The Last Hour

At this moment, Yi Feng had circled back to the Nine Realms once again.

The wind rustled through the branches, whispering softly. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the uneven ground, lazy and fragmented.

Such an afternoon should have been tranquil, with the wind and sunlight exuding a sense of idle silence.

However...

The wind and sunlight now carried laughter and joy.

Sweet nothings drifted on the breeze, and the playful banter of lovers was enough to make one cringe.

Yi Feng looked around in bewilderment.

How long had he been away from the Nine Realms? It felt like an entirely new world had taken its place.

Just then, a couple walked past him hand in hand.

One held a piece of pastry in their mouth, playfully offering it to the other.

"Ugh, I’ve already achieved fasting!" the woman cooed, feigning shyness as she lightly swatted the man.

"Fasting or not, this pastry is filled with my love for you," the man mumbled around the treat, grinning as he leaned in again.

Blushing, the woman parted her lips to accept it.

Yi Feng tucked his hands into his sleeves, watching the pair pass by mere inches away. He swallowed hard, then rolled his eyes and turned his gaze elsewhere.

No sooner had he looked away than he spotted another couple—two white-haired elders—hobbling after each other with canes, flirting and teasing like youngsters.

Yi Feng quickly sidestepped to avoid them.

They looked like they might collapse any second.

Better not get tangled up in that...

His scalp prickled with secondhand embarrassment.

Everywhere he looked, couples were lost in their own worlds—whispering sweet nothings upstairs, embracing downstairs, bantering in the streets...

Yi Feng shuddered and quickened his pace to escape.

Had the Nine Realms turned into some kind of pleasure district?

But right now, he had no time to dwell on that. His priority was finding the legendary sage, the White Emperor.

Yet after asking around, he couldn’t uncover any leads on the White Emperor’s whereabouts.

Of course.

A revered sage like her surely had countless opportunists seeking her favor. She wouldn’t just reveal her location so easily.

Conventional methods wouldn’t cut it.

He needed something... unconventional.

Something a bit more... unscrupulous.

For instance, could he locate the White Emperor’s ancestral grave and dig it up?

Or, like how he’d kidnapped Piaomiao Hong, could he track down the White Emperor’s family and take them hostage?

That way, he wouldn’t even need to seek her out—she’d come charging straight to him.

Sure, it was a bit underhanded, but once he achieved immortality, he could always make it up to her later.

Yi Feng mentally patted himself on the back for his brilliance.

...

Speaking of Piaomiao Hong...

According to her fate’s calculation, her death was due in just three days.

With only three days left to live, waiting for death in this burial ground of swords would fill any normal person with endless dread.

But Piaomiao Hong had watched countless clansmen walk this path since childhood. She had long since made peace with it.

Though she still felt reluctance and longing, this was simply the fate of the Piao family.

Since she couldn’t resist, she might as well face it with calm acceptance.

Time passed swiftly.

In the blink of an eye, the day of her predestined demise arrived.

Piaomiao Hong glanced around at the skeletal remains of her ancestors.

Her time had finally come.

Yet while fate decreed she would die on this day due to the curse, the exact hour remained unknown.

It could strike at any moment.

When the curse’s power erupted, she would become just another set of bones in this sword-filled grave.

Two hours passed.

Piaomiao Hong continued to wait.

Another two hours slipped by.

Still, the curse did not manifest.

Hour after hour, she waited.

Until at last...

The final hour of the day arrived.