Chapter 62: Chapter Sixty-Two: The Dao Has Its Own Destiny

His forehead was full and lustrous, his ears hung to his shoulders, his gaze clear and piercing, and his stature tall and majestic.

If not for his facial features, one might never guess from his back that he was an elderly man nearing the end of his days.

In response to Chen Hang and the others’ bows, he stroked his beard and smiled, returning their greeting with a gentle, kind voice:

“I am Huaiwu Cave Master, honored to meet you young Daoists. The Jin Valley marketplace is now being reestablished within the Fuyu Marsh, and so I must visit various sects and mountains to pay respects—thus I’ve been tied up with trivial matters and arrived late… forgive me, forgive me! It’s my fault!”

Chen Hang and the others naturally dared not be presumptuous, all bowing and murmuring, “We dare not.”

“Master Lianshi, permit this Daoist to report: one Heavenly Demon, sensing the danger early, has barely escaped.”

At that moment.

The vast tide of thousands upon thousands of Heavenly Demons had been utterly incinerated; the heavens were clear as washed jade, and the hundred-mile river and mountains lay utterly still.

But Chen Hang still remembered the demonic entity shrouded in dark mist, its eyes like golden lanterns—it had shattered the void ahead of time and vanished instantly.

That demon’s strength surpassed Chen Hang’s even further; if it escaped, given the Heavenly Demons’ cruel and vengeful nature, who knew how many more lives it would claim.

Sons beget sons, grandsons beget grandsons.

In a few years’ time, another minor demonic calamity will arise.

Hearing Chen Hang speak thus.

Wei Lingjiang glanced at him in surprise; when Chen Hang’s gaze turned cool toward her, she turned her face away without expression, as if nothing had happened.

“Would he really be so kind-hearted as to care about others’ lives?”

Wei Lingjiang thought: “No… Heavenly Demons are violent and vengeful. He must be worried that this powerful demon will come after him for revenge—that’s why he mentioned it to Huaiwu Cave Master. It must be so.”

She felt she had guessed Chen Hang’s thoughts correctly, her delicate eyebrows lifting slightly, a faint, smug glance flickering toward him.

But Chen Hang had already withdrawn his gaze and was not looking at her; this left Wei Lingjiang with the frustrating sensation of punching empty air.

“This young Daoist has a kind heart—reminds me of my younger self. Hmm, this face…”

Huaiwu Cave Master studied Chen Hang, then turned to Wei Lingjiang, unable to help but praise:

“When I was young, I visited Xisu Province and witnessed the Bianjing Tianren who studied external paths. Your two young Daoists’ bearing rivals even the Tianren Kings—and surpasses them!”

He added with a small jest:

“Hmm, I once looked much like this young Daoist. So it’s not just your kind heart—you’ve got a bit of my youthful charm too.”

Neither Chen Hang nor Wei Lingjiang replied; the boy Chen Hang had saved remained dazed, showing no reaction.

Only the green-clad girl couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

As she nearly rolled on the ground with mirth, she suddenly remembered that Huaiwu Cave Master could easily crush her spiritual form—she froze in alarm and fell silent, standing properly.

At this moment.

Wei Lingjiang’s expression had grown distant, as if her spirit had wandered beyond the heavens.

Chen Hang watched the radiant girl unconsciously biting her lips, her silver teeth clenched in frustration, and couldn’t help smiling.

“Hmph! You fat little brat—you’re actually quite human, just like my son!”

Huaiwu Cave Master wasn’t annoyed; he merely patted the green-clad girl’s head, then spun her around by the shoulders several times, leaving her too startled to protest:

“He was just like you—his mouth spouted words like thunderous farts! Back then, a Jin Dan True Person from Thunder Court, unable to attain a Nascent Soul, came to convert to an external path and transform into a Tianren… During the ceremony, he shouted from below: ‘All paths except the Immortal Dao are insects and ants!’ He shouted so loudly, no one could silence him. Had the True Person held a grudge, both he and I would’ve been reborn in the Wheel of Rebirth!”

“...”

Wei Lingjiang could only sigh helplessly, taking the dizzy green-clad girl from Huaiwu Cave Master’s hands and pulling her behind her.

“But young Daoist, you worry too much—just one powerful demon? How could it escape my grasp?”

Huaiwu Cave Master chuckled, slowly lifting his sleeve.

His entire body was wreathed in mysterious qi, his true energy surging like a chaotic abyss, his aura unfathomable, yet as gentle and approachable as legend claimed—within mere words, he inspired instant goodwill.

Chen Hang glanced into his sleeve and saw a small, clear-and-turbid energy barrier imprisoning the powerful demon, which struggled uselessly, unable to break free.

“This thing is cunning—when I unleashed the Four-Ming Shattered-Bone True Fire, it tried to flee. Luckily, I’m quick-witted—”

Huaiwu Cave Master grinned triumphantly, but before he could finish, a distant tearing sound erupted, rumbling and thunderous.

Chen Hang looked up and saw several golden-cloud flying vessels streaking like lightning, their surfaces crowded with countless figures.

“Heh, my disciples have arrived. I nearly forgot the main matter.”

Huaiwu Cave Master tapped his forehead, instantly soaring into the air, vanishing in a blink—his voice lingered behind:

“Young Daoists, return to the Fuyu Marsh with them. I must still search for other Daoists—I wonder how many will survive this Heavenly Demon tide. May they have good fortune…”

By the time his voice faded, Huaiwu Cave Master had vanished entirely, his destination unknown.

Chen Hang and Wei Lingjiang exchanged glances, saying nothing. After several dozen breaths, one of the golden-cloud vessels descended from the clouds.

The boy Chen Hang had saved suddenly perked up, grabbing Chen Hang’s hand and urging him to look left.

“Senior Brother, look! My grandfather! It’s my grandfather!”

Chen Hang turned and saw, beneath a weeping willow, a short, stout old Daoist standing there.

Seeing Chen Hang look his way, the old Daoist smiled and waved.

“Congratulations, younger brother.”

Using his spiritual sense to confirm the old Daoist was no demonic illusion but a true flesh-and-blood being, Chen Hang relaxed and returned the bow with a smile.

The boy also bowed solemnly to Chen Hang and the others, including the green-clad girl, before running joyfully toward the old Daoist.

At this moment.

The golden-cloud vessel had halted midair; Chen Hang and the others exchanged polite words with the welcoming Daoists, then boarded it, heading toward the Fuyu Marsh.

…

…

Until the flying vessel shrank into a speck of golden light and vanished far away.

Beneath the weeping willow.

The boy finally withdrew his gaze reluctantly, no longer tiptoeing.

“What do you think of this boy?” the old Daoist chuckled.

“Grandfather, your divine powers know all things—why should I waste words?”

The boy shook his head, then looked hopeful:

“I think this Senior Brother has excellent character—not one of those who ignore dying lives. Grandfather, why did you come to the Southern Region today, and why did you bring me out? Are you planning to have him join our sect? Are you testing his character? Can he join our sect? Grandfather?”

“Even his father, Chen Yushu, isn’t worthy of such attention, let alone him now.”

The old Daoist shook his head:

“The one in the Earth Abyss has stirred again—I came merely to observe His condition. Seeing you chasing and being chased by the Heavenly Demons, I amused myself by tagging along. Don’t overthink it.”

“Then let Senior Brother join our sect?” the boy pleaded: “Though I’m only a breath now, not my true form, since he helped me, I must repay him—it’s only right to return kindness!”

“Foolish child, foolish child! So noisy!”

The old Daoist burst into laughter:

“Whether he joins our sect depends on his future destiny! The Dao has its own fixed numbers—I cannot alter them, let alone you!”

Without waiting for the boy to speak further, the old Daoist lightly lifted his arm, turning him into a green-skinned gourd tied at his waist, laughed once, and vanished beyond this realm, leaving no trace.

As the old Daoist departed,

Near the weeping willow, nearly ten thousand mortals and scattered cultivators suddenly appeared.

They rose from the ground bewildered, unaware of how they came to be there.

Wei Lingjiang’s earlier suspicion was not baseless.

The Heavenly Demons had chased them relentlessly, like rabid dogs, simply because the old Daoist had taken away all other living beings along the way.

She and Chen Hang were the only living beings with spiritual essence the demons had seen since their escape.

…

…

On the other side.

Inside the golden-cloud vessel.

Wei Lingjiang watched Chen Hang seated on the cushion beside her, lips parted, hesitating; after several breaths, she finally spoke.

“Hey…”

She said.