Peach Blossoms

"This..." Qin Sang turned his inner vision toward his qi sea and looked at the grey qi. The grey qi that had resided peacefully inside him all this time was actually the sword spirit of the spirit sword. What was more, it was far from docile, having stirred up waves of turmoil the moment he fell unconscious. "I do not know whether the sword spirit truly recognizes you as its master, so you had best remain on guard in the future. Still, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Once the sword spirit awakens, you will easily locate the other fragments of the spirit sword and assemble this peerless cultivation method!" Qingzhu sighed with deep emotion. He had held on this far precisely to help Qin Sang retrieve this method and foster the next generation. His unfinished immortal path would be carried on by Qin Sang—and with great promise! Qin Sang struggled to digest so much information, unsure whether he should feel excited or merely fortunate. Yet one question still lingered in his mind. The sword spirit had already entered his body before the teleportation—when on earth had he obtained it? It certainly had not been in the Sword Path hall where the ancient teleportation formation lay. Otherwise, since Qingzhu also cultivated the *Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter*, there was no reason the sword spirit would pass over Qingzhu and choose a newcomer like him instead. *Could it be...* Qin Sang suddenly remembered the moment he had been seized by Dongyang Bo and brought into the bronze hall—the place where Chen Yan's master had vanished—used as leverage to threaten Chen Yan. Before that, he was certain nothing had been amiss with him; it would have been impossible for the sword spirit to slip in undetected. Only during that time had Qin Sang's entire body been sealed by Dongyang Bo's restriction talismans. Had the sword spirit been hiding in that bronze hall all along, quietly slipping into his body the moment it finally encountered someone who cultivated the *Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter*? The more Qin Sang thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Upon hearing Qin Sang recount this, Qingzhu mused, "It is possible! The Hall of Seven Kills and the Ziwei Palace both share deep origins with the *Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter* and the spirit sword fragments... Alas, I can no longer walk with you. You will have to explore it all on your own hereafter." Qingzhu patted Qin Sang on the shoulder and gave a brief account of what had followed. "After sending you and the sword spirit away, I originally intended to return and retrieve the spirit sword fragment and the technique. Unexpectedly, the demonic soul grew suspicious and lingered in the Sword Qi Hall, searching relentlessly. Had I forcefully broken the restriction, the disturbance would have been too great and surely drawn its notice. At the time, I was no match for it at all; before I could even reach the fragment, I would have fallen into its grasp. We remained at an impasse until the Hall of Seven Kills closed, leaving me no choice but to give up and leave the Inner Hall first. "Once outside, I searched all over the two great sea realms for traces of the demonic soul, only to find that as its cultivation advanced, the seal began to loosen. Furthermore, it frequently changed identities, seemingly plotting some scheme. The seal would have broken before the Inner Hall opened again, so I had to find a way to strike back. "Later, when the Witch Clan opened the Outer Hall for the first time, I left a jade slip in the Sword Path to lure the demonic soul to Spirit Turtle Island. At the same time, I misled it into believing its true identity was my sword soul, preventing it from devouring me first. "By willingly drawing the demonic soul into my body and personally controlling the spirit sword fragment, the seal indeed held firm. "Before that, I had sent my sword soul incarnation into the Tiandao Sect. If the incarnation failed to break through, it would use Earth Blood Ginseng to form an external Nascent Soul and retrieve the other spirit sword fragment for me, allowing the power of both fragments to reseal the demonic soul. "Yet I never anticipated that the situation would become far more convoluted than I imagined. The demonic soul attempted to release the ancient demon, stirring up chaos throughout the cultivation world and instigating strife among the various factions, while I could only watch helplessly, unable to do a thing. When the Witch Clan opened the Hall of Seven Kills a second time, I meant to use your hands to send word out, but the demonic soul thwarted me. What followed were the events that unfolded at Yitian Peak..." Listening to Qingzhu's tale, Qin Sang could not help but let out a long sigh. He had never imagined Senior Qingzhu had endured so many twists and turns—hardships that surpassed even his own. After a moment of silence, Qin Sang asked softly, "Senior... is there any message you wish for me to take back?" Cruel as it was, Qin Sang had to ask. He could sense Qingzhu's condition deteriorating with every passing breath. "No need to grieve for me! After I die, just send my remains back. They have waited for me for so many years; at long last, we can reunite in the Netherworld. As for Qingjun, there is no need to disturb her with many words either..." Qingzhu shook his head. "To her, I failed in my duties. I was merely the father who gave her life—nothing more." Qingzhu walked over to the edge of Nether Valley by himself. After gazing down for a long time, he suddenly turned and asked Qin Sang, "Devoting yourself to the ethereal immortal path... have you ever had any regrets?" Qin Sang was taken aback, then shook his head without hesitation. "Very good!" Qingzhu praised. He stood with hands clasped behind his back, his gaze distant as though looking toward somewhere far away, tinged with reminiscence and wistful reflection. "Do you still remember the Red Jade Peaches?" Qin Sang nodded. Of course he remembered. The Red Jade Peaches of Jianmen Pass on Shaohua Mountain were sweeter than spiritual fruits. It was from that very place that he had first heard of Senior Qingzhu's legends, and now he was about to witness that legend reach its close. "A pity I haven't tasted one in so many years," Qingzhu murmured. He had searched far and wide for peach seeds, hoping to cultivate Red Jade Peaches on Spirit Turtle Island, but the flavor had never matched what he remembered. Hearing this, Qin Sang suddenly remembered something. He quickly rummaged through his Qianjun Ring and actually found several peach pits. Back then, he had thought of planting Red Jade Peaches at his cave dwelling, so he had gathered a few and kept them all the way until now. Qin Sang planted the pits into the earthen platform and asked Senior Qingzhu to channel the medicinal potency of the Three Lights Jade Liquid within him to infuse them with life. The pits took root, sprouted, put forth branches, and unfolded leaves, growing into a peach tree at a speed visible to the naked eye. In an instant, peach blossoms burst into full bloom! A rich fragrance filled the valley. Soon the blossoms fell away, replaced by clusters of green fruit that gradually donned a crimson blush, ripening at last into Red Jade Peaches! The boughs hung heavy with fruit, charming and bright red! Such a wondrous miracle could only ever exist in the cultivation world. The tree continued to sprout new shoots, its foliage lush and thriving as fresh peach blossoms bloomed on and on. Qingzhu ceased infusing life, gazing at the peach tree in a daze. A gentle look softened his eyes. He nodded to Qin Sang and reached out to pluck a Red Jade Peach. Taking a bite, Qingzhu savored it carefully before sighing. "In the end, fruit grown in haste has not weathered wind and frost." Qin Sang ate one as well and agreed, "It truly falls short of the sweetness at Jianmen Pass." "The finest ones are those you never had the chance to taste," Qingzhu remarked with regret. Even so, Qingzhu finished the entire Red Jade Peach. "Go on," Qingzhu said. With a trace of worry in his eyes, Qin Sang looked at Qingzhu once more, then flew toward Nether Valley. As Qin Sang sank into the Nether Qi, Qingzhu summoned his spirit sword and unleashed a breathtaking beam of sword qi to clear the path for him. He chanted softly under his breath: "*With my sword I cleave the Nether; in my next life, no more wearing myself old over endless scriptures!*" The sword qi paved the way, shattering the ancient restrictions. Qin Sang descended to the bottom of Nether Valley. Just as Qingzhu had said, a portion of the *Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter* lay here. Having obtained the cultivation method, Qin Sang flew back up from Nether Valley. Landing on the earthen platform, his footsteps slowed instinctively. Before his eyes, lines of writing had been left upon the stone wall by Senior Qingzhu: — *A small courtyard, peach blossoms filling the garden.* *A clear pond, flawless as jade.* *A senior sister, sweet sixteen.* *A junior sister, hair in tufts of youth.* *A lifetime seeking the immortal Dao, yet where one's lonely grave lies remains unknown.* *Better to* *lean against hills and live by water, plowing fields and punting boats,* *catching an occasional demon or ghost, casting a lot to tell a fortune.* — Written with a sword, each stroke carried the essence of sword scripture. The spirit sword fragment was embedded in the cliff face, alongside a parting message: *The sword is gifted to Daoist Friend Qin.* Qin Sang saw that Qingzhu sat leaning against the peach tree, embracing his peach wood sword, having entered his eternal rest. A gentle breeze swept past. Fallen petals drifted in abundance. (End of Volume Two!)