"Sister... Sister?"

Li Qingsui was completely stunned; she thought she had misheard.

"Follow me."

After saying this, Gu Shen got off the car and walked alone towards the Divine Temple Mountain top.

Li Qingsui snapped back to reality and hurriedly got out of the car as well.

She followed behind Gu Shen.

In the Spiritual World, Li Qingci had been watching the scenes here, and at this moment, she couldn’t help but speak with concern.

"Gu Shen... are you really going to tell Qingsui about the existence of the [Pure Land]?"

Gu Shen’s identity was too special.

The words Netherworld King bore a heavy weight.

After Li Qingci came to the [Pure Land], she had actively requested Gu Shen not to reveal the secret to Qingsui... she knew the importance of this secret to Gu Shen.

"It’s time to tell her."

Gu Shen spoke softly in his heart lake.

"Miss Qingci, are you really going to hide it from her forever? Are you willing to just watch her silently like this?"

Li Qingci was silent, stunned.

Yes, really... could she spend her whole life in the Pure Land, holding the secret to the end as a spectator?

Gu Shen reached the mountaintop, and he saw the meticulously pruned flower garden.

The white flowers were still there.

Next to the Divine Temple, although there was no longer a Protector, it was still kept very clean, and the items inside were exactly as they were years ago, without the slightest change in their arrangement, nor a speck of dust.

The Divine Temple remains, the old friends are no more.

"Gu Shen... just now, you asked me if I wanted to see my sister again, what did you mean by that?"

Li Qingsui had indeed matured a lot.

She waited until she reached the mountaintop to finally ask.

Gu Shen slowly turned around.

He said softly, "Just what it means."

Li Qingsui looked puzzled, and the next moment, Gu Shen, who had turned around, reached out two fingers and gently pressed them against her forehead.

This time it was not a flick on the forehead.

But a gentle press.

"Boom—"

Overwhelming Chi Huo surged out from Gu Shen’s fingertips, transforming into a "fire curtain," and the world in front of Li Qingsui began to burn, the picture of the Divine Temple Mountain top torn asunder by flames. Although it had been maintained for many years, it was enveloped by the black flowers of broken order, and the mountaintop had long been shrouded in gloom.

After the Chi Huo burned.

Countless black ashes were blown away by the strong wind.

Li Qingsui fell to the ground, looking at the towering Su Xuan Tree stretching high into the clouds and the thousands of floating long leaves.

But there was one thing that hadn’t changed.

That was the ancient wooden house built on Divine Temple Mountain top.

Behind Gu Shen was still that old house... but in reality, this was no longer the one on Divine Temple Mountain top.

After Li Qingci came to the [Pure Land], she deliberately built a house almost identical to the one on Divine Temple Mountain, for rest and for remembrance in daily life.

The reason Gu Shen chose to climb to the mountaintop.

Was for this moment...

After the Chi Huo burned and transformed the Spiritual World, it seemed as if nothing had changed, yet everything had changed.

The gloom of Divine Temple Mountain was burnt away.

The wind chime under the eaves swayed, and there was once again someone on the long bench that had been vacant for years.

Li Qingsui’s eyes turned red instantly.

"...Sister."

She looked at the figure she had longed to see day and night, dreaming of, standing there dazed.

The overlapping and alternating images of Divine Temple Mountain and the Pure Land rendered her mind blank.

Li Qingsui only knew one thing... the person before her was her sister; she was too familiar with her sister’s Spiritual Aura.

This was real.

What Gu Shen said was true.

After confirming the Spiritual Aura, Li Qingsui felt a sourness in her nose. She hadn’t intended to cry; since succeeding as Li Family Master, she had faced countless setbacks and hardships over the years...

But those things hadn’t made her shed a single tear.

Yet at this moment.

Tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.

There was only one thought in Li Qingsui’s heart.

If this is a dream, it doesn’t matter —

A dream so real, she would rather remain asleep and never wake up.

Only those who have experienced loss know how precious "having" is.

At this moment, Li Qingsui felt like the happiest person in the world.

The woman sitting on the bench still preserved her youthful appearance, her skin still without much color, but she no longer looked haggard.

"Mr. Xiao Gu... why do you do this?"

Li Qingci looked at Gu Shen with a complex expression, speaking through her heart voice.

"It’s what I owe her, and what I owe you."

Gu Shen shook his head and said softly, "Alright, I won’t interrupt your reunion any longer."

After saying this, his black robe vanished along with the burning Chi Huo in this Spiritual World.

...

...

Gu Shen returned to the Divine Temple Mountain top.

A brilliant cluster of Chi Huo wrapped around the center of Li Qingsui’s brows, enveloping her.

Li Qingsui’s entire spirit was immersed in the [Pure Land], and Gu Shen gave the two sisters absolute privacy and freedom to be alone.

However... from the two lines of clear tears on the young girl’s cheeks, it was not hard to guess.

This reunion is of such great significance to her.

Gu Shen arrived at the top of Divine Temple Mountain, in front of the cliff where the waterfall flowed. He slowly stretched his body, letting out a long sigh full of helplessness.

It’s really a headache.

After this meeting, another person, Li Qingsui, will know of my identity as the Netherworld King.

"You don’t look like someone with a headache."

A faint voice echoed in Gu Shen’s Heart Lake.

Chu Ling, who sees and hears with him, doesn’t speak most of the time, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand.

Every thought and idea of Gu Shen is crystal clear to her.

"Li Qingci always stops me from telling Li Qingsui about the Netherworld King identity... she’s worried that I’ll encounter trouble because of it."

Gu Shen chuckled, saying: "She was right in considering that my previous power was too weak, unworthy of possessing the fire."

But the current situation is not the same as back then.

Having defeated Jia Wei in Light City, Gu Shen’s combat power is top-tier across the Five Continents.

The only ones who can fight him are those with top titles and those using the power of the symbols called Angel Envoys.

Chu Ling teased: "So you told Li Qingsui because you feel now you have the confidence, not worried about the ’Netherworld King’ identity exposure?"

"Of course not..."

Gu Shen sighed, "Don’t you know who I am? I wish I could hide this news as long as possible, even if there comes a day to refine the fire, it shouldn’t be made public, as the term Netherworld King is not something glorious."

"I absolutely agree with that."

Chu Ling said: "The term Netherworld King is like a rat crossing the street."

The teachings of Light City over the years have been spread very successfully.

Everyone detests the Netherworld King.

Plus, the actions of the previous Netherworld King... they indeed deserve hatred.

The reversal of this lineage’s image will take a long time, possibly a lifetime with no way to turn it around.

From the moment Gu Shen accepted the Netherworld Fire Summoning, he was prepared to remain hidden for a lifetime.

"Previously, the reason I didn’t reveal to Li Qingsui was also very important."

Gu Shen calmly said: "At that time, she was too young, and the karma borne by the Netherworld King is too great. Once leaked, the mere Li Family could not possibly handle it."

The mere Li Family.

These four words are enough to stir up monstrous waves in Changye City.

No matter how weak the Five Families are, they are still colossal existences.

But coming from Gu Shen’s mouth... is so reasonable.

Getting too close to the Netherworld King will not have a good outcome.

Gu Shen has been intentionally "distancing" himself from old friends around him. He doesn’t wish to bring calamity to those he cares about when he refines the fire in the future. Similarly... if Li Qingsui learns his "Netherworld King" identity, it would be bad news for the Li Family.

Sometimes, knowing less is safer.

This kind of truth, not knowing is safer.

"That’s why I chose to ascend the Divine Temple Mountain Top and purposefully created a Spirit Barrier..."

Gu Shen looked at Uncle Gao, wandering alone far below the mountain, and solemnly said: "This matter can only be known to Li Qingsui alone, even Uncle Gao cannot be informed."

Years ago, Li Qingsui was too young, this secret too heavy, she couldn’t bear it.

But now.

Li Qingsui is old enough, and Gu Shen can see that the little girl has matured a lot.

"Without Divine Temple Mountain, there would be no you."

Gu Shen slightly turned, looking at his empty side, he said with a smile: "This debt is owed to Qingsui and Qingci by us."

"Us..."

Chu Ling didn’t speak; she silently repeated what Gu Shen said in her heart, as a warmth flowed through her heart.

Gu Shen promised Li Qingci that he would dye all the Black Flowers of Divine Temple Mountain white.

He also promised Li Qingsui that one day he would take her sister away from this place to see the sun outside.

The day Li Qingci exhausted her lifespan, she asked Gu Shen.

If there was a day in the future... would she and Qingsui have the chance to meet again?

Not today’s spiritual meeting, but a real, true meeting, while alive.

Gu Shen told Li Qingci it was possible.

Miss Qingci used the most precious ten years of her life, linking her fate to his. Because of Divine Temple Mountain, he managed to cultivate smoothly and advance with Chi Huo, and because of the Divine Embryo, Chu Ling successfully descended...

In his heart, this is his debt to the Li Family.

Thus, the promises of the past have kept in his heart, never forgotten.

But now, what he can do is to let that little girl who likes to cry know that her sister hasn’t completely "dispersed."

In this world, staying alive gives one more hope.

Looking at the woman sitting in the flower garden, tears streaming down her face, Gu Shen couldn’t help but smile with relief.

"Well, there’s one more thing."

Gu Shen gazed across the hills filled with Black Flowers, his smile gradually fading, his expression and aura becoming serious.

The place he stands now...

Is where, in Li Qingci’s memories, Mr. Gu Changzhi stood.

Years ago, when Mr. Gu Changzhi was severely injured and returned to Changye, he came to the Divine Temple Mountain once... As Li Qingci said, Gu Changzhi stood here a whole night, eventually taking only one Black Flower.

In those years, Gu Shen did not think there was any issue with it.

But now, Gu Shen doesn’t think so.

Looking at it now, when Mr. Gu Changzhi returned from the Old World, he clearly saw something...

Which led to the trap laid at the Wine God’s mausoleum, and those three letters.

"What is it?"

Chu Ling’s thoughts also returned to the real world.

"I’m wondering why Mr. Gu Changzhi, with his abilities, didn’t just clear away these Black Flowers?"

Gu Shen’s expression grew heavy, as the Divine Temple Mountain is vast for him, but to Mr. Gu Changzhi, it’s just a mountain. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Was it because of his injuries and impending sleep, rendering him unable to remove the Black Flowers?"

"Or because he foresaw the ’future’ and therefore chose to leave this Divine Temple Mountain, including the Black Flowers, completely to me?"