Chapter 1997: That Time, the Distant Immortal

"Aaaahhh!!!"Meng Jianzhou's throat ripped, and his screams sprayed blood.A severed arm, in itself, shouldn't have caused such heart-wrenching pain, especially for someone at the Half-Step Divine Extinction Realm. But the Sword Immortal's blade transcends mortal comprehension.A wisp of green light, a myriad of sword intents.One severed arm, a myriad of pierced hearts!

The grey-robed elder flipped his palm, releasing profound energy. It wasn't to seal Meng Jianzhou's wound, but to silence his excruciating screams, while forcefully pressing his body down."Jianzhou's conduct is base, and his offense ignorant. Thank... thank you, Sword Immortal, for your discipline." The grey-robed elder finally managed to speak, yet facing the person who had cruelly severed the Divine Venerable's son's arm, he uttered words of abject humility.His aged face dared not betray a hint of resentment or anger.

Meng Jianzhou's pupils dilated, his eyes filled with horror.He heard the words "Sword Immortal."A green shadow entered his perception, its face unseen, only a faint outline of a back discernible: "This arm cannot be re-formed within three years. Get out of here at once."Upon hearing this, the grey-robed elder's expression became one of overwhelming joy. He hastily pressed Meng Jianzhou down, bowing his head with him: "Thank you, Sword Immortal, for your clemency. We will leave immediately and never dare to disturb Divine Maiden Cai Li again."

As the four words "Divine Maiden Cai Li" were uttered, Meng Jianzhou's already maximally dilated pupils nearly burst from shock.The legendary figure whose single gaze could captivate myriad worlds... the current generation's Divine Maiden of the Heavenfolding Divine Realm... Hua Cai Li?!The immortal shadow of the Sword Immortal was rarely seen even in a millennium, and Divine Maiden Cai Li was like a distant dream...He was actually here, in this mere Kylin Abyss Realm...Meng Jianzhou's mind was on the verge of exploding along with his pupils.For a moment, he couldn't distinguish whether this was a disaster or an immense stroke of luck.

"Meng Jingzhe, go back and tell Meng Kongchan to properly discipline his son! At least he's a legitimate son; don't let him squander what little dignity the Dreamweaving Divine Realm still has!"The ethereal voice faded, quickly disappearing into the distance.The green light in his vision finally dissipated, and the world regained its original colors and sounds.It was as if he had suddenly fallen into a dream, and then abruptly awakened from it.Only his severed left arm and his pierced soul clearly told Meng Jianzhou that none of this was an illusion.

"Go!"Meng Jingzhe once again helped Meng Jianzhou, quickly moving away.Even though the green shadow was gone, he still dared not linger.Because that was the Sword Immortal – Hua Qingying.The ultimate realm of the Divine Extremity, the foremost figure under the Abyss God.And Hua Cai Li was her only inverse scale.

At the Kylin Alliance, in the main hall of Suan Ni,Alliance Master Ximen Borong and Abyss Knight Ximen Boyun stood upright. Behind them, all the hall masters and helmsmen were present, each with a respectful demeanor, every breath betraying their tension.It was as if they were facing a formidable enemy.Besides the Kylin Alliance members, the sect masters, young sect masters, and core figures of the Profound Rock Sect, Myriad Blade Sect, and Blazing Sand Sect were also conspicuously present.Their faces, too, showed... perhaps the deepest solemnity they had ever experienced.

One hour... three hours... ten hours...With their spirits strained for too long, even the most powerful profound practitioners would become exhausted and find it hard to endure.Finally, Fort Kexie, the Profound Rock Sect Master, could no longer bear it and whispered, "Brother Boyun, that Young Master Meng...""Wait," Ximen Boyun replied simply.

Ximen Boyun knew well that Meng Jianzhou was not a virtuous person. But if he weren't, how could he have been so easily lured to the Kylin Abyss Realm by the temptation Ximen Boyun offered?Although Meng Jianzhou had a poor disposition and was particularly fond of women, he was considered outstanding among the Dreamweaving Divine Venerable's descendants and was one of only two (surviving) legitimate sons. At least regarding the decision of a "subordinate nation," he should possess significant influence.For such a figure to assert dominance was quite normal; it would have been strange if he had arrived on time.

Another twelve hours passed.Wan Wei, the Myriad Blade Sect Master, spoke up, "Has Young Master Meng really arrived? Could he have... gotten lost in a sandstorm?"Ximen Boyun scoffed, "Hmph, a son of a Divine Realm, how could he be troubled by a mere sandstorm?"After a moment's thought, he added, "Young Master Meng arrived two days ago. Currently, he is simply amusing himself. He will appear when he wishes to. If he doesn't want to appear, disturbing him rashly would be disrespectful."Immediately, no one spoke further.That was the son of a Divine Venerable from a Divine Realm; his personal presence was a tremendous boon. No matter how grand the pretense, they had to endure it.If they could thus become a subordinate of the Divine Realm, even living under its patronage and bowing for half their lives, it would be far better than their current situation.

Another full day passed.This time, even Ximen Boyun could no longer maintain his composure.Despite having arrived, he had kept them waiting for three whole days. Even for a Divine Venerable's son, this was truly excessive.Glancing at Ximen Boyun's expression, Ximen Borong whispered, "Boyun, perhaps you should send another message to invite him."Ximen Boyun no longer resisted. He produced a sound-transmitting jade, adjusted his tone, and sent a message to the "esteemed guest" who had yet to appear.Soon, he received a reply from Meng Jianzhou.It was just one word, filled with intense rage and disgust:"Get out!!"

Ximen Boyun's face instantly darkened. Everyone looked up in astonishment, exchanging bewildered glances."What?" The three sect masters—Fort Kexie, Wan Wei, and Lie Qianhong—all showed rapidly changing expressions.Ximen Boyun, whose temperament was usually as calm as still water, now had a face as black as the bottom of a pot, veins throbbing on his forehead, as if he had swallowed a clump of dead flies.He was, after all, an Abyss Knight serving the Abyss Emperor and Divine Officials. Even a Divine Venerable's son should show him some respect.But Meng Jianzhou actually..."How... can... this... be!" He ground out each word, having lost the dignified demeanor of an Abyss Knight.

After all, it was he who had personally promised the Kylin Alliance and the three sects a "distinguished guest from the Dreamweaving Realm" and a "heaven-sent opportunity," leading the three sects to fully submit.Now, a single word, "Get out," not only directly shattered the Kylin Abyss Realm's hope of becoming a subordinate of a Divine Realm but also caused him to completely lose face and authority in public.He had no idea what Meng Jianzhou had encountered, nor that Meng Jianzhou had blamed everything on him... He only felt that Meng Jianzhou was deliberately toying with and humiliating him.

Ximen Borong took a deep breath, then turned to face the members of the three sects. Seeing their dark and shifting expressions, he could easily guess what they were thinking."It seems Young Master Meng encountered some unforeseen circumstances on his journey," he said, maintaining a calm demeanor. "With the Kylin Divine Realm about to open, the matter of aligning with a Divine Realm can be postponed for a bit.""Hmm, it seems that's all we can do," Fort Kexie nodded, but his voice and posture clearly lacked their former respect."Then, I, Fort Kexie, shall return to my sect to prepare for the Kylin Divine Assembly. Farewell."With that, Fort Kexie didn't wait for Ximen Borong's reply, simply flicked his sleeve, turned, and left.Wan Wei followed suit, departing with all the members of the Myriad Blade Sect."Alliance Master Ximen, I hear that Helian still insists on participating in this Kylin Divine Assembly. Perhaps he has some backing," Blazing Sand Sect Master Lie Qianhong "kindly" reminded him. "Make sure your Kylin Alliance doesn't fall.""Sect Master Lie, you worry too much," Ximen Borong replied with a strained smile.The three sects left one after another. Soon, a loud crash was heard behind them, accompanied by Ximen Boyun's frustrated roar.

At the same time, tens of thousands of miles away from the Kylin Abyss Realm."That damned Ximen Boyun actually had the gall to send me a message!"The sound-transmitting jade was crushed to dust in Meng Jianzhou's one remaining hand. His chest heaved, and he gasped for breath, his entire face contorted hideously.He had been tormented by the Sword Immortal's soul-piercing sword intent for a full thirty-six hours.Just as he escaped that purgatory, he received Ximen Boyun's message, and his pent-up hatred instantly erupted. He wished he could personally grind this newly appointed Abyss Knight to dust.If it weren't for him, how would he have condescended to come to this lowly place, and how would he have suffered such torment and humiliation!If Meng Jingzhe hadn't ordered him never to approach the Kylin Abyss Realm again, he would have rushed back and utterly destroyed that wretched Kylin Alliance... To hell with the Abyss Knight!

Released from the torment of the sword intent, Meng Jianzhou could finally speak and move normally. He flicked away the fragments of the sound-transmitting jade from his fingers and said to Meng Jingzhe, "Uncle Zhe, help me reshape my left arm.""Absolutely not!" Meng Jingzhe refused without hesitation. "The Sword Immortal declared it cannot be reshaped for three years, so not even a single day earlier is permissible!"Meng Jianzhou gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "I am, after all, the son of the Dreamweaving Divine Venerable! Although she, the Sword Immortal, is hailed as the foremost figure under the gods, she is ultimately not a true god! With my Father God present, why should I fear her!""Naive." This time, Meng Jingzhe did not indulge him. Instead, he snorted coldly, "Even your Father God would be ashamed to utter those words."Meng Jianzhou snapped his head up, unable to comprehend the words "ashamed" in Meng Jingzhe's statement.

Meng Jingzhe said, "You are still young, so naturally, you cannot understand the events of the previous era. Meekly remember this lesson. You have now met Divine Maiden Cai Li of the Heavenfolding Divine Realm; from now on, you must stay far away from her, the farther the better!""Provoking Hua Cai Li is provoking the Sword Immortal! And don't forget who her fiancé is!"Divine Maiden Cai Li's fiancé...The Divine Son of the Senluo Divine Realm, and also the foremost Divine Son of the current generation... Dian Jiuzhi!Their marriage was personally sanctioned by the Abyss Emperor, a fact known to all under heaven.

Meng Jianzhou's heart gave a sudden lurch, and cold sweat streamed down his face. His anger and hatred towards Ximen Boyun surged again.After a while, he finally asked, "I don't understand. Why do you say my Father God even... fears the Sword Immortal? Is it just because she's the younger sister of Divine Venerable Huaxin?"Hua Fuchen, the Divine Venerable of the Heavenfolding Divine Realm, one of the Six Divine Realms, was known by the divine title "Huaxin.""Not exactly fear," Meng Jingzhe hesitated for a moment, then said, "When your Father God was still a Divine Son, he suffered a crushing defeat at her hands.""!!" Meng Jianzhou's heart was violently shaken.His father, who was like a god—no, *was* a god—was described as having suffered a "crushing defeat" by Meng Jingzhe.

"Not just your Father God," Meng Jingzhe recalled the distant past, his heart filled with melancholy. "During that Purity Realm Assembly, none of the Divine Sons and Divine Maidens could withstand the sword in her hand.""And they are now: Absolute Luo Divine Venerable Dian Luohou (Senluo Divine Realm), Non-Illuminated Divine Venerable Shen Wuyan (Eternal Night Divine Realm), Heavenly Star Divine Venerable Wu Shenxing (Star-Moon Divine Realm), Dome Moon Divine Venerable Wu Shenyue (Star-Moon Divine Realm), Dreamless Divine Venerable Meng Kongchan (Dreamweaving Divine Realm), and Steadfast Divine Venerable Pan Yusheng (Owl-Butterfly Divine Realm).""Wh-wh-wh-what!?" Meng Jianzhou's eyes bulged, his tongue seemingly tied in knots.Meng Jingzhe continued, "Now, they are all supreme Divine Venerables who govern their respective Divine Realms. Their past defeats have become taboo, so it's natural that your generation wouldn't know.""..." Meng Jianzhou was momentarily too stunned to speak.

Meng Jingzhe's eyes slightly closed as he thought of the past he couldn't share with the younger generation.Senluo, Dreamweaving, Owl-Butterfly... back then, the three Divine Sons all pursued Hua Qingying; that was the greatest topic of discussion in that era.Unfortunately, Hua Qingying cultivated the emotionless sword within the Heavenfolding Sword art, having long since severed all desires and attachments. She showed no regard for those three Divine Sons.Now, those three former Divine Sons had all become Divine Venerables of their respective Divine Realms, but that green silhouette might be a memory they could never erase from the depths of their souls.The title "Sword Immortal" didn't mean she was merely an immortal among swords; rather, she was the untouchable, ethereal dream of the Jade Pond for too many.Perhaps Absolute Luo Divine Venerable Dian Luohou's strenuous efforts to forge a marriage alliance with the Heavenfolding Divine Realm were also to somewhat fulfill that elusive dream.When he was the Senluo Divine Son, he couldn't get a single glance from the Heavenfolding Divine Maiden. So, he would let his son fulfill this wish for him.

"She... since she's so formidable, why is the current generation's Divine Venerable of the Heavenfolding Divine Realm Hua Fuchen?" Meng Jianzhou asked, utterly puzzled.Meng Jingzhe slowly explained, "Back then, the Heavenfolding Divine Realm was blessed with twin stars: Hua Fuchen with an eight-part divinity, and Hua Qingying with a nine-part divinity.""The previous Heavenfolding Divine Venerable did not choose one over the other but established both as divine heirs. Thus, the Heavenfolding Divine Realm had one Divine Son, Hua Fuchen, and one Divine Maiden, Hua Qingying.""However, Hua Fuchen back then was different from other ambitious Divine Sons. He was wild and unrestrained, disregarded worldly customs, disliked any constraints, and was particularly resistant to becoming a Divine Venerable. Furthermore, his cultivation and swordsmanship were consistently overshadowed by Hua Qingying. Therefore, everyone firmly believed that Hua Qingying would definitely inherit the position of Heavenfolding Divine Venerable.""Until... Hua Fuchen had his first child, who is now Divine Maiden Hua Cai Li of the Heavenfolding Divine Realm.""It was also because of this child that Hua Qingying renounced her divine inheritance, yielding the Divine Venerable position to Hua Fuchen. That's how we have the current Divine Venerable Huaxin and the Sword Immortal."

"Why??" Meng Jianzhou was even more bewildered.Meng Jingzhe glanced at him but offered no further explanation: "I know very little about the reasons behind this, so you don't need to ask. You only need to know that even your Father God would absolutely not dare to disrespect the Sword Immortal."In fact... if he met Hua Qingying, he might not even be able to speak coherently.Even though he was a true god, fundamentally, he was still a man.And the most devastating thing to a man... is often his "white moonlight" (unobtainable ideal).

"But that's not right," Meng Jianzhou naturally noticed a huge inconsistency. "Divine Venerable Huaxin has been in power for at least ten thousand years. If Hua Cai Li was born before he became Divine Venerable, then she should be at least over ten thousand years old.""But that Hua Cai Li looks... like a little girl who hasn't even fully grown yet. And the timing of the title 'Divine Maiden Cai Li' appearing...""I said, you don't need to ask," Meng Jingzhe interrupted him, then warned, "I only vaguely know that this matter seems to involve a secret that the Abyss Emperor doesn't wish to reveal. Even your Father God probably doesn't know the full truth of it."Involving an "Abyss Emperor's secret," Meng Jianzhou wasn't so foolish. He quickly fell silent, not daring to ask any more questions.

"If, in this world, anyone could cultivate to become a true god without divine inheritance, it would only be Hua Qingying."These were the words whispered by the Grand Divine Official of the Purity Realm back then... Meng Jingzhe, and everyone present, had deeply etched them into their hearts, never forgetting.On this trip to the Kylin Abyss Realm, when he realized that the person Meng Jianzhou had provoked was very likely Divine Maiden Cai Li, he was truly scared out of his wits.

"Even with a severed arm, this training cannot be abandoned," Meng Jingzhe said sternly. "On the contrary, if you return now, your Father God will be furious upon learning the reason for your severed arm, and he will be even more disappointed in you.""Disappointed?" These two words sharply stung Meng Jianzhou's nerves. He clenched his jaw fiercely: "Am I still afraid of his disappointment? Haven't those two words always been all he's had for me... no matter what I do, no matter how much effort I put in!"

Meng Jingzhe advised, "Then train well. If you can successfully break through to the Divine Extinction Realm, your Father God will surely view you in a new light, and even if he learns of this incident, his anger will diminish.""It's useless," Meng Jianzhou chuckled lowly. "With Meng Jianxi around, how could he ever see me? Even if I achieve demigod status, at most... he'd just grant me an extra glance!"Meng Jingzhe said coldly, "This is destiny. You and Jianxi are ultimately incomparable."Meng Jianzhou slammed his fist onto the ground.

"Why! Why me!! I went through so much trouble to kill Meng Jianyuan, and yet that Meng Jianxi, who was clearly the most foolish when he was young, awakened his divinity again... Ngh!"A withered old hand clamped tightly over Meng Jianzhou's mouth, abruptly cutting off his unwilling voice. Meng Jingzhe frantically looked around, hastily forming an isolation barrier. He said fiercely, "Are you mad! That name... that incident can never be mentioned again! Not a single word!!""If it's exposed, even if you are your Father God's legitimate son... we will all die without a burial place!"Meng Jianzhou's eyes rolled up, and cold sweat broke out all over his body. He nodded frantically.