Li Muwanâs voice contained a tenderness that entered Wang Linâs ears. This caused Wang Linâs heart to feel calm. His old face suddenly seemed a big younger. He looked at Li Muwan and forgot about the passage of time.
Wang Lin engraved Li Muwanâs words from that life in his dream, he could never forget them. The dream life seemed to overlap with the present, and the valley they lived in for many years together appeared.
The flowers in the valley blossomed and withered as days and years passed by. Only their figures seemed to become eternal existences. The sound of the zither music was intoxicating and made it so he didnât want to wake up.
Wang Lin didnât want to wake up.
In the valley, he watched Li Muwanâs hair turn white, then she eventually became a pile of bones. That cruel scene ripped his heart apart and caused him to suffer in pain and sorrow.
He remembered how he had hugged Li Muwan and let out the most miserable cry at the sky.
âEven if heaven wants you to die, I will take you back!â
That voice had always echoed inside Wang Linâs mind. It came from the dream and became Wang Linâs strength.
âThis dream, let me accompany you until the end of daysâŚâ Li Muwan tightly held Wang Lin as if she was afraid he would leave. Tears flowed as she whispered again and again and again...
She couldnât tell how many times she had said it...
Wang Linâs dried hands rose up and caressed Li Muwanâs hair. His expression was gentle and he nodded.
This woman, even a thousand years after her death, her figure became even more profound in Wang Linâs heart until she became his everything.
Whether it was Liu Mei or Li Qianmei, and all the other beauties he met later were unable to replace her shadow. They werenât able to walk into Wang Linâs heart.
Wang Lin knew that his heart had already died on that day, that year, when he held Li Muwanâs body and let out that roar in grief.
The colorful sky seems to be missing a color. Iâll spend my life to find her...
Wang Lin raised his head and looked at the sky. There seemed to be a white bird circling in the sky a he softly asked himself, âAre you willing to cut it off⌠Can you cut it offâŚâ
On the 31st year after leaving Zhao, Wang Lin and Li Muwan were sitting on the rock surrounded by cultivators for thousands of kilometers. Wang Lin held Li Muwan with a smile as he comprehended the world with her.
Wang Linâs words became fewer and fewer, from one time a year to once in several years.
âThe origin came from the void, this is karma. If you all can understand, you can form daoâŚâ In the 32nd winter after he left Zhao, snow fell from the sky. Wang Lin stood up from the rock, but his body was very weak. He knew that his life was near its end and that there was only one part left. Even if he was unwilling, he was about to die.
This dream was very, very realistic. In this dream, he was a mortal.
Death was an end, the end of the dream, but, similarly, it was the beginning of everything.
Li Muwan was still very young. She gently supported Wang Lin and stood with him on the rock.
Liu Mei was in the distance. She silently looked at Wang Lin and Li Muwan from afar. The confusion in her eyes had become stronger and stronger over the years. In the end, it turned into an unspeakable pain that caused her to lower her head.
Wang Linâs voice became even older as he softly said, âDo you still remember where home isâŚâ
Tears appeared in Li Muwanâs eyes and she nodded.
âTake me there.â Wang Lin stroked Li Muwanâs hair. His old face revealed his 2,000 years of longing.
Li Muwan bit her lower lip and held Wang Lin as she flew into the sky. They flew off into the distance under the gazes of all the surrounding cultivators.
They disappeared over the horizon, disappeared from everyoneâs gazes. It was as if they had never been here, had never come to this place.
The wind blew by Wang Lin and caused his white hair to flutter. His hair flew into Li Muwanâs face and entangled with her black hair. The intersecting of black and white seemed like they didnât want to separate.
Li Muwanâs gaze was gentle. As she moved forward, she looked at Wang Lin with a loving and warm gaze.
Wang Lin looked at the earth below him flash by as the wind blew by. He saw the volcanoes, the plains, the jungles, the cities, and the mortals that now looked like black dots.
An unknown amount of time passed before the earth below turned green and an endless mountain range appeared. There was a valley hidden within the mountains.
That valley was his second home aside from the country of Zhao in his dream.
This was his home with her.
The ray of light landed on the ground, causing the the countless blades of grass and trees to rattle. Soon, they all calmed down. Li Muwan appeared holding Wang Lin, and they soon arrived at the valley.
The valley was empty and weeds were everywhere. There were a few wild flowers giving off some aromas.
âWe are homeâŚâ Wang Lin entered a trance as he looked at the valley. A sense of yearning and sadness came from his soul. As he looked around, he felt a sense of sorrow, and then his gaze fell on Li Muwan.
Li Muwan also looked around. After a long time, she revealed a happy smile.
âWang Lin, let us not think about how this is a dream. Let us live here, OK?â
âOK.â
Time slowly passed. The weeds in the valley all disappeared and a simple, wooden house appeared in the valley. Day after day, the beautiful zither music would echo inside the valley.
Wang Lin stood there with a stick in his hand as the zither music played. His appearance was even older and there were many wrinkles on his face. There were also brown spots all over his skin.
These were an old manâs spots. Each spot was like the rings of a tree; they were the imprints of time.
He still wore that white robe and listened to Li Muwanâs zither music with a smile. He looked at the woman, who had both her hands on the zither.
The womanâs face was no longer as young as when they first came here. Just like him, she had become an old woman.
Li Muwan had used a spell to make herself look older. She didnât want Wang Lin to become old while she remained young. She wanted to be like him, like a mortal. They would count each otherâs white hairs as they spent the rest of their lives together.
How could Wang Lin not know know her intent? He didnât stop her, he just gently looked at his wife.
His wife.
They didnât care about each otherâs ages or appearance. What they cared about were the souls in their eyes.
They didnât care about the passage of time or about the barrier of yin and yang. All they cared about was that moment of longing.
This was how they selt. As the sun set in the valley and the zither music echoed, the two old people silently looked at each other. The old manâs smile was the old ladyâs smile.
He looked at her, she played the zither. It was as if there was nothing in this world aside from each other. Forget the world falling apart, forget the sun and moon alternating, forget the sky changing colors. For these two old lovers, those things were all insignificant.
One year, one year.
That white bird never appeared again; it was as if it had left the dream.
Under each otherâs gazes and the sound of the zither, Wang Lin and Li Muwan experienced the revival of life in spring, the willow leaves fluttering across the sky in the summer, and the autumn leaves rolling by.
They watched the rain and snow together as they went through winters that werenât cold one after another.
This year was the 35th year since Wang Lin left Zhao.
This year, Wang Lin felt the call of death. He understood that one day, when he closes his eyes, he might never open them again. He would leave this dream world. This day was getting closer and closer.
The yellow leaves flew across the sky in the autumn of this year. They slowly rolled along the ground, but one leaf was blocked by Wang Linâs body.
Wang Lin leaned down and struggled to grabbed the leaf with his hand covered in old man spots.
âThe fallen leaf returns to its roots⌠Wan Er, I have to go⌠Send me on one last trip. Accompany me to Zhao, and with Big Fortune, we will go to the city of Su and complete the last thing in this dream. The last meeting with myself.
âBack then, he didnât come. This time he will definitely come.â
Li Muwan had a head of white hair as she supported Wang Lin out of their home with reluctance and attachment in her eyes. They flew off into the distance as a ray of light toward the continent across the sea where Zhao was.
This place was a dream but also not a dream. It was formed by Wang Linâs dao spell with the help of the Dao Fruits. The time inside the dream was the same as the time outside.
Outside the dream was the Cultivation Alliance, the four major star systems, the final battle between the Inner and Outer Realms!
During these several dozen years, the Inner and Outer Realms were fighting like water and fire. The Outer Realm had spread the news that the Lord of the Sealed Realm was dead and used their full power to invade the Inner Realm.
The barrier Qing Lin had created by borrowing the power of the Ancient Celestial Realm had collapsed more than 30 years ago. Countless Outer Realm cultivators rushed in and the battle raged again and again. Both sides suffered heavy losses and blood filled the sky. The smell of blood was unimaginably thick and the four major star systems had become hell.
As life became more and more cruel, the third step cultivators of the Inner Realm gave up the Summoned River and Cloud Sea. They condensed their forces into Allheaven and the Brilliant Void for their final struggle.
As the situation became even more desperate, the rumor that the Lord of the Sealed Realm had died took root. Even though Qing Shui had turned into Wang Lin, Qing Shui had been seriously injured by Heaven Master Void God and almost died more than 10 years ago.
As a result, the news of the Lord of the Sealed Realm could no longer be stopped. It gave the Inner Realm cultivators an unrecoverable blow.
One month ago, the Brilliant Void faced a difficult choice. Should they give up and head to Allheaven for the last battle, or stay at the Lord of the Sealed Realmâs hometown? Stay at planet Suzaku and fight to the death!?