The Pure Heart of a Child

Seeing Lu Yang react so strongly, it was Immortal Ying Tian's turn to be surprised. "Didn't you know? Immortal's past personality was different from how she is now. "Back when Immortal defeated Kirin and me—who were at the Foundation Establishment stage—with her Golden Core cultivation, she even said with a cold face, 'So-called geniuses are nothing more than this.' "Back then, I thought that was remarkably cool, and I often tried to emulate that aura." Immortal Ying Tian was drawn into memories from over four hundred thousand years ago. In a bamboo grove, he and Immortal Kirin knelt on the ground, having suffered a wretched defeat. Immortal was dressed in green robes and a bamboo hat, her expression aloof and indifferent, her eyes filled with disdain as though looking down upon all living beings. He felt that this was exactly how an expert ought to be! "With invincible momentum, Immortal challenged those of higher realms, condensed the Invincible Core, and then traversed the world with her Invincible Core and Invincible Nascent Soul, sweeping away all rivals and establishing a towering reputation. Back then, anyone who saw her went weak in the knees." Lu Yang imagined the scene Immortal Ying Tian described: at the Foundation Establishment stage, the Immortal Fairy challenged numerous Golden Core cultivators, cold as frost and radiating a chilling aura, condensing the Invincible Core in full view of the public, defeating her foes, and swaggering off into the distance. It actually sounded pretty cool. "Later, she struck a blow against herself, severing her rudimentary Extinction Dao fruit self, and heedful of Suiyue's counsel, regained the pure heart of a child." Immortal Ying Tian looked up and sighed with deep feeling. "That truly made the four of us intensely envious. Who could have thought that even after going through the great catastrophe of her tribe, she could return to that childlike state, reverting to who she was at the very beginning, and attain the Dao of Immortality in a state closest to nature? Only then did she become who she is today." The great catastrophe of her tribe? Hearing this phrase, Lu Yang remembered. The Fairy had once mentioned that she was born in a small tribe. At that time, a battle between a person and a beast broke out, and the aftershocks destroyed the small tribe. When discussing this topic, the Fairy had visibly grown dejected, and out of consideration for her feelings, Lu Yang had not pressed further. From what Immortal Ying Tian was saying, the Fairy's original personality had been the same as it was now; it was only after experiencing the destruction of her tribe that she grew cold and aloof. That was only natural. If anything, it would be strange if someone could remain optimistic and cheerful after enduring such a tragedy. Lu Yang understood. In the beginning, the Immortal Fairy had been innocent and carefree. Later, her tribe was destroyed, drastically changing her temperament into coldness as harsh as frost. After condensing the rudimentary Extinction Dao fruit, guided by Immortal Suiyue, she let go of the past, returned to her original disposition, and attained the Dao of Immortality. "Still, Senior Ying Tian, are you sure the Fairy had a cold face back when she fought you and Immortal Kirin?" Fairy, you were a dignified Golden Core stage cultivator, putting on a 'strangers keep away' face—could you really be doing things like challenging above your level? The more Lu Yang thought about it, the weirder the scene felt. Hearing Immortal Ying Tian recall her past, the Immortal Fairy blushed red with embarrassment. She lowered her head, watching her two big toes twiddling and knocking against each other, not daring to look at Lu Yang's current expression. Only when she heard Little Yangzi ask his question did she muster the courage to raise her head and look at him, pouting as she poked his arm. "What does that have to do with my expression? The two of them came looking for this fairy first! Since my opponents attacked, how could this fairy have any reason to avoid battle? "Besides, back then, both Ying Tian and Kirin were capable of slaying Golden Core cultivators while at the Foundation Establishment stage! For this fairy to fight the two of them as a Golden Core was equivalent to fighting one against two—the one at a disadvantage was clearly this fairy!" Lu Yang: "..." Fairy, you truly think beating the two of them was something to be proud of. Lu Yang had another question. "That's still not right, though. Didn't Gray Doudou destroy the Xinhuo Dynasty? Even the Fairy of the past wouldn't do something like that." Given how cruel ancient struggles were, it was remarkably rare that the Immortal Fairy hadn't silenced Immortal Ying Tian and Immortal Kirin after defeating them. Immortal Kirin in particular was a kirin born of heaven and earth, with value far exceeding any heavenly material or earthly treasure. Even so, the Immortal Fairy hadn't dealt a lethal blow. Lu Yang figured that had it been Gray Doudou, she would have killed Immortal Ying Tian and Immortal Kirin long ago. Hearing this, Immortal Ying Tian also roughly understood that the "Gray Doudou" Lu Yang spoke of was the Lord of the Heavenly Court of the Xinhuo Dynasty. "Indeed, that is also where it gets strange. "Although the Immortal of the past was ice-cold, she was never extreme in her actions and had a clear sense of propriety. My true body, Suiyue, and the other two thought the same, believing that even though the resurrected one was the Immortal from the stage of the rudimentary Extinction Dao fruit, it wouldn't be much of a problem. "After being resurrected as the Lord of the Heavenly Court, Immortal likewise could not remember her original name, for reasons unknown. "The resurrected Immortal was the one on the verge of attaining immortality, so after she was resurrected and gained a physical body, she swiftly brought about the Immortal Ascension Tribulation, attaining immortality through the Extinction Dao fruit. "Yet no one expected that upon becoming an immortal, she would reveal her true colors and embark on a massacre, seeking to destroy the entire Xinhuo Dynasty. "At first, her strength was ordinary, but later, as she killed more and more people, she grew stronger and stronger. "Yet even as the Lord of the Heavenly Court grew in power, it was not to the point where the combined might of five immortals—my true body, Suiyue, Jiu Zhong, Kirin, and Immortal Zuo Shi—could not suppress her." Having spoken to this point, Immortal Ying Tian paused, his tone turning even more somber. "Yet right at that moment, Suiyue died." Both the Immortal Fairy and Lu Yang recalled the damaged Jianmu beneath the Five Elements Sect, which signified that Immortal Suiyue had once fought a great battle before his death. "How did he die?!" the Immortal Fairy asked anxiously. Immortal Suiyue's difficulty to kill was second only to her own. He wielded the Suiyue Dao fruit, capable of rewinding time and foreseeing the future; how could someone possibly kill him? Immortal Ying Tian shook his head. "I do not know. That was precisely when the Lord of the Heavenly Court instigated her rebellion. This thought of mine was also on her hunt list. The situation was dire back then, so I could only hide myself first. "I know very little about that battle. "However, the only one capable of killing Immortal Suiyue would be the 'Sixth Immortal,' who has remained hidden all along. "After Immortal Suiyue died, my true body and the other immortals had no intention of joining hands anymore, each fighting their own battles. "And you should already know the final outcome: the Xinhuo Dynasty fell. "To prevent the Lord of the Heavenly Court from locating my true body through me, I had no choice but to sever our connection. "To evade the Lord of the Heavenly Court, I concealed myself within the lightning tribulations, showing myself no more and veiling all karma. Only when cultivators underwent lightning tribulations could I glimpse the changes in the outside world through their inner demons, continuing like this until today." "Did Suiyue truly perish?" The Immortal Fairy was still unwilling to believe it. She had the means to resurrect herself, but Immortal Suiyue possessed no such method. Coming to this topic, Immortal Ying Tian hesitated slightly. "That may not be certain. "As far as I know, after that battle ended, the rudimentary Reincarnation Dao fruit formed by the Netherworld also disappeared. If Suiyue possessed the rudimentary Reincarnation Dao fruit, then even if an immortal fell, he might still be able to reincarnate and return in a completely new form." "!!!" Hearing this, Lu Yang and the Immortal Fairy were both startled. They seemed to actually know a cultivator who possessed a rudimentary Reincarnation Dao fruit.