Xu Ying asked, puzzled, "'The emerald rock takes flight, the dream of immortality is severed'… What does this mean?"
Fairy Qingbi replied, "I do not know either. I have been cultivating here all this time, comprehending the Great Dao of the immortals from ancient times, and I have sensed strange forces stirring between heaven and earth, as if on the verge of awakening."
Xu Ying's heart stirred, and he blurted out, "The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth from ancient times is about to awaken?"
Fairy Qingbi blinked, looking at him with curiosity.
Xu Ying quickly explained, "I encountered an awakening of an ancient era's Great Dao once before, in the Taichu Great World. The people there called it an invasion of the demonic realm, saying demonic arts had breached Taichu and plunged all living beings into misery. In truth, someone had deliberately awakened the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth from an ancient era."
Fairy Qingbi was bewildered. "Deliberately awakened? Can an ancient Great Dao truly revive and be awakened after fading away?"
Xu Ying did not fully understand the mechanism either, but said, "Presumably so. I encountered a similar situation in the Taishi Great World."
He gave a brief account of the demonic realm's invasion in the Taishi Great World, concluding, "The ancient Buddha Jie Puti, who was suppressed beneath Great Thunderclap Temple, was the cause of that invasion. What appeared to be a natural catastrophe was in truth man-made, born of God King Xuankong's selfish ambition. In both cases, the revival of the ancient era's Great Dao brought about utterly horrifying scenes."
In the Taichu Great World, living beings were demonized. Under the clashes between two divergent Daos of Heaven and Earth, humans, animals, plants, insects, and fungi had all undergone grotesque mutations.
The intrusion of a heterodox Dao caused a collision of Great Daos, manifesting as beings governed by different world laws slaughtering one another, viewing their opposites as demons.
The turmoil in the Taishi Great World stemmed from the exact same cause, resulting in the deaths of countless lives.
Xu Ying continued, "If the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth revives in the Yuanzheng World as well, it will likely bring about similar consequences."
Fairy Qingbi looked at him. "Are you willing to stay and face this revival with me?"
Xu Ying hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "I must go in search of Kunlun. There is no telling when the revival will occur in the Yuanzheng World. I need to find a way to open the other Immortal Realm cave-heavens and prepare for the greater upheavals ahead."
Fairy Qingbi fell silent.
Xu Ying smiled. "I have comprehended the ancestral method of the Xu family. I will pass it on to you so that you can be prepared if the Dao revives here in the future."
He taught Qingbi the complete ancestral method of the six secret depositories and lingered for a time, helping her refine a full set of three hundred and sixty Heavenly Dao flags, capable of forming an intact Heavenly Dao domain.
"Qingbi, until we meet again." Xu Ying waved to her, invoked the Third Heavenly Pass, and turned to depart.
Master Fire Dragon and Han Zekang hurried after him. Fairy Qingbi watched them step through the portal, beyond which heavy snow drifted into view.
The portal shut, and the Third Heavenly Pass vanished without a trace, leaving only swirling snowflakes that dissolved into rain amidst the wind.
"Young Master Xu, that young lady seemed to hold affection for you, yet the two of you keep each other at arm's length without coming together. Why is that?" Han Zekang asked.
Master Fire Dragon frantically shot him a warning glare, signaling him not to pry. Hearing the question, his heart turned cold. *Sacred Vulture Palace won't be able to establish a foothold in Penglai now! Our lineage is going to end with this generation! Wait… even if this brat is wiped out, I'm still alive. Sacred Vulture Palace will still endure for ten thousand generations!*
Xu Ying pondered for a moment, then said, "There was affection between us, but back then, my memories had just been wiped clean; I was merely an adolescent boy when I fell in love with her. Later, when I regained some of my memories, she realized that the youth who loved her back then was merely a fleeting few days in my long, ancient life. Furthermore…"
His expression remained calm. "She cannot be certain whether I still care about the feelings from those brief days. And even if I do, how much weight could they possibly hold?"
Han Zekang was stunned, entirely unable to grasp such peculiar feelings.
Master Fire Dragon piped up, "Then in Young Master Xu's heart, do you care about the feelings from those brief days? How much weight do they hold to you?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he wished he could slap himself across the face several times, filled with secret remorse. *Why do I have such a big mouth? Now we're truly finished. Sacred Vulture Palace will end with me!*
Xu Ying recalled his experiences from four thousand years ago beneath Mount Jiuyi—the shepherd boy, and the maiden grieving over her master's death.
That innocent affection had been as pure as a lamb and as tender as fresh grass after the rain.
Yet in his mind's eye, another figure surfaced: Yan Bao'er, Feng Xue'er, countless gentle and beautiful maidens, all ultimately converging into Yuan Weiyang dressed in women's attire.
His bond with Yuan Weiyang had weathered forty-eight thousand years of tempering and entanglement. It had grown so vast and deep that no other woman could find a place in his heart.
Moreover, on this trip to Kunlun, he would see Yuan Weiyang again.
Yet as he recalled the scene of Yuan Weiyang unsealing her locked memories and returning to being that peerless immortal maiden, a pang of sorrow weighed on him.
In Yuan Weiyang's eyes, he could no longer find the Yuan Weiyang of before. Nor could he see Feng Xue'er or Yan Bao'er. All he saw was an untouchable immortal.
That was precisely why he had departed in sorrow back then.
The woman who had loved and accompanied him for more than forty thousand years was not that transcendent immortal, but a mortal woman who had been captured, suppressed, sealed by reincarnation, and manipulated by fate.
That mortal woman had also been bound by a preordained destiny, forced to entangle with him life after life, becoming his beloved and enduring parting and death in every reincarnation.
The moment she regained her true self, she ceased to be the mortal maiden toyed with by fate; she became an immortal possessing supreme wisdom and power.
Perhaps to her, those forty-odd thousand years of love were nothing more than an error.
Xu Ying strode through the wind and snow, gazing out at the unfamiliar world until the majestic expanse of Kunlun came into view.
He had finally found the sacred mountain of Kunlun!
Looking from afar at the towering, ancient sacred mountain, one could sense from a great distance the formidable auras of the Queen Mother of the West and the gods of Kunlun. Ancient primordial deities guarded this ancestral mountain.
Composing himself, Xu Ying flew toward Kunlun.
*Is Yuan Weiyang still there?* he wondered inwardly.
Yet should he call her Yuan Weiyang, or by another name? Would she even recognize him?
Xu Ying's heart fluttered erratically. He hastily circulated the Taiyi Inborn Technique through several cycles, only then regaining his customary calm and poise.
He arrived at the domain of the Snow Mountain Goddess. She was unharmed and offered him a respectful bow from afar.
Xu Ying bowed slightly in return. Passing beyond the snowy peaks, awakened mountain gods one after another radiated ancient, mighty auras, bowing to him in succession.
Xu Ying was surprised, wondering why they were treating him with such reverence.
Master Fire Dragon and Han Zekang, on the other hand, were terrified. Ever since arriving at Kunlun, the two had been walking on eggshells, dropping to their knees to kowtow three times and bow nine times whenever they encountered a mountain god.
This was the ancestral land of the human race—not merely the ancestral land of one world's humans, but of all humans!
Across the myriad worlds, all humans were said to have originated from Kunlun!
In ancient times, the human race had endured countless hardships to migrate from Kunlun into the myriad worlds, putting down roots across different realms.
Whenever the leaders across the myriad worlds accomplished extraordinary deeds, they would personally lead their people to Kunlun in the years it made its appearance to pay homage to the Queen Mother of the West.
Every deity here was an ancestral god revered by the people of the myriad worlds.
Yet these very gods were bowing and showing deference to Xu Ying, frightening the master and disciple nearly out of their wits.
Xu Ying was clearly the great villain who had severed the heavenly path, the grand devil who had escalated the heavenly tribulations until no one could survive them. Why was he receiving such respect from the gods of Kunlun?
Just then, a heavenly god with a tiger's head and nine tails descended from the sky, landing before them with a resounding thud. His tremendous divine power warped the surrounding space, and his nine tails swayed, resembling the mountain ranges behind him.
"Xu lad, you've returned to Kunlun?"
The mountain god was none other than Lu Wu. Overjoyed to see Xu Ying, he leaped and bound around them, swishing his tails as he laughed. "After you left, Kunlun went through several fierce battles! Immortals who descended from the Immortal Realm hunted me down, so I struck like this, like that, and then like this, slaughtering them all!"
Wild with excitement, Lu Wu reared up on two legs and unleashed a flurry of earth-shattering strikes.
Xu Ying smiled. "Lu Wu, I need to pay my respects to the Queen Mother of the West first."
Lu Wu dropped back onto all fours at once and chuckled, "How long will it take for you to walk there? I'll give you a ride!"
Xu Ying agreed. The mountain god transformed into a golden light, carrying them away with a whistle of wind, and before long they arrived at the foot of Yuzhu Peak.
Yuzhu Peak was the sacred peak of the Queen Mother of the West; not daring to fly up directly, he set Xu Ying down at the mountain's base.
Master Fire Dragon and Han Zekang climbed down from Lu Wu's back with trembling legs, their heads still spinning.
Just then, a small deity with nine heads and a tiger's body came scampering over, heading straight for Xu Ying. Suddenly, he split into nine fluffy little tiger cubs that leaped into Xu Ying's embrace or clambered onto his robes, extremely affectionate.
Recognizing him, Xu Ying smiled. "Ah, it is Venerable God Kaiming. I must head up the mountain to pay my respects to the Queen Mother of the West. Let us catch up later."
The nine little tigers bounded and leaped alongside him, escorting him up the mountain.
Lu Wu's expression darkened, glaring at the fluffy little tigers with an unfriendly gaze.
Halfway up the mountain, Xu Ying encountered the two maidens, Feng Yao and Qingluan. Both were surprised and overjoyed, and Feng Yao quickly said, "No wonder Qingluan wouldn't stop chirping—Great-Granduncle has arrived!"
Xu Ying's generational seniority was simply too high. Originally, Feng Yao had held out hope that Xu Ying was only of her uncle's generation, but he turned out to be her great-granduncle.
That revelation had instantly shattered all her fantasies.
Xu Ying was delighted to see old acquaintances as well, and smiled. "Feng Yao, I have comprehended the Xu family's ancestral method. After I see the Queen Mother of the West, I will teach it to you both."
Feng Yao's heart pounded furiously as she thought, *Great-Granduncle wants to teach me the Xu family's ancestral method? What does this mean? Does Great-Granduncle intend to break free of ritual propriety and take both me and Qingluan as his wives? We aren't from the same direct clan, only separated by generation, so we can still be together. As for Qingluan, she isn't even the same species, so there's even less of an issue…*
Taking his leave of the two maidens, Xu Ying arrived at the Palace of Ten Thousand Gods where the Queen Mother of the West resided. The palace had been restored to its former glory, and the incense smoke qi was steadily thickening—presumably because Kunlun had appeared across the myriad worlds over these years, receiving worship from countless people.
The divine might of the Queen Mother of the West and the gods of Kunlun had also recovered substantially.
Xu Ying bowed in greeting to the Queen Mother of the West. She hastily stepped forward to help him up and smiled. "There is no need for such formality, Xu lad. In the future, you will be the sovereign of another summit, Yuxu Peak, equal in rank to me. Why bother with such courtesies? Enjoy bowing while you still can!"
Master Fire Dragon and Han Zekang exchanged glances, each seeing sheer terror in the other's eyes.
Was the person the Queen Mother of the West spoke of truly the villainous Xu Ying?
Xu Ying said with a wry smile, "Xujiaping has already been destroyed, the Yellow Emperor's traveling palace was ruined in the flames of war, the God Bridge is broken, and Kunlun has become a land of exile. I am all alone; how could I possibly preside over Yuxu Peak?"
The Queen Mother of the West looked at him and said, "Presiding over Yuxu Peak is your Xu family's responsibility. When the human race migrated from the Ancestral Court to the myriad worlds, Kunlun was the most crucial nexus connecting the Ancestral Court to the rest of the realms. Your Xu family does not guard Kunlun for the Yellow Emperor; you guard Kunlun for all of humanity across the myriad worlds. As long as you draw breath, this duty cannot be shirked!"
Master Fire Dragon and Han Zekang stood dumbstruck, their minds buzzing.
Could it be that the great villain Xu was not a villain at all?
Could he actually be a descendant of the most ancient branch of humanity?
Xu Ying smiled. "Let us speak of future matters in the future. Queen Mother, I have returned this time to seek your guidance regarding Yuxu Palace."
The Queen Mother of the West was surprised. "Yuxu Palace? Don't you already have a Yuxu Palace? Isn't it inside that other shore world of yours?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "It is a different Yuxu Palace. That palace was the prototype after which I forged my Yuxu Palace on the other shore."
The Queen Mother of the West's expression shifted slightly. "Have you recalled the memories of your first life? No, if you had remembered, you would not need to ask me; you would have gone looking for it yourself. You went to the Ancestral Court, didn't you?"
Possessing immense wisdom, she instantly deduced the truth. "You went to the Ancestral Court, and someone gave you guidance, telling you to seek Yuxu Palace, is that it?"
Xu Ying nodded. "A man named Daoist Taiqing told me that Yuxu Palace is in the Kunlun Realm."
The Queen Mother of the West sighed softly. "As expected. Is Daoist Taiqing still alive?"
Xu Ying recounted his deeds in the Dao Revelation Ground, concluding, "The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth in the Dao Revelation Ground revived, and as the Primordial Spirit of that place, he was revived along with it."
The Queen Mother of the West looked mournful. "So only the Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit survived. Did that fellow Daoist pass away, or did he truly find the authentic other shore?"
Pulling herself together, she said, "There are two Kunlun Realms. One refers to the Kunlun Mountains here, while the other is a Dao Realm, though that place is already fractured and incomplete. If you wish to go, give me a few days to make the proper preparations, and I will send you inside."
Xu Ying expressed his gratitude at once. After a momentary hesitation, he added, "Queen Mother, why don't I see that immortal maiden?"
"Do you want to see her?" the Queen Mother of the West asked with a smile.
Xu Ying looked somewhat awkward and murmured, "It's not that I want to see her very much, just... a little bit...!"
Chapter 391