Chapter 1226: It Was I Who Killed the Years

"Qilin, long time no see!"

Immortal Fairy floated out of Lu Yang's body, greeting him with a cheerful smile. After a separation of four hundred thousand years, Qilin Immortal was equally delighted to see his old friend finally revived. However, upon clearly discerning Immortal Fairy's condition, his expression became puzzled. "Immortal, why are you only a soul now?" This was different from what he had expected. He had thought Immortal, like himself, was hidden within a small world, carried by young friend Lu Yang.

Immortal Fairy happened to cough twice, her face appearing unusually pale. She feigned indifference, unwilling to worry her old friend. "It's nothing serious, just some old injuries from a previous battle that are a bit difficult to recover from."

"Fairy, are you alright?" Lu Yang quickly asked, expressing his concern.

Immortal Fairy waved her hand. "It's nothing, just a bit weak. I'll be fine with more rest later. It's also not ideal to always stay here with you. I'll try to recover my strength as soon as possible."

"No, no, no, Fairy, you can stay in my spiritual space for as long as you need."

Qilin Immortal was startled by this. Was this something Immortal would actually say?

Emperor Zhongtian watched Immortal Fairy with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, his thoughts racing. Qilin Immortal called her Immortal? He carefully recalled everything he knew about immortals throughout history. No female cultivator had ever achieved immortality with the immortal name "Immortal." Who was this person? An ancient immortal? And that Yun Zhi, she was also a female immortal, yet he had never heard of her existence. Emperor Zhongtian suspected that Yun Zhi had become an immortal during the hundred thousand years he was sealed in the Great Yu Dynasty, which was why he knew nothing about her. The title of "Senior Disciple Sister of Wen Dao Sect" must surely be a fabricated identity to conceal her true self.

"Qilin, why are you only showing up now? Xiao Ling, Lianyi, and the others have been looking for you for ages and couldn't find you," Immortal Fairy complained on behalf of Xiao Ling, Lianyi, and Little Tiger. The three of them had been searching the world for Qilin Immortal, reducing the time they spent playing with her, while Qilin Immortal remained hidden.

Lu Yang was also puzzled by this. If Qilin Immortal was worried about being hunted by Grey Bean, then Immortal Ying Tian's appearance during his Void Refinement tribulation was itself a signal, informing those in the know that Grey Bean was no longer a threat. Nine-layered Immortal was easy to explain, as the far northern regions were incredibly isolated in terms of information. But Qilin Immortal didn't have this problem. Qilin Immortal had been hiding within the Great Qian forces, and the Great Qian forces had been actively searching for clues about the Four Ancient Immortals, so they would have known about Immortal Ying Tian's appearance.

"Indeed, I knew about Lianyi and Xiao Ling successively awakening, I knew they were looking for me, I knew that Immortal Ying Tian's appearance meant the demise of Immortal Silent Extinction, and I could even guess your revival."

Lu Yang couldn't help but ask, "Then why...?"

Qilin Immortal's expression became conflicted, his face changing repeatedly. Finally, he closed his eyes in pain and sighed heavenward. "If this wasn't about the prototype of the Reincarnation Dao Fruit, I probably would never have appeared before you in this lifetime. I... I'm a scoundrel. I have no face to see any of you."

"Huh? Why?"

"You should have seen the remains of Time at the Five Elements Sect and learned that Time was assassinated at the end of the Tinder Dynasty."

"I killed Time."

"You?!" Lu Yang and Immortal Fairy were both greatly astonished. According to Immortal Time, the four of them were connected by a formation, making it impossible for the mastermind to directly attack him. He must have been assassinated after the mastermind took over one of them. But Qilin Immortal's reaction didn't seem to fit that.

Qilin Immortal lowered his head in guilt, not daring to face Immortal Fairy or look at her reaction. "At that time, the mastermind threatened me with the lives of Xiao Ling and Lianyi, saying that if I didn't kill Time, he would kill them." Qilin Immortal's expression was pained, but with his head bowed, no one could see it. "I had no other choice but to kill Time." Although Ao Ling and Jiang Lianyi were in a state of feigned death at the time, the mastermind had the power to eliminate even Immortal. His methods were inconceivable. If he had acted, his two wives would surely not have survived. After killing Immortal Time, Qilin Immortal was filled with regret. He knelt on the ground, crying uncontrollably. What had he done? Whom could he face? Who deserved his presence?

Emperor Zhongtian, who was beside them, was utterly bewildered. Although the current atmosphere was not suitable for questions, he simply couldn't hold back. "What is the Tinder Dynasty? Why have I never heard of this force?" From the sound of it, the Great Qian Dynasty, which he had painstakingly founded, wasn't the first dynasty? He had been proud of that for three hundred thousand years. Had his pride been misplaced? "Immortal Time perished? Then who was it that kept rewinding time before?"

Qilin Immortal continued to sigh. "Although saying this feels somewhat disloyal to Time, as the foremost among the Four Ancient Immortals, I am confident in my own strength. Once I acted, Time certainly wouldn't have survived. The frequent time rewinds must mean someone obtained the Time Dao Fruit and kept rewinding time to study it."

Lu Yang: "..."

*I've noticed something,* Lu Yang thought. *Among you Four Ancient Immortals, everyone claims to be the foremost, equally powerful.*

"But Time is still alive. He's the one who caused the time rewinds," Immortal Fairy stated.

"What?! He's still alive!" Qilin Immortal abruptly lifted his head, unable to even control his human form, his head instantly transforming back into a kirin's. This gave Lu Yang quite a fright. At this moment, Lu Yang noticed Qilin Immortal's eyes were slightly moist.

"Yes, back then, he abandoned his body, and his soul escaped to the West, where he founded the Buddhist Kingdom and used the power of faith to create an immortal body for himself."

"Time is alive, Time is alive! He's alive!" Qilin Immortal excitedly clutched Lu Yang's shoulders. "Is Time really still alive?"

Lu Yang was gripped so tightly that he felt excruciating pain, as if his bones were about to shatter into dust. He could only respond to Qilin Immortal by nodding.

Qilin Immortal was ecstatic. For three hundred thousand years, he had lived in self-reproach and guilt, completely dazed, like a walking corpse, and had even repeatedly contemplated ending his own life. "Oh, my, I knew he was still alive!" Overcome with excitement, Qilin Immortal disregarded his human form, reverting to his true form and leaping through the sky, using his kirin horn to playfully nudge Emperor Zhongtian back and forth. "That old stick really isn't so easy to kill!"

After celebrating for a while, Qilin Immortal realized his impropriety and quickly reverted to his human form, pretending nothing had happened. "Ahem, I was a bit excited just now." The corners of Qilin Immortal's mouth couldn't stop turning upward. He was so excited he didn't know what to say, but he couldn't help but ask again: "He really is still alive, isn't he?"

Lu Yang nodded.

"Where was I just now?"

Lu Yang hesitated. He had just been talking about killing Immortal Time, but judging by Qilin Immortal's reaction, it was probably best not to continue that topic. Lu Yang changed the subject, asking, "When you first saw me, you called me the Fairy's destined one. You didn't seem surprised by my appearance?"