After returning to the Taiqing Sect, Chu Qingchuan no longer received the star treatment he once enjoyed. Everyone treated him with icy indifference.
When Ning Menglan saw him, she didn’t bother asking about his cultivation progress or his injuries—she simply waved him away dismissively.
As for the sect elders, they outright avoided him.
Even the ordinary disciples of the Taiqing Sect, mere trash who hadn’t even formed their Nascent Souls, dared to look down on him?
Suppressing his rage, Chu Qingchuan retreated to his own spiritual peak.
Gazing at the barren Ruoxu Peak, stripped of all its spiritual plants, the wounds in his dantian throbbed with renewed pain.
In the Soul-Corroding Forest, after hearing Bai Wanyi’s words, he had rushed back to the Taiqing Sect in a panic, not even taking the time to properly heal.
Yet, no one here cared about his condition.
Thinking of Ning Menglan’s coldness, his eyes darkened with resentment.
He should have gone to the Bai family to recover first.
But it didn’t matter.
Once Xu Wanci fell for him again, everything she had—including her fortune—would belong to him.
By then, not only would his injuries heal, but reaching the Tribulation Transcendence stage would be just a matter of time.
And when that day came, he would make every last one of these Taiqing Sect disciples pay.
---
In the Guiyuan Hall, Ning Menglan’s brow remained furrowed ever since she learned of Chu Qingchuan’s return.
She had long since seen through his true nature and knew his intentions were far from pure.
But as the saying goes, one can’t stay on guard forever.
Rising to her feet, her eyes radiated the authority of a sect leader.
If Chu Qingchuan behaved himself, she might tolerate his presence. But if he dared to act against the sect, she wouldn’t hesitate to sever their master-disciple ties.
With a flick of her sleeve, she sent a communication talisman to the elders and peak masters.
Within the Taiqing Sect’s domain, what trouble could a mere disciple possibly stir up?
---
Chu Qingchuan remained oblivious to the fact that he had become the Taiqing Sect’s primary surveillance target.
While lying low on Ruoxu Peak, he devoted himself to mimicking the fleeting image of the Immortal Venerable Qingyan he had once glimpsed.
Xu Wanci was now under the sect’s tight protection, making it nearly impossible to approach her. He needed to find the perfect opportunity.
As long as he could see her, he was eighty percent confident of success.
Failure wasn’t an option in his mind.
The Demon Lord’s attempt to distort Xu Wanci’s memories with his demonic domain had failed because he had tried to force his will upon her. But with a strong enough will and spiritual sense, she could resist.
Chu Qingchuan, however, had a different plan—he would simply disguise himself as the man from her memories.
Long ago, when he was still ignorant of the truth, he had succeeded once.
This time, he was fully prepared.
A mind-altering spiritual treasure, an aura resembling the Immortal Venerable’s, and artifacts linked to the legendary figure…
Given Xu Wanci’s obsession with the Immortal Venerable, how could she possibly resist?
A ruthless determination flashed in his eyes.
But first, he needed to carefully study how Xu Wanci and the Immortal Venerable had interacted in the past.
That would increase his chances of deceiving her to ninety percent.
Recalling how Xu Wanci had once been infatuated with him, his lips curled into a cold, calculating smirk.
Back then, he had seen her as nothing more than a mediocre inner disciple—decently talented, but hardly exceptional among his peers.
Even with her collection of spiritual treasures, she paled in comparison to Jiang Qiuning, the Jiang family’s young mistress, whose resources could actually benefit him.
So even when he noticed her affection, he pretended not to.
Though he treated her politely, the vast gap in their status meant he couldn’t help but look down on her.
Yet, that was when her obsession with him had peaked—so much so that she had even schemed against Jiang Qiuning for his sake.
A mocking glint entered his eyes.
Of course.
A century ago, the gap between the exalted Immortal Venerable Qingyan and the lowly Xu Wanci had been like that between clouds and mud. Their interactions must have been nothing more than the Immortal Venerable condescendingly bestowing his favor upon her.
How laughable.
That such a one-sided "love" could bind her for a hundred years.
His gaze dropped to the dull red mole on his left wrist—once vibrant, now faded to a murky grayish hue.
Once he replaced the Immortal Venerable in her memories, he would treat her far better than the real one ever had.
By then, even if she discovered his true identity, she would be too addicted to his kindness to leave.
When he looked up again, his entire demeanor had shifted—cold, aloof, radiating an arrogance that dismissed all beneath him.
---
Meanwhile, Ning Menglan listened to the report from the Hundred Arrays Peak’s master with utter bewilderment.
"You’re saying Chu Qingchuan hasn’t been cultivating or healing these past few days, but instead…"
"Spending his time like some brothel performer, obsessing over his attire, posture, and even… his scent?"
The disparity between Chu Qingchuan and the Immortal Venerable was so vast that his attempts at imitation weren’t even a poor copy—they were outright nonsensical. No one could possibly guess he was trying to impersonate the legendary figure.
The Hundred Arrays Peak master’s face twisted as he nodded.
It was worse than that—he’d even seen Chu Qingchuan holding a brush, as if planning to paint something on his body.
Disgraceful! A stain on the sect’s reputation!
After a long pause, Ning Menglan finally processed the information. Clearing her throat, she remarked,
"I believe quite a few visiting cultivators have arrived at the Taiqing Sect recently."
"Among them, if I recall correctly, are several… female venerables?"
Back when Chu Qingchuan had the backing of both the Taiqing Sect and the Jiang family, he’d never lacked for resources.
But now, severed from the Jiang family and abandoned by the sect, he likely had no treasures left.
No wonder he’d resorted to such shameless tactics.
Pathetic. Always seeking shortcuts.
With a sigh, she waved her hand.
"Keep watching him."
"As long as he doesn’t harm the sect, ignore him."
---
Though Chu Qingchuan was trapped within the Taiqing Sect, finding a way to meet Xu Wanci wasn’t entirely impossible.
In the eyes of all the peak masters and elders, his body had yet to recover, making it impossible for him to harm Xu Wanci, who had now reached the Great Ascension realm and was protected by countless magical artifacts. Thus, they remained largely unwary.
If he truly dared to lay a hand on Xu Wanci, the moment he acted, he would be severely injured by the combined force of all the elders.
Yet, he wasn’t worried. His purpose in coming here was never to harm her.
He only wanted to see her—to make sure she… no longer suffered.
Chu Qingchuan gazed at the wooden door ahead, one he hadn’t seen in so long that it now felt unfamiliar. The spiritual energy around him gradually settled, as if nothing had ever happened.
With the same refined courtesy as always, he gently knocked on the half-open door.
Pushing it open, his eyes fell upon the figure beneath the Illusionary Beauty Tree, her aura brimming with Great Ascension energy. His gaze flickered, but he forcibly suppressed the jealousy rising in his heart.
Step by step, he walked into the courtyard. With each stride, the cool, wintry fragrance around him grew stronger, suffusing the air.
His gaze toward the woman in the courtyard was tender and attentive, yet it carried an inexplicable detachment—an aloofness that felt jarringly out of place.
"Wanci, it’s been a long time."
Xu Wanci sheathed her Nine Heavens Sword and calmly regarded the man who now stood before her.
Her eyes swept over his unstable Great Ascension cultivation, yet not a ripple of emotion crossed her face.
She couldn’t change a person’s fate, nor could she stop them from seizing opportunities. The only thing she could do was improve herself.
That was the most effective method—the one she could control.
So, no matter how strong Chu Qingchuan had become, there was no need for her to pay him undue attention.
Chu Qingchuan’s left hand, hidden behind his back, clenched abruptly at the sight of Xu Wanci’s utterly indifferent gaze.
Again, that same look.
As if he were nothing more than a stranger unworthy of her regard.
He despised that gaze—despised it with a bitterness laced with something more complicated, something even he hadn’t noticed.
Xu Wanci had snatched away too many of his opportunities. To him, she had long become an obstacle on his path to ascension.
From the moment he set foot on the path of cultivation, the Great Dao had eclipsed everything else in importance.
And so, he had forgotten—forgotten the shock and… the stirring in his heart when he once saw Xu Wanci smile at him before vanishing into a blaze of light, the Soul-Severing Bone in her hand.
In an instant, he suppressed all the chaotic emotions in his heart.
Unnoticed, the Soul-Confounding Stone in his storage pouch ignited.
The Soul-Confounding Stone was a supreme treasure, capable of subtly warping perception without detection—even a Tribulation Transcension cultivator wouldn’t notice anything amiss. No matter how powerful Xu Wanci’s divine sense was, she wouldn’t sense anything wrong.
But such an overpowering effect came with its own limitations.
Once ignited, the Soul-Confounding Stone required half an incense stick’s time to take effect. During that period, he had to remain within five meters of Xu Wanci.
And once the stone burned out, the distorted perceptions would return to normal.
Which meant—he only had half a month.
With that in mind, Chu Qingchuan lowered his left hand. The narrow cuff of his sleeve revealed a crimson mole, unnaturally vivid, as if painted on—just within Xu Wanci’s line of sight.
The cold fragrance around him thickened, carrying a faint chill that wasn’t sharp but still felt unsettling.
Above the heavens, the cosmos lay fractured, the Heavenly Dao dissipating.
Over the past few days, the vast majority of the Heavenly Dao’s power had been drained dry by Xiao Yuyan.
That power had transformed into spiritual energy, truly his own, merging into his body and meridians—his to command.
But this was, after all, the most formidable force in the cultivation world. Even as a being who transcended all things, he couldn’t fully assimilate and harmonize it in just a few short days.
The unassimilated Heavenly Dao energy wandered through his body, ceaselessly stirring his desires.
Every whisper from it was a manifestation of the cravings he couldn’t suppress.
Xiao Yuyan stood silently, listening to the voices in his heart. The darkness in his eyes deepened.
Yet, an invisible chain of spiritual energy pierced through his wrist, restraining his movements, preventing him from approaching the vortex of time.
The other end of that chain was tied to a fragile, flickering Rain-Transforming Ephemeral Flower—one that could vanish at the slightest disturbance.
And so, from beginning to end, Xiao Yuyan didn’t take a single step.
In his heart, there had never been only desire. There was also love and remorse—inextricably intertwined with that desire.
It was because of his affection, his care, that this remorse existed.
He knew that every return to the past added another chain to her heart.
If he stopped now, perhaps her feelings for him wouldn’t run too deep. These hundred years wouldn’t have to be so unbearable.
And the him of now…
Xiao Yuyan looked down at his still-translucent hand—the current him couldn’t escape the void for long.
As long as even a wisp of Heavenly Dao energy remained in him, this place would forever be his prison.
He stood quietly, his desire-clouded eyes softening inexplicably when they landed on Xu Wanci—almost docile.
But when his gaze shifted to Chu Qingchuan beside her, malice seeped into those pitch-black depths:
A cheap imitation.
An imitation that could stay by her side.
The ignited Soul-Confounding Stone burned out silently, its effects gone without a trace.
Xiao Yuyan stared at the Heavenly Dao-blessed fortune clinging to Chu Qingchuan, his eyes finally acknowledging another’s existence:
This… was the Child of Fortune favored by the Heavenly Dao?
A petty thief.
When his gaze returned to Xu Wanci, warmth seeped back into his eyes.
He blinked slowly.
Why wasn’t she the one the Heavenly Dao favored?
Memories of the injuries Xu Wanci had suffered in the demon realm since his awakening surfaced. The spiritual energy in his palm gathered, bit by bit.
In a place no one could see, the already meager fortune clinging to Chu Qingchuan was cleansed by that icy spiritual energy, drop by drop transferring to Xu Wanci before him.
Chu Qingchuan remained utterly unaware that his fortune had been silently stolen away.
He made small talk for a long while, but after an initial nod of acknowledgment, Xu Wanci gave no further reaction.
No matter how subtly he displayed the crimson mole on his wrist, no matter how carefully he mirrored the Immortal Venerable Qingyan’s cold aura, she remained unmoved.
Had she truly not noticed the similarities between him and the Immortal Venerable?
Seeing Xu Wanci already turning to bid him farewell, Chu Qingchuan recalled the information he had once uncovered and sighed. His voice carried a mix of heartache and admonishment:
"Wanci, I’ve calculated the time you spent in the outer sect. At most, you only interacted with Immortal Venerable Qingyan for two years."
"Just two short years—how could they be worth remembering for a century?"
As he spoke, he took a step forward, his tone earnest and sincere:
"You and I have spent decades together. Shouldn’t that time be far more precious than those two years?"
"Besides, what did those years bring you other than pain?"
He had to stay. He had to wait for the Soul-Dazing Stone to take effect.
He knew the only one who could truly provoke a response from Xu Wanci was Immortal Venerable Qingyan.
Sure enough, at his words, her right hand—which had already gestured for him to leave—suddenly stilled.
Xu Wanci lowered her gaze slightly, veiling the emotions in her eyes:
Was this Chu Qingchuan testing her?
Had he discovered something?
Chu Qingchuan was a man of extraordinary fortune. No one could predict what opportunities or secrets he might stumble upon.
Still, if he had come to question her directly, it likely meant he had no concrete evidence—only suspicions.
The original owner of this body hadn’t spent much time in the outer sect. If calculated from the moment she obtained the Inkfrost Sacred Orchid, deducing the fabricated timeline of her acquaintance with Immortal Venerable Qingyan wouldn’t be difficult.
But at best, he could only estimate a rough timeframe.
Sensing the probing gazes occasionally drifting toward them from outside, Xu Wanci flexed her fingers imperceptibly:
She couldn’t confirm the exact time or place she had met the Immortal Venerable.
Any precise detail could become a fatal flaw in her lie.
From the moment the deception began, she had grown accustomed to everyone’s doubts.
Even after living so comfortably these past days, her instincts kicked in without hesitation.
Her voice was calm, as if she were merely stating a fact:
"Some people only need to be met once."
"Once is enough to remember for a lifetime."
At this moment, there was no sorrow in Xu Wanci’s aura. She gazed ahead, her expression tender and content:
"That wasn’t pain."
"Never was."
High above in the sky, the chains around Xiao Yuyan’s wrist dissolved in an instant, yet the Rain-Transforming Epiphyllum at the other end remained unharmed, swaying brilliantly blue in the wind.
It had never been the chains binding him—he had willingly let them.
The hollow wound where the chains had pierced his wrist began to heal.
Meanwhile, Chu Qingchuan’s expression darkened for a fleeting moment at Xu Wanci’s reply.
Then, remembering his next move, he softened his demeanor.
Noting that it was time for the Soul-Dazing Stone to take effect, he discreetly activated a treasure capable of mimicking the Immortal Venerable’s spiritual energy.
His face took on a nostalgic cast, as if gazing upon a long-lost companion, his voice heavy with the weight of time:
"Wanci."
"Why must you torment yourself like this?"
The moment the familiar spiritual energy enveloped her, Xu Wanci’s nerves tensed sharply.
But after encountering the Three-Leaf Lotus and the spiritual essence imbued with the Immortal Venerable’s aura, she had grown intimately familiar with his energy. She quickly detected the discrepancy.
Reviewing Chu Qingchuan’s every action since entering the courtyard and studying his expression, an incredulous thought struck her:
Was he trying to impersonate Immortal Venerable Qingyan in front of her?
By then, Chu Qingchuan was already stepping toward her.
He reached out, his left hand—marked by a crimson mole—edging closer to her cheek, suffused with the counterfeit "Immortal Venerable’s" energy.
The instant he drew near, Xu Wanci summoned the Nine Heavens Sword into her grip.
She wasn’t angry. She only felt that the man before her couldn’t compare to the one in her dreams—not even a fraction.
His imitation of that spiritual energy filled her with revulsion.
She didn’t hold back. With a single swing, a surge of Mahayana-level sword energy shot straight toward him.
Chu Qingchuan never expected her to remain lucid in what he’d believed was a flawless trap. He barely had time to shield his vitals.
But the strike was too powerful. Old wounds and new injuries collided, leaving cracks in his dantian.
The spiritual treasure’s simulated Immortal Venerable aura shattered instantly.
At that moment, Ning Menglan and several elders, sensing the disturbance, rushed into the courtyard.
Spotting them from the corner of his eye, Chu Qingchuan clenched his teeth against the pain and forced out each word:
"I merely exchanged a few words with Junior Sister Xu. Why did you attack me so viciously?"
He opened his mouth to continue, but a soft clink interrupted him.
The sound of a spiritual treasure hitting the ground.
His gaze instinctively snapped toward the source:
It was the Ten Thousand Spirits Water—the treasure he’d used to mimic the Immortal Venerable’s energy.
The Grand Elder, knowledgeable and experienced, recognized it first:
"That’s a supreme treasure capable of replicating any spiritual energy in existence!"
Ning Menglan quickly pieced it together:
"So the Immortal Venerable’s aura earlier—it was you!"
Clink. Another sound.
This time, it was the Soul-Dazing Stone rolling from Chu Qingchuan’s robes.
His face went deathly pale:
It’s over.
Days of meticulous planning had come to nothing. Worse, the consequences might be more than he could bear.
How could his luck be this wretched?
