Chapter 2004 - 2000: Ancient Images
"Ye Fan, I don’t want to listen to this, and you better not come here and speak recklessly. What you think you know isn’t necessarily the truth—it’s just someone deceiving you!" Xuan Nu said angrily upon hearing Ye Fan trying to reveal her secrets.
Xi He glanced at Xuan Nu, seemingly nonchalant, and finally said impatiently, "Since the master wants to speak, you have no reason to stop him. Although your matters appear secretive, I actually want to know what you’ve done. You’ve been hiding all these years, and even now you refuse to reveal the truth, which damages the master’s interests. I don’t believe the master should shield you in this matter!"
Ye Fan closed his eyes and said, "What I want to reveal isn’t something I can express to you directly—these are ancient images preserved over time. Do you want to see them?"
"I don’t want to see them!" Xuan Nu retorted loudly.
In Xuan Nu’s view, Ye Fan now was about to invade her privacy. She didn’t want anyone to know about her relationship with Lan Jing or those matters among ancient cultivators, as it felt like a form of harm to her.
Ye Fan raised his hand, presenting a large image within the ancient relics of the Arctic. In the image emerged a small blue crystal, seemingly the original form of Lan Jing.
"Ye Fan, do you know that doing this harms others? You have no right to divulge my secrets to others!" Xuan Nu continued to protest, but soon she was unable to voice any objections. Ye Fan used his power to confine her, making Xuan Nu a passive viewer, unable to protest further.
The vast image continued to evolve, showing a power seemingly nurturing within the blue crystal, as a figure resembling Zhuo Junwu appeared. But this person wasn’t Zhuo Junwu, likely the founding ancestor of the Li Yunhuo sect, as previously mentioned by Nu Ying.
There was no sound in the image, but it showed Li Yunhuo holding the blue crystal in his palm. A material with life force sprang from the blue crystal, appearing as if it were a freshly nurtured life.
From a distance, a woman scrutinized everything before her. This woman strongly resembled Xuan Nu, but she seemed not to be Xuan Nu’s true body.
Xi He looked at Xuan Nu, saying, "So you already knew the secret about the Li Yunhuo sect and the celestial calamity back then. Did you find Li Yunhuo and try to deceive him in your human form to make him work for you? Your schemes were truly intricate, but I misjudged you."
There was no sound in the image, and Xuan Nu couldn’t speak, leaving her unable to explain her actions. Soon, the image slightly changed, revealing a figure of a pregnant woman. Though her appearance was unclear, you could see she was pregnant, and approaching her made Xi He’s face turn sour, as this woman was the one she had always protected, Leizu.
"It seems Leizu is Li Yunhuo’s true wife, but this is all an illusion. What Leizu is supposed to do seems similar to Xuan Nu’s actions," Ye Fan remarked.
Xi He said, "I think Leizu was persuaded by Xuan Nu to do this; Leizu wouldn’t have acted this way initially..."
Ye Fan smiled bitterly and said, "The relationship between Leizu and Xuan Nu is only known by them. And Li Yunhuo appears to be the mastermind behind all of this, who is now dead, but his consciousness remains within Zhuo Junwu—he’s my master in the Li Yunhuo sect. These two people are essentially the same person."
The image continued to change. The next moment showed the blue crystal’s life form growing, seemingly on the Heavenly Peak Mountain within the Pan Gu secret realm, where Li Yunhuo, Xuan Nu, and Leizu appeared to be arguing. Xuan Nu attempted to take the blue life form, which enraged Li Yunhuo, resulting in a conflict between the two.
All the while, Leizu was watching from the side. Ye Fan believed that although Li Yunhuo couldn’t have a cultivation level higher than Xuan Nu, perhaps Xuan Nu’s power was sealed, making their battle evenly matched and hard to determine who was stronger.
Finally, the image shifted again, leaving the outcome of the battle unknown. Xuan Nu had taken the blue life form to Earth, seemingly severely injured, attempting to activate its potential using her powers in the ocean.
Xi He observed Xuan Nu, seemingly understanding everything. Instead of directly revealing the truth, she spoke in a helpless tone, "So you’ve been deceiving me all along, with her collaborating in the deception!"
At this moment, Xuan Nu wanted to say something but was unable to articulate her thoughts.
The image continued changing, as Xi He couldn’t fully activate the blue life form. Eventually, Xuan Nu seemed to have sacrificed her life force, using her bodily potential to activate the blue crystal’s life form, which immediately turned into an infant. This infant had some traits of Lan Jing, and upon seeing this, Ye Fan realized Lan Jing must have been born, but at this point, Lan Jing wasn’t conscious.
Xuan Nu hadn’t died, but her powers were gradually depleting, similar to what Ye Fan previously sensed from Lan Jing. Lan Jing had seen her mother but couldn’t remember her appearance or identity. Lan Jing saw her mother growing up, but after gaining detailed memories, Xuan Nu had become a soul body due to her powers’ complete depletion, relying on Earth’s large blue crystal—the Origin Energy—to survive, ostensibly protecting Lan Jing, but in reality, just trying to stay alive.
The image seemed to stop here, and Xi He said to Ye Fan, "The master still hasn’t told me the final outcome for Leizu."
Ye Fan replied, "Leizu’s situation is about to be answered. The matters of Lan Jing and Xuan Nu seem yet to be fully resolved."
After Ye Fan finished speaking, the image altered again, showing Li Yunhuo arriving on Earth, apparently searching for Lan Jing and Xuan Nu but ultimately unable to find them. This time, a woman by Li Yunhuo’s side appeared—she was indeed Leizu, holding an infant who was undoubtedly her daughter in her arms.