That day.
As the sun set in the west.
In the void, above the clouds.
Twelve enormous mammoth white elephants pulled a grand white jade carriage, treading upon the clouds.
Each mammoth white elephant was nine meters tall, each as majestic as a mountain range, their presence overwhelmingly grand, yet their temperaments were remarkably gentle. The twelve mammoth white elephants did not tread quickly, but with each step, thousands of meters passed in the blink of an eye.
Clearly, these twelve mammoth white elephants were extraordinary; otherwise, they could not possess such an ability to shrink the earth to inches.
The white jade carriage behind was crafted entirely of white jade, resembling an exquisite crystal pavilion, floating slowly in the sky.
A woman stood quietly at the edge of the carriage, gazing at the setting sun as if lost in thought.
The woman possessed a peerless beauty, dressed in a simple white robe, picturesque and celestial.
Her beauty, though capable of toppling cities and kingdoms, was not at all flamboyant, nor was it coldly enchanting.
Her beauty was serene.
Like the bright, gentle, serene full moon in the night sky.
Above the clouds, the astral winds were fierce, howling past. The three thousand strands of hair that naturally fell behind the peerless beauty fluttered gently in the wind.
Her beautiful eyes seemed somewhat profound, gazing quietly at the gradually setting sun.
At that moment, a middle-aged woman walked out from the carriage.
This middle-aged woman stood a full three meters tall, wearing a strange and voluminous robe, her long hair tied in a ponytail, her face solemn like a peak of cold iron, giving off a strong sense of oppression.
The middle-aged woman looked at the peerless beauty, then at the setting sun, seeming rather puzzled, and said, "Young Lady, do you have something on your mind?"
"Something on my mind?
No..." The peerless beauty shook her head slightly, continuing to gaze at the setting sun.
"If there's nothing on your mind, why have you been so lost in thought every time the sun sets recently?"
"Have I?"
The peerless beauty raised her willow-like eyebrows slightly. Thinking carefully, she realized it seemed true; it had been several days in a row. She looked at the setting sun again and said, "I'm not too sure either. Recently, whenever the sun sets, I always have a peculiar feeling..."
"A peculiar feeling?"
The middle-aged woman was confused.
"I can't quite describe what it is, it's very complex...
I always feel it's related to that dream of my previous life."
Mentioning the dream of her previous life, the middle-aged woman's expression stiffened. She asked, "Young Lady, there's something I don't know if I should say..."
"What is it?"
"Young Lady, did you dream of your previous life again yesterday?"
Hearing this, the peerless beauty was quite surprised and asked, "Qian Shan, how did you know?"
"Yesterday, while you were resting, you spoke in your sleep."
"Spoke in my sleep?"
The peerless beauty seemed somewhat disbelieving. After a moment of stunned silence, she asked, "What did I say?"
"Your emotions were very strange at the time...
You said..." The middle-aged woman furrowed her brows, pondering for a moment, then said, "In your dream, you kept repeating the words 'why,' and said this is destined...
Cannot be changed, no one can change it..."
"This..." The peerless beauty's expression changed dramatically, utterly speechless. Then she frowned deeply, falling silent as if contemplating something, murmuring, "For so many years of dreaming back to my previous life, the myriad events of that life remain elusive and untouchable. Destined? What is destined? What is to be changed... Is it Karma?"
"Young Lady."
The middle-aged woman called Qian Shan looked down and said, "The Great Northwest Territory is right beneath our feet. If we turn back now, everything is still possible."
"Turn back?"
The peerless beauty also glanced at the Great Northwest Territory beneath her feet but said nothing.
"Since ancient times, many great powers, in their pursuit of Karma, have ultimately become trapped within it, unable to extricate themselves, lifetime after lifetime, sinking deeper and deeper, all ending with their souls returning to the Karmic hell. Young Lady, you clearly know this, so why insist on this path?"
Qian Shan spoke seriously, "Although many great powers are also unwilling to give up such an opportunity, most of them had already begun their preparations before the Calamity...
But you, Young Lady, did not prepare in advance. Now, blindly seeking it will likely only make things worse."
Seeing the peerless beauty remain silent, Qian Shan continued to persuade, "If your Karma were just with an ordinary person, it would be one thing, but it's unfortunately with a sinner who died over three hundred years ago, and one guilty of endless immortal sins. Never mind that he has been dead for many years; even if he were still alive, you must not have the slightest connection with him. Young Lady, you must not forget your status."
Just as Qian Shan was about to say more, she was interrupted by the peerless beauty, "My mind is made up. If I do not seek Karma this time, then my reincarnation holds no meaning at all. Before reincarnating, I was tormented by dreams of my previous life for an entire lifetime—truly an entire lifetime. From birth, dreams of my previous life came intermittently. I am also very curious: what kind of man could make my previous self so infatuated, so infatuated that even after several reincarnations, I cannot forget him? Not only that, but the feeling grows stronger instead."
Qian Shan did not try to persuade further, only sighing deeply. She could not remember how many times she had advised.
"Seeking Karma is a path of no return, with no end and no result. Qian Shan, do you know why, since ancient times, so many great powers have rushed headlong onto this path?"
"Why?"
"Like moths to a flame—that is probably the allure of Karma."
As she spoke, the peerless beauty stretched out her arms, slightly raised her head, closed her eyes, and allowed the astral winds of the sky to buffet her. She laughed, "I think everyone wants to find their original self."
Qian Shan did not understand and asked, "Original self?"
"Once, someone asked me three questions that I could never answer."
"What questions?"
"Who am I?
Where do I come from?
And where am I going...
These three questions seem simple yet represent the most fundamental truths of life's essence, and the answers lie within Karma."
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
And where am I going?
Qian Shan also murmured these three questions. After pondering for a moment, she shook her head; these questions were far too distant for her.
"One day, you will understand."
When the sun had set, twilight vanished, and dusk descended, the peerless beauty no longer embraced the sky. Frowning, she said, "Damnable twilight, damnable dusk. Why is it that recently, every time twilight vanishes and dusk descends, I feel so uncomfortable?"
Shaking her head again, the peerless beauty stopped thinking about these things and asked, "Qian Shan, have you prepared what I asked you to?"
"Young Lady, must it be this way? Isn't it a bit too high-profile?"
"I have divined it. This journey to the Northwest will inevitably touch upon Karma. I just don't know where the Karma lies. Therefore, I will spare no effort to draw it out, so naturally, I must be high-profile."
"Other matters are manageable, but paying respects at the hometown mausoleum of Monarch Chixiao... this matter might be too... You previously searched everywhere for relics he left behind, which already displeased the Immortal Dynasty. Then you traced all the places he once left his mark, causing much discussion within the Immortal Dynasty. If you now pay respects at Monarch Chixiao's hometown mausoleum, the Immortal Dynasty will likely be furious..."
The peerless beauty responded indifferently, "Let them be displeased or furious, as they wish..."
"Young Lady, even if you disregard the Immortal Dynasty, you must consider your own reputation. Now the whole world knows you are searching everywhere for Monarch Chixiao... Many say you admire Monarch Chixiao..."
"That's right. I want the whole world to know I am looking for Monarch Chixiao. As for admiration..." The peerless beauty shrugged, a playful smile appearing on her captivating countenance, "The more I learn about Monarch Chixiao's deeds, the more I find this man truly... If I had appeared in this world in his era, I might have truly been infatuated with him... No wonder even a Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens like Jun Xuanji fell for him back then..."