Silvery moonlight spilled into the small house, draping it in a luminous veil.

A gentle night breeze blew, causing the banyan tree’s leaves and branches to sway.

At this moment, Fang Yang held a letter, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes.

’The goddess is interested... that must mean Sen Hui has feelings for me.’

’And "two peach blossoms bloom"... this must mean that besides Sen Hui, Chen Ying is also still unable to forget me.’

But the part about "fortune turning to calamity" was something he needed to consider carefully.

’One heart, one mind? Or no stray thoughts?’ Fang Yang mused, making his decision.

This time, there were only two fortunes, and the better one was still only a "medium-good" fortune.

The "medium-bad" fortune would grant him a Tier Five opportunity, but the description of the crisis that followed instantly sobered him.

"A hidden crisis brewing like waves, each one higher than the last..." He remembered receiving a similar fortune reading before.

That was when Sen Hui had told him to pull out of the Xuan-Yu War and helped him seek tutelage under Saint Fan Liu.

Back then, Saint Fan Liu had actually been displeased with him and wanted to make things difficult for him!

Now, a similar fortune had appeared again. It was an indirect warning: if he chose the "medium-bad" fortune, which meant meeting Chen Ying, he would face the hostility of a Saint from the Sen clan.

This enemy could be Saint Fan Liu or Sen Yue, but it was even more likely to be the Changkong Clan’s only current Great Saint!

The enmity of a Great Saint!

A thought suddenly crossed Fang Yang’s mind: ’It would be perfect if I could just take Sen Hui with me to see Chen Ying.’

As an adult, he naturally wanted to have his cake and eat it too.

But he also knew that was unrealistic.

His current identity was that of a young Great Saint, a chosen successor to lead the righteous path.

Such a persona wasn’t something that couldn’t be broken, but it would require a much greater benefit, such as the true inheritance of a Venerable One!

Only a supreme treasure like a Venerable One’s true inheritance would be enough to make him reveal his true self.

He let out a long breath. His thoughts raced like lightning as he decisively made his choice.

He decided to focus on obtaining the Sacred Material, the wings of a Golden Sun Wind Roc, first.

As for the visionary inheritance of the Tai Chi Yin Yang Diagram, he had no idea if Chen Ying even had the ability to obtain it.

Actually, the best choice would be for him to head to the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life.

But that was impossible. His foundation was already established, and the Changkong Clan would never let him go.

Even if he went through hell and high water to get to the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life, he would probably only be a disciple in name, unable to receive the true Daoist teachings.

For now, he could only give up on it temporarily.

Moonlight spilled onto the empty steps, casting a silver glow across the courtyard.

Fang Lanxi blinked her star-like eyes, listening attentively to Fang Yang’s words.

"Lanxi, send a reply to Chen Qingrou. Tell her: ’The dreams of our youth have long since scattered to the wind. Do not dwell on me. May we both find our own peace...’"

「At the same time.」

In the Purple Gold Refining Fire Hall, everyone except Sen Hui was gathered—Father Sen, Mrs. Sen, Sen Yue, and Sen Wei were all present.

They were all waiting for Fang Yang to make his choice!

The Sen bloodline had produced nine Great Saints through the generations—an achievement that resonated throughout history.

Even among the eight great Golden Clans, and even among all the venerable Daoist lineages, the Sen clan was one of the few truly great bloodlines.

The power they wielded was far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Furthermore, with the precedent of what happened between Fang Nian and Sen Yuanyuan, they couldn’t help but be on high alert now that it seemed history was about to repeat itself.

SHIMMER...

Before long, a flash of purple-gold divine light appeared in the center of the hall. Sen Yue reached out and touched it.

A smile spread across Sen Yue’s face. "Fang Yang has refused to meet her. His words of refusal were: ’The dreams of our youth have long since scattered to the wind. Do not dwell on me. May we both find our own peace...’"

Hearing this, the others all nodded in approval of Fang Yang’s choice.

Some things had to be cut off cleanly. There was no need for such messy, lingering attachments.

Father Sen then set the final word on the matter. "Don’t tell Xiaohui about this."

With that, his body turned into a wisp of green smoke and dissipated.

But unlike Father Sen’s straightforwardness, Mrs. Sen was more cautious, wary that Fang Yang might be saying one thing and meaning another.

"Wei’Er, put some extra effort into keeping an eye on Fang Yang and Chen Ying’s movements lately."

...

"The dreams of our youth have long since scattered to the wind. Do not dwell on me. May we both find our own peace..."

After receiving the reply, Chen Ying’s face instantly turned as white as a sheet.

Seeing this, Chen Qingrou, who was beside her, quickly reached out to support her cousin.

"Sis..." Chen Qingrou said softly, about to try and console Chen Ying.

Hearing her, Chen Ying closed her eyes. "Qingrou, say no more."

Her resolve was unshaken. She stubbornly intended to wait for Fang Yang’s arrival as planned in her letter.

「Two days passed.」

At the Lake Heart Pavilion on Snowfall Lake in Academy Thirty-Seven, Chen Ying sat woodenly from dawn until dusk, and then from dusk until the following dawn.

Her actions left Chen Kui and the others watching from the shadows speechless.

Even Sen Wei couldn’t help but look at her with newfound respect.

What Chen Ying was doing required immense courage.

"An impossible tangle, a mess that can’t be sorted... heheh..."

Chen Ying gave a wretched smile, finally understanding Fang Yang’s intentions.

She took a deep breath, and the fresh scent of jasmine suddenly wafted to her nose.

In that instant, she remembered the scented sachet she had given Fang Yang.

The purple sachet with the Kun-Peng design—Fang Yang hadn’t returned it!

But even so, her face was still pale. She barely managed to muster a bit of spirit and slowly walked away.

Accompanied by her younger cousin Chen Qingrou, she forced herself to rally and reached the Flying Boat that would take her far away to the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life.

Aboard the Flying Boat, Su Xi silently gazed at Chen Ying’s figure.

Seeing Chen Ying looking as haggard as a sickly beauty, Su Xi felt a pang of pity.

As someone who had been keeping an eye on both the Sen clan’s and Fang Yang’s movements, she naturally knew why Chen Ying was so heartbroken.

Su Xi walked over to Chen Ying’s side and said,

"The Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life is full of talented men. You don’t need to hang your hopes on Fang Yang alone."

"Besides, maybe Fang Yang once had feelings for you, but now he absolutely will not—and cannot—have feelings for you..."

KABOOM————

A deafening clap of thunder erupted, drowning out all other sounds.

A bolt of heavenly lightning had appeared in the sky, its brilliant light blinding, making heaven and earth tremble.

Su Xi’s face went deathly pale, and she hastily shut her mouth.

Countless powerful experts broke out in a cold sweat, terrified that the destructive wrath of a celestial god would descend in the next moment.

Even the three Saints accompanying the Flying Boat were so frightened they held their breath.

"Absolutely will not—and cannot—have feelings for me..."

Amid the panicked cries, Chen Ying’s eyes grew brighter and brighter as she tightly clutched the Yin Yang Dao Fish jade pendant in her hand.

Gradually, she began to imagine a grand drama in her mind.

She suspected that Fang Yang had been forced by the Sen clan to sever all ties with her!

’...Yes, that must be it.’

’...Who am I? I’m Chen Ying, the favored daughter of Heaven whom the world watches with admiration.’

’...Ah Yang must have his reasons. Wait for me, Ah Yang! I’ll definitely cultivate hard and save you from this sea of suffering...’

Compared to being ignored by Fang Yang, Chen Ying was far more willing to accept the idea that he was being threatened by the Sen clan.

She, Chen Ying, was definitely not some insignificant clown!

Perhaps it was the appearance of the heavenly lightning that made the three Saints hasten their departure, frantically urging the disciples from every clan and lineage to board the Flying Boats more quickly.

And once all the disciples had boarded the Flying Boats, the three Saints opened up their Blessed Lands one after another, drawing the boats inside.

WHOOSH...

The three of them moved with incredible speed, fleeing the clan lands as if escaping a disaster, leaving everyone else stunned.

In the secluded small house, beneath the banyan tree.

Fang Yang looked up, his gaze deep as he watched the three divine rainbows disappear into the distance.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

For now, his priority was to prepare to obtain the wings of the Golden Sun Wind Roc!