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The sect leader is called Star Soul. Each generation of Star Souls has reached a level of martial arts and strategy that is unpredictable. Moreover, because they have entered the Innate Wuwei realm, they have a lifespan of more than two hundred years, which can be considered as immortality.

The hundred or so swordsmen in Wuji Mountain were all top-tier experts. Moreover, when there were more than fifty of them, they could form the Kuiyang Formation, one of the three great formations in the world. It was said that even Yi Han would not be able to withstand its power, which showed its strength. And all of these hundred or so swordsmen obeyed only Xinghun's command.

Each generation of Star Souls begins selecting their successor, the Star Soul Candidate Shen Tu, after reaching the age of one hundred. The number of Shen Tu candidates cannot be too large, with a maximum of five. Each candidate must possess unparalleled wisdom and talent. With the consent of their parents and the candidates themselves, they are brought back to Wuji Mountain for upbringing and education. If their aptitude is deemed insufficient, their martial arts are abolished, their memories are erased, and they are sent home.

Of this generation, the only Shen Tu who remained on Mount Wuji were Liu Cenfeng, Mu Shuangshuang, and Yi Han. Although they were all on Mount Wuji and taught by the same master, they had never met, and the martial arts techniques they learned varied from one to the other. Therefore, even if they met again after descending the mountain, they would have no idea whether the other was a fellow disciple.

Once Shen Tu is finalized, Xing Hun will appoint a Si Cheng to supervise and record Shen Tu's entire process of trials in the mortal world.

Therefore, the final test for Shen Tu to become Xing Hun is to go down the mountain to find a master with great ambitions who is destined to create a great career, and to use his own talents and abilities to assist him in achieving hegemony.

Over fifty years, Si Cheng will determine whether Shen Tu is ineligible to advance to the Star Soul realm based on the rise and fall of the masters he has chosen. This continues until only one Shen Tu remains. A defeated Shen Tu has only two paths: death or, through Si Cheng, choosing a surviving Shen Tu to whom he will worship and offer all his strength and martial arts to him.

Yi Han also said that as a Shen Tu, one must never let anyone outside the sect know one's identity, especially one's master. Once one's identity is revealed, one must kill to silence them. However, if one discovers that the other party is a fellow disciple, then unless it is for the purpose of assisting one's master, one must never kill each other.

Upon hearing this, I sighed, "What a cold-blooded sect! For centuries, they've used cold-blooded rules to create a cold-blooded sect leader." "Yi Han, if it was absolutely forbidden to reveal this, why did you tell me?"

He hugged me tightly and said, "You heard everything you shouldn't have, and besides... even if Yao'er tries to protect me, she'll definitely report to Master. It's better to let you be aware of the danger than to leave you in a state of confusion and need to prepare early. Lin Yu, I will never let you get hurt."

I hugged him back and laughed, "Then am I the master you've recognized?"

He looked at me intently, then lowered his head and kissed my lips, sucking and licking them, silencing all my questions.

Next update: Friday evening, January 11th.

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Chapter 3 Past Events (Part 2)

Chapter 3 Past Events (Part 2)

Fu Yu approached me step by step, and Yi Han shielded me behind him, his back stiffening slightly. But he still called out, "Master."

Fu Yu frowned, and the air suddenly became incredibly heavy, so heavy that I could hardly breathe and could only cough softly. Fu Yu said, "Do you still remember that I am your master?"

A dark green light flickered in Yi Han's eyes, his expression a mixture of weakness, guilt, and longing. I could tell that Yi Han's feelings for his master ran very deep.

Fu Yu sighed: "I never expected you to make such a foolish mistake. There's no other way now but to kill the woman behind you. Then, you either take over her power and become king yourself, or you choose someone else to serve. It's a bit late, but with your strength and Ah Feng having already lost his qualifications, it's not impossible for him to become a Star Soul one day."

"Impossible!" Yi Han almost blurted out, his slightly trembling hand firmly protecting me, gripping my wrist and refusing to let go for a moment.

A flash of fierceness crossed Fu Yu's eyes, but his tone remained gentle and tender: "If you can't bring yourself to do it, your master can help you."

Yi Han's cold palm pressed against my wrist, gripping my pulse tightly, trembling stiffly. I could clearly feel his fear, unease, and... resolve. I struggled, freeing my hand from his, and then grasped his hand in return.

He's always the one who comforts me, and at this moment, I just wanted to offer him a little comfort. So I smiled at him as he turned around: "Yihan, I believe in you and all your decisions."

He seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief—just a half-sigh—but when he turned to look at his master, the stiffness gradually disappeared. He said, "Master, as long as I live, I will never allow anyone to harm her."

"Yihan!" Fu Yu called out to him in a cold, trembling voice, "Do you know the consequences of Shen Tu disobeying the Star Soul? Do you know how high my expectations are for you? Do you know... how much Yuan Xiang loves you?"

Gu Yuanxiang is Yihan's teacher's wife, and also the original owner of this snow jade on my chest.

Yi Han silently lowered his head, enveloped by longing, self-reproach, and guilt. But it was truly just an envelopment; he held my hand tightly for a moment, and said in a soft yet resolute voice, "I'm sorry, Master, I..."

The sound abruptly stopped, and a murderous aura enveloped me. I coughed violently, feeling blood rushing from my entire body to my chest, as if a powerful fan was blowing into my eardrums, making my head spin.

Fu Yu walked into us step by step, and said coldly, word by word: "Yi Han, do you still remember your master's original teachings? The first rule of Shen Tu is that you must choose your master by dripping your blood before the age of twenty; the second rule of Shen Tu is that you must never reveal your true identity; the third rule of Shen Tu is that you must never fall in love with your master."

Yihan held me tightly, his expression filled with a desperate yet resolute determination to fight to the death, refusing to let go.

He whispered in my ear in a low, husky voice, "From the day I decided to be with you, I knew this day would come. I can't defy my master, I can't even protect you. But I still don't want to let you go, Lin Yu..."

For some reason, the physical pain suddenly became insignificant. I nestled in his arms, coughing softly, and then wrapped my arms tightly around his waist.

Finally, just when I was about to break down, a sigh filled with anger, helplessness, and compromise rang out, and all the oppression suddenly vanished without a trace.

Fu Yu stared at me coldly, but I had no time to pay him any attention. I just coughed incessantly, my face flushed, while Yi Han gently patted my back. His expression finally softened a bit: "Actually, you are a once-in-a-century genius, sigh!"

I didn't understand what he meant, nor did I grasp the compromise in his words. But he ignored me and turned his gaze to Yi Han: "If you don't want to die, if you still want to stay by her side, come with me. I'll allow you to come back in three days."

"Master?" Yi Han stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief. I was also pleasantly surprised; judging from his tone, he was actually willing to let us go and allow us to be together? He was willing to compromise?

Of course we'd be willing to share life and death, and of course we wouldn't bear to let go of each other's hands. But I have my ties and promises, and he has his responsibilities and missions. We both have too many inescapable fates entangled in this world. If we could be together without having to gamble with death, that would naturally be the best outcome.

Looking back much later, Fu Yu was truly a terrifying person. He knew that when faced with certain death, people would cast aside all inhibitions; without desire, one becomes invincible. In that state, we were someone he could never separate from. However, once hope arises, people become weak, and weakness can shake even the strongest will, ultimately leading to compromise. Like a spider's web, the more you struggle, the tighter you become entangled, and the more desperate you become.

I will never forget that day. The sky was overcast in May, and the drizzle finally began to fall.

I waited for Yihan to return at the door. The stone lions were soaked by the rain, gray and gloomy, much like the color of the sky. Qin Wu stood beside me with an umbrella, anxiously switching it from her left hand to her right while reassuring me, "Young Master, don't worry. With Master's profound martial arts skills, nothing will happen to him."

I told him that Yihan had gone on a mission and wouldn't be back for three days. Qin Wu glanced at my rain-soaked shoulders and moved the umbrella closer to me: "Young Master, you're not well, getting wet in the rain can easily make you sick. Why don't we go inside and wait?"

I glanced at him and laughed, "Instead of wasting time rambling on here, you might as well go get another umbrella. I don't want to get soaked and make Yihan worry."

Qin Wu exclaimed, seemingly only now realizing that they didn't actually need to share an umbrella. A blush crept across her face as she handed the umbrella to me and hurriedly ran inside.

With Qin Wu gone, I stood alone at the entrance of Chiyu Tower, umbrella in hand, and suddenly felt much quieter. The rain was fine yet dense, bending in an arc with the wind as it sprinkled onto my thin clothes. I hunched my shoulders slightly; with Qin Wu gone, I felt a bit cold and lonely.

I don't need to be anxious, worried, or afraid. Yihan will definitely come back. Even if he can't come back right away, he will find a way to be by my side. If he really can't come, then I'd rather gather a million troops than not…

Of course, there are no "ifs" or "what ifs." I stared intently at the solitary man in blue robes who was slowly walking towards me through the misty drizzle, and a smile appeared on my face.

But as he approached me, I suddenly realized something was wrong. He was still Yi Han, tall and elegant, aloof and indifferent, dressed in a blue robe with silver hair, exuding a cold and detached aura. But his soul had been emptied.

He walked towards me step by step, his steps so steady, yet it seemed as if he would collapse at any moment. Fine raindrops fell on his face, flowing over his slightly raised brow bone, over his deep, dark eyes, over his thin, well-defined chin, gathering into heavy raindrops that fell one by one.

He stared at me blankly, then reached out and pulled me into his arms. The umbrella fell to the ground with a soft thud. His body was several times colder than mine, making me shiver as soon as I touched him. He held me tightly, drawing warmth from my body, without a word, without a sound, yet it seemed as if he wouldn't mind standing like this in the cold rain for the rest of his life.