In the open space at the village entrance, several five- or six-year-old children were chasing and playing, imitating the legendary battles of immortals, waving their little fists, laughing carefree and innocently.
Luo Chuan Chuan's hurried steps suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on a small figure in the crowd, unable to look away.
She was a little girl, only five or six years old, wearing a red cotton-padded jacket, with two cute buns in her hair. Her face was round and rosy, and her eyes were clear and bright, just like the stars in the night sky.
When she ran, her padded jacket swayed in the wind, her smile was bright, and her eyes and brows were exactly the same as the figure deep in his memory that caused him so much pain.
Tears streamed down Luo Chuan's cheeks without warning, dripping onto the ground and splashing up tiny specks of dust.
Luo Chuan's body stiffened, his throat choked with emotion, a thousand words stuck in his chest, finally escaping into a soft call, as light as a sigh, yet filled with endless longing and pain. " Xue'er..."
This girl was Yao Xixue.
Back then, Yao Xixue resolutely chose to die to protect him. As her soul scattered, Luo Chuan exhausted his own cultivation to send her fragmented soul into reincarnation, hoping that she could live a peaceful and joyful life in the next life, free from the suffering of the conflicts of cultivation, and be an ordinary person.
He searched for her for countless years, traversing countless star fields, but unexpectedly, she was reincarnated and returned to the Blood Star where she grew up.
The little girl seemed to sense Luo Chuan's gaze, stopped playing, turned her head, and looked at Luo Chuan standing at the village entrance.
She wasn't afraid at all; on the contrary, she felt an extraordinary sense of familiarity with the older brother in front of her, as if she had seen him somewhere before.
She skipped and hopped over to Luo Chuan, tilted her little face up, blinked her clear, big eyes, and asked sweetly, "Big brother, who are you? Why are you standing here crying?"
The little girl's voice was soft and sweet, overlapping with the voice in his memory, and Luo Chuan's heart melted instantly.
Suppressing the surging excitement and bittersweetness in his heart, Luo Chuan slowly squatted down, reached out his hand, wanting to gently touch her cheek, but afraid of disturbing her, his voice was so gentle it could melt water.
My name is Luo Chuan.
" Luo Chuan..." The little girl tilted her head and murmured the name, feeling that the name and the person in front of her were both incredibly familiar.
"Big brother, my name is Lin Qingxue. Have we... met somewhere before?"
Looking into her innocent eyes, Luo Chuan nodded emphatically, his voice trembling slightly, "Yes, we've met before, a long, long time ago."
"Before?"
Lin Qingxue tilted her head, looking puzzled, unable to recall anything, yet the feeling of familiarity in her heart grew stronger.
She tugged at Luo Chuan's sleeve, her eyes crinkling with laughter, "Big brother, are you lost? Come home with me, my parents have made something delicious."
Luo Chuan felt a warmth in his heart, nodded, and let the little girl hold his hand as they walked towards the village.
Lin Qingxue's home was a simple yet clean courtyard, with grains drying in the sun, filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere.
A simple, middle-aged couple were busy in the yard when they saw Lin Qingxue returning with a strange man, and they quickly came to greet them.
" Xue'er, who is this?" Lin's mother asked gently, her gaze fixed on Luo Chuan with goodwill.
Lin Qingxue introduced with a smile, "Dad, Mom, this is Brother Luo Chuan. I felt he was very kind, so I invited him to our house."
Luo Chuan concealed all his aura, shedding his immortal edge, and looked like a gentle and refined ordinary scholar.
He bowed slightly to the couple, speaking humbly, "My name is Luo Chuan, a scholar traveling around studying. I got lost while passing through this place, and I thank you both for taking me in."
Lin's parents were honest, ordinary people who had lived in the village their whole lives and had never seen an immortal. They simply thought Luo Chuan was a scholar who had come from afar.
Seeing that he was neatly dressed and spoke gently, the Lin family lowered their guard and warmly welcomed him.
Lin's mother quickly brought over hot water and dry food, while Lin's father chatted with Luo Chuan about everyday things, asking him about his experiences studying abroad.
Luo Chuan patiently talked to them, telling them stories of the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas outside, never mentioning anything about cultivating immortality, simply enjoying this rare ordinariness and warmth.
Lin Qingxue sat beside him, handing him fruit one moment and telling him funny stories about her games the next, clinging to him and refusing to leave.
Looking at the happy family in front of him, Luo Chuan felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
In this life, Yao Xixue is no longer the young lady burdened with the mission of the Blood Ancestor. There is no strife, no killing, she has loving parents, a stable life, carefree, peaceful and joyful.
This was precisely the ending he had tried so hard to give her back then.
Seeing that Luo Chuan was polite and alone, Lin's parents warmly invited him to stay at their home.
Luo Chuan did not refuse. He only wanted to stay and quietly accompany Xue'er, protect her for a lifetime, and make up for all the regrets of the past.
For the next few days, Luo Chuan stayed in the small courtyard.
He spent his days playing with Lin Qingxue and helping her parents with farm work. Their lives were simple yet happy.
He put aside all grudges and resentments, wanting only to cherish this hard-won time.
But this peace was eventually shattered.
Tian Yunzi and Tianmozi had already set up the Heavenly Fate Absolute Killing Array in various parts of Blood Star, secretly surrounding the entire Blood Star and setting up layers of restrictions to block all exits.
They waited for several days until Luo Chuan finally appeared. Seeing Luo Chuan stay in the village, they knew that the time for the sacrifice had come.
Beyond the Blood Star, Tian Yunzi stood in the void, surrounded by black mist, the aura of the Four Decays of the Heavenly Human Realm sweeping across the heavens and earth. He looked at the Blood Star below, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and coldly said to Tianmozi beside him:
"The time has come. Activate the formation, sacrifice all living beings on Blood Star, and unleash the Heavenly Fate Absolute Killing Array to kill Luo Chuan!"
Tianmozi gritted his teeth and nodded, forming hand seals and casting a series of spells.
In an instant, the entire Blood Star shook violently, the sky turned dark black, and countless blood-red runes surged from the ground, forming a huge array cage that enveloped the entire Blood Star.
As the formation activated, a terrifying devouring power erupted, frantically extracting the life force and souls of the Blood Star's creatures. Countless innocent beings let out mournful screams as their life force gradually dissipated.
Above the village, the restrictive light flickered, and the devouring power also rushed towards the small courtyard where Lin Qingxue's family was located.
Luo Chuan was sitting in the courtyard with Lin Qingxue when he sensed the deadly killing intent and the evil aura sweeping towards Xue'er. His eyes instantly turned cold.
He could overlook personal grudges and let Tian Yunzi off the hook, but he would absolutely not allow anyone to harm Lin Qingxue.
In his previous life, he failed to protect her. In this life, anyone who dares to harm her in the slightest will be killed and their soul scattered!