Immortal Travel of Longevity

Ruyi's heart pounded relentlessly.

Suddenly, Uncle Chen paused, fell into step beside her, and gently pressed a hand against her back.

It was as if he were telling her not to be afraid.

Ruyi opened her mouth and said, "I'm... not afraid."

"Right, you're not afraid."

Chen Changsheng replied, his tone casual.

"I'm really not afraid."

"Really not afraid."

"Hmph."

"Why did we come here, anyway?"

"To find someone." Chen Changsheng thought for a moment before shaking his head. "But not a living person."

"Huh?"

Ruyi was confused.

They continued forward.

Suddenly, Chen Changsheng stopped in his tracks.

Ruyi stopped as well, turning her head in confusion.

Just then, a flash of lightning split the sky.

"Boom!"

"Boom!!"

Two bolts of heavenly lightning crashed down in unison, striking in the blink of an eye.

Right before their eyes, the thunder and the flash arrived at almost the exact same moment.

Ruyi felt her heart skip a beat. She grabbed tightly onto Uncle Chen's arm, not daring to let go.

Lihua, on the other hand, was shivering violently, betraying just how terrified it was.

It looked up, seeming on the verge of tears.

"I'm never coming here again, never again..."

Mao'er babbled incoherently in fear, muttering a few words before burying its head once more.

It hadn't been afraid before.

But this lightning strike felt completely different.

There was a familiar sensation to it. For some reason, it reminded the cat of the time Mo Yu had taken it to flee the Heavenly Tribulation. It was just as terrifying and alarming.

"There won't be any more lightning. Don't be afraid."

Chen Changsheng comforted them.

Ruyi pursed her lips and lifted her pale little face. "No more lightning?"

"Yes, no more. Let's go."

Chen Changsheng led them forward.

They walked all the way to the spot where the Heavenly Tribulation had just struck.

The surrounding trees had been ignited by the heavenly lightning, billowing thick smoke beneath the falling rain.

Looking ahead, they saw a wretched figure collapsed on the ground, still carrying the residual aura of the heavenly lightning. If she were a living person, she would be on the verge of death. But as it stood, she was a breathless ghost.

However, she wasn't an ordinary ghost, but a practitioner of ghost cultivation.

Three bolts of thunder tribulation had fallen, nearly scattering her soul to the wind.

The lingering heavenly lightning ravaged her, causing her soul body to tremble violently. It flickered between tangible and illusory, as if she were about to dissipate entirely.

Xianle staggered slightly. Through the heavy rain, she saw someone approaching.

She turned her head to look.

And froze.

She watched as the azure-robed gentleman walked up to her and extended a hand.

Xianle parted her lips. She had never imagined that when she finally saw Chen Changsheng again, she would be in such a wretched state.

After a moment's daze, she reached out her hand.

Chen Changsheng pulled her up.

Once on her feet, Xianle seemed to heave a sigh of relief. Her voice was weak as she called out, "Mister Chen..."

Ruyi stared at her, muttering, "A... a ghost?"

.

.

The heavy rain stopped.

The thunder tribulation had brought destruction, but also vitality. The natural essence of the forest flora had grown much denser, coaxing countless tender shoots to sprout.

Xianle rested for a short while, her soul gradually becoming a bit more solid.

Ruyi looked at Xianle with curiosity. She really wanted to reach out and poke her, but realized it probably wasn't appropriate right now.

"Thank you, Mister," Xianle said.

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "This Chen didn't do anything to help you."

Xianle lowered her head, looking a little lost.

This thunder tribulation was something she was always meant to endure.

No one spoke, and the atmosphere grew somewhat heavy with silence.

After a moment, Chen Changsheng broke the silence. "Have you been hiding in the City God Temple all these years?"

Xianle murmured in agreement. "It was all thanks to my royal brother."

She could have stayed in Shangjing City in peace and safety indefinitely.

But after she killed Li Linheng, the current Grand Chancellor, things completely changed.

She had no choice but to leave.

Xianle had thought she was fully prepared. But when the Heavenly Tribulation finally descended, only then did she realize she had completely underestimated its terrifying power.

Years of cultivation were destroyed in an instant, and her soul suffered extremely grievous injuries. She feared she wouldn't recover for at least three to five years.

"Where do you plan to go?" Chen Changsheng asked.

"To..." Xianle began.

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I think I'll just wander around."

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng asked, "Didn't your royal brother tell you to find Prince Yu before he died?"

Xianle shook her head. "He didn't want me to get involved in any of this. He just wanted me to live on well."

She paused for a moment. "It's just that I didn't listen to him."

Chen Changsheng didn't press the matter, returning instead to their previous topic.

"Wandering around is good. You can see what the world is really like. I imagine there are many places you still haven't been to."

"However, you shouldn't do anything that draws attention like that again. Otherwise, your soul really will..."

"I want to leave."

Xianle suddenly cut him off.

Chen Changsheng paused.

"Why?"

Xianle pursed her lips and said, "I don't know how to keep living."

Chen Changsheng fell silent.

Xianle raised her head, looking toward the forest freshly washed by the rain. Many memories surfaced in her mind.

"I've thought about it for a long time, but I still can't understand why I keep living. Back when I was trapped in the palace, having never once stepped past its gates, I just wanted to go out and see this vibrant world. But after I finally came out, I felt lost. Now that I've seen it, what am I supposed to do?"

"Later, Great Jing was destroyed, and Emperor Jing died in that great fire. I secretly saved my royal brother, and from then on, he became my sole reason to keep living. But because of that, I no longer had the face to see you. You gave me the chance to step out of the palace gates, but I nearly dragged that karmic consequence onto you. I had no face to see you again..."

"Although I later suffered 123,900 lashes from the Netherworld Bureau for it, it was worth it. At least that matter was settled. When my royal brother eventually reclaimed the throne, I watched, and I was happy. He was all I had left."

"But now my royal brother is gone too..."

Xianle lowered her head and shook it softly. "Over the years, I spent most of my time practicing ghost cultivation in the City God Temple. Occasionally, I would go to the temple outside the mountains to chat with Master Huikong. Master Huikong said that I had nothing to anchor my heart to, and that if I continued like this, I would only live in the agony of passing time and eventually devolve into a malevolent ghost. He often recited Buddhist scriptures for me to steady my soul, hoping I would soon find something to rely on—ideally, the Buddha himself."

"But I couldn't comprehend those Buddhist scriptures. I hold no immortals or Buddhas in my heart. I am just a mortal—vulgar, foolish, and ignorant of the Great Dao."

Xianle continued, "I'm not saying this to show how miserable I am. I just thought... you are, after all, the only person left in this world whom I can still talk to. Since I'm leaving, I should at least tell you why."

"Just consider me shameless. Even at a time like this, I'm still trying to tie myself to you."

"I know..."

"I just didn't know who else to tell."

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