the lake blooms a giant red lotus, its petals swaying like flames.

"This is 'Chixia Lake'," Shen Xinghe said in a low voice. "From a distance, the lake water looks like blood, but up close it is actually exceptionally clear."

Li Qingluan leaned against the blue stone, her fair hand slightly raised, her jade-like foot emerging from under her skirt, the toes slightly upturned, as white as snow.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, she raised her eyes and coldly swept them towards Shen Xinghe's direction.

Shen Xinghe immediately understood and hurriedly turned around.

The embroidered shoes were placed on the bluestone on the shore. Li Qingluan stepped barefoot into the water, the clear lake water reaching above her ankles.

Her eyes flickered slightly, and she suddenly felt a playful urge.

With a slender waist bending down, she cupped the clear lake water in her delicate hands, and flicked her fingertips—

Glistening water droplets, trailing a shimmering light, suddenly splashed onto the dark figure on the blue stone by the shore.

Qin Wangchuan sat on the blue stone by the shore, initially raising his hand to block the water with little interest, but when the second gust of water came, Li Qingluan grabbed his sleeve.

"You--"

With a splash, he was pulled into the water. The Dragon Pattern on his robes activated, and although he wasn't soaked, he looked somewhat disheveled.

A sly smile curved Li Qingluan's lips as she turned and headed deeper into the Immortal Path.

Unexpectedly, Qin Wangchuan suddenly made a move, his slender fingers precisely gripping her fair wrist, while his other hand scooped up a handful of lake water and splashed it at her.

"Ah!"

Caught off guard, Li Qingluan was splashed in the face by a handful of lake water.

Cool water droplets slid down her smooth cheeks, outlining her beautiful jawline. A few strands of wet, dark hair clung to her fair collarbone, and the shimmering water added a touch of vulnerability and allure rarely seen on ordinary days.

She instinctively closed her eyes, her long eyelashes still glistening with tiny water droplets, trembling slightly.

When she opened her eyes again, her clear, cold eyes glared at Qin Wangchuan with a hint of reproach. "You cheated, I'm not playing anymore."

"It's too late to beg for mercy now!"

Qin Wangchuan instantly transformed into a merciless water-splashing machine.

"And those who launched the attack have no right to surrender! Give me water!"

Shen Xinghe stood with his back to the lake, counting the pebbles on the ground, pretending to be deaf.