Chapter 565: Farewell

One transformation, one deception?

Sister Situ thought she had misseen, unable to resist blinking her eyes; when she looked again, Mo Hua's expression was calm, still sweet and innocent, with a hint of bewilderment, showing no other unusual signs.

"This… what exactly is going on?"

Sister Situ, puzzled, murmured to herself.

On the other side, Bai Qingcheng was also incredulous.

The Dao Heart Seed Demon had dissolved…

Did Big Brother's hand spare him?

This is impossible…

Bai Qingcheng could not help asking: "Mo Hua… you, are you alright?"

Mo Hua nodded, "Auntie, I'm fine."

The others exchanged glances, then Liu Yuhua cautiously asked: "Young brother, have you seen a Daoist with an eerie aura?"

"I have," Mo Hua replied truthfully.

The group tensed, then someone else asked: "Where is that Daoist?"

"He left," Mo Hua said.

The group froze. "Left?"

"Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "Master taught me meditation techniques: when evil thoughts enter the body, still the mind and meditate, and you can restrain yourself, guard your heart, and suppress the evil thoughts…"

"I meditated for a while, Master…"

Mo Hua nearly called out "Uncle," but held back and changed it: "... that Daoist… saw my Dao heart was firm, unbreakable, and so he left…"

The group of Liu Yuhua cultivators listened as if hearing a divine scripture.

Is the Dao Heart Seed Demon really like this?

Yet this young cultivator before them had clean eyes and clear thoughts, clearly freed from the demon's control.

"Meditation technique…?"

The Liu Yuhua True Persons were curious—was this also one of Mr.'s methods?

They wanted to ask, but such matters were hard to inquire about.

Sister Situ, however, frowned.

Bai Qingcheng was even more dazed.

Others might not know, but she and Mr. came from the same sect—how could she not know what meditation technique was for?

Meditation technique was used to calm the mind, cultivate the heart, and discard distracting thoughts.

It could also restore spiritual awareness.

But to claim it could restrain oneself, guard the heart, and dispel the Dao Heart Seed Demon was clearly nonsense…

Bai Qingcheng glanced at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua's small face was serious, solemn, his "honest" gaze still carrying a touch of innocence—looking nothing like he was lying.

This made Bai Qingcheng begin to doubt herself.

Had she not learned well? Or had she learned it wrong?

Was there deeper knowledge to the meditation technique?

Bai Qingcheng was confused.

But no matter what, Mo Hua was unharmed—that was a good thing.

Everyone sighed in relief.

Unless absolutely necessary, they did not wish to kill a young cultivator of ten or so years.

Especially since this young cultivator had a somewhat special identity.

Still, they remained uneasy, fearing Mo Hua's demonic thoughts had not vanished, that the demon seed lay dormant, and might suddenly invade his mind, causing him to go mad—so they confined him to his room for temporary observation.

Several days later, Mo Hua was perfectly normal, with no strange demonic aura.

Only then did they feel relieved and released Mo Hua.

Only Sister Situ occasionally looked at Mo Hua, lost in thought, his eyes carrying a trace of worry.

He could not forget the look in Mo Hua's eyes that day, when he had glimpsed it fleetingly.

That half-clear, half-deceptive, yet perfectly seamless expression was truly unbelievable.

The clarity was fine…

But this deception… the more he looked, the more it resembled the Deceptive Daoist…

He always feared that one day Mo Hua's spiritual awareness would suddenly change, his pupils turn black, and he become a miniature "Deceptive Daoist."

Fortunately, afterward, Mo Hua's expression remained normal, with no abnormalities.

Sister Situ finally relaxed.

And thus, the matter of the Deceptive Daoist was settled, brought to a close.

The Mietian Array had been dismantled, Mo Hua's Tianyan Jue bottleneck had been broken—he could now consider formal Foundation Establishment.

But before Foundation Establishment, he still needed time to prepare.

To nourish his meridians and qi sea, purchase some pills as backup, gather spirit stones, and most importantly, completely refine the remaining deceptive thoughts, achieving perfect unity of mind and body, leaving no flaw—otherwise, they would not feel at ease.

But the other cultivators would have to leave first.

The group of Liu Yuhua, the various Dao Court families and sects, and Bai Qingcheng.

For Mo Hua, Foundation Establishment was a major event.

But for other cultivators, especially these Liu Yuhua True Persons, it was a trivial matter.

Their scheduled itinerary would not change.

No one cared that Mo Hua was just a small Qi Refinement cultivator—whether he built a Foundation or not…

In the days that followed, several True Persons of Liu Yuhua departed one after another.

Three days later, Mr. Zhuang was also to be sent to the Bai family.

Mo Hua temporarily set aside the matter of Foundation Establishment.

He feared he would never see his master again, so for these days, he stayed by Mr. Zhuang's side every single day.

The master who had once been as gentle as spring rain now lay cold and still.

Mo Hua's heart ached.

He wished more than anything that his master would open his eyes, look at him once more, speak to him—but all of it was a fantasy.

Sometimes, when Mo Hua grew tired, he would fall asleep beside him.

The eternal lamp burned dimly; its warm glow draped over him, as if someone were comforting him—but Mo Hua knew nothing of it.

On this day, as Mo Hua slept, half-asleep, he heard voices speaking.

It was Sister Situ and White Uncle.

Perhaps they assumed Mo Hua was asleep, so they did not avoid him.

"... Can he be saved?"

"It's difficult…"

The elderly voice—Mo Hua recognized it at once as Sister Situ's.

"... Apart from the severance of Heavenly Fate, his own physical body… ah, his Qi Sea is shattered, his Consciousness Sea is dried up, his Dao Bones have been taken, and his blood and heart have been incinerated by sword qi—there is no way to repair it…"

"Even if, in the future, some heavenly treasure of unimaginable power were used to restore this body, it would only be the first step…"

"The Consciousness is the most troublesome part…"

"This involves Heavenly Fate—and karmic ties…"

Bai Qingcheng's face was pale. "Is there truly not even a sliver of chance…?"

Sister Situ shook her head. "Such a thing is like becoming an Immortal…"

"Is becoming an Immortal possible? Of course it is—but in this vast Nine Provinces, among countless beings, over tens of thousands of years, not a single soul has ever achieved it."

"There is a chance—but it is vanishingly small. Such an opportunity is as good as none."

Bai Qingcheng sighed.

Sister Situ hesitated a moment, then advised: "I'll say something, White True Person—you may not like to hear it…"

Bai Qingcheng was startled. "Senior, please speak…"

Sister Situ carefully said: "Mr. Zhuang has just 'died'…"

Sister Situ paused here, sensing it was inappropriate.

To say "died" was inaccurate—he still had a sliver of life—but to say "not dead" was nearly the same as saying he was dead…

"Mr. Zhuang's life hangs by a thread…"

Sister Situ changed her phrasing, then continued: "You've lost your elder brother; your grief is real—but this grief is only temporary."

"You wish to save Mr. Zhuang, but this intention… is also only temporary… Over time, your heart will grow indifferent."

Sister Situ, speaking as one who had walked this path, sighed deeply:

"Cultivators live long lives. The passing years are enough to erase all regrets and pains. As one lives on, one grows numb—nothing remains that cannot be let go."

"So…" Sister Situ sighed, "White True Person, focus on your own cultivation, attend to your own affairs—don't force yourself beyond what is possible."

Bai Qingcheng fell silent.

She knew Sister Situ was right.

In her lifetime, she too had once regretted and suffered, felt life was not worth living—but once she endured a few years, crossed that threshold…

As time passed, past sorrows and setbacks faded, like healed scars—ugly, but no longer painful.

Just like her elder brother…

She ached now—but over time, perhaps she too would grow numb, forget…

Bai Qingcheng bit her lip. "But what if I insist on saving him?"

Sister Situ frowned. "Then it will be arduous…"

"Mr. Zhuang's karmic debts are immense, his enemies too many, his entanglements of interest too vast…"

"How many in this world wish Mr. Zhuang dead? Whether the Dao Court or the Mo Sect, no one wishes to save him."

"If you save him, you will face endless obstacles."

"To revive the dead… is extremely difficult. Beyond vast quantities of Spirit Stones and spiritual materials, it demands unwavering perseverance—enduring endless torment, alternating between hope and despair, hard to sustain…"

"It requires an extraordinarily resilient Dao Heart to remain steadfast, to never abandon your original intent…"

"And… that is not enough."

"Even if the body is revived, if Heavenly Fate is utterly severed, he still cannot live…"

"You must have a Heavenly Fate array imbued with the Dao of Life and Death, to possibly mend Mr. Zhuang's severed Heavenly Fate and procure a sliver of life…"

"To steal Yin and Yang, seize Creation, reverse Life and Death…"

"Such arrays are profoundly deep, immensely powerful, and ancient—most have vanished into the ruins of ancient Dao halls or forbidden lands where cultivators perished. Where will you find the array diagrams?"

"Even if you obtain the diagrams, who can learn them?"

"No one can learn them…"

"Even if someone learns them, who has the ability to truly construct one?"

Sister Situ frowned deeply, sincerely marveling:

"People often say arrays are vast and profound—but only those of us who have truly delved into arrays know just how vast and profound they truly are!"

"Beyond mountains lie greater mountains; beyond heaven lies higher heaven."

Yet beyond the heavens, there still exists a heaven beyond reach...

Some arrays in this world are so profound and obscure that they were never meant for mortals to learn...

Sister Situ's aged face even betrayed a flicker of despair.

Bai Qincheng's expression was also filled with fear, but after a moment of silence, she clenched her teeth and insisted:

"I won't give up!"

Sister Situ sighed and nodded.

Whether or not she truly wouldn't give up, he had said all he needed to say, and said no more.

Mo Hua, lying on his side nearby, had heard every word.

"Steal Yin and Yang, seize Creation's essence, defy life and death..."

He etched those words firmly into his heart.

As dawn broke, Sister Situ and her senior disciple finished their discussion and departed.

Mo Hua opened his eyes and slowly sat up.

He glanced once more at Mr. Zhuang, committing his master's appearance to memory, and made a silent vow.

"If no one else can save my master, I will save him!"

"If no one else can learn this array, I will learn it!"

"Even if everyone in this world wants my master dead, I will make him live—truly live, and live well!"

Mo Hua's small face was solemn, his gaze resolute, as he deeply engraved this vow upon his Dao heart.

The rising sun bathed the master and disciple in golden light.

Mo Hua murmured softly:

"Master, rest for a while..."

"When the time comes, I'll wake you..."

Three days later, Bai Qincheng would depart.

She would take Mr. Zhuang, bound by karmic threads and hanging by a thread between life and death, with her—and bring Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi back to the Bai Clan.

Bai Zi Xi found Bai Qincheng and said firmly:

"Mother, I want to take Little Master Mo back to the Bai Clan..."

Bai Zisheng nodded beside him. "Mother, please take Mo Hua with us..."

Bai Qincheng's expression was cold. "Why?"

Bai Zi Xi's gaze was complex, his emotions tangled. "I promised my master I'd look after Little Master Mo..."

"Mm-hmm." Bai Zisheng nodded.

They invoked their master's name, hoping their mother would show respect.

But Bai Qincheng shook her head. "You look after him? How?"

Both froze.

Bai Qincheng said: "Once in the Bai Clan, if he faces danger—who will protect him?"

"You?"

"You're both at Qi Condensation. What can you do? Even if you reach Foundation Establishment, what then?"

"In the Second Rank Cultivation Realm, Foundation Establishment cultivators can summon wind and rain—but in the Bai Clan, mere Foundation Establishment can protect no one."

Bai Qincheng looked at the two children, her heart aching, yet she spoke plainly:

"Moreover, you are Bai Clan descendants—you rely on the Bai Clan, not yourselves. You wish to protect him, but what if one day..."

"The Bai Clan wants him dead?"

"What will you do? What can you do?"

"Can you defy your own clan?"

"With your current cultivation, how can you defy the Bai Clan—a family with ten thousand years of history?"

"If you cannot resist, will you stand by and watch... your little master die?"

Bai Qincheng's words were cold and unyielding.

Bai Zi Xi and Bai Zisheng turned pale, heads bowed, fists clenched tightly, yet unable to speak.

They could protect nothing...

Neither their master... nor Little Master Mo...

Bai Qincheng looked at the two children, her eyes pained, her tone softening slightly:

"Cultivators ultimately rely only on their own strength..."

"I know you share deep brotherhood, but bringing Mo Hua back to the Bai Clan won't help him—it will doom him..."

"The Bai Clan is too vast, its karmic threads too deep, too complex..."

Bai Zi Xi trembled. "Mother, then..."

Bai Qincheng hesitated, then slowly reached out and stroked Bai Zi Xi's head. She sighed:

"Go..."

"Forgetting your little master is the best protection you can give him..."

Little Master and Little Sister were leaving.

They would travel to Liyuan City and board the Sky Cloud Ferry to depart the Da Li Mountain Province.

Mo Hua came to see him off.

It was his first time arriving at Liyuan City, and his first time seeing Yun Du.

Yun Du was enormous, magnificent and splendid, moored at the dock like a colossal Kun that rode the wings of heaven; it was said that when it flew, it resembled a great ship drifting through clouds, moving with extreme speed, capable of crossing provincial borders.

The principle behind Yun Du seemed to involve harnessing Qi currents to rise upon the clouds.

Mo Hua was very curious, but because parting was imminent, his mood was low, and he had no heart to study Yun Du…

Bai Zixi worried Mo Hua was unhappy, chattered endlessly.

He talked about famous sights in Ganzhou—like the heavenly Daoist buildings, ancient temples with weathered charm, sword-energy waterfalls cascading from the sky, the Bai family's ancient pavilion, Sanqing Spirit Mountain… and more.

Mo Hua listened with great interest.

Bai Zixi also told Mo Hua that he must visit the Bai family someday.

But he warned him to wait until his cultivation was higher.

The Bai family had many villains who might harm him…

Mo Hua gave Bai Zixi a gift: a large dragon controlled by a Spirit Pivot Array, no longer a crawling creature as before.

He attached two wings to it; they flapped and lifted it off the ground, though it couldn't fly high, it was far better than crawling.

But adding wings made it look a bit ugly.

Mo Hua also promised, "When I get better at arrays, I'll make you a dragon that can fly without wings!"

Bai Zixi was overjoyed, then asked Mo Hua:

"Have you been practicing the technique I taught you?"

Mo Hua froze. "What technique?"

Bai Zixi's face darkened; he spoke slowly, word by word: "Flying! Dragon! In! Heaven!"

Mo Hua remembered Bai Zixi's self-created technique: leaping into the sky, striking a pose, then descending with a long spear…

Mo Hua felt awkward. "That… can't I skip it…?"

It was pure showmanship, utterly useless.

"No!" Bai Zixi insisted. "This is my own creation—I taught it only to you. In all the world, only you and I know it! You must learn it well!"

Mo Hua sighed. "Fine…"

Bai Zixi nodded, satisfied, then remembered something and grew somber again.

"I originally wanted to return to Tongxian City to see Uncle Mo and Aunt Liu, but now I can't go. Ganzhou is so far away—I don't know if I'll ever have the chance again…"

Aunt Liu's food was delicious.

Bai Zixi deeply missed those carefree days in Tongxian City, filled with good food and drink.

Mo Hua comforted him: "There will be chances."

Bai Zixi perked up slightly and nodded.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked: "What about Little Sister?"

Throughout this journey, he hadn't seen her at all…

Bai Zixi paused, sighed. "She wanted you to come to the Bai family too, but now you can't go, so maybe she feels too shy to see you…"

Why would she feel shy about that…

Mo Hua whispered: "Is Little Sister pouting?"

Bai Zixi thought, then nodded. "Probably."

But he knew it wasn't that.

Ever since hearing Mother's words, Bai Zi Xi had locked herself in her room, refusing to see anyone, as if afraid that seeing Mo Hua again would bring her pain.

Bai Zixi didn't understand; he shook his head.

Feeling sad at parting is normal.

That's exactly why you should see each other more…

Bai Zixi chatted with Mo Hua for a long time, reluctant to let go, until someone urged them—Yun Du was about to depart—and finally bid Mo Hua farewell, turning back three steps, glancing over his shoulder.

"It really… has to be goodbye…"

Just before stepping into Yun Du, Bai Zixi's eyes suddenly stung.

Memories of countless days spent together—the three of them, laughing, arguing, playing—flooded his heart…

He forced back his tears, gave Mo Hua one last look, etching his younger brother's face into his soul, then stepped forward into the vast Yun Du.

Mo Hua stood at the dock, unwilling to leave, yet silently watched his elder brother—and the unseen Little Sister—depart.

Inside Yun Du.

Bai Zixi knocked on Bai Zi Xi's door. "Aren't you going to see your younger brother?"

Silence inside the room.

"If you don't go now, you might… never see him again…"

Behind the door, there was still no reply.

Bai Zixi sighed helplessly, hugged the dragon Mo Hua had given him, and turned away.

Inside the room, Bai Zi Xi sat quietly, her dark lashes trembling, her exquisite eyes holding a trace of loneliness.

Clear sunlight streamed in, casting a faint pallor on her cheeks, adding a touch of melancholy beauty to her otherwise cold, flawless face.

She sat there in stillness, lost in thought, her emotions tangled and unsettled.

Moments later, the massive hum of Yun Du rose.

Bai Zi Xi suddenly startled; Bai Zixi's words echoed again in her mind:

"You might… never see him again…"

Her heart trembled; she rose quickly, stepped out of her room, and went to the deck of Yun Du.

But at this moment, the Cloud Crossing had already set sail.

Under a boundless clear sky, the Cloud Crossing's resplendent and colossal hull broke through the clouds, churning up layer upon layer of cloud waves as it rose.

When Bai Zi Xi looked again, the sea of clouds stretched boundlessly.

Mo Hua's tiny figure had already been hidden behind the all-encompassing sea of clouds, vanishing completely from her eyes…

Never again… could she see him…

Bai Zi Xi felt a sudden pang in her chest, as though carved by a blade. A single tear, crystalline as ice and snow, slid slowly down her pale, flawless cheek…

White clouds surged like great waves, cloud currents flowed like ocean currents, cradling the Cloud Crossing as it sailed with the wind, drifting farther and farther away in the endless sea of clouds…

The Great Dao stretches long, the sea of clouds parts them.

After this parting, who knows in what year they might meet again.

(End of Chapter)