Chapter 1336: Old Friend

The journey to Huangtian has concluded.

Xu Qing left the Huangtian world. He took with him the mysterious light and the key to open the Primal Mother Star. What remained were the sleeping Er Niu, Seventh Master, and an empty grave.

The empty grave was built by Seventh Master himself, without using divine powers or asking Xu Qing for help. Xu Qing watched as his master constructed the grave and wrote a line of text on the tombstone: "Tomb of my revered Master, Ling Fanzu." Ling Fanzu was the daoist name of the ancient immortal from the Holy Land back then. Here, Seventh Master built a tomb for his deceased master. He knelt before the tomb, his grief seemingly etched into his very soul.

As for the Huangtian Divine Race, with the karma of their Divine Emperor erased and the source light they revered absorbed by Xu Qing, they lost their origin. Under the suppression of Zhou Zhengli and others, some of them perished. Xu Qing did not completely destroy the remaining ones, instead allowing them to stay in Huangtian, around Senior Brother. Although Er Niu, who had integrated the Divine Emperor's body, was still sleeping, for the surviving Huangtian Divine Race, he was their new Emperor.

"Senior Brother's slumber will still take some time before he awakens..." Before leaving, in front of the empty grave, and while Zhou Zhengli and others waited, Xu Qing looked towards the distant, sleeping Er Niu. His eyes shimmered with a radiant glow, an overflow of the light he had absorbed into his body. He could not fully absorb that light within his body; he also needed some time. Therefore, Xu Qing already intended to enter secluded cultivation.

Seventh Master also looked at Er Niu, but his gaze also included the grave. After a moment, he spoke softly. "Are you planning to go into seclusion once you return?" Xu Qing nodded. "Most of the overt dangers in Wanggu have now been cleared. For the time being... I will go to see some old acquaintances, then prepare for secluded cultivation to absorb the light offered by the Huangtian Divine Race. At the same time, I need to repeatedly explore the secrets contained within this light. Additionally... regarding the existence of Shanghuang and the prying eyes of external Divine Venerables, my current cultivation is still insufficient."

Upon hearing this, Seventh Master raised a hand and patted Xu Qing's shoulder, a hint of melancholy in his expression. "My cultivation in this life, limited by my cultivation dao, has reached its peak. What I can do is guard Wanggu on your behalf during your secluded cultivation. So, go do what you need to do. During this time, I will remain here, focusing on the outside world."

Xu Qing looked at his master. He could sense the thoughts in his master's heart and understood that the end of Huangtian had caused his master's emotions to fluctuate, making him wish for solitude. So, without saying more, after bowing, he transformed into a long rainbow and shot straight into the sky. Zhou Zhengli and the others bowed to Seventh Master, then followed behind Xu Qing. Soon, their figures grew more distant in the sky, until they vanished at the entrance leading to Wanggu.

With their departure, the entire Huangtian realm became quiet. Seventh Master withdrew his gaze from the sky, walked to the grave, sat down, and took out a pot of wine. He took a large gulp, letting the sky-wind blow, stirring his long hair, and murmured softly, "Master..." Back then, when his master left, he had said he would return before departing. So, Seventh Master guarded Wanggu, cultivating a special dao concept, extending his life through reincarnation, enduring cycle after cycle, rebirth after rebirth, and protection after protection. Finally, he waited for his master. But... what he waited for was no longer his master. All his thoughts, in the wind, gradually became ripples in his memory.

Time flowed on. A month had passed since Xu Qing left Huangtian. During this month, he went to the Imperial Capital of the Human Race. In that capital, he witnessed the rise of the Human Race under the leadership of the Empress; their unification was like a rolling boulder, unstoppable. As the Grand Tutor of the Human Race, he also witnessed the ceremony where Ning Yan was crowned Crown Prince. Scenes from the past with Ning Yan resurfaced in Xu Qing's mind amidst the vibrant auspicious signs, and his gaze couldn't help but fall upon Ning Yan's stomach. He remembered there was a vine there. Back then, Senior Brother had used Ning Yan as a weapon; whether as a shield or thrown to hit people, it seemed quite effective. Thinking of this, a smile touched Xu Qing's lips. Meanwhile, Ning Yan, kneeling there, felt an endless tumult in his heart. Even after all this time to process things, he still felt a dreamlike daze whenever he saw Xu Qing. This daze lasted throughout the entire ceremony. With the end of the ceremony, Xu Qing departed.

He went to the Moon Offering Great Region. He arrived at the old pharmacy, saw the Young Master, Third Grandmother, Ninth Grandfather... And he also saw Ling'er. The moment they met, a grown-up, graceful Ling'er shed tears and threw herself into Xu Qing's arms. Holding Ling'er, a gentle smile graced Xu Qing's face, as always. However, time did not permit Xu Qing to stay long in Moon Offering. A few days later, amidst Ling'er's reluctance to part, Xu Qing departed. Before leaving, he imbued Ling'er's bloodline with the ancient spirit race's fate-energy that he had extracted from the Ancient Spirit Emperor, purifying her bloodline and allowing her to partake in the fortune of a whole race.

Afterwards, he set off on the path to Southern Phoenix Continent. Along the way, on the Boundless Sea, Xu Qing appeared on the island where Yan Yan resided and completely stripped away the lingering divine consciousness that had remained on her from years past. This allowed Yan Yan's emotions to truly return to normal. Throughout the entire process, Yan Yan watched Xu Qing with a complex expression, wanting to speak many times but stopping herself. In the end... she chose to remain silent.

Within Southern Phoenix Continent, Xu Qing also saw many old acquaintances. He saw Master Bai's other two disciples, Ting Yu and Chen Feiyuan, and he gave them the seed that Master Bai had entrusted to him. "Master has not passed away. If you are willing to seek him, plant this seed, and when the flower blooms, its fragrance will lead you to him." He also saw Zhao Zhongheng. Time changed, but Zhao Zhongheng did not. He was still obsessed with Ding Xue; over the years, this seemed to have become his dao heart. As for Ding Xue... everything remained the same. However, because Xu Qing's stature was now beyond her reach, she could only let the emotions of those past years settle permanently within her heart. There was also the Little Mute. His spiritual aptitude was among the highest Xu Qing had ever seen, and his cultivation had also reached the perfected Golden Core stage. Remembering his past, Xu Qing granted him the opportunity to form a Nascent Soul. And there was Zhang San, the investor who prided himself on having bet on both Er Niu and Xu Qing. After catching up with Xu Qing, his initial nervousness eased, and he told Xu Qing about his ambition. He planned to wander Wanggu in the coming days. "I want to spread my business throughout the entire Wanggu Continent!" Zhang San declared proudly. Xu Qing smiled and offered his blessings. In the morning rain, he watched Zhang San set sail in the rain, then looked up at the sky.

In the sky, the Fiery Phoenix was circling, sending a proud message to Xu Qing. On its back was Second Senior Sister, waving at Xu Qing. They planned to leave Southern Phoenix Continent for a period and travel to other great regions. Behind them, a small bird was biting the Fiery Phoenix's tail, its wings constantly flapping. Seeing the young bird, Xu Qing smiled. For a long time, amidst the pattering rain, Xu Qing stood at the harbor and turned his head.

Under an eaves behind him stood a woman in a long cyan dress, holding an oil-paper umbrella, gazing at him. "Long time no see, Qingqiu," Xu Qing said softly. The woman under the eaves was the little girl from the scavenger camp back then. She slowly walked over in silence, stood before Xu Qing, and looked into his eyes. Xu Qing raised his hand, took out a piece of candy from spacetime, and placed it before Qingqiu. Qingqiu's gaze fell on the candy. After a long moment, she gently took it and held it in her palm. She gave Xu Qing one last look, then turned and quietly left. Not until she had walked a hundred zhang away, just as her figure was about to vanish into the rain, did her voice echo through the rain to Xu Qing's ears. "Child Brother." "If my brother hadn't taken me away from the scavenger camp back then, and I had ended up going to Seven Blood Eyes with you, what would our future have been like...?"

Xu Qing did not speak. Qingqiu waited for a moment, then put the candy in her hand into her mouth, and her figure dissolved into the rain. Watching Qingqiu depart, Xu Qing ambled through Seven Blood Eyes, walking down street after street, past shop after shop, observing the gradually increasing crowds. There were mortals and cultivators among them. As he walked, his memories resurfaced; at each familiar location, it was as if he saw his younger self. His heart, slowly, found peace in these recollections. Finally, he arrived at Port 176 from his younger days, retrieved the very first magic vessel from the flow of time, and stepped inside. He sat cross-legged inside the magic vessel, and amidst the flow of the river and the gentle rocking of the vessel, he closed his eyes, beginning... his secluded cultivation.