“MASTER!” Huo Shuang, Mu Renshu and Shui Bolin exclaimed in unison. The three had never been this excited in years! They wanted nothing more than to fly down and grab the jade-faced youth that was fleeing to safety. 

After defeating the enemy, the jade-faced youth didn’t waste time. She immediately left the scene and started looking for a suitable place to quietly consolidate her newly acquired strength.

“We’re leaving!” Jin Bai ordered. This time, the frost dragon did not ignore Jin Bai’s command and resumed its flight towards the Imperial City of Wuxing.

“Eldest brother, why aren’t we taking Master with us?” Huo Shuang asked, aggravated. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to go to where Master was! “Master will probably participate in the Conclave of Immortals. We could travel together. Even if Master doesn’t take part in the tournament or go to the Imperial Capital, we could still take her and...”

“If she cannot muster enough strength to compete and obtain the championship, what’s the point of taking her back to San Yuan Palace?” Jin Bai snapped irritably.

Jin Bai’s mind was in chaos. The serene smile she afforded them was momentary and fleeting but it revealed a deep meaning. Only a sliver of her soul was awakened from the recent breakthrough. Even if the four of them prostrate themselves before her, passionately reveal to her who she was and who they were, the woman would not have any recollection of them!

“We can’t leave her!” Huo Shuang cried out angrily. She was gravely upset and was staring at Jin Bai as if he was a venomous traitor who was set upon betraying their Master.

But Jin Bai had no time to care for Huo Shuang and her hurt feelings. None of them understood the torment he was going through and the pain he had to suffer. 

Yes, the four of them waited for centuries for Master to be reborn. All of them longed, for countless years, to be reunited with her. But for him, that longing was overshadowed with worry and fear. Worry for her safety and fear for her life.

Their esteemed Master once stood at the pinnacle of strength. Back then, no one could match her. But even then, even with all her knowledge and strength, Master fell from her pedestal, failed to conquer the demons that plagued her and eventually died. What about now? It is a blessing that Master is finally reincarnated. But with her current strength, forget about old enemies, even a regular Celestial Immortal could instantly kill her!

Jin Bai used to be Master’s most trusted guardian. He was her longest follower, the first guardian she selected. Jin Bai was a silent witness to Master’s rise to power and evident fall from grace. What was he supposed to do? Drag her back to San Yuan palace, confine and guard her for the rest of her life and hope for the best? With her current strength there is no other alternative but to keep her away and wait until she grows stronger. But with a soul like hers, this is tantamount to imprisoning her! No, he would not do that. He cannot. Not to her...

If in this life their esteemed Master cannot reach or surpass her former self, then it’s kinder to let her remain ignorant of the past. It’s better to allow her to live her life away from them and never tread the path she once failed to traverse.

As Master’s guardians, the four of them could protect her from afar. They could guard her in secret and she would never know of their existence. They would toil for her in the shadows, ensuring that she would live in peace and security. This small sacrifice would secure their Master’s survival and her peaceful life would be preserved for many years to come.

Huo Shuang, though, was not resigned. She could understand Jin Bai’s worries but she felt that Master would be better protected if she was with them. Huo Shuang was about to argue with Jin Bai but Mu Renshu wordlessly blocked her path.

“You should know, among us, eldest brother is the one who wants Master back most.” Mu Renshu softly said as he stared straight at Huo Shuang’s reddened eyes. His calm and unfathomable look was enough to sober up Huo Shuang. She silently turned and stared at Jin Bai’s broad back.

Jin Bai always carried himself with pride and confidence. Even when his aura was purposely withdrawn, his strength was unparalleled and could not be masked. But at that moment, as he stood alone staring at the horizon, Jin Bai’s back looked desolate. He appeared a little fragile and somewhat lost.

“Eldest brother…” Huo Shuang called out weakly. But Jin Bai did not stir from his deep contemplation.

How could any of them forget? Jin Bai was the first to fall during that perilous battle thousands of years ago. He gave up his life, without a second thought, in order to save Master. Jin Bai was their master’s first follower and she regarded him as her right hand man. And when Jin Bai fell in the battlefield after saving her life, Master completely broke down.

Zhou Xue Xian was unaware of the chaos her existence had wrought on the four souls who had been waiting for her to be reborn. She was ignorant as to how much their hearts were shaken by the mere thought and vision of her.

After defeating Song Ye, Zhou Xue Xian fled the scene and searched for a secluded place where she could meditate. Her recent breakthrough deepened her insight and brought her closer to understanding the mysteries of the Dao. It brought incalculable benefits, one being the knowledge of her soul avatar and how to summon it.

The nameless grass that was thought to be powerless and useless was called Ancient Battle Spirit.

The Ancient Battle Spirit feeds on the natural energy of heaven and earth. It manifests only when both the mind and heart are clear of doubts. When the soul has the intense desire to battle and survive. No one knew about its existence or heard of it before because it’s one of its kind. 

Unlike most soul avatars, Zhou Xue Xian’s Ancient Battle Spirit does not communicate with her with words and cannot manifest a corporeal body. That rarity of her soul avatar stems from its effect in her heightening her martial prowess and developing spiritual sense. The Ancient Battle Spirit connects with Zhou Xue Xian on a deeper, more divine level, that allows her to step into a plane entirely her own.

Zhou Xue Xian meditated within the mountain range for over a month in order to familiarize herself with the soul avatar. Now that she knew what it was and what it could do, she thought it best to properly assimilate its strength with her own in order to avoid future complications. And only after consolidating and stabilizing her cultivation did Zhou Xue Xian continue her journey towards the Imperial Capital of Wuxing. 

The Conclave of Immortals is about to commence and Zhou Xue Xian was not going to miss it.