“We will meet again!” Shi Hao said, a faint ache in his heart, yet his words were resolute.
Huo Ling’er looked up at him, at the shimmering petals dancing in the sky, tears rolling down her cheeks, yet she smiled. “You should go now.”
Some people cannot be held back, some moments are worth remembering. She did not wail in sorrow but bid him farewell with quiet grace—smiling through her tears as she watched Shi Hao depart.
Shi Hao felt a pang of melancholy, his heart throbbing fiercely. He took a few steps forward, then paused, turning back, his feet unwilling to move.
He couldn’t help but wonder—what was the purpose of this journey? Was his entire life destined to be spent treading the path of cultivation?
If he continued down this road, one day he might stand atop the pinnacle, overlooking the world. But when he turned back to gaze upon the path he had traveled, how many cherished people and moments would he have missed?
Was it worth it?
He didn’t know.
“Go,” Huo Ling’er’s voice reached him. “I will stay here, silently praying for you. May you find peace in this life, may you attain immortality. The world will soon descend into chaos, rivers and mountains will crumble, blood will stain the oars. Do not hesitate. Once you choose this path, be resolute. If one day this world ceases to exist, what meaning will ‘you’ and ‘I’ hold? No matter where you go—even if you leave this world, soaring beyond the nine heavens, crossing the desolate borders, facing calamities, fighting drenched in blood—I will wait for you in this corner of the world, amidst these fiery mulberry trees, silently guarding, praying for your safety.”
Her words lingered as she wiped away her tears, forcing a smile, waving at him.
Shi Hao truly struggled to take another step. This journey—ascending the peak of martial arts, then venturing into battle—would span untold years. He knew that by leaving, he would miss so much.
“Let me take you with me!” Shi Hao said.
“No!” Huo Ling’er shook her head, firm and unwavering.
“Why?” Shi Hao asked.
“I don’t want to be a burden to you. Even if you protect me by your side, keeping me safe for a time, when the critical moment comes, I will only distract you!” Huo Ling’er refused.
She knew that Shi Hao himself might not survive the perils ahead. If he had to split his focus to protect her, the danger would only multiply.
Shi Hao walked with her through the fiery mulberry grove, silent for a long while. But eventually, the time for parting came. He could not linger.
“Take care. I will return!” Shi Hao said, ascending step by step into the sky, waving as he grew smaller in the distance, his figure fading into the twilight.
Huo Ling’er could no longer hold back. Standing amidst the trees, she wept openly, her vision blurred by tears, softly calling his name, waving desperately into the distance.
Shi Hao’s heart trembled. Though Huo Ling’er could no longer see him, his Heavenly Eye allowed him to glimpse her solitary figure beneath the setting sun.
He longed to turn back, but the path ahead was one he had to walk.
“Are you leaving just like that?” A middle-aged man appeared in the sky, his sleeves billowing, his presence imposing without anger.
The Fire Emperor!
Shi Hao recognized him—they had met in the lower realm, where the emperor had once guided and aided him.
“Senior!” Shi Hao greeted.
The Fire Emperor’s demeanor remained majestic, his eyes deeper than before. No longer clad in imperial battle robes, he now exuded a serene, transcendent aura, embodying the essence of the Great Dao.
Yet now, his emotions were turbulent. Gazing at Shi Hao, then at the distant mulberry grove, he sighed heavily.
“Why won’t you give her hope?” the Fire Emperor demanded, his eyes blazing like torches, golden divine light radiating from them.
Shi Hao was taken aback. “I will return—as long as I live, I will come back,” he vowed.
“Then why not stay together now, even if only for a few days, or even a few hours?” the Fire Emperor pressed.
Shi Hao looked into the distance. “I fear that if something happens to me, if I don’t return for years… I don’t fear enemies, but I fear the passage of time, that it will ruin her life.”
“Ruin her life? Do you think by leaving like this, Ling’er can simply move on and start anew?” the Fire Emperor retorted angrily.
Shi Hao felt a pang of guilt. “That’s not what I meant.”
“The result is the same. Even if you leave, Ling’er will never forget. She will spend her life drowning in sorrow. Instead of that, why not be together, even for a day? Give her hope, let her remember!” the Fire Emperor scolded.
“I…” Shi Hao stammered, unable to respond.
He wanted to say that if he fell in battle beyond the borders, his death would only bring her grief. But then he realized—leaving like this, never looking back, would yield the same outcome. A woman would still wait alone amidst the fiery mulberry trees.
“Fine. I’ll go back,” Shi Hao said.
Transforming into a golden streak, he descended back to the grove.
Amidst the trees, a lone figure wept, leaning against a fiery mulberry, her frail form barely able to stand.
Shi Hao’s eyes stung as he rushed to her.
Huo Ling’er’s vision was blurred by hot tears. She felt desolate, despairing, hollow. But then she heard a voice, saw a figure through her tears—was it Shi Hao?
She wept silently. He had already left—how could he return? It must be an illusion.
“May you be safe and well, wherever you are,” she whispered to the apparition.
“I haven’t left yet!” Shi Hao placed his hands on her slender shoulders, shaking her gently, assuring her this was no illusion.
“You… didn’t go?” Her voice trembled as she wiped her tears, her world suddenly brightening. A radiant smile broke through her sorrow, as if the heavens themselves had brightened.
Shi Hao felt remorse, unsure how to comfort her.
The Fire Emperor watched from afar, silent.
“Father!” Huo Ling’er finally noticed him, her cheeks flushing with shyness and affection.
Today had been a whirlwind of emotions—sorrow and joy intertwined. With both her dearest loved ones present, her grief eased slightly.
“Child, since fate has brought you together, do not leave regrets behind. Today, I shall preside over your wedding,” the Fire Emperor declared firmly.
“Father!” Huo Ling’er blushed, her eyes glistening with tears and joy as she gazed at him with admiration and gratitude.
“We are cultivators. There is no need for elaborate rituals. I will officiate simply,” the Fire Emperor said decisively.
Beneath the setting sun, he seated himself upon a large bluestone. First, he had them bow to heaven and earth, then to him, and finally to each other. The ceremony was complete.
No extravagance, no guests—just the Fire Emperor’s blessing as they became husband and wife.
Shi Hao felt conflicted. With his imminent departure, he didn’t know if this was right or wrong.
“Beyond these three thousand provinces, in the ancient realms, you may encounter many women—even daughters of true immortals. I ask nothing of you, only that you remember—a woman waits for you here!” the Fire Emperor admonished sternly.
He added, “I know that once you leave, the vastness of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths will present countless temptations. I do not demand perfection—as a man, I understand. I, too, once had many consorts. But I repeat—no matter where you go, never forget Ling’er!”
His voice grew fierce, his teeth clenched in a father’s protective fury.
“I will not forget,” Shi Hao vowed solemnly.
“Good. Even if you never return, even if you never meet again in this life, remember her!” the Fire Emperor warned, his gaze piercing.
Shi Hao felt no anger, only deep respect for such a father.
Drawing a breath, he said, “Rest assured, Fire Emperor. I will return.”
Huo Ling’er wept. The three thousand provinces were vast, but beyond lay even greater worlds—the Nine Heavens, the Ten Earths, the desolate borders, all fraught with uncertainty. If war came, blood would stain the land. How could they reunite then?
Understanding her fears, Shi Hao swore, “If fate keeps us apart, if oceans turn to mulberry fields, if we cannot meet… I will change everything. I will find you, even if I must walk out from the cycle of reincarnation!”
His voice was soft, yet it stirred the heavens—lightning split the sky, but Shi Hao shattered it with a single punch, allowing no bolt to descend.
The Fire Emperor knew such words could provoke divine retribution.
“Do you believe in reincarnation?” he asked.
“No,” Shi Hao answered.
“Then why speak of it?”
“If it does not exist, I will create it. I will find all that is lost,” Shi Hao declared.
The Fire Emperor waved a hand, unwilling to dwell on such grim matters.
That night, Shi Hao stayed with Huo Ling’er—not for passion, but for companionship. Without shelter or furniture, they sat back-to-back on the earth, gazing at the stars.
They talked endlessly, as if to exhaust a lifetime of words, until dawn broke with golden light.
Reluctantly, they faced each other, speechless. But Huo Ling’er’s heart had found peace.
“Go. I will wait for you,” she said simply, her face serene, her smile pure and radiant in the morning light.
“I’m leaving.” Shi Hao rose, bowed to the Fire Emperor, then to Huo Ling’er, before soaring into the sky, vanishing from sight.
He traversed the void, only unleashing a roar of anguish once far from Sin Province, shaking the heavens.
Transforming into a Kun Peng, his golden body streaked with black, his wings spanned the sky as he surged toward the horizon.
That day, many witnessed the mighty Kun Peng, their hearts trembling in awe.
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