Chapter 662

Soon, Ye Qin entered the city, being brought into the imperial palace by a man who called himself a eunuch. Even though it was already dark, he was still taken into the palace.

Seeing Emperor Zhao with a ruddy complexion, Ye Qin was first startled, then immediately understood his thoughts. He also knew that the results of his actions had been fermenting for several days, and Emperor Zhao's summoning him this time was merely to learn the details.

After entering the palace, Ye Qin bowed to Emperor Zhao and said, 'Your servant Ye Qin pays his respects to Your Majesty.'

He calmly recounted everything that had happened on the grassland in detail, his tone rising and falling. Listening, Emperor Zhao's eyes lit up, wishing he could himself become an Innate Realm martial warrior and charge into battle alongside Ye Qin on the grassland.

After more than half an hour, Ye Qin finished his account. Emperor Zhao rose, walked to Ye Qin's side, patted his shoulder, and solemnly said, 'My loyal subject, you have rendered meritorious service to our Great Song; you have worked hard.'

Ye Qin shook his head and said humbly, 'Your Majesty flatters me; as a subject, this is what I ought to do. Moreover, Your Majesty has always trusted me—how could I remain unmoved? This too can be considered my repaying Your Majesty's kindness in recognizing my talent.'

Hearing this, Emperor Zhao was deeply moved, thinking to himself, 'This lad is indeed loyal and devoted, not failing my trust in him.' He seemed to see the dawn of the Great Song's revival, and excitedly continued, 'Qin, my loyal subject, in view of your merits, I intend to enfeoff you as Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, hereditary and irrevocable. I think now no one would object, right?'

The reason he is so firm is that previously he had to consult the ministers on everything, but now he no longer needs to.

'A marquis?' Ye Qin startled, then said, 'Your Majesty is being polite; if you wish to make me a marquis, I naturally have no objection. However, there is something I need to tell you.'

He ultimately was not a person of this world, and was about to leave, with the moment of departure already imminent. Therefore, this title held no practical significance for him.

'Go on,' Emperor Zhao replied with a smile, appearing indifferent.

Ye Qin nodded and said slowly, 'Your Majesty, the matter is as follows……'

He told Emperor Zhao in detail about his origin, his purpose, and the fact that he could not stay long in this realm. Emperor Zhao was first startled, then burst out laughing: 'My loyal subject, you say you come from the cultivation realm? How could that be? Don't joke anymore.'

No matter what, he did not believe Ye Qin came from a legendary immortal world; he thought Ye Qin was merely seeking the martial arts manual for foundation establishment. He believed that Ye Qin, serving as Chief of the Imperial City Surveillance, had earned immortal merit for the Great Song only to repay his kindness in recognizing his talent.

He felt these words were utterly fantastical, like something from the Arabian Nights. Could it be that the Way of Immortals truly exists in this world? If so, could an emperor's quest for eternal life also be possible?

'Have you heard that Qin the Devil is about to ascend?' ……

'Ascend? Can a devil even ascend? Breaking the void through martial prowess is merely a legend!'

……

Half a month had passed since Ye Qin left Lin'an Prefecture, the entire martial world was in an uproar, and a piece of news about his ascent spread like wildfire across the four seas.

For some reason, the news of his impending departure from this world spread without legs.

On Qin Lake, rumors spread that Qin the Old Devil would hold an ascent ceremony in half a month at Donghai, though no one was invited, yet people all over the world were in an uproar.

To become an immortal, to attain the Dao—how many people harbor this longing! Even ordinary commoners are full of enthusiasm for it.

From emperors and ministers down to martial artists, peddlers, porters, farmers, Buddhist and Daoist monks, even foreign peoples—all were eager, flocking to the shores of Donghai just to witness the grand spectacle of Qin the Old Devil's ascent, willing even to die and have their Dao vanish.

On Donghai, a man in a white brocade robe stood with his hands behind his back on the water, as if walking on level ground, needing no aid, and asked, 'How are the preparations?'

Beside him a small boat was moored, on which stood a middle-aged man with a long beard—none other than Huang Yaoshi—who said, 'Rest assured, everything is ready.'

'The court has handled most of the preparations; we only need to lend a slight hand. Do you have confidence?'

Ye Qin did not turn back, merely saying lightly, 'Before there was none, now there is; tell Rong'er not to worry.'

'Good!'

……

After the brief exchange, the scene fell silent once again.

The shore of Donghai.

Waves repeatedly struck the beach, seeming never to cease.

The beach was already packed with crowds, people gathered in groups of three or five, bringing small boats, fishing vessels, and even bamboo rafts.

All manner of sects, powers, and clans came forth, having already cleared the surrounding fishing boats; some even built their own small boats, waiting only for the appointed time to set out to sea.

The people of Qin Lake had nearly all come out, with Buddhist and Daoist monks taking the lead, occupying a large stretch of beach, while the smaller sects could only squeeze into the less favorable spots.

Even Emperor Zhao personally appeared on the scene, boarding a large ship, leading countless soldiers, standing out conspicuously.

Among the Five Absolutes, One Lamp Master came with the King of Dali, while the Old Beggar was surrounded by a group of little beggars, also enjoying great glory.

As time passed, the day of Ye Qin's ascent finally arrived; unknown how many people of Qin Lake burned incense and bowed to Buddha, hoping for this moment, merely wishing that this devil would depart soon.

That day, the winds and clouds shifted, and a fierce gale arose.

Those who had planned to go out to sea on bamboo rafts were dumbfounded at once, but the agreed-upon noon was approaching; no one heeded the danger, and vessels big and small surged forth like a tide, making a magnificent sight.

'It's raining.'

Suddenly a torrential downpour fell on the previously calm sea surface; those on large ships could still avoid it, but the bamboo rafts, small boats, and fishing vessels had to press on in the rain, unknown how many would catch a chill after this trip.

From time to time, lightning as thick as chopsticks intertwined, as if the tribulation could not be escaped.

Ye Qin stood on a floating platform above the sea, holding Huang Rong's hand and calmly asked, "Rong'er, are you afraid?"

"Not afraid." Huang Rong shook her head, leaning into Ye Qin's embrace and calmly said, "I believe Brother Qin, you can do it."

What damned weather!

Ye Qin cursed silently in his heart; originally he had planned to leave quietly, but Steward Zhao demanded to leave some mark in this world, and his father-in-law also wanted Peach Blossom Island to become more famous.

Originally, it only needed the aid of a treasure to break through the void, but now it's been made to seem as if he must undergo the Heavenly Tribulation to ascend.

Immortals, beings of omnipotent power in ancient legend.

Whether nobles or commoners, all have a certain pursuit of the Immortal Dao; Daoists seek to become immortals, Buddhists seek to become bodhisattvas and arhats.

"The Heavenly Tribulation has come; the legends are all true—it turns out becoming an immortal really requires undergoing tribulation. I don't know how that demon Qin got such an opportunity."

"If we could obtain an immortal's legacy, would we also have a chance to become immortals?"

Many thought the lightning filling the sky was merely the Heavenly Tribulation; not only did it not frighten them, it made them even more frenzied.

Whether martial artists or ordinary people, they all wondered if, by some strange chance, they might also enter the realm of immortals.

Isn't there a saying, "When one attains the Dao, even one's chickens and dogs ascend to heaven"? If such a thing really happened, wouldn't that be a huge windfall?

At this moment, the lightning in the void grew more and more, as if it were free, shuttling in and out of the dark clouds, explosive sounds rising and falling, a bolt of lightning tore through the void. "The time has come; we should prepare to leave." Ye Qin said to Huang Rong beside him, then looked at Huang Yaoshi and his four disciples not far away, and thus shouted: "Father-in-law, farewell until we meet again."

This departure might be an eternal farewell.

Huang Yaoshi waved his arms, tears and rain intertwining on his aged face.

On the other side, Steward Zhao also stood at the prow of the ship and shouted toward Ye Qin: "Marquis Zhonglie, don't forget me, your sovereign!"

If Ye Qin used to be merely his trusted aide, now he is his strongest support; if he could obtain even one and a half immortal pills from him, perhaps immortality would no longer be a luxury.

Ye Qin nodded helplessly; under the gaze of countless people, he took Huang Rong's hand and poured all the true qi from his dantian into the Diamond Bracelet. After the Diamond Bracelet finished absorbing, golden light suddenly blazed forth, bursting from his body and spreading outward.

At that moment, both those who chanted the demon's name and the onlookers were dazzled by the golden light, unable to open their eyes.

Divine!

Ye Qin, enveloped in golden light, seemed to become an incarnation of the divine.

"Is he really about to ascend?"

!

"Could it be that an immortal realm truly exists in this world?"

Many found it hard to believe yet could not help believing what lay before them. When the golden light blazed so bright they could not keep their eyes open, nearly everyone closed their eyes. When they opened them again and looked toward the center, there was no trace of Ye Qin and Huang Rong.

"Did they leave?"

Someone muttered a sentence, pulling the crowd back from shock to reality.

As it turned out, ascension was indeed possible—at least these people believed Ye Qin had already ascended and taken his wife with him.

Hum!

In the void, Ye Qin only felt a wave of weightlessness and dizziness, accompanied by an urge to vomit.

"Why didn't I feel this when I previously traveled to the Southern Song? Could it be because I brought someone?" He grew ever more curious about the Diamond Bracelet—was it truly just a treasure?

It felt as if an eternity had passed, yet also as if only an instant.

At this moment, an anomaly occurred.

In the immortal cultivation world of the Azure Profound Continent, a miraculous flow of light suddenly appeared, vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving only a few powerful divine senses that had suddenly arisen in the void, sweeping over—but ultimately finding nothing.

Suddenly, Ye Qin's figure appeared inside a wooden house at the Haoran Immortal Sect outer disciples' residence, and he awoke with a start!

"This is the outer disciple area of the Haoran Immortal Sect..."

Ye Qin glanced around the wooden house, replaying in his mind the experience in the Southern Song, and couldn't help smiling: "The Foundation Establishment method the sect gives outer disciples is far too ordinary, forcing me to choose the path of entering Dao through martial arts. Fortunately, my technique is complete, my cultivation has reached the Grand Master level, and I am only one step away from Foundation Establishment."

After finishing his mental calculations, he realized no one was around, and said, "Right, where's Rong'er?"

"Did bringing someone away fail?"

His heart tightened; he quickly sank his consciousness into the Diamond Bracelet, only to see Huang Rong sitting cross-legged inside, safe and sound, whereupon he breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as it's fine."

He temporarily set his mind at ease and began to consider his situation: "Since crossing over here, I have become an outer disciple of the Haoran Immortal Sect. If I cannot achieve Foundation Establishment, I fear I will forever remain merely an outer disciple."

At that moment, a knocking sounded, accompanied by a voice: "Brother Qin, are you there? I'm Wang Dacai."

"It's him."

Ye Qin suddenly realized that after crossing over, his memory had gained some unfamiliar fragments; Wang Dacai was indeed an old fellow townsman who had crossed over with him.

He rose and opened the door, only to see a man in coarse hemp clothing standing outside, with a square face, somewhat cloudy eyes, hair tied atop his head—looking more like an honest farmer than a cultivator.

Behind him followed several people, seemingly all fellow sect members.

In the Haoran Immortal Sect, only inner disciples receive special attire; outer disciples, aside from the basic Foundation Establishment method and lodging, have no other benefits.

"Brother Wang, what's the matter?" Ye Qin showed doubt and asked curiously.

"Could it be they came to fight?"

Just as he was thinking, Wang Dacai said: "Ye Qin brother, frankly, we all feel we cannot achieve Foundation Establishment, cultivation offers no hope, so we plan to go down the mountain; relying on this strength to become a wealthy landlord wouldn't be bad."

Cultivation is cultivation of immortality; cultivating the true self makes one an immortal!

But the immortal path is not so easy to tread.

Since this path is blocked, why waste time in vain? Moreover, the sect won't let them keep draining.

Seeing Ye Qin had no response, Wang Dacai said again: "Only one month remains until the Foundation Establishment examination; we've tried various methods but still cannot succeed. Perhaps we have no fate with the immortal path in this life, so we plan to leave."

He did not tell Ye Qin that leaving now could still earn the sect's help, and establishing influence in the mundane world is possible; but if they wait until after the Foundation Establishment inspection, all the good positions will be snatched.

""Don't you want to persist a bit longer?" Ye Qin frowned and asked, even though only one month remains, isn't there still hope?"

Wang Dacai and they entered the house, found chairs to sit, and explained: "Persisting further is useless; cultivation is too hard."

We've been on the mountain together for five years; others achieve Foundation Establishment in two or three years, those slightly slower in over four years also succeed; only we seem to have been deprived of qualification.

"Weren't we selected back then?" Ye Qin also said helplessly, they all stood out from many competitors, yet still failed.

Wang Dacai could only shake his head, wry smile: "Who knows? Who knows what's going on."

""I also didn't achieve Foundation Establishment." Ye Qin said solemnly, if given a bit more time, perhaps he could succeed."

But only one month remains.

Wang Dacai was startled; he had always thought Ye Qin had succeeded; this time he came to say farewell.

He fell silent for a moment, then said: "Brother Qin, why not go down the mountain together? With our two strengths, we can surely carve out a career."

He knew Ye Qin was quick-witted; with one more person helping, the chances of success would be greater.

Ye Qin raised his eyebrows, looked up in surprise and asked: "Going down the mountain?"

Brother Wang, you should know: once you go down the mountain, you can never return forever, forever only able to be an outer disciple, cultivation hopeless for life.

He silently added in his heart: Going down the mountain is impossible; cultivation seeks the Dao, asks for longevity; this is my ideal, having finally encountered it, how could I easily give up?

Before Ye Qin could continue his rebuttal, Wang Dacai shook his head and sighed, 'If we stay, can we continue cultivation? We can at most stay another month; now there's no opportunity left. If we lack affinity, then so be it.' (End of chapter)