Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl

He Jia must admit, whether it's three hundred years ago or three hundred years later, the Master of Highest Heaven Tower is the most outstanding man in this world.

He admires the Master of Highest Heaven Tower, who rose from nothing to the pinnacle of the Martial World.

He also shares a heroic bond with the Master of Highest Heaven Tower, looking forward to an exhilarating battle with him.

But to accept the Master of Highest Heaven Tower as his brother-in-law?

As soon as He Jia thinks of the term "brother-in-law," he wants to kill someone.

But he can't kill anyone right now.

He Jia's expression is emotionless.

"If you count by the age of the soul, I don't even know how long I've been alive; neither Penglai nor Beiming can completely probe the soul," Yan Tingfeng speaks leisurely, his eyes smiling, "but if you count by the age of the flesh, I recently acquired a new body, and indeed, I am twenty-four years old."

"Oh?" He Jia raises an eyebrow, "Not the original body? Then why did that body collapse?"

"Prince Brother," Ye Wanlan whispers, "because of me, that day..."

She recounts the whole event of the Three Envoys arriving in Shenzhou, intending to destroy Yunjing.

He Jia's expression changes: "Xiao Lan, are you alright?"

"I'm alright now," Ye Wanlan shakes her head, "and, my cultivation has improved significantly, Prince Brother need not worry."

He Jia's gaze falls on Yan Tingfeng.

"Brother, don't misunderstand, it's not because of Xiao Wan," Yan Tingfeng shakes his head, "it's my own choice, I won't leverage this to seek gratitude, I will surely die, I'm just maximizing the benefits of my death."

"What a way to maximize the benefits of your death," He Jia claps his hands, "Master of Highest Heaven Tower, worthy of the Supreme Martial Arts Master."

Hua Yingyue mutters to herself, "Should be fine, right?"

These questions seem simple, but they hide many traps.

One wrong word, and everything goes wrong.

"The last question," He Jia smiles faintly, "Between the world and Xiao Lan, who would you choose?"

"..."

This question plunges the entire Rong Family's Back Mountain into dead silence.

Xie Linyuan coughs lightly, "Fanyin, don't ask me such questions, you'd better just take my life."

Lin Fanyin glances at him, expression bland, "I won't ask."

She doesn't need to ask because they have all experienced this day and have long since made their choices.

"Little He, do you hear the questions you're asking?" Xiang Mingyu rubs his forehead, "Auntie knows how much you care for Ah Lan, but still..."

"Auntie," Yan Tingfeng interrupts her, the smile on his lips unchanged, "Brother's question is truly piercing."

He Jia's expression remains cold: "So, what is your answer?"

"Xiao Wan and the world have never been mutually exclusive choices," Yan Tingfeng looks at Ye Wanlan, "In this matter, even if I didn't exist, if it were just Xiao Wan and the world, she would choose the world."

After a pause, he continues slowly, "Princess Yongning has never been a chosen option; she is inherently a sovereign holding the power over life and death."

He Jia's heart trembles slightly, and after a moment, he turns his head, "The Five Great Families are still waiting for you, go."

"Then I'll come back to see Prince Brother later," Ye Wanlan holds Yan Tingfeng's hand, "We'll be back soon."

The movement in the Nanling Sea has left the Five Great Families anxious and uneasy.

These days, their minds have been elsewhere even during training.

"Miss Ye has arrived!" Xiang Shaoyu steps forward to greet her, "Please."

They escort Ye Wanlan to the highest point of the Training Platform.

Everyone stops what they're doing and turns around.

"Everyone, a great battle is imminent, and there's no time to lose," Ye Wanlan says slowly, "I know that in many of your hearts, there is still a fear of the unknown and a dread of death at this moment."

This sentence causes everyone present to fall silent, and for some, their hands holding the long spears tremble slightly.

This chapter was originally posted on M^VLEMPYR.

As descendants of the Five Great Families, they understand the history from three hundred years ago much better than ordinary people.

Just reading the historical records makes the pain of life unbearable.

If the events truly come to pass, do they really have the ability to face it?

"However, there's no need to feel burdened by such emotions," Ye Wanlan continues, "I also fear death, and I also don't know what the future holds, I too panic, and I too feel fear."

Everyone is in an uproar.

Regardless of whether they're young descendants of the families or elders, each lifts their heads in surprise, their eyes fixed on the girl atop the platform.

The Ye Wanlan they have seen has always been composed and fearless, calm and poised.

It seems that there was nothing in this world that she couldn't accomplish, as long as she wanted to, she could succeed.

But she admits she feels fear?

"Life is only one, who isn't afraid of death?" Ye Wanlan smiles, "I've been close to death numerous times, and during those moments, I was terrified, only you didn't see it."

Someone asks curiously, "So how does Miss Ye overcome her fear of death?"

"How to overcome? Good question," Ye Wanlan responds blandly, "because I know that if I die, everything behind me will be crushed. My love and responsibility for Shenzhou and you all are far greater than my fear of death."

Therefore, she cannot die.

Someone else presses their lips together, "But... we can't win."

"Can't win? Who says so? Is it they who say so, or is it we who say so? Over thousands of years, this great chessboard of the world, some have sat up to the table, some have stepped down, but we have not," Ye Wanlan says coldly, "From the beginning to the end, we have always sat at the head!"

These words are extremely arrogant, yet undeniably true.

Even during Shenzhou's most dilapidated times, it never completely vanished.

Three hundred years later, from the ashes it rises again, making a triumphant comeback.

Over the past five thousand years, they have seen those buildings rise high, seen the guests be feasted, seen the buildings collapse.

Canghai Sangtian, the stars change, yet the Shenzhou Land Continent stands firmly.

"They've said so much, I've gotten calloused ears listening, but which of their words has ever become reality?" Ye Wanlan presses her hands on the table, her presence dominating, "What they say stems from underestimation, what they say comes from fear."

They underestimated the tenacious Ning Dynasty, and in the end, perished miserably.

But they also fear Shenzhou reascending to the pinnacle, once again becoming the world's number one.

"What have they said?" Ye Wanlan's voice is calm, "They once said, Shenzhou researching spaceships is sheer lunacy, yet we have them."

"They said, Shenzhou's dream to create a nuclear bomb is absolute folly, yet we also have that."

"They said, the People of Shenzhou are inadequate—" her voice halts, killing intent thick in the air, "but now, who dares to say we aren't?"