Immortal Venerable

The blood-stained snake scale soared upward from the obscure Moonlit World, flying higher and higher until it finally landed, light as a feather, upon the desk of the Sect Leader of the Changming Sect.

Everything had unfolded exactly as Shen Fenglin predicted. Jinyu, the Sect Leader of the Changming Sect, was currently at the peak of the Body Integration stage and had been plagued by Heart-Demons for a century. Suddenly seeing a Sky-Reaching Snake scale, he was indeed profoundly shaken.

However, the subsequent development of events took a slight detour from Shen Fenglin’s expectations.

The Burning Heaven Great World. Changming Sect. Xuanuan Hall.

Xuanuan Hall was the main hall of the Changming Sect, a place of ethereal music and magnificent grandeur.

Yet, as the Sect Leader, Jinyu stood trembling within his own main hall. He held his breath, head bowed low, not even daring to let his divine sense wander.

In the seat that originally belonged to the Sect Leader sat a cultivator dressed in frost-white robes, radiating a chilling, murderous aura.

In the Great Thousand Worlds, countless cultivators held the title of “Immortal Venerable”—the Changming Sect alone had several. But to omit the title “Xuantian” and be addressed simply as the Immortal Venerable… between heaven and earth, there was only one such man.

Jinyu stood in place for a long time, unable to endure the murderous intent thick with the scent of blood. Cold sweat dripping, he finally asked cautiously, “Venerable One, this…”

Before he could finish, a voice like a cold blade echoed through the hall: “Grant the request.”

Jinyu’s heart leapt. He instinctively looked up. “Then, the Great Offering Ceremony this person promised…”

The voice continued, “This Deity will attend in person.”

…Attend in person?

Jinyu was stunned. It was merely a juvenile Sky-Reaching Snake at the Golden Core stage. Why would the Immortal Venerable need to grace the event with his presence?

A flurry of questions rose in his mind, but they circled his tongue once before being swallowed back down. “…Understood.”

Since it was a Sky-Reaching juvenile, perhaps it was the descendant of some great Demon expert. Combined with the Immortal Venerable’s personal attendance, one didn’t need much imagination to realize this likely concerned the fallen Demon Emperor.

In the past, the Demon Emperor and the Immortal Venerable were never on good terms. Even though the Demon Emperor had fallen, perhaps he had hidden some other hand to play.

The grievances between supreme beings had nothing to do with a lowly Sect Leader like him; the priority was to see this god of slaughter off.

Unfortunately, misfortunes never come singly. Just as Jinyu was about to speak, a terrifying aura erupted outside Xuanuan Hall. The poor Sect Leader’s vision went dark; he nearly coughed up blood in his own hall.

What kind of cursed day is this?

Several dragon-shaped water blades pierced through the air, causing even the Burning Heaven World—famed throughout the three thousand realms for its fire—to tremble.

The water blades converged in the center of the hall into a brilliant, translucent sphere of water. The majestic Dragon Qi resonated with the name of the hall, making Jinyu feel like an insignificant outsider.

Finally, the sphere touched the ground and transformed into a woman dressed in dragon robes, her gaze sharp and stern.

Jinyu broke into a cold sweat but hurriedly bowed. “Junior Jinyu greets Your Majesty.”

Since the fall of the Demon Emperor, only two Transmigration stage experts remained in the world: Xuantian Immortal Venerable, Xuan Lie, and the Human Emperor, Song Qingyu.

The former was sitting in Jinyu’s seat, while the latter… quite unluckily, was now standing right in front of him.

Fortunately, the Empress was not as cold-hearted as the rumors suggested. She gave Jinyu a slight nod. “Sect Leader, you are most polite.”

With that, she turned her gaze toward the distance. When her eyes touched the blood-stained scale, a flash of grief crossed them.

However, she quickly looked past the scale toward the man sitting on high. Without using a respectful title, her words were like a thunderclap: “I am about to ascend.”

“—!”

Jinyu looked up in shock, but no one in the hall answered. It was as if this was merely a common remark about leaving home.

The Empress was long accustomed to a certain someone’s coldness. She didn’t mind. Instead, her eyes moved slightly as if remembering old times, and she began to speak to herself.

“He once cautioned me… the matter of Ascension began with the Ancestral Shaman; to this day, there are seventy-nine recorded instances.”

“In the last ten thousand years, those who have ascended from the three thousand worlds are few. In the last thousand years, let alone ascending, those who have fallen during the Tribulation are counted by the hundreds.”

“He was never good at divination or political strategy. He only knew there was something suspicious within the workings of the world. Thus, he faked his death to shed his shell, intending to uncover the profound cause alone.”

“But I am no longer willing to be a fledgling beneath his wing, nor a fish in a pond or a bird in a cage. Therefore, I have come today to bid farewell.”

Jinyu, forced to listen to the secrets of Transmigration-level masters without warning, was so terrified he shrunk into a corner, not daring to move.

…The Demon Emperor actually faked his death?!

The Empress didn’t mention the person’s name, only using “He.”

But all the worlds knew that the current Human Emperor, Song Qingyu, was once merely an obscure ninth princess in the Tianze Middle World. She was neither the legal heir nor the eldest. No matter how high her talent, had she not been adopted by the Demon Emperor, she would have been buried in the senseless infighting of the imperial court. She would never have achieved the feat of crowning herself as the Human Emperor at only three hundred years old.

Thus, there was no need to say who that “Master” was—the one who faked his death to peer into the mysteries.

Xuan Lie was not surprised by her arrival. However, compared to the treacherous matter of Ascension, his mind was currently on something else.

In Bai Yujing’s life, aside from being gluttonous, admiring the strong, and loving gold and jade, he had only one hobby: picking up children.

Unfortunately, this stupid snake’s talent for raising “white-eyed wolves” (ingrates) was truly peerless. Even this lone survivor before him was unwilling to call him “Master” even on the eve of her ascension.

At this thought, Xuan Lie sneered inwardly. Outwardly, he questioned coldly, “You knew long ago that he faked his death.”

There was no hint of a question in his voice, only absolute certainty.

The Empress’s expression didn’t change, but a closer look revealed she was a bit speechless.

—Aside from Bai Yujing himself, who thinks he fooled the whole world, which Mahayana-stage expert or above doesn’t know the Demon Emperor faked his death?

Other cultivators might not know the details, but as the “Immortal Venerable” who personally “slew” the Demon Emperor, how could Xuan Lie not know the truth?

What’s more, this man even—

…Fine. Song Qingyu sighed subtly in her heart. She figured a certain someone was just in a dark mood because he saw the bloody snake scale and was looking for a reason to vent.

Thinking of this, she suppressed the urge to argue. Just like when she was a child watching the two of them bicker, she held her nose and endured it.

Fortunately, compared to her other guardian, the man before her spoke much less. In her experience, the probability of him bringing up old debts to scold her was lower than the other one.

As expected, seeing her silence, Xuan Lie spoke again after a moment. “That snake is foolish, yet in the matter of Ascension, he possesses a sort of ‘great wisdom disguised as stupidity’.”

“Currently, the myriad demons are leaderless. The four Great Demon Kings under him all have the power to reach the Transmigration stage, yet they have all cut off their own tails to seek self-preservation. Not one is willing to ascend to the throne of Demon Emperor.”

“The path of Ascension has been shrouded in suspicious clouds for the last thousand years. The road ahead may not be as you wish.”

Xuantian Immortal Venerable was famous throughout the three thousand realms for being a man of few words and a ruthless hand. Such a long speech coming from his mouth was rare. Jinyu, watching from the side, was dumbfounded, almost wondering if the Venerable had been possessed.

However, for the Empress, these words didn’t seem to have much effect.

“…I know.”

Song Qingyu said this, then immediately frowned in rebuttal. “But even ants know to seek life. Are we to just wait here to die in vain?”

If Bai Yujing were here and saw her being so stubborn, that stupid snake would surely do as he did when she was young: coil the tip of his tail around her and offer painstaking advice.

Regrettably, the one sitting before her was not Bai Yujing.

Xuan Lie saw that she was still the same person who wouldn’t turn back until she hit a wall. He locked eyes with her for a moment, then coldly looked away, having no intention of wasting his breath.

The hall fell into an eerie silence.

Jinyu stood to the side, not daring to breathe, his mind racing to digest the world-shaking revelations the two had just leaked.

Song Qingyu pursed her lips and looked at the snake scale once more. The blood on it had dried into dark stains.

Thinking of the “miserable” fate a certain someone might face after her ascension, she finally softened her tone after the long standoff. “Venerable One, although he raised me since childhood, you also know… a Sky-Reaching Snake must shed its scales ten times before it is considered mature.”

“He is only eight hundred years old this year. He has shed his scales fewer than ten times. He is still a juvenile snake under a thousand years old. His inability to see people for who they are… is within reason.”

At this point, even Song Qingyu couldn’t quite keep going. She gritted her teeth to force out the rest of the sentence.

Xuan Lie said coldly, “And?”

“And…” Song Qingyu paused. She no longer sounded like an Empress or a Human Emperor, but rather like a daughter caught between her parents, pleading for one of them. “If you go to the lower realms and find him… do not be too harsh on him.”

Azure World. Blue Sea Secret Realm.

Under the protection of the snake scale, Shen Fenglin obtained the Purgatory Fire as easily as reaching into a bag for an object.

With this, all preparations for his Nascent Soul transition were complete.

The Three Thousand Worlds were about to welcome an eighteen-year-old Nascent Soul Ancestor. For many powers in the small worlds, this was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.

Thus, before Shen Fenglin had even stepped out of the secret realm, countless well-informed people were already waiting at the exit to offer their congratulations to this genius.

As for how news within the secret realm traveled so fast, the credit likely belonged to the Su family, famous for their Exquisite Heart.

In short, the moment Shen Fenglin and his group of beauties stepped out, a horde of cultivators surged forward. Amidst the crowd’s flattery, they practically blocked every inch of the only celestial pavilion near the realm.

Amidst the clamor, Bai Yujing found it impossible to sleep, bothered by the disorganized spiritual senses of the crowd. Having finally endured until the people left, he drifted out from the flask to scold Shen Fenglin: “Disturbing this Seat’s peace in broad daylight, you…”

“—!”

However, before he could finish his sentence, he was pulled into a tight embrace by Shen Fenglin. A voice full of joy exploded in his ear: “Master, your disciple has succeeded!”

Bai Yujing froze. He turned his head to see the youth’s eyes bright and shining, his face full of spirited vigor—truly peerless.

“…”

After a brief moment of daze, Bai Yujing regained his senses, but a subtle, premonitory melancholy rose in his heart.

Because of a certain obsession from his time as a hatchling, he had raised many children over these eight hundred years. Yet for some reason, aside from Qingyu, all those children eventually grew distant from him.

…Is it because, after growing up, they discovered the tree that once sheltered them was actually just a sapling that hadn’t matured? Is that why they all chose to leave him?

Bai Yujing had never figured out the answer, but at this moment, he inappropriately remembered a bit of the past.

“Compared to your foolish talent, your ability to pick ‘white-eyed wolves’ out of a ten-thousand-to-one lot is what truly impresses this Deity.”

—Vaguely, someone had once appraised his past experiences with those words.

…How unlucky!

Suddenly remembering a certain “stinking stone” he shouldn’t have, the melancholy in Bai Yujing’s heart vanished instantly, replaced by a familiar sense of humiliated rage.

“Master… Master?”

Seeing his expression suddenly turn sour, Shen Fenglin hurriedly called out to him. Finally bringing the man back to his senses, he saw a hint of impatience in the other’s eyes.

Shen Fenglin’s heart skipped a beat. He forced a smile, half-aggrieved and half-joking: “What is Master thinking about? I’ve been calling you for so long without a response. Could it be… you’re thinking about some ‘Mistress’ for me?”

Unexpectedly, at these words, Bai Yujing reacted as if his tail had been stepped on. He glared at the youth in anger. “What nonsense are you talking!”

Shen Fenglin was startled, clearly not expecting a probing joke to trigger such a massive reaction.

A subtle darkness flashed through his eyes, but it was quickly suppressed. He apologized piteously, “I’m sorry, Master. I just wanted Master to look at me more… I was wrong, please don’t be angry.”

He looked at Bai Yujing with a pathetic expression.

Bai Yujing’s gaze faltered. He looked away without responding.

Shen Fenglin knew instantly that the man’s heart had softened. He immediately pushed his luck: “Good Master, on the day of my Nascent Soul transition, can you protect my dharma?”

“I beg of you—”

Bai Yujing felt goosebumps from the youth’s acting. He opened his mouth to scold him, but as he turned to meet Shen Fenglin’s smiling face, the words caught in his throat.

—”What would Benefactor look like when he smiles?”

That seemed to be the only thing that troubled Bai Yujing during his carefree childhood.

Time seemed to travel back to the distant past, back when he was just a little snake wearing a jade pendant, unable to even transform.

He had curled up in that person’s embrace and tilted his face up, coiling the tip of his tail around the other’s wrist and swaying gently: [Benefactor, once Qingqing learns to transform, can you protect my dharma then?]

That person had gently lowered his “head,” revealing a “face” that was empty—an appearance that was utterly eerie to others.

[Very well.]

The face he had strained to look up at as a hatchling, yet could never see clearly, now slowly overlapped with the youth’s beaming face.

…So, this is what he looks like when he smiles?

In an instant, Bai Yujing felt as if his heart had been struck by something incredibly soft.

Even if they were destined to grow distant one day, so what? This was the benefactor he had sought for three lifetimes.

“…You debt-collector,” Bai Yujing clicked his tongue after regaining his senses. “Fine, I heard you. This Master will protect your dharma when the time comes. Now get up.”

Shen Fenglin’s smile grew even more brilliant. He clung to the man, pushing further: “Actually, I want to hold a Nascent Soul Ceremony. I want to let all those pieces of trash who looked down on us see clearly.”

Bai Yujing gave a light snort. “They only looked down on you. No one in this world dares to look down on me.”

Shen Fenglin assumed he was just boasting again and laughed. “Yes, yes, yes. Master’s power reaches the heavens; Master is peerless.”

Bai Yujing was used to being flattered since he was young, but he still enjoyed it. Hearing this, he narrowed his eyes, appearing delighted.

Seeing this, Shen Fenglin struck while the iron was hot. “At the ceremony, I might also need to borrow some of Master’s immortal tools… I beg for Master’s grace.”

“Enough, enough, so annoying… why are you still like when you were little, never letting go until you get what you want? You debt-collector.” Bai Yujing tapped the youth’s head in a manner of exasperation. “I’ll grant it all. Is that enough?”

Shen Fenglin beamed instantly. “Thank you for granting my wish, Master.”

“Master truly is… the best to me.”