Ten thousand years of time, the cycle of life and death, had long since smoothed many of Qian Renxue's sharp edges.
In the final battle back then, her God Position shattered, and her cultivation was forever frozen at level eighty-nine Spirit Douluo, unable to advance even an inch further.
The years that followed were a long and hopeless struggle for survival in a remote land, guarding her shattered pride and bone-eroding regret, tasting the bitter fruit of dying alone in solitude.
Until the end of her life, that overwhelming unwillingness and regret, the obsession of failing to lead Spirit Hall to glory and failing to protect the Radiance of the Angel, became the deepest brand upon her Soul.
It was precisely this extreme intensity of 'Karma' that led her to be chosen by the mysterious 'myriad karma true blood,' pulling her back to the mortal World from the dust of history to become a Nirvana Corpse.
Becoming a Nirvana Corpse was, for her, both an irony and a form of liberation.
The irony lay in the fact that the once holy and noble god of angels had reappeared in the form of an undead, neither alive nor dead.
The liberation lay in the fact that the cultivation imprisonment and physical defects caused by the shattering of her God Position no longer existed in this shell that had turned from death to life.
Although she had not yet recovered to the power of a level one hundred Divinity from her Peak period, her potential was no longer restricted, giving her the possibility of climbing to the Peak once more.
Arriving in this era ten thousand years later, she traveled the continent aimlessly with Ye Guyi.
She saw a World without Spirit Hall, saw the monopoly of resources by Soul Master families and Imperial nobles becoming increasingly severe, and saw countless commoner children miss their Martial Soul Awakening because they could not afford the fees, remaining as ants for their entire lives.
This era written by Tang San and the 'victors' of the two great Empires was far more cruel and unjust than the era when Spirit Hall attempted to establish Order.
Witnessing all this, there was no joy of resurrection in Qian Renxue's heart, only endless regret and pain.
'Tang San, you won... but what have you and the Empire you protect brought to this World?'
She questioned in her heart countless times, but the answer chilled her.
The Sea God won, but the World did not become better; in some aspects, it had even regressed.
What pierced her heart even more was that as she traveled across the continent, she found that the Angel lineage, which once held sway over the four seas and whose faith was spread everywhere, had almost completely vanished.
The glorious Spirit Hall had turned into the dust of history, and the Seraphim Martial Soul had become a legendary existence.
Only after exhausting her efforts did she find a handful of Bloodlines possessing the Angel Martial Soul, and the one with the best talent and purest Mind and nature was the Ye Guyi before her eyes.
Perhaps out of guilt for the past, or perhaps wanting to leave a final spark for the Angel Bloodline, she took in Ye Guyi, bringing her along, teaching her, and imparting all her understanding of the Angel Martial Soul without reservation.
This was her faint compensation for the departed glory, and also a bit of solace that supported her existence in this unfamiliar era.
After all, when her God Position shattered back then, she was disheartened and isolated herself from the World, turning a blind eye to the decline of the Angel Clan.
The reason for this trip was precisely because Shrek Academy was recruiting students.
The name 'Shrek' was also very special to her.
Coupled with its reputation as the number one academy on the continent, Qian Renxue thought of sending Ye Guyi into it.
She knew very well that as a Nirvana Corpse, her entire body was permeated with a deathly aura that conflicted with the Sacred attribute.
Long-term contact with her had already begun to invisibly affect Ye Guyi's Cultivate speed, and might even cause her Sacred Angel Martial Soul to mutate in an unpredictable direction.
This would be fatal for Ye Guyi's future.
Staying away from her was best for Ye Guyi; she could restrain her craving for life force, filling that never-ending devouring desire with the life force of Soul Beasts and wild animals.
But she also didn't know if one day she would lose her mind and eat Ye Guyi.
After all, the power that resurrected her surpassed her understanding; even if she was once a god, she could not resist that power and this body's instinct to survive.
Qian Renxue looked at the cheerful girl beside her, an imperceptible trace of softness and loneliness flashing in her eyes.
Even though she had been resurrected for some time now, she was still in a state of deep confusion.
Resurrected, and then what? Seek revenge on Tang San? Ten thousand years have passed, and the opponent has long since achieved Ascension to the God Realm; what does she have to take revenge with? Rebuild Spirit Hall? Easier said than done.
She was like a rootless duckweed, drifting in the torrent of time, unable to find a direction.
Only when teaching Ye Guyi, watching the light of the Angel Martial Soul shine again in this child's hands, could she feel a sliver of long-lost peace and the meaning of existence.
"Let's go, Gu Yi."
Qian Renxue withdrew her thoughts, her voice returning to its usual calm.
"There is still some distance to Shrek City."
"Mhm."
Ye Guyi nodded vigorously, taking Qian Renxue's arm, completely unaware of her complex thoughts, possessing only total trust and reliance.
Even though she knew Qian Renxue was a Nirvana Corpse, she had been saved by Qian Renxue, and with Qian Renxue's meticulous care and teaching, she believed Qian Renxue would not hurt her.
The Soul tool carriage traveled smoothly on the official road leading to Shrek City; inside the carriage, the sisters Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo seemed a bit tired, leaning against each other for a nap.
Caelus sat by the window, his gaze fixed on the scenery flashing past outside, seemingly admiring the view, but in reality, his mind had already drifted far away.
The Soul-stirring encounter just now made him realize once again how massive and uncontrollable the variables brought by the 'myriad karma true blood' were.
However, this was already an established fact; thinking more about it was useless.
His thoughts involuntarily turned in another direction—towards the 'protagonist' who was about to debut according to the original trajectory of fate.
'Counting the time, Huo Yuhao... should be at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest right now, meeting that Heavenly Dream Ice Worm and obtaining his first Heaven-Defying cheat. Even that remnant Soul from another dimension, the Holy Necromancer Electrolux, should have lodged in his Sea of Consciousness through a fated encounter.'
Caelus's fingertips unconsciously tapped lightly on his knee.
He knew the script well and knew that the child of destiny was about to begin his magnificent yet tragic life.
Huo Yuhao's experience was undoubtedly legendary; talent, perseverance, and Opportunity—he had them all.
He would shine at Shrek Academy, temper himself in the Ultimate Soldier Plan, found the Spirit Pagoda, and become the God of Emotions...
But behind all this glory, countless invisible threads were Entanglement him.
'What a pity. A lifetime of glory, yet nothing more than a string-pulled puppet in the hands of the God King.'
A trace of coldness flashed in Caelus's eyes.
From the meeting with Wang Dong to the various tests and tempering that followed, and even the final achievement of godhood, every step was within that Sea God's calculations and control.
The God King's layout firmly locked Huo Yuhao's Destiny; all the struggles and efforts were ultimately just to achieve the ending Tang San wanted.