Chapter 1307: I Will Find You
The Second Great War between Heaven and Earth finally came to an end with the fall of the Yimo Emperor.
This outcome sent the entire world into a state of jubilant celebration. The hope that emerged after utter despair brought with it an overwhelming sense of excitement and ecstasy that was hard to suppress.
Everyone had believed that this world would fall under the control of the Yimo. Yet, who could have predicted that final, dramatic turnaround? Not only was the situation reversed, but the threat of the Yimo was completely eradicated.
This land, long tormented by the Yimo, finally found peace.
In the month following the end of the Great War, the three great alliances began to disband one after another. Everything returned to normal. Though the world would undoubtedly remain a fiercely competitive place, it was through such competition that powerful experts would be tempered and emerge. Perhaps, a long, long time from now, another monstrous genius would appear, reaching the legendary Ancestral Realm.
The world would always continue to progress.
However, everyone knew that even if someone else were to step into the Ancestral Realm, it would be nearly impossible to surpass the one who had saved them from their most desperate hour.
Martial Ancestor, Lin Dong.
Supreme experts of the Ancestral Realm might appear multiple times, but his other identity was unique and beyond anyone's reach: the Master of the Plane.
The true ruler of this plane!
Both the Symbol Ancestor and the Yimo Emperor of the past had come to this world with the goal of controlling the Plane's Embryo, becoming the Master of the Plane, and thus obtaining even greater power.
In the end, however, they both failed. Lin Dong was the one who succeeded.
…
Within the Dao Sect, atop a towering mountain peak, Lin Dong stood at the edge of a cliff, looking down at the sect's scenery veiled by swirling clouds and mist. Behind him, Ling Qingzhu, Qing Tan, Xiao Diao, Xiao Yan, the Life Death Master, and others watched his back. Though his figure was lean, it carried an indescribable authority.
That authority came from being the Master of the Plane.
"I'm going to take action now," Lin Dong said suddenly after a long silence, his gaze fixed on the Dao Sect. "Although she burned her reincarnation, it hasn't been long. There should still be fragments of her reincarnation scattered throughout the world. If I can find those fragments, I can send her into reincarnation and preserve her memories."
"How confident are you?" The Flame Master and the others felt a surge of joy upon hearing this, but it was quickly followed by worry. Although Lin Dong's current power was profound, burning one's reincarnation was almost equivalent to complete annihilation. How easy could it be to revive someone from that?
"About fifty percent," Lin Dong murmured. An inexplicable sense of panic fluttered in his heart, and he couldn't help but clench his fists. Even though he now possessed the most powerful strength in this world, what meaning did that power hold if he couldn't even find the one he loved?
His purpose in cultivating was to protect those he wanted to protect. Yet now, he found himself powerless to do so…
A soft, delicate jade hand gently enveloped his large one. The smooth, warm sensation it transmitted helped soothe Lin Dong's turbulent emotions. He turned his head to look at Ling Qingzhu, who stood beside him, dressed in immortal-like white robes. Her beautiful eyes gazed quietly at him, unable to hide the tenderness within.
"Thank you," Lin Dong said, deeply moved and warmed by her silent presence. He tightly grasped her jade hand in return.
She was always like this, quietly hiding all her emotions deep within her heart. For him, she could set aside her inherent pride and aloofness, becoming soft to comfort him. During his most vulnerable moments, she would always stand quietly by his side. Even without saying a word, her presence filled him with warmth. Yet, her strength sometimes made his heart ache even more.
"I used to only watch you from afar," Ling Qingzhu said softly with a smile. "So now, I have to compensate you doubly."
Lin Dong smiled in response. It was only by truly reaching the depths of Ling Qingzhu's heart that one could break through her icy, aloof exterior and experience the passion and softness she reserved for that one person alone. Clearly, the Lin Dong of the past hadn't reached that level. Back then, Ling Qingzhu had no obligation to consider him, let alone talk about compensation.
"You already compensated me when you taught me the Great Tai Shang Sense Verse…"
Ling Qingzhu was startled, and then a deep blush instantly spread across her stunning face. She bit her red lips, staring at Lin Dong, her eyes filled with unconcealed embarrassment. "You… you knew all along?"
"I knew from the very beginning…" Lin Dong looked at Ling Qingzhu, his eyes filled with deep affection.
Ling Qingzhu gritted her silver teeth, her lips pressed together. Feeling both shy and annoyed, she raised her jade hand and lightly punched Lin Dong's arm. She had thought she had been very discreet about that matter, never expecting this guy to have been pretending all along.
"Hurry up and begin," she urged.
Lin Dong smiled and nodded, saying no more. He sat down cross-legged on the mountain peak and slowly closed his eyes.
Ling Qingzhu and the others nearby could feel a profoundly mysterious ripple spreading out the moment Lin Dong closed his eyes. It moved with incredible speed, enveloping the heavens and the earth in the blink of an eye, then began searching meticulously, inch by inch, for any possible reincarnation fragments that might be scattered throughout the world.
Lin Dong's consciousness spread across the world. He channeled the power of the plane, searching for that familiar presence deeply etched in his heart…
This search lasted for an entire month.
As time passed, Lin Dong's face gradually grew pale. Despite using the power of the plane to scour every inch of the world, he had failed to find even a single familiar fragment of reincarnation.
This fruitless outcome caused waves of panic and fear to rise in his usually tranquil heart.
He found this result utterly unacceptable. Gritting his teeth, he once again channeled the power of the plane. This time, he focused his search on every place he had ever been with her: the Dao Sect, the Yimo Domain, the place where they had fought over the Immortal Yuan Ancient Tree…
Logically, fragments of reincarnation would linger in the places one was most attached to in life. If Ying Huanhuan's reincarnation fragments still existed, they would surely be in these places!
But…
Despite intensifying his search, the final result remained brutally unbelievable.
Two months later, Lin Dong opened his eyes on the mountain peak. His gaze was hollow, bloodshot veins creeping into them. His body trembled slightly as he muttered, "How… how can I not find her… How…"
This method should have worked! It hadn't been long since she burned her reincarnation; it was impossible for even her reincarnation fragments to have dissipated completely!
"How… could this be…"
He clutched his head in agony, feeling as if a huge part of his heart had been hollowed out. The indescribable pain made his eyes turn bloodshot.
"Lin Dong, what's wrong?"
An anxious voice sounded beside him. Ling Qingzhu hurriedly appeared at his side. Seeing his disheveled state, a sour feeling rose in her nose, and she quickly knelt down beside him.
Lin Dong looked up dazedly. His eyes, red and vulnerable like a child's, met hers. "I… I can't find her… I can't find her anymore…"
Seeing this rare display of vulnerability, Ling Qingzhu's heart ached. Her eyes reddened. While the world was immersed in the joy of survival, who knew the deep sorrow harbored in the heart of the man who had saved them all?
"Don't worry, don't worry. We'll search slowly. If once isn't enough, we'll try twice. We will find her," she said softly, extending her slender jade arms to gently hold him, her voice as tender as if she were comforting a fragile porcelain doll.
Lin Dong tightly embraced Ling Qingzhu's slender waist. After a long while, he gritted his teeth, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes. "I will definitely find her and bring her back!"
He closed his eyes again, sinking his consciousness into the world. Yet, a deep fear lingered between his brows. He was terrified—what if he truly couldn't find her? The pain would be unbearable.
Ling Qingzhu watched his resolute yet weary face, her eyes red. She knew his stubborn nature. Back when he had chased after her, leaving the Great Yan Empire, his gaze had been just like this. Perhaps, it was this very moving determination that had won her heart…
On a mountain not far away, the Life Death Master looked at the couple embracing on the peak and let out a soft sigh, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
When Lin Dong opened his eyes again, another two months had passed. This time, his eyes were dull, his body trembling slightly. The authority of the Plane Master was nowhere to be seen.
What use was possessing the greatest power if he couldn't even find the woman he loved?
Ling Qingzhu watched as the light in Lin Dong's eyes grew increasingly hollow, her heart aching more and more. But all she could do now was stay quietly by his side. She knew he must be in immense pain.
Hope was fading, becoming extremely slim. Yet, Lin Dong refused—and dared not—give up.
Time passed.
On the mountain peak, Lin Dong opened his eyes time and again, but the light in them grew weaker and weaker. Dullness clouded his pupils. The once lush forests on the peak seemed to wither along with the changes in his state of mind.
Hope was fading away.
Over the past six months, Little Marten, Qing Tan, and the Master of Life and Death had all come to visit. However, when they saw Lin Dong in that state, they couldn’t utter a single word and eventually left in silent sorrow.
Yet by his side, there was always a graceful figure quietly waiting and caring for him.
When Lin Dong opened his eyes for the last time, the light in them had almost completely faded. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, casting the world in a silvery-white, desolate hue.
Ling Qingzhu gazed at Lin Dong’s lifeless eyes, her nose tinged red as she finally couldn’t hold back and turned her face away. Large teardrops fell, one after another, splashing onto Lin Dong’s face.
He slowly turned his head and looked at her exquisitely beautiful, red-rimmed face, murmuring, “I’m sorry…”
“I know,” Ling Qingzhu said softly. She knew that if it were her, he would have done the same.
“But perhaps she wouldn’t want to see you tormenting yourself like this.”
Lin Dong’s hands trembled. He hung his head, his voice hoarse as he said, “…To gain this power, I lost her. Yet, I can’t use this power to bring her back…”
“Why?!”
“Why?!”
He suddenly threw his head back and roared, his voice filled with heart-wrenching agony. In the sky, a torrential downpour poured down, drenching his face until it was impossible to tell whether it was rain or tears.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!”
He frantically pounded his fists against the ground, his roars like cries of blood, carrying boundless sorrow and pain that echoed far and wide across the heavens and earth.
He had given hope to the world but brought despair upon himself.
Within the Dao Sect, countless disciples looked toward the highest peak, feeling the pain in his roars. Their eyes reddened, a sour ache making them tear up.
In front of the main hall, Ying Xiaoxiao gazed at the faintly visible figure atop the mountain peak. The despair in his voice made her understand that the cheerful, lively girl who had once laughed so brightly would never return.
She tightly covered her mouth, letting out low sobs. Beside her, Ying Xuanzi’s eyes were also red as he turned away, seeming to have aged all at once. Behind them, Zhou Tong, Wu Dao, and the others fell into silence.
The entire Dao Sect was shrouded in an atmosphere of sorrow.
“We’ve failed…”
Little Marten, Qing Tan, and the others watched the scene and murmured in despair. The Flame Master and the others slumped to the ground, disheartened. They had lost their master and the Devouring Master back then, and now… were they going to lose her too?
The Master of Life and Death looked at the despondent crowd, sighed softly, and quietly stepped away.
At the mountain peak, Ling Qingzhu watched the frenzied Lin Dong and couldn’t help but embrace him, her eyes red.
“Ah!”
Lin Dong held Ling Qingzhu tightly, wailing like a child: “I can’t bring her back, I can’t bring her back, I can’t bring her back!”
“You’ve done your best. We all know that.”
“I promised her I would bring her back!”
Tears streamed endlessly down his face, his voice hoarse.
Ling Qingzhu held him, her eyes red. She could feel the extreme heartache in his heart.
He had saved the world, but he couldn’t save the one he loved.
A petite figure approached from afar and sat down by the cliff. The Master of Life and Death looked at Lin Dong—this was the first time she had seen this resilient man so utterly grief-stricken.
“Why be so greedy?… You already have someone by your side worth loving. Wouldn’t it be better to forget her?” the Master of Life and Death sighed softly.
Lin Dong slowly shook his head, his voice raspy: “I will bring her back!”
Even in despair, I will never give up.
The Master of Life and Death looked at his weary yet stubborn face and finally let out a bitter laugh. “I really don’t know what to do with you… It seems I won’t be able to fulfill Little Junior Sister’s final request.”
Lin Dong’s body trembled violently. He abruptly raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on the Master of Life and Death.
“You can’t find Little Junior Sister’s reincarnation fragments, can you?”
The Master of Life and Death lifted her head, gazing into the distance. After a long silence, she finally said, “Under normal circumstances, if not much time has passed, even if one burns their reincarnation, with your current power, you should be able to find the reincarnation fragments. But there is a limit to this—this rule only applies to those born in this plane…”
Lin Dong stared blankly at the Master of Life and Death, his mouth suddenly dry from the shock in his heart. “You mean…?”
“Yes, Little Junior Sister isn’t from our plane… So, you can’t find her reincarnation fragments.”
The Master of Life and Death smiled bitterly and raised her head. Images flashed through her mind—the night before Ying Huanhuan gathered her power to break through to the Ancestral Realm…
On a seaside island, a girl with a sorrowful smile.
“Eldest Senior Sister, I have a favor to ask of you.” The sea breeze blew, causing the girl’s crystal-clear long hair to flutter as she spoke softly.
“What is it?”
“If… something happens to me, please help me keep something. And I hope you never give this thing to Lin Dong.” The girl gazed toward the east, her voice low.
“Why?”
The girl fell silent. After a long while, her delicate shoulders seemed to tremble slightly. She gently curled her long legs, burying her face in her knees, and sobbed, “Because I don’t want him to be hurt because of me. There are people in this world he loves. As long as he can forget me, he can be happy. That path might be even more difficult. I only want to see him smile. I don’t want to see him get hurt on that path. If that happens, I’ll be heartbroken.”
The Master of Life and Death stared blankly at the trembling figure in the night, her eyes welling up with tears.
…
The Master of Life and Death looked at the stunned Lin Dong and smiled bitterly. “She understood you well. But being in the situation herself, she couldn’t see clearly. She didn’t realize how difficult forgetting is, especially for someone as stubborn as you.”
As she spoke, she extended her small hand, revealing a snow-white ice pearl the size of a longan. An astonishing chill emanated from the pearl, and within that cold energy was a familiar aura that made Lin Dong’s heart tremble.
“This is what remained after she burned her reincarnation. Follow it, and you will find Little Junior Sister. However, you’ll need to go to that mysterious world. The journey might be very difficult. Are you sure you want to?” The Master of Life and Death stared at Lin Dong.
Lin Dong looked at the snow-white ice pearl emitting cold energy, then tremblingly reached out and slowly took it. The cold energy surged on the pearl, faintly revealing a familiar, smiling face.
He took a deep breath, and his dark eyes suddenly burst with astonishing brilliance. The familiar determination and smile reawakened on his face.
“Don’t worry. No matter what, I will bring her back!”
I will search the highest heavens and the deepest hells. No matter how far you are, I will catch you and keep you by my side!
“I’ll go with you.”
Ling Qingzhu gently held Lin Dong’s hand, smiling like warm sunlight shining into the depths of his heart. “Without me by your side, who knows what foolish things you might do.”
Lin Dong gripped Ling Qingzhu’s jade-like hand tightly and laughed heartily. “Of course you have to come with me. Even if you disagree, I’ll tie you to my side.”
He never wanted to experience that feeling of loss again.
“I’ve always been curious about the world where the Symbol Ancestor and the others came from. This is a good chance to see it. No one can stop me on the path I choose!”
Ling Qingzhu looked at Lin Dong, whose weariness had vanished, his brows now filled with bold determination, and smiled gently. The familiar Lin Dong had returned.
"But..."
Lin Dong suddenly seemed to think of something, frowned, and said, "To go to that new world, we don't have the dimensional coordinates. Unless we find someone from that world, we can use them as a guide to traverse the dimensions and reach there."
"Someone from that world?" Ling Qingzhu pondered and said, "The Demon Emperor?"
"No, he has been purified by me and probably lost that function by now." Lin Dong shook his head, then gritted his teeth and said, "It's fine. I'll use the Dimensional Eye to probe. Since Huanhuan could drift into this world, there might be a second person who also drifted in."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Dong activated his dimensional power. A chaotic light emerged between his eyebrows, transforming into a chaotic eye that seemed to encompass everything. Its light swept across every corner of the world.
However, finding a person from another world in this realm was not easy. As time passed, Lin Dong's frown deepened.
While Lin Dong was probing the world, several figures approached from behind. Xiao Diao, Qing Tan, Yan Zhu, and others appeared. They were somewhat surprised to see Lin Dong suddenly full of vitality.
"Brother Lin Dong, are you alright?" Qing Tan asked joyfully. Seeing Lin Dong in such a state earlier had broken her heart.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Lin Dong turned to Qing Tan, smiled, and affectionately patted her head. Then, he turned his gaze away, and the Dimensional Eye continued its probing.
However, just as Lin Dong turned his gaze, his body stiffened for a moment, and his expression turned peculiar. Then, he slowly turned his head back, and the chaotic light from the Dimensional Eye enveloped Qing Tan.
Under the illumination of the Dimensional Eye, a strange, Yin-cold fluctuation seemed to emanate from Qing Tan's body—a fluctuation entirely different from any energy in this world.
"Brother Lin Dong, what's wrong?" Qing Tan, seeing Lin Dong's suddenly dazed expression, was taken aback. She looked down at herself and asked blankly.
Lin Dong merely stared at her in a daze. Ling Qingzhu, who was beside him, seemed to sense something and looked at Qing Tan in disbelief. "Could it be that Qing Tan is...?"
Lin Dong swallowed hard and slowly nodded.
Qing Tan was actually from that world... How unimaginably strange the ways of the world were...
...
Half a year later, behind Mount Qingyang.
Lin Dong stood in the air. At the edge of the cliff, Lin Xiao, Liu Yan, Xiao Diao, and others were present. They looked up at the sky, where space was slowly tearing open—a rift identical to the massive dimensional crack that had appeared beyond the void.
"Qingzhu, Qing Tan."
Lin Dong waved toward the cliff, and two graceful figures flew out, standing on either side of him.
"Big brother, when we pass the Triple Reincarnation Tribulation, you must take us to see it too!" Xiao Yan waved and shouted.
"Haha, alright! Let me scout ahead first!" Lin Dong laughed in response. Then, he waved his sleeve, and eight rays of light shot out from his body, transforming into eight Ancestral Symbols. One of them shimmered and turned into a little girl—Mu Lingshan.
"Lingshan, this is the newly born Life-Death Ancestral Symbol. Nurture it within your body. In a hundred years, a new Life-Death Ancestral Symbol will be born. By then, you'll be free from its restrictions and truly become human." Lin Dong flicked his finger, and a black-and-white light shot into Mu Lingshan's body.
"Brother Lin Dong, you must come back often!" Mu Lingshan waved her little hand, grinning playfully.
Lin Dong smiled and nodded. As the master of this dimension, returning would be simple for him.
"Dad, Mom, I'm leaving now." Lin Dong looked at Lin Xiao and Liu Yan.
"Kid, if you don't bring back two daughters-in-law, don't come back!" Lin Xiao waved his hand and laughed mockingly, while Liu Yan shot him a reproachful glance.
Lin Dong chuckled in response, gazing at the slowly tearing dimensional rift, his hand clenched tightly.
This time, I will definitely find you!
With a thought, Lin Dong grabbed Ling Qingzhu and Qing Tan and shot forward. Dimensional power enveloped the three of them, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they charged into the dimensional rift.
Everyone watched as the dimensional rift slowly closed, sighing deeply. Amid their melancholy, a curiosity about that new world arose. What exactly was there?
...
Flame Devil Sea, Flame God Hall.
In a pavilion, Tang Xinlan gazed toward the distant Eastern Xuan Region, a complex gleam in her beautiful eyes.
"That guy Lin Dong has probably left this dimension, right? I'm so envious. I really want to go there too..." A voice suddenly came from behind. Tang Xinlan glanced back at Mo Luo but didn't respond.
"Ah, my poor, talented disciple. Unrequited love is so bitter," Mo Luo sighed.
"Master, what nonsense are you spouting!" Tang Xinlan's face flushed red, annoyed and embarrassed.
Mo Luo chuckled, then said helplessly, "If you like someone, why not tell him?"
"Liking someone doesn't mean I have to be with him."
Tang Xinlan smiled brightly, lazily stretching her arms. Her dress outlined her alluring curves as she said with a laugh, "Besides, there are so many men in this world. At worst, I can just like someone else."
"There are indeed many men, but finding one more outstanding than that kid is really, really hard," Mo Luo thought for a moment and said seriously. "And will you really like another man?"
"Not necessarily," Tang Xinlan replied with a radiant smile. "The men who like me line up from the Flame Devil Sea to the Demon Region. I'm a fickle person and won't stay devoted to just one."
Mo Luo laughed and said, "Then let's make a bet. If you haven't fallen for anyone else by the time he returns, you'll go and tell him. How about that?"
Tang Xinlan's face reddened again. She glared at him fiercely, then bit her red lips, her eyes shimmering like water as she smiled charmingly.
"Alright."
...
Dimensional traversal.
A streak of light flashed by, within which three figures were faintly visible. Lin Dong held Qing Tan's hand, carefully sensing the fluctuations from the mysterious world within her and adjusting their direction accordingly.
They had been traversing the dimensions for nearly a month.
"Brother Lin Dong, aren't we there yet?" Qing Tan asked boredly, looking at the dimensional currents around them.
"Almost there."
Lin Dong smiled, then his expression shifted. His speed slowed as he gazed into the extremely distant space, the Dimensional Eye appearing between his eyebrows.
His vision pierced through the dimensional fog, and he suddenly saw three figures in the far distance—a man and two women, seemingly a couple. The man in the middle wore black robes and carried a massive black ruler on his back. Lin Dong sensed an extremely intense, fiery fluctuation from him.
Just as Lin Dong saw the black-robed man through the dimensional fog, the latter seemed to sense it too. He looked up in Lin Dong's direction, a friendly smile appearing on his face as he cupped his hands in a distant greeting.
Seeing this, Lin Dong also smiled and cupped his hands in return. Without lingering further, he waved his sleeve and continued onward with Ling Qingzhu and the others. The mysterious world was now within reach.
As Lin Dong and the other two moved away, the two women beside the black-robed man in the distant space noticed his gesture. The exceptionally elegant and beautiful girl smiled and asked, "Brother Xiao Yan, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, just met a very powerful person. For some reason, I felt a connection with him. I hope we can meet again. Let's go too."
The black-robed man smiled, said no more, and waved his sleeve. The three of them transformed into streaks of light and vanished, also heading toward the new world.
There, the most exciting adventures awaited.
(The End)