Chapter 2933: Scattered Memories and the Indelible Mark

An elderly person often has this problem: when recalling childhood events, they always think they are still the child they once were, and may even speak in childish words.

This is the consequence of being unable to properly order one's memories.

A spatiotemporal dislocation of cognition.

Sun Fuling furrowed her elegant brows: "Most likely, the divine art of the Goddess of Illusory Music has its limits; even the Great Square Vase cannot perfectly reshape it."

The Earth Mother puzzled: "Are not the heroic spirits of Panlongcheng also bringing memories back to reality in this way? Why are you all fine then?"

"Souls and memories are, after all, somewhat different. Memories stored in the soul are naturally complete and orderly." Sun Fuling shook her head. "And who told you they are truly unharmed?"

"Ah?"

"They all possess two sets of memories of Panlongcheng. To them, both sets are real—some can overlap, some must overwrite. Problems will inevitably arise later; for now, they just aren't apparent." How could resurrection from the dead, defying heaven, come without side effects?

Sun Fuling gently pressed the back of He Lingchuan's neck, helping him relax: "And for him, this is the price he must pay to oppose the Seven Great Immortal Demons and protect the Great Square Vase."

Having endured the wheel battle against the Seven Great Immortal Demons, how could he possibly be completely intact afterward, recovering as if nothing had happened?

The Great Square Vase bringing him back already employed defiant heavenly power.

"One who has truly died once will inevitably differ from before." Sun Fuling murmured softly, "A part of our souls remains forever in the Netherworld."

"Then..." The Earth Mother pointed at He Lingchuan: "Will he still improve?"

Memory shapes personality. If memory is chaotic, personality is likely chaotic too.

He Lingchuan closed his eyes, his face pale, yet he said:

"I am He Lingchuan, I remember."

Amid countless thoughts, only this one cognition shone, like a star in the night.

Sun Fuling lightly grasped his hand; He Lingchuan returned the hold, both feeling the warmth of the other's palm.

"Yes, as long as you hold onto this, all your memories will gradually straighten out!" Sun Fuling said warmly, "It will just take a bit more time."

He is He Lingchuan, the man who slew several great immortal demons in both great wars!

His strength is not only outward, but also inward.

She then asked him: "Do you still remember your goal?"

This time, He Lingchuan hesitated not even a second:

"Heavenly Demons! Expel the Heavenly Demons!"

These words are deeply engraved in his memory, penetrating the entire sea of consciousness. Even if his mind remains chaotic, this goal can still roll off his tongue.

It is like an indelible imprint.

"If one copies another's memories, the Dream Cocoon will not err." Sun Fuling pondered, "But you have experienced too much in this life; your memories are vast as smoke and sea, extremely chaotic. A mere Dream Cocoon recording them all would already be good, but to fully sort them in order is likely beyond its capacity."

Someone living twenty lifetimes could not match the richness of his thirty or forty years of experience.

To copy such chaotic memories is truly a hardship for the Dream Cocoon.

She gazed at He Lingchuan: "Do you trust me, right?"

He Lingchuan nodded slightly; at this moment, he only needed to listen to his inner voice, and this was beyond doubt.

"Then relax your mind, no need to worry." She gently stroked his face, "I will accompany you, guide you, until you correctly recall all past events."

Until he finds back his identity, finds back his strength!

He Lingchuan instinctively raised his hand, grasping her fingertips—this motion felt as if done a thousand times, smooth and natural.

He heard her say: "Don't rush, take it slow, everything is with me!"

Her voice carried great power, a compelling force that made him naturally convinced. His mood indeed relaxed.

Though still bewildered, he felt more settled, and the intense pain in his sea of consciousness eased somewhat.

As if a fragment flashed in his sea of consciousness, he blurted: "Wait, is this not the Secret Realm?"

"No." Sun Fuling reminded him, "Have you forgotten? Your Secret Realm shattered."

He Lingchuan's heart jumped twice, inexplicably tense: "Is this also not the Panlong World?"

He seemed to await an answer, a perfect answer he had once given everything to obtain.

"No." Sun Fuling patiently replied, "The mission of the Panlong World has already ended."

Indeed, his understanding of time and space still has some dislocation.

"Then where is this?" He Lingchuan stared unblinkingly at the Red General.

"This is reality, and also the world you belong to—welcome back."

"How do I feel, just like I died but took one more breath?" He Lingchuan knew his current physical state was absolutely abnormal.

"You died in body and soul in the last great battle."

He Lingchuan rubbed his nose: "Why so weak?"

"Just get used to it." Sun Fuling smiled faintly, "Although aided by the Great Square Vase's power to rekindle the life fire, your body is still riddled with wounds. Perfect—let body and soul recuperate together."

She was about to rise when He Lingchuan suddenly said: "Wait a moment."

Sun Fuling paused.

But after He Lingchuan said this, he froze.

What did he want to do?

Sun Fuling did not urge him; the two locked eyes once again.

Her eyes were truly beautiful, deep and luminous, as if a sea of glazed tiles lay hidden in the depths of her pupils.

He Lingchuan stared, entranced, until Sun Fuling reminded him:

"Wait a moment?"

She had maintained this posture—hand on knee, single knee raised—for quite a while.

"Ah?" He Lingchuan reacted: "Ah, right!"

He took out a jade-white flute from his storage ring; the motion was still somewhat laborious, but he immediately handed the flute to Sun Fuling:

"This flute is for you."

This is a bone flute, with knotted sections like bamboo joints, and two blood-red circles at the tail.

Sun Fuling took it, holding it in her palm to play with: "Do you still remember its origin?"

"I can't recall it right now." He Lingchuan said honestly, "But I remember, I very much wanted to give it to you, the sooner the better."

This inner urgency has already become subconscious.

Sun Fuling smiled, her eyes slightly glistening: "From whose hands did you get this flute?"

From whose hands? He Lingchuan racked his brains, and only after a long while did he utter a name:

"Qingyang State Preceptor?"

"Thank you, this is the best gift." Sun Fuling lightly pressed a kiss to his forehead: "Look, you are piecing together your memories—this is a good beginning."

Sun Fuling had once bought a section of heavenly centipede spine at the market and crafted it into a heavenly centipede bone flute; the red circles on the flute's tail are traces left after the heavenly centipede's injury healed, quite distinctive.

After Panlongcheng fell, this bone flute came into the hands of the Qingyang State Preceptor, becoming her personal instrument.

This matter, He Lingchuan had always kept in mind. Until he became the Emperor of the Nine Abysses, and in the process of unifying the Flash Gold Plains defeated the Qingyang State Preceptor, only then did he reclaim this bone flute.