The Method Revealed That Day Gave Rise to Her Today

In another courtyard.

Li Qingluan's long eyelashes trembled a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

The moment consciousness returned, the blurry fragments of the dream slipped away from the mind like the receding tide.

She subconsciously tried to recall, but found that she couldn't remember a single thing. Only an indescribable emptiness lingered in her heart, which was extremely strange.

"Miss," a maid standing nearby quickly stepped forward and reported softly, "That person came by just now, but seeing that you were still unconscious, he left after sitting for a short while."

That person was naturally referring to Qin Wangchuan.

Li Qingluan pressed her slightly throbbing temples, her voice still hoarse from just waking up. "Did he say anything?"

"Miss, no."

"I only heard that he went to the Meteor Ancient Realm with others."

Li Qingluan nodded slightly, then waved for the maid to leave and entered the prepared medicinal bath room.

She took off her clothes and stepped into the bath. The warm water flowed over her body, and her beautiful figure was vaguely visible in the rising steam.

She only got up after the medicine had permeated her entire body.

Water droplets rolled down her delicate waistline, blooming into tiny splashes on the White Jade- like ground.

After changing into a plain white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), she walked to the wooden desk, took out a small booklet with an antique cover, dipped her brush in ink, and began to record.

This is a habit Li Qingluan has recently developed, because she is afraid of forgetting important things.

[March 17th, cloudy]

[Today I fought Qin Wangchuan and was ultimately defeated.]

[He was indeed very strong; his Sword Intent was as deep as an abyss, capable of suppressing several of us simultaneously. However... during our exchange, I ultimately held back, not daring to use my full strength, for fear of injuring him.]

[If it truly becomes a life-or-death struggle, we'll give it our all...]

She wrote these words, then paused, her pen poised.

The "Heavenly Punishment Dao-Slaying Sword" consists of two swords: the Heavenly Punishment Sword and the Dao-Slaying Sword.

Previously, she had only used the Heavenly Punishment Sword. If she had been defeated by someone else, Li Qingluan was confident that she could win by using the second sword.

But Qin Wangchuan is not necessarily the case.

She closed the booklet and sat there blankly, lost in thought.

It was both an effort to relive every moment of the confrontation with Qin Wangchuan and a futile attempt to recall that ethereal dream.

What exactly did I dream about?

Why do I feel so empty inside?

Li Qingluan thought to herself, glancing at the mirror beside her out of the corner of her eye.

Her aloof and refined face was reflected in the mirror, her brows conveying both languor and sharpness.

But those eyes—were a deep, blood-red color.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Li Qingluan suddenly chuckled, a hint of self-mockery in her voice:

"After leaving Heavenly Gate, I thought... I would never have any more inner demons in this life."

"It seems that's not the case."

Before she finished speaking, the Qingluan Sword moved at her will, instantly manifesting in the world and landing in her hand with a clear, melodious sword sound.

The cold blade pointed directly at a figure that had appeared not far away, a figure with an identical appearance to hers!

Without wasting words in the face of this inner demon, Li Qingluan immediately activated her Sword Intent Furnace and unleashed a sword strike—

Just as the sword was about to strike, the figure tore through the air like a blood-red afterimage, suddenly penetrating within three feet.

Faster than I could have imagined!

A slender hand, identical to her own, precisely gripped her wrist, which was holding the sword.

The force was as deep as an abyss, causing the Qingluan Sword to let out a mournful cry, freezing in mid-air, unable to cut down even a fraction more.

The other "Li Qingluan" stopped at a distance where their noses almost touched, her red eyes silently reflecting her pupils that had just contracted.

Their hair intertwined, their breaths mingling.

The sword is within reach, yet it feels like we're worlds apart.

Only then did Li Qingluan truly see the other person for who they were.

Although she looks remarkably similar to her, the subtle differences are completely different, suggesting... it's not a demon in her heart.

Those eyes were not her original color, but a kind of indifferent crimson that had settled over countless years.

There was no Killing Intent in his eyes, only a condescending, purely inquisitive look, as if he were examining an interesting object.

After a moment of silence, "she" spoke, her voice identical to Li Qingluan's, yet icy and devoid of any emotion:

"So weak."

As she spoke, Li Qingluan felt her wrist loosen.

The figure appeared like a fleeting illusion, passing right through her body and reappearing behind her, leaning lazily against the wall.

"I am Li Qingluan."

"She" declared calmly, her crimson eyes sweeping over, "It is also Dao heart left behind by the Supreme Consciousness, to prevent you from making some... irreversible wrong decision at some important crossroads."

"This was my mission."

"But..."

She paused slightly, then a smile suddenly appeared on her lips, a smile completely different from her usual demeanor, a smile imbued with rebellion and iciness.

"I ask you--"

"If you were to observe as an outsider, watching another version of yourself make love and enjoy intimacy with Qin Wangchuan... would you be willing?"

Upon hearing this, the image flashed through Li Qingluan's mind, and she blurted out instinctively, "I don't want to."

She nodded upon hearing this, a hint of smugness flashing in her red eyes.

"You see. If you don't want to, of course I don't want to either, because we are both— Li Qingluan."

After saying that, 'Li Qingluan's' voice suddenly turned cold, and her gaze pressed down like a physical object, carrying an irresistible determination.

"So..."

"Go to hell! Give me your body and your future."

I promise I'll do better than you.

The sudden appearance of another version of yourself, who keeps telling you to die, is such a bizarre event that anyone would be instantly bewildered.

However, after her initial shock, Li Qingluan astutely grasped the most crucial information revealed in the other party's words.

Far from being frightened, a knowing smile appeared on her lips.

The fact that they only used words and not fists proves that the other party can't do anything to them.

With a step forward, his previously suppressed figure instantly straightened, and he instead pressed towards his opponent.

"To prevent me from making the wrong decision..." Li Qingluan repeated softly, her gaze like burning starlight, piercing straight into those crimson eyes, "So familiar with my obsessions, so precisely aware of my weaknesses—"

As he spoke, he took another step closer, their breaths almost touching. The previously passive position had been completely reversed, and he had become the one in control.

"The 'Supreme Will' that can set up this Dao heart of yours..."

Li Qingluan paused deliberately, her voice low and certain:

"It can only be the future me, right?"

She did not respond.

Li Qingluan pressed on, her tone certain. "Those things I've recently forgotten must be related to you. Tell me, what... are they?"

The other Li Qingluan responded with a cold laugh:

"I don't need to tell you. Even if you knew now, it wouldn't do you any good."

She paused, a hint of weighing in her crimson eyes:

"But for the sake of the bigger picture, there are three things you must do right now."

"First: Find a person named Lv Yingxin. She should already be infiltrating somewhere in the Three Thousand Provinces. Find a way to gain her trust, use her, and lead the Myriad Races of the Foreign Lands."

"Second: Go to the Wandao Academy, find a man named Tan Lingfei, and kill him."

"Third: Collect the three divine Divine Object— the Reincarnation Lotus Seed, the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, and the Chaos Origin Spirit —to create a substitute for the Origin Source."

"This is what you must do right now."