Phoenix Bai looked over at Evan Lin, her gaze lingering on him as she spoke.
"The person who's been waiting for me for many years?"
Evan Lin was a bit curious when he heard this.
In his previous life, Evan Lin had almost never left Seacrest, but now he was in Hong Kong.
Besides, Phoenix Bai in front of him seemed to have been in seclusion here for decades.
"That's right."
Phoenix Bai nodded, looking at Evan Lin: "Before anything else, I need to confirm a few things."
"First, have you ever encountered the Woman Statue before?"
As she asked this, a barely noticeable eagerness flashed in Phoenix Bai's eyes.
This was the key to everything.
"The Woman Statue."
Evan Lin narrowed his eyes and looked at Phoenix Bai. "I've come across several before."
"How did you learn about this thing? Or do you actually know where the Woman Statue comes from?"
Evan Lin spoke in a deep voice.
Whether it was the Woman Statue worshipped by the Old Immortal Sage in Zhaoyu Town, or the ancient emperor of Jingnan Mountain saying a woman had deceived him for a thousand years, or the Woman Statue enshrined in the Jiangnan Sword Sect's secret chamber, or the one Evan Lin stumbled upon during his battle with Mo Yang atop Thousand-Saints Mountain—
It seemed like the Woman Statue had always been close to Evan Lin, never leaving his side.
Although Evan Lin had tried hard to search his memories for clues about the Woman Statue, everything seemed to be in vain.
Evan Lin was certain that, on the Immortal Martial Continent, he'd never seen anything like it. Yet every time he thought of those Woman Statues, he always felt a strange sense of familiarity.
He had originally suspected it might be Lily Zhao, but thinking that way seemed far too bizarre.
Hearing someone mention the Woman Statue again, Evan Lin couldn't help but look at Phoenix Bai with a bit more inquiry in his eyes.
"I don't know the full origin of the Woman Statue, but I do know there's a certain bond between it and you."
Hearing Evan Lin confirm it, Phoenix Bai let out a sigh of relief in her heart.
Her biggest fear was picking the wrong person.
"A bond?"
Evan Lin frowned.
He suddenly thought of Bella Bai, the girl who liked taking pictures.
When she was in Oxhorn Village, Bella Xiao took a photo of Evan Lin that showed a line of karma.
Around Evan Lin's neck was a red thread, and above his head, a figure in white robes always lingered.
Besides that, there was also a cluster of waterfall-black hair hovering above Evan Lin's head.
It was a woman whose face could not be seen.
Invisible, untouchable, yet never erased.
Bella Xiao also invited Evan Lin to go to Oceanport City this year, to enter Tomb Mountain's grand tomb, where a female immortal ascended. There, he might meet the person tied to his karmic bond.
Evan Lin had already agreed, but the time hadn't come yet, so he hadn't set out.
Hearing Phoenix Bai's words at this moment, Evan Lin felt a sudden realization.
That's right.
Phoenix Bai nodded: "We spent quite a bit of time to find you."
To be honest, I'm also very curious. Your existence seemed to appear out of nowhere. Before this, your identity was far too simple and humble.
But then, one day, you suddenly rose from an ordinary boy to become Master Lin of Seacrest, respected by all.
It really is astonishing.
As Phoenix Bai spoke, Lucy Bai and the elder beside her couldn't help but look at Evan Lin with a strange expression.
They had tried to find the person tied to the Bai family.
They even followed Lucy Bai's life trajectory, searching all the way, and stayed hidden for many years at Capitalview No. 1 High School.
But they never found the possible candidate.
It wasn't until Lucy Bai left Capitalview for Hong Kong Island that the name Master Lin of Seacrest began to rise from obscurity.
Step by step, he built a solid reputation.
With the appearance of Master Lin of Seacrest, they finally turned their attention to Evan Lin.
After that, there were all kinds of investigations.
Before senior year, Evan Lin was just an ordinary boy with nothing special. After senior year, it was as if his life had been blessed.
His rise was so incredible, it felt like he had become a different person, which made Lucy Bai and the elder hesitate for a long time.
Fortunately, at this moment, Evan Lin's identity was confirmed.
It really is surprising.
Evan Lin nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and didn't bother to explain: "Just say it, where is the person you're talking about?"
Let her meet me.
I also want to know the origin of the Woman Statue, and who the woman in the statue really is.
Evan Lin asked this question.
The identity of the woman in the statue had always been a mystery.
If the woman encountered by the ancient emperor at Thornridge Mountain was the same as the one in the Woman Statue, then she would have existed for at least a thousand years.
Ordinary people would have long turned to dust, scattered to the winds.
According to the timeline, over a hundred years ago, the woman in the statue went to Southriver Sword Sect and taught the first sect leader, the blacksmith, some skills and cultivation.
As for the old immortal in Zhaoyu Town who worships the Woman Statue, he didn't know how old he was or how long ago he had seen the woman in the statue.
No matter how you calculate it, the times these Woman Statues appeared were separated by decades, even centuries.
Most crucially, when the first sect leader of Southriver Sword Sect revived from a fake death and competed with Evan Lin, he called out the name Lin Jiuxuan.
This only made everything even more mysterious.
Phoenix Bai looked at Lucy Bai beside her and briefly introduced: "This is my disciple, Lucy Bai."
You may be meeting her for the first time today, but before this, you should have met her younger sister, Bella Xiao.
Bella Xiao.
Hearing this name, Evan Lin nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Her surname is Bai. The Bai family ancestors once lived in Southriver. If you go back several centuries, the Bai family suffered a great catastrophe.
At that time, chaos reigned, bandits ran rampant, and one branch of the Bai family nearly perished. Just then, a woman appeared.
Phoenix Bai glanced at Evan Lin: "The woman claimed to be a cultivator. She took action, swept away countless bandits, punished evildoers, and brought peace to the region."
Because of her appearance, the Bai family survived.
But at that time, the woman's complexion was not good. According to the Bai family's oral tradition, she did not have long to live.
As Phoenix Bai recounted this ancient story, her tone was calm, but every word carried a solemn feeling.