The burly, towering old man stared at the blood on Xu Ying's hands, his expression darkening slightly before returning to normal.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, back then Ye Chui colluded with heavenly gods and Great Shang Qi Refiners to kill you and your wife. The grudge between you two was something only blood could ever wash clean. Ye Chui knew you were about to arrive in Penglai, so he sought me out, hoping to resolve the enmity between you. But this grievance was far too deep; this old man could not resolve it."
He sighed. Though his voice was not loud, it traveled across the entire Penglai Immortal Realm, heard loud and clear by every Penglai immortal.
"Ye Chui laid a multi-layered ambush, using the reincarnation of your esteemed wife as leverage to force you into his trap. In that battle, he gathered God Kings, heavenly gods, Great Shang Qi Refiners, and several surviving immortals under his command to refine you and your wife to death within the formation. His victory was hardly honorable."
The burly old man, the Immortal Master of Penglai, sighed. "Although Ye Chui achieved great merit, he was never able to return to the Immortal Realm. He was a pitiable man as well—carrying out tasks for the higher-ups, only to be cast aside. He hid here for over ten thousand years, yet in the end, you still tracked him down. Retribution came around after all, and he met his end at your hands."
Many immortals of the Penglai Immortal Realm had felt resentful over Ye Chui's death, complaining that the Immortal Master had not stepped in to save him in time. But upon hearing the Immortal Master explain the karma behind it, they finally realized the deep blood feud and bitter enmity that existed between Xu Ying and the exiled immortal Ye Chui.
A female immortal remarked, "We who cultivate immortality sever karma and transcend the five elements, living carefree and unfettered. Yet Penglai is not the true Immortal Realm after all. Though Fellow Daoist Ye Chui underwent tribulation here in Penglai to become an immortal, he never severed his karma. Now that karma has come knocking, he has merely answered his destined calamity. Everyone, take this as a warning."
The immortals sighed and lamented among themselves.
The female immortal then said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, you are soon to achieve immortality. You ought to know how formidable karma is. Do not get entangled in too many mundane mortal affairs. Should you ascend in the future, yesterday's causes will become today's effects."
Xu Ying bowed in gratitude. "Many thanks for the guidance, Fairy."
The Immortal Master of Penglai smiled. "Fellow Daoist Xu, Fairy Gushe has unique insight into the laws of karma. Why not consult her and let her calculate the karma upon you?"
Xu Ying looked toward the female immortal. She was extraordinarily fair and beautiful, her skin without a single mortal pore, delicate as fine cream, bearing no resemblance to a mortal—a beauty beyond words and ink.
Fairy Gushe curtsied gracefully and said, "I dare not boast. This humble woman has only scratched the surface of the laws of karma. However, if Fellow Daoist Xu wishes to inquire about karma, I can certainly calculate it for you."
Xu Ying thanked her.
The Immortal Master of Penglai gestured with an inviting smile. "Fellow Daoist Xu has just arrived, so there is no need to calculate any karma right now. You two can converse another day. Fellow Daoist Xu, this way, please."
Xu Ying followed behind him and offered his thanks: "Many thanks, Immortal Master, for dispelling the immortals' hostility and saving me from being besieged."
His words were sincere. Even though the Immortal Master's motive was to protect his own prestige from being compromised, he had indeed helped Xu Ying out of a tight spot, so Xu Ying naturally thanked him from the heart.
The Immortal Master of Penglai smiled. "Fellow Daoist Xu, I worried the immortals of Penglai might misunderstand you, which is why I had to explain matters. But I also worry that you might misunderstand Penglai, so there is still more I must explain to you."
He paused, then continued, "During the Great Shang era, you had a lifetime that was exceptionally formidable. You had already cultivated to the Ascension stage and taken the slave girl Yan Bao'er as your wife. The two of you supported each other through thousands of years with deep, abiding love. But Yan Bao'er was not an immortal after all; she was subject to birth, aging, illness, and death. After she died of old age, you and the Golden Crow Jin Buyi searched for her reincarnations, frittering away thousands of years in vain."
Although Xu Ying had not yet unsealed that period of history, he had seen those scenes within Jin Buyi's fragmented memories and knew how arduous it had been for Yan Bao'er and him to support each other through those thousands of years.
Jin Buyi's fragmented memories were collapsing and fading away, and much of the memory concerning him and Yan Bao'er was already missing. Xu Ying even feared that if he could not break the seal on his memories, those recollections would vanish forever.
Yuan Tiangang followed closely beside them, matching them step for step.
The Immortal Master of Penglai continued, "During that time, although you had not broken your seals, the commotion you stirred was immense. The Immortal Realm repeatedly sent immortals down to the mortal realm to hunt you down. It was then that Ye Chui discarded his immortal status for mortality, descending to the mortal world as an Ascension-stage Qi Refiner. After he ambushed you, he was abandoned by the Immortal Realm. To return to the Immortal Realm, his only option was to undergo tribulation and ascend again. Yet he could not pass the super heavenly tribulation, so he had no choice but to remain in the mortal realm. Heh, how truly laughable!"
His white hair swayed as if his heart were filled with endless bitter sighs. "This world is unjust. Those who perform great deeds receive no reward, while those who achieve nothing rise straight to high office. When the cunning hares are dead, the hounds are boiled! Ye Chui quelled the turmoil of Xu Ying and trapped Xu Ying in seals, rendering a tremendous service, yet he couldn't even return to the Immortal Realm!"
Noticing his own loss of composure, he quickly cleared his throat and said, "At that time, Ye Chui was merely an Ascension-stage Qi Refiner. If he could not ascend, his lifespan would soon run out. Left with no alternative, he could only search for methods of longevity. He originally intended to seek out Kunlun to study Nuo methods, but he soon realized there were traps hidden within them. Anglers are undeniably formidable, but that power is like flowers in a mirror or the moon on the water—sooner or later, they would end up as the fish caught on someone else's line. So he abandoned Nuo methods and sought refuge with my Penglai."
He led Xu Ying to the main peak of Penglai and stepped into White Cloud Palace.
Immortal qi curled and drifted here, where many rare immortal plants were cultivated. Though they could not compare to the immortal herbs and medicines of Kunlun, they were still extraordinary.
Some of the immortal herbs were actually sitting cross-legged in meditation, their roots coiled in midair like human legs, bathing in streams of immortal qi as they cultivated!
The Immortal Master of Penglai said, "I took him in and allowed him to undergo tribulation to become an immortal of my Penglai Immortal Realm. My original intention was that, as an exiled immortal framed by the Immortal Realm, he would surely harbor resentment against it. Penglai's resistance against the Immortal Realm needed talents like him. I never expected the grudge between him and Brother Xu would run so deep."
He shook his head with a sigh, then perked up. "Ye Chui is dead; there is no need to speak further of him. Fellow Daoist Xu, this is not your first time coming to Penglai!"
Xu Ying said in surprise, "I've been to Penglai before? How come I didn't know?"
The Immortal Master of Penglai smiled. "It seems you truly haven't recovered your former memories. Fellow Daoist Xu, you came to Penglai back in the Great Shang era. When the Great Shang Qi Refiners and several heavenly gods hunted down you and your wife until you had nowhere left to run, you came to my place to take refuge. However, you didn't stay long before hurriedly departing. Come with me."
He led Xu Ying into the backyard of White Cloud Palace, where several wing rooms stood. The Immortal Master of Penglai opened one courtyard and smiled. "This was where you two stayed back then. Look at that Fusang tree—it was planted by the two of you, and now it stands like a great canopy."
Xu Ying followed his pointing finger, and indeed there was a Fusang tree, though the one in Penglai was much smaller than the one in Yunmeng Marsh.
"Back then, Jin Buyi roosted in that tree," the Immortal Master of Penglai said with a smile. "Revisiting this place now, you must surely wish to become an immortal of my Penglai Immortal Realm. Back then you left because you didn't want to implicate Penglai, but this time, you have no reason to refuse, do you?"
Xu Ying paused slightly. "What does the Immortal Master mean?"
"Penglai needs Fellow Daoist Xu's Heavenly Dao methods to perfect the Heavenly Dao of the Penglai Immortal Realm. We also need Fellow Daoist Xu to join us in resisting the demonic realm's invasion!"
The Immortal Master of Penglai looked solemn. "In recent years, our Penglai Immortal Realm has been resisting the demonic realm, protecting the peace of the heavens and myriad realms. However, the Heavenly Dao of Penglai Immortal Realm is flawed, which prevents our realm's immortals from ever matching the prowess of the immortals of the Immortal Realm. Therefore, this old man has a presumptuous request: please help my Penglai complete the Heavenly Dao!"
Xu Ying replied gravely, "The Immortal Master and fellow Daoists of this immortal realm resist the demonic realm for the peace of myriad realms. How could I decline such an important matter?"
The Immortal Master of Penglai laughed. "For the next few days, stay in your former residence. Once I have made all the preparations, I will come notify you. By the way, ever since you left, this courtyard has remained sealed, and no one has ever stepped inside."
Xu Ying was taken aback, then bowed. "Many thanks, Immortal Master."
The Immortal Master of Penglai turned to leave, saying with a laugh, "Tiangang, come with me. Let us not disturb Fellow Daoist Xu."
Yuan Tiangang agreed, winked at Xu Ying, and followed the Immortal Master away.
Xu Ying surveyed his surroundings and collected himself. After a moment, he gathered his courage and pushed open the door.
The door had been sealed for seventeen thousand years, standing like a portal enclosing ancient memories. Xu Ying pushed it open, stepped inside, and gathered up several fragments of dust-laden memory.
The Immortal Master of Penglai had indeed preserved this place well; no one had disturbed it in over ten thousand years.
He saw teacups and a teapot on the table, the tea inside still lukewarm, as if someone had just stepped out.
The tea in the pot was also lukewarm. Beside it lay an open book. Xu Ying picked it up and read: written in delicate, graceful calligraphy were notes and insights from Yan Bao'er's discussions of cultivation methods with the immortals of Penglai.
Xu Ying browsed through it attentively.
After a moment, he came before the dressing table. A makeup box filled with cosmetics still rested there, giving off a faint, delicate fragrance.
Xu Ying picked up a comb and sat down, facing the bright bronze mirror. This was where Yan Bao'er had once sat to comb her hair and dress herself.
Then, beneath the cosmetic box, he noticed a pressed curl of white hair.
It had come from Yan Bao'er sitting before the mirror, plucking out her own white hairs and secretly hiding them here.
A sharp pang struck Xu Ying's heart. He was an undying immortal—ageless, deathless, indestructible. But Yan Bao'er, who had followed him through all his wanderings, was not.
That slave girl who had been locked in a cage and told him she felt as if she had met him in a past life had begun to grow old, gray hairs sprouting on her head. Yet she still thought of him with all her heart, plucking out her white hairs because she didn't want him to worry.
She didn't want to become a burden to him, nor did she want husband and wife to be torn apart.
Xu Ying carefully gathered the strand of white hair, placed it into his Realm of Xiyi, and walked over to sit by the bed.
By the head of the bed lay several pairs of tiny shoes and an infant's short padded jacket. Xu Ying felt a wave of confusion and panic, trying desperately to recall what he had seen in Jin Buyi's memories, yet he remembered nothing about having a child with Yan Bao'er.
Why, then, were there baby clothes and shoes here?
His thoughts a tangled mess, he walked out of the residence and stood in the courtyard, unable to calm his heart for a long time.
Just then, Penglai Immortal Mountain lurched slightly, as though colliding with something. Then a voice shouted from afar, "The Xuanwu divine turtle has hauled Penglai Immortal Realm ashore! Everyone, drop the deadweights!"
Hearing this, Xu Ying's heart stirred. He quickly rose into the air and looked all around, only to see the colossal Xuanwu beast dragging the Penglai Immortal Realm onto a magnificent, rolling continent.
This continent was dotted with divine mountains, their grandeur not inferior in the slightest to Shenzhou of the Yuanshou world—indeed, the sheer scale of some peaks surpassed even Shenzhou!
The Xuanwu divine turtle was unimaginably massive, stretching hundreds of thousands of feet from head to tail. As it moved, it shook the earth and heaven. The nodules on its back were like towering peaks thrusting toward the sky, its eyes shone like the sun and moon, and the commotion it made hauling Penglai was truly astonishing!
However, the roots of Penglai Immortal Mountain had been submerged in water; upon reaching land, the roots plunged into the ground, making it difficult for the Xuanwu turtle to advance, pulling the mountain with immense strain.
Many white-robed immortals of Penglai flew into the air one after another, activating mountain-shaped magic treasures. When these treasures flew out of Penglai Immortal Mountain and landed on the ground, each one transformed into a mountain tens of thousands of feet tall!
As the immortals cast out these treasures, Penglai Immortal Mountain began to rise gradually, its roots leaving the ground until it floated in midair.
"That's enough!" someone yelled. "No need to drop any more!"
The immortals hastily stopped. Penglai Immortal Mountain drifted over the Xuanwu turtle's back and gently settled down upon it.
Yet the Xuanwu divine turtle seemed to feel no weight at all, striding forward directly into the depths of this world.
"The Penglai Immortal Mountain on Xuanwu's back actually weighs only as much as a single feather," a woman's voice came from nearby. "Carrying a single feather, Xuanwu naturally walks with great ease."
Xu Ying followed the voice and saw Fairy Gushe not far away, standing against the wind atop a leaf of the Fusang tree. Behind her, Dao radiance shimmered like rosy clouds, turning into drifting ribbons that danced around her body.
Xu Ying walked up to her and asked, "Fairy, where are we heading?"
Fairy Gushe was pure as ice and translucent as jade, giving off an aloof, detached air. She said, "This is the Yuanchu Great World. It is one of the most ancient great worlds among the heavens and myriad realms, and also the world most severely invaded by the demonic realm. Penglai comes here to suppress the demonic invasion."
She turned to look at Xu Ying and said, "You carry a demon god's curse on you. Come over to me, and I can help you unravel it."
Xu Ying's heart stirred. He stepped onto the leaf where she stood and opened his left hand, whereupon the black lotus curse in his palm immediately appeared.
Fairy Gushe examined it carefully and said in surprise, "This kind of curse is cast by a demon god at the cost of its life—it is extraordinarily potent. Why would a demon god curse you at the expense of its own life?"
Xu Ying thought for a moment and said, "He couldn't beat me and was unwilling to accept it, so he cursed me."
Fairy Gushe looked up, her eyes clear as autumn ripples. "This curse is exceptionally formidable, and much of it has likely already come to pass. What has already happened cannot be undone, but what has not yet transpired can still be remedied. Let me first refine and extract it for you."
Her fingers formed an incantation gesture as she sketched in the air, creating several Immortal Dao runes and imprinting them one by one into Xu Ying's palm.
Whispering sounds of the Immortal Dao echoed in Xu Ying's ears—mystical and profound, like a fairy murmuring softly, yet indistinct when he tried to listen closely.
Xu Ying was astonished. Watching Fairy Gushe cast her art with utter concentration, he thought to himself, "Her understanding of the Immortal Dao is remarkably profound."
He didn't recognize a single one of the Immortal Dao runes Fairy Gushe was using!
Evidently, the Immortal Dao that Fairy Gushe practiced was outside the scope of his first lifetime's research!
Yet strangely enough, Fairy Gushe's cultivation wasn't particularly deep. Xu Ying estimated that her cultivation was merely comparable to his own with four Nuo Ancestor cave-heavens open.
"Done!"
Fairy Gushe plucked the black lotus from Xu Ying's palm, only to find roots beneath it that were still embedded deep within his palm.
Fairy Gushe channeled her immortal art and pulled the roots out as well. The black lotus let out eerie, screeching shrieks, dark and terrifying, snapping as if trying to bite someone!
Fairy Gushe quickly asked, "What were the words of the curse?"
Seeing this, Xu Ying dared not delay and answered rapidly, "Before that demon god drew his last breath, he cursed me: 'On the ship where you set foot, not a soul shall survive!'"
Fairy Gushe froze upon hearing this, suddenly realizing the truth. She looked down at the Penglai Immortal Realm beneath their feet, her face instantly turning pale.
The fairy hurriedly plucked a strand of his hair, tore off a leaf from the Fusang tree, and swiftly wove a straw effigy from vegetation, wrapping the hair around it and writing Xu Ying's name on its body.
She planted the black lotus onto the leaf and chanted incantations. Suddenly, the straw effigy caught fire, and the leaf boat burst into raging flames along with it, burning completely to ashes!
"That was close! Had we not discovered it early, I fear even Penglai would have been destroyed!"
Chapter 320