Feng Yao and Qingluan returned to the paddy field. Sitting beneath the rice tree, Feng Yao spoke to Xu Ying and Qingluan, "Regardless of what that Xu Fu intends, as the Undying People, we must have a place to settle down and establish our lives. We cannot keep wandering forever."
Startled, Qingluan asked, "Miss, you want to return to Kunlun and gain a foothold here? The Heavenly Dao Crowd is still hunting us—they haven't stopped for thousands of years! If we remain in Kunlun, won't we be walking right into their trap and throwing our lives away?"
Feng Yao replied resolutely, "In this present age, the world stands at the dawn of great upheaval. Staying in Kunlun might well offer us a chance at survival. But before that, we must find out what the six Nuo ancestors are truly about!"
She produced the Jade Pool immortal water, tilted her head back, and swallowed it. "When our ancestors fled Kunlun, the stories they passed down to us made no mention of six Nuo ancestors. So where did these six people come from?"
Xu Ying asked, "You suspect the true identities of the six Nuo ancestors?"
Feng Yao catalyzed the medicinal potency of the Jade Pool immortal water. Rims of immortal light seeped from her body, making her clothes appear gossamer-thin, almost nonexistent.
Her flesh grew jade-pure and ice-radiant, emitting a rare fragrance all over, resembling a fairy who had secluded herself from the mortal world.
Strand by strand, her fine hair floated up, fluttering behind her. Her raven-black locks and the immortal light formed a great halo, from which drifted waves of wondrous immortal melodies.
The mysterious power from the Immortal Realm was remolding her body, drawing her closer and closer to an immortal physique!
The power harbored within the Jade Pool immortal water was truly miraculous. It altered not only her physical body, but also mended the places her Primordial Spirit had previously failed to temper, bridging the shortcomings left by her insufficient cultivation in the past.
Even in the Immortal Realm, such immortal water was exceedingly rare. Otherwise, so many mighty experts who came to Kunlun wouldn't have bypassed seeking the Nuo ancestors' immortal medicine to search for the Jade Pool immortal water instead.
"Nuo methods and Nuo arts are the heritage our Undying People relied upon to survive. How could they be seized by outsiders? These six used our Undying People's Nuo methods and Nuo arts to claim the title of Nuo ancestors, fishing for fame and reputation. Perhaps they are of the Undying People, or perhaps they are outsiders. If they are outsiders..."
Feng Yao pondered, then continued, "Then these six are very likely the true culprits who took part in wiping out Kunlun back then! And if they are of the Undying People..."
She said coolly, "Then these six must explain why they managed to survive, and why the Heavenly Dao Crowd never went to kill them."
Immortal light surged within her, weaving various visions that engulfed her figure.
At the same time, the rice tree radiated streamers of auspicious mist and rosy glow, drawing in the world's origin qi and spiritual energy of Kunlun to bestow upon her body.
Cleansing her meridians, scouring her marrow, and undergoing a rebirth with the Jade Pool immortal water would take some time to purge the impurities from her flesh and Primordial Spirit, enabling her to reach an unprecedented peak state!
Unable to spare words, Feng Yao devoted herself wholeheartedly to refining the Jade Pool immortal water.
Qingluan soared into the sky, wheeling in flight to stand guard for her.
Seeing this, Xu Ying knew Feng Yao would need time to refine the water. He thought to himself, 'The six Nuo ancestors hold the keys to the six other shores, so their power is bound to be unfathomable. If the Undying People wish to return to Kunlun and gain a foothold here, relying solely on their own strength won't be enough.'
Far from enough.
He stepped away from the two young women and changed out of his tattered garments, secretly lamenting the loss.
These clothes had been a gift from Li Xiaoke, originally a fine magic treasure that was difficult to damage. Yet sliced by the light of the immortal swords, they had been ruined beyond repair.
Dressed in the plain white robes of the Shang people, Xu Ying descended the mountain.
'If Xu Fu were Master Ying, what would he do? If he were me, if he possessed my combat power, if he were imitating me, if he were Xu Ying!'
He rose tall, riding the wind, and transformed into a streak of rainbow drifting down the mountain.
'If he were Xu Ying, he would slaughter his way through the heavenly road, slay the myriad gods, sever the spirit roots, and sweep aside the heroes of the myriad heavens and worlds in the Taiyi Lesser Mysterious Heaven!
'If he were Xu Ying, he would display invincible prowess, making Qi Refiners look up to him and drawing the eyes of all living beings! He would let the world know that Nuo methods are nothing more than the fishing rod in the hands of the anglers, and longevity merely the bait hanging from their hook!
'If he were Xu Ying, he would tear all this open, bloody and raw, and then smash it all to pieces!'
Xu Ying let out a long whistle like an outpouring of passion. Walking through the air, he slid down the sacred mountain as though treading a rainbow, his mind surging with emotion.
He already understood what Xu Fu intended to do and how he would do it, and an immense anticipation could not help but well up in his heart.
'Can he pull it off?'
His robes snapped in the wind, churning the clouds as he reached the foot of the mountain, the mist carried down from high altitude dispersing from beneath his sleeves.
With broad sleeves billowing, Xu Ying proceeded directly to Yuxu Peak and began his ascent.
Arriving here, he was no longer pressed for time. He took out the jade slip Dao book Xu Fu had given him and studied it closely.
The jade slip Dao book was used to record insights into the Dao. Xu Fu had somehow found this peculiar variety of bamboo and recorded his comprehended insights on the "Yu" character seal onto the book.
"Oh? Xu Fu's comprehension of the Dao of 'Yu' isn't shallow at all!"
Xu Ying was thoroughly astonished. Carved into the jade slip Dao book were Xu Fu's insights into the immortal Dao, containing his understanding of "Yu" as well as the method to crack it.
The character "Yu" meant trapping oneself within four walls.
The method to decipher it was the Dao method Xu Fu had comprehended, likewise inscribed on the jade slip Dao book in bird-and-worm seal script.
As Xu Ying's gaze swept across them, he understood the meaning of each bird-and-worm seal character. In an instant, they transformed into various Dao methods, trickling into his heart.
He was incapable of deciphering the eight seal characters—Ling, Yu, Qiu, Kun, Feng, Jin, You, Yu—on his own. Any insight or realization he had would be wiped clean by an inexplicable force, rendering it impossible for him ever to break free of the seal!
Yet studying the jade slip Dao book gave him the possibility of deciphering it!
Xu Ying opened his mind, his soul arriving atop the Heavenly Mountain within the Realm of Xiyi, before the Jiaji Mysterious Pass.
The towering mysterious pass was like a celestial gateway, gleaming with golden light. His soul floated within the pass and brought forth his Golden Core, using it to execute the Dao methods Xu Fu had branded into the jade slip Dao book.
He began to dismantle the seal that kept his memories, generation after generation, locked away in a cage.
Sleeves fluttering, Xu Ying continued climbing the mountain, while in his mind, life after life of memories awakened.
Scenes from his previous life came flooding in, reminding him of his unfamiliar parents from that lifetime, their day-to-day life, warm and sweet.
Memories of the life before that rushed in, overwhelming him. In that life, he had been a farmer's son, whose daily routine was carrying a hoe to the fields with his parents to tend the crops. Though arduous, his childhood had been joyful.
Life after life of memories poured in—some sweet, some painful, but most of them ordinary, quiet lives.
His memories gradually traced back, growing older and older, soon reaching a hundred lifetimes of memory.
Among these lifetimes, some held memories of him as a Nuo master, though before he could cultivate to a profound level, he had been discovered by the likes of Beichenzi and Fu Yi, who sealed his memories early on and sent him elsewhere to begin a new life.
'I wonder if my memories contain any recollection of that cataclysmic upheaval of heaven and earth three thousand years ago?'
Xu Ying's heart stirred as a pivotal point struck him. He had never been able to figure out what happened during the era of Heaven-Human Induction. Why had heaven and earth been folded and sealed away? Why had all the Qi Refiners suddenly vanished?
Why had what was originally the Dharma Ending Age of Qi Refiners suddenly changed eras?
Ahead of him, a tall young man was also climbing the mountain. With broad, measured strides, he walked upon Mount Yuxu as if striding across his own empire, measuring the earth with his footsteps.
Seeing his unusual bearing, Xu Ying felt curious. Though the man was tall, his shoulders were not broad, which gave him an especially towering look.
Fastened to a gold ring on his shoulder was a golden cloak that snapped and billowed behind him in the mountain gale. Mountain mist drifted through the cloak, curling into tiny eddies.
The man seemed to sense Xu Ying's presence, for his footsteps slowed slightly.
Before he knew it, Xu Ying drew alongside the young man. The youth wore robes of pure black over a white undergarment. He possessed a high nose bridge and narrow, elongated eyes like the body of a wasp, radiating a profound, solemn majesty.
At his waist hung a sword. The hilt was square, like a grand seal symbolizing imperial power. The collar of the scabbard was also square, carved with the patterns of a taotie.
His sword was as long as his own body.
Seeing the man look over, Xu Ying nodded politely to indicate he bore no ill will, intending to pass by him.
The black-robed youth also gave a slight bow, signaling that he too harbored no malice.
Xu Ying suddenly slowed his pace and asked with a smile, "Brother, have we met before? You seem somewhat familiar to me."
A faint smile appeared on the black-robed young man's stern face. His voice seemed to reverberate deep within his chest before emerging from his mouth, sounding remarkably deep and resonant.
"My surname is Zhao, and my given name is Zheng."
The black-robed youth said, "The ageless immortal has appeared throughout history, so it is only natural that we have met. Perhaps back then, we once sat together and discussed the Dao."
Xu Ying nodded gently and smiled. "My memories have been sealed, and I cannot recall many things."
Zhao Zheng said, "When one lives too long, some things are inevitably forgotten; I am the same. In my era, the one sitting upon the throne was not the foolish emperor of today."
Hearing him scoff at the current emperor, Xu Ying could not help feeling a sense of affinity with him. "Emperor Shengshen truly was quite a disappointment."
Zhao Zheng said, "I hear this emperor has already died, slain by the eunuchs under his command."
Hearing this, Xu Ying burst into laughter. "Dead? Good riddance!"
Zhao Zheng laughed heartily as well. "Good riddance indeed! Well dead! His Li clan can no longer hold onto their empire. By my estimation, his descendants are even more useless than he was. Sooner or later, the throne will change hands!"
Xu Ying said, "I also heard someone say that martial stars are encroaching upon the Ziwei constellation, and quite a few people are fated to become emperors."
Zhao Zheng sneered. "There is only one emperor—how could there be several? It only shows they are all a pack of incompetents. Do such people deserve the favor of Heavenly Mandate? If Heavenly Mandate is what they carry, then haul down the High God of Heavenly Mandate and slaughter him, then replace him with another!"
Xu Ying felt these words thoroughly suited his own taste and chuckled. "Brother Zhao speaks truly. Could it be that Brother Zhao has also come for the immortal medicine?"
Zhao Zheng looked up toward Yuxu Palace, his gaze deep and inscrutable, his voice ringing with power. "Back then, I was born at an inopportune time. Today, I naturally must come in person to seek the medicine. This longevity..."
A dark light flickered in his eyes as he continued, "...is something I sought tirelessly, yet could never attain."
Xu Ying gazed up at Yuxu Palace bathed in immortal light and said, "This Yuxu Palace is the other shore. The six Nuo ancestors hold the keys to the other shore and can gather the immortal medicine. But are these six Nuo ancestors truly the Nuo ancestors?"
Zhao Zheng started slightly. "You do not trust them either?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "I don't."
"Nor do I. Those six old ghosts are insatiably greedy—how do they possess the mettle of Nuo ancestors?"
Zhao Zheng smiled. "If back then I had been able to set aside my status like this and speak from the heart with you, perhaps what came afterward would never have happened."
Xu Ying halted his steps and asked, "What happened afterward?"
Zhao Zheng walked forward, continuing to measure Kunlun, his voice floating back: "Does the endless drift of the past have any meaning to an ageless immortal?"
Xu Ying walked up after him and smiled. "Even if you don't tell me, I'll find out soon enough."
His memories were unsealing lifetime by lifetime. Dusty, long-buried recollections surged continuously, soon arriving three thousand years ago, reaching those years of cataclysmic upheaval.
A wave of daze swept over Xu Ying. Suddenly, he seemed to return to Stone City Diqiu, recalling everything about him and Feng Xue'er.
Three thousand years ago, the sky twisted, heaven and earth spun, and Heaven-Human Induction manifested twisted and eerie sights.
A pair of young lovers had fallen in love in the city of Diqiu before this apocalypse arrived.
Over three thousand years and three hundred cycles of reincarnation, his first encounter and love with Yuan Weiyang felt as though three thousand years of cultivation had been exchanged merely for this lifetime of fleeting love.
Chapter 243