Seeing the domain lord's confusion, Qiu Yuanxi explained, "Domain Lord, Little Luo'er came to see me before heading to Xianning City. We spoke, and although she didn't say it directly, her words and actions told me she couldn't return. She would die in Xianning City!"
"Si Yao, since you knew, why didn't you try to dissuade her? Aren't you old friends?" The domain lord was even more perplexed. If Ling Luo'er came to tell Qiu Yuanxi, she must have known she wouldn't return if she went beyond the domain. As a friend, why didn't Qiu Yuanxi try to persuade her?
"Domain Lord, could I have persuaded her?"
The domain lord was momentarily speechless. He knew very well that Ling Luo'er's decisions were unchangeable by anyone, not even the Demon Emperor.
"Then you just watched her go to her death?"
"Domain Lord, if my management of the human realm is inferior to yours, then in understanding Little Luo'er, you are inferior to me," Qiu Yuanxi said. "Little Luo'er appears gentle, but in reality, she is a mad gambler. Even if she hadn't gone beyond the domain, she wouldn't have lived for more than a year. After a year, she would still die, her soul scattered, with no chance of reincarnation!"
The domain lord was stunned. After a long while, he came to his senses and stated with certainty, "This seat understands. If she remained within the domain, she would only walk towards death step by step, and still be unable to reincarnate. Going beyond the domain might offer a sliver of hope. She is gambling not for this life, but for the chance of reincarnation."
However, amidst the domain lord's affirmation, Qiu Yuanxi shook her head and said, "Domain Lord, I have known her for so many years, and I have never once guessed her gamble correctly, but I believe she will win."
"Si Yao, since you believe she can win, why are you shedding tears for her death?"
Hearing this, Qiu Yuanxi reached up and touched her eyes. Bright teardrops clung to her eyelashes. Feeling the dampness on her hand, Qiu Yuanxi said, "Domain Lord, I am not crying because of her death, but because I know that no matter the outcome, I may never see her again.
Domain Lord, you know, I knew her before she was chosen as the Saintess of War. We were friends for three years, but she was suddenly chosen. She didn't know what the Saintess of War represented then, but I did. I knew she would eventually die protecting the human realm, and I had already prepared myself for her sacrifice.
I don't know when that day would come, but every time I thought of the deaths of the previous Saintesses of War, I wished she hadn't been chosen. Although she would lose her status in the human realm, at least she could be alive now."
Although the domain lord was angered by Qiu Yuanxi's words, he agreed with her in his heart.
If she had been chosen by another Primordial, it would have been acceptable. But she was chosen by the Primordial of War. The Saintess of War represented the fighting strength of the human race, always at the forefront of every battle, always accepting every mission without hesitation, with no right to refuse.
The domain lord had a daughter who was a Saintess of War five thousand years ago. She served for two hundred years and finally died while covering the retreat of the wounded during an ambush by extraterrestrial demons. She was literally drained of all her spiritual energy, lifespan, vitality, flesh, blood, and soul by the extraterrestrial demons, leaving no body behind, which was also devoured. She died before reaching a thousand years of age, unmarried and without descendants.
The most painful point for the domain lord was that he witnessed it firsthand. But to protect others, he couldn't save his daughter, only watch her being devoured by countless extraterrestrial demons.
The domain lord could not forget that scene. It wasn't until he met Ling Luo'er that he saw her resemblance to his daughter, with five parts similarity. She also had the same tear mole at the corner of her right eye. The domain lord treated her as his daughter's reincarnation, even though he knew his daughter would not reincarnate.
Seeing the domain lord's dazed expression, Qiu Yuanxi knew he was thinking of his daughter again. She sighed and said, "Domain Lord, can we agree not to speak of our conversation today?"
The domain lord nodded in agreement.
"By the way, this seat has thought about it and decided it's best to give this to you," the domain lord said, handing the carefully kept bracelet of Ling Luo'er to Qiu Yuanxi. "This is something left by the Saint of War. This seat saw her wearing it all the time, so she must have liked it very much. Originally, it should have been returned to her family, but thinking you might want a memento, I'm giving it to you. As for how you handle it later, Si Yao, the decision is yours."
"Yes," Qiu Yuanxi accepted. "I'll escort the Domain Lord."
The domain lord left dejectedly. He had almost emerged from the shadow of losing his daughter, but seeing Ling Luo'er's death and hearing Qiu Yuanxi's words today reminded him of his daughter again. If she hadn't been the Saintess of War, would she still be by his side now?
Qiu Yuanxi looked at the bracelet in her hand. Ling Luo'er had once told her its origin, especially the bone jade on it. She knew someone would come to claim it in a few days.
Neither Qiu Yuanxi nor the domain lord knew that while they were speaking, Ling Luo'er's consciousness was nearby, listening to their conversation clearly and seeing their expressions perfectly.
Watching Qiu Yuanxi cry uncontrollably while looking at her bracelet after the domain lord left, Ling Luo'er floated a few steps closer and heard her words clearly.
"Damn Little Luo'er, can you actually win this gamble? Will I ever see you again? If you reincarnate, will the you in the next life still be human? Will I even live to see you reincarnate?"
Ling Luo'er was quite happy hearing the first few sentences, but her expression turned to a black line upon hearing the latter two.
Ling Luo'er raised her hand and patted Qiu Yuanxi's shoulder. She was only a consciousness now, and Qiu Yuanxi couldn't detect her. However, after her hand touched her, Qiu Yuanxi cried even harder.
Ling Luo'er patted her gently for a while, then her consciousness drifted away. When she could see clearly again, she was already in the small world. The small world was as vibrant as when she left, and everything was steadily progressing in the best direction. She also saw many new faces, likely the wives of some disciples. She didn't concern herself with these matters, leaving all decisions to Ling Huayu.
Ling Luo'er wandered in the small world and saw the people she wanted to see. They were all doing well. Ling Luochen was working very hard, Ling Luoxian was also very diligent, and the others were no less.
Before leaving, Qiu Yuanxi took Ling Luofu as her disciple. While patrolling the lower realms, Ling Luo'er gave Qiu Yuanxi some talismans that allowed temporary entry into the small world. Qiu Yuanxi often entered the small world to teach, and Ling Luofu was also very promising, now being a sixth-grade mortal realm alchemist.
Seeing this, Ling Luo'er was very satisfied. Her consciousness drifted further away, so she didn't see Ling Luochen looking in her direction with confusion.
Ling Luo'er's consciousness saw the people she wanted to see. The small sect established by Wen Zonglin and several old ancestors was taking shape. Moreover, there were some older disciples in the sect, likely from their original sects on the Ancient Spirit Continent.
Ling Luo'er's consciousness finally saw that person. He stood on a mountain peak, eagerly sensing the aura of this place, trying to find a trace of hers amidst the chaotic energies, but unfortunately, he couldn't.
Gu Yuncheng suddenly felt a pair of eyes staring at him, and he turned around abruptly, seeing nothing.
He seemed to sense Luo Luo's gaze. Was it an illusion?
Ling Luo'er was satisfied to see Gu Yuncheng turn around. She floated a few steps closer, wanting to touch him. But just as she was about to touch him, her vision went black, and she lost all consciousness.
Gu Yuncheng looked around several times, but couldn't find the person he wanted to see. Even that familiar feeling was gone.
Gu Yuncheng felt an unspeakable disappointment.