Chapter 1283: Old Acquaintance

The journey to Huangtian has come to an end.

Xu Qing left the Huangtian world.

He took with him that mysterious light, and also the key to opening the primordial mother star.

Left behind were the sleeping Erniu, Qiye, and an empty grave.

The empty grave was personally constructed by Qiye, without using any divine arts or techniques, and without Xu Qing's assistance.

Xu Qing watched his master build the grave from the side, and also watched him inscribe a line of characters on the tombstone.

The Tomb of Master Lingfanzi.

Lingfanzi was the Daoist title of that ancient immortal from the Holy Land in former times.

Qiye, here, built a grave for his deceased master.

And he knelt before the grave, the sorrow in his expression seeming to seep into his soul.

……

As for the Huangtian Divine Clan, with the karmic erasure of their Divine Emperor, and with the source light that was offered being absorbed into Xu Qing's body, they also lost their source...

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

The remainder, Xu Qing did not completely eradicate, but instead allowed them to remain in Huangtian, around his senior brother.

Erniu, who had fused with the Huangtian Divine Emperor's divine body, though still asleep, was for the surviving Huangtian Divine Clan their new sovereign.

"Senior brother's slumber still requires a period of time before he can awaken..."

Before departing, before that empty grave, under the watch of Zhou Zhengli and others, Xu Qing gazed toward the distant, sleeping Erniu.

In his eyes, rosy light flickered—this was the overflow of that light he had absorbed into his body.

That light, within his body, could not be fully absorbed.

He likewise needed some time.

Thus, Xu Qing already had the thought of secluded cultivation in his heart.

Qiye also looked toward Erniu, except his gaze also carried that grave.

After a long while, he spoke softly.

"Are you planning to return and then enter secluded cultivation?"

Xu Qing nodded.

"Now, the hidden dangers openly present on Wanggu have mostly been cleared; the coming time... disciple wishes to go see an old acquaintance, then prepare for secluded cultivation, absorbing the light offered by the Huangtian Divine Clan."

"At the same time, for the secrets contained within this light, I also need to explore it multiple times."

"Moreover... the existence of Shanghuang, and the gaze of external divine sovereigns, with my current cultivation, is still insufficient."

Upon hearing this, Qiye raised his hand and patted Xu Qing's shoulder, his expression carrying a hint of lament.

"My master's cultivation in this life, hindered by his cultivation mindset, has reached its limit; what I can do is, during your secluded cultivation period, guard Wanggu in your stead."

"So, go attend to your affairs; during this time, I remain here, thinking of the outside world."

Xu Qing looked at his master, feeling the thoughts in his master's heart, and also understood that Huangtian's conclusion had stirred his master's heart, now wishing for solitude.

Thus, he said no more, after one bow, his body transformed into a long rainbow, shooting straight toward the firmament.

Zhou Zhengli and others bowed to Qiye, then followed behind Xu Qing.

Soon, the figures of their party grew ever more distant on the heavenly canopy, until they vanished at the entrance to Wanggu.

With their departure, the entire Huangtian fell into silence.

Qiye withdrew his gaze from the sky, walked to the grave, sat there, and raised his hand to take out a wine pot.

After drinking a large mouthful, he let the heavenly wind blow, lifting his long hair, and murmured softly.

"Master..."

Back then, his master departed, saying before leaving that he would return.

Thus, Qiye guarded Wanggu and practiced a special cultivation mindset, extending life through the method of reincarnation, lifetime after lifetime, rebirth after rebirth, guarding again and again.

Finally, he awaited his master.

But... what came was not his master.

All those thoughts, in the wind, gradually became ripples in the river of memory.

……

Time flowed on.

Xu Qing had left Huangtian for already a month.

During this month, he went to the human race's imperial capital.

Within that imperial capital, he witnessed the rise of the human race under the leadership of the Empress, the momentum of unification already like a rolling boulder, unstoppable.

Simultaneously, as the Grand Tutor of the human race, he also witnessed the ceremony in which Xiang Ningyan was invested as Crown Prince.

And the past scenes with Xiang Ningyan, amidst the thousand strands of auspicious radiance, surfaced in Xu Qing's mind, his gaze also unconsciously falling upon Xiang Ningyan's abdomen.

He remembered that there was a vine there.

Back then, senior brother had used Xiang Ningyan as a weapon—whether as a shield or thrown to smash people, it seemed quite effective.

Thinking of this, Xu Qing's mouth corner revealed a hint of a smile.

And Xiang Ningyan, kneeling there, his heart surged with endless waves; even after digesting these events over time, he still, upon seeing Xu Qing, felt a dreamlike daze.

This daze lasted throughout the entire ceremony.

With the conclusion of the ceremony, Xu Qing departed.

He went to the Festival Moon Great Domain.

He arrived at the old pharmacy, saw the Mingnan Shizi, saw the Third Grandmother, saw the Ninth Grandfather...

And he also saw Xiang Linger.

At the moment they met, the grown-up and graceful Xiang Linger had tears streaming down her face as she flung herself into Xu Qing's embrace.

Holding Xiang Linger, Xu Qing's smile carried gentleness.

As always.

But time did not allow Xu Qing to linger longer at the Moon Sacrifice; after several days, amidst Xiang Linger's reluctance, Xu Qing departed.

Before leaving, he infused the ancient spirit race's fortune, stripped from the Ancient Spirit Emperor, into Xiang Linger's bloodline, purifying her blood and granting her the fortune of her clan.

Thereafter, he set out on the road to Nanhuangzhou.

Along the way, on the Boundless Sea, Xu Qing appeared at the island where Yan Yan resided, thoroughly severing the lingering divine sense left on her from years past.

Thus, Yan Yan's emotions truly returned to normal.

Throughout the entire process, Yan Yan gazed at Xu Qing with a complex expression, several times on the verge of speaking but stopping herself; in the end……she still chose silence.

Within Nanhuangzhou, Xu Qing also saw many old acquaintances.

He saw two other disciples of Master Bai, Tingyu and Chen Feiyuan.

And he gave them the seed entrusted to him by Master Bai.

"Master has not passed away; if you wish to seek him, plant this seed. When the flower blooms, guided by its fragrance, you may reach his presence."

He also saw Zhao Zhongheng.

Time has changed, but Zhao Zhongheng has not; he remains obsessed with Ding Xue, and over these years, this seems to have become his Dao-heart.

As for Ding Xue……everything remains as before.

Only, due to Xu Qing's height, she can no longer reach him, so she can only let the emotions of those years sink eternally into her heart.

And the little mute boy—his spirituality is the highest Xu Qing has seen among people.

His cultivation has also reached the peak of Golden Core Great Perfection.

Xu Qing recalled his past and granted him the opportunity for Nascent Soul.

And there is Zhang San, this investor who takes pride in having bet on Chen Erniu and then on Xu Qing for a lifetime; after catching up with Xu Qing, he went from initial tension to relaxing somewhat, and shared his ideals with Xu Qing.

He plans to wander freely across Eastern Wanggu in the coming days.

"I will spread my business throughout the Eastern Wanggu continent!"

Zhang San declared proudly.

Xu Qing smiled and blessed him; in the morning rain curtain, he saw Zhang San off as he raised his sail in the rain, then lifted his gaze toward the azure heavens.

In the azure heavens, the Flame Phoenix circled, transmitting a proud divine sense toward Xu Qing.

On its back, the Second Senior Sister waved at Xu Qing.

They intend to leave Nanhuangzhou for a time, heading to other great domains.

As for behind them, a small bird clung to the Flame Phoenix's tail, its wings constantly fluttering.

Watching that young bird, Xu Qing smiled.

For a long time, amidst the pattering rain, Xu Qing stood at the harbor and turned his head.

Beneath the eave behind him stood a woman in a green long dress, holding an oil-paper umbrella, gazing at him.

"Long time no see, Qiuqiu."

Xu Qing whispered.

The woman beneath the eave was indeed the little girl from the scavenger camp years ago; she walked slowly from her silence, stood before Xu Qing, and looked into his eyes.

Xu Qing raised his hand, took out a piece of candy from within time and space, and placed it before Qiuqiu.

Qiuqiu's gaze fell upon the candy; after a long while, she gently took it and held it in her palm.

Finally, she glanced at Xu Qing once, then turned and silently departed.

Until she had walked a hundred zhang away, as her figure was about to vanish in the rain curtain, her voice echoed through the rain in Xu Qing's ears.

"Little kid brother."

"If back then at the scavenger camp, my brother hadn't taken me with him, and I had ended up going with you to the Seven Blood Eyes, then what would our future have been……"

Xu Qing said nothing.

Qiuqiu waited a moment, put the candy in her hand into her mouth, and her figure dissipated in the rain curtain.

Seeing Qiuqiu off, Xu Qing strolled through the Seven Blood Eyes, walking down street after street, past shop after shop, watching the gradually increasing crowds.

Inside were mortals and cultivators.

His memories, too, accompanied him along the way; at each familiar place, it seemed he saw his own former self.

His heart gradually grew peaceful within these memories.

Until finally, he arrived at the 176th harbor of years past, took out the earliest magic boat from within time, and stepped inside.

Within the magic boat, sitting cross-legged, amidst the flowing river water and the boat's rocking, he closed his eyes.

Begin……closed-door cultivation.