Chapter 1979: Dim Lights, Raging Fury! (Part One)

The woman was wearing a Phoenix Robe, its colors vibrant. Donned upon her, it exuded an air of nobility. Her head was bowed, her face covered by strings of pearl curtains, faintly revealing a furrowed brow as she slowly walked towards the Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate.

The sound of the bell was not actually from a bell, but from the strings of pearls covering the woman's face, clashing against each other as she walked.

At this moment, on the square and platforms, all the tribesmen from the Three Veins who had come for the night banquet turned their gazes towards this woman. Her appearance was not of peerless beauty, but there was an indescribable feeling about her, very gentle and pleasant to look at, as if it could calm one's Soul.

The aura about this woman was one of tranquility. Like a lily in an empty valley, blooming silently, only when a bird occasionally flew through the white clouds high above and looked down, might it catch a glimpse of that fleeting beauty and splendor.

Wang Lin stood there, and the moment this woman appeared, the vexation in his body instantly vanished, as if it had never been there.

"Song Zhi…" Wang Lin recognized the woman at a glance. He still remembered seeing her outside Black Stone City, of the First Ancient Vein, when he first arrived on the Ancient Clan's land.

The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate looked at the approaching woman in the Phoenix Robe with appreciation, a smile gracing his lips. He flicked his sleeve and spoke loudly.

"Empress, come sit by My side. Today is a joyous occasion for My dao ancient Vein, and a great day for Us and you."

The woman in the Phoenix Robe paused, then silently walked over and gently sat down on the Dragon Throne where the Ancient Dao Emperor Venerate was seated. She raised her head and looked out of the great hall.

She was still frowning, and deep in her eyes, confusion was hidden, giving people a feeling of helplessness.

The moment she raised her head, the first thing she saw was Wang Lin, staring intently, inside the great hall!

Instantly, their gazes converged within the great hall.

As their eyes met, a roar immediately echoed in Wang Lin's mind. This roar came too suddenly, like countless heavenly thunderclaps exploding simultaneously, spreading throughout Wang Lin's entire body, even causing his Primordial Spirit and Soul to tremble. This trembling felt as if the woman before him was an indispensable part of Wang Lin's life!

Wang Lin's expression changed as he stared at the woman, his heart pounding, beating faster and faster. The woman gave him an extremely familiar feeling, but this familiarity was hidden in a mist. Wang Lin could not figure out the source of this familiarity!

"Wan'er… Li Qianmei… Zhou Ru… Hong Die…" Wang Lin stared blankly into the woman's eyes, faces flashing through his mind, but he couldn't pinpoint the exact source of that familiarity.

"Or perhaps none of them…" As Wang Lin looked closely, he found the woman to be extremely unfamiliar, as if there was a huge gap between her and what he imagined.

"Wang Lin!" A voice, not loud but imbued with authority, echoed in Wang Lin's ears.

"Is My Empress so captivating to your attention?" The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate looked at Wang Lin, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. Even as Emperor Venerate, when his Empress appeared, everyone else's gaze merely touched and withdrew, yet Wang Lin alone stared so presumptuously. He was already displeased with Wang Lin, and now, frowning, his tone grew cold.

Wang Lin remained silent, as if awakened by the Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate's words, a complex expression in his eyes. He ignored the Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate and continued to gaze at the woman in the Phoenix Robe.

He wanted to find the source of that familiarity within this woman, but as he kept looking, he sighed inwardly, a melancholic expression appearing in his eyes.

He did not know this woman… He had vaguely found the source of that familiarity; it was the woman's temperament, that tranquil aura, which was very similar to Li Muwan.

"It can't be Wan'er… it's just a similar temperament, my illusion…" With Wang Lin's current cultivation, if this woman truly were Li Muwan, Wang Lin would have recognized her at a glance. But no matter how he looked, it was only familiarity, without the slightest fluctuation of Li Muwan's aura.

"Wan'er is in the Heaven-Avoiding Coffin, her remnant soul is missing… lost… This woman is not her. It's just that in this world, there is someone so spiritually similar in temperament…" Wang Lin closed his eyes, concealing the sorrow within them.

The woman's face flushed slightly, and anger appeared in her eyes, seemingly displeased by Wang Lin's rude gaze. However, she herself couldn't explain it; deep down, she seemed to have a familiar feeling towards the person in front of her, but this feeling, as soon as it appeared, strangely dissipated, as if it no longer existed.

"I am speaking to you!" The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate raised his left hand and slammed it onto the armrest of the Dragon Throne, producing a loud bang, yet the armrest remained completely undamaged.

However, at that very instant, dozens of killing intents suddenly appeared within the great hall, firmly locking onto Wang Lin. Faintly visible in the hall, around Wang Lin, were more than ten wisp-like ethereal figures, flickering in and out of existence, as if they would all strike simultaneously at the Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate's command.

Moreover, at this moment, on the square outside the great hall, and on the hundreds of platforms, the tribesmen from the three clans also noticed the anomaly. They all looked strange, their gazes sweeping over Wang Lin in the great hall, then turning to the slightly angry woman in the Phoenix Robe.

"This woman greatly resembles an old acquaintance of mine…" Wang Lin opened his eyes and saw the displeasure in the woman's eyes. For some reason, his heart felt a pang of pain and loss. He was now certain that this woman was not the person he was looking for… It was just the similarity in temperament that stirred Wang Lin's grief and Soul-rending pain.

"Oh?" The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate's gaze flickered almost imperceptibly. He turned to glance at the woman in the Phoenix Robe beside him, then at Wang Lin, and suddenly a mysterious smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Empress, do you recognize the future protector of My dao ancient Vein?" The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate spoke leisurely.

The woman in the Phoenix Robe lowered her head and gently shook her beautiful head.

"When the Imperial Advisor gave me this remnant soul, he said there was his Seal on it, and it wouldn't emit the slightest aura fluctuation. Even if it encountered the woman's most familiar person, no clue would be apparent. Unless one could surpass him in deduction and calculation, even with the cultivation of a Great Heavenly Venerate, they wouldn't be able to discern anything in this regard." The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate smiled faintly.

"Interesting. Could this remnant soul really be related to Wang Lin?" The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate felt quite surprised and delighted internally, but his expression still held that inscrutable smile.

"Perhaps you truly do know each other. Empress, go down and stand before the future protector of My dao ancient Vein. Let him take a careful look. If you are truly old acquaintances, that would be another joyous occasion." The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate spoke slowly.

The woman in the Phoenix Robe remained silent, then gently stood up, looked at Wang Lin, and slowly walked towards him. Wang Lin stared blankly at her, vaguely seeing Li Muwan approaching, his heart trembling, even his body shaking slightly.

Until the woman walked over, stopping ten feet in front of Wang Lin, calmly looking at him. Her gaze held more displeasure, subtly giving Wang Lin a very cold feeling. That familiarity within the strangeness made him seem to forget how to think, forget that he was in this dao ancient Imperial Palace, forget that he was on this Ancient Clan land, forget that he was on this Immortal Astral Continent. It was as if he had returned to the Immortal Cave Realm, back to the valley on Vermilion Bird Star, staring blankly at her, the sorrow in his eyes seemingly capable of melting this world.

Seeing that sorrow, the woman's heart suddenly ached. Her face turned pale, and confusion also appeared in her eyes, but this confusion quickly dissipated, turning back into displeasure.

"You… are not her." After a long time, Wang Lin showed a bitter expression. He suddenly wanted to drink, wanted to get thoroughly drunk once, to forget this Soul-piercing pain and sorrow. He knew that everything he had just experienced was an illusion.

But this illusion had stirred Wang Lin's longing, making him recall scenes from thousands of years ago, deepening and intensifying his sorrow.

Stumbling back a few steps, Wang Lin no longer looked at the woman, nor at the Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate, but he did not leave. Instead, he returned to his table, sat there, staring blankly at the tabletop. After a long time, he grabbed the wine pot and took a deep, fierce gulp from it.

However, though the wine was strong, it couldn't make him drunk… Wang Lin rarely cried, but at this moment, as he drank, tears streamed down the corners of his eyes. Through those tears, Wang Lin drank sip after sip of wine, the tears mixing with the wine, tasting bitter and astringent, just like his sorrow.

The woman in the Phoenix Robe returned to the Ancient Dao Emperor Venerate's side, sitting down calmly, her head bowed throughout, not speaking a word. The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate's smile grew wider, his gaze occasionally falling on Wang Lin, a flash of smugness and joy passing through his eyes.

"It seems, more likely than not, that Wang Lin knows that remnant soul… And the confusion that remnant soul showed after merging with the body must also be because of Wang Lin… What a pity, in life, no matter what your cultivation, no matter how many Soul Bloods you possess, even if Xuan Luo is your master, the greatest sorrow is still when you are clearly in front of each other, yet you no longer recognize one another… But such a thing, it truly excites me…" The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate laughed heartily, raised his wine cup, and once again, at this night banquet, drank with the nearly ten thousand attendees.

According to the tradition of the dao ancient Vein, he should have let the woman in the Phoenix Robe leave at this moment, but the Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate did not do so. Instead, he kept her by his side, wanting to continue observing Wang Lin's expression, as if this would bring him the greatest satisfaction and pleasure.

For a time, due to the Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate's joviality, this night banquet reached a climax, bustling with noise and incessant congratulations, appearing very lively.

Amidst this clamor, only Wang Lin sat silently, drinking sip after sip of wine, the sorrow in his eyes unable to be drowned by the alcohol.

"Empress, Minister Wang seems a bit down. On My behalf, go and drink with him once." The Dao Ancient Emperor Venerate said with a smile.