"This can't be…" A voice filled with disbelief, unwillingness, and frustration echoed out. Mamy of the observation rooms for the All-Alchemic Clash were still occupied after its ending. There were still numerous individuals lingering around in hopes of establishing connections with various forces, but this particular room was occupied for another reason. It was the location that the Grand Prince was forced to stay in until the clash had finished.

Ji Changkong, the Grand Imperial Sage of the Extreme War Mountain, had brought Long Chen here shortly after Wei Wuyin's oath, diffusing the heated challenge of an impulsive youth. He had fought for Long Chen's rights, to ensure he wasn't snubbed as the Grand Prince, but as he watched Wei Wuyin shatter expectations, a swelling sense of bitterness emerged in his heart.

Regardless of how one saw it, he had stood on the side of Long Chen, and much like Zen, had offended the young Ascendant Emperor…

But what could he do?

While he pondered his options, Long Chen was having a discussion with his supposed harem. Ji Changkong was completely uninvested, merely staying here out of obligation at the moment. It was Long Chen's words that resounded with such emotion.

"This can't be, Lin Ziyan! He must've done something to you!" Long Chen's voice ramped upwards in volume and intensity. He was currently facing the newly restored Lin Ziyan. This was the woman that he shared a deep history with, forged by moments of struggle and joy. They arrived at the Myriad Monarch Sect together, jointly ascending the ranks and facing any obstacles.

In the Myriad Yore Continent, he risked his life and gathered all his supportive forces to fight on her behalf, to rescue her from the fate of an ill-established marriage arrangement. He faced down an Astral Core Realm powerhouse as a lowly Qi Condensation cultivator for her in the most fearless manner!

When he fought with his life on the line, claiming narrow victory for the clutches of fate, she was always the first to embrace him in relief while racked with silent worries. And he always knew she would venture into the jaws of death with him, warming his heart up endlessly. He derived strength from her gaze, from her warmth, and from her feelings.

But now…

Her vast ocean blue eyes felt foreign to him.

Lin Ziyan, on the other hand, was facing Long Chen with similar yet opposing thoughts. To her, Long Chen was her and her clan's only hope. He was the 'destined' one for her, and she devoted her all to him due to it. But when she discovered the truth, that she had made a mistake, all those valiant struggles and tragedies became bitter and painful.

She had suffered for her idiocy! When she met Long Chen, her incorrect choice at misreading Ming Shufeng's visions had caused her to suffer. It was as if it was heavenly punishment.

She was brought away from the Myriad Yore Continent, where she was regarded as a Mortal Godlord, and an extremely talented and beautiful cultivator. She was renowned, fierce, and possessed power, respect, and authority. She could arrive at any of the top sects of the various countries and be treated with the utmost courtesy.

But when she decided to follow Long Chen, her life changed for the worse, no, for the horrendous. She was brought to the Myriad Monarch Planet, where she was relegated as a Null Disciple, forced to perform degrading tasks and considered at the lowest rung of the sect. Her beauty to cultivation ratio was far too great, prompting numerous suitors to arrive and court her. There were some with gentle methods, but most were hostile when she seemingly refused them for Long Chen, a lesser talented, no-background having youngster from a lower continent.

They became antagonistic and macho, attempting to snatch her from Long Chen. At the time, she could only act as the hapless damsel, hiding behind Long Chen due to her extreme weakness. Due to this, they suffered endless impediments in the sect and had to rely on two other women, who Long Chen clearly liked, to survive. It made her feel inferior and insignificant!

For some reason, she was targeted the most out of all of Long Chen's female companions, as if she had a target on her back. Perhaps it was because she was the most useless out of the bunch, the easiest target! It ate at her mentality.

Furthermore, it didn't end there. After numerous close-calls, numerous life-and-death scenarios, her luck finally ran out. Not only had she faced terrifying circumstances, such as crippling and debilitating torture, she was left in that helpless state for over a year. It was extreme suffering. And it wasn't even just because of her, but for revenge against Long Chen.

She was a mere observer of her own life from the moment she decided to follow Long Chen. A weakling that was only able to allow things to happen to her passively, to rely on Long Chen to swoop in to save her. That feeling was indescribable. Unless you felt it, it was very difficult to understand.

Then, she learned what she believed to be the truth. The consultation of fate by Ming Shufeng wasn't regarding Long Chen, but Wei Wuyin!

-----

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Lin Ziyan, however, was more anxious as her delicate, jade-like fingers tapped the table in a frantic rhythm. Her eyes revealed all sorts of anxiety and uncertainty.

Ming Shufeng frowned, "You don't have to be so anxious, do you?"

Lin Ziyan turned her gorgeous eyes towards Ming Shufeng, this friend of hers. She pouted her lips and said, "Of course I do. You said-"

"I know what I said," Ming Shufeng interrupted. "I've consulted the heavens and glimpsed into fate. You're fated to be with the one you love, and I've figured out how."

Lin Ziyan started. Her anxiety shifted to excitement as she leaned forward. Her voluptuous curves and breasts were mouthwatering as she leaned to reveal her ample assets. Unfortunately, no man could witness such an appearance. A pity.

"Really?"

Ming Shufeng smiled and said, "Yes. All you have to do is seal your cultivation base. Say it was due to an accident. Then, seal your voice. When the wedding happens, the embers I've sent out will become a raging flame that'll send him directly to your doorstep."

"And then?" Lin Ziyan was a little skeptical that she had to feign marrying a member of royalty for her desired ending, but Ming Shufeng had never been wrong before.

"Then: Certain Victory, Astral Lightning shall descend, and the False Gods of the Mortal Dao shall ascend." Her words were spoken with an ephemeral and all-knowing manner.

Lin Ziyan's eyes widened with excitement. She clenched her fist and peered into an open window. "The love of my life, the one who cultivates the Haven Heart Qi Method. I hope it's him."

-----

The memory of their conversion was as clear as day to her. In hindsight, considering Wu Jiao's presence had eliminated the chance of victory for Long Chen, she should've been skeptical. The only clear sign of victory, when she was no longer blinded, was Wei Wuyin facing Wu Jiao and outsmarting him brilliantly. As for Long Chen? Numerous allies of his had instead suffered crushingly painful deaths at the hands of Wu Jiao.

She had tunneled on Long Chen that she hadn't even contemplated on the circumstances of the prediction enough. When she recalled this, she couldn't help but develop a wisp of rancor in her heart. How could she had been so foolish?

In truth, she wasn't at fault. Wei Wuyin's interference and deliberate actions to kidnap Ming Shufeng and screwed her predictions, turning victory into defeat.

But when she considered the possibility of making that 'correct' choice, of being with Wei Wuyin who shook the entire world and caused the starfield to remember his name, she couldn't help but feel an extreme pain in her heart. She was spat on, forced to scrounge for resources, put her life at risk, and she obtained a most thoroughly crippling for her tolerance. Moreover, she wasn't even certain if Long Chen could shatter the restrictions on her bloodline any longer.

"Long Chen! He's done nothing but restore my mind, body, and spirit. He's done nothing but help me, and it was only after that I realized the truth…" Lin Ziyan's words were trembling with complex emotions, mostly anger and frustration.

"...The truth?" Long Chen wasn't certain what she was talking about, but his heart felt as if it was in the vice grip of a great python. Even his hands were trembling non-stop.

"The truth that I...that we're simply not meant to be," When she observed the sadness and faint traces of despair surging within Long Chen's eyes, she couldn't help but change her originally heart-shattering words to something softer. But this didn't alleviate Long Chen's feelings, merely stoked his emotions as he saw her gentle change to be a sign of reluctance.

"Is he threatening you with my life? Are...are you doing this because of me?!" While artificially altering her mental functions wasn't possible due to Wei Wuyin's clear-cut oath, that didn't eliminate blackmail. In his heart, he knew that the Lin Ziyan he recognized would do anything for him. Even…even...

"...What?!" Lin Ziyan was taken aback by his jump in logic. She saw the hope in Long Chen's eyes, as if praying that she was being manipulated by someone, that she was doing this for him. "No! NO!" She shouted, "I'm doing this for ME!"

The softness in her voice ended, and she made her intentions clear with a stern tone. With that, she was about to take her leave. She knew more conversation would only bring about more pain.

But Long Chen saw her shifting emotions from gentle to utter refusal as a confirmation that he was close to the truth. Otherwise, why would she change her tone so suddenly? Why would she spout off words that she was leaving him? That she was going to be with him? HIM?! His nemesis!! It was unthinkable!

"Yan'er, I won't let him force you into anything! No matter who he is, Mortal Sovereign Alchemist, some Neo-Emperor, or whatever, even if he was god himself, I will not allow him to harm you! To take you from me!" With an impassioned voice that revealed his most sincere feelings, he shouted with utter conviction.

Lin Ziyan was shocked ashen, unable to understand what Long Chen was talking about. "He's not forcing me! He didn't TAKE ME! I...just! JUST! Just forget about me, Long Chen." In the end, she couldn't form the right words and simply left.

Her silhouette to Long Chen was lonely and sad, causing the fires of rage to stoke within his heart as the image of Wei Wuyin emerged within his mind.

"First it was Qiu'er, then Master, then an attempt on MY Na Xinyi, and now you've taken MY Lin Ziyan from me! No matter what, no matter who you become, Wei Wuyin, I, Long Chen, kill you!" His seething rage and killing intent was boiling to the highest degree. To him, all he saw was a systematic deprivation of his companions. A devious act of extreme planning to snatch everything that was his.

Even his future throne!

"..." Ji Changkong watched from the side, observing the deranged red flitting within Long Chen's eyes. He could only remain silent.