Chapter 697: Breaking the Array and Returning

Thirty years, for a mortal, is almost half a lifetime of time!

Xu Que stayed in this illusion, even with the system's automatic recovery function, he couldn't stop the passage of time.

After all, this recovery function only helped him restore his state and health, and wouldn't help him restore his lifespan!

Since Xu Que descended into the cultivation world, he had been living wildly for several years!

But after experiencing thirty years of mortal life, his youthful and frivolous state of mind finally matured slowly.

As for how he matured, he could probably observe palace maids bathing and changing clothes with a drone with a calm and composed expression!

However, in the secret chamber of the mysterious cave dwelling in the Water Origin Kingdom.

Everything Xu Que experienced had only passed for a few hours!

The parts of the scene he experienced with Zixia Fairy were all presented on the ceiling of the secret chamber.

From the moment they entered the secret realm to Xu Que dominating the imperial palace, the scene flickered several times.

And after the last flicker, thirty years had already passed in the illusion.

Many cultivators were surprised and moved.

"Sigh, I didn't expect that after just one flicker, Young Hero Supreme Treasure has already entered middle and old age, no longer possessing the youthful and frivolous spirit of the past!"

"But it's also very strange! How on earth did he live until now?"

"Need you ask? If I had his strength, I could live too!"

"That's right, just relying on those steel monsters he tinkered with, let alone mortals, even Qi Refining Stage cultivators would probably die if they encountered them!"

"With those things, even if he acted recklessly in the illusion, there would be no one who could check and balance him at all!"

"It's just that I'm a little curious whether he really lost his memory!"

"That's right, logically speaking, if he lost his memory, there's no reason for him to be so doting on the woman who entered the secret realm with him!"

"Hmm, although that woman is kind by nature, and even in terms of personality, she is completely more perfect than the Little Princess and the Empress Dowager, but... her appearance is really unbearable to look at!"

"Before they went in, it was evident they had an extraordinary relationship. Who would have thought that after entering the secret realm, that kid would still be infatuated with her? It's rare!"

"Could it be that there really is such true love in this world?"

"Eh, look, everyone, the image is flickering again!"

Someone exclaimed.

Many cultivators looked up one after another.

Whoosh!

Only to see the image above the secret chamber flicker with white light, and the scene in the image changed again!

It could be seen that after this flicker, several decades of time had passed in the illusion!

Many cultivators were surprised; Xu Que, who appeared in the image, actually had white hair!

And he was no longer in the imperial palace, but lived on a desolate mountaintop with an old woman with white hair.

On the vast mountain peak, there were only traces of the two of them!

Judging from their faces, it wasn't hard to distinguish that the white-haired old woman was the former Zixia Fairy!

At this moment, the old Xu Que and Zixia Fairy were staying in a simple room, cooking dishes!

Zixia was already old, but she still tried hard to hold the spatula, using her trembling arms to stir-fry the vegetables.

The old Xu Que shook his head repeatedly on the side and sighed: "A Zi, after teaching you for so many years, why can't you still make a perfect dish? Why don't you let me do it!"

"No, old man, don't add to the chaos here. I must cook a dish for you with my own hands!" The old Zixia was very stubborn, pushed Xu Que away, and continued to stir-fry the vegetables!

However, she failed again. Unknowingly, the vegetables in the pot had turned from green to charred black, emitting an unpleasant smell.

Clang!

Zixia was annoyed for a while and threw the spatula back into the pot, tears welling up in her eyes, and she ran out of the door.

Xu Que smiled bitterly, dragged his frail old body with difficulty to the pot, turned off the stove, and then walked out of the door.

Zixia sat on the stone chair at the door, with her back to him, sobbing silently. That lonely and pale back was really heartbreaking.

The aged Xu Que walked over tremblingly, sat down beside her, and smiled bitterly: "Old woman, why bother?"

Zixia leaned on Xu Que's shoulder, two lonely old backs, twilight heavy!

She said softly: "Old man, before the Empress Dowager and the Princess passed away, they had both cooked meals for you with their own hands. Only I can't learn it no matter what. I'm really too useless!"

"How can that be? In my heart, you are the most amazing!"

"No, I know very well, I'm really useless, and this face... Old man, have you ever regretted being with me in this life?"

"Little fool, if I had regretted it, how would I have moved here with you to live a life of seclusion just because you were tired of palace life?"

"You old rascal! Now we are both old, and we can never go back to those years!"

"That's right!" The old Xu Que looked at the sky and sighed deeply!

At this time, Zixia, who was leaning on his shoulder, asked softly again: "Old man, have you ever regretted being with me in this life?"

"No, I'm face-blind!"

She asked again: "Old man, have you ever regretted being with me in this life?"

"No, I only remember telling you back then that I would always protect you by your side!"

"Old man!"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever regretted being with me in this life?"

"No! Actually, love doesn't care about beauty or ugliness, nor does it care about time; it only cares about a heart of true love! Besides, it's all the same when the lights are off!"

"Old man!"

"Hmm?"

"......"

She was tired!

She couldn't ask the next sentence after all!

She just lay quietly in Xu Que's arms, closing her eyes peacefully!

"Old woman!" Xu Que called out softly, as if he had already guessed the reason, his body trembling slightly, and he hugged her tightly!

"Old woman, don't sleep, I haven't eaten the food you cooked with your own hands yet!"

"A Zi, you'll catch a cold sleeping here. Get up, okay?"

"A Zi, wake up, I'll sing your favorite song for you, okay?"

He asked so calmly, but the person in his arms could no longer answer him!

A moment later, Xu Que hummed softly...

"The past, the present, the future, will never come again!"

"Red, red, fallen leaves, buried deep, in the dust!"

"The beginning and the end, always, unchanged!"

"You, drifting at the edge of the sky, beyond the white clouds!"

At this moment, watching this scene, the many cultivators in the secret chamber were all stunned!

The old backs of Xu Que and Zixia Fairy made everyone feel melancholy in their hearts!

One was already old and forgetful, forgetting what she had just asked as soon as she finished speaking!

One, although old, still maintained his original intention, tirelessly and patiently answering her repeated questions, every answer so sincere!

In the end, she left.

In his arms, she left happily and peacefully!

The only thing she was concerned about was that she hadn't been able to cook a dish for him with her own hands in this life!

Holding hands, growing old together!

Holding hands, what more can one ask for!

This kind of growing old together, loving and plain life, is what many people dream of!

"So touching!" A young female cultivator had tears welling up in her eyes!

When she was young, she had also fantasized about living such a life in her later years with a loved one!

"Sigh, what is love in the world, that it makes people pledge their lives to each other!" Someone sighed, reciting the poem by Li Bai of the Zha Tian Bang in the imperial capital of the Fire Kingdom!

Although everyone knew clearly that all of this was just an illusion, after witnessing the two of them experience this test, many people were filled with emotions!

What rare true love!

"Boom—!"

At this moment, in the illusion in the image, a loud noise suddenly sounded!

Everyone was startled, looked up, and was stunned.

In the illusion, countless mountain peaks, and even the firmament, were slowly cracking.

Xu Que hugged Zixia, their two old bodies slowly becoming distorted in the image!

Whoosh!

Finally, a white light flashed, and the two disappeared into thin air!

Everything in the illusion also shattered like a mirror, scattered into a group, until it turned into a beam of light, darting toward the feet of Xu Que and Zixia Fairy's true bodies in the secret chamber!

The two stood in the secret chamber, slowly opening their eyes!

At that moment, their eyes were full of vicissitudes and depth, even carrying a trace of confusion, looking at everything around them, and only then did they slowly recover their clarity!

So, mirror flowers and water moon, one day in the world, a hundred years in the illusion!

Xu Que and Zixia Fairy, after experiencing one life, finally walked out of the array and returned to their true bodies!

... ===== CHAPTER 698 =====