You don't want your secret to be revealed by others, right?-Chapter 412 - 25, Forward_3

The Illusion Heart Mist enveloping Lin Yue had grown much denser, clearly because his Dao Heart's resistance to the mist was weakening.

If things continued like this, after walking another hundred or so zhang, he would likely reach his limit.

Lin Yue pulled the Empress down to squat with him, silently gazing at the markings of time and weather etched on the green rock.

Upon it were the Great Yu characters for 'Xing' and 'Shou.'

These were etched by the Ninth Princess with Taiyin True Water, and despite sixteen hundred years having passed, the characters persisted, though slightly blurred.

Lin Yue felt an inexplicable sense of awe.

To see scenes from memory with his own eyes and have the person who held his hand back then still by his side made him grasp the meaning of cultivation and longevity.

The Empress also felt a tinge of melancholy, reflecting on how time changes, and everything is different, though still the same.

Their thoughts were different, but both were silent.

"Empress."

Lin Yue suddenly spoke softly, "Erase these two characters, Xiahou Shou is already dead and Xing Lian the princess is no longer Xing Lian the princess."

The gentle hand intertwined with his fingers tightened slightly.

The Empress glanced at him, sensing a subtle change within him, hesitated for a moment, but eventually stretched out her delicate finger to slowly wipe away the two characters.

"Let's continue forward."

Lin Yue stood, speaking slowly, "Back then, you said something to me. You said... not everyone will stop for you, nor will everyone leave you behind. Some will inevitably leave you, and some will be beyond your reach. You can only do your best, but if doing your best changes nothing, then what can you do, right?"

He slowly repeated the words she once said, recalling in his mind the Thunder, remembering the invincible yet powerless ordinary man.

Continuing to move forward, he spoke softly, "You also stopped with Xiahou Shou back then. If it was the former me, perhaps I would have chosen to stop like you."

"After all, many times, many things are not what we choose. If I'd known it would be like this, maybe I would have chosen to escape from the start."

Lin Yue murmured, "Even reaching this point, it was only because I was forced onto this path, just like you, me, and many others, merely submitting and moving forward out of helplessness. Before, I could only do the same, imagining a life of simplicity and stability, leaving fate to the unknown, but..."

The Empress was slightly startled, noticing the change in his mindset, asked, "And now?"

Lin Yue, eyes fixed forward, continued on his path, speaking slowly, "Now I want to change. People are always like this, content with the status quo, standing still, only forced to move forward when facing hardship. It's instinct, right?"

"But if moving forward of one's own volition, stepping towards it actively, maybe the view would be entirely different..."

"In front, miracles will always appear, and even over long years past, I can meet the people I want to see. Even across the chasm of life and death, hatred will eventually change one day..."

He spoke softly, his tone light yet unwavering, "I won't stop anymore, no matter if the path isn't of my choosing, I've already embarked on it. I can tolerate those around me who can't keep up, sheltering them myself, but I will move forward, keep moving forward, until strength fails me..."

As he spoke, the Illusion Heart Mist surrounding him began to gradually dissipate.

The Empress immediately realized... was his Dao Heart transforming?

Step by step, delving deeper into the Sacred Heart Road.

It was unknown how much time had passed when the Illusion Heart Mist once again thickened around Lin Yue, and he stopped walking.

He looked at his position and laughed, "Eight hundred and ninety-nine zhang? Not too bad."

The Empress was somewhat surprised.

She knew Xiahou Shou, the Xiahou Shou from the Three Talents Heaven Barrier back then, whose Dao Heart was mediocre, had only reached five hundred and twenty zhang by refining his Dao Heart Will with the Primordial Spirit Cultivation Method.

Later, he forced Harmonization and becoming a Saint, with no change in Dao Heart.

Which meant, even awakening memories of past lives didn't necessarily help in improving the Dao Heart.

Moreover, knowing Lin Yue was only in his twenties, considering his past life's limited experiences, logically there shouldn't have been much progress.

Unexpectedly...

He reached the eight hundred and ninety-nine zhang position?

Every hundred zhang is a hurdle, requiring substantial progress in Dao Heart Will to cross.

She originally thought Lin Yue's limit would be around six hundred zhang, yet unexpectedly he was just short of reaching nine hundred zhang?

Which meant—

Only nine hundred zhang and finally passing the Sacred Heart Road remained, and his Dao Heart was sufficient for Harmonization and becoming a Saint.

Such Dao Heart transformation implied that he was not far from the Saint Heart Level required for Harmonization!

"Eight hundred and ninety-nine zhang..."

Lin Yue said softly, "Next time I come, I will completely cross it."

He turned to the Empress, saying, "Empress, help me carve the character 'Yue' here."

The Empress looked at him, gracefully squatted down, etched the character 'Yue' on the ground, then thought for a moment and carved the character 'Lian' beside it.

"Is this your current name?" Lin Yue asked.

The Empress softly replied, "Yes, since I'm a remnant of the previous dynasty, I disguised myself as someone from the Weichi Family, now called Weichi Lian."

Lin Yue also squatted down beside her and said, "Weichi Lian, help me with something. Once accomplished, in the future, I can marry you and take you away."

"What?" The Empress was taken aback.

"This is your wish, isn't it?" Lin Yue looked at her and said slowly, "No need to deny it, I understand your thoughts. I know you have many worries and concerns, so this is a promise, until I am capable of fulfilling it."

The Empress was silent for a long while, then said, "What do you want me to help you with?"