"Get up. Are you addicted to crying or something?"
Shen Lang couldnāt stand seeing women cry. The moment he saw the silver-haired girlās tear-streaked face, he found it unbearable.
Who would have thought that as soon as he said that, the silver-haired girl, who had just been weeping uncontrollably, would immediately pounce on him, grab his arm, and refuse to let go.
"Iām more than happy to have a beautiful woman throw herself at me, but could you please not dig your nails into my arm... Look, look! Itās bleeding!" Shen Lang winced in pain.
"Young Master, my name is Alice. I am the Blood Race Saintess. Let me tell you everything I know..." Alice said timidly.
Shen Lang flatly refused. "Donāt. Iām genuinely not interested in your Blood Race or the Blood Ancestor Tomb. Even if you told me where the Blood Ancestor Tomb is right now, it would be useless! Do you really think someone with my level of cultivation would dare to just charge into the Blood Ancestor Tomb? Iād like to live a couple more years. Just relax. Weāll be able to get out of here in a few days. Whatās the big deal?"
"But what I have to say is related to your Human Race, too! Itās related to the entire continent!" Alice clung to Shen Langās arm, refusing to let go for dear life.
"What the hell do I care about trivial matters like world events... Fine. Judging by your expression, if I donāt let you speak, you wonāt stop crying, and you wonāt let go of me either... Go on, Iām listening..." Shen Lang said helplessly.
Alice finally smiled through her tears and pulled Shen Lang back to sit on the bluestone rock in the center of the array.
"Ten years ago, rumor has it that the War God Hall engaged in a world-shaking battle with a Dark Force. After that, the War God Hall suddenly vanished from the continent without a trace. No one knows who their enemy was, and no one witnessed that battle. The whole rumor is very strange and inexplicable. And itās said that when the War God Hall disappeared, a certain phrase spread from an unknown source through the forbidden grounds of many Legendary Level sects..."
"Two Lives Flower blooms, Emperor Star appears, heaven and earth are overturned, the world falls into chaos!"
"After this phrase spread, the entire Blood Race was in an uproar. The Elders all said that the day for the Blood Race to make a comeback had arrived! No one knows that this phrase originally came from our Blood Race! It has been passed down for a million years! It is the very first sentence in the Blood Race Secret Scripture, which only the highest echelons of the Blood Race are permitted to read."
Hearing Aliceās words, Shen Lang, who had been shaking his crossed leg up and down, suddenly froze...
"Hold on, thatās a lot of information. Let me process it."
Shen Lang dropped his previously nonchalant demeanor and sat up straight on the bluestone rock.
A pleased look appeared in Aliceās eyes; she knew her words had finally captured his attention.
Shen Lang pondered for a moment, then said, "So, what youāre saying is this: ten years ago, the Human Race Holy Land, the War God Hall, suddenly disappeared without a trace. But as it vanished, the phrase āEmperor Star appearsā spread from some unknown source. This was the first time this phrase had ever appeared in the entire Human Realm, but it had actually existed in the Blood Race Secret Scripture since the Ancient Era? And it wasnāt your Blood Race that spread it?"
"Yes, thatās right," Alice nodded.
Shen Lang continued, "You said that after your Blood Race heard this rumor, they felt their time to make a comeback had arrived... You also mentioned before that the Blood Race has been searching for the Blood Ancestor Tomb, and that you yourself are the key to opening it, right?"
"Yes!" Alice nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
Divine Radiance flashed in Shen Langās eyes, and his expression grew solemn. "There was a legend from several hundred years ago that after a few centuries, the world would undergo a drastic change. With the Nine-Star Linked Pearls, the Human Realm would fall into great chaos, and the Blood Ancestor Tomb would also appear at this time. When that happens, the Supreme Yin Qi between heaven and earth will flourish, yin will prosper while yang declines, and demons will run rampant. The entire Star Continent will be plunged into endless slaughter and a rain of blood. And your Blood Race is waiting for this moment to enter the Blood Ancestor Tomb and change the fate of your race, correct?"
"This... You know about this too, Young Master?" Aliceās large eyes grew even wider.
Shen Lang paid her no mind and continued, as if to himself, "One of these events, the one that spread over three hundred years ago, is known to many Major Sects. Even a Sect like the Imperial Dragon Sect has been constantly sending people to investigate matters concerning the Blood Ancestor Tomb. The other event, you say, happened ten years ago, but that phrase has actually existed in your Blood Race Secret Scripture for countless years. So, what youāre saying is that these two events are actually one and the same?"
"Mhm!" Alice nodded emphatically. "Our Blood Race doesnāt know much about the Emperor Star. But both the āNine-Star Linked Pearlsā and the āEmperor Star appearsā mention heaven and earth being overturned and the world falling into chaos... In other words, when the Blood Ancestor Tomb appears, thatās when the world will fall into chaos."
"Mhm, I understand... But whatās the use of telling me all this? Does this have anything to do with me at all?"
Shen Langās mind was in turmoil, but on the surface, he put on an air of utter indifference.
"I... I donāt want the world to fall into chaos. I donāt want to see people die... and I donāt want to die either..."
Aliceās voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and she once again habitually hugged her knees.
Sensing the ineffable sorrow in the air, Shen Lang sighed and, reaching out, pulled Alice into his arms.
Even he didnāt understand why he felt such tenderness for this strange woman before him.
"Sob..." At that moment, Alice finally broke down and cried out loud.
"If youāre upset, just cry. Youāll feel better after letting it all out," Shen Lang said, gently patting her back.
He looked up at the horizon, his mind a surging tide of thoughts.
āThe world-shaking battle between the War God Hall and the Dark Force... I have some fragmented memories of it. Itās a bit hazy, and the War Emperor even sealed my memories of who the enemy was, but I can still make a few guesses.ā
āThe War Emperorās fall clearly happened during that battle, tooāwhen he faced that giant face that covered the entire sky.ā
āBut the War Emperor was the lord of the Human Raceās supreme holy land, a magnificent Great Emperor of his generation. How could the phrase "Emperor Star appears" spread at the time of his fall?ā
āIt should be "Emperor Star is dead," not "Emperor Star appears." The War Emperor is dead, so why would it say the Emperor Star has appeared? Does that mean the Emperor Star only showed up after the War Emperor died?ā
āThe War Emperor said he was a part of my soul, and the time of his fall was exactly when I transmigrated here... Does that mean this "Emperor Star" has something to do with me? Otherwise, how could there be so many coincidences?ā
āDamn it all! Now that this Emperor Star has appeared, the Blood Race is looking for it, and all the major sects on the continent are looking for it. Whether itās me or not, this isnāt good for me.ā
āWho the hell knows if theyāll deep-fry or steam the Emperor Star once they find it? Looks like Iāll have to be even more low-key from now on. It would be a tragedy if I get mistaken for the Emperor Star, captured, and put in a cage for public display...ā
Shen Lang sighed, patting Aliceās head a couple of times. "Itās alright, donāt overthink it. No oneās fate is set in stone from birth. Even if such a destiny exists, as long as youāre powerful enough, you can defy the heavens and change it."
"Really? Can I really escape this fate?" Alice looked up, her face stained with tears.
Looking at her expression and her eyes, Shen Lang almost laughed out loud. She was just a little girl who knew nothing of the world, yet fate had delivered her right to him.
āEven if Iām not the Emperor Star, we still share a deep connection!ā
āAnd now, regardless of the Nine-Star Linked Pearls or the Emperor Star, it seems like an invisible string now connects the two of us.ā
āThis girl Alice is a bit of an idiot, isnāt she? Daring to tell such a huge secret to someone sheās only known for a single night...ā
Shen Lang smiled and said, "Of course. Changing oneās fate isnāt just a legend... Take me, for example. I have the Celestial Vein Sacred Body, which originally made it impossible for me to practice cultivation. I was treated like trash, but havenāt I managed to raise my cultivation to this level anyway? Donāt worry too much. The ways of the world are unpredictable, and no one can say for sure what the future holds. What you need to do now is not to dwell on these messy thoughts, but to focus on your cultivation and make yourself stronger."
"I donāt know why, but back in the clan, when the Elders supervised my cultivation, they would tell me every day to work hard and become stronger, but I never took it to heart. But when you say it, Young Master, I feel an indescribable strength welling up inside me... Young Master, will you marry me in the future?"