Chapter 2055: Dusty Fate Ends, Awakening from a Dream

He Lingchuan was a little surprised: "Why do you say that?"Qingyang stared at him. It was her turn to ask questions.

This was also a good question, and He Lingchuan thought carefully before replying, "No."

Qingyang meticulously studied his facial expressions: "Why did you hesitate so long? Have you seen her in the Grand Cauldron?"Liu Qingdao and Xutuo, standing nearby, exchanged glances. The old woman was on the verge of death, yet her mind remained so sharp.

"Yes, I have," He Lingchuan sighed, "but that was..."He had intended to say it was "history," but the world of Panlong within the Grand Cauldron had clearly been altered, differing significantly from true history. Could altered history still be called history? So what exactly was Panlong City within the Grand Cauldron? What were its soldiers and citizens? And what about General Hong?He could only say, "If you're not in the mortal world, you're not truly alive."

The remark was out of context, yet Qingyang scoffed softly: "Indeed, Zhong Shengguang and General Hong were up to something before Panlong City's downfall."Begiia had destroyed Panlong City, but not completely, leaving a lingering root of disaster that, over 150 years later, blossomed into a catastrophe like He Xiao.

"I knew it," she murmured. "From the moment the Grand Cauldron and the ruins of Panlong City became intertwined, I knew things weren't simple."

"I also know you intend to retrace the old paths of Yuanguo and Panlong City." She looked at He Lingchuan, blood trickling from her forehead down to her eyelids, which she made no effort to wipe away. "I hope that one day... you'll understand that your true enemy might only be the Sky Gods."

"Oh?" He Lingchuan was genuinely surprised. "I thought you'd argue with me, like Bai Ziqian, that the Sky Devils are destined to win."He understood the unspoken meaning: Qingyang's words implied she believed he had a good chance of winning, and not a low one at that! That's why she wanted to secure a possibility for Begia.

"I've never been concerned with the Sky Gods," Qingyang's face began to whiten and develop spots, though she herself was unaware, she merely smiled. "Bai Ziqian is from the Heavenly Palace; he has intelligence but lacks wisdom, unable to escape those confinements. He's also still young and can't see through the true nature of these wars."Compared to her age, Bai Ziqian was indeed young.Xutuo, nearby, was still bewildered, but Liu Qingdao was eager to know what exactly she had seen through.

This was the first enemy who believed in him, and He Lingchuan felt a touch of melancholy.

"In that case, show me some sincerity first. One day in the future, I might just remember your words today." He said gravely, "Begiia doesn't want the Sky Devils to descend upon the human world, does it? Besides the Grand Cauldron, what other methods do they plan to use to descend?"

"To my knowledge, it's Ge Beasts and demon puppets," Qingyang's speech grew more labored. "Haven't you already figured that out?""How far has the research progressed?""At several sites on Flash Gold Plains, including Honglu, the demon puppets can already mimic human form, but they are extremely unstable," Qingyang stated. "Moreover, as you know, divine descent has prerequisites."He Lingchuan knew this, of course: "Consent from the vessel for divine descent is required.""If the demon puppets' minds are chaotic, they cannot verbally consent," Qingyang whispered. "That's the value of your companion, Dong Rui!"A curse drifted from a short distance away.

"But the Sky Gods' experimental sites aren't limited to Flash Gold Plains. I've been away from Begia for some time, so I don't know the progress in other regions," Qingyang said truthfully. "Now, it's my turn. I want to ask you why you can use elemental energy 'independently'? Was it specially granted to you by the Grand Cauldron?"She emphasized the word "independently." If she couldn't figure out why He Xiao possessed portable elemental energy, she truly wouldn't rest in peace.

"You're on the verge of death, and this is what you're concerned about?"He Lingchuan actually admired her a little. It's said that a dying bird's cries are mournful. Yet, even facing death, Qingyang's concerns remained these matters of state, secrets, Begia, and him. Had she already disregarded life and death?

"Rules are rules; even the Grand Cauldron must abide by the rules of elemental energy," He Lingchuan shook his head. "There's no such thing as a special grant."The Grand Cauldron couldn't directly give him elemental energy. Any elemental energy he possessed was accumulated through his own struggles, little by little, within the Great Wind Army and the Tigerwing Army.This answer certainly didn't satisfy Qingyang: "Is that so? Then where are the armies that allow you to possess elemental energy?"

He Lingchuan gently tapped his chest: "That, I cannot disclose, I'm afraid."

Qingyang's face was deathly pale, her gaze slightly lowered, when she suddenly noticed her hair had turned completely white! A sudden weariness washed over her; she no longer wished to ask questions, only reaching up to touch her face.

He Lingchuan watched her, sighing inwardly.

From the expressions on the faces of those around her, Qingyang understood that she had aged! What she couldn't escape had finally arrived. She had previously used a secret art to regain her youth, and now the backlash of that spell was upon her; before her death, she would grow even older! For two hundred years, she had been graceful and dignified, but now...

Qingyang lowered her hand and gave a self-mocking smile.

He Lingchuan shook his head: "Why this attack again? You could have easily fled far away."Bai Tan's family and future were tied to Yao State, so he couldn't leave. But Flash Gold Plains wasn't Qingyang's origin; she could have simply brushed her sleeves and departed without a single care. Seeing that the tide had turned, why didn't she flee? Why did she have to stake everything she had on a final, desperate struggle with He Lingchuan?

"Who am I!" Qingyang laughed. Her laughter, due to her ruptured lung, inevitably sounded somewhat sharp. "How could I end my life like those decrepit old women, lingering on a sickbed and dying ordinarily?"She was Qingyang! She was the Northern Demon Nation's most powerful Grand Tutor, upholding the splendor of its empire! She was the highly esteemed Master of the Azure Palace, the Emperor's most trusted arm and confidante! Her life had been so vibrant and colorful; how could she die like a mere mortal at her last moment?

He Lingchuan could only say, "Truly worthy of Qingyang."Stubborn until death, proud until death.

Qingyang, with a sweep of her finger, took a flute from her storage ring and handed it to He Lingchuan:"Didn't you want this? Take it."Her hand was shaking violently, as if the flute weighed a thousand pounds.The flute was jade white with nodes and two bright red rings.The Heavenly Centipede Bone Flute!Five or six years ago, when she pursued He Lingchuan in the Heavenly Palace Ruins Mountains, he had asked her where she got the flute in her hand. Since He Lingchuan still harbored thoughts about a question from five or six years ago, he must still want this flute.

He Lingchuan took the flute, stepped forward, and leaned down to ask her, "In your eyes, who will ultimately win, me or Begia?"

Blood flowed into Qingyang's eyes, her vision turned crimson, and all sounds faded away.The sky was red, the branches and leaves were red, and the person before her was also red.Red armor, a red helmet, a blood-red long saber—it was as if that agile figure, fighting to the last moment, was frozen deep in her memory!

"Hong..."The former her, and later He Xiao. Alas, why couldn't a vast Begia produce such a figure?An indescribable wave of fatigue swept over her, interrupting Qingyang's murmur.

It's said that before death, one's past flashes before their eyes like a rapidly revolving lantern. But she didn't experience that, despite her life having been tumultuous and grand. She merely returned to the familiar palace walls, reaching out to pluck a Borneo camphor flower and place it in her hair. At that moment, a large head suddenly emerged from behind the high wall.The wind that day was truly fragrant.This was the beginning of her legendary life.

Qingyang's expression finally relaxed, and a faint smile touched her lips.Her worldly ties were severed; it was time to awaken from her dream.Two hundred years of romance and fleeting beauty, gone, all gone.