Chapter 882 - 342: Begin Anew, Reclaim the Days Gone By
Bixi took up the Heaven Nurturing Cauldron again, lurking in the deep sea, awaiting orders from Dragon Lord Fan Wubing.
At the same time, it conveyed its return to this mission, with an eternal and magnificent life force, through the sea, spreading to this world and into the ears of all the ancient mythical beasts that lay dormant and asleep.
For most people, this is a brand new day of endless possibilities.
After the collapse of the Terminal Daoist system, the world where the heavens had fallen was like a land flowing with blood and abundant Spirit Stones. Forces from other continents continuously infiltrated the Immortal Continent, wanting to leave their own mark on this land.
The awakened ancient mythical beasts, with just a casual glance at the Mortal World, were enough to send chills down the spine of the world.
But most people will never know why this is so.
Led by the Profound Order Bird, the Celestial Land grew ever stronger, racing rapidly across the sky, spreading the Dragon Lord’s name and will throughout eternity.
...
After Fan Wubing left the Sea of Eternal Life, he went to sit for a while at the Luo Family in the Everlasting Realm.
He did not hide the fact that Luo Qingyao sacrificed herself to become a sword, ready to be scolded.
But unexpectedly, his great-grandfather and Sister Ling Xian not only did not blame him, but they understood and were even joyful.
They were happy for their great-granddaughter and sister.
"Why? Don’t you blame me for not protecting her?" Fan Wubing couldn’t help but ask.
Luo Tianyuan laughed and patted his shoulder, "As the Lord of All Beings, you can indeed see through the essence of things. But perhaps you still don’t understand the sword or a Sword Cultivator enough. In your eyes, Qingyao sacrificed her life to help you. But in my view, she shed all restraints, transcended into sainthood, becoming a true Sword Saint."
"Sword Saint..."
"Yes!" Luo Tianyuan said, "Senior Li Yuan might understand the value of these words better than I do. Let’s put it this way: in this world, a Sword Saint has never been born. Even Senior Li Yuan only came closest. When we Sword Cultivators chat amongst ourselves, we can’t help but wonder, if Senior Li Yuan had successfully opened the Heaven Opening Gate, he might have become a true Sword Saint. But that was undoubtedly difficult."
Fan Wubing indeed didn’t fully understand the sword.
Exactly what is a sword? Is it just a weapon? Or is it more like the will of a true dragon, a belief and spirit?
Perhaps it is both.
Luo Tianyuan said,
"Qingyao’s entering sainthood in this way is her fortune, a great destiny."
Her sister, Luo Ling Xian, who undoubtedly understood her sister the most, comforted,
"Wubing, don’t blame yourself. In my understanding, she finally found a way to walk alongside you, and finally carved out her own Sword Dao, unrelated to everything else."
"But..." Fan Wubing lowered his brows.
Seeing his expression, Luo Tianyuan teasingly said,
"The invincible Lord of All Beings can also be troubled by emotions. It seems that saying is true, love indeed can transcend all barriers."
Fan Wubing forced a smile, "Great-grandpa, please don’t make fun of me."
Luo Ling Xian asked, "Do you think, even if Qingyao transcended into sainthood, ultimately she still lost her life and can never return?"
Fan Wubing turned his head slightly.
When he had just returned from the sky, he tried to re-condense Qingyao’s true form, ready to face the Destiny Dao as he did with resurrecting Pei Weiyi.
But unfortunately, he failed.
He recounted this incident.
After hearing it, Luo Ling Xian immediately knew the reason,
"It’s not your problem. It’s Qingyao’s choice."
"Her choice?"
"Yes! She doesn’t want to return to your side through ’resurrection’. In her view, ’resurrection’ means relying on you once more, and she would once again be in the position of looking up to you. So, she refused your call."
"Then what exactly does she want to do? Does she want to walk the reincarnation path again?" Fan Wubing scratched his head, complaining, "The path of reincarnation is full of uncertainties. Even the Reincarnation Dao cannot control it. It’s possible she could be reincarnated as a man, which I cannot accept..."
Upon hearing this, Luo Tianyuan laughed so hard that tears came out, and even Luo Ling Xian, who was usually stern, couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
"What? What’s so funny? It really could happen!" Fan Wubing said bewilderedly.
Luo Tianyuan coughed, raised his eyebrows, and asked,
"Would you stop loving her if she became a man? If you’re just fixated on the form, can it still be called true love?"
"That’s not what I meant... It’s just, that’s really hard to accept." Fan Wubing didn’t quite know how to put it.
Luo Ling Xian laughed, "Great-grandpa, don’t tease him anymore. Look at him, anyone would think he’s a hopeless romantic."
Fan Wubing indeed was naive in matters of love, but only in the Small Thousand World before.
Luo Ling Xian gently reassured,
"Rest assured, Qingyao herself would be even less accepting of what you cannot accept. A Sword Saint is different from a typical Confucian Saint. Entering sainthood by the sword means entering sainthood by will. Her will shall never disappear. Refusing your call, she must be doing something she deems very important."
Although Fan Wubing still had concerns, he had to trust Luo Ling Xian.
"Alright."
"Just move forward with peace of mind. Your paths will eventually cross again, at some place, at some time."
"Hmm."
...
Fan Wubing traveled south, visiting a few of his old friends.
Ye Yixian, Chengming, Wei Changkong. They drank, reminisced, recalling past times. This appeared to be an essential part of a reunion among men.
Ye Yixian was now wholeheartedly committed to the affairs of the Imperial Dynasty. As a sovereign, his life was incredibly simple and ascetic, almost as if he intended to burn himself on the Great Li River and Mountains.