Immortal Travel of Longevity

Xiao Dongxu had sorted out a few of the threads, but he could not help feeling a sense of bewilderment. What Mister Chen had said to Yu Youyu was completely identical to what the Mister had told him earlier.

For a moment, he could not distinguish truth from falsehood.

Yet, when it came to Yu Youyu being granted Divine Abilities and Daoist arts, Xiao Dongxu harbored a few lingering doubts.

The entire affair seemed to have come out of nowhere.

It was framed as a reward for Yu Youyu safeguarding the Listening Rain Sword, but Xiao Dongxu vaguely sensed that this was not the real reason.

If Mister Chen was telling the truth, it meant the one who had imparted the Daoist methods to Yu Youyu was actually that fiend.

But what purpose could that possibly serve?

Xiao Dongxu appraised Yu Youyu once more. He vaguely recalled that, some time ago, she had harbored murderous intent toward the Human Sovereign. But that was a matter of the past...

Perhaps the true crux of the issue lay with Yu Youyu herself.

Yu Youyu did not care much either. Her attitude toward Xiao Dongxu was not particularly warm; in truth, she had always viewed these upper-realm cultivators with a certain prejudice.

The only reason she remained here was that she simply did not know where else to go. Nothing more.

Once she figured things out, she would leave. She had no desire to entangle herself with anyone here.

...

Mist drifted across the Immortal Mountain, enshrouding it in clouds.

Deep within Tianji Mountain, a thick fog steadily unfurled.

Zhong Zhengyuan expended great effort to climb to the mountain's summit. The scenery here never failed to soothe his soul.

He drew hot water to brew the tea leaves he had brought along.

Sitting amid the mountains and water, he waited in silence.

He sat cross-legged, resting his chin in his hand as he watched the tea leaves unfurl in the cup.

Unconsciously, he drifted off to sleep once more.

Drowsiness.

For a cultivator, this was something that should never appear.

Zhong Zhengyuan could no longer recall how many times he had fallen asleep like this in recent years.

He had finally reached the end of his life.

Cultivators, too, faced an eventual end. Aside from the high heavens, there was no being or entity with an endless Lifespan. Even ghost cultivators were bound by a nether lifespan. This was simply the natural law governing all of creation.

"Huu..."

Zhong Zhengyuan let out a soft breath.

The tea leaves in his cup had fully expanded.

His gaze drifted into the distance as he murmured, "How beautiful..."

He had always been entranced by this sight, entirely captivated by the fragrance wafting from his tea bowl.

With trembling hands, he raised the teacup.

Foregoing his usual unhurried elegance, he downed the tea in a single gulp.

Setting the cup down slowly, he let sleep overtake him once more.

As the sun shifted across the sky, the surroundings began to change. The dense fog fully dissipated, its haze fading away to reveal the truth beneath. The distant ocean waters murmured, and flocks of birds were drawn in by the tolling of the Bell atop the Immortal Mountain.

"Gong!!"

The deep resonance of the Bell echoed as countless disciples gathered across the mountain to listen to teachings and comprehend the Dao.

This was the path of Cultivation that Zhong Zhengyuan had witnessed throughout his life. For his first hundred years, he joined an Immortal Sect; just like those disciples, he diligently comprehended the Dao and cultivated. For his next hundred years, he wandered the Cultivation World, visiting Immortal Mountains in every direction and bearing witness to the peerless geniuses of the realm. For another hundred years, he ventured into the Mortal World. They said the Red Dust was the deadliest peril to a cultivator, but he refused to believe it. Thus, he went, settling in a remote corner of the mortal realm as a fortune-teller. Every day, he cast divinations and watched the rivers and the stars. He remained there for countless years.

Looking back on his life, it had been a rather spectacular journey.

It was a journey he found himself endlessly reminiscing about.

Chen Daoqiu was currently giving a lecture to his disciples. He opened a Daoist scripture, and as he spoke of its profound mysteries, all of its intricacies seemed perfectly unraveled.

"Humans are born to..."

His words suddenly caught in his throat as his gaze darted toward the entrance.

Sunlight streamed in from outside the hall, bathing the disciples in its glow, yet it failed to touch the figure standing in the doorway.

Chen Daoqiu sat in a daze for a long moment.

He stared at the soul in the doorway, unable to snap back to reality.

Zhong Zhengyuan merely took one last look. He smiled warmly and offered a faint nod to his junior brother.

Unsure of how to respond, Chen Daoqiu could only watch in silence.

Zhong Zhengyuan drifted away, fading as quietly as a wisp of smoke.

"May Senior Brother find boundless peace in the next life!"

Chen Daoqiu murmured, slowly lowering his head.

On that day, the great Bell of Tianji Mountain tolled nine times, signifying the passing of a Lamplighter. This senior brother, who had carried the heavy burdens of karma and destiny, had finally reached the end of his life.

He only hoped that in his next life, he would not be bound to Tianji Mountain again.

It was not a good place.

Zhong Zhengyuan's passing did not incite much upheaval. The succession of a Lamplighter was, after all, a customary occurrence on Tianji Mountain.

Far away in the Mortal World, Xiao Dongxu received the letter.

He immediately rushed back in a panic.

By the time he arrived at Tianji Mountain, Mister Zhong's soul had already entered Reincarnation, departing entirely from this Mortal World.

He had missed his chance to see him one last time.

"We eventually found Senior Brother at the mountain's summit. He drank a cup of tea, and once the fog dispersed, he departed."

Xiao Dongxu's heart twisted with grief. He had foreseen this day coming, yet he had never expected it to arrive so swiftly, leaving him without even a final farewell.

A single tear slipped from the corner of his eye, breaking his normally tranquil demeanor.

He kowtowed three times and made a solemn plea, "I, Xiao Dongxu, beseech the heavens and the Heavenly Dao! May the world treat my teacher with kindness, and may he find boundless peace in his next life!"

The moment Xiao Dongxu spoke those words, the clouds abruptly parted, and a radiant light flooded the sky.

It seemed to be an answer from heaven and earth.

Even the heavens favored this Daoist.

Standing within the mountain gates, Lu Shan watched the clouds part and the heavens brighten. At that sight, his turbulent emotions finally found a sliver of peace.

He drank a sip of mountain spring water and wiped his face, only to fall back into a daze.

It was as if he had never truly believed the day would come when his master would depart.

"Lu Shan."

A voice called out.

Lu Shan followed the sound. He stood, cupped his hands, and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Elder."

Chen Daoqiu waved a hand in dismissal and said, "Sensing that his time was near, Senior Brother explicitly entrusted you to my care. For all these years, you have cultivated here on the mountain, yet you remain ensnared by the Red Dust, unable to free yourself. Now, sweeping changes are overtaking the world, and vast opportunities and qi destiny are being born from them."

"It is time for you to descend the mountain."

Lu Shan stared blankly, murmuring the words. "Descend the mountain..."

"The choice is yours," Chen Daoqiu said. "If you wish to go, you may descend at any time. If you do not, you may remain on this mountain and find your peace."

Lu Shan's thoughts drifted back to the sights he had witnessed in his youth.

He remained silent for a long while, unable to formulate an answer.

Chen Daoqiu gently patted his shoulder. "There is no rush. Take your time to consider it—just do not take too long."

With those words, Chen Daoqiu turned and walked away.

Yet, before he had even taken a few steps, Lu Shan's voice rang out from behind him.

"Elder!"

"This disciple, Lu Shan, is willing to descend the mountain!"

Chen Daoqiu offered a faint nod in acknowledgment before continuing on his way.

Thus, beneath the brilliant light of the parting clouds, Lu Shan packed his few belongings and made his way down the mountain.

He departed on this journey to finally untie the knots of the Red Dust.

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