Chapter 1337: Old Friend

Chapter 1337: An Old Friend

Thus ended the journey through Huangtian.

Xu Qing departed from the world of Huangtian—

taking with him that mysterious light, and the key to the Primordial Mother Star.

What remained behind was Erniu, still in slumber; Seventh Master; and an empty grave.

The empty grave had been built by Seventh Master himself—

without invoking any divine arts, without asking Xu Qing for aid.

Xu Qing stood nearby, watching as his master shaped the tomb with his own hands,

and watched him carve a single line onto the headstone:

“Tomb of Master Ling Fanzi.”

Ling Fanzi—that had been the Daoist name of the ancient immortal from the Sacred Realm long ago.

Here, Seventh Master erected a grave for his late master,

and knelt before it, his grief so deep it seemed soaked into his very soul.

…

As for the Huangtian Divine Clan—

with their Divine Emperor’s karmic thread erased,

and the Source Light they once venerated now absorbed into Xu Qing’s body,

they lost their origin.

Under the suppression of Zhou Zhengli and others, many perished.

Those who remained, Xu Qing did not annihilate entirely—

instead, he left them within Huangtian, near his eldest senior brother.

Erniu, having fused with the Divine Emperor’s divine body,

though still asleep, had become their new sovereign in the eyes of the surviving Huangtian deities.

“My eldest senior brother’s slumber will require more time before he awakens…”

Before departing, standing before that empty grave while Zhou Zhengli and the others waited,

Xu Qing gazed toward the distant, slumbering form of Erniu.

His eyes shimmered with radiant hues—

the overflow of that light now dwelling within him.

That light could not yet be fully absorbed.

He, too, needed time.

Thus, the thought of seclusion had already taken root in Xu Qing’s heart.

Seventh Master also looked toward Erniu—

but his gaze lingered upon the grave as well.

After a long silence, he spoke softly:

“So… you intend to enter seclusion as soon as you return?”

Xu Qing nodded.

“Most of Wanggu’s overt threats have now been cleared away.

In the time ahead… I wish to visit some old friends, then prepare for seclusion—to absorb the venerated light of the Huangtian Divine Clan.

“I must also repeatedly probe the secrets hidden within this light.

“Moreover… the existence of Shanghuang, and the watchful eyes of external Divine Sovereigns—

my current cultivation is still insufficient.”

Hearing this, Seventh Master reached out and patted Xu Qing gently on the shoulder,

his expression tinged with wistfulness.

“My cultivation in this lifetime has reached its limit, bound as it is by my Daoist principles.

All I can do is guard Wanggu in your stead during your seclusion.”

“So go—attend to your affairs.

For now, I shall remain here, keeping vigil beyond.”

Xu Qing looked at his master.

He sensed the turmoil within Seventh Master’s heart—

understood how the end of Huangtian stirred deep emotions,

and knew his master now wished to be alone.

Without another word, he bowed deeply,

then transformed into a long rainbow of light, soaring straight toward the heavens.

Zhou Zhengli and the others bowed respectfully to Seventh Master,

then followed swiftly in Xu Qing’s wake.

Soon, their figures grew ever smaller against the sky,

until they vanished completely into the gateway leading back to Wanggu.

With their departure, all of Huangtian fell into quietude.

Seventh Master lowered his gaze from the sky,

walked to the grave, sat down beside it,

and pulled out a flask of wine.

He took a long swig, letting the wind tousle his long hair,

and murmured softly:

“Master…”

Long ago, when his master had left,

he’d promised he would return.

So Seventh Master guarded Wanggu,

cultivating a unique Daoist principle,

extending his life through cycles of reincarnation—

rebirth after rebirth, lifetime after lifetime, always guarding.

At last, he had waited long enough to see his master again.

But… what he received was no longer truly his master.

All those thoughts drifted away on the wind,

slowly becoming ripples in the pool of memory.

…

Time flowed onward.

A month had passed since Xu Qing left Huangtian.

During that month, he visited the imperial capital of the Human Race.

There, beneath the leadership of the Empress,

he witnessed humanity’s rise—its unification rolling forward like an unstoppable boulder.

As Grand Tutor of the Human Race,

he also attended the ceremony where Ning Yan was formally named Crown Prince.

Amidst the thousand rays of auspicious radiance,

memories of days past with Ning Yan surfaced in Xu Qing’s mind—

and his eyes couldn’t help but drift toward Ning Yan’s belly.

He remembered—the vine coiled there.

Back then, his eldest senior brother had used Ning Yan as a weapon—

whether as a shield or something to hurl at enemies—it had always worked rather well.

Thinking of this, a faint smile touched Xu Qing’s lips.

Ning Yan, kneeling below, felt waves of emotion surge within his heart.

Even after all this time, seeing Xu Qing still felt like a dream—

a daze that lasted throughout the entire ceremony.

When it ended, Xu Qing departed.

He traveled next to the Ji Yue Great Domain.

He returned to the old apothecary shop,

where he saw the Young Master, Third Granny, Ninth Grandfather…

And above all—he saw Ling’er.

The moment they met, grown now into a graceful young woman,

tears streamed down Ling’er’s face as she threw herself into Xu Qing’s arms.

Holding her, Xu Qing’s smile was gentle—

just as it had always been.

Yet time did not permit him to linger long in Ji Yue.

A few days later, amid Ling’er’s reluctant farewells, he left.

Before departing, he infused into Ling’er’s bloodline

the fortune of the Ancient Spirit Clan—

extracted from the Ancient Spirit Sovereign—

purifying her lineage and granting her the blessings of an entire race.

Then he set forth toward Nanhuang Continent.

En route, upon the boundless sea,

Xu Qing appeared on the island where Yan Yan dwelled,

and thoroughly stripped away the lingering divine consciousness

that had clung to her since long ago—

restoring her emotions to true normalcy.

Throughout the entire process, Yan Yan kept her eyes fixed on Xu Qing,

her expression complex, words forming and dissolving on her lips many times—

yet in the end… she chose silence.

Within the lands of Nanhuang, Xu Qing also saw many familiar faces from his past.

He saw Master Bai’s other two disciples—Tingyu and Chen Feiyuan.

To them, he gave the seed entrusted to him by Master Bai himself.

“Our master has not passed away. If you wish to seek him, plant this seed. On the day the flower blooms, its fragrance will guide you to his presence.”

He also saw Zhao Zhongheng.

Time had changed much, yet Zhao Zhongheng remained unchanged—still utterly infatuated with Ding Xue. Over the years, this obsession seemed to have become the very core of his Dao-heart.

As for Ding Xue… everything remained as it had always been.

Only now, Xu Qing stood so far beyond her reach that she could only bury those old feelings deep within her heart, forever sealed away.

Then there was Little Mute. Among all whom Xu Qing had met, his innate spiritual sensitivity ranked among the highest.

His cultivation had already reached the peak of Core Formation.

Moved by memories of their shared past, Xu Qing granted him the opportunity to ascend to Nascent Soul.

And there was Zhang San—the investor whose life’s pride lay in having first bet on Er Niu, then on Xu Qing himself. After reminiscing with Xu Qing, Zhang San’s initial nervousness eased into relaxed ease, and he confided his dream to Xu Qing:

“I plan to wander across Wanggu.”

“I shall spread my business throughout the entire continent of Wanggu!”

Zhang San declared proudly.

Xu Qing smiled gently and offered his blessings. In the drizzling rain of early morning, he watched as Zhang San hoisted his sails and departed into the downpour, then lifted his gaze toward the heavens.

Above, Yanhuang circled majestically, sending Xu Qing a smug ripple of thought.

Perched upon its back, Second Senior Sister waved farewell.

They intended to leave Nanhuang for a time and journey to other great domains.

Behind them trailed a tiny bird, clenching Yanhuang’s tail in its beak, flapping its wings furiously.

Watching the fledgling, Xu Qing smiled.

For a long while, amid the soft patter of rain, Xu Qing stood at the harbor and slowly turned his head.

Beneath a nearby eave stood a woman clad in a flowing green gown, holding an oiled-paper umbrella, gazing steadily at him.

“Long time no see, Qingqiu,” Xu Qing murmured softly.

The woman beneath the eaves was none other than the little girl from the scavenger camp of old. In silence, she walked slowly forward until she stood before Xu Qing, meeting his eyes.

Xu Qing raised his hand, drew something from the fabric of spacetime—a piece of candy—and placed it before Qingqiu.

Her gaze settled upon the sweet for a long moment before she gently took it and clasped it tightly in her palm.

She gave Xu Qing one last look, then turned and walked away without a word.

Only when she had gone nearly a hundred paces, her figure about to vanish into the rain, did her voice drift back through the falling droplets to Xu Qing’s ears:

“Big Brother Xiao.”

“If, back then at the scavenger camp, my brother hadn’t taken me away—if I’d gone with you to Qixuetong instead—what would our future have looked like…?”

Xu Qing said nothing.

Qingqiu waited a moment, then placed the candy in her mouth and disappeared into the rain.

After watching her fade away, Xu Qing strolled through Qixuetong, passing street after street, shop after shop, observing the growing crowds—mortals and cultivators alike.

With every step, memories stirred within him; at each familiar place, he seemed to glimpse echoes of his younger self.

Gradually, his heart grew calm amidst these recollections.

At last, he arrived at Harbor One Hundred Seventy-Six—the very same dock from long ago. From the river of time, he retrieved his earliest spirit vessel and stepped aboard.

Seating himself cross-legged inside, as the river flowed and the boat swayed gently, he closed his eyes.

And began… his seclusion.