ATLAS TRANSLATES

His body turned cold and faded away. Xing Shuishui hadn’t even properly asked his name before he died. She sat on the ground, dazed for a long time.

What a foolish person.

Later, she fought with Du Dizhu for over a hundred years, battling whenever they met. The surrounding spirit mountains trembled in fear, and no one dared mention Xue Zhuangxin’s name in their presence.

Looking back at those events now, there were many suspicious points. If Du Dizhu had really killed him, he would have announced it to the world. He wouldn’t have acted like he did back then, sometimes brazenly claiming responsibility, other times denying it.

The scene slowly faded away.

The red thread on Xing Shuishui’s wrist was almost gone, and she still couldn’t find a way to break the spell. She could only try using the Departure Fire. She summoned the flames, intending to forcefully break the Crimson Dream spell.

At least in her own dream spell, He Liansheng couldn’t see her.

But as soon as the fire touched the surroundings, her dead sister rose from the ground. Xue Zhuangxin walked toward her step by step, his wounds slowly healing.

Xing Shuishui instinctively withdrew the fire. This was fake… her sister had died long ago.

“Xue Zhuangxin” looked at her sadly: “Little Nine, are you leaving?”

Xing Shuishui said: “You’re not worthy of impersonating my sister. Stop imitating her or I’ll kill you.”

She had expected this dream spirit to say something cunning, thinking she wouldn’t dare strike. Her sister’s soul had been damaged by the Departure Fire years ago, leaving no trace even in the Book of Life and Death.

“Xue Zhuangxin” stared at her for a long time, then smiled: “Little Nine has grown up.”

In that moment, Xing Shuishui felt moved. It was so, so similar.

She pointed her blade at that face but kept stepping backward.

“Xue Zhuangxin” held Qitong, gently patting her head: “Little Nine, don’t be afraid. Sister won’t hurt you. I’ve never blamed you. All these years, I’ve only held you back. I’m happy to see you grow up so much.”

“How amazing will our Little Nine become in the future?”

“Who will be your destined one?”

“It’s a pity I won’t get to see any of this.”

Without warning, Xue Zhuangxin thrust Qitong into her own body.

Xing Shuishui’s eyes flew open.

Now she finally understood why no one had broken the Crimson Dream spell until now. It wasn’t that they couldn’t—they didn’t want to. What people could never overcome wasn’t the dream, but their own obsessions.

This was her last chance to see her sister.

She reached for Xue Zhuangxin’s hand, crying: “Sister, I’m sorry, I’m sorry I came too late.”

Xue Zhuangxin’s voice grew weaker: “Be good, Little Nine. Don’t cry. Sister has always loved you most. I won’t leave you trapped in this dream. Go now, find the person who killed me.”

“I hope… someone in reality will love you in my place.”

The Crimson Dream spell broke. Blood spread across the ground as if celebrating her victory.

Xing Shuishui crouched helplessly, crying for a long time.

The nearly vanished red thread grew toward a direction—following it might lead to reality.

There was another red thread. Probably He Liansheng’s.

She wiped the tears from her eyes.

She had to save the Earth God. She had to find her sister’s killer. To gain He Liansheng’s trust, this might be the best opportunity. People’s will was often weak within dream spells.

Xing Shuishui ran toward the other red thread.

Entering He Liansheng’s dream spell, everything around her grew cold. Xing Shuishui hugged herself, shivering.

Where was this weird place?

Looking around, Xing Shuishui realized it seemed familiar. Cultivators in flowing robes were everywhere, apparently just finished with morning lessons, carrying buns in their mouths and sacred texts under their arms, walking arm in arm toward the dormitories.

Oh, this was Lingshan.

Hadn’t He Liansheng said cultivators didn’t eat mortal food, only fasting pills? What was this about?

Xing Shuishui crouched and watched for a long time. She saw Li Guanyu and Li Guanxing but couldn’t find He Liansheng, which seemed strange.

It started drizzling, so she borrowed an umbrella from a disciple.

She heard people discussing.

“Have you heard? The Mountain Master’s personal disciple is being punished.”

“Where?”

“At Fanheart Cliff.”

“Fanheart Cliff!” The speaker looked shocked.

Xing Shuishui couldn’t forget Fanheart Cliff. In her previous life, she had knelt there for three days and nights, begging Lingshan for a technique to communicate between the living and dead worlds for her sister’s sake. Those dogs had broken their promise.

The pain of those three days and nights at Fanheart Cliff was unforgettable.

“Fanheart Cliff! What did Senior Brother He do to deserve such punishment?”

Xing Shuishui listened carefully.

“Senior Brother He wanted to cultivate the Path of No Emotions. But the Mountain Master forbade it, and they had a huge argument. The Mountain Master got angry and punished him at Fanheart Cliff. Sigh, it’s already been seven days.”

Another person said sympathetically: “Even Xue Jiuling, the Lord of Departure Fire, was seriously injured after three days at Fanheart Cliff. Senior Brother He is probably in grave danger. Someone should try to persuade him. Or persuade the Mountain Master.”

Xing Shuishui was startled to hear her own name.

Did the whole of Lingshan know about this?

How long had she been dead by then!

A young disciple asked curiously: “Why won’t the Mountain Master let Senior Brother He cultivate the Path of No Emotions? Isn’t it good for cultivators to eliminate distracting thoughts and emotions? Other sects allow it.”

The disciple replied gravely: “Don’t speak rashly. Lingshan’s principles are great love, great righteousness, compassion, and protecting the Way.”

“The Path of No Emotions violates sect rules.”

Xing Shuishui felt contemptuous. Lingshan had done as many despicable things as Du Dizhu. Du Dizhu didn’t even pretend to have great love, but they were already claiming it. Such hypocrisy.

But contempt aside.

She walked to Fanheart Cliff with her umbrella, seeing the young man pierced by iron chains, his white clothes stained with blood, looking very thin in the rain.

Actually, from their first meeting, she had thought He Liansheng—someone so cold without a trace of warmth—would be quite suited to the Path of No Emotions. She had initially thought he didn’t want to cultivate it, but now she saw he had tried once before but failed, and was punished by his own master.

He sensed her as soon as she stepped in.

The young man looked at her coldly. She deliberately kept her distance as they gazed at each other in the rain.

“Xing Shuishui?”

Hearing him say her name, Xing Shuishui felt relieved. Being able to say her name meant this was undoubtedly the real He Liansheng.

She stayed far away, afraid he would grab her.

“He Liansheng, how do we get out? This place is strange.”

He Liansheng narrowed his eyes: “How did you break in? Did you break the Crimson Dream spell all by yourself?”

Xing Shuishui knew he was suspicious, so she played dumb: “Is that what this is called? I thought it was what you cultivators call an illusion spell.”

The young man looked at her foolish appearance, not quite believing.

Xing Shuishui explained: “After I woke up, I saw my long-dead parents. They were very kind to me, like in a dream, but many details felt creepy. During an argument, I accidentally knocked over a candle. Then this dream spell seemed to break. Then… I saw a red thread and thought following it would lead back to reality. I didn’t expect to end up here with you.”

She asked again: “He Liansheng, how do we get out? Are you okay?”

He Liansheng laughed coldly: “How to get out?”

“We break this dream spell, of course.”

“The Crimson Dream realm is born from obsession, and solutions vary unpredictably. It wants me to follow its rules, but I refuse. Others don’t dare to break it, but I do.”

Xing Shuishui looked at the bloody chains on his body: “We need to get out of here first. You don’t look good. How many days has your master punished you?”

He Liansheng said: “Ten days.”

Xing Shuishui: “…”

Fanheart Cliff was covered in ancient formations that only the Mountain Master could unlock. Being confined in such formations was pure torture. That old fraud was quite cruel.

Seven days had passed, and He Liansheng still refused to admit his mistake. He was in bad shape—why couldn’t he just make things easier on himself?

Xing Shuishui suggested: “Why don’t you just apologize?”

He Liansheng snapped fiercely: “Can you shut up?”

So he was going to stubbornly endure it.

She wasn’t actually worried about getting out. Because the Book of Life and Death said He Liansheng would eventually die from his beloved’s backstab, not in the Crimson Dream spell. With his talent, he could definitely force his way out of the dream spell after leaving Fanheart Cliff. She just didn’t know if they had enough time, and what the situation was like outside.

But Fanheart Cliff… she had knelt here in her previous life. She knew how it felt.

Xing Shuishui lowered her eyes, looking at the young man’s blood-soaked clothes. Even though this was within a dream spell, it was still shocking.

He Liansheng had thought she would leave after hearing this, returning three days later.

But Xing Shuishui only paused briefly, then walked toward him without hesitation, tilting her umbrella slightly to shield him from the rain.

Heavy rain fell, but this spot was peaceful. Only the sound of spring rain could be heard.

He Liansheng, in his wretched state, suddenly looked at her, not understanding.

Xing Shuishui said: “I thought about it. If I left alone, you might be very lonely. When I was young, I made a mistake and was locked in a dark place for a long time. I kept thinking, if only someone could stay with me. So I won’t leave.”

And those three days kneeling at Fanheart Cliff. It had been so lonely.

She had also thought, if only someone could stay with her. They didn’t need to speak, just listen to her talk.

Listen to her talk about what happened from Yin Mountain to Luodan Country, listen to why she hated the name Xue Jiuling.

Why she was kneeling here suffering, why she was always crying.

But she knew no one was listening, so she kept mumbling to herself, relying on this to get through those difficult three days at Fanheart Cliff.

So she understood He Liansheng’s true thoughts now.

It wasn’t about the Path of No Emotions, or apologizing to his master, or continuing to endure stubbornly. He just wanted someone to offer him an umbrella in the fine rain on the cliff, tilting it slightly.

Shield him from three days of wretchedness.

The Fanheart Formation was a good formation—it wouldn’t harm innocent people. She didn’t leave Fanheart Cliff but stayed with He Liansheng for the final three days. On the last day, the iron chains binding the young man disappeared automatically.

He Liansheng raised his hand to grasp the Taoyuan Sword, spinning it in several flourishes, forcefully blasting open a hole in this dream spell’s sky.

The sky collapsed, mountains and rivers turned upside down.

The Crimson Dream spell broke.