Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin It was challenging to determine the age of the enigmatic woman in black from her appearance alone. She merely stood there, her eyes devoid of any emotions. No person or object she gazed upon could stir up any emotions in her. She handled everything with composure and treated them all the same. Xiao Bai could see dignity and indifference in the depths of the woman’s eyes. “Who are you and why are you here?” Xiao Bai inquired once more. The woman in black made her feel extremely unsettled. Her hair stood on end as she put her guard up. A layer of goosebumps and cold sweat trailed down her back, as if she was facing a terrifying existence. Moreover, she was perplexed that the woman mentioned Celestial True Blood. She could not find any information related to it in her inherited memories. “It doesn’t matter who I am. I won’t make things difficult for you since your Master lets you freely roam around here.” The woman remarked nonchalantly instead of answering Xiao Bai’s question. She spoke every word clearly in an unhurried tone, giving others the impression that she was in control of everything in the world. Xiao Bai could not help but feel a sense of reverence and submission towards this person. However, she quickly shook off these thoughts, finding them absurd and terrifying. The woman in black paid no further attention to her, instead turning and walking towards the palace. Witnessing this, Xiao Bai grew anxious. Despite her unease and fear, she mustered up the courage to rush forward and stop her. She could not allow anyone to disturb Qingyi while she lay in a deep slumber within the palace. After all, this could be a crucial moment for her recovery. “What are you doing? That palace is a sacred place, and no one is allowed to step foot inside!” Xiao Bai shouted, simultaneously launching an attack. A brilliant celestial beam shot out of her hand, and the phantom of a Wang Yue manifested behind her. It was vivid and lifelike as if it had returned to this world. Its slender figure glowed with celestial radiance. Its scarlet eyes exuded a menacing aura as it charged directly at the woman in black. Xiao Bai was not skilled in combat, and this was actually her first time engaging in battle against a Human. In the past, she lived a carefree life as Qingyi had taken good care of her in the Upper Realm. Even Gu Changge, that neglectful Master of hers, would provide her with necessary resources. Xiao Bai, driven by her instinct, relied solely on her inherited memories and launched an attack against the woman in black in a desperate attempt to halt her. “You dare to attack, knowing that you are no match for me. Though, your loyalty in protecting your Master is commendable.” The woman in black remarked without turning her head, maintaining her flat tone. However, a hint of approval lingered in her words. “Unfortunately, you have wasted that Celestial True Blood in you. Any Celestial Beast Wang Yue of the same realm could easily suppress and defeat you. Though you possess great power within, you lack the knowledge of how to wield it. It seems your Master did not teach you much, treating you merely as a pet. A true Celestial Beast is expected to be powerful enough to conquer territories across the Boundless Expanse.” Hum!!! The moment the woman in black finished speaking, a layer of blurry golden ripples appeared around her, spreading silently, as if enveloping the entire Spacetime. Everything seemed to freeze, and the flow of time came to a halt. Xiao Bai suddenly felt a wave of terror wash over her, realising that she was suspended in mid-air. She could not even think or move, feeling completely helpless as she watched the woman in black walk towards the palace. “Do not fret, I mean no harm to your Master. I have come only to take her home.” The woman in black said calmly before entering the palace, leaving Xiao Bai astonished. Ethereal mist filled the palace, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. In the depths of the hall, a figure sat cross-legged on a cushion, her hazy figure blending into the background like a painting. The woman in black approached softly, her expression filled with a mix of emotions. “Ninth…” she approached the figure and was about to say more. However, Qingyi, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes, as if she had sensed the woman’s presence long before. Her beautiful eyes were serene and crystal clear, resembling a radiant Moon or a piece of flawless jade. “Third Sister…” Qingyi nodded slightly, recognising the woman in black standing before her. It was impossible for anyone to find this hidden place unless they possessed a mark left by her. Gu Changge could not have made it here at this time. Therefore, the only possibility was that someone from her Clan had found her. Everyone from the Mountains and Oceans True World only knew Qingyi as the True Spirit of their True World. None knew that she actually belonged to a mysterious and peculiar Clan known as the Epoch Cicadas, the bearers of the epoch. With each flutter of their wings, an entire epoch would pass. Wherever they went, time flowed, epochs were reborn, and everything was rejuvenated. The relationship between Epoch Cicadas and the Tree of Epoch was akin to that of the Phoenix and its Parasol Tree. The Epoch Cicadas coexisted with the Tree of Epoch, sharing the same fates. The Tree of Epoch gave birth to all living beings and shaped the universe, earning various names such as the World Tree, Ancestor Tree, and Source Tree in different Civilisations. The Epoch Cicadas held great significance in the Boundless Expanse. Some Civilisations regarded them as a symbol of auspiciousness, while others feared them like snakes and scorpions, considering them a harbinger of disaster. Wherever Epoch Cicadas went, they either brought ruin or everlasting prosperity, always the two extremes and never in between. However, the Epoch Cicadas had an extremely low population. One would be hard-pressed to find even a hundred of their Clansmen in the entire Boundless Expanse. Qingyi, being a member of the Epoch Cicadas Clan, had never revealed this secret to anyone, including Gu Changge. However, that was because Gu Changge had never questioned her about her true origins either. When he first laid eyes on Qingyi, she still had an air of immaturity about her. As the True Spirit of the former Mountains and Oceans True World, she led the Heavenslayers in their fight against the Great Purge. Compared to most experts in the Boundless Expanse, her strength could be considered insignificant. She had only just set foot in the Dao Realm. Naturally, her strength did not warrant Gu Changge’s attention at all, and at that time, Gu Changge feigned ignorance. In the years that followed, Qingyi’s performance was only barely satisfactory, nothing too out of the norm. While part of this was due to Qingyi’s decision to conceal herself, the main reason was that she had suffered a nearly fatal wound long ago. Compared to the true Epoch Cicadas, she was born with inherent weaknesses. The Epoch Cicadas were extremely rare and mysterious beings, comparable to the Tree of Epoch. Even at birth, they possessed strength far beyond ordinary Clans. Therefore, Qingyi was able to live independently beyond the Prosperous Dao True World while creating another Land of Reincarnation. She was able to nurture a new Tree of Epoch due to her Innate Talent as a member of the Epoch Cicadas Clan. Strictly speaking, she could not be considered the True Spirit of the former Mountains and Oceans True World because she had come into existence before it. By right, a True Spirit of a True World would be gradually conceived and born after the birth of the True World. There was an essential difference between the two. The gestation and birth of a True World was extremely complex. It required countless collisions of various substances in chaos, with only a glimmer of possibility to evolve into a world. Through numerous leaps and collisions, the level of existence of the world would constantly change, eventually becoming a True World. Meanwhile, the Epoch Cicadas Clan possessed an Innate Talent comparable to that of the Tree of Epoch. They were able to create and nurture worlds. Each flutter of their wings signified the passing of an entire, the death of a world, and the birth of a new world. This was a force that almost resembled World Principles. The woman in black in front of Qingyi was obviously part of the Epoch Cicadas Clan, given the way Qingyi addressed her. “I never expected that you would entrust the life of the Ninth True Spirit to such a weak True World and even use the Immortal Flame Core that you took away from the Immortal Dao Civilisation here…” The woman in black frowned as she looked at Qingyi, noticing that something was amiss. She reached out and placed her hand directly between Qingyi’s eyebrows. Golden ripples spread out, covering Qingyi’s entire body. In an instant, numerous memory fragments flashed before her eyes, like fleeting images. “I thought you had found a place to cultivate and recuperate, but I never imagined that you had done so many things throughout these epochs. If Mother were to find out about this, I cannot fathom what kind of punishment you would receive. I won’t be able to intercede for you.” The woman in black’s face quickly soured and towards the end, she seemed gloomy and worried. Qingyi shook her head and remained silent. She knew that she could not possibly compete with her Third Sister in terms of strength, so she did not resist. Moreover, she was currently in a weakened state and could barely remain conscious. Not even a Dao Realm expert could easily explore her memories, but as a member of the same Clan, the woman in black had the means to investigate her memories through a special ability. Even so, the torrent of memory fragments from these long years was not easy to digest in a short period of time. The woman in black could only pick out the things that she deemed worthy of attention. “While I understand that you have always been headstrong and reckless, I never imagined that you would engage in such foolishness…” The woman in black expressed her displeasure and wished to continue scolding Qingyi. However, upon seeing Qingyi’s current state, she held her tongue. Despite affectionately addressing Qingyi as Ninth, there was little joy in their reunion after all these years. Instead, anger brewed within her due to Qingyi’s past actions. Likewise, Qingyi’s indifferent attitude towards the woman in black remained unchanged. “Third Sister, if you’ve come to say these things to me, then save your breath. I’ve already grown tired of hearing them.” Qingyi responded indifferently. Her unyielding mindset and indifference only served to fuel the woman in black’s frustration. “You rebelled and showed no regard for the Clan’s life and death. Then, you stole the Immortal Flame Core from the Immortal Dao Civilisation and disappeared into the Boundless Expanse… Do you truly believe that the Clan wouldn’t send anyone to track you down? Were it not for your other Sisters and myself secretly aiding you, did you truly think you could have remained hidden and safe for this long?” The tone of the woman in black was stern, a stark contrast to her demeanour outside the palace earlier. Qingyi was momentarily at a loss for words. She was also fully aware that her Third Sister and the others had been secretly aiding her. Otherwise, with her strength, she would have been captured and sacrificed long ago. “My apologies, Third Sister…” Qingyi softly sighed, and her gaze immediately softened. She was still young and selfish when she fled from her Clan. She acted rebelliously without considering the consequences. She never understood why her Mother and the others would be so cruel to select her, as the youngest, to be sacrificed to quell the calamity. That was why she chose to escape, taking with her the immensely valuable Immortal Flame Core from the Immortal Dao Civilisation in a fit of anger. Qingyi also realised that without the help of her Sisters, she would never have escaped the Clan safely. She would not have been able to hide here for countless epochs. Putting aside the disasters her actions had brought upon the Clan, taking away the Immortal Flame Core from the Immortal Dao Civilisation alone was an unforgivable crime that warranted severe punishment. Yet, for all these years, she had lived in peace, undisturbed by anyone. Qingyi’s decision to protect the living beings in the former Mountains and Oceans True World stemmed from her guilt towards her Clan and her regret for her past selfishness. She was not a righteous, selfless, or loving person. “Well… It seems like you have grown a lot after all these years.” The woman in black was slightly taken aback when she heard an apology coming from Qingyi’s mouth. She then let out a soft sigh and softened her tone. As the youngest among the Sisters, Qingyi was their most beloved Sibling despite her rebellious and selfish nature. Just as Qingyi had speculated, her Sisters had actually been secretly protecting her all these years while she was hiding here. “What happened to the Clan after I escaped?” Qingyi’s true emotions were a stark contrast to her serene facade as she asked the question that had been weighing most heavily on her heart. Back then, the Mother Tree of Epoch was snapped by a massive hand that appeared from the Land of Truth, directly severing its connection to Fortuity and Source. It was said that because the Mother Tree of Epoch had absorbed copious amounts of Fortuity and Source from the Boundless Expanse, the Mother Tree had offended one of the three most supreme and mysterious beings in the Land of Truth. With the Mother Tree of Epoch snapped off, the Epoch Cicadas Clan teetered on the brink of annihilation and was heading towards exhaustion. Back in the Civilisation where the Epoch Cicadas Clan existed, they were actually very close to the Land of Truth. It was important to note that the Civilisation that the Epoch Cicadas Clan existed in was in close proximity to the Land of Truth. They would bravely charge forward as the vanguard, defending their people with unwavering determination during every Great Purge. Even so, they witnessed the most terrifying calamity since ancient times that nearly left their Clan on the verge of obliteration just because they offended that supreme being. Despite the Epoch Cicadas Clan’s extraordinary status for their possession of the Mother Tree of Epoch, their numbers were meagre compared to the other top Civilisations. Even after the Mother Tree of Epoch was destroyed, the wrath of that supreme being remained unappeased and that being unleashed a relentless barrage of calamities upon them. As the primary culprits, the Epoch Cicadas Clan faced a catastrophic disaster that nearly eradicated their entire lineage. In a desperate bid to salvage the situation, the High Priest of the Supreme Civilisation undertook arduous efforts and paid a huge price just to communicate with the Land of Truth. It was then revealed that only by offering suitable individuals as sacrifices to the other side could the supreme being’s anger be appeased, and the devastating calamity would stop.