Truly high-level hunters often appear in the guise of prey.

In that instant, Wu Lingxiao felt a violent tearing sensation in her soul.

Immediately after, an immense, profound, and utterly arcane power began to awaken wildly in every part of her body. The sky above the forbidden grounds of the Great Xia Empire instantly transformed into a chaotic blur, and a majestic silver river—woven from countless scenes and fragments of time—mercilessly tore through the void, appearing beneath her feet.

One of the strongest immortal physiques across the myriad realms—the Time Dao Body—briefly awakened within Wu Lingxiao at that moment!

Before she could resist, she was pulled into that surging river of time.

Her form became ethereal and unreal, like a speck of dust that did not belong to this era, drifting against the current of the ages.

A thousand years of history flashed before her eyes in reverse, like scenes unfolding in a kaleidoscope.

“Remember, only observe.” The ice-cold voice of the Time Dao Ancestor echoed again in her mind.

Finally, the shifting lights and shadows around her began to slow and freeze.

Wu Lingxiao found herself back in the spring of the 36,000th year of the Great Xia calendar.

That was a thousand years ago.

In her original memories, during this year, she had just ascended the throne. She was full of pride and ambition, looking down upon all men as beneath her.

To display the supreme majesty of the Great Xia Empress, she had set out on that imperial tour that would change her life forever.

Now, as an intangible spirit body observing from above, Wu Lingxiao floated in midair.

She originally thought she would return to the street outside the Jiangnan tavern, to relive that fateful first meeting. But the river of time carried her to a hidden valley hundreds of miles outside Jiangnan City.

“Where is this? I never passed through this area during my imperial tour.” Wu Lingxiao was filled with shock and doubt.

Yet when she saw what lay inside the valley, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her eyes flew wide open!

In that remote, shadowy valley stood a towering ancient tree, its canopy blotting out the sun, exuding a weathered and primordial presence. Beneath it stood the man who would entangle her for a lifetime and pierce her heart with agony—Ye Xuan!

At this moment, Ye Xuan wore a spotless white robe, appearing like a fallen immortal descending to the mortal world.

He stretched lazily, shaking his body casually, and from within came the faint roar of resonance with the Dao.

His eyes no longer held that pristine innocence and confusion of old. Instead, they burned with a cold indifference, as though all creatures under heaven were mere ants.

“Reborn yet again…”

Ye Xuan twisted his neck, a playful and dangerous smirk curling at the corner of his lips. “Endless ages are so tedious. This time, I should pick a suitably difficult heartbreaker to toy with; otherwise, this new life would just be too boring.”

Hearing those words, Wu Lingxiao, floating in the void, trembled as if plunged into an icy abyss.

Reborn?

He was no innocent youth caught in the net of fate, but an ancient monster cycling through lives with his memories intact!

Just then, the rough bark of the towering ancient tree began to writhe, and a weathered human face took shape upon it.

Branches rustled, and the Old Tree spoke in a hoarse, ingratiating voice: “Venerable One, if you seek an ultimate heartbreaker to pass the time, this old slave knows a perfect candidate.”

“Oh? Do tell.” Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow.

The Old Tree let out a sly chuckle. “The newly ascended empress of the Great Xia Immortal Dynasty, Wu Lingxiao. She is a woman of fierce ambition, viewing all men as beneath her. She maintains an extensive harem and keeps countless lovers. Her heart is so cold and fickle that she could never truly give herself to anyone. What do you think of this hard bone to chew, Venerable One?”

“Wu Lingxiao?”

Ye Xuan savored the name, a glint of sharp interest flashing through his eyes, before letting out a disdainful laugh. “Not bad. I’ll take her. Matters of the heart— those are the cheapest currency of all. In the face of my One Conquest Eternal doctrine, even the vaunted sovereign’s arts are nothing but a joke. Once she falls in love, no matter how ruthless an empress, she’ll become my most loyal lapdog.”

Wu Lingxiao clamped her hand over her mouth, her face turning deathly pale, her breath seized in her throat.

Her proud majesty as an empress, her belief that she had taken a lover out of whim—all of it, in this man’s eyes, was merely a game to stave off boredom.

The Old Tree asked respectfully, “The Empress’s imperial procession is about to arrive at Jiangnan City. How does the Venerable One plan to approach her?”

Ye Xuan carelessly dusted off his sleeves. Taking his time, he produced an ordinary white horse from his storage ring and changed into a set of faded blue robes.

He hung a cheap gourd of wine from his waist, and carried an ordinary iron sword that was barely even worthy of being called a spirit weapon.

Finally, he pulled a stick of candied hawthorns from his sleeve and took a bite, deliberately leaving a smear of sugar on his lips.

The scheming, godlike figure from moments ago vanished in an instant.

In his place stood a clear-eyed youth, still hopeful and fresh out in the world.

Then, he mounted the white horse and rode wobbly toward Jiangnan City.

Standing in the void, Wu Lingxiao stared dumbfounded at everything before her, her mind reeling.

“How could this be…?” She turned to the Time Dao Ancestor within her, her voice trembling. “He’s a monster who keeps reincarnating? Then what am I? All those years by my side… was it all his scheme?”

The Time Dao Ancestor’s cold voice replied, “His origins are vaster than you can imagine. The secret arts he possesses surpass the understanding of this heavenly realm. Just when you believed you were in control, you were nothing more than a source of amusement in his endless cycles.”

Wu Lingxiao felt the world spin around her. She watched helplessly as the blue-robed youth on the white horse rode leisurely into Jiangnan City, weaving with accuracy into the very street that would welcome the Empress’s grand tour.

What followed was the scene she knew best—the one that had pierced her heart.

The magnificent, nine-dragon imperial carriage rumbled forward.

All the common folk on both sides of the street knelt in reverence.

Only the young man in blue, seated on his white horse, gnawing at his candied hawthorn, looked up straight at Wu Lingxiao behind the sheer curtain. It was those eyes—so pure that they struck the soul.

In her memories, Wu Lingxiao had always believed it was the young man’s yearning for the outside world that had moved her, that she had her high and mighty way with him, taking away his freedom.

But now, watching from her godlike vantage point, Wu Lingxiao clearly heard what Ye Xuan murmured, barely audibly, the moment their eyes met:

“Wu Lingxiao, have you ever wondered… the real master of the hunt often appears in the form of the prey?”

The next moment, golden-armored guards rushed forward like wolves and tigers.

Ye Xuan acted startled, panicked, and furious. He was pushed dramatically into the mud, humiliated as he was forcibly taken to the palace.

“Ahh…”

From within the void, Wu Lingxiao let out a shrill cry. She clawed at her own hair, and the unbreakable resolve of an empress cracked with terrifying fissures in that very instant.

“So… so I was the prey! From the very beginning, he was captured by me on purpose!”