Chapter 1624: Ancient Mystery, A Year Belonging to Xi Zifeng

These nine floating continental fragments formed a circle, drifting peacefully along a strange trajectory as they echoed within the Primordial Stars. Because of the invisible Formation surrounding them, everything here was completely invisible to anyone without an Immortal Bloodline.

Even those who passed by would see nothing. Without an Immortal Bloodline, one's Divine Sense would likewise fail to perceive the obstruction of that invisible Formation.

The Venerable Master clasped his hands respectfully on one of the fragment continents. As he performed this act of obeisance, seven of the nine floating fragment continents immediately emitted rays of seven different colors, which intertwined to form a rainbow of seven colors.

The remaining two fragment continents remained dim and lightless, obscured beneath this seven-colored rainbow.

As the seven-colored light flickered continuously, a figure gradually materialized within that radiance. The figure's appearance was blurred, enveloped by the seven colors. Not long after, its appearance became slightly clearer, and it stepped out from within the seven-colored light.

At this moment, if Wang Lin were to see this seven-colored figure, he would immediately recognize that this person was none other than the Seven-Colored Daoist who appeared when he rescued Qing Shui within the Seven-Colored Realm!

"Disciple greets Master." The Venerable Master was silent for a moment, then looked up at the floating seven-colored figure before him, his eyes harboring complexity.

"The battle in the Inner Realm was a defeat for our Outer Realm's Primordial Stars… Master previously ordered this Disciple to send the Li Guang Bow back to the Inner Realm. It is currently in Wang Lin's hands, and this Disciple is unable to oppose him. I ask for Master's instruction!"

The seven-colored light condensed upon the Seven-Colored Daoist. He stood in mid-air, his expression calm, his gaze sweeping over the Venerable Master.

"Is he truly insane…" the Seven-Colored Daoist suddenly spoke.

The Venerable Master's body trembled. He closed his eyes, and after a long while, he opened them and nodded.

"I don't necessarily think so…" The Seven-Colored Daoist smiled slightly, looking into the distance with a strange glint in his eyes.

"I will help you open the Ancient Tomb and let those few emerge. As for what to do next, you can plan it yourself… This game is coming to an end. Third One, you have been in hiding for endless years, reincarnating countless times. This time, you should come out…" The Seven-Colored Daoist's lips curled into a smile, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"Is Wang Lin the Third One?" the Venerable Master asked, hesitating for a moment.

"Apart from you, me, Old Ghost Zhan, and a few others, anyone else could potentially be the Third One… He hides too deeply… Or perhaps, at this moment, even he himself does not know his true final identity.

As for this Wang Lin, he does not seem like it… but it is not entirely impossible." The Seven-Colored Daoist spoke slowly.

The Venerable Master sighed inwardly, clasped his hands toward the Seven-Colored Daoist, and turned to leave. But after only a few steps, he paused. He did not turn back, but his voice came through in a deep tone.

"Back then, you told me to take you as my Master, and I obeyed. The promise you made to me…"

"Your Master cannot leave this place! Once I have devoured the Third One, even that Old Ghost Zhan will not be my match. At that time, your former Master will become my supplement…" The Seven-Colored Daoist smiled slightly, his body turning into a stream of seven-colored light, dissipating into mid-air.

The Venerable Master's expression turned complex. After a long while, he sighed and walked into the distance.

Time flowed slowly. Wang Lin sat cross-legged within the Revolving Formation formed by the three Origins. Beneath him was the Celestial Emperor Furnace, which held two empty profound mighty figures: one was the old man in black, and the second was the Fifth Immortal Concubine.

These two possessed astonishing Divine Abilities and could only be trapped within the Celestial Emperor Furnace. However, Wang Lin could not refine them in a short time. He sat upon the Celestial Emperor Furnace, eyes closed, suppressing and sealing them while breathing.

Guarding for three years—these were the most difficult three years.

It was unknown how much time had passed when three long rainbows faintly appeared within the expanded Cloud Sea Star Domain behind Wang Lin, transforming into the figures of three women.

The three women stood in the starry sky less than a thousand feet from Wang Lin, looking at his back on the Formation a thousand feet away.

This back view was desolate, revealing a sense of solitary loneliness. Yet, at the same time, there was a feeling of a mountain about this figure, as if his sitting there was like a mountain, providing sufficient protection for the Inner Realm.

The first to come forward was Xi Zifeng. Her figure appeared delicate as she slowly walked across the thousand feet to Wang Lin's side. Looking at Wang Lin, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, a gentleness appeared in Xi Zifeng's eyes, and a beautiful smile bloomed on her face.

"I have realized it. I do not want to be your Disciple… Never!"

"The Lifespan of us Cultivators is long and enduring. I do not know how much longer our lives will last; I only want one year of your life!

Just one year is enough… You have guarded the Inner Realm for three years, so let me stay here and accompany you for one year…" Xi Zifeng said softly.

Wang Lin remained silent, keeping his eyes closed the entire time without speaking a word.

"After one year, I will leave. If I die, I shall dissipate into smoke and clouds; if I survive, I will Cultivate with peace of mind!"

"You can choose not to speak, you can choose not to look at me, but I will still be here. You cannot drive me away." Xi Zifeng did not care about Wang Lin's attitude; she sat cross-legged beside him, silently watching him.

She was originally a beautiful woman who had grown weathered by the years. But at this moment, by Wang Lin's side, she seemed to have returned to over a thousand years ago, to that era. Wang Lin was the first person she had ever loved, and he was also the last. The process in between was simply that endless passage of time.

She was no longer young. She could even sense that Wang Lin likely did not have her in his heart. After all, the days she spent with him were very brief. Perhaps, in his life, she was merely a passerby.

She understood all of this. Xi Zifeng did not crave eternity; she only wanted this one year—a year of companionship to conclude a lifetime of love.

She was a woman who lacked courage, but now, she had finally mustered the courage to say these words to Wang Lin. Although her expression seemed calm, her heart was in turmoil. She feared rejection; she feared that Wang Lin would not even grant her this one year.

She looked at Wang Lin, biting her lower lip.

"You, leave." Wang Lin did not open his eyes, did not look at her, and spoke these words calmly.

This sentence seemed to sap all of Xi Zifeng's strength; her face immediately turned pale.

"I only want one year… Wang Lin, give me one year of time, please…" Amidst Wang Lin's silence, Xi Zifeng's voice trembled, and her eyes filled with moisture. Although she was a delicate woman, she had not shed many tears in her life.

The few times she had, most were for this figure before her whom she could never forget.

"An ill-fated relationship…" The words of her Master from back then seemed to still be echoing in her ears.

"One year, is even one year not enough!! Wang Lin, I know you cannot accept me, but I only want one year of time. Is one year very long…" Wang Lin remained silent, not opening his eyes. His appearance deeply stung Xi Zifeng's heart. With a miserable smile, Xi Zifeng stood up and stumbled back a few steps.

She felt like a ridiculous actor, talking to herself here. In the end, all her words turned into sharp thorns, piercing her own heart. That feeling was very painful.

With a long sigh, Wang Lin opened his eyes and looked at the Xi Zifeng beside him, looking at this woman who was not without a place in his memories. His gaze gradually softened, and he said softly.

"One year, I will give it to you!" Wang Lin did not know if he could resurrect Li Muwan, nor did he know if he would be able to leave this Immortal Cave, or if he himself would die.

After learning this series of secrets, what strength did he have left to refuse a woman's request for only one year?

He knew that once he refused again, this woman before him would wither and eventually become nothing more than a memory in his mind. Perhaps many years later, he would not forget that there was once a woman named Xi Zifeng.

Tears flowed from Xi Zifeng's eyes; these were complex tears. She silently sat back down beside Wang Lin.

"One year is enough. Wang Lin, I will not take up any more of your time…" Xi Zifeng murmured softly.

In the distance, Mu Bingmei and the Pink-robed Woman remained silent, sitting cross-legged in the starry sky a thousand feet away. When they came here together, there was a tacit understanding: one person, one year.

One year of time is not long. For a Mortal, this is true; for a Cultivator, it is even more so. Often, a single session of closed-door Cultivation or meditation passes in a few years.

But for Xi Zifeng, she hoped this year could pass more slowly.

Wang Lin was not a person skilled in conversation, especially with women; he was silent more often than not. Even when he was with Li Muwan, he mostly just watched her silently and gently.

In the blink of an eye, the first of the three years passed, and three months had gone by.

During these three months, Wang Lin spoke very little, but Xi Zifeng was very satisfied. The two of them had walked through these three months together on the Revolving Formation.

She knew Wang Lin liked to drink wine. At this moment, a small pot floated in the starry sky before him, containing water that was bubbling. Inside the water was a wine pot, using the boiling water to warm the chill of the wine.

The water had boiled, but the wine was not yet fully warmed. A wispy cold wind, which should not have existed in the starry sky, whistled in from the distance, blowing onto the warming wine pot and causing ripples to spread across the boiling water.

A cold glint appeared in Wang Lin's eyes. He looked up at the Outer Realm's Primordial Stars. Within his gaze, he saw dense swarms of long rainbows whistling toward him. Inside those long rainbows were armies of Cultivators re-gathered by the Outer Realm!

Among these Cultivators, there were five people who erupted with the pressure belonging to the Third Step, whistling toward him like five sharp arrows.

Aside from these five, within this army of about one hundred thousand Cultivators, there were also thousand-foot-tall war chariots being pushed forward by numerous Cultivators, roaring as they approached.

A booming sound suddenly erupted in this quiet starry sky, growing louder and louder, finally merging into one like the descent of thunder.

"They're here!" A cold light flashed in Wang Lin's eyes.