"Don’t worry, I will not bother you anymore. In the future, you will be Emperor Yu while I shall be Princess Phoenix Dawn. I will no longer contact you or affect your relationship with Luo Pin. I do regret marking you with the Eternal Phoenix Brand, but I can’t do anything about that now. If I had a choice, I would not have been so rash."

She released a short sigh. After saying all these, she seemed to feel relieved.

She seemed different from Wu Yu’s memory of her. In his memory, she would argue with him angrily and they would always end up in a quarrel or even a fight. No matter what, she would never compromise, nor would she directly admit that she had regretted her actions.

Perhaps she had matured and changed.

As the maple leaves fell onto the ground, her fiery red long skirt fluttered in the wind. The orange-red veil flew up and exposed her pale face. Even when she looked tired, she was still very beautiful.

"If only there is some way to return it to you." Wu Yu was in a state of confusion over Nangong Wei’s odd behavior.

Nangong Wei now wanted only to be released from Wu Yu’s world. Wu Yu could not stop her. In retrospect, he had indeed caused her much trouble.

It was rare that she was so decisive.

"You need not return it to me. It no longer exists in my heart." Nangong Wei stopped maintaining her forced smile. She must have been really tired. She lowered her head and stared at the flowing water of the river.

Not long later, she stood up from the large stone. Her fiery red skirt was wet from the river water and had unintentionally exhibited her shapely figure. She was indeed no longer the little girl from Wu Yu’s memories.

She had become complicated.

"I’m leaving. The Phoenix Supreme will be there for your ascension tomorrow. I won’t be going. I hope we never meet again." Nangong Wei said calmly. Perhaps she had thought that once they parted ways today, she would never meet him again.

"Wait." Wu Yu called out.

Nangong Wei turned back and looked at him coldly.

Wu Yu thought before speaking: "Answer one last question for me."

Nangong Wei nodded.

Wu Yu asked: "What does the Phoenix Supreme want for training you? Does she harbor any ill intentions towards you?"

Wu Yu had to be concerned about this as it was about Nangong Wei’s life and death.

After he had asked, Nangong Wei’s eyes burned with fury. Her tone became tough as she said: "I’ve put it clearly that we have absolutely no relationship between us. So, it is none of your business as to what kind of person the Phoenix Supreme is. That is my own business and I can handle it. I also have the ability to solve my own problems. I do not need your help and you do not need to be concerned at all!"

Wu Yu was not used to her aggravated state. He said: "You don’t have to be so agitated, after all, this is important... ..."

"Shut up! Don’t you understand? I have said that I do not want to have any relationship with you from now on! I do not want any traces of you in my life anymore! I want to wipe you clean from my life. I do not want to live in your shadow or be such a despicable person in front of you anymore! So, please leave me alone!"

Tears streamed down her face as she spoke. She could not stop them. She trembled as her tears flowed.

After she had spoken, she turned away, transformed into that Eternal Phoenix and flew up into the sky. Perhaps she did not want Wu Yu to see her devastated look. In a blink of an eye, she had disappeared into the horizon. Only her scent remained in this Maple Leaf Valley.

"Er... ..."

Wu Yu had not expected her to react so strongly.

However, from one of her sentences, Wu Yu finally truly understood what Nangong Wei had wanted.

She said: She do not want to appear despicable in front of Wu Yu again.

This was her true thought.

Wu Yu had really given her many heavy blows.

So regardless of what would happen in the future, she wanted to face them on her own. She did not wish to have any relationship with Wu Yu. She wanted her life to be entirely free of Wu Yu. She hated feeling despicable in front of Wu Yu, and she had hated it even more so than losing her life.

"How did we reach this state? Why does she hate me so much?"

He stared into the sky. There were no answers to his questions.

"You have hurt this girl’s pride. She is very depressed. She had lost all her pride in front of you. To be honest, her heart struggles. She hates you but when she recalled the good memories with you, she would be attracted to you and hence, continue to act rashly. For instance, marking you with this Eternal Phoenix Brand, and for instance, when she did not even resist against your advances in the Ancient Soul Tower. However, upon exiting the Tower, you have become Emperor Yu and even reunited with Luo Pin. Your achievements and high position have given her a heavy blow. She is really a pitiful little girl... ..."

"Enough, stop analysing."

Those were in the past and had happened a long time ago.

His relationship with Nangong Wei was indeed ill-fated. They had crossed each other’s path so many times that even Wu Yu was confused.

He had said before that he and Nangong Wei had different dao and would never be able to stay as a couple.

But now, his dao had changed.

Neither of them were the same as they had been initially.

In summary, they were not fated to be together. His encounters with her were never as comfortable as the time he spent with Luo Pin as there would always be disagreements.

Nangong Wei left the Imperial Forest in one direction and Wu Yu had chosen to leave in another direction.

The night wind was chilly. He exited the Imperial Forest. In contrast, the outside world was still lively. Wu Yu walked on the bustling street and headed towards the City of 10,000 Kingdoms. He was now zipping through the city. No one could discover him.

The time to his ascension had crept nearer.

City of 10,000 Kingdoms, Dragon’s Cove Palace.

Wu Yu had gone directly to the garden at the back. Anyway, all these were his territory now.

Countless stars glittered in the night sky.

Under the star light, Luo Pin was still in that pavilion. She glowed with a soft pale light in the dark. Dragon scales flashed on her skin.

Compared to his time with Nangong Wei, Wu Yu really felt different seeing Luo Pin. A simple look from her, or even just a smile from her could calm Wu Yu down. He felt as though his world was at peace, as long as she was in his world.

"You are still alive. That is the best news to me."

Wu Yu could see that she was waiting apprehensively for his news. She had not left the pavilion at all.

Under the starry night sky, Wu Yu stood in front of her and felt that she was the most beautiful fairy under the sky. Regardless of her silver hair or her snowy white skin, everything about her was perfect.

They hugged.

Her body warmth and her heart beat proved to Wu Yu that he was truly sensing another person. He felt as though they have become one.

"Tell me about it." She wanted to know what Wu Yu had learnt tonight.

"I cannot make a judgement. Let me tell you the details from the beginning."

Actually, Wu Yu had used a spirit design to record his entire conversation with the Ancient Emperor. Now he need not speak much. He activated the spirit design and the spirit design produced images. These images showed Wu Yu’s conversation with the Ancient Emperor.

Luo Pin watched carefully, her eyes unblinking. She was not only listening but observing carefully the Ancient Emperor’s attitude, expressions and movements. Wu Yu also shared with her how he had felt at that moment.

After the spirit design had finished displaying the images, Wu Yu told Luo Pin what he had arranged. He told her that he had brought Wu You and Feng Xueya to the Ancient Demon Realm before returning to the Jambu Realm.

"At the moment, if you are safe, then I do not need to stay here. I can go to the Ancient Demon Realm and become stronger." After he told Luo Pin everything, he looked lovingly at her.

Luo Pin sat at a corner of the pavilion and looked at the garden. She thought for a long time. She frowned slightly and said: "Immortals are immortals. Us mortals can never predict or guess what they will do."

"What do you think?"

"Same as you. I’m confused. In fact, I feel that there is an 80 percent chance that he is your father. The remaining 20 percent is reserved due to our wariness against him. Actually, compared to your previous state, there is a higher chance that you are safe now. However, once that 20 percent reservation that we have becomes true, then you may be in a worse situation. We cannot imagine what he can do. If he had plotted all these, what is his aim?" Luo Pin could not shake off her worry.

Wu Yu laughed helplessly and said: "Yes, we cannot understand the immortals and hence cannot imagine what he wants to do or what he can do. If he is indeed my father, then all this will end well. Actually, I have done all I can in precaution of the remaining 20 percent chance that he is lying. If we are still within his clutches, then with the vast difference between us and immortals, we can never find out the truth before he willingly reveals it."

This was not being pessimistic but admitting the vast difference in powers between them. The Ancient Emperor was an immortal after all.

Actually, Wu Yu still had faith that everything would be alright.

"So, tonight’s conversation only increased the possibility that he is really your father. But danger still exists. Perhaps, now you can only take it one step at a time. Perhaps, the moment that he is waiting for would not arrive so quickly and we still have a chance. After I return to the Dragon Palace of the Four Seas, I will see if I can contact my predecessors in the sky palaces. It will be great if I can get some clues." Luo Pin said.

That was a great idea. Only immortals would know what immortals would want to do.

Of course, Luo Pin was confident that she could ask the right questions and would not leak Wu Yu’s background.

However, it was not certain that she would be able to contact her predecessors. This was a relatively hard thing to accomplish.

The most important thing was that they needed to become stronger.

"You have to remember, the earlier you become immortal, the less worried I will be." Wu Yu told her.

"Wu Yu, why not you return to the Dragon Palace of the Four Seas with me. That place is safer than the Ancient Demon Realm." Luo Pin suddenly said very hopefully.

Obviously the other mystical dragons would not agree to this.

Wu Yu laughed and shook his head. He said: "I can’t do that. After all, I’m Emperor Yu. He will definitely come personally to take me away. At that time, we would have torn away any pretense of friendliness. Also, I do not want to hinder your path to immortalhood."

Luo Pin looked a little wistful. She actually knew that too, but she still wanted to suggest it.

"Can I visit you every year on this day at the Dragon Palace of the Four Seas?" If he really was going to train in the Ancient Demon Realm, then he would not be able to see her for a long time. When he was in the Ancient Demon Realm, he could not communicate with her through core-tail talismans. Wu Yu would definitely miss her.

"That is a great idea." His suggestion made Luo Pin as happy as a child with candy.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Wu Yu looked at Luo Pin’s stunning smile.

He wanted her to always be smiling.