Bai Fanlu finally understood why that monster initially targeted him but acted strangely and stopped attacking after devouring Xun Huang’s soul.

It was because Lu Lingjue’s remnant soul was inside him!

“Senior Wu Zhong, if I retrieve all of my father’s soul fragments and merge them with this human soul, can he still enter reincarnation?” Bai Fanlu asked.

Wu Zhong pondered briefly. “Originally, it wouldn’t be possible, but when I was looking for his human soul, this was my plan. There’s no precedent, but I believe it’s worth a try.”

“Great!” Bai Fanlu responded, “I will definitely bring back my father’s soul.”

Before leaving the underworld, Yun Zhan and Bai Fanlu walked a short distance when Yun Zhan suddenly said, “Senior Brother, wait for me.”

He ran back to the side of the Lonely Chain Bridge and bowed to Wu Zhong. “I would like to express my thanks, Senior.”

Wu Zhong smiled faintly at him. “Thank me for what?”

Yun Zhan looked solemn and serious. “There was someone very important to me. In order to retrieve my soul lost in the underworld, he exchanged his future reincarnations with Meng Po. If it weren’t for your help, he wouldn’t have a future, and we would never have had the chance to meet again.”

Wu Zhong’s expression softened, looking thoughtful yet penetrating. “Was it I who helped you?”

“Yes, though I couldn’t thank you at that time, I will never forget your great kindness.”

Wu Zhong laughed heartily. “Even though I don’t recall ever meeting you, since you’ve said so, I’ll accept this gratitude.”

He added, “But there are proper ways to express thanks. How do you plan to repay me?”

“However you wish me to repay, I will do my utmost,” Yun Zhan declared, his tone heavy with determination.

Wu Zhong only glanced at him lightly and, while casually reeling in his fishing line, said, “Why go to such lengths to thank me?”

“Do your utmost for him, and that will be enough.”

With that, he walked towards the Chain Bridge.

On the other side of the Chain Bridge, by the banks of the Yellow Springs Sea, Meng Po stood smiling, her eyes full of warmth as she looked towards the newcomer.

After leaving the underworld, Bai Fanlu returned to the demon palace, where there were still a few survivors. He decided to gather them before seeking a safer place to set up a new barrier.

Even though Bai Junming had declared that the demon world was destroyed and had driven him away, Bai Fanlu couldn’t truly abandon it.

Yun Zhan, without being invited, stayed and helped with various tasks. However, being an immortal, he was well known from the battles between the immortals and demons, so many recognized him. Because of his awkward identity, Yun Zhan faced much hostility, often suspected of having ulterior motives, but Bai Fanlu couldn’t drive him away. He just let him be, thinking that Yun Zhan might eventually understand the divide between immortals and demons and leave on his own.

“I know you’re trying to make me give up,” Yun Zhan said directly to Bai Fanlu, “but you also know me. Now that I’ve finally caught up to you, there’s no way I’ll back off. You might as well put my labor to good use.”

“Labor?” Bai Fanlu sighed inwardly. He had just treated an old minister’s injuries and was now reviewing a list of surviving demon guards when he looked up and asked, “How are your injuries?”

“Just a few minor scratches, no need to worry,” the servant responded.

Bai Fanlu nodded. “Then take him elsewhere. I’ll handle things here.” He pointed to Yun Zhan.

“Elsewhere? Where?” Yun Zhan frowned, clearly displeased.

Bai Fanlu, focused on the list and calculating the number of available people, calmly replied, “There are many remote places around the demon capital. Please assist him in bringing everyone here.”

Yun Zhan understood that Bai Fanlu was suggesting he go where fewer people would recognize him, which was better than staying and facing hostility. Still, he hesitated to leave Bai Fanlu’s side, afraid that he might run off again.

Seeing Yun Zhan unwilling to move, Bai Fanlu asked, “Didn’t you offer to be of use?”

“I won’t feel at ease if I don’t keep an eye on you,” Yun Zhan said bluntly.

The servant standing by observed quietly, his gaze lowered.

“You…” Bai Fanlu was taken aback, then found the situation amusing.

Though having someone buzzing around him could be irritating, it also eased his mood somewhat.

“You’re still worried I’ll run away at a time like this?” Bai Fanlu implied that with both the immortal and demon realms in chaos, they were bound together by fate.

Yun Zhan only stared back, as if to say, “I don’t care about hidden meanings; I want a promise.”

Bai Fanlu had no choice but to respond telepathically, “Fine, I won’t run. I’ll wait for you here. Happy now?”

“That’s more like it.”

Yun Zhan left, and as he turned, he noticed the servant’s somewhat awkward expression.

Raising an eyebrow, Yun Zhan said, “You’re right to think so. The relationship between your young master and me is exactly that, unbreakable.”

Bai Fanlu was speechless. “Don’t mind him,” he told the servant.

“Yes, young master.” The servant, ever the dutiful one, continued to feign ignorance of the conversation.

Bai Fanlu couldn’t help but worry that this servant might be led astray by Yun Zhan’s influence.

Shaking his head, Bai Fanlu returned to his tasks, organizing the survivors, maintaining order, healing the wounded, and discussing with ministers how to find a new place to settle their people.

After repairing the barrier and restoring communication with other regions, they chose a temporary refuge and began the evacuation.

Once he had handed over the demon affairs to a respected elder, Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan hurried to the Tianxu Gate.

When they arrived, the hiding place where Yun Zhan had instructed his disciples to stay was empty. They rushed to Lingjue Peak, but there was no sign of Ling Qingzi, nor the person in green who was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

After searching the Tianxu Gate, they found no signs of recent battles outside of Lingquan Mountain. The monster seemed not to have returned.

Surprisingly, they found the old drunken immortal sleeping beside the furnace. He was completely unconcerned, snoring away like a peaceful mountain.

Yun Zhan shook him awake. “Old Immortal! Old Immortal!”

The drunken immortal turned over, squinting at Yun Zhan, and instantly huffed, “It’s you, you rascal! Why are you disturbing this old man’s sleep?”

“Where did the people of Tianxu Gate go?” Yun Zhan asked urgently.

“The people? Oh, probably fled for their lives.” The old immortal yawned, preparing to lie down again.

“Then why are you still here?” Yun Zhan grabbed him.

“Hey, let go!” The old immortal complained, waving Yun Zhan away. “At my age, there’s no point in running. The creature didn’t come to my cave anyway, so what’s the hurry?”

It was strange how the old immortal remained so calm amid such chaos. Had he really seen it all before?

Yun Zhan glanced around, and indeed, the cave appeared untouched by the creature.

Bai Fanlu stepped forward. “Senior, I have a request. May I borrow ‘Bushi Chen (Not Dust Mirror)’?”

The drunken immortal had been yawning, but upon hearing this, his white eyebrows twitched. “Why do all of you want to borrow my mirror?”

“Who else borrowed it?” Bai Fanlu asked.

The old immortal chuckled, looking at Yun Zhan with amusement. Yun Zhan spread his hands. “I did borrow it once, but I forgot what I used it for.”

“That’s because of the mirror’s power—it erases memories,” Bai Fanlu deduced, understanding that Yun Zhan’s forgotten experience was linked to the mirror.

Then Bai Fanlu realized something else. “Senior mentioned three people? Besides us, who was the third?”

“Your master, of course.”

“My master?” Bai Fanlu was shocked. “He borrowed ‘Bushi Chen’? What did he use it for?”

“How should I know what you youngsters are up to? He just looked into the mirror, then walked out with a face frozen like ice.”

He looked into the mirror…

Bai Fanlu fell silent. Did Ling Qingzi also sense missing memories and go inside to find answers?

The drunken immortal stroked his beard and glanced at Bai Fanlu. “So, what do you want with it?”

“I want to look into the mirror to investigate something, just like my master,” Bai Fanlu explained.

“Oh, is that so… Well, what will you offer in return?” The drunken immortal winked mischievously.

Yun Zhan jumped in. “How about I accompany you for a drink when this is all over?”

Bai Fanlu frowned. “I’m the one asking for the favor. If anyone should drink with him, it’s me.”

“What’s yours is mine,” Yun Zhan said confidently. “Besides, I also want to go in. I’ve been wanting to figure this out for a long time.”

The drunken immortal laughed heartily. “That’s perfect, no need to split it. You two can both drink with me! Take the mirror, I’m going back to sleep!”

With a wave of his hand, the mirror flew into Yun Zhan’s hands.

Bai Fanlu took out a puppet from his bag. It looked like a crystal figure, nothing extraordinary.

Just as he was about to use puppet magic to connect with it and enter the mirror, he paused. The puppet could only pull one person’s consciousness inside. If Yun Zhan wanted to go in too, how would he manage?

Sensing Bai Fanlu’s hesitation, Yun Zhan leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “We are already one in mind and heart. If you enter, I’ll enter with you. Don’t worry.”

Bai Fanlu blushed. One in mind and heart? That was only in the chess game they played. Those events weren’t even real—it was just like a fleeting dream.

But why did thinking this way make it seem like he was hoping for something real to happen?

Bai Fanlu intentionally put on a cold face. “I’m going in. Do as you please.”

“Alright, see you inside,” Yun Zhan said with a smile.

Bai Fanlu successfully entered the mirror and encountered the legendary “mirror spirit.” With his current awakened powers, he realized it wasn’t a real threat, but its ability to reflect attacks made it tricky.

Just as he was considering how to fight it, another person entered and struck the mirror spirit at an impossible angle, shattering it in one blow.

“I told you I could get in,” Yun Zhan boasted.

Bai Fanlu ignored him. There was important work to do.

In the mirror world, everything was strange and colorful, as if each step they took cast a new shadow, like walking inside a kaleidoscope. Gradually, they could see an object resembling a multi-faceted prism, with corridors inside. As they stepped through, faint human figures appeared in the reflections of the mirrors.

The closest figure to them seemed to be a young boy in gray clothes. As Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan approached, the boy’s features and figure slowly became clearer.

It was as if a movie was being played in the mirror, with the images flickering frame by frame. From the initial laughter and conversation to the final fading into nothingness, although the scenes moved quickly, the memories they evoked in the brain felt long and drawn out, as if reliving many days.

What had always been there was gradually being restored, like ripples of a smile spreading wider in the mirrored youth.

For a long time, Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan remained silent, both clearly overwhelmed by the impact of these memories. For Yun Zhan, who had created these mirror images, and for Bai Fanlu, who had once been caught in the illusion, the revelation was profound.

“So, these shadows are all just mirror images… Since we’re here, let’s look a bit further,” Bai Fanlu finally spoke, acting as if the previous scene hadn’t affected him. He then walked deeper into the prism.

Yun Zhan followed, wanting to say something but holding back.

This “Not Dust” mirror was created by the Creator God and had existed for countless millennia. Many people must have used it over the years.

Bai Fanlu scanned through the images one by one, though he didn’t know exactly what he was looking for. He had already found what he came for, yet he still felt like there was something unresolved.

As they approached the end of the prism, beyond it lay boundless chaos, a scene reminiscent of the world’s beginning.

Bai Fanlu stopped in front of the first mirror image, where a white-robed figure stood, a silhouette hidden in the misty clouds.

When Bai Fanlu gazed at him, the figure turned around and cast a glance over his shoulder.

Both Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan were stunned. The shock was so great that Yun Zhan couldn’t suppress it and softly called out, “Ali…!”

After leaving the “Not Dust” mirror, Bai Fanlu initially intended to leave the mirror by the sleeping drunken immortal and leave, but thinking that it was such an important item, he decided to wake the immortal and return it to him personally. Besides, he had a question to ask.

“Senior, are the mirror images inside arranged by the time they were created?”

“Yes, why do you ask?” the drunken immortal replied.

“Then… who created the first mirror image?”

Yun Zhan glanced at Bai Fanlu, also waiting for the immortal’s answer.

The old man scratched his white hair and said, “The first one? Hmm, now that’s a tough question…”

His eyes brightened as if he’d had a sudden realization. “If I had to guess, whoever created the mirror would have tried it themselves first, don’t you think?”

Who created “Not Dust”?

Bai Fanlu furrowed his brows. “Are you suggesting… the Creator God?”

The drunken immortal stroked his beard. “That’s how it feels, doesn’t it?”

So Mo Jiuli was likely the mirror image of the Creator God?

Bai Fanlu observed the old man, whose casual demeanor belied his sagely appearance. Something clicked in Bai Fanlu’s mind. “May I ask, Senior, who exactly are you?”

“Me? Oh, I wouldn’t dare call myself a great person. I’m just an old man of heaven and earth,” the drunken immortal laughed heartily, though his voice rang out like a great bell.

Bai Fanlu pressed on, “Then do you know the Pure God Emperor Zhao He and the Demon God Mo Jiuli?”

The drunken immortal shook his head. “I don’t know them.”

Then he added, “But it doesn’t matter if you do, does it?”

Bai Fanlu noticed a strange glint in the old man’s seemingly cloudy eyes. He was clearly not an ordinary person!

Who was this drunken immortal really? And why did he give Bai Fanlu such a strong feeling of familiarity?

But judging from the old man’s sly expression, it was clear he wouldn’t answer.

After leaving the forge, Bai Fanlu asked Yun Zhan, “Don’t you remember what happened before? Didn’t you know Mo Jiuli’s true identity as a mirror image?”

“…Why do you ask, Senior Brother? That was also you,” Yun Zhan frowned, sensing something was off in Bai Fanlu’s words. Ever since they had recovered the memories about Xiao Liu in the mirror, Bai Fanlu had been acting strange, especially after Yun Zhan had called out “Ali.” Bai Fanlu’s mood had soured considerably.

“That wasn’t me,” Bai Fanlu stopped and looked at Yun Zhan.

Prepared, he calmly met Yun Zhan’s gaze. “Now that you remember Xiao Liu, you should know—I’m not your Senior Brother, and I’m definitely not Mo Jiuli.”

“You…” Yun Zhan opened his mouth but couldn’t bring himself to say what he needed to admit.

Seeing Yun Zhan’s conflicted expression, Bai Fanlu’s heart sank little by little.

Now, Bai Fanlu understood why Ling Qingzi had mentioned Xiao Liu in the chess game—because he had seen it and knew about Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan’s past.

Perhaps the mirror simply restored the memories that had always existed in their minds. That’s why Ling Qingzi knew of Xiao Liu but wasn’t aware of the conversations between Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan in the cave. As a result, he didn’t realize he wasn’t the original.

Or perhaps he had realized it, but it didn’t matter to him. As long as the body could revive Lu Lingjue, that was all that mattered.

Bai Fanlu didn’t want to dwell on these issues anymore. He just wanted to find the real mastermind behind everything—the mysterious man in green—and defeat the villains so he could return to the real world.

“Let’s go. We’ll deal with these matters later,” Bai Fanlu said. “For now, we’ll keep working together and find that monster. Maybe we’ll draw out the mastermind.”

“Senior Brother!” Yun Zhan grabbed Bai Fanlu’s arm.

Bai Fanlu turned back and smiled faintly. “Yun Zhan.”

Yun Zhan stared at him for two seconds, then let go. “Alright, I’ll follow your lead. We’ll focus on the bigger picture.”

“But you also need to promise me this: until I personally tell you otherwise, don’t question our relationship or overthink it.”

“…Fine.” Bai Fanlu hadn’t planned on thinking about it anyway.

“Deal,” Yun Zhan held out his hand.

Bai Fanlu let out a small breath and shook hands with him. “Deal.”

Just as he was about to pull his hand back, Yun Zhan grabbed it. “One more thing—you have to agree, or I won’t let go.”

“…What is it?”

Yun Zhan said, “Call me A Zhan, like before.”

Bai Fanlu looked into his bright eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse and softly said, “Alright.”

Yun Zhan quickly kissed Bai Fanlu’s fingers, then flew ahead. “Senior Brother! Hurry up!”

He smiled so brightly that Bai Fanlu felt a bit awkward. Was something so trivial really worth being this happy about? How childish.

The two left Tianxu Gate to search for the monster in the human world.

The monster’s aura of destruction was overwhelming. Wherever it went, it left a trail of devastation—sometimes burning everything to ashes, other times flooding the land and leaving widespread misery.

When Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan finally caught up to the monster, it was splitting a river in half, with boats on the water capsizing in chaos.

The two barely managed to save two large boats, while the rest were overturned by the monster’s waves.

However, when the monster noticed Bai Fanlu approaching, it hesitated and turned to walk in another direction.

“Stop him!”

“Got it!”

Bai Fanlu leaped in front of the monster, and just as it was about to turn back, Yun Zhan set up a barrier from behind. Bai Fanlu quickly joined in, and the two used the river as a boundary to temporarily trap the monster.

The monster roared, tearing at the barrier with its hands, causing the water to swirl into whirlpools at its palms. The sky darkened as the winds howled, and waves crashed violently.

“What terrifying strength!” Yun Zhan felt immense pressure. “Senior Brother, are you alright?!”

“Worry about yourself!” Bai Fanlu gritted his teeth.

They struggled to maintain the barrier, with no energy left to attack the monster.

The balance between the three forces held for a brief moment, but suddenly, a new power slashed through the connection between Yun Zhan and Bai Fanlu, breaking their spiritual link.

With a splash, the river surged, and the monster broke free of the barrier. Bai Fanlu sensed the new power and looked up, seeing two figures in green floating in the sky.

It was Ling Qingzi and the mysterious green-clad immortal!

“You handle Master, I’ll take on that man!” Bai Fanlu’s voice echoed in Yun Zhan’s mind.

Since Bai Fanlu still had the poison from the Purdu Flower, he was more easily suppressed by Ling Qingzi, so the arrangement made sense. After speaking, Bai Fanlu rushed toward the mysterious green-clad man, while Yun Zhan faced off with Ling Qingzi.

But after just one exchange, Yun Zhan noticed that Ling Qingzi’s eyes were dull and that he didn’t respond to anything Yun Zhan said, as if his mind had been taken over.

Ling Qingzi still had much of the power belonging to the God Emperor Zhao He, but after the tribulation, he and Yun Zhan, the current top immortal, were evenly matched. Bai Fanlu’s situation seemed similar.

However, the green-clad man appeared uninterested in wasting time with them. With a flick of a talisman, he directed the monster to attack Yun Zhan with a powerful strike.

Seeing the danger, Bai Fanlu quickly shifted his target to help Yun Zhan. But as soon as he approached, the monster reacted, and its behavior made the green-clad man notice something unusual.

The man sneered, gathered his immortal energy, and in the blink of an eye, the sky shifted. A talisman descended on the monster’s head.

Amidst flashes of lightning, blood vessels began to appear in the monster’s once hollow eyes, and black mist swirled around it. Its gaze turned murderous in an instant.

No longer hesitant, it charged straight toward Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan.

What had he done to Lu Lingjue’s remnant soul?!

Bai Fanlu was shocked and filled with rage. He glanced at the green-clad man, who stood calmly, watching the battle unfold. Bai Fanlu’s mind raced, and he used a fractal technique to create a decoy of himself to distract the monster, while his real self swiftly closed in on the green-clad man.

The man had been focused on how the monster would deal with Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan, so he wasn’t prepared. He barely had time to block Bai Fanlu’s attack.

As the palm strike hit, the man’s hat was knocked off, and Bai Fanlu finally saw the face he had long expected.

Those familiar sharp eyebrows, the gentle yet cold expression—yet his gaze was chilling and unrecognizable.

A cold sweat ran down Bai Fanlu’s spine as he stammered the name, unable to control his shaking voice.

It felt like falling into an ice abyss, nothing could be colder.