*Thud, thud, thud… Thud, thud, thud.*

A knocking sound echoed.

“Who is it?”

Bai Lian opened the door, her gaze initially meeting only a pair of unblinking whites. She blinked in response, and from within the stark white, a voice emerged, laced with a strange deference. “Second Elder, what brings you here?”

“Cannot this old man simply come to greet the Holy Maiden?” The Second Elder smiled. The smile on his aged face should have been benevolent, yet the lack of pupils made it appear profoundly eerie. “The Holy Maiden’s cultivation has advanced greatly. This truly is a blessing to my White Bone Path.”

“Where? Elder, you are the pillar of white jade that props up this Sect, the purple-gold beam that frames the sea.”

“Hahaha. Do you not plan to invite this old man in for a seat?”

“This…” A flicker of hesitation crossed Bai Lian’s eyes. “This one is a maiden, after all. It might be inconvenient, no?”

“This old man watched the Holy Maiden grow up from childhood. You are like a daughter to this old man. What inconvenience is there?” The Second Elder said, squeezing into the room. He scanned the surroundings, seemingly without purpose, then casually inquired, “Holy Maiden, why are you still wearing a night veil within your own room in the Sect?”

Bai Lian blinked. “A naturally beautiful quality. One must hide the light to nurture obscurity.”

“Hahahaha…” The Second Elder’s laughter suddenly ceased. “Ouyang has returned. I can smell his scent.”

“This is a good thing! Our exhaustive efforts, the sacrifice of so many Dark Pieces, shielding him all the way – none of it was in vain. Why has that Great Elder still not appeared?”

“Who can fathom his thoughts?”

“If even you cannot, I certainly cannot.”

“Is it that you do not know, or that you do not wish to know?”

“This one has no need to know.” Bai Lian said, her voice laced with a delicate charm. “The important matters within the Sect must still be decided by the Elders. This one will quietly await news.”

The Second Elder gazed deeply at her for a moment, then rose and walked towards the door. Just before stepping out, he paused. “Holy Maiden, why are you so agreeable today?”

Bai Lian giggled. “Look at what you say. When is this one not agreeable? Even the occasional temper is not for the grand affairs of this Sect?”

Finally, the Second Elder departed. The oppressive feeling that had enveloped the room seemed to be severed by the closing door.

…

“Perhaps this was the final probe.”

Bai Lian murmured softly. She sat for a moment, forming a Formation, ensuring no one else would disturb them. Only then did she place a Formation Plate down, pull open the wardrobe, and carefully lift the tightly bound, eyes-closed Jiang Wang out, placing him on the bed. At this moment, Jiang Wang’s five senses were sealed. This was the only way to avoid those eyes that were entirely white.

Bai Lian pinched a technique, undoing the seal on his five senses.

Jiang Wang abruptly sat up, looking at Bai Lian, his hand on his sword, silent. Although his five senses had been sealed, preventing him from hearing Bai Lian and the Second Elder’s dialogue, with his senses muted and his heart calm, he had been continuously contemplating the day’s events.

“Ask what you wish to ask,” Bai Lian said, walking to the table and seating herself.

“You saved me again,” Jiang Wang’s voice was strained.

Bai Lian smiled. “What is there to fuss about?”

“This is the White Bone Path’s old nest. Are you a person of the White Bone Path?” Jiang Wang asked.

“We are all people within the Dao Gate,” Bai Lian replied.

Knowing that arguing with her about whether the White Bone Path belonged to the orthodox Dao Gate was utterly meaningless, Jiang Wang repeated, “I am only asking you: are you or are you not a person of the White Bone Path?”

“Not ‘I’,” Bai Lian extended a slender finger, pointing at Jiang Wang. “It is ‘we’.”

“What do you mean?”

“Originally, I didn’t want to tell you this quickly, because your ‘Metamorphosis’ is still incomplete.” Bai Lian sighed. “But since you appeared here today, you won’t give up without answers, will you?”

Jiang Wang did not answer her question, but instead asked, “So, Fang He Ling coming to Niu Tou Mountain today was a trap? Who was the target?”

“One of the White Bone Messenger’s idle pieces. There was no specific target. It was just that no matter who followed Fang He Ling tonight, they were meant to die here. This place is being abandoned soon anyway. You and that Ji Xing Si’s secret operative simply happened to meet.”

The White Bone Path would soon leave Niu Tou Mountain. Jiang Wang keenly grasped this information, but he set it aside. He turned back to his previous questions. “What does Metamorphosis mean? What is this ‘you all,’ this ‘we’?”

“The White Bone Lotus flower on your back, your sudden mastery of the Flesh Birth Soul Return Technique… Is this not enough to make you associate?”

“You have always understood me well. Perhaps these are all your arrangements. The White Bone Lotus flower could have been tattooed on me while I was unconscious, and you could have transmitted the Flesh Birth Soul Return Technique to me through some method… It is impossible for me to be related to the White Bone Path!”

“Manipulating memory, this kind of divine ability, I may not possess,” Bai Lian suddenly chuckled. “However, I have indeed always paid great attention to you, even when you were still a beggar…”

Jiang Wang’s heart suddenly seized! To escape Fang Peng Ju’s pursuit, he had transformed into a beggar, barely surviving at Huan Zhen Temple – that was before he opened his Pulse. Bai Lian had been observing him since then?

Bai Lian quickly explained. “Originally, all of you, that group of beggars settled at Huan Zhen Temple, were chosen under our guidance.” Her voice was ethereal. “Huan Zhen Temple is a very significant place, also a place chosen by the Venerable God. As early as when Zuo Guang Lie died in battle, I was curious. So many beggars died, why did only you not die? Could it be mere coincidence? Why, when you later returned to the Dao Academy, did your cultivation advance by leaps and bounds? Presumably, you also have some awareness, yes? After opening your Pulse, your cultivation speed surpassed that of ordinary people. Most importantly, you can devour the White Bone Path Seed, you can perfectly adapt to the White Bone Path’s secret arts, you possess the Flesh Birth Soul Return Technique! You are not ordinary. You are the Son of the White Bone Path!”

Bai Lian’s final words were, “Only later did I understand why you appeared at Huan Zhen Temple. It was precisely the Venerable God’s arrangement.”

“No, that’s not right!” Jiang Wang shook his head. He believed his cultivation came from the Tai Xu Illusion Realm, fundamentally unrelated to any White Bone Path Son. But the Tai Xu Illusion Realm was his biggest secret right now and could not be revealed to argue.

“Just afraid you say it’s not right with your mouth, yet in your heart you weep in pain.”

“What Path Son!” Jiang Wang retreated a step. “I said, I cannot possibly forgive the White Bone Path’s actions. I also cannot possibly be in league with you, we are not on the same path!”

“That is because you still have not seen the truth of this world clearly, have not thoroughly wiped away your hypocrisy, have not found your true self.”

“I am very clear about who I am. I do not need you to remind me.” Jiang Wang tried as much as possible to control his emotions, allowing himself to think calmly. “You say the White Bone Path Seed – what is it?” he asked.

“This is a very precious thing. I only have one. It can absorb the nutrients of the person it parasitizes to grow, eventually perfectly controlling the host. But I didn’t expect it to be devoured by you… So you see, of course the Seed cannot have an effect on the Path Son!”

Jiang Wang looked at her coldly. “You tried to parasitize me?”

A rare hint of apology appeared in Bai Lian’s gaze. “At that time, we weren’t familiar with each other yet…”

“We are still not familiar now! You make me feel very strange!” Jiang Wang said coldly. “No need to say more! I absolutely do not believe I am some White Bone Path Son! Even if I truly were, I would absolutely not be in league with all of you, this group of human-faced beasts!”

That “even if,” while expressing determination, also revealed a tremor of doubt. Bai Lian did not dwell on this point, but instead counter-asked, “Which is truly the human-faced beast: those who raise ferocious beasts, disregarding the lives and deaths of common people? Or those who extract the Dao Pulse of the Water Race to refine Open Pulse Pills?”

“You don’t think you can use words to shake my Dao heart!” Jiang Wang’s voice was firm, as if anything less would be insufficient to resist the pressure he bore. He took a deep breath, affirming his resolve. “Bai Lian, since our paths diverge, let us go our separate ways. I said, my life was saved by you. You can take it back now.”

Bai Lian’s eyes were beautiful, seemingly angry and resentful, her autumn waves shimmering. She simply gazed at Jiang Wang with those eyes.

“How could I possibly be willing to kill you?” Her voice softened. “However, as long as you cooperate, I can erase your memory of tonight. Just treat everything as if it never happened. Wait until you are thoroughly awakened, and then you will remember tonight’s events.”

“Burying one’s head in the sand?”

“No, it is simply that the timing has not yet arrived.”

Bai Lian rose and leaned in. Before Jiang Wang could react, she pressed him firmly onto the bed.

“Look into my eyes,” she said. “I do not have the divine ability to manipulate memory. I am simply using a secret technique to temporarily seal this short segment of memory. So you must open your body and mind, and cooperate fully. If something goes wrong, at best your spirit will be disordered; at worst, your soul will scatter.”

Jiang Wang knew clearly that this was the best option. Tonight, he had mistakenly entered Niu Tou Mountain, stepping into the thieves’ den. Originally, he should have died here. Bai Lian’s various covers had already saved his life once. But no matter how they discussed it, it was impossible for her to let him carry the White Bone Path’s secrets back to Feng Lin City. And he would rather die than be in league with the White Bone Path. Now, he could temporarily delay the choice he had to face and also avoid death.

Jiang Wang completely opened his heart and mind, allowing his consciousness to be drowned by countless lotus petals. He felt a sense of warmth and inclusiveness, and of dependence. Then, within this boundless sea of lotus petals, he saw a lotus bud drifting towards him. It grew taller and taller, until it was level with Jiang Wang’s line of sight. Then the lotus flower bloomed. In the very center of the bloom, there were no stamens, no lotus seeds. But… a black candle!

…

…

PS: The official release is tomorrow at noon. I already mentioned the release last week, so I won’t say more. In short, one sentence: please everyone must support with a subscription. The first subscription is very important to this book, it can be said to be the last opportunity for this book. If the subscription ratio is good, there will still be recommendations. Whether this book can continue with quality and quantity, besides my efforts, also requires everyone’s efforts!

I beg you!

On the day of the release, I will consecutively update with ten thousand characters to repay everyone, a total of five chapters. From noon to ten in the evening, one chapter will be updated every two hours! After the release, I will try to maintain two chapters of updates every day.

Keep up the good work! Best wishes!