Chapter 1846: Jiang Qinge (Side Story)

A hundred years of time, to mortals is a whole life from infancy to old age, to cultivators is but a flick of the finger, but to Jiang Qinge, it has been a long journey from "Protector of the Dao" to "Companion on the Path."

The morning mist of House House Luolan Manor always comes gently, winding past the carved beams and painted rafters of the flying eaves, spreading over the courtyard where Li Luo personally planted a parasol tree a hundred years ago, settling on the window lattice and startling a few clear bird calls. Jiang Qinge pushed open the window, her golden eyes sweeping over the courtyard, morning light falling on her cascading golden hair, gilding it with a warm halo, yet unable to conceal the bone-deep clarity—this is the purity of a hundred years of tempering by the Tenth-Grade Light Manifestation, and also the solitude of ten years alone against the Dark Sect Master after having become the Black Gold Divine Palace.

She raised her hand to rest on the windowsill, her fingertips touching the cool grain of the wood, while her mind flickered with a scene from a hundred years ago. Back then, she was trapped in the Black Gold Divine Palace, her body surrounded by the surging malevolence of the Dark Sect Master, the world in her perception shrinking to an endless expanse of darkness, with only that single point of obsession burning in her heart—Li Luo had said, wait for him to return.

"What are you thinking about?"

A familiar voice came from behind; Li Luo's figure appeared silently in the room, still carrying the faint scent of books from just returning from the Shenxuan Star Academy, as well as the gentle, world-encompassing authority of the World Sovereign, merged with heaven and earth. He walked to Jiang Qinge's side, following her gaze toward the courtyard, where Yu Lang was chasing after his own son, who had just awakened the Fire Manifestation, running all over the yard, shouting, "Back in my day, I was also a heaven's chosen one of the Shenxuan Star Academy—do you dare call this little flame 'dad' with your father?" Bai Doudou stood aside, arms akimbo, laughing, her voice clear enough to pierce the morning mist.

Jiang Qinge withdrew her gaze, her golden eyes falling on Li Luo's face. A hundred years have passed, his features still those of a youth, only the depth in his eyes has grown deeper, as if he bears the weight of the entire Outer Shenzhou's galaxy of stars. "Thinking about the ten years of palace sealing," she said, her tone flat, as if speaking of someone else's affair.

Li Luo reached out and embraced her shoulder, his fingertips touching her cool shoulder, and said softly, "You have suffered."

"Not at all." Jiang Qinge shook her head, a faint smile blooming in her golden eyes, "Back then, I only thought: your path ahead is still long, so I must always shield you from the wind and rain behind."

She never forgot that, in the ruins of the Xiangzhen Holy Sect, a voice hidden in the gap between light and darkness told her she was Li Luo's Protector of the Dao. At the time, she took it as fate, but later she understood that protecting the Dao was never a one-sided sacrifice—Li Luo was never a child needing to hide behind someone; he simply walked farther than anyone else, and all she could do was follow his steps until she could stand shoulder to shoulder with him at the pinnacle of the world.

The wedding a hundred years ago remains vivid in memory. The red candles of House House Luolan Manor burned for three full days, Li Taixuan and Tantai Lan sat in the places of honor, smiling with lines at the corners of their eyes, Li Jingzhe uncharacteristically set aside his usual sternness, raising his wine cup to clink with Yu Lang again and again, Yan Changsheng stroked his beard and said, "Back then I already knew you two were no ordinary pond creatures." She wore the phoenix crown and rosy robes, led by Li Luo's hand to kneel before her parents, when her fingertips touched the warmth of his palm, she suddenly recalled her childhood days in House House Luolan Manor.

Back then, she had just been adopted by the Li Taixuan couple, her innate primordial seed talent impossible to conceal, her cultivation progress advancing a thousand miles a day, while Li Luo was still troubled by the deficiencies of the Manifestation Palace, spending all day following behind her, lifting his small face and saying, "Big Sister Qinge, when I grow up, I will surely surpass you." At that time, she only thought this boy was stubborn, yet she would still silently stand not far behind when he secretly went to the back mountain to train, blocking those stray low-grade Manifestation Beasts for him.

Once, Li Luo deviated in his cultivation, collapsed cross-legged on the ground, his eye sockets red but he refused to cry, merely clenching his fists and saying, "I must become strong, I cannot let House House Luolan Manor be looked down upon." She walked over, handed him a pill imbued with the power of Light, crouched down, and saw his eyes reflecting her own image, like a tiny flame hidden within. "Then cultivate," she said only two words, yet in her heart she silently acknowledged this younger brother, acknowledged this bond of House House Luolan Manor. Later they went to the Shenxuan Star Academy, where he still followed behind her, from the bottom of the Nanfeng Academy, step by step climbing to the forefront of the Shenxuan Star Academy, then later storming the Spirit Manifestation Cave Heaven, battling the Nine Domains Grand Assembly, stepping into the Dark World… She watched his figure grow taller and farther, until one day he stood before the Dark Sect Master, holding the scepter of status and authority, becoming the hope of all Outer Shenzhou.

And she, from that girl who needed to protect him, Big Sister Qinge, became a companion able to stand shoulder to shoulder with him against the Dark Sect Master.

"At the Shenxuan Star Academy, today a disciple asked me, what is the ultimate of the Light Manifestation?" Jiang Qinge withdrew her thoughts, turned her head to look at Li Luo, her golden eyes carrying a hint of playfulness, "I told him, it is the light that can shine into the deepest darkness."

Li Luo chuckled, pinched her cheek: "Indeed, it matches your nature."

He remembered the day Jiang Qinge first came to the Shenxuan Star Academy to teach, when those arrogant heaven's chosen ones saw she was a woman and had heard she was "recommended by the Sovereign," they whispered behind her back, until she raised her hand and condensed a flame of Tenth-Grade Light Manifestation, driving back the chill of the entire hall, and those whispers ceased. Her teaching was never verbose, only explaining the core cultivation methods; occasionally when disciples asked about her past, she would only lightly say, "I merely walked the path I ought to walk."

Only once did a disciple ask her, "Do you regret taking the path of cultivation?" She fell silent for a moment, then replied, "If I did not cultivate, I could not protect those I wish to protect, nor walk the path I wish to walk—what regret could there be?"

At that time she stood on the lectern, sunlight streaming through the window lattice onto her body, her golden hair like a waterfall, her golden eyes like torches, like a walking deity of light in the mortal realm. And far away, Li Luo on the Star Tower took in this scene fully, suddenly recalling the day in the ruins of the Xiangzhen Holy Sect when he first saw her sealed—then she lay in slumber on the holy altar, her body entwined with the forces of light and darkness, like a lotus bud waiting to bloom, cold and aloof.

"By the way, the Dark World should today be fully integrated into Outer Shenzhou." Jiang Qinge lifted her gaze to the horizon, her golden eyes piercing the void, able to see that once malevolent-filled Dark World now transforming into strands of pure light, gently merging with the boundary of the Outer Shenzhou world.

Li Luo nodded, took her hand, their powers intertwining, strands of worldly will flowing along their palms, smoothing the last ripple of the Dark World's integration. "You need not worry about the source of all evil," he said softly, "the hidden hand of the Heavenly Evil God has been removed, and those old acquaintances beyond the boundary will not give him another chance to turn the tables."

Jiang Qinge recalled that day on the Star Tower, when Li Luo told her the source of all evil was the true seed of resurrection planted by the Heavenly Evil God in Outer Shenzhou, recalled the image of that figure seated cross-legged atop the Ancestral Dragon, recalled the three grand auras arriving from the myriad worlds—Xiao Yan, Lin Dong, Mu Chen, and Zhou Yuan. These names, she had occasionally heard from Li Luo's mentions, were peerless powerhouses from another world, now, due to karmic引流, have intersected with his Outer Shenzhou world.

"What is the world beyond the boundary like?" she suddenly asked.

Li Luo gazed toward the horizon, his eyes piercing the world's wall, looking toward that vast expanse of void: "Vaster than Outer Shenzhou, with countless great realms, stronger cultivators, and even more turbulent storms." He turned his head to look at Jiang Qinge, a smile in his eyes, "But if you wish to go see it, I will accompany you."