The Glazed Pagoda was the Heaven Hidden Sect’s sacred treasure that Fifth Eldress had mentioned to Jiang Yi previously. It was taken by the Mystic Thearch and was probably in Mystic Divine Palace now.
Although the Saint Empress was clear that she would not tell Jiang Yi anything, Jiang Yi still had to ask: “Saint Empress, why do you guys think that I am able to help retrieve the Glazed Pagoda? The Nine Thearchs have all gone to Mystic Divine Mountain; no one could enter the Mystic Divine Palace.”
“No one else but you can!”
With regard to this question, the Saint Empress actually was willing to answer. She smiled mildly and said, “Ao Lu is the guardian of Mystic Divine Palace. If you can befriend him, the chances of the Mystic Divine Palace ending up in your hands are very high.”
“Haha! Saint Empress has way too high expectations of Jiang Yi.”
Jiang Yi smiled bitterly, raised his head, and looked at Saint Empress. If it’s just based on appearances, he could not tell that the Saint Empress was more than eighty-years-old. She looked like a lady of around thirty years with snow-white and lustrous skin. She was tall and wore a beautiful white dress with silver linings. If he hadn’t known her age and based on her looks, many men would be palpitating with excitement just by looking at her.
The Saint Empress’s nose bridge was slightly high, creating a dignified air to her. She was like an esteemed empress. Her eyes were beautiful, with a clear distinction between the white and the black. The pureness was like that of a child, leaving a deep impression on anyone.
After looking once, Jiang Yi did not dare to continue looking. He lowered his head and said weakly, “Saint Empress should know some things regarding Jiang Yi. I have a deep enmity with the North Thearch Wu Clan. If I dare to step into the East Imperial Continent again—if the North Thearch knew, he would definitely kill me personally. I am afraid that even if I am able to obtain the Glazed Pagoda, I might not have any way to send it back to you.”
“It doesn’t matter!”
The Saint Empress tugged her sleeve and said, “We can only do one’s best and leave the rest to God’s will. If you do not try, how would you know you can’t do it?”
“Alright!”
Jiang Yi nodded in assent. “If I die on the East Imperial Continent, I would like to ask Saint Empress to help me take care of Ruoxue.”
Saint Empress said expressionlessly, “No matter whether you live or die—as long as Su Ruoxue is a disciple of Heaven Hidden Sect, I will definitely take good care of her.”
“Hu-hu!”
Jiang Yi exhaled twice, gritted his teeth, and said, “Saint Empress, if I am able to bring the Glazed Pagoda back, will you definitely return Su Ruoxue whole to me? What I mean is the recovery of her memories, a Su Ruoxue who would never need to depend on the Soul Cleansing Pool ever again.”
“That’s right!”
Saint Empress said, “As long as you bring back the Glazed Pagoda, I will definitely return you a Su Ruoxue as good as new.”
“Alright!”
Jiang Yi cupped his hands and said in a low voice, “In that case, could Saint Empress have someone send me out of Heaven Hidden Sect. I will leave for the East Imperial Continent immediately and enter the Mystic Divine Palace.”
“So fast?”
The Saint Empress’ face changed a little. She was not aware that Ao Lu had tampered with Mystic Divine Mountain. She paused for a moment and asked again, “You do not wish to see Su Ruoxue first?”
“There is no such need!”
Jiang Yi’s eyes revealed a sliver of pain and bitterness. He closed his eyes and said, “Since she has completely forgotten about me, what is the point of meeting her? If I am not able to return, having forgotten the past would actually be a good thing for her. Saint Empress, I will now take my leave!”
Jiang Yi closed both eyes and bowed with hands folded in front, resolutely turned, and left. Fifth Eldress was just waiting outside. She signaled for two Heaven Hidden Sect disciples to bring Jiang Yi to the Teleportation Formation.
After seeing Jiang Yi leave and head for the Teleportation Formation in the distance, Fifth Eldress’ face revealed a tinge of reluctance. She hurried went into the backyard, walked to the pavilion, and cupped her hands, saying, “Saint Empress, Jiang Yi has left.”
“Oh.”
The Saint Empress nodded her head lightly and continued to sip her tea, head lowered. There didn’t seem to be any visible change in her expression. Fifth Eldress waited for a while, gritted her teeth, and asked, “Saint Empress, with the way that you’re forcing Jiang Yi—if he really died in the East Imperial Continent, what would we do next? Mystic Divine Mountain is in the center of the East Imperial Continent; the Battle Thearch lives just at the foot of that mountain.
“If Jiang Yi dared to head up Mystic Divine Mountain, there was a chance that the Battle Thearch would be alerted. There is also the matter of the North Thearch. Jiang Yi had annihilated five Demigods from the Wu Clan, utterly embarrassing the Wu Clan. As long as Jiang Yi’s identity is exposed, he would definitely not even have the chance of fleeing…”
“You are wrong!”
The Saint Empress put down her teacup, turned, and looked at Fifth Eldress. “It is not I who is forcing him; the day he walked out of Stellarsky Continent, his future was already preordained. He had chosen this path himself; he needs to walk to the end of it. He will either succeed or fail; this is his destiny.”
“But…”
Fifth Eldress became anxious and was about to say something else. However, the Saint Empress stopped her abruptly with a wave of her hand. “Enough. Stop talking. You guys will stay out of matters regarding Jiang Yi. If he can’t even overcome minor obstacles and impediments such as this, what right does he have to rise above the clouds?”
“Sigh…”
Fifth Eldress sighed deeply but didn’t dare to say more. She knew perfectly well that once the Saint Empress had made up her mind, no one would be able to change it. Furthermore, Jiang Yi had already left. He might already be using his Heaven Evasion to head to the East Imperial Continent. Even if she wanted to intervene, it was already too late.
Fifth Eldress left the building and walked towards the outer regions. She wanted to confirm if Jiang Yi had been teleported away. She moved quickly and soon reached the vicinity of the Teleportation Formation, but she saw a surprising sight in front of her.
“Ruoxue, what are you doing?”
The guilt in her eyes came and left in a flash. She looked at the dazed Su Ruoxue that was standing under a small tree south of the Teleportation Formation. Her face became strict as she said, “Why aren’t you cultivating?”
“Fifth Eldress, that man has left.”
Su Ruoxue’s pale face revealed some inexplicable emotions. She pointed towards the Teleportation Formation and said, “I saw the man that was just teleported away. Fifth Eldress, who exactly is he? Does he know me? Why is it I cannot remember him at all? Why does he always look at me with that expression? Why is it that when he leaves, I will feel… so terrible?”
“Silly child.”
Fifth Eldress’ fierce face relaxed, with her eyes filled with pity and empathy. She went over to hold Su Ruoxue’s hand and said, “Do not feel terrible. Listen to me. Go and cultivate earnestly. In at most three years—if he is able to return, you will know who he is by then.”
“Oh!”
Su Ruoxue softly answered and obediently went into a building far away. Her steps were light, but from her back, it felt as if she carried loneliness that could not be hidden.
“Teleported to the Saint Mountain? Furthermore, the teleportation time was not long. It seemed like the Heaven Hidden Sect had created a mystic realm that was a strange space similar to that of the Purgatory Ruin.”
After Jiang Yi was teleported out, he silently nodded as he saw Saint Mountain. His conjecture was right. The space that Heaven Hidden Sect was situated in was created using a strong mystical ability. Furthermore, it was located north of Saint Mountain. However, if he wasn’t teleported in, he might probably never find the Heaven Hidden Sect in his lifetime.
“Go!”
He looked at the Heaven Hidden Sect disciples on Saint Mountain, nodded, turned, and flew southward. Since matters in the Snow Region had come to an end, it was time to return to the East Imperial Continent. By the time he managed to reach Mystic Divine Mountain, the restrictions that Ao Lu had left behind ought to have been loosened.
He did not immediately use his Heaven Evasion. After all, there were outsiders present. He flew to a spot around ten kilometers to the south, used his divine senses to scan the surroundings, and prepared to use Heaven Evasion to leave.
“Mo Xing!”
All of a sudden—from a thousand feet east from him, the snow on the surface exploded; and a shadow shot out. A familiar voice also rang out in the surroundings.
Jiang Yi’s body trembled as his gaze looked towards the east. He saw a face full of tears. It was a young lady wearing a tight black dress. Her eyes were staring idiotically at him, her graceful body slightly trembling.
“Mo Yao’er?”
Jiang Yi shouted and bitterly closed his eyes. White light shot out from both his hands as he directly pierced the spatial zone and dived into it. At the instant that he was going to use Heaven Evasion to leave, he looked back once again at Mo Yao’er. His lips quivered as he sent a voice transmission: “Mo Yao’er, I—Jiang Yi—rarely make promises. However, once I make a promise, I will definitely live by it. Five years later, if you still cannot forget me and if I am still alive, I will not let you down!”
Swish!
Jiang Yi disappeared within the crevice. The fissures in the spatial zone also gradually vanished. All that was left was goose-feather-like snow that was dancing in the sky and a lonely figure standing on the icy ground.
