Three thousand eight million years of the Epoch of Enlightenment.
More than a decade after humanity annihilated the Blood race, many things had changed.
After humanity devoured the territory of the Blood race, their power grew increasingly formidable, and many weaker races became their vassals.
Humanity thus entered its zenith.
Inside a vast convoy traveling through the air, a beautiful woman resembling the Blood race, gazed through the window at towns that once belonged to the Blood race but now were human territories. She let out a cold snort and cursed under her breath.
"These towns, they were all my Blood race's territories. These detestable humans are worse than bandits..."
...
"Mother, don't be too sad."
Seeing her filled with anger and sorrow, a boy inside the opulent carriage, whose appearance was somewhat similar to the woman's, softly consoled her in a childish voice.
As he spoke, he looked up at the lands that once belonged to the Blood race. At this moment, even the young him couldn't help but wear a complex expression.
After humanity destroyed the Blood race, while they didn't kill them all, they enslaved the remaining Blood race members.
It could be said that the lives of the Blood race were now extremely difficult, as every single one of them had become a servant to humanity.
The reason this mother and son were spared, it was heard, was due to the protection of a powerful human figure.
...
A gentle breeze blew, rustling the banner on their carriage, revealing the character "Ming" emblazoned upon it.
Watching countless Blood race members toiling with chains of fine gold, the mother and son reacted differently, yet neither dared to speak out.
After all, times had changed. The Blood race was no more, and they were now captives. How could they possibly concern themselves with others' affairs!
This way!
Youmeng walked in from outside, looking at Wu Tao before her, hesitating to speak, her expression appearing somewhat complex.
She paused for a moment, as if contemplating something, but finally spoke slowly, "They have arrived..."
"They are already here?"
Wu Tao nodded upon hearing this, his expression calm, betraying no emotion.
In fact, at Wu Tao's current level of cultivation, he had long sensed their presence. The feeling of blood connection was exceptionally clear.
Therefore, Wu Tao was not surprised by their arrival.
...
"The mother and son are resting outside now. Should I let them in..."
Looking at Wu Tao's calm expression, Youmeng hesitated for a moment, then said with some complexity, "After all, they are your..."
Seated on his chair, Wu Tao remained silent for a while before continuing, "Let them in. After all, it's time to settle the grievances from years ago."
"Alright."
Youmeng sighed softly upon hearing this and nodded, slowly withdrawing.
At this moment, only Wu Tao's lone figure remained in the grand hall.
He sat on his seat, his right hand unconsciously tapping the armrest, deep in thought!
Xue Shuangjiao, a beautiful Blood race woman who had entangled with him more than two hundred years ago, with whom he even had a child.
Regardless of whether Wu Tao cared or acknowledged it, the child flowing with his blood was undoubtedly his son.
Thus, as the Blood race's edifice began to crumble, Wu Tao had intervened to protect Xue Shuangjiao and her son.
It was precisely because of this that, after much deliberation, Wu Tao chose to resolve the absurd matters of the past in front of Xue Shuangjiao and her son.
"They have arrived already..."
A faint sound of footsteps echoed, and Wu Tao unconsciously stood up, murmuring to himself.
As Xue Shuangjiao and the child drew closer to Wu Tao, the feeling of blood connection made Wu Tao's blood churn, a strange sensation surging into his heart.
This was the feeling of intimate blood kinship, an unseverable biological instinct of blood connection.
Under Wu Tao's gaze, two figures entered through the great doors.
One was a woman of exquisite beauty, whose every movement exuded a unique charm – a peerless Blood race beauty.
The other was a mixed-race child, whose features bore a resemblance to Wu Tao, possessing characteristics of both human and Blood race.
Wu Tao's face grew awkward. Looking at Xue Shuangjiao below, he didn't know what to say.
Xue Shuangjiao, who had been keeping her head lowered, not daring to look up, was unaware that the man standing before her was Wu Tao, with whom she shared such a deep entanglement.
The primary reason Xue Shuangjiao dared not raise her head was the terrifying aura emanating from Wu Tao. The power of temporal laws surrounding him was enough to instill fear in any cultivator below the King realm!
The saying "everyone below the King realm is but an ant" was not mere hyperbole.
At this moment, Wu Tao's cultivation had reached the pinnacle of the current immortal cultivation world, with few being able to rival him.
Even with Xue Shuangjiao's cultivation advancements over the years, she was merely at the mid-stage of the Duke realm, equivalent to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm for humans. She was still a considerable distance from the late Nascent Soul stage, let alone comprehending the power of laws, and naturally felt discomfort facing a King realm expert.
...
Looking at the familiar beautiful face, Wu Tao took a deep breath and slowly said, "Lift your head and see who I am?"
"What? It's you, you heartless scoundrel? How is this possible?"
Seeing the face so familiar, Xue Shuangjiao exclaimed in disbelief.
...
"Why did you want to see me? Didn't you say you never wanted to see me again? You damned wretch?"
Looking at Wu Tao, Xue Shuangjiao's already broken heart shattered even further, her voice filled with hatred echoing throughout the hall!
The reason for all this was the face that appeared before her – the man who had cruelly abandoned her over two hundred years ago!
It was a rather ordinary-looking face, but it was adorned with a profound coldness, and his bright eyes sparkled with wisdom, adding a touch of masculine charm!
Xue Shuangjiao scrutinized the man she had once known so well, her crimson pupils flashing with an extremely sharp gaze, as if she wanted to engrave this face into her heart forever...
Even in her next life, and the life after that, she would never forget.
...
Her cold and beautiful face successively displayed emotions of hatred, pain, doubt, torment, and understanding.
"Bastard, where have you been all these years?"
Looking at the face she hadn't forgotten for over two hundred years, tears and a smile appeared on her face almost simultaneously.
What kind of emotion was this, to allow two such contrasting expressions to appear at the same time?
Wu Tao remained silent for a moment, then replied gently, "These years, I went to another immortal cultivation world and established a foundation there. The fall of the entire Blood race this time is, in a significant part, my doing."
Upon hearing Wu Tao admit that the Blood race was destroyed because of him, Xue Shuangjiao did not feel sorrow for a fallen comrade, nor did she harbor hatred for the extermination. Her focus remained on the entanglement from years ago.
"I ask you, do you love me or not? You only need to answer yes or no!"
After a long pause, Xue Shuangjiao asked a very pointed question with a complex expression.
Upon hearing this, Wu Tao fell silent.
After a moment, he said with utmost seriousness, "To say that I have no love for you in my heart would be an absolute lie. I don't want to deny it, nor can I deny it!"
...
"Then why were you so cruel back then? Why did you abandon me?"
Hearing these words she had longed for, Xue Shuangjiao's soft body trembled, tears welling up in her eyes as she questioned him word by word!
Wu Tao looked at the Blood race beauty with whom he had shared intimate moments, a flicker of inexplicable bitterness flashing in the depths of his eyes.
No matter how high one's cultivation reached, they could not return to the past and rectify past regrets...
All they could do was let time conceal the memories, burying them in a broken heart, and let the sands of time carry them away!
"Because, at that time, in my heart, there was a woman I truly loved. I didn't want her to be sad, so I said those words to you!"
...
"Then why are you looking for me now?"
At this point, Xue Shuangjiao's face had become completely vacant, despair evident in her eyes – a despair akin to a dead heart.
...
Wu Tao's expression also turned extremely grim as he spoke.
He looked at the beauty before him and asked with an unidentifiable tone, "Does that question matter?"
Xue Shuangjiao, now a weeping mess, mustered the last shred of stubbornness in her heart and replied loudly, "Of course it matters! This question concerns the future of our relationship."
Upon hearing this, Wu Tao's tone shifted, carrying an inherent decisiveness as he answered earnestly.
"Since you want to know, I will answer you now. My feelings for you are very complicated. You are not without a place in my heart, but alas, my heart is too small to contain too much love."
...
"Then what about me? What am I in your eyes? Even if I die today, I demand an answer!"
Hearing this, Xue Shuangjiao could no longer hold back, tears gushing out, turning her into a weeping mess.
Nothing is more sorrowful than a dead heart. Once a person's heart dies, even if they are alive, they are merely walking corpses!
This perfectly illustrates the ancient saying: falling in love is a lifelong ordeal, while not falling in love leaves a lifelong regret.
This is the fundamental difference between finding someone who loves you and finding someone you love.
And this is the true portrayal of Wu Tao and Xue Shuangjiao's relationship.
...
After a long period of silence, Wu Tao opened his mouth with difficulty and said resolutely.
"All ill-timed encounters are regrets. I can only say that our fated connection in this life is too shallow. I apologize."
With these words, the beauty and the child departed, leaving Wu Tao standing alone in the grand hall.
Experiencing this ineffable loneliness and desolation, even Wu Tao, with his resolute Dao heart, couldn't help but question himself.
I have worked so hard for so long, done so much, yet I still haven't obtained everything I desired. Is what I'm doing truly worth it?
In these hundreds of years of striving, have I gained more or lost more? Or is it that to gain something, one must necessarily pay a price for something else?
Innumerable questions enveloped Wu Tao's heart.
...
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