Chu Zheng walked on with his head down, suddenly his expression became somewhat dazed, as the world before him flipped and transformed.
The grand hall suspended in the air, the Nine Heavens Gang Wind condensed into a glass-like barrier around it, jade columns glowed with a soft light, spiritual mist like gauze, sometimes gathering, sometimes dispersing like fog and clouds.
Chu Zheng, amazed, looked around, quickly stepped forward, gently stroking the dragon patterns on the columns:
"This... this architecture style of which dynasty exactly? I don't think I've seen it before..."
For a long time, he came back to his senses, recalling the memories in his mind, somewhat hesitant.
Everything before his eyes seemed dreamlike in its beauty.
Regarding previous memories, he felt somewhat unclear, vaguely remembering only that after he repaired a piece of porcelain from the previous dynasty, he went home as usual and then immediately fell asleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he was here.
After pondering for a long time, Chu Zheng couldn't recall any clues, shook his head, and continued toward the depths of the hall.
The hall was quite empty, in the center, there were two figures, a middle-aged Taoist, and a woman in black clothing, sitting opposite each other across a jade table.
Seeing the man's appearance, Chu Zheng was stunned, this person looked almost identical to him, not the slightest difference, only seeming older, in his thirties, wearing a Taoist robe, with a Taoist bun.
The woman sitting opposite, about thirty years old, dressed in black combat attire, red cloth binding her hair, her spine like a green pine, straight and upright, slightly upturned eyes akin to an unsheathed thin blade, blood-hued skin under Immortal Light showing a honeyed hue, a shallow scar across her face adds a touch of ominousness.
Chu Zheng wanted to step forward but suddenly felt an invisible force pressing him in place, unable to move, only able to watch.
"Ah Zheng, I'm here today... merely for an answer from you."
The woman spoke calmly, her expression solemn: "Can you let go? Surrender Heavenly Fate, maybe there's a turn for the better."
"Martial Arts Heavenly Fortune warns, has issued a death decree, wants your life, it offers me the position of Martial Ancestor, wants me to act, but I refused, can only delay a moment, cannot delay forever, it will inevitably choose a new Martial Ancestor, likely to be Jun Huang, Immortal Path on that side, I'm afraid Yun Tianji will personally act."
"Jun Huang previously had a decent relationship with you, but that's because the struggle over fate hadn't yet involved him, Yun Tianji is close to you but that was also before the situation changed. Now, various Ancient Clans band together, these two control almost seventy percent of the Heavenly Fate, you only control twenty percent, how can you compete?"
"Even if I let go of Heavenly Fate, they wouldn't spare me, moreover, to whom should the twenty percent Heavenly Fate go? To Martial Path, or Immortal Path?"
The man chuckled lightly, without a hint of tension in his expression:
"Do not worry, even if Yun Tianji and Jun Huang do join forces, I will definitely win this battle, then someone will assist me."
"Where does your confidence come from?"
Regarding the Taoist's inexplicable confidence, the woman's brow tightened:
"Previously you blew up graves, decimated ancestors, stole treasures and fortune, you've offended every Ancient Clan to the point that everyone wants to strike you down, apart from me, who would be willing to help you now?"
"Ah Zheng, since Chengzu, you've changed too much, sometimes I barely recognize you, I've told you many times about Jun Huang, someone with a wolf's ambition, cannot be trusted, there's also Yun Tianji, although you two emerged from the Heaven Burial Palace dead piles as life-and-death comrades, but how much weight does this relationship hold in his eyes? Do you truly think they will hold back?"
"Xue Qing, there are some things I can't explicitly tell you, you only need to know, I will win this battle because it is a destined future."
The Taoist lightly shook his head, spoke in a deep voice: "A raging heavenly waterfall, once laid, is merely a small river. A small stream manifesting atop the Star River, the world merely sees it as a Star Sea, the altitude you're at determines your image in others' eyes, but me, I've never changed."
With that, murderous intent reflected in the Taoist's eyes:
"Now, you only need to sit quietly, do not intervene, calmly await the change of heaven, when this battle ends, it won't be long, I'll conclude the struggle over fate, uproot all Ancient Clans, completely end Dao War, reopen Yin Yang, and sweep away all the perpetual shortcomings!"
Hearing this, the woman took a deep breath, abruptly stood, turning to leave, she suddenly turned back, deeply gazed at the Taoist, softly said:
"Zheng Chu, I'll ask you one last time, why did you help me so much initially?"
The Taoist faintly smiled, lightly shook his head: "I've said it many times, owed you a life, must repay."
"Then why when I asked you to marry me, did you not agree?" Xue Qing pursued again.
The Taoist was stunned, after a long silence, he finally spoke:
"I've already married, I have a wife, how to marry again?"
"The same old excuse!"
Xue Qing sneered coldly: "I knew you at seven, how could I not know if you are married or not?!"
After speaking, the woman tore apart the raging Aura wind, flicked her sleeve and left, disappearing in an instant.
The Taoist sitting cross-legged on the spot, slightly lowered his head, sighed deeply.
After a while, he suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with indescribable astonishment.
He slowly moved his gaze, looked in the direction of Chu Zheng, his eyes empty, without focus, seemingly lost in thoughts.
In an instant, blood veins filled the Taoist's eyes, black mist surged deep within his pupils, terrifying to the extreme.
Chu Zheng, completely bewildered, looked at the Taoist before him, utterly unable to fathom what was happening.
The scene before his eyes shattered like a spider web, a tide of memories surged, pulling him abruptly from the Illusion Realm.