Holding a flagon of wine, Lin Wujiu lowered his head and muttered under his breath, "I know... but I still wanted you guys to stay a bit longer."
Qisha looked up at the sky with a shy smile, his hand draped over Lin Wujiu's shoulder tightening slightly. Lately, he was no longer so averse to physical contact.
***
Li Nanting slept for two whole days and a night, only waking up late the following night.
Seeing the old man's parched lips, Li Guanqi hurriedly brought over a bowl of water, offered it to him, and helped him sit up.
Only after downing three large bowls of water in one breath did Li Nanting recover some strength. He opened his eyes, looked at Li Guanqi, and chuckled. "Haven't closed your eyes for two days?"
Li Guanqi was taken aback. "Master, you knew?"
The old man rubbed the space between his brows and gave a bitter smile. "I slept... yet I didn't."
Li Nanting looked up at the ceiling, his gaze unfocused, his voice rich with emotion as he whispered, "I had a dream. A very, very long dream."
With that, the elder turned to Li Guanqi and reached out to gently stroke the crown of his head. Whatever thoughts crossed his mind, his eyes reddened as he dwelled on them. His thin lips trembled as he spoke slowly, "Child... how have you... grown to look so aged?"
The emotions Li Guanqi had been holding back finally erupted at that moment. He leaned against the old man's shoulder, wrapping his arms around him.
"Mas... Master..."
"I missed you so much."
That night, master and disciple talked about many things—events in the Human Spirit Realm, matters concerning the sect, and everything that had happened since Li Guanqi's ascension. The two sat together on the bed, talking endlessly.
Li Guanqi held the old man's hand, constantly channeling immortal essence to help comb through the power inside him and widen his meridians. Just like back in the Human Spirit Realm, when Li Guanqi would always visit Li Nanting's little courtyard, leaning against his knees and talking about everything under the sun.
Yet at this moment, it was Li Nanting who felt like that young boy of the past, leaning beside Li Guanqi and asking for every detail of what had unfolded after his physical body perished.
Hearing about everything that had happened when Li Guanqi was in the Seventh Domain of the Human Spirit Realm, the old man would occasionally let out an exclamation of astonishment. This gave Li Guanqi an indescribable feeling.
Pausing briefly, Li Guanqi said gently, "Master... you can rest assured about Martial Mother Shen Lan; there's no need to worry. The Great Xia Sword Sect is practically the foremost sect in the Human Spirit Realm now, backed by numerous contingencies left behind by my brothers and me. Even if some conflict breaks out once the Human-Immortal Realm Barrier ceases to exist, with the means we left behind, the Great Xia Sword Sect will have nothing to fear, even if it stands against the entire Human Spirit Realm!!"
Hearing Li Guanqi's words, Li Nanting's heart surged with emotion. He voiced his approval several times in succession and said softly, full of feeling, "To think so many years have passed, and so much has happened. Although with my soul having stayed in your sea of consciousness, after my body was reshaped I was able to see a few fragmented memories, I was still in the dark about many specifics. Good... you are all good children... All these years have passed, and each of you has grown into a formidable powerhouse capable of standing on your own. That boy Ye Feng, I remember he fancied a female disciple from Tianshui Peak back then, but now he's let it go as well..."
Reminiscing about the past, Li Nanting parted his lips as if wanting to say something, then hesitated.
Li Guanqi understood intuitively. Looking down, he knew what the elder wanted to ask. Back on Tianlei Peak, there had always been that fiery, energetic figure. Li Nanting could not help but wonder... after all, if he could come back to life in the Immortal Realm, what about her?
After a moment's hesitation, Li Guanqi told Li Nanting everything that had happened afterward.
Silence fell. After several breaths of silence, the old man let out a long sigh, his eyes turning moist as he murmured softly, "Yun Chuxue... pure and white as early snow. That's good. In truth, it's very good this way... peaceful, safe, and living a happy life."
Neither Li Guanqi nor Li Nanting spoke for a time. Later, Li Nanting asked a few more questions about Shen Lan, ultimately breaking into a smile.
"Well, looks like this old man came up first, while my old partner hasn't arrived yet."
Li Guanqi burst into hearty laughter and could not resist teasing, "That's why you need to cultivate diligently, Master. Don't let Martial Mother ascend only to find you haven't even broken through to the Mystic Immortal realm yet."
Li Nanting's eyes flickered. Naturally, he could feel how powerful his current body was. Though it might not seem all that astonishing to Li Guanqi, Li Nanting knew very well that compared to his former aptitude and skeletal foundation, the difference was like night and day.
The two chatted a bit more about cultivation matters. Li Guanqi directly passed down his former cultivation technique, Divine Punishment, to the old man, along with several sword arts he had created in his earlier years.
Seeing the technique and sword styles, Li Nanting was completely stunned, his heart thumping wildly. "Guanqi... er... Congxin, these techniques of yours!!"
Li Guanqi smiled and waved his hand. "It doesn't matter. Feel free to cultivate them with peace of mind, Master. These techniques are of negligible help to me now, but for your cultivation, they are just right."
Holding the five or six jade slips in his hand, Li Nanting felt a rush of mixed emotions. A wry smile appeared on his face as he shook his head and said softly, "Sigh... as a master, I've been utterly incompetent. But as a disciple, you couldn't be more filial."
Li Guanqi gently cut short the elder's guilty self-reproach. He turned to look at Li Nanting with utmost earnestness. "Master, please don't say such things ever again. To me, you are my master for life, regardless of how much you guided my cultivation. Back when we were at the Great Xia Sword Sect, you protected me and stood in front of me—that alone was more than enough. The word 'Master' has never meant merely teaching me how to cultivate."
At this point, Li Guanqi paused, a hint of regret entering his voice as he added, "Just like Second Elder Xu Zhengjie back then. He was the first senior to take me flying on a sword, and he left an indelible mark on my heart all the same. If only..."
He exhaled softly, then beamed brightly at the elder. "Regardless, everything now is the best possible arrangement! The Immortal Realm is vast, Master. Why not try making a name for yourself here?"
Pausing slightly, Li Guanqi teased with an amused expression, "At just three hundred years old, you're at the prime age to venture forth and make your mark."
The old man, having only recently reshaped his fleshly body, felt his cheeks twitch at those words, momentarily at a loss for what to say.
"Well then... three hundred years old, and I still have to hustle and make my mark."
"Hahahahaha! You have no choice—Martial Mother's cultivation speed is extremely fast these days!"
"Hahaha, then let's go for it!!"
Chapter 1715