Zhao Tailai and Princess Jingxuan were waiting patiently in a hall of the Rune Department. There was no need to guess to know that their visit was related to the crafting of the Nine Dragons Cauldron.

Lin Xun had already agreed to make the rune armament, so he had to come out to see them.

It was just that when he just arrived in the hall, an unexpected influential figure also came in and startled him.

Zhao Tailai and Zhao Jingxuan were also taken aback and hurriedly rose to their feet and bowed respectfully.

The mans face was thin, and his bearing was ordinary. He was like a wild crane wandering the clouds, detached from the world of mortals.

Naturally, he was the principal of Qinglu Academy!

Lin Xun didnt expect that such a mysterious and legendary figure would come to find him.

Can you two give me a minute? I have a little matter to resolve with Lin Xun, the principal said quietly, but there was strong persuasive power in his tone.

Even if Lin Xun was perplexed, he wouldnt refuse so he left the hall with the principal.

Even the principal personally came to speak to him. It seems like the kid is more important than I thought Zhao Tailai sighed.

Ninth Uncle, do you know how far the principal has reached in his cultivation? Zhao Jingxuan asked softly.

She was dressed in her usual purple robe and looked as elegant, gentle, and confident as always.

After a long thought, Zhao Tailai spat out a sentence, As great and unfathomable as an abyss.

Zhao Jingxuan raised her brows and trembled inwardly.

Shua!

The principal led the way in front and as he took one step, Lin Xun felt like stars were changing positions before him and he was shuttling through a time portal.

By the time his vision was restored, he was standing before a beautiful and lush green hill cloaked in mist. A river flowed through the green foliage and beside it was a simple straw hut that could at most provide temporary shelter from the wind and rain.

Lin Xun stared blankly at the scenery and suddenly blurted out, Elder, was that the teleportation art?

It was too unbelievable.

He had been in the Rune Department, but in a split second he was now standing among a group of tranquil hills and seemed to be isolated from the world.

With the flick of a finger, he had arrived in another world. It was no different from the legendary teleportation art.

Its just a little technique and only a little superficial knowledge of the secret of the teleportation art. You will touch upon this art when you step into the Cyclic Derivation Stage, the principal replied casually and then pointed to the straw hut by the river. Someone is waiting for you there.

Only then did Lin Xun realize that it wasnt the principal who summoned him, but someone else!

Who could it be?

Lin Xun stepped towards the hut.

The straw hut was simple, but it was peaceful and beautiful among the mist-covered rolling hills.

Lin Xun came to a stop before the straw hut and said in a low voice, I am Lin Xun. I pay my respects to elder.

Come in. You dont need to be so polite, a kind voice responded from inside.

Quivering inwardly, Lin Xun pushed open the door and, as he had thought, saw a familiar figure!

It was an old man in formal attire. His hair looked like strands of silver, and his back was spear-straight. Even if he was cross-legged on a mat, he was sitting upright and had impeccable manners.

The old man who always accompanied the Queen of the Dark Night was here!

Elder, its you? Lin Xun exclaimed.

He had heard that the Queen of the Dark Night was going to challenge the first tribulation of immortality and so she had left with the Black Glory Sacred Hall to avoid enemies ruining her chances of success.

He thought that he wouldnt see the old man for a long while. Who would have thought that he would appear in Qinglu Academy!?

Take a seat. I dont have much time. I am only an apparition and will disappear soon, the old man said with a smile as gentle and kind as always.

Lin Xun nodded and sat down cross-legged opposite them. Only then did he sense the old mans aura was indeed different from usual. It was a little illusory and untraceable.

Is this a doppelgnger formed from ones own will?

Lin Xun quivered inwardly. What kind of terrifying cultivation must one possess to learn such an amazing ability?

You may have heard that Miss has left the Ziyao Empire a while ago and traveled to a mysterious place to challenge the first tribulation of immortality. The old man quickly got to the point. As he had said, he didnt have much time before the apparition of will would disappear.

Unfortunately, she failed in the end. She didnt fail to the heavens nor to herself but to the enemy! The old man sighed, his voice filled with bitterness.

Lin Xuns expression dramatically changed. The first tribulation of immortality ended in failure?

Does that mean the mysterious Queen of the Dark Night is

Miss isnt dead, the old man suddenly said.

Because Miss was already in a perilous situation before the real immortality tribulation descended, she fled using the Golden Shedding Cicada Art . Luckily, she survived, but she will be unconscious for a long period of time.

Lin Xun breathed a sigh of relief while the image of the Dark Night Queen appeared in his mind.

She was an incomparably graceful woman. Her long hair was always rolled up in a high bun and secured with a black wooden phoenix hairpin. She looked very young and had soft and fair skin, but her piercing blue eyes were always filled with superior indifference.

What left the deepest impression on Lin Xun was the black gemstone ring she wore on her right pinky. The ring was shaped like an opened eye and seemed capable of harvesting all souls like a devil from hell.

Undeniably, she was a traditional, elegant and beautiful woman who radiated a majesty unique to superiors.

No one had ever seen her true appearance because she was like a shadow always bathed in darkness. The darkness seemed capable of drowning everything in the world!

Even though Lin Xun didnt have much interest toward the Dark Night Queen, he had to admit that she was too unique and powerful. He could remember every little detail about her!

Her enemies had actually managed to disrupt a mysterious queen like her and ruined her chances of passing the immortality tribulation. The news would plunge the entire world into a state of shock if it spread.

Suddenly, while thoughts were racing across Lin Xuns mind, a wave of energy snapped him out of his thoughts. Without him knowing, the old man had brought out a black jade stone around ten feet tall.

At first glance, it looked like a coffin. It was as dark as night and was covered with wisps of ice-cold aura.

However, that wasnt the most important thing because Lin Xuns eyes were drawn to the inside of the black jade.

There was a little girl inside. She was dressed a black cloak that covered most of her face and only a small part of her slender and fair chin peeped out.

Her hands were folded in a strange hand seal above her lower abdomen as she lay there peacefully like she was in deep slumber.

Xia Zhi!

Lin Xun trembled and his pupils enlarged. He never thought that he would meet Xia Zhi again in such a way!

It had almost been three years since the Queen of the Dark Night took the little girl away.

Ever since then, she seemed to have vanished from the world.

Now that they were reunited.she was sealed in a piece of black jade!

What happened?

Could something have happened to her?

All of a sudden, Lin Xuns heart churned turbulently and he became agitated. Elder, whats going on?

Shes fine. Shes just undergoing transformation, the old man softly explained.

Transformation?

Yes, transformation.

The old man calmly reassured him, Xia Zhi has inherited the mantle of Miss. Since entering the Castle of Darkness, she has started to practice the Nine Cycles of Obliteration. With every awakening of power will be accompanied by a cycle of death-like obliteration, resulting in a transformation similar to reincarnation.

Not long ago, Xia Zhi reached the Cyclic Derivation Stage and began her first reincarnation. All her cultivated power was transformed into a sort of secret power, which made her body, bones and talents undergo transformations.

However, when she awakens, she will embark on a new cultivation path. In other words, her cultivation base and knowledge before obliteration-reincarnation will no longer exist. It will be turned into hidden power and become her cultivation foundation.

Lin Xun shuddered. What kind of art is that? Why is it so abnormal?!

One cycle of obliteration would sever and eliminate all her previous skills and abilities, and she would have to restart her cultivation again. Lin Xun couldnt believe such a mysterious art existed in the world.

Before this obliteration, Xia Zhi said that she must train by your side after the transformation. Otherwise, she would rather fall into eternal obliteration, the old man said with a complicated expression.

Lin Xun felt an indescribable warmth and guilt in his heart. The little girl has always been thinking about me.

But Lin Xun was a little puzzled and asked, She...why would she do that?

Because every obliteration not only severs and eliminates ones skill, abilities and cultivation, but the person also loses the memory of the past. She...is afraid of forgetting you, the old man finally stated the true reason.

Lin Xuns pupils suddenly shrank. Lose her memory!

Lin Xun felt heart-wrenching pain at the thought that Xia Zhi would no longer remember him or the past.

What kind of ridiculous art is that?!

It might be unbelievable and give heaven-defying powers, but it also made people lose their memories with every obliteration. How cruel was that?

Lin Xuns face clouded over. If he had known this earlier, he wouldnt have let the Queen of the Dark Night take Xia Zhi away.

An apologetic look crossed the old mans face, and just as he was about to say something, sharp cracks pierced the air.

The ten-foot tall black jade stone was shattering!

Xia Zhi had completed the transformation!?

Lin Xuns heart tensed up. He didnt want to face reality as he was afraid that Xia Zhi would have forgotten everything and regarded him as a stranger...