Chapter 44:

“Xuechen Xie, do you still want the Immortal Lotus?” Murmuring Ling looked at Feng Xiang’s figure disappearing into the spiritual mist before softly asking, “This kind of immortality is worse than death.”

Xuechen Xie had not told Murmuring Ling that his purpose in seeking the Immortal Lotus was never for immortality itself. To neutralize the poison of the Wuxin Grass, one must consume the lotus seeds of the Immortal Lotus. Although Xuanxin had once said the lotus seeds of the Immortal Lotus were harmless and beneficial, witnessing Feng Xiang’s current bizarre condition, he could not help but investigate thoroughly to avoid harming Murmuring Ling.

“The Immortal Lotus should take some time to bloom; we needn’t rush. Our immediate priority is to uncover the secret of Feng Xiang’s immortality,” said Xuechen Xie.

Murmuring Ling was also very curious; this secret concerned immortality, enough to drive all cultivators in the world to reckless abandon.

“Let’s first find the starting point of Feng Xiang’s daily rebirth,” Murmuring Ling mused. “It should be in the Purple Bamboo Grove.”

The Purple Bamboo Grove was vast. That night, the two of them did not rest, searching the grove the entire night. The grove was thick with mist, and the night was dark with heavy clouds obscuring the moon. In the pitch darkness, they could only rely on their perception of spiritual presences to search.

Finally, just before dawn, Xuechen Xie found Feng Xiang.

Her eyes were tightly shut, her breathing calm, as if she had fallen into a deep sleep, unaware of someone approaching nearby.

“Master Xie, she seems to be both alive and dead,” Murmuring Ling looked at Feng Xiang in astonishment and uncertainty. “If she were alive, she couldn’t possibly be unaware of our presence.”

Moreover, Feng Xiang’s spiritual presence was extremely weak; even Xuechen Xie, with his sharp perception, only sensed her presence when he approached closely.

“She might awaken after sunrise,” Xuechen Xie speculated.

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t she be completely defenseless and in great danger?” Murmuring Ling asked.

Xuechen Xie replied, “But even if she were dead, she would revive at sunrise…”

Murmuring Ling cautiously approached Feng Xiang, gently reaching out to her. Just as she was about to touch her, suddenly Xuechen Xie grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Feng Xiang. The next moment, they saw a thick shadow, like ink, quivering on the grass beside Feng Xiang, outlining a human figure. The silhouette initially took the form of a graceful female shape, seemingly Feng Xiang, but then it was as if an invisible hand kneaded and stretched it, transforming it into the shape of a man. The dense black shadow slowly rose from the ground, thin like rice paper soaked in ink, gently fluttering in the night breeze, separating Feng Xiang and Xuechen Xie.

Murmuring Ling looked on in astonishment at this scene. This shadow rising from the ground was the same height as Xuechen Xie, vaguely revealing a male figure, yet it had emerged from Feng Xiang’s shadow.

His appearance was silent and unnoticeable; even now that he stood before them, he was almost imperceptible. Xuechen Xie pulled Murmuring Ling away not because he sensed his presence, but purely out of an instinctive premonition of danger.

Murmuring Ling had never seen a ghost before, but this shadow before her was no different from one.

However, the eerie transformation had not yet ended. The humanoid shadow rippled slowly like water waves, layer upon layer of thick darkness fading from the head and face, gradually revealing distinct facial features.

It was a refined and handsome male face, with calm eyebrows and clear eyes. Hidden beneath the thick darkness was a tall and upright figure, dressed in a sky-blue robe that made him appear even more refined and gentle. Yet, even when facing Xuechen Xie, he did not seem the least bit inferior.

“You… are you human or a ghost?” Murmuring Ling looked at the figure in surprise and uncertainty.

The man’s gaze was clear as he looked at the two before him, giving no sense of hostility. Instead, he exuded the warmth and gentleness of an elder, naturally inspiring closeness and trust.

Suddenly, a name popped into Xuechen Xie’s mind, and he blurted it out: “Qian Guangjun.”

Murmuring Ling’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Qian Guangjun, the first patriarch of the Immortal Alliance six thousand years ago?

“You are indeed the current patriarch of the Immortal Alliance,” the man did not deny it. He smiled slightly and nodded toward Xuechen Xie. “You are excellent, surpassing even me in my time.”

“According to the records of the Immortal Alliance, six thousand years ago, Qian Guangjun resigned as patriarch shortly after setting up the Ten-Thousand Immortals Formation, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since. From a temporal perspective, this coincides with the disappearance of Feng Xiang Sovereign. Both were peak cultivators of their time, and their simultaneous disappearance and loss of contact were certainly no ordinary occurrence. There were rumors that Qian Guangjun and Feng Xiang Sovereign admired each other, formed a spiritual partnership, and retired to the mountains, but no one has ever seen the two Sovereigns again,” Xuechen Xie sighed softly. “After seeing Feng Xiang Sovereign today, I had this suspicion in my heart, but I never expected it to actually be true.”

“It has indeed been six thousand years…” Qian Guangjun smiled wistfully. He knelt beside Feng Xiang, half-kneeling, and looked at her sleeping form. Gently, he removed a purple bamboo leaf from her hairline, his fingers lingering on her brow, his eyes revealing tenderness and sorrow. He knew this wouldn’t wake her, yet he couldn’t help but soften his movements. “If not for your appearance, I would have forgotten what day it is today.”

“Senior, could you tell us why you and Feng Xiang Sovereign were trapped in Luo Wu Mountain for six thousand years?” Xuechen Xie asked gravely. “Feng Xiang Sovereign seems to be caught in a cycle.”

“Your intuition is strong; your guess is already close to the truth,” Qian Guangjun said calmly. “Feng Xiang awakens here every day, and at sunset, she loses all consciousness and memory, repeating the previous day.”

“So she can live for six thousand years, yet for her, those six thousand years are just one day…” Murmuring Ling’s breath caught. Such a life was too terrifying, and Feng Xiang herself was unaware of it. She always believed this was only her third day entering Luo Wu Mountain. “How could such a strange thing happen? Is it the strange power of Luo Wu Mountain, or is it that Immortal Lotus…”

Qian Guangjun shook his head gently. “The Immortal Lotus contains the secret of immortality, but eating it does not grant immortality. Instead, it allows one to see the celestial ladder leading to immortality. At the end of the celestial ladder lies the Divine Realm.”

“The Divine Realm?” Xuechen Xie’s pupils contracted.

“Since the dawn of humanity, there has been a legend. The Divine Race protects all beings and is worshipped by them. However, the Fallen Deities incited human heart demons and led humanity to rebel against the Divine Realm, only to be suppressed by the Divine Race. The Fallen Deities were sealed beneath the molten abyss, and the Demon Race was born in the Human Realm. The Divine Race, disgusted with humanity, abandoned the world, and thus, there has been no divine protection in the world since.”

What Qian Guangjun spoke of was a well-known legend among humans. In the consciousness of humanity, this world originally had the Divine Race, the Human Race, and the Demon Race. Under the protection of the Divine Race, the Human Race enjoyed peace and prosperity. However, later, due to the emergence of heart demons in humans, the Divine Race grew to despise humanity, and the world became a place abandoned by the gods. The Demon Race grew increasingly rampant, and the Human Race suffered from their invasions, which was seen as punishment for abandoning the gods.

Yet, no one had ever reached the Divine Realm or seen the Divine Race; the legend seemed to be just a legend.

Murmuring Ling was also stunned by Qian Guangjun’s words. She murmured, “So the Divine Realm truly exists…”

She did not doubt whether Qian Guangjun was lying or had been deceived. He was the foremost cultivator of six thousand years ago, the human god who sealed the Demon Realm; surely he was not so easily deceived?

His voice was low and sorrowful as he slowly recounted the past.

This was the first time in six thousand years that he had spoken to someone, revealing the greatest secret of the world.

“Above the snowline of Luo Wu Mountain lies the celestial ladder leading to the Divine Realm. Only by consuming the Immortal Lotus can one attain a body capable of ascending the celestial ladder.

“Do you see those drifting white clouds at the mountain waist? The Celestial Palace is hidden among the clouds, snow peaks, and mist. It is a place forbidden to cultivation techniques; cultivators’ spiritual channels are sealed, and they can only rely on their physical strength to endure the fierce cold winds. If one below the level of a Law Manifestation cultivator is touched even slightly, they will turn to ashes. Even Law Manifestation cultivators must endure the excruciating pain of being flayed alive, walking thirty-eight thousand steps up the celestial ladder to reach the Celestial Palace.

“That is where the Divine Race resides, also known as the Divine Realm in the mouths of the people.

“Deep within the sea of clouds lies a divine temple, and within it resides a divine official known as the Wheel Mirror Supreme God, the god of time in the Divine Realm. He said he had been waiting there for tens of thousands of years for someone. Perhaps it was a person, or perhaps not. He is a kind god; whoever reaches him can make a wish, but the God of Destiny will exact a price.

“Six thousand years ago, Feng Xiang consumed the Immortal Lotus and, enduring the pain of a thousand cuts, wished for immortality from the Wheel Mirror Supreme God.

“And day after day of rebirth became the price exacted by the God of Destiny.”

Qian Guangjun’s calm narration stirred a storm in the hearts of Xuechen Xie and Murmuring Ling. The summit of Luo Wu Mountain, the Celestial Palace and divine temple, immortality, and endless cycles… all of these were divine miracles, evidence of the Divine Race’s former existence.

No, the Divine Race still exists!

Xuechen Xie looked at Qian Guangjun and said solemnly, “You also made a wish to the Wheel Mirror Supreme God.”

Qian Guangjun nodded slightly. “It was the second year after Feng Xiang left. I traveled the world and finally found her here.”

At that time, he thought he had found Feng Xiang, and everything could start anew, but it was already too late. He repeatedly tried to save her, only to lose her again and again, day after day, trapped in the same cycle with her. He had once tried to take her away from here, but as soon as the golden crow set, she would vanish, returning to the Purple Bamboo Grove, only to awaken again at dawn, forgetting everything and starting anew.

He had spent a hundred years in that valley with her, just as she had once accompanied him for tens of thousands of days. Thirty-six thousand days later, he waited for the Immortal Lotus to bloom again. This time, he consumed the Immortal Lotus, saw the white celestial ladder appear in the void, and walked the path that Feng Xiang had once taken.

He arrived at the temple, battered and bloodied. The noble and dignified divine official in the temple smiled gently, unraveling the mystery surrounding Feng Xiang.

“A hundred years ago, she came here just like you. She wished for immortality, and I granted it to her,” the Wheel Mirror Supreme God smiled compassionately. “This god is kind-hearted and always willing to fulfill others’ wishes. However, the God of Destiny often interferes, sometimes exacting a price. The more extraordinary the wish, the greater the price will be. Do you understand?”

Qian Guangjun’s face darkened with sadness. “So Feng Xiang’s life has forever remained on that day.”

“Isn’t that a kind of immortality?” the Wheel Mirror Supreme God smiled. “She got what she wished for. So, what is your wish?”

“Can you let her escape this ‘immortality’?” Qian Guangjun asked.

“A wish that has been fulfilled cannot be changed,” the Wheel Mirror Supreme God’s smile faded, and he spoke solemnly. “Otherwise, wouldn’t this god be breaking faith with her?”

“Can you restore her memories?”

“That is the God of Destiny’s matter. The price he has exacted cannot be returned,” the Wheel Mirror Supreme God replied. “You should still carefully consider your wish. This god does not have much patience.”

Finally, Qian Guangjun made his wish.

“I wish to be bound to her in life and death, never to part.”

He became her shadow, staying as close to her as possible, but she would never know.

“Qian Guangjun, you and Feng Xiang Sovereign… were you originally spiritual partners?” Murmuring Ling asked.

Qian Guangjun lowered his eyes in sorrow, bitterly saying, “I wronged her…”

Before meeting Feng Xiang Sovereign, Qian Guangjun had long admired her reputation.

In those years, as the Demon Race ravaged the Shen Zhou continent, he traveled far and wide, eliminating demons and upholding the Dao, often hearing people speak of Feng Xiang’s revered name. They said she was extraordinarily talented, famous from a young age, and had created the divine technique ‘Fire Phoenix Scorching the Plains,’ which terrified the Demon Race. Many revered cultivators in the cultivation world had openly or subtly expressed admiration for her, hoping to form a spiritual partnership with her for dual cultivation. But that person was famously cold and heartless, giving no one face, devoted to cultivation, untouched by love or karma.

He, like the rest of the world, thought she was a cold and heartless person. However, after spending more time with her, he realized—she was even more unapproachable than the legends suggested.

“Dual cultivation with a useless person will only hinder my cultivation speed,” she said, dressed in flamboyant red robes, her eyes and brows cold and proud, showing a hint of annoyance. “Men are truly troublesome things.”

Qian Guangjun awkwardly smiled and rubbed his nose.

Feng Xiang glanced at him sideways. “You’re different from them.”

He felt a strange sense of joy in his heart.

“You’re a foolish person,” Feng Xiang said. “Your talent is still above mine. If you focus on cultivation, perhaps one day you can break through the peak of Law Manifestation and find the path to immortality. But you insist on devoting your heart to eliminating demons and upholding the Dao, entangled in trivial matters, your cultivation heart is not pure, and your progress is limited.”

Qian Guangjun smiled. “The purpose of a Sovereign’s cultivation is to explore the limits of humanity, while my cultivation is simply to maintain peace in this land. I have no interest in immortality; I only seek to do as much good for humanity as possible within my limited lifespan.”

Although Feng Xiang scoffed at his cultivation philosophy, she respected his persistence. Perhaps because Qian Guangjun never showed her any affection or entanglement, she was willing to stay with him. He had a strange affinity; being with him made her feel inexplicably calm and peaceful. She had originally been an observer of this mortal world, solely focused on cultivation. Somehow, she gradually picked up his bad habits, joining him in punishing the wicked and helping the needy. When a mountain flood broke out, she watched him struggle to save people from the floodwaters, covered in mud and filth, without the haughty demeanor of a cultivator. When an epidemic spread, he traveled far and wide to treat patients, unafraid of their festering wounds, personally applying medicine and saving countless lives. When the Demon Race attacked a city, he alone with his sword faced thousands of demon soldiers, unafraid of death…

She was always sarcastic, accusing him of disgracing the dignity of a cultivator. Yet when he rescued people from floods, she silently tended to the wounded with a cold expression. When he traveled across the land healing others, she awkwardly cradled and comforted crying children. When he fought fiercely against the demonic clans, nearly losing his life, she rushed into the fray with bloodshot eyes and saved him at the cost of her own safety…

They continued like this for decades, nearly traveling every inch of the Divine Continent. He had long grown accustomed to the presence of that red-robed figure behind him—the one to whom he could entrust his life.

Yet, somehow, they gradually drifted apart…

The myriad sects of the Immortal Path were like scattered sand, while the demonic forces grew stronger day by day. He shuttled between sects, persuading them to unite, and eventually forged countless immortal sects into an alliance. Naturally, he was elected as the Supreme Leader of the Immortal Alliance. Someone once asked him whether he and Feng Xiang, the Venerated One, who was always by his side, had become Dao companions.

He remained silent for a moment before smiling and replying, “The Venerated One Feng Xiang is a being like a deity… how can I possibly dare to disrespect her?”

The other person sighed in relief and laughed, “Since the Sect Leader has no Dao companion yet, how about my younger sister—what do you think of her?”

He could not help but smile bitterly and politely declined the offer. His heart already belonged to someone else, yet that someone had never shown any romantic interest in him.

They had been together for decades, yet she had never once revealed any affection towards him. She was a phoenix soaring through the heavens, and he could only regard her as a dream he dared not profane.

With increasing duties as the leader of the Immortal Alliance, he became busier, and she appeared less and less often. Eventually, he heard from others that she had gone into retreat at the Eastern Sea, without even saying a word to him before leaving. So, after all those years of companionship, to her, it had meant so little…

They met again ten years later. She had come to assist in forming the Ten-Thousand Immortals Formation, and due to her profound cultivation, she was honored as one of the Ten Venerated Ones. She sat beside him, yet she was as distant as if they had just met.

“Venerated One Feng Xiang… have you been well these years at Lingju Island?” He gently stopped her when no one else was around.

She looked up at him indifferently and replied, “I appreciate the Sect Leader’s concern. I have been fine.”

Then she walked past him without a second glance…

It turned out those decades had merely been part of Feng Xiang’s cultivation journey, while for him, it had been a dream he could never let go.

He slowly clenched his fists, not calling her back, because he knew—he was unworthy.

During the formation of the Ten-Thousand Immortals Formation, ten Venerated Ones were each to occupy a star position, bearing the backlash of the formation to bind it together into a net capable of suppressing the demonic realm. Among the ten star positions, one was the Death Gate. The person guarding it would bear an overwhelming, deadly force.

He had chosen the Death Gate for himself.

He had considered, before his death, finally confessing his feelings to her. It might have earned him her scorn, or perhaps her annoyance and avoidance, or perhaps… she might have felt something different for him, might have been moved by his affection, might have grieved for his death.

But what would it change? Since he had no path to survival, why should he burden her with more unhappiness?

Within the Ten-Thousand Immortals Formation, fiery torment scorched his body and heavenly lightning shattered his bones. He gritted his teeth and endured it all. The formation was successfully completed, the demonic realm was sealed, and he miraculously survived. After several days of unconsciousness, he finally awoke and immediately inquired about Feng Xiang.

He was told, “Venerated One Feng Xiang was gravely injured and has already returned to Lingju Island for retreat.”

He was astonished. “Given Feng Xiang’s cultivation, she should not have suffered such severe injuries.”

“Half of the Venerated Ones at the other star positions perished. How could the Death Gate be any different? No matter how high Feng Xiang’s cultivation is, how could she withstand the heavenly tribulation of ten thousand lightning strikes—the very kind used to slay deities?”

“What…?” His heart turned cold, his voice trembling slightly. “But I clearly entered the Death Gate…”

The speaker’s eyes flickered, hesitating before murmuring, “Venerated One Feng Xiang… volunteered for the Death Gate. She secretly altered the formation chart and asked me to hide this from you. She said her cultivation surpassed yours, and only she could endure the Death Gate’s tribulation and complete the formation.”

A sudden sharp pain pierced his chest, blood rising to his throat. He blacked out momentarily, but in that darkness, he suddenly understood so much.

Feng Xiang… Feng Xiang…

He struggled to rise, ignoring everyone’s attempts to stop him, and flew to Lingju Island despite his weakened state.

The disciples of Lingju Island greeted him with a mix of respect and resentment, coldly informing him, “Our Venerated One has not returned.”

“Then where could she have gone?” He asked, dazed.

“We do not know,” the disciple replied flatly. “Her heart has never belonged to Lingju Island. If she chooses to leave, we cannot stop her.”

Then where did her heart belong…

Feng Xiang’s disciples glared at him, each word cutting deep into his soul.

“Since the Sect Leader has no feelings for our Venerated One, why pretend to care now? She gave her life for the formation, never expecting your return. If you truly understood her feelings ten years ago, you would have known. How could someone as proud and noble as her stay by your side for decades without any reason? The entire world praises you for your benevolence and concern for all beings, but who ever acknowledges her? She followed you without seeking fame or fortune, sacrificing her cultivation and wasting her years. Tell me, why do you think she did that?”

Why…?

He had never truly considered it. Perhaps because he was afraid to. How could he not love Feng Xiang? But love had made him timid. She had said he was different from others, that he never pursued or clung to her. If he had confessed his feelings, wouldn’t he have been no different from the rest? He was simply afraid of losing her…

—”The Venerated One Feng Xiang is a being like a deity… how could I possibly dare to disrespect her.”

It turned out she had heard that…

But she had never heard his heart’s voice—the longing and desire he had hidden for decades, a devotion that had begun the moment he first saw her.

Her pride, his timidity—they had cost him her forever. Even when standing side by side, inseparable in form, they could never truly touch or feel each other.

Her immortality lasted only a single day, while he had counted six thousand years of blooming and withering flowers. He silently watched from her shadow, and only in the starless, moonless nights could he briefly emerge from her shadow to touch her sleeping face.

They had once shared sweet moments together, during the more than thirty thousand days since their reunion. He stayed by her side, waiting for her to wake each morning, only for her to forget everything from the day before. He would patiently tell her again and again:

—”Feng Xiang, I love you, from the moment I first saw you.”

—”Can you forgive my foolishness and timidity? Can we start over?”

She would forgive him again and again, awkwardly kissing him, blushing as she scolded him for being so skilled—was it because he had taken another Dao companion?

He could only smile bitterly. Another Dao companion? No, it was simply that over those thirty thousand days, he had repeated the same confessions and entanglements so many times that he had become skilled through repetition.

But in the end, Feng Xiang would always forget that he loved her.

He wished he had never ascended the Celestial Ladder, so that he could have a thousand years of companionship with her. But if he had never ascended, he would have hated to see her alone, endlessly reborn in the mortal world.

It was all his fault. Why had Feng Xiang suffered so much…

“Longevity is the dominion of the divine, an aspiration mortals should not covet. Such immortality is a punishment,” Qian Guangjun said bitterly with a smile. “Do you know? The core of the Immortality Lotus is also known as the Bitterness of All Beings. The Heart-Enlightening Grass is poison, while the Immortality Lotus is the true remedy. People believe that severing emotions and desires is the path to ultimate enlightenment. But true enlightenment is to endure the suffering of all beings, to shed the tears of all beings, and still hold compassion in your heart—to still love this mortal world. That is true enlightenment.”

“All the Immortality Lotuses she has bloomed over the years have been plucked, but she always forgets. The Celestial Ladder opens only once for each person. After that, no matter how many Immortality Lotuses she consumes, she can never ascend to immortality or glimpse the Heavenly Palace. I know what you seek—the core of the Immortality Lotus to counteract the poison of the Heart-Enlightening Grass. All the lotus cores Feng Xiang left behind, I have buried here.”

As he spoke, Qian Guangjun pointed to a nearby green stone. Xuechen Xie walked to the stone, swept his sleeve aside, and revealed a hidden cave beneath it. Inside was a white silk pouch filled with bright red lotus cores, exuding a faintly bitter fragrance. Each lotus core represented two hundred years of time.

“To endure the bitterness of all beings—that is true enlightenment,” Qian Guangjun said. “Take these lotus cores with you. Leave this place and never return.”

Xuanling Mu felt a heavy weight in her heart, almost suffocating. How had Qian Guangjun endured these six thousand years…

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Xuanling Mu asked softly.

Qian Guangjun looked at her and smiled faintly. “This is the power of the divine. No one can interfere. I appreciate your goodwill.”

Xuechen Xie took a lotus core from the pouch and returned to Xuanling Mu’s side.

“Qian Guangjun, have you ever seen the Divine Fate God? Perhaps he could help us find a way to lift this ‘curse.'”

“Curse…” Qian Guangjun chuckled bitterly. “Yes… how different is this wish from a curse? At the time, I did have that thought, but in the vast Heavenly Palace, I only saw the Wheel Mirror God. There were no other deities.”

Xuechen Xie frowned. “This Wheel Mirror God seems suspicious. He may not be as ‘kind’ as he claims. Perhaps he is lying.”

“No one in this world has ever seen the divine. They exist only in legends. Yet the power he displayed was beyond any mortal. If he is not a deity, then what could he be?” Qian Guangjun mused, lowering his gaze. “Still, he did say someone was lying.”

“Who is lying?” Xuechen Xie pressed.

Qian Guangjun recalled the strange smile on Wheel Mirror God’s face, a chill creeping into his heart.

“He said… this world is merely a lie…”