Don't You Love Me the Most Anymore

In the hall.

The two had only just begun their game of Go.

Though Bai Xuanling's cultivation was currently suppressed to the early-stage Soul Transformation realm through various means, her divine sense remained at the peak of Soul Transformation. While she couldn't use it at full strength, detecting and resisting Chu Xingchen's barely concealed illusion techniques was still effortless for her.

A cultivator's Sea of Consciousness was their most guarded secret.

It not only held their most unforgettable memories but also shifted with their thoughts and emotions.

Anger would ignite raging flames, joy would bloom countless flowers, and malice would breed endless deceit.

All secrets—those that could be spoken and those that must remain hidden—lurked within the Sea of Consciousness.

In some ways, probing a cultivator's Sea of Consciousness was far more invasive than physical exposure.

The body did not change, but the mind was ever-shifting, filled with countless embarrassing moments that could be uncovered.

Bai Xuanling gazed calmly at Chu Xingchen, who made no attempt to hide his intentions as he placed his stones with practiced ease.

With each move he made, the board amplified his illusions, stirring Bai Xuanling's Sea of Consciousness.

As long as Bai Xuanling refused to relent, Chu Xingchen's illusions would have no effect on her. She spoke leisurely:

"You seem like a frivolous kid, but I didn’t expect you to be this shameless. Is your curiosity really this strong? Aren’t you afraid of hurting Lingyu’s feelings?"

Had it been anyone else so brazenly attempting to disturb her Sea of Consciousness, Bai Xuanling’s response would have been a swift sword strike.

But Chu Xingchen wasn’t someone she could simply cut down. At the very least, she found him agreeable, and their friendship had grown deep over time. Besides, the fate of the world likely rested on his shoulders.

Still, had Chu Xingchen tried to probe her mind through underhanded schemes rather than this direct approach, Bai Xuanling wouldn’t have tolerated it. At the very least, the Go board would have ended up smashed against his face, leaving him bedridden for years to teach him what was and wasn’t acceptable.

Yet because Chu Xingchen was being forthright rather than deceitful, Bai Xuanling felt no anger.

After all, concealment versus honesty wasn’t just about attitude—it was a matter of trust.

Chu Xingchen placed a stone gently, then raised his eyes to meet Bai Xuanling’s amused gaze. He replied softly:

"My conscience is clear. I have nothing to fear."

Bai Xuanling nodded knowingly, her eyes returning to the board. Unsurprisingly, Chu Xingchen’s Go skills were abysmal—his fundamentals so weak they resembled a child’s. In her eyes, he barely understood the rules.

She picked up a white stone and deliberately played softly. Bai Xuanling had a feeling this game might drag on.

The Go match was merely a prelude. Some things needed to be said outright.

She understood Chu Xingchen’s intentions—he wanted to resolve the issue of her murderous aura.

But Bai Xuanling wasn’t particularly concerned. After all, Lv Xuan, the sect master of Tianyan Sect, had spent years trying to find a solution without success. Though Chu Xingchen was different, his understanding of the Soul-Nourishing Art was likely shallow at best.

If he were refining pills, she might have gritted her teeth and given them a try.

Bai Xuanling studied the board, pinching a white stone between her fingers, and scoffed:

"I know what you’re after. So, what’s your plan? That ‘master-disciple’ trick of yours again?"

"That one’s lost its effectiveness. I want to try my own method," Chu Xingchen replied, holding a black stone as he surveyed the precarious board.

"My usual tricks failed, and I’ve thought about it—maybe I don’t have a solution right now. I could set it aside, wait until I’m stronger, until I have the means."

"But I also know that’s just an excuse. If I set it aside now, I might never care enough to pick it up again."

"I’d just keep making excuses. ‘You’ve endured all these years,’ I’d tell myself. ‘What’s a few more?’"

"I understand human laziness too well. So I don’t want to do that. At the very least, I truly see you as an elder sister, and your help has been undeniable."

"When bonds run deep, neither mountains nor seas feel distant, nor do winds and cold feel harsh."

"My journey here might have relied on many shortcuts, but I don’t want to abandon things just because those shortcuts fail. I refuse to become that kind of person."

"Even if my methods are clumsy and foolish, even if I’m mocked, I’ll still try."

"Because along the way, besides shortcuts, I’ve also developed my own skills. I don’t believe they’re any worse."

"You understand—some things shouldn’t be abandoned just because they’re difficult."

"Maybe after seeing it, I’ll still have no solution. But I’ll exhaust every possibility."

Bai Xuanling listened quietly, her expression unchanging, her eyes never leaving the board. When he finished, she replied calmly:

"You’re the world’s savior. The realm is on the brink again. Why waste your efforts on me? The world needs you more."

Chu Xingchen lifted his gaze, watching as Bai Xuanling studied the board with feigned indifference, as though they weren’t discussing her at all. He answered plainly:

"First, I’m no saint. Second, haven’t you heard the saying?"

Bai Xuanling pinched a stone. "What saying?"

"Children choose. Adults take everything!" Chu Xingchen laughed.

"Faced with saving the world, helping you is just a side quest. Don’t underestimate the heavens’ chosen savior."

Bai Xuanling chuckled, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

"My mistake. You’re far more interesting than I thought. It seems you’re determined to have your way today."

Chu Xingchen picked up a black stone and placed it decisively.

"Dew at dawn fades before the rising sun! You and the other old masters should accept that the new generation surpasses the old. Let me try!"

As the black stone landed, brilliance erupted once more, surging toward Bai Xuanling.

Her fingers froze mid-move, her gaze growing distant. Pure killing intent erupted around her, coiling like a storm.

Chu Xingchen sat across from her, his own eyes glazing over slightly after placing his stone.

Outside the hall.

A streak of light descended rapidly, revealing Lv Xuan, his face etched with urgency. But the moment he took in the scene, his expression shifted to sheer disbelief.

Recovering quickly, he immediately activated Tianyan Peak’s grand formation and issued a sect master’s decree—until the formation dissipated, no one was permitted near Tianyan Peak. Violators would be executed on sight.

Chu Xingchen struggled to open his eyes against an overwhelming pressure.

What greeted him was a shattered world—a sky of dark crimson, fractured and heavy, devoid of life. Blood rivers carved through the barren land.

When he looked up, he saw over a dozen figures soaring through the sky, locked in battle against an indistinct shadow. In moments, two figures plummeted, dissolving into motes of light.

Soon, his gaze locked onto a figure hovering at a lower altitude—Bai Xuanling, clad in dark crimson robes, gripping a pitch-black sword. Her eyes were narrowed, her smile deceptively gentle, yet radiating unmistakable malice.

Without a word exchanged, the crimson-clad Bai Xuanling raised her sword and slashed toward him.

Moreover, the imposing aura of a Tribulation Transcension cultivator descended like the fury of creation itself, annihilating everything in its path as it surged toward Chu Xingchen.

Chu Xingchen’s hands flickered with myriad techniques, his eyes deadly serious.

To think such a perilous situation had arisen—and Bai Xuanling hadn’t even bothered to warn him. Without a single word, they were already locked in a life-or-death struggle.

Forget gathering intel; he couldn’t even guarantee how many strikes he could endure.

Yet, in the next instant, a figure clad in white—Bai Xuanling—appeared out of nowhere, standing calmly before Chu Xingchen. With a single effortless swing of her sword, she intercepted the devastating blow.

The crimson-robed Bai Xuanling showed a flicker of surprise but did not immediately press the attack.

The white-clad Bai Xuanling gazed at the scarlet figure with an inscrutable mix of sorrow and resolve, her voice no longer steady, tinged with remorse as she spoke:

"Xuanle, stand down."

Xuanle’s face twisted in confusion:

"Sister, is this man your new beloved? Has he died too?"

"Sister… do you no longer cherish me most?"

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