"You want to take Fan Wubing as your master? You want to learn the power to nurture life from him?"

Zhuge Hong was not surprised anymore. This unkempt Great Sword Immortal seemed to know everything,

"Yes."

"But you don’t know why you want it. You act on instinct. So you’re curious about what your feelings truly mean."

Having her inner thoughts completely seen through, Zhuge Hong felt afraid.

Fu Manman held her hand, offering some comfort.

Zhuge Hong gathered her courage to ask, "So, who am I really?"

"In this world, many people are pursuing the elusive Destiny Dao," he paused, then smiled and corrected himself, "Actually, not many; maybe not even ten. But they are all well-known figures. Shituo, Confucius, Dao Boyang, Zuo Yu... I barely count as one myself."

"Why pursue the Destiny Dao?" Fu Manman asked.

Li Yuan replied, "To see the heavens. That’s what the Dao leading to the heavens is all about."

"The heavens? Is it the Immortal Realm?"

Li Yuan’s voice was drawn out, "Perhaps."

"Has anyone succeeded?"

Li Yuan shook his head, "No one has succeeded. But." He looked at Zhuge Hong, "Your appearance makes me think someone finally did."

"Me?" Zhuge Hong was astonished.

Li Yuan said, "Though you are foolish and clueless, you have indeed broken free of destiny. It’s just unclear who succeeded, causing your appearance, or perhaps, you are another product of failure."

Product...

This description made Zhuge Hong very sad, with a feeling of her life being negated.

Li Yuan laughed, "Little one, there’s no need to be sad. Look at it this way. You are luckier than any of us, at least you are free, unlike us, bound by shackles and constrained by barriers."

Zhuge Hong still couldn’t feel happy. She didn’t understand destiny or the heavens; she just wanted to be herself.

The three of them and a donkey strolled on the ruins of an ancient battlefield.

Fu Manman asked,

"How strange, why aren’t there others?"

"There will be soon."

As soon as Li Yuan spoke, a thick fog arose around them. Within the mist, sword lights flashed occasionally, and ringing sword sounds echoed.

With senses restricted, their spirits couldn’t explore beyond, walking forward almost blind.

Fu Manman felt Zhuge Hong’s hand trembling and instinctively held it tighter, "Don’t be afraid, I will protect you."

For some reason, saying that gave Fu Manman an unprecedented sense of accomplishment.

Soon after, she suddenly understood; this was the protective instinct!

After going forward for a long time, they finally passed through the unsettling fog, and the view before them changed drastically.

It was no longer a scene of ruin and decay but one of austerity, chaos, and madness.

Fu Manman looked at the sky, her pupils shrinking into a point.

A gigantic figure hung on the horizon, covering the sky and blocking the sun, its shadow nearly enveloped the entire Sun-shooting Pass. It was unimaginably large, more exaggerated than the Da Chun Immortal Tree in the Sea of Eternal Life and Mount Daiyu. Its eyes burned like suns, and its arms radiated brilliance, like galaxies pouring down from the universe’s deep space. Just the pressure from its massive body made the whole land tremble.

"Wha... what is that!" Fu Manman exclaimed.

Li Yuan squinted his eyes and said, "A Celestial Being."

Fu Manman asked, "Is this an illusion?"

Li Yuan smiled but said nothing.

Fu Manman paused, shocked, "It’s impossible for it to be real!"

At this moment, a sword light flashed, and a swordsman drenched in blood fell from the sky, crashing onto the ground heavily. He struggled to get up, saw the trio and a donkey, was momentarily stunned, then shouted,

"How did you get in here? It’s dangerous! Get out! Quickly!"

After shouting, he recklessly transformed into a sword light, drawing his sword and flying into the sky. Such sword lights densely populated the sky everywhere. They were like moths to a flame, rushing toward the celestial figure that dominated the sky. However, the celestial being casually swatted them down as if swatting mosquitoes.

Fu Manman was too shocked to speak.

"Is it...real?"

The celestial being’s pressure restricted her breathing, making her heart race.

She looked at Li Yuan, "Why did we come here?"

Li Yuan, holding a wine gourd, drunkenly said,

"It’s just fifteen thousand years, how could it draw one’s eye."

"Is it the river of time? But I don’t feel the presence of a Celestial Snake!" Fu Manman urgently inquired.

But Li Yuan was already lost in a drunken stupor.

A fierce Sword Qi descended from above, uncontrollably slashing towards them.

Fu Manman’s body tensed, "Senior, Senior!" Li Yuan lay snoring on the donkey.

Gritting her teeth, Fu Manman activated the Eternal Dao, enveloping the trio and a donkey, then formed a moving Array with her energy, dragging them away swiftly.

But on this battlefield, there was no way out anywhere, dangers lurked everywhere.

Fu Manman’s power was severely limited, only able to protect them with the Eternal Dao, unable to fight back, merely dodging for safety.

"Senior! Wake up!"

Li Yuan unknowingly mumbled, "Don’t fuss, I’m in a dream."

"Oh no!" Though angry, Fu Manman couldn’t afford to care for much else, quickly finding a slightly safe spot to hide.

As soon as they landed, Zhuge Hong suddenly exclaimed,

"Master, look there! Master, it’s Master!"

Fu Manman immediately looked in the direction she pointed, indeed seeing Fan Wubing in a celestial blue outfit, holding the Long Sword Pointing at the Moon, with the Flying Sword Peach Blossom suspended over his head. Like the other warriors fighting against the celestial, he charged at the celestial with rainbow-like Sword Qi.