That Was...

Just then, the scene around him suddenly blurred and twisted.

Endless nothingness and silence enveloped Qian Qizhou.

He appeared once more in that familiar, boundless space: the Plane of Euthymia.

But this time, the Plane of Euthymia was utterly different from before.

An indescribable restlessness and unease filled the space.

The Grey-purple mist no longer drifted peacefully. It churned and surged like boiling water, while the purple arcs of electricity drifting through the air had grown unusually violent.

What made Qian Qizhou's heart sink even further was that Ei was nowhere to be seen!

The entire Plane of Euthymia was empty.

There was only that endless nothingness.

"Ei?" Qian Qizhou called out tentatively. His voice echoed through the empty space, but no answer came.

His brows drew tightly together, confusion filling his eyes.

What was going on? Where had Ei gone? If she wasn't here, how had he come here?

He thought for a while, then waved his hand, scattering the thick mist roiling before him.

At his will, the mist slowly parted, revealing a glimpse of the depths of the Plane of Euthymia.

A sphere of lightning floated in midair, countless tiny runes on its surface flickering in and out of existence.

The aura emanating from the sphere shared the same origin as the Plane of Euthymia itself, yet carried an indescribable sorrow, resolve, and obsession.

Qian Qizhou froze, then walked forward in confusion.

"What is this?"

He hesitated, but in the end slowly reached out, cautiously touching the purple sphere of lightning as it revolved in silence.

The instant his fingertips met its surface—

"BOOM!!!"

Countless shattered images, voices, and emotions... surged into his mind like floodwaters bursting through a dam.

A golden-haired figure who looked strikingly like him appeared.

That was... himself, grown up?

In the scene, Qian Qizhou spoke to Ei with guilt in his voice. "Ei, I'm sorry... I couldn't save..."

The scene shattered, then reassembled.

"...To halt the nation forever. This eternity... is false."

At last, one image—the clearest of them all, and the one that shook Qian Qizhou to his core—suddenly froze in place.

In the image, it was... himself!

But he was on the verge of death, his breath faint, as though he might vanish completely at any moment.

With difficulty, he raised a hand and, trembling, caressed... Ei's cheek?!

Ei hadn't pulled away?

Summoning the last of his strength, he spoke to Ei with reluctance. "Ei... I'm sorry..."

At the same time, a teardrop of blood, steeped in boundless sorrow, slid from the corner of Ei's eye. It pierced the barrier of time and space and fell, real as anything, onto Qian Qizhou's cheek.

An indescribable sorrow and resolve swept over Qian Qizhou's soul.

In the image, Ei slowly rose to her feet and gazed at him.

"I will wait for you to come back."

"No matter how long it takes."

Every image came to an abrupt halt.

Qian Qizhou snatched his hand back and staggered several steps away. His face was deathly pale, his eyes filled with disbelief.

What... were those images?

The tremendous shock of it all sent Qian Qizhou's consciousness reeling.

Suddenly, the Plane of Euthymia faded and vanished like a receding tide.

He sucked in a sharp breath, as though struggling up from the depths of the water, and the scene before him came into focus.

Then, trembling, he touched his cheek with his fingertips. It was still damp.

"Xiao Zhou?" Seeing Qian Qizhou wake, Guang Ling hurriedly leaned over and asked, "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

But then Guang Ling, along with Snow Empress and Ice Empress beside him, furrowed their brows.

For an instant, Qian Qizhou's aura seemed to have become unbearably sorrowful.

Looking at the three of them, he slowly lowered his hand and took a deep breath, forcing down his emotions.

Then Qian Qizhou shook his head and said hoarsely, "I'm fine... I just had a dream."

Was that figure himself?

Was it him from his previous life? If so, then his first meeting with Ei hadn't been a coincidence.

He really wanted to ask Ei what had happened between them, but where had she gone?

Ice Empress looked at him and let out a helpless sigh, then turned and left the room.

A moment later, she returned carrying a tray.

On it sat a glass of water and a bowl of porridge that looked plain but smelled delicious.

She set the tray on the bedside table, then folded her arms and said gruffly, "Hmph! You're finally feeling a little better, human brat."

She glanced at Qian Qizhou's still-pale face. "Here. You haven't eaten in days. What good is it to keep yourself going on Soul Power alone?"

"Eat some. Otherwise, if you really starve to death, I'll have to go to the trouble of burying you."

But Ice Empress clearly hadn't made the porridge herself. She had brought it from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's kitchen next door, though the cook still hadn't recovered from the shock.

Snow Empress watched Ice Empress acting so awkwardly, a trace of helplessness flashing in her eyes.

Qian Qizhou came back to himself from his tangled thoughts. His gaze fell on the steaming bowl of porridge at his bedside, then shifted to Ice Empress, who insisted on putting on a villain's face.

He fell silent for a moment, then slowly reached out and picked up the bowl.

"...Thank you," he said quietly.

He didn't look at Ice Empress's suddenly awkward expression. He simply picked up the spoon and began eating, slowly, one mouthful at a time.

Soon, the warm porridge was gone. A long-missed warmth and strength slowly spread through Qian Qizhou, easing some of his weakness and chill.

He looked at them and said, "Don't worry. I'm all right now, and my Soul Power is stable."

Snow Empress gave a slight nod. Her cool voice rang out. "The foundation of your body hasn't been damaged. Recovery shouldn't be difficult. Have you overcome what's troubling you?"

At those words, the expression on Guang Ling's face froze. He was left completely dumbfounded.

He blinked and looked at Snow Empress in disbelief.

Even Ice Empress, who had been turning her head away and pretending not to care, turned back with a complicated expression. "Huh?!"

Who asked a question like that? Even she thought it was a little too blunt.

At Snow Empress's words, Qian Qizhou's hand paused slightly as he lifted the glass.

He fell silent for a moment, then smiled faintly.

"Sister Snow," he began slowly. "Whether something that troubles you exists or not, whether you've overcome it or not—who can really say? At least, I don't know."

"Maybe it's still there, like a thorn that can't be pulled out or dissolved."

"Or maybe it's already become something else."

"But at least I've recovered enough to go on. I know what I should do, and what I have to do."

He drained the water in his glass, feeling its coolness slide down his throat.

"You should all go for now. I want to rest. Starting tomorrow, I'll resume training. I've already wasted too much time."

Guang Ling opened his mouth, but in the end, all that came out was a silent sigh. He gently patted Qian Qizhou on the shoulder. "Get some good rest."