Constant posturing was the most annoying thing of all. It wasn't a lie to say He loved to show off.
But He didn't like it when others could outdo Him at it.
He said, “Years ago, I had an army called Twilight. It numbered in the millions. Even the lowest among them was at the first stage of immortality...”
Xu Xian asked listlessly, “And then?”
“Fanzhou, with its mere few hundred tribulation transcendence cultivators, wouldn't even compare to a small family that has endured for ten thousand years Above the Heavens,” He continued.
Xu Xian said abruptly, “So?”
He spoke with disdain, “If they go up, they'll only meet their deaths.”
Xu Xian looked indifferent, saying nonchalantly, “Whether they live or die, what does that have to do with me?”
The black mist sneered, “So, you, Xu Xian, are no saint at all. You're a hypocrite. You wanted them dead from the very beginning, but you're too fake to do the deed yourself. You want to keep a good reputation and have the world sing your praises. You? Saving the world? Playing the savior?”
Xu Xian suddenly felt bored. Not only could a dog’s mouth not produce ivory, but an elephant’s mouth might not manage it either.
He gave the black mist a deep look and said a single word.
“Childish.”
I can barely look after myself; why would I have time to worry about others?
Is it important whether they live or die?
Each has their own destiny.
This is my fate, and it is also theirs.
In the adult world, one doesn't necessarily have to accept fate, but one certainly shouldn't just complain about it.
He had transmigrated here, and only twelve years had passed. Since entering the immortal sect, his enemies had been everywhere.
The evil cultivators wanted him dead.
The demons and monsters wanted him dead.
Even you, the Twilight Emperor, wanted him dead.
Invincible in the mortal realm,
Yet he had provoked calamities from beyond the sky.
Had Xu Xian ever complained?
Whom had Xu Xian ever blamed?
None of this,
Was truly what he desired...
“You really are stubborn... fine, consider it casting pearls before swine.”
Xu Xian picked his ear, his final bit of patience gone. He turned decisively back toward the mountain gate. “Just do your job. In four days, on the Awakening of Insects, the Sky Gate will open. You'd better be the first to leave. Otherwise, if I change my mind, don't blame me for seeking mutual destruction...”
After saying this, he emphasized his words, dragging out his speech to remind Him: “After all... someone with nothing to lose doesn't fear someone with everything to lose...”
The black mist sat cross-legged among the clouds, rubbing its chin and clicking its tongue in regret. “Tsk tsk, such a good prospect, but such a stubborn one. Sigh... the heavens just aren't cooperating...”
.......
After parting with the Twilight Emperor, Xu Xian returned to the sect.
At that time,
The sect was still immersed in the joy of Lu Yuan passing his lightning tribulation.
Excitement was in the air!
A new everlasting lamp was enshrined on the fifth floor, placed right after Li Qingshan's.
The disciples of the sect did not know that Lu Yuan was to leave with Xu Xian, so they discussed it loudly.
They were all guessing,
That Lu Yuan would very likely be the next Sect Master after Li Qingshan.
Speaking of which, Li Qingshan and Lu Yuan were considered of the same generation.
One was the only closed-door disciple of the Tenth Ancestor, and the other was the chief disciple of the Eleventh Grand-Ancestor.
It seemed fitting.
Of course,
Some said it was absolutely impossible because, no matter what, Lu Yuan was a beast, not a human.
Each side held its own opinion.
Xu Xian heard these discussions but only took them as a bit of fun.
He found Li Qingshan and handed over the control of the newly formed sword peak on Zhujian Peak to him.
He also gave him a storage bag.
He instructed him, “Four days from now, if I ascend to the heavens, the Sword Mound will surely go with me. The spirit, earth, heaven, and immortal swords in the hands of the disciples will also follow. When that time comes, give them the swords inside this bag. Consider it my compensation to them...”
Li Qingshan didn't waste any words and gladly accepted it.
“Alright!”
Xu Xian added, “As for that sword peak, from this day forward, if new disciples enter foundation establishment, let them ascend the peak to claim a sword as before. The swords there were forged by my own hands. Although they cannot compare to the swords of the Sword Mound in terms of spirituality, they are still a cut above those forged by outside master forgers. I have at least that much confidence...”
Li Qingshan nodded.
“I understand.”
Seeing that Xu Xian had nothing more to say, Li Qingshan took the initiative to ask, “Is there anything else you need to settle?”
Xu Xian thought for a moment and eventually shook his head.
With this departure,
He knew not if he would live or die,
Nor when he would return.
More words would be useless, only adding to the worry.
Li Qingshan understood. He lowered his gaze and then raised it again, subconsciously tightening his grip on the storage bag Xu Xian had given him. He said, “They said... they want to see you one last time.”
Xu Xian said, “Alright.”
Li Qingshan asked tentatively, “Tonight?”
Xu Xian said, “That works.”
Li Qingshan said in a low voice, “Then it's settled. At Zuiwan Residence.”
Xu Xian said, “Fine!”
Li Qingshan turned and left. The youth stood alone on the mountain peak. As dusk fell, the mountain was filled with a sorrowful yellow. Though it was spring in the second month, it felt far lonelier than a day in autumn...
Li Qingshan looked back with every step, his gaze deep and lingering. Finally, he shook his head and let out a long sigh.
“Sigh~”
He knew that Xu Xian's journey would be fraught with danger, which was why he never asked about his return.
He understood that ever since the day of the Sword Inquiry across the world, Xu Xian had been under immense pressure, without a moment's rest.
And because he understood, he knew.
Therefore,
He often asked himself,
In the beginning,
Had he done the right thing?
Years ago, Xu Xian had said he didn't want to cultivate because he was afraid of the hardship. Li Qingshan had only thought him young and ignorant, his mind a bit addled.
Thinking back today,
Cultivation was indeed very bitter.
The path Xu Xian walked was even more so...
Perhaps,
He had been right, and Li Qingshan had been wrong...
But everything had long since reached the point of no return. Whether it was Xu Xian or himself, they had no choice but to move forward, forward, and continue moving forward....
Late at night,
The stars were quiet, and the mountain frogs chirped early.
In the main courtyard of Zuiwan Residence, there was a long table and a bonfire. Good wine, good food, and the aroma of meat filled the air...
Chu Yi came,
Kongkong came,
Qianqian,
Zhang Yang,
Xiaoxiao,
Lu Yuan,
And Wen Qingxue...
They sat together, just as they had during their daily gatherings four hundred years ago.
Only today,
There was no more laughter or chatter, and no more chasing and playing.
Perhaps they had all grown old.
So their mindsets had changed.
Or perhaps Chu Yi and Kongkong had grown up and no longer liked to move around.
At this gathering, the voices were quieter than the sound of an insect on a bamboo branch.
So much so that when Xu Xian arrived,
He thought he had come early.
He stood before the door. Just as he was about to push it open, for some reason, he felt a moment of hesitation and stopped in his tracks...
Li Qingshan, unsure if he had timed his arrival on purpose, stood outside the door and teased him with a serious expression:
“Leader of the Sword Dao, Number One in the Mortal Realm, why do you hesitate before a wooden door and a few stone steps?”
Xu Xian looked back and smiled with a hint of playfulness. “Waiting for you!”
The moonlight was hazy,
His gaze was gentle.
Li Qingshan suddenly shuddered, goosebumps rising all over his skin.
He rolled his eyes and gave a light leap, jumping directly from outside the courtyard into the middle of it.
There was more than one path, and going home didn't necessarily require opening the door.
Xu Xian was stunned,
Then he shook his head and laughed.
He thought to himself that for an immortal returning to his residence, that was indeed how it should be.
But...
Today, he wanted to enter through the door.
His time in the mortal realm was short. He didn't know when the next time he would return home would be.
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Several gazes turned toward him simultaneously.
It was the three foodies from the bridge of years past. It was Wen Qingxue, who had lived with him day and night. It was that sect and that generation from those years.
It was still this courtyard, and it was still these people.
Xu Xian couldn't help but feel fortunate. Four hundred years.
Thankfully, they were all still here.
He was grateful they were all here.
He wished they would always be here.
He narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, “It seems I'm late...”
Rate on N.U.
