Chapter 3

Behind the Longevity Sect's rear mountain, a faint bluish shadow floated in the air, idly gazing at the sky and letting out a long sigh.

This is the last Emperor Realm of the Eternal Life Sect, Yang Xuanji, turned into a wisp of imperial soul, and it looks… very insubstantial.

Now one can only vaguely discern the outline of a human silhouette, as if it could vanish into thin air at any moment.

Yang Xuanji was a servant who served Li Zhangsheng thirty thousand years ago; back then, following Li Zhangsheng meant traveling far and wide, robbing the rich to aid the poor, indulging in romance and adventure, truly carefree!

Later, Li Zhangsheng casually founded the Eternal Life Sect, and Yang Xuanji settled there as well.

Yang Xuanji actually had decent talent, but his mind was never focused on cultivation before.

He was extremely wild—touring Yuanyang Pavilion today, Fengming Tower tomorrow, barely staying at home.

At the time his mindset was, "Cultivation is so tiring, why bother cultivating?"

After all, if the heavens fell, the master would hold them up!

If the master is absent, the master's seven disciples hold it up; I can just enjoy my life as it is!

Later Li Zhangsheng went out to travel.

In the thousand years after Li Zhangsheng left, his disciples successively ascended to the immortal realm.

Over time, only Yang Xuanji remained.

Yang Xuanji suddenly realized that he had become the strongest person in the sect.

Yay, I finally became the strongest person in the sect!

Wait, how did I become the strongest?

The sect is so large; someone like me becoming the strongest would mean the Eternal Life Sect is finished, wouldn't it?

Before, when the heavens fell, someone held them up; now… why is it my turn to hold them?

I can't hold it!

Helplessly, Yang Xuanji could only refocus his mind on cultivation.

He spent a thousand years and finally attained the path to become an Emperor Realm, barely maintaining the prestige of the Eternal Life Sect.

However, even as an Emperor Realm, he was among the weakest of them, far unable to compare with the master's seven disciples.

The Eternal Life Sect clashed with other Emperor‑level lineages, and in every great battle, he returned defeated and humbled.

After several such defeats, he could no longer hold on; his internal Qi and blood withered, and his life essence poured out in a rush.

If I can't win, can I still not hide?

If I only scrape by, that's not enough; I won't play with you!

In the later years, the Eternal Life Sect went downhill; the disciples it attracted had mediocre talent, and no one could take over his duties.

Thus, the scale of the Eternal Life Sect kept shrinking...

In the end, it could only barely survive on White Cloud Mountain.

Nowadays, within the Eternal Life Sect, aside from Yang Xuanji, the only thing stronger is the Saint Realm.

As long as his final wisp of imperial soul dissipates, the Eternal Life Sect will be less than an ordinary holy site.

Yang Xuanji cannot imagine how many forces would scramble to divide the Eternal Life Sect's resources and territories once he dies.

"Time slices like a knife cutting the proud heavens; on the path of immortality I sigh at the bewitching demons—Heavens above, will the Eternal Life Sect truly be destroyed by my hands?"

The floating wisp in the air looked up to the heavens and sighed.

"Hmm? Am I really about to die? Why does it feel like I've seen the master?"

The wisp floating in the air rubbed its eyes, its divine thought swept again toward the mountain gate, and then it widened its eyes, its entire soul trembling!

……

Outside the Changsheng Hall, all the sect's elders and disciples surrounded Li Zhangsheng tightly, hemming him in completely.

Everyone looked at Li Zhangsheng with solemnity, feeling an unprecedented crisis.

They did not attack; when Li Zhangsheng took a step, they shifted a step with him, standing ready.

At this moment, a man and a woman walked out of the Changsheng Hall.

Xiao Jue, Luo Qingxue!

They are two prodigies among the younger generation of the Changsheng Sect, possessing extraordinary talent, hailed as the future hope of the sect.

They were personally and carefully nurtured by the last wisp of imperial soul of Emperor Realm Yang Xuanji.

Just now, the two gate‑keeping disciples rushed to Xiao Jue and Luo Qingxue's side, and one of them, with great solemnity, whispered:

"Senior brother, senior sister, this person is very strange; he… is very rigid!"

"We see it," Xiao Jue squinted, assessing Li Zhangsheng; as he looked at Li Zhangsheng's face, he couldn't help feeling a bit ashamed.

How could there be such a handsome man in this world!

Not only handsome, but also so rigid!

So infuriating!

Yet I don't even know what I'm angry about!

"Ahem," Xiao Jue cleared his throat, stared at Li Zhangsheng, and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you, and why did you forcefully break into my Changsheng Sect?"

Li Zhangsheng gave Xiao Jue and Luo Qingxue a quick appraisal, then turned his gaze to the light, floating wisp behind them.

Though merely a wisp, it carried an immense aura of authority!

That wisp was, of course, the last imperial soul of Yang Xuanji.

With the wisp's appearance, all elders and disciples of the Changsheng Sect half‑kneeled down and respectfully shouted, "Elder Ancestor!".

The wisp waved its hand and said, "Disperse, everyone."

"Master, this person…" Xiao Jue began, but the wisp again sternly said, "I said disperse; everyone leave immediately. Without my order, no one may enter the Changsheng Hall."

"Yes!"

All the Changsheng Sect's disciples and elders gave Li Zhangsheng a puzzled look, then reluctantly dispersed.

Li Zhangsheng leisurely walked into the Longevity Hall, and the phantom followed behind him, obediently closing the hall doors himself.

Li Zhangsheng walked straight to the seat atop the main hall and, quite naturally, lay down on it.

"Master!"

The phantom wailed beside Li Zhangsheng, whimpering, "Master, where have you been all these years?"

"I thought... I would never see you again in this lifetime?"

Li Zhangsheng looked at the plaintive Yang Xuanji beside him, gave his shoulder a symbolic pat, and comforted him:

"Sorry, I overslept."

Yang Xuanji continued his lament:

"You all left, and only I remain!"

"Since you all left, everything fell on me; I have no time to go out at all—Xiaofeng, Xiaohua, Xiaoxue, Xiaoyue... Waa, it's so hard, Master, wuwuwu!"

Li Zhangsheng again gave his illusory shoulder a symbolic pat and said, "Alright, alright, look at how insubstantial you've become, still pining for your old lover."

"By the way, what about the others? Are they all dead? How come you're now holding the banner?"

It should be noted that when he left, the seven disciples he had taken in were among the peak warriors of the Emperor Realm!

And Yang Xuanji lived in the same era as them!

Logically, they should have been ahead of Yang Xuanji, not behind.

"Alas!" Yang Xuanji sighed, "They have all ascended."

"They went to the Immortal Realm and didn't take me along!"

"Oh, I see," Li Zhangsheng mused lightly. After all, he's a hundred‑thousand‑year‑old monster, so he knows some Emperor Realm beings can break mortal shackles and ascend to the Immortal Realm.

He's heard the difficulty coefficient is high, yet all seven of his disciples managed to ascend—no wonder they're his disciples!

"By the way, why didn't you ascend? Your talent isn't good either?" Li Zhangsheng squinted at Yang Xuanji.

Yang Xuanji cleared his throat awkwardly, "Master, I stayed behind to guard your family business, after all."

"You let me guard this business into such a mess, and you have the nerve to complain?" Li Zhangsheng teased, "What a great title, ruined by you."

"Back then I told you to cultivate properly, but you ignored it, spending every day in the Lovebirds Pavilion and Phoenix Song Tower, hollowing out your foundation—now you can't become an immortal. Look at how insubstantial you've turned out!"

Yang Xuanji explained, "Master, you have no idea how the world has changed since those seven brats left."

"One by one, monsters have sprung up from nowhere; some have lived eight or nine generations, each absurdly powerful."

"It's not that I'm weak; I'm being targeted, okay?"

"Besides, weren't those Lovebirds Pavilion and Phoenix Song Tower the places you first took me to? I was just following you."

In other words, you corrupted me!

"Alright, alright, I get it, calm down," Li Zhangsheng waved his hand, "You only have one breath left; save your energy, and don't talk yourself to death."

Yang Xuanji sighed, his expression gloomy, "Master, I feel I'm really about to go. I thought I'd never see you again in this life, and now I get to see you once more—how wonderful, wuwuwu!"

"By the way, Master, before I die, do you have any gift for me?"

"Perhaps a divine elixir that lets me ascend in one step, or a longevity pill so I can be like you, Master—hee hee!"

Yang Xuanji rubbed his hands, eyes full of eager anticipation.

"You're dreaming," Li Zhangsheng said seriously, "I only prepared a coffin for you."

"Look how good I am to you—knowing you're about to die, I came personally to see you off!"

"Master, stop joking," Yang Xuanji wilted instantly, "I thought you returned to save me… Ah!"

"Fine, fine. The coffin I brought you is called a Nurturing Spirit Coffin; I fetched it myself from an old turtle," Li Zhangsheng said.

"Lie inside and it will continuously nourish your flesh and soul; you'll sleep inside, and after waking you'll be fully restored."

"When you live out a second life, you can then work hard to cultivate and ascend!"

After all, Yang Xuanji has followed Li Zhangsheng for millennia, so Li Zhangsheng would not just watch him die helplessly.

"I knew you're the best to me, hee hee!" Yang Xuanji exclaimed joyfully.

Li Zhangsheng summoned a massive crystal coffin from his ring, tossed it to Yang Xuanji, "Since you still have a breath left, quickly get your body into it, don't die before you lie down."

Yang Xuanji hoisted the crystal coffin, grinning, "Master, then I'll go to sleep; the Longevity Gate is yours now."

"Go, go!" Li Zhangsheng waved his hand.

"By the way, Master, my two disciples—one has an Ancient Saint Body, the other a Taiyin Divine Body, both assets of the Emperor Realm!"

"I personally fetched them from the mountains; please teach them well, hee hee!"

"Got it, go to sleep right away," Li Zhangsheng said.

"When you wake up, they'll probably be stronger than you."

"Oh, right—before sleeping, dismantle the Sect‑protecting Grand Formation; when will our Longevity Gate need it?"

"Understood!" Then Yang Xuanji returned, delighted, to the rear‑mountain forbidden area, where his true body sat, old‑aged and majestic!

He placed the crystal coffin beside him, his soul returned to his body, smoothed his robes, then pushed open the coffin lid and lay in, "Hmm… comfortable!"

As he closed the coffin lid, he chuckled, "My master has returned; this world… tremble!"

Bang!

Having said that, he shut the coffin lid.