"Actually, I have nothing to do with Chi Yao. I've never even met him, only heard of the name..." Serena Green finished speaking, her beautiful eyes fixed on Emperor Ye, as if waiting for him to believe her.
Emperor Ye gently stroked Serena Green's hair. "I know. But how did you come here from the Sacred Dao Domain? And even leave traces for me to follow?"
At this moment, Emperor Ye was certain that he had found this place entirely because of Serena Green. Even that terrifying cosmic vortex in the void was related to her. But Serena Green's cultivation was only at the Hunyuan Realm, right? Even if she was powerful in her previous life, she couldn't have managed this back then.
Serena Green continued to gaze at Emperor Ye in a daze, as if she wanted to engrave every part of him, even every strand of his hair, deep in her heart.
Only after an incense stick's worth of time did Serena Green finally reach out and touch Emperor Ye's face, making sure she was truly with him. Then she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I didn't want my body to be defiled by a scoundrel. At the moment I used a forbidden technique to tear open the Sacred Dao Domain and self-destruct, I awakened memories from my past life and opened my own world, bringing out the Cosmic Disk..."
I left the Cosmic Disk in the Vast Universe and imbued it with my aura, hoping that one day you would remember the small city where we first met and find the traces I left behind..."
Emperor Ye instinctively held Serena Green tightly and murmured, "I'm sorry..."
He felt deeply guilty. He had always been fighting and struggling, and when he was injured, Su Su and the others were by his side. But he had neglected Serena Green, who wandered alone in the vast void, and when she was hurt, all she had were longing and memories. The only thing he had left her was Shuang Shuang's spaceship.
She hoped that one day he would remember her, hoped that one day they could meet again.
Serena Green shook her head and clung even tighter to Emperor Ye's collar. She didn't want to break this peaceful warmth with words. Being with Emperor Ye was already the greatest blessing heaven could give her. She didn't want to miss a single moment of this tranquil time. Maybe, deep down, she knew this time wouldn't last long.
Time slowly passed, and no one knew how long it had been before Emperor Ye finally loosened his embrace. "Serena Green, let's go. This is no place to linger..."
Emperor Ye paused instinctively as he spoke. Was he really able to leave?
"Actually, even without the Dao Selection, I could have found you." Emperor Ye realized that because Serena Green chose the Dao Selection, he couldn't leave now—all because of Chi Yao.
If Serena Green hadn't chosen the Dao Selection, they could have left now. Serena Green was from the Azure Balance Sect—if he took her away, would someone like Chi Yao let the Azure Balance Sect go?
"Brother Ye..." Serena Green calmed her excitement, her tone growing a little heavier. "The reason I chose the Dao Selection and a Dao companion, besides wanting to see you sooner, was to lure Chi Yao here..."
Emperor Ye was stunned. Even he and Joe Di together might not be a match for Chi Yao, let alone by himself. Serena Green luring Chi Yao here was like inviting disaster.
Serena Green softened her tone. "Although I've never met Chi Yao, I know him very well. Back then, I was nailed outside the boundary where Chi Yao was in seclusion. When I self-destructed, I sensed the fluctuations of Chi Yao's life rule. Everyone thought he was perfecting his cosmic world in seclusion, but I knew he was very likely stepping into the Fourth Step..."
Emperor Ye thought to himself, "So that's how it is. It seems Joe Di guessed right."
"Brother Ye, you've never seen how terrifying Chi Yao is. He's not only powerful, but also ruthless and utterly inhuman. But I can't understand why, just because I was nailed outside his void during his seclusion, a trace of the Fourth Step appeared in his Dao. I don't even know this person. Chi Yao had just stepped into the Fourth Step, and a trace appeared, so naturally someone took advantage of it and he had to flee..."
Serena Green's voice grew heavier. "Everyone thinks Chi Yao has fallen, but I know he escaped. He didn't even leave the boundary where he was in seclusion. Before he fled, he left behind a trace of his Dao aura, and I sensed its meaning. Later, I realized that Chi Yao left it for me on purpose. Maybe in his eyes, I've already become his woman, and even if all the people in the universe joined forces, they couldn't resist him."
Emperor Ye instinctively clenched his fist, killing intent surging within him. He was determined to destroy Chi Yao.
Sensing Emperor Ye's unrest, Serena Green leaned even closer to him. "From the information Chi Yao left behind, I learned he would recover his strength in this domain and step into the Fourth Step again. That's why I came here."
Seeing the confusion in Emperor Ye's eyes, Serena Green looked at him and said, "Once Chi Yao steps into the Fourth Step, he'll enslave every universe, even become Lord of the Vast Universe. By then, we would be nothing but dust. Brother Ye, we've finally reunited—how can a short time be enough?"
"Fool, what if I hadn't arrived in time? Wouldn't you have..."
Emperor Ye's words stalled again as he finally understood Serena Green's painstaking intentions. Serena Green cultivated the Grand Way of Life and was deeply attuned to the vitality of the Vast Universe. She must have known Chi Yao would step into the Fourth Step again. If he hadn't come, Serena Green intended to use the last opportunity of this life to perish together with Chi Yao. Only after dying with Chi Yao would he have a chance to survive, or at least not be enslaved.
Deep within Emperor Ye's heart, something surged. Serena Green had done all this without caring whether he knew, and even his arrival here was unexpected for her. Although Serena Green left all the clues for him to come, in the Genesis Universe, his chance to reach this domain was almost nonexistent. Even if he did arrive one day, Serena Green would likely have already perished. Those traces she left behind were probably meant to give him the Cosmic Disk after her death.
Gazing at Serena Green's breathtakingly beautiful face, Emperor Ye finally realized that even though he had saved her several times, it was nothing compared to what she had done for him. Saving her was something he could do effortlessly. But for him, Serena Green was willing to risk everything. In this world, there is a kind of love called Serena Green.
"I knew you would come..." Serena Green's gentle voice only made Emperor Ye feel more guilty, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
"Serena Green, you're so foolish. I've heard of Chi Yao, and even saw him outside the Azure Balance Sect. His strength is unmatched. Even if you risked your life, you probably couldn't hurt him. If you hadn't come out, I wouldn't have even seen you, because he set up a new grand array outside the Azure Balance Sect." Emperor Ye reached out and wiped away the tears at the edge of Serena Green's cheek.
Serena Green smiled, her radiance melting away all gloom like sunlight. "I knew he would come, so I came out early to wait for you. Because once he arrives, I'll never have another chance to leave. I have a way to severely wound him again—even if he wants to step into the Fourth Step, it will take millions or even tens of millions of years. By then, you might have already reached the Fourth Step yourself..."
Saying this, Serena Green gazed at Emperor Ye. "I believe in you. You can do it."
Everything Serena Green had done was only to buy Emperor Ye millions of years to reach enlightenment. As long as Emperor Ye reached the Fourth Step first, there would be no need to fear Chi Yao. She had absolute faith in Emperor Ye, believing he would, as always, stand at the very peak of this universe again and again.
As for leaving the Azure Balance Sect to wait for Emperor Ye, that was just a gamble on a one-in-a-million chance. She knew better than anyone that Emperor Ye's chance of coming here was almost nonexistent. Yet, she met him here, and that was what truly overwhelmed her.
"Serena Green, go into my world first. I'll deal with Chi Yao." Emperor Ye hadn't thought of a good plan yet, but he was determined to face Chi Yao. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to leave.
"No, I can't disappear. The Azure Balance Sect has shown me immense kindness. If I disappear, the Azure Balance Sect will vanish as well. The Dao Selection will begin as before. You should leave first. I have a Cosmic Disk..."
Serena Green's words were cut off by Emperor Ye. "Serena Green, if you know me, then you know I would never leave. I have a few friends—I'll send a message and see if they can receive it. If they can't, then the two of us will face Chi Yao together. I refuse to believe we can't defeat him."