Chapter 776: with translation of chapter title

Liu Junyan closed his eyes, thinking a great deal, over and over.

He looked back on the road he had traveled, the many hardships he had endured, and the choices he had made at each crucial juncture.

Each time, though heroic, he also had no regrets.

Now, he once again stood at an extremely important juncture.

This time, he stood very high.

He already had the body of a true dragon, holding in his hands the vast halls of Yin Dang Hang and Jiǔyàn qū.

He was no longer the Liu Junyan who merely revolved around family grudges and personal affection; the mission he bore grew ever greater, and he had to stand higher to protect all he wished to protect.

Perhaps, indeed, it was time to seize this great opportunity.

At that moment, Xiao Jiu's voice came through.

Liu Junyan listened as Xiao Jiu slowly explained to him the crucial connections, listened as she advised him not to act on impulse, not to be entangled by worldly affairs, and she even promised him that even if he ascended and truly severed love and emotion, she would still guard Yin Dang Hang, Jiǔyàn qū, and ensure the children lived well.

She also believed that if they ever met again one day, he would surely recognize her at first sight.

Liu Junyan had actually given deep thought to why the ironclad rule that ascended immortals must sever love and emotion exists.

After all, he had faced such choices many times and was greatly troubled.

He had read many ancient texts and discussed with some highly cultivated elders, discovering that in this world, beasts cultivating to become immortals are already rare, and those recorded and passed down in ancient texts are even fewer.

But even among these rare cases, those beasts who ascended to become upper-realm immortals were not truly severing love and emotion.

The essence of severing love and emotion is to preserve divinity, to protect cultivation, and even more to maintain the order of the three realms and six paths.

The so-called "preserving divinity, protecting cultivation" means that, during the period right after they ascend to become upper-realm immortals, they still must undergo a series of examinations.

If, in this process, they lose their composure because of family trifles and romantic attachments, how could they maintain their cultivation and pass the rigorous examinations?

And "maintaining the order of the three realms and six paths" is easier to understand.

As the saying goes, when one person attains the Dao, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven; if a person who has ascended to become an upper-realm immortal constantly thinks of looking after his friends and relatives in the lower realm, giving them back doors, and everyone does this, then would the three realms and six paths not fall into chaos?

Therefore, rather than saying that severing love and emotion is a rigid demand of the upper realm, it is more apt to say that it is a set of behavioral guidelines that ascended beings impose on themselves to stabilize their own divinity.

Of course, to ensure absolute safety, many people, when ascending, will personally put a shackle on themselves—sealing or erasing everything they have experienced in this mortal world.

Liu Junyan asked himself, if he did not take this step, could he be strict with himself and cultivate in peace?

Could he bear not seeing Xiao Jiu and the children?

When Yin Dang Hang and Jiǔyàn qū encounter difficulties, could he remain a passive onlooker, resolutely refusing to intervene?

Obviously, he cannot.

If he cannot, then he can only choose to seal his memories.

Before sealing his memories, he must first find a memory anchor for himself.

This memory anchor must be triggerable only by himself or Xiao Jiu; once triggered, he will be able to recall everything.

This memory anchor is extremely important to Liu Junyan.

Only after confirming he has found this memory anchor can he thoroughly convince himself to break through the bottleneck and seek ascension.

Of course, after he passes the upper realm's examinations and gains a position there, or after receiving orders to descend and serve in the mortal world, his ties to this mortal world can be reconnected, no longer subject to various examinations.

Thinking this through, Liu Junyan began to consider what memory anchors he and Xiao Jiu share.

With this thought, many sweet or bitter memories surged again into his mind.

In the end, Liu Junyan finally found that memory anchor shared solely between him and Xiao Jiu.

Then, he calmed his mind and entered once more into the state of the turtle-breath cultivation method...

·

Liu Junyan remained unconscious for a full forty-nine days.

He lay all day, so still that he had no breath.

During this time, Xiao Jiu, aside from daily helping him wash and change clothes, basically did not move his body.

At first, Xiao Jiu had asked Bai Shulan whether she should give Liu Junyan a massage to prevent muscle atrophy, and Bai Shulan said it was completely unnecessary.

Xiao Jiu was initially worried.

But as time passed, she discovered that Liu Junyan's hands and feet showed no muscle atrophy or degeneration; on the contrary, they became somewhat stronger, and his bodily flexibility remained excellent.

Until the night of the forty-ninth day, Xiao Jiu had a dream.

In the dream, Liu Junyan woke up.

He and Xiao Jiu sat cross-legged facing each other, their bodies surrounded by a layer of golden light.

Xiao Jiu felt as if she were asleep, yet also as if she were awake.

They gazed at each other for a long time; finally, Xiao Jiu asked, "Āyàn, you are about to ascend, right?"

Liu Junyan nodded: "Xiao Jiu, I will be leaving soon; this departure may be far off, I will seal all my memories until I truly find my footing in the upper realm, until we meet again..."

Xiao Jiu had long imagined this moment's arrival and had prepared her words.

But when the moment actually arrived, she found she could not maintain absolute composure at all.

Her eyes grew moist; she felt a little choked, and after several efforts to calm herself, she said, "Āyàn, go; you need not remember us, we are all well, and do not cling to the notion of a return date or reunion—these we already possess; let everything take its natural course."

Liu Junyan still could not help himself, reaching out to pull Xiao Jiu into his embrace...

In the silent night, inside the dark room, Xiao Jiu was startled awake by a sudden thunderous rumble.

A patch of cool wetness lay on her cheek.

It was tears.

She lay on the bed, listening to the thunder drawing ever closer, without reaching out to feel inside the bedding.

Without needing to touch, she knew Liu Junyan had left.

A knocking sound rang out.

Li Qingying's voice was neither loud nor soft, carrying a hint of caution: "Xiao Jiu, are you awake?"

Xiao Jiu answered with a sound: "Mm, awake."

Li Qingying opened her mouth, wanting to call Xiao Jiu to get up and see Seventh Lord off.

She also really wanted to comfort Xiao Jiu, but for a moment she didn't know where to begin.

Not long after, footsteps sounded from inside the room.

Xiao Jiu opened the door.

She was fully dressed, walked out the door, and gazed into the distance.

At the place where water and sky meet, thunder rumbled repeatedly, and Golden Light enveloped Liu Junyan's whole body.

Xiao Jiu did not rush toward that direction, did not say goodbye, and was not hysterical.

She merely watched silently, from the lightning and thunder, until everything returned to calm, the thunder faded, the Golden Light disappeared… and also that man she knew so well.

Then, Xiao Jiu calmly turned around and lay back down on the bed…