Originally, Ning Yitao had already prepared herself for death. She wasn't afraid. She just couldn't let go of the people around her, or rather, she was reluctant to part with them.
However, what she didn't expect was that at the last moment of her death, everything she had done had been broadcast live to the audience across the country.
After Ning Yitao jumped into the eye of the formation, a large amount of faith power surged from all over the country and surrounded her. This allowed Ning Yitao to successfully preserve her soul in the God - Slaying Formation, giving her a glimmer of hope.
As long as the soul remained intact, anything was possible.
Just like Ning Yitao at this moment, she couldn't believe that after her death, she was actually playing chess face - to - face with the original owner's grandmother.
Even now, Ning Yitao felt as if she was floating, and she was at a loss when faced with this situation.
Ning Yitao stared at the old fortune - teller sitting across from her for a moment, lost in a daze. She remembered that when her soul was about to dissipate into the void, the thick faith power had first condensed her soul.
Although Ning Yitao's soul had been re - fused, it was extremely fragile at this time.
The God - Slaying Formation had been closed by Ning Yitao's divine core, but it was not an easy task for Ning Yitao to escape from it.
However, once she had a chance, Ning Yitao would never give up.
She tried her best to escape from the formation that was about to close completely.
In the eyes of others, the formation closed instantly the moment Ning Yitao jumped in. The God - Slaying Formation sensed the active sacrifice of the divine core and forcefully closed the eye of the formation.
No one knew that in Ning Yitao's eyes, the closing of the eye of the formation was extremely slow. In every second of her passing life, Ning Yitao felt as if time had stood still.
But her soul had been torn apart and then put back together, and her divine core had been instantly devoured. Even though she had regained a glimmer of hope, the aura of death still lingered around her, and the intense pain tortured her relentlessly.
Ning Yitao's spiritual power had long been exhausted. She wanted to escape but couldn't. She could only watch helplessly as the eye of the formation slowly closed in front of her.
Ning Yitao felt that every day was like a year. She didn't want to sit back and wait for death. Waiting for death was not something Ning Yitao would do.
If she couldn't get out before the eye of the formation closed, then death was the only thing waiting for her.
Just as she regained consciousness and watched the slowly closing eye of the formation, the only thought in Ning Yitao's mind was that no matter the cost, she had to escape.
Only by escaping from the eye of the formation could she have a new chance at life. Staying in the God - Slaying Formation would only lead to a dead end.
Ning Yitao didn't hesitate to burn her soul at the cost of using her spiritual power to break through the barrier. Life and death were now in her own hands.
Ning Yitao gritted her teeth. Just as she was on the verge of life and death, a black shadow quickly flew into the eye of the formation.
Before Ning Yitao could react, an invisible force carried her soul out of the eye of the formation that had trapped her.
Then, Ning Yitao was shaken by that strange force until her vision went black. She didn't know what happened after that.
When Ning Yitao opened her eyes again, she was in the current place.
Sitting across from her was the fortune - teller, who was making tea.
Seeing Ning Yitao wake up, the fortune - teller smiled and said, "So it's you who used my granddaughter's body for sacrifice?"
The fortune - teller's smile didn't reach her eyes, and the threat on her face became more and more obvious.
Ning Yitao immediately became vigilant. "Is the fortune - teller planning to avenge her beloved granddaughter?"
Ning Yitao felt that her fate was full of hardships. She always seemed to jump out of one pit only to fall into another. She couldn't find peace anywhere. Even if she were to die now, she couldn't rest in peace.
Just as Ning Yitao was thinking about how to answer, the fortune - teller's expression changed very quickly.
The fortune - teller had just looked like she was going to scold Ning Yitao, but the next second, her smile deepened. She waved her hand and said, "Okay, don't be so nervous. I'm just joking."
"However, it was indeed you who used the golden blood in my granddaughter's body. If it weren't for the golden blood and the faith power, you wouldn't have been able to survive until now. You would have been killed by the God - Slaying Formation long ago."
The fortune - teller said these words in a nonchalant attitude, and then she didn't say a word.
Ning Yitao waited for her to continue, but the fortune - teller just played with the tea set in her hand without saying anything.
Ning Yitao's heart skipped a beat with the fortune - teller's words.
The fortune - teller just wanted to keep Ning Yitao in suspense and didn't tell her why she had saved her.
Ning Yitao asked directly, "Fortune - teller, why did you save me? Weren't you already dead? And where is this place?"
Once she opened her mouth, all of Ning Yitao's questions came pouring out.
The fortune - teller leisurely poured a cup of tea for Ning Yitao and pushed it in front of her. She said seriously, "You saved my granddaughter from an early death and gave her everything she had longed for in that world. Since you gave her a new life, I will also give you a chance to start over."
Seeing that the fortune - teller had no ill - intent, Ning Yitao's eyes lit up immediately. She said excitedly, "Really!? Can I still go back to that world?"
The fortune - teller nodded, but she sized up Ning Yitao and said, "But you should know that with your current state, there is no other way but to repair your soul here with me. No one knows how long the repair will take. It could be as short as a few months or as long as a hundred years."
"I'll give you two choices. Either enter the cycle of reincarnation now, forget your past life, and start a new one."
"Second, repair your soul and go back to that world."
Then the fortune - teller paused and looked directly into Ning Yitao's eyes and asked, "Most of the time, it will take a hundred years. Are you willing to wait a hundred years to go back to that world? By the time you return, your lover will have a family, and your friends will have forgotten your existence. At that time, if you want to come back, you won't be able to."
The fortune - teller's tone was inquisitive. She really wanted to know which choice Ning Yitao would make.
Ning Yitao was silent for a long time. Memories of the past welled up in her mind. She knew that she already had the answer in her heart.
Ning Yitao answered the fortune - teller firmly, "I'll stay. No matter what the outcome is, I'll accept it."
The fortune - teller let out a soft laugh and said with emotion, "Then let's see what your final outcome will be."
*************
Six years passed quietly.
Duan Qinghuai took on all the responsibilities inside and outside the Taoist temple. His life was completely filled with work and the affairs of the temple.
Duan Qinghuai didn't want to be idle. As long as he stopped, he would think of the desperate look on Ning Yitao's face when she jumped into the black hole.
Whenever he thought of it, Duan Qinghuai's heart would ache.
The number of times Eve and Henry came to the Taoist temple didn't decrease with time. Instead, they came more and more frequently.
They were both unwilling to believe that the invincible Goddess Ning would fall so easily.
The tears they shed in private and the grief they hid were not washed away by time.
Ning Yitao's name was everywhere in the streets and alleys. She was a well - deserved hero, and people respected and loved her.
In the information age, even things that were once popular around the world would eventually be swept away by the tide of time, but Ning Yitao was an exception.
Her story was passed down from mouth to mouth and became a mythical tale among children. Everyone knew the story of Ning Yitao.
The Goddess Ning who shone brightly in the sunlight.
Duan Qinghuai had been waiting at the door of the Taoist temple for six years like a day, looking at the only road leading to the temple.
Duan Qinghuai was looking forward to the day when Ning Yitao would come home. He believed in Ning Yitao.
Just like always, Duan Qinghuai stood at the door before dawn. He looked far into the distance, even though the morning mist in the mountains obscured his view of the road.
But Duan Qinghuai didn't move a step. He stood there like a statue, just like every morning before, waiting for the old friend whose return date was unknown.
And at this moment, he saw a figure emerging from the mist.
From that day on, red lanterns were hung all over the Taoist temple, making it extremely lively.
There was laughter and joy in the house...
A long time later, Duan Qinghuai hugged Ning Yitao affectionately and whispered in her ear, "Taotao, thank you for choosing us firmly."
Ning Yitao smiled sweetly and responded to Duan Qinghuai's love, "It's you who gave me the confidence, which made me believe that we would all choose each other firmly."
Duan Qinghuai sincerely made a wish, "We will always, always be together. There will never be any separation again."