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She used to think this place was her dream, and that she always entered that illusion from here. Now she knows where she is; this is the interior of the Divine Pillar.

Endless resentment echoed in the dark space within the Divine Pillar. Once she was tightly bound by this resentment, the surrounding space would also tighten, making her feel as if she were trapped in a dry well, unable to move. The resentment invaded her consciousness, attempting to assimilate her.

She couldn't remember how many times she had experienced that suffocating, cold, and almost overwhelming feeling of despair, nor how many times she had come to the sword formation space in her State of Mind and seen the white-robed immortal in the sword formation.

Bai Fu remained within the sword formation, protecting her and dispelling the boundless resentment around them.

Was that really just a wisp of sword intent left behind by my master?

What happened after the sword formation on Ethereal Peak dissipated?

She pressed her temples, feeling a sharp headache. She couldn't remember what happened afterward; resentment from all directions enveloped her like a spiderweb, tightening its grip...

The surrounding space also tightened, and that unpleasant feeling was coming back.

At that moment, a glimmer of light appeared, dispelling the darkness. The light came to her side, and the surrounding resentment receded like a tide.

It's you again.

"I am the divine Divine Sword!" the sword spirit's deep, smoky voice rang out.

"I know."

"I--"

Am I still in the illusion? Why are you here?

Qiaoqiao felt somewhat dazed. She wasn't sure if she had returned to reality, or rather, why she kept returning to the space of the Divine Pillar in her dreams.

It was as if the illusion wasn't an illusion at all, but something she had truly experienced...

"It's from a past life," the Divine Sword spoke in a deep voice, "What you're seeing is from a past life."

"You mean--"

"The dreams you've had, the illusions you've imagined, are all things that actually happened."

Qiaoqiao was stunned for a moment.

... Those dreams she had, those dreams about her senior brothers and sisters, were they all real? Were they from her past life? And was it not some divine justice or Heavenly Dao retribution that allowed her to foresee everyone's fate?

Even the memories from Ethereal Peak are real?

A slight stirring ran through her heart.

Then... Master wouldn't remember this too, would he?

Recalling the expressions her master always gave her, she felt it was very likely true. The thought sent a shiver down her spine; along with this memory, something else seemed to be returning.

"And then?"

What happened next?

The Divine Sword shone faintly. "He's dead, and so are you... You were taken away by those people and imprisoned in the Divine Pillar for many, many years... until the Three Realms collapsed and time reversed."

Qiaoqiao stared at the ball of light, which here was just a golden dot, like a flickering star in the darkness, slightly brighter than before.

"You knew all along, why didn't you say so sooner?"

She always felt that the Divine Sword was somewhat unfamiliar to her.

Divine Sword:...

Its light flickered twice, as if it were somewhat guilty.

"I am trapped inside the Divine Pillar, and my memories are incomplete."

"The seal of the Divine Pillar is eroding my will. The only thing I remember is asking the goddess to release me from the Divine Pillar." After returning to his sword sheath, his speech became much clearer, and he was no longer forced to disconnect after saying a few words as before. His thoughts were much more coherent.

Qiaoqiao reluctantly believed his explanation. She sat cross-legged in the dark space, reviewed all the information she knew, and asked the question that had been on her mind, "In the past life... the four Divine Pillar collapsed, and the Demon God controlled the world. Why didn't the Heavenly Fire descend? Since the four Divine Pillar Divine Pillar collapsed, how could I have entered them?"

"Because... there are five Divine Pillar in total," the sword spirit replied in a deep voice.

"What?"

"There are five Four-Direction Divine Pillar, isn't that common sense?" the Divine Sword said seriously.

If it weren't a ball of light right now, Qiaoqiao would really want to punch someone.

"What kind of common sense is this? Your family's common sense?"

The Divine Sword made a muffled muttering sound, which, combined with his voice, sounded just like a cat that had smoked too much.

"In short, what truly sustains the Three Realms is the Central Divine Pillar located in the center of the continent, which is also where they imprison you. As long as the Central Divine Pillar doesn't collapse, heavenly fire will not descend."

Qiaoqiao recalled the murals she had seen before. The Divine Pillar in the murals were indeed different from the Four-Direction Divine Pillar she had seen before; they were much more majestic and magnificent. The pillars were also engraved with intricate runes, which marked the place where the goddess and the Demon God fought.

This Divine Pillar has not yet appeared in the world.

The Demon God's goal might be to destroy this Divine Pillar.

She stroked her chin. "Why is there such strong resentment inside the Divine Pillar?"

As soon as she sat down, the resentment lingered behind her, like living vengeful spirits, waiting for an opportunity to devour her.

"..."

The Divine Sword suddenly fell silent.

Qiaoqiao looked at the ball of light, and under her gaze, the Divine Sword stammered, "That's a question for you."

"Ask me?"

She didn't quite understand.

"... You and the Goddess..." The Divine Sword stammered, "Those people call you the reincarnation of the Goddess, but you are not entirely her. To be precise, the Goddess passed away ten thousand years ago. What remained in the world was her obsession with eradicating the Demon God. This obsession fell upon you, which is why you were able to gain the approval of the Divine Lamp and me."

"After your death, they sealed your body into Divine Pillar, and the goddess naturally harbored resentment—"

Qiaoqiao Qiao's eyes widened suddenly.

Realizing he had let something slip, Divine Sword quickly shut up.

"Did I die in my past life?"

"..."

He didn't speak, but Qiaoqiao understood some things. If simply filling the pillars with the goddess could repair the Four-Direction Divine Pillar, then the goddess's life or death was indeed unimportant; a dead goddess would be more reassuring.