In the lower realm's Xianling Sacred Ground, the cross-realm teleportation array blazed with light. Ten streaks of radiance representing hope and the future were about to plunge into the Spirit Realm.
The atmosphere was tragic and resolute.
Just as Jiang Che was bidding a reluctant farewell to his Dao companion, Ji Hongli's sharp phoenix eyes suddenly caught an extremely subtle detail—Jiang Che's companion, during their final embrace, had quietly slipped what appeared to be an ordinary protective talisman into his inner garments.
The aura flowing upon that talisman might fool others, but it couldn't fool her!
"Soul-Positioning Talisman!" Ji Hongli's heart seized with shock!
This was no simple protective charm—it was an insidious tracking mark! Once Jiang Che entered the Spirit Realm, whoever cast this talisman could pinpoint his exact location immediately!
The Ten Sons of the lower realm were meant to be born randomly across the realm to disperse risk. If even one was locked down in advance, the consequences would be unthinkable!
The mole was in such a core position!
In a flash, Ji Hongli made her decision.
She could not alert the enemy, but she absolutely could not let her disciple walk into danger.
At the very peak of the teleportation's brilliance, when spatial fluctuations were at their most violent, she used her exquisite mastery of formations and her own transcendent abilities to silently peel the talisman's aura from Jiang Che's body and attach it instead to her own soul essence that was about to enter the Spirit Realm!
She would confront this "insider" herself—and turn their trap against them!
The Spirit Realm. The moment of rebirth.
Twenty meteors streaked across the sky—ten from above, ten from below—crashing toward various locations across the Spirit Realm.
However, one of the meteors belonging to "Zhu Qingcheng" deviated ever so slightly from its trajectory just before landing. Drawn by the positioning talisman on Ji Hongli, it converged with Ji Hongli's meteor, landing at a remote farmhouse where twin baby girls were about to be born simultaneously.
Ji Hongli was born first as the older sister, while "Zhu Qingcheng" arrived moments later as the younger.
In that life-or-death window of time, the newly conscious Ji Hongli made a decision of absolute ruthlessness! Using a newborn's instinct and the umbilical cord that connected them both, she strangled the neck of the "younger sister" born after her!
Then, she activated her Devouring Dao! She forcibly seized and devoured "Zhu Qingcheng's" nascent, still-pure and feeble origin essence!
At that very moment, the Spirit Realm's rules sensed the anomalous fall of a "chess piece." The meteor representing "Zhu Qingcheng" dimmed before anyone could react, and by the rules, it shot back upward!
Because all twenty meteors descended simultaneously in a chaotic scene, this minute change went unnoticed by most, dismissed as a normal "calamity star" anomaly.
From then on, the true Zhu Qingcheng ceased to exist.
What survived was Ji Hongli—who had devoured her origin and perfectly mimicked her aura!
She took on Zhu Qingcheng's identity, becoming one of the upper realm's Ten Sages and infiltrating the enemy's innermost circle! The cold detachment of the Emotionless Dao became her perfect disguise.
Meanwhile, Ye Fan and Ji Lingxiu made their own fateful decision.
Ye Fan soon found Ji Lingxiu, who had also reincarnated in the same general region.
Later, as the Holy Dynasty rose to power, the two analyzed the situation: the lower realm was at a massive disadvantage due to the Black Tortoise's broken covenant, and as "calamity stars," they faced insurmountable obstacles. Meanwhile, the Holy Dynasty, led by Qin Ao and the Ten Sages, swept all before them.
Following a conventional path offered almost no chance of victory.
Thus, an extraordinarily audacious, almost insane plan for a "trick" took shape in their minds.
Ye Fan would play the "traitor," defecting to the Holy Dynasty, while Ji Lingxiu would serve as the "sacrifice"—captured or "slain" by Ye Fan at a crucial moment to earn Qin Ao's absolute trust. This would allow Ye Fan to penetrate the Holy Dynasty's power core and dismantle the enemy from within!
But for that sliver of hope to reverse their fortunes, the two plunged forward without hesitation.
Then, Ji Hongli—operating under the guise of Zhu Qingcheng—relied on her extraordinary intellect and intimate knowledge of her fellow disciples' temperaments. She soon detected something unusual in Ye Fan's actions, which seemed reasonable on the surface but were deliberately calculated.
She astutely deduced Ye Fan and Ji Lingxiu's "trick"!
She did not reveal herself, nor did she stop them.
Instead, she decided to become the secret "guardian" and "failsafe" of this dangerous plan.
Because only by doing so could she turn their ploy against their enemies, transforming Ye Fan from a "dead piece" into a living one and unleashing his maximum potential!
Thus, in the years that followed:
When Zhan Wuji repeatedly harassed Ye Fan over personal grudges—and even attempted to kill him—it was "Zhu Qingcheng" who intervened under the pretext of "the bigger picture," saving Ye Fan's life on multiple occasions.
When Ye Fan's "turning evil into good" strategy met resistance, it was "Zhu Qingcheng" who provided crucial support from the Emotionless Dao's "objective" standpoint, pushing the plan forward.
When Ling Guzi accused Ye Fan of poisoning and Ye Fan was forced to propose a soul-search, it was "Zhu Qingcheng" who volunteered to perform it. Under the guise of the Emotionless Dao's "impartiality," she skillfully steered clear of the forbidden zones in Ye Fan's memories regarding his true identity, displaying only the "loyal" scenes that worked in his favor—thoroughly cementing Ye Fan's standing.
When a subtle rift emerged between Ye Fan and Qin Ao, it was "Zhu Qingcheng" who casually said the right words to maintain Ye Fan's image.
She was like the most brilliant chess player, concealed within the enemy camp, silently moving pieces on the board—clearing obstacles for Ye Fan, covering his flaws, and pushing him step by step toward the pinnacle of the Holy Dynasty's power.
Every move she made was perfectly reasonable and consistent with "Zhu Qingcheng's" persona and interests. It aroused no suspicion—not even from the ever-vigilant Zhan Wuji.
Until the final battle—
Before the decisive clash at Cloud Dream Marsh, when Xiao Chen and the others were plunged into despair, that crucial Thousand Origami Crane was sent out by Ji Hongli at tremendous personal risk.
This secret missive became the spark that ignited the final counterattack, enabling Xiao Chen to make the earth-shaking decision of mutual annihilation—assassinating the Sages. It successfully traded pieces and severely weakened the upper realm's forces.
Beyond the Spirit Realm, at Xianling Valley.
On the starlight chessboard, the black radiance that had held an overwhelming advantage and nearly covered the entire Spirit Realm reversed at the last moment with jaw-dropping speed!
The two key pieces representing Ye Fan and Ji Hongli erupted with dazzling light, joining forces to clear the board. The azure radiance representing the lower realm ultimately claimed dominance!
Jiang Che held his fly-whisk, his once-composed and self-satisfied expression completely frozen. He stared dumbfounded at the outcome on the chessboard, his mouth hanging open as if it could swallow an egg.
He could not fathom it no matter how he tried. They had been sweeping all before them, victory firmly in hand—how could the situation have turned so drastically in the final few moves, losing everything? This completely exceeded his calculations and understanding!
And Chen Chang'an, who had been sitting quietly sipping tea with an air of effortless calm, finally set down his teacup and rose to his feet.
His face bore no great surprise—only the composed assurance of one who had foreseen everything, along with a faint smile.
He looked across at Jiang Che, who had yet to recover from his shock, and then seemed to peer through the void toward some higher existence beyond. With a slight bow of his hands, he spoke in a mild tone that carried an unmistakable air of victory.
"Well played."
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