Chapter 210: I come from the ages, wishing to go to the mortal realm!

The river of ages surged forward, rolling up several waves, layer upon layer of ripples spreading out; Ye Qin quickly sank into it, his tiny form swallowed by the river water.

In the midst of heaven spinning and earth turning, various scenes flashed by like a hurried glance, forming countless fragments; an inexplicable pull in the dark drew Ye Qin flying toward the distance.

When he opened his eyes again, what met his sight was lush and verdant; though it was a mountain forest, it was not Longyuan Mountain.

A gentle breeze brushed the mountainside, the green leaves dancing in the wind like a green sea; mountain flowers bloomed in profusion, dotting the scene and sending out waves of fragrance—the view before him was strange yet familiar.

Ye Qin's thoughts surged; the tomb of Zuo Ci was an extremely special existence to him.

It was the first mottled fragment of time he had entered; Ye Qin still remembered it vividly—back then he was merely a small green snake, lacking great divine abilities or skills, possessing only a sincerely devoted heart toward the Dao.

While boiling tea and discussing the Dao with Zuo Ci in the mountains, he even influenced Zuo Ci, causing him to furnace a batch of ruined elixir, which was even passed down to later generations; Ye Qin at the time thought it was merely a dream, unaware that he had traversed through time.

Recalling all this, it felt as if separated by worlds.

Upon entering here again, he still appeared as a small green snake; going round and round, it seemed he had returned to the starting point, everything appearing unchanged, yet Ye Qin knew that some things had already been altered in the dark—this was a guidance from fate.

"The flow of time inside these time fragments differs from the outside world, and I don't know how Zuo Ci is now."

Although Ye Qin knew the two times differed, he was unsure of the exact rate; his gaze fell to the east, "There seems to be some movement over there."

To the east, at the highest point of the terrain, stood a Taoist temple; the magnificent, ancient-looking shrine was solemn and dignified, perched atop a steep, jutting mountain peak.

The ancient Taoist temple was hidden beneath a few vigorous ginkgo trees, ancient trees towering high, pines and cypresses dense, yet sobbing sounds drifted from within.

All that could be seen was an elderly man sitting on a rush mat; his hair and beard were pure white, his face etched with furrows—all the marks left by time—he wore a gray Taoist robe, complemented by snow‑white whiskers, presenting the very image of an immortal's wind‑and‑bone demeanor.

Unfortunately, the old Taoist's eyes were cloudy, his breath as thin as a silk thread, clearly his lifespan was nearing its end, his days numbered.

Beside him, disciples knelt in worship, yet their eyes were blood‑red, brimming with tears.

"What are you crying for? I haven't died yet," he said.

Having said that with a hearty laugh, the old Taoist's throat instantly burst into a violent cough; his whole person resembled a candle flickering in the wind, liable to go out at any moment.

His gaze fell upon the small bronze cauldron before him, filled with a hint of hope and expectation: "This time I must succeed in refining it!"

The ancient cauldron's body was carved with lifelike patterns of insects, fish, birds, and beasts, as if they might come alive any second; a faint medicinal aroma emanated from within.

Given Zuo Ci's condition, he could not possibly lift the lid himself; the two disciples beside him opened the cauldron's cover, and immediately the medicinal fragrance flooded out.

"How is it? Has the Nine‑turn Golden Elixir been successfully refined?"

The two disciples exchanged glances, seemingly reluctant to speak, lest they shatter Zuo Ci's last hope.

Seeing this, Zuo Ci seemed to understand something; his eyes filled with gray defeat: "How laughable—I have spent my life refining elixirs, yet I have never managed to produce the Nine‑turn Golden Elixir; it seems I am destined to depart with regret."

The instant his words hit the ground, he actually spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood.

Seeing this, a nearby disciple hurried forward a step and said, "Master! Perhaps the legendary Golden Elixir is nothing but a fraud—you must look after your health."

"Yes, Master, your constitution has never been strong, because refining elixirs has exhausted your essence and energy—"

As he spoke on, his voice choked up, and he was already unable to stop crying.

Zuo Ci shook his head, his expression somewhat sorrowful and desolate: "You don't understand; the Golden Elixir is real—that Daoist friend told me so, I merely lack sufficient skill in my studies."

The disciples exchanged glances, all feeling somewhat helpless; they had heard Zuo Ci mention "that Daoist friend" countless times in their lives, yet they had never actually seen him, and whenever they asked, Zuo Ci remained evasive.

Thus they suspected that Zuo Ci had fabricated or imagined him, that such a person simply did not exist in the world.

"Do you know why I established this Taoist temple here?"

The disciples shook their heads to indicate they did not know.

Zuo Ci's gaze fell upon the void, yet carried a hint of memory: "It is because I met him here; if it weren't for him, I would not have reached this point."

Although Zuo Ci had not refined the Nine‑turn Golden Elixir that could prolong life and grant immortality, after receiving guidance from that Fiendish Immortal, his alchemical skill surpassed that of ordinary people, and the outside world regarded his elixirs as priceless—worth a thousand gold pieces and still hard to obtain.

Zuo Ci well understood that, without the Fiendish Immortal's pointers, based on his earlier attainment he could never have reached this level; all of this was thanks to his encounter with the Fiendish Immortal while speaking in the mountain pavilion.

Zuo Ci's eyes grew dim, his face full of regret: "Alas, my oil is exhausted, my lamp burnt out—I have not been able to see him again."

"My two greatest regrets in life are: first, failing to refine the Divine Elixir; second, not being able to see him. If it were him, refining the Divine Elixir would surely be effortless."

The disciples, hearing this, were somewhat puzzled yet spoke respectfully: "Master, if you can only rank second, then no one in this world could be first."

Zuo Ci let out a long sigh: "You don't understand."

He seemed to think of something: "Take me to the mountain pavilion."

The disciples knew that besides the temple, the place where Zuo Ci spent most of his time was that pavilion.

"But the mountain winds are strong; your frail body, Master, simply cannot withstand them."

Zuo Ci's eyes showed a wistful look: "I only wish to spend my remaining time there; if you are truly filial, fulfill my final wish."

Hearing this, the disciples felt immense sorrow, yet could not defy Zuo Ci's will; they supported him onto a stretcher and then brought him to the pavilion.

Since parting with Ye Qin, Zuo Ci would come to the pavilion whenever he had leisure to wait, but Ye Qin never kept the appointment; sometimes he himself could not help doubting whether the miraculous green snake he had encountered was merely a dream.

Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly, or perhaps the butterfly dreaming of Zhuang Zhou.

The mountain wind howled, fallen leaves scattering; this scene, as it fell upon Zuo Ci's eyes, added a touch more of desolate feeling.

The pavilion seemed unchanged, yet Zuo Ci was already aged and feeble, his life at its end: "Go on, I want to be alone here for a while."

At this moment Zuo Ci's spirit appeared to have improved considerably, but the disciples knew it was merely the final flicker before death; some were reluctant to leave, hoping to attend him in his last moments.

Zuo Ci, however, waved his hand: "Go ahead—everyone must die someday, there's no need for grief."

The disciples withdrew, taking three steps back for every step forward.

Zuo Ci's gaze fell upon the void, his expression carrying a hint of nostalgia; a rustling sound came from around, and he thought the disciples had returned, "Didn't I tell you to leave?"

"Long time no see."

But upon hearing that unfamiliar yet familiar voice, Zuo Ci's whole body stiffened as if struck by lightning; he incredulously turned his head.

What met his eyes was that emerald‑green figure; he thought he was having a hallucination, blinked, and the silhouette remained unchanged.

Having crossed the distance of time and space, the two finally met again.

Zuo Ci opened his mouth, and due to his extreme excitement, his throat burst into a violent cough: "I thought I would never have the chance to see you again in this lifetime."

Going round and round, it seemed they had returned to the starting point; when they first met, the small green snake before them had undergone no change, yet he himself had already turned white‑haired.

Zuo Ci's eyes grew reflective: "To meet you at the end of my life, I die without regret; thanks to your guidance that day, my alchemical path has proceeded so smoothly."

Have you refined the Golden Core you wanted?

Zuo Ci showed an embarrassed expression, "I have let down your expectations; so far I still haven't refined it, unfortunately, I have no time left."

According to Ye Qin's Cultivation Level, how could he not see that Zuo Ci has already reached the point of exhausted oil and a dying wick?

Ye Qin's gaze fell on the nearby alchemy furnace; with a casual thought, several stalks of green medicinal herbs appeared out of thin air and flew into it; under his refinement, life essence and spiritual qi collided, forging a vibrant vitality.

In just a moment, spiritual light flickered, the room filled with fragrance; inside the furnace one could see golden light flowing, clouds and mist swirling, miraculous phenomena abounding, everywhere displaying the divine.

Zuo Ci was shocked by Ye Qin's almost divine alchemy technique, his mouth hanging open.

This method is no longer that of an ordinary person!

He knew Ye Qin's alchemy technique must surpass his own, but he didn't expect the difference to be as vast as clouds and mud!

This must be what an immortal is like, right?

"If I could learn such alchemy technique, the Nine-turn Golden Core would certainly be no problem!"

Zuo Ci's eyes showed a longing look; for someone like him, a Dao practitioner, he has spent his life studying alchemy methods, solely to learn superior alchemy technique.

"What difficulty is there?" Ye Qin laughed hearing this, then looked at Zuo Ci, "Would you be willing to follow me into the Daoist temple, accept the baptism of ages, receive the incense offerings of the mortal world, and one day attain the Dao and achieve longevity?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Ci's breathing became somewhat hurried.

Longevity!

This is a goal countless people long for in life yet cannot obtain; his reason for wanting to refine the Nine-turn Golden Core is nothing other than to extend his lifespan and achieve longevity.

And seeking the Dao in life is either to comprehend the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, or to be a Carefree Wanderer in the mortal world.

Zuo Ci respectfully clasped his fists, performed a bow, and said, "I wish to become a disciple of the Demonic Immortal, following the Demonic Immortal to achieve longevity!"

"Excellent!"

As Zuo Ci's words fell, Ye Qin's whole body burst forth with a ray of light that completely enveloped Zuo Ci; an ancient aura rushed forth, bringing supreme pressure.

In the void, an ancient building could faintly be seen, having endured the vicissitudes of time, yet its extraordinariness could not be concealed; the plaque above bore the two characters "Upper Purity".

Zuo Ci calmly closed his eyes; mist surrounded his whole body, and he turned into specks of white light that flew into the Upper Purity Temple.

Hum!

The ancient bell hummed, emitting a sound of ages long past.

In the blink of an eye, there was no trace of Zuo Ci in the pavilion.

Roar!

Ye Qin let out a low grunt, his figure suddenly swelling several times, then he flew up into the clouds.

And not far away, several disciples also saw the white light shooting up from the pavilion, like a pillar of light, with faint golden threads mixed in, and they were instantly amazed.

Before they could figure out what was happening, a strange creature's roar came from that direction, filled with tremendous dignity, making people unable to resist wanting to bow and worship.

"This white light is very strange!"

"Isn't that the pavilion where our master is?"

"Could it be that our master has met with some mishap?!"

A sudden wild wind howled forth; in an instant, heaven and earth were filled with flying sand and rocks, ancient trees swayed, vegetation obscured the view, and a faint blue-green shadow could be seen flashing past in the sky.

"Doesn't there seem to be something above the sky?"

Everyone rubbed their eyes, looked closely, but saw nothing.

"Quickly go see how our master is."

The successive phenomena left the disciples no time to think about anything else; they hurried back, only to find the pavilion empty of anyone, the air filled with a rich medicinal fragrance that refreshed the heart and mind, invigorating the spirit.

A disciple couldn't help but exclaim, "This medicinal fragrance is really special!"

"You guys, come quickly and look here."

Some disciple seemed to have discovered something; everyone heard and went over, seeing that the firewood in the furnace had just been burned to ash, obviously someone had previously refined elixir here.

They took a deep breath, feeling as if bathed in heavenly nectar; just smelling the medicinal fragrance had such a miraculous effect, they dared not imagine what it would be like to swallow the whole elixir.

The crowd's gazes were filled with astonishment and uncertainty.

"Could it be that our master just refined elixir here?"

The disciples searched everywhere but found no trace of Zuo Ci.

"Master——"

Echoes of the disciples came from the empty mountains, yet no one responded.

Zuo Ci was beyond cure, long since lacking any ability to move; yet in just a moment he vanished without a trace, truly inconceivable.

Moreover, they hadn't gone far; if Zuo Ci had suddenly left, they would surely have run into him.

Zuo Ci seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

"You guys, quickly look over here, there's writing!"

All the disciples came upon hearing the news; on the ground were dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, indeed Zuo Ci's handwriting.

"As your teacher, I seek the Great Dao, go to longevity, follow the Demonic Immortal, do not worry."

Everyone's expressions were astonished and uncertain, "What does this sentence mean?"

Clearly Zuo Ci is beyond medical help, his life is short; how could he possibly achieve longevity?

Afterwards, the disciples searched for a long time, all saying that in life one must see the person, in death one must see the corpse, yet they also failed to find Zuo Ci's corpse.

The disciples even suspected that Zuo Ci might have accidentally fallen off a cliff; they searched the bottom of the cliff several times, but still found nothing.

"How strange, how did our master just vanish into thin air? Saying something outrageous, but clearly at that time he was already near death."

"Do you still remember the white light we saw earlier? Everything was normal, after the white light appeared our master disappeared, and when we rushed over we also smelled a medicinal fragrance."

That medicinal fragrance lingered for several days without dispersing, truly astonishing the disciples, as no elixir's fragrance had ever been preserved this long.

"Isn't it possible that our master, at the brink of life and death, suddenly attained insight, refined a Nine-turn Golden Core, left that line of writing, and then ascended?"

"When we rushed over, we also saw a heavenly omen, with some unknown creature flying up into the sky; the strange cry was probably made by it."

"Could it be that this creature is actually the guiding master's immortal!"

Everyone thought more and more that this possibility was very likely.

Initially, many people had seen it; coupled with the lingering medicinal fragrance that never dissipated, and the fact that Zuo Ci's whereabouts could never be found, this story gradually spread among the disciples.

Everyone who heard of it was shocked beyond measure; as a result, the story has been transmitted for thousands of years, and to this day it remains a subject of eager discussion.

Some say this is false news deliberately spread by Zuo Ci's disciples to gain fame and reputation; in fact, Zuo Ci had long been gravely ill and died.

Others say that in the final moments of his life, Zuo Ci refined a golden core, and thus heavenly beings descended as divine emissaries to guide Zuo Ci's ascension.

Opinions diverge, yet even Zuo Ci's corpse has never been found, leaving endless imagination and legend for the world.

Later records state: 【Zuo Ci, courtesy name Yuanfang, a person of Lujiang Commandery, possessed few divine abilities in his youth; in his old age he retreated into the mountains, refined the nine-turn golden core; one day, a white light suddenly appeared, and he vanished without a trace. His disciples said, 'Master, your golden core has been perfected, and you have been guided by the divine emissary; we seek the supreme Dao.'】

(End of chapter)