Uncle

As Xu Ying passed by Jade Void Peak, he could see from afar that divine abilities crisscrossed above it, and all manner of magic treasures erupted from time to time with earth-shaking might, creating an exceptionally chaotic scene. And the Jade Void Palace nestled within nine layers of immortal radiance appeared ever more sacred. Suddenly, a shrill scream rang out. Xu Ying looked up and saw someone plunging from the sky with a miserable cry, hitting the ridge ahead with a wet smack in a truly wretched state. Yet in the next moment, iron swords came flying down from above with sharp swishes, impaling the man. With each iron sword that pierced his body, a spherical burst of sword qi expanded outward and detonated. The ruthlessness of the technique sent a chill down even Xu Ying's spine. "This sword qi looks like Shi Yuqing's handiwork." Looking upward, Xu Ying thought, *I never expected her to be so ferocious. But when she was in front of me, she was clearly so gentle.* He did not see Shi Yuqing, but he did see two young masters clashing amidst the mountains. Their divine abilities were exquisitely peerless; they were likely sect masters chosen by sects backed by immortals, locked in slaughter for reasons unknown. Xu Ying stopped to watch the battle for a moment, full of admiration. He murmured, "These two possess remarkable strength, scarcely trailing behind Yan Kongcheng and Shi Yuqing—at most, inferior by only a hair." An eager curiosity stirred in his heart, tempting him to ascend Jade Void Peak, yet he kept his promise and headed toward Jade Bead Peak beside it. While Jade Void Peak bustled with clamor, Jade Bead Peak was far more desolate. Along the way, Xu Ying observed numerous ancient structures upon this divine mountain—some were portals bearing heaven's mandate, some were pavilions suspended precariously beyond cliff faces, and some were Dao altars sealing unknown things. There were also statues towering like mountains, most of them toppled over. These buildings had already suffered destruction; the broken walls and ruined ramparts evoked a sigh of regret. He also saw colossal skeletons bearing clearly defined etched patterns upon the bones, which still flickered intermittently after untold years. A few people—whether Qi Refiners or Nuo masters, one couldn't tell—were standing by, busily recording these inscribed patterns. Upon seeing Xu Ying, they merely cast a few glances from afar before ignoring him, returning their attention to their work. Xu Ying also saw a cascade of blood pouring down from a fracture in a giant statue, thick and viscous, splashing into a blood pool below. The pool shimmered with bewitching crimson clouds and mist. From a distance, one could see a seductive flower blooming in the center of the pool, appearing exceptionally stunning amidst the glow and vapor. More than thirty corpses lay sprawled around the perimeter of the pool—likely gatherers who had met untimely deaths before even getting close. To this day, none had been able to pluck it. "A flower irrigated with divine blood is no earthly thing." Xu Ying gazed at it, activating his Heavenly Eye to inspect it closely. He murmured, "There is no way this flower grew here naturally; someone must have planted it to nourish it with divine blood. Anyone capable of planting flowers in Kunlun—and doing so through such sinister arts—is best left unprovoked." He looked around. Could there be others in Kunlun besides the six Nuo ancestors? If there were no others, could the one who planted the flower be one of the six Nuo ancestors? *Come to think of it, is the Martial Dao Great Emperor in Kunlun as well?* Xu Ying suddenly thought of that extraordinary figure from the Taichu World, wondering, *After slaughtering the Heavenly Dao Crowd, did he remain in Kunlun, or did he leave long ago? If he left, where is he now? Did he find a way to achieve longevity? Or has he already ascended?* By the standard span of mortal life, the Martial Dao Great Emperor should have long since decayed into dry bones. Yet having witnessed the martial dao divine abilities left behind from his battle in the Heavenly Dao Valley, Xu Ying felt it was possible he was still alive. First, he had already attained the Ascension stage; his cultivation and strength were unfathomable to gods and ghosts alike, so much so that even heavenly gods had not hesitated to lay an ambush to besiege him. Someone so mighty and possessing such wisdom genuinely had the potential to ascend to immortalhood. Second, he had ventured to Kunlun, a place rumored to possess immortal medicine. If Kunlun truly harbored immortal medicine, he had likely obtained it long ago. Just as Xu Ying was pondering this, a rock roughly a zhang across suddenly swept through the air ahead, startling him. "Mount Fangzhang! Xu Fu?" Xu Ying hurriedly gave chase, only to see Mount Fangzhang flying with astonishing speed. Veering around the mountain, it soon vanished from his sight. Xu Ying hurried after it and looked around, only to find the southern foothills of Jade Bead Peak trembling with continuous earthquakes. At the base of the mountain lay a bottomless abyss of unfathomable depth. Looking down, he saw the spaces of the Underworld and the mortal realm violently colliding and conflicting within the abyss, churning up terrifying subterranean fires. Mountain rocks rolled through the chasm like the scales of some monstrous beast. Vaguely, Xu Ying caught sight of Mount Fangzhang plunging down into the abyss. *Xu Fu came to Kunlun as well, so why did he run off again?* Xu Ying was slightly taken aback. Returning to the mountain path, he resumed his climb, thinking, *The Undying maiden said there were paddy fields here and that we would meet there. But this mountain is so vast, where should I look for her?* Reaching halfway up the mountain, he spotted some rustic farmhouses tucked among the slopes. He knew not who inhabited them, but the houses stood neat and orderly, and the fields were tidy, as though they had been spared the incursions of the Heavenly Dao Crowd. Then, Xu Ying saw the paddy field. In the paddy stood a single golden stalk of rice, bearing an ear of grain on the verge of ripening. Yet the stalk was unimaginably tall, and its ear of grain was astonishingly enormous. The stalk stood roughly thirty-five feet high, so thick that it would take five people to encircle it. The ear hung heavy, each grain of rice weighing over a hundred jin and resembling crystals of quartz, their tips gleaming with a jade-like luster! In the sky, the vibrant sun essence shone dazzlingly, dissolving into motes of light absorbed by the leaves to nourish the rice grains. Xu Ying looked up in marvel. Suddenly, a wave of daze washed over his mind; he felt as though he had seen this very scene before. *Right—my Taiyi Guiding Technique!* He suddenly remembered when he was in the Qi Harvesting stage, how his Taiyi Guiding Technique gathered sun essence and formed a Dao field above his head. Within the Dao field grew a stalk of grain, looking just like the one before his eyes! Once the stalk matured, Dao seeds would fly forth one by one and sink into his body, swelling his cultivation. He had called this the seed-planting method. However, in this paddy on Jade Bead Peak, there was only this single stalk, whereas his Dao field had been teeming with shoots. Previously, he had believed he had comprehended it spontaneously, but now he was no longer so certain. His seed-planting method very likely originated from Kunlun, an art enlightened from observing these paddy fields! *I come from Kunlun...* Waves surged within his heart, leaving him unsure whether to feel joy or sorrow. To have found his ancestral homeland was an immense joy, yet to find it in ruins brought overwhelming grief. "Hey!" A crisp voice called out. Xu Ying turned around to see the maiden from the boat. Her waist-length hair was tied simply behind her back. Her features were delicate and refined, her skin fair, her eyes bright and teeth gleaming, dressed in a light-blue gown that bore no telltale marks of any particular era. Xu Ying moved his gaze from her face to her neck. On the left side of her neck rested a sesame-sized black mole, distinct and clear. *It's her,* Xu Ying thought. As he stepped forward, a massive shadow drifted across the sky above. Xu Ying tilted his head back: a cyan luan bird, resembling an azure phoenix, was circling overhead. Withdrawing his gaze, Xu Ying walked up to the maiden. Following the etiquette Ji Qi had taught him, he greeted her with a bow and said, "My name is Xu Ying, a native of Xujiaping in Kunlun. May I ask the lady's origin?" The maiden returned the greeting with graceful poise and said, "I come from the realm of the Jade Pool of the Western Mountain in Kunlun. My name is Feng Yao, and my ancestors served the Queen Mother of the West." Xu Ying's heart raced, but he forcibly reined in his excitement. "Lady Feng Yao, when did you escape from Kunlun?" Lifting the hem of her light-blue skirt, the maiden walked toward the paddy field and shook her head. "I do not know when I escaped Kunlun. Over six thousand years ago, I suddenly awoke to find the Kunlun Ruins already destroyed and everything from back then gone. Waking alongside me was Qingluan." In the sky, the cyan luan folded its wings and swooped down, transforming into a young girl who looked at Xu Ying warily. She said in a crisp voice, "After we woke up, we found that the Jade Pool of the Western Mountain was ruined, and many members of the Heavenly Dao Crowd were hiding here, trying to capture us. Fortunately, a group of Qi Refiners entered from outside around that time, led by someone calling himself the Son of Heaven of Zhou." Xu Ying's heart stirred, and he blurted out, "The Son of Heaven of Zhou journeyed west to Kunlun, and it was right here that he met the six Nuo ancestors, which inspired his idea of ascending to the other shore!" Spreading her wings, the Qingluan girl took flight again and called down, "I'll keep watch on our surroundings. Don't talk for too long." Xu Ying asked Feng Yao, "How did you two survive?" Feng Yao said, "I am not a first-generation Undying. According to my family's records, my ancestors hailed from Kunlun; they were the first generation of Undying People, and I am their descendant." Her body drifted gently upward to the top of the stalk, where she began plucking grains of rice to prepare lunch. "My ancestors lived constantly beneath the shadow of the Heavenly Dao Crowd's pursuit, hiding everywhere and migrating again and again, leaving few records behind. Yet the Heavenly Dao Crowd never gave up, continuing to hunt us down." Xu Ying followed her lead and plucked a grain of rice. Catching its fragrance, his appetite was instantly whetted. Just then, Qingluan's voice drifted down: "Pick a few more! I'm hungry too!" Feng Yao said, "Let's harvest all the rice. If left here, it will only be taken by others, without leaving even a seed behind." Xu Ying harvested all the grains from the stalk. Piled into a small mound, they floated in midair, suspended by his magical power. Feng Yao said, "Half for each of us. One grain is enough to fill our bellies." She and Xu Ying went into one of the farmhouses. Drawing clear mountain spring water, she set up a steamer rack, placed a single rice grain upon it, and lit a fire to cook. Staring at the flames, with their reflection dancing in her dark eyes, she said calmly, "My ancestors concealed their names and fled everywhere, dodging here and there, but the day finally came when the Heavenly Dao Crowd caught up with them. After that tragedy, only Qingluan and I were left to rely on each other. She is also the descendant of a luan bird from Kunlun, not a first-generation Undying." Adding firewood beneath the pot, Feng Yao continued, "When we escaped, one of us was just a little girl, and the other was a fledgeling sparrow. We knew little of our ancestors' history. Before they had a chance to tell us everything about Kunlun, disaster struck. We suffered through immense hardship, but we survived. Qingluan and I became like sisters, joining hands to eliminate the members of the Heavenly Dao Crowd hunting us one by one." She did not elaborate on the hardships she had endured, but Xu Ying knew her life over all these years had not been easy. "Six thousand years ago, I followed the Son of Heaven of Zhou's party here," Feng Yao murmured softly. "I wanted to return to Kunlun to see what this ancestral homeland that haunted my forebears' dreams was truly like. Although I was extremely cautious, I still drew the attention of some members of the Heavenly Dao Crowd. Qingluan and I fled Kunlun, forced to hide in other worlds. Three thousand years ago, my cultivation finally reached great fruition. Yet when I returned to Shenzhou, I discovered that Kunlun, along with the sacred grounds of Shenzhou, had vanished." Her expression darkened, but regaining her composure, she looked up and smiled. "Fortunately, Kunlun has returned. What about you, Xu Ying? Which era do you come from?" Xu Ying looked blank, shaking his head. "I do not know either. When I trace my own history, I can only trace it back over twenty thousand years to the Great Shang era. Even then, I already existed—ageless, undying, and imperishable." His face remained calm, as if recounting a history completely detached from himself. "I am monitored. Every so often, my memories are erased, and I am assigned a brand-new identity to begin a new life." Feng Yao looked at him in surprise. Inside, Xu Ying's heart was far from calm, as if a bonfire blazed in the depths of his soul. He said, "I don't know my origins. I don't know who my parents were. Over these twenty-odd thousand years, I have spent most of my time living inside the illusions they arranged for me. I've had countless parents, countless families, and countless false memories." His expression turned desolate. "And I cannot even remember those false memories." Feng Yao fell silent. This youth's past was far more tragic than her own. "Perhaps, like us, you are a descendant of the Kunlun Undying People." Suddenly, the Qingluan girl's voice came chiming in. The divine bird, having resumed her maiden form, bustled inside in a flurry. "Is it cooked yet? Almost done?" Lifting the steamer lid, she turned her head back through the billows of white steam and said to Xu Ying, "You were born earlier than us, so you ought to be a generation ahead of us." Sniffing the steam, she grinned. "It should be done! We sisters originally thought you were younger than us. Who would have thought we'd have to call you Uncle?" She brought over the steaming tier, filling the air with an appetizing fragrance. Feng Yao handed a washed set of bowls and chopsticks to Xu Ying and put more rice on to steam. The Qingluan girl also fetched herself a set, sitting up properly with a smile. "Our ancestors said that there is immortal grain in Kunlun, only a single stalk of it, which serves as a natural elixir for immortals." Feng Yao sliced open the unimaginably huge grain of rice and divided it into three portions. Xu Ying dined together with the two maidens. The rice was fragrant and sweet. The moment it entered the mouth, it melted into pure yuan qi that coursed through all limbs and bones, nourishing both physical body and soul—a truly natural miraculous elixir. Even more marvelous was that this power cleansed marrow and transformed sinews, sharpening perception and subtly elevating aptitude and comprehension, making cultivation, learning, and memory swifter. "Our ancestors said that the people of Kunlun ate this kind of rice in their daily lives, though even they couldn't eat it too often," Feng Yao said to Xu Ying. "When I followed the Son of Heaven of Zhou here, I didn't get to eat it and could never put it out of my mind. After six thousand years, my dream is finally fulfilled." With that, she pressed her lips together, suppressing a chuckle. After eating two bowls, Xu Ying felt his vital qi and blood boiling and the yuan qi in his body turning almost violent, swelling so much that it became uncomfortable. He put down his bowl and chopsticks and quietly circulated his qi and blood. To his surprise, he found that these two bowls of rice had significantly boosted his cultivation, making his Golden Core a whole size larger. Looking at the remaining rice, Xu Ying's mouth watered, but he genuinely could not stomach another bite. What puzzled him, however, was that Feng Yao and Qingluan were still eating, showing no sign of fullness at all. Having finished their own shares and noticing Xu Ying had plenty left, their eyes turned in unison toward him. Qingluan said brazenly, "Uncle Ying, if you aren't eating, we'll split it." Xu Ying nodded, and the two girls divided his portion between them. *After two bowls, I could tell my body couldn't handle more,* Xu Ying thought, secretly appalled. *My body has unsealed the physiques of a thousand lifetimes, possessing strength vastly superior to my peers, yet even I couldn't endure more than two bowls. These two seem so delicate, so how can they eat over a dozen bowls of rice and still look nowhere near their limit?* A realization suddenly struck him: *Whether it's Qingluan or Feng Yao, their cultivation is probably far beyond mine! These two little nieces could easily beat me to death!* Qingluan and Feng Yao set down their bowls and chopsticks, still looking as though they hadn't had their fill. "Do you know where the Jade Pool is located?" Xu Ying asked. Qingluan asked in surprise, "You're going to the Jade Pool too? Don't tell me you plan to ascend?" Xu Ying said, "I was entrusted by someone to fetch a ladle of Jade Pool immortal water... Wait, what ascension?" Feng Yao said, "The Kunlun ascension path, of course—Jade Pool, God Bridge, and Jade Capital. Legend has it that tens of thousands of years ago, a Great Emperor of Shenzhou ascended from here." Xu Ying was profoundly shaken. *Jade Pool, God Bridge, Jade Capital—aren't those cultivation realms? What do they have to do with ascension?*