Translator: CinderTL
Outside the cultivation cave, the world was pitch-black.
Yet the stone door of the cave suddenly swung open. Song Wen felt no alarm, not even a flicker of surprise. He simply gazed calmly at the King Jianglin who had materialized before him and began stripping off his clothes.
"You've come," he said.
King Jianglin blinked, seemingly taken aback by Song Wen's composure.
It was as if a ruffian had repeatedly broken into a woman's home late at night, only to find her sweeping the floor and welcoming him with open arms, leaving him utterly flustered.
But after a brief moment of stunned silence, the ruffian pounced.
The next morning, as dawn broke.
The eastern sky was faintly lit.
King Jianglin rose from the bed, her serpentine tail swaying as she prepared to leave. But she suddenly stopped.
"Ji Yin, yesterday I saw you and Qing Lian playing in the water, both clearly enjoying yourselves. When it comes to dao companions, Qing Lian is unlike most Willow Serpents. She seeks what your human race calls 'unwavering devotion and growing old together.' As her big brother, I must honor her wishes. To avoid disappointing her, I will not disturb you again from this day forward."
With those words, she opened the cave door and departed.
"Heh!"
Song Wen chuckled softly, rose, and dressed.
In the morning, he continued building the ship with Qing Lian.
At noon, he arrived at the Human Pavilion precisely on time.
The two guards no longer laid hands on him, merely teasing him verbally before letting him pass.
As he entered the mountain valley, he spotted a man standing by the railing in a cooling pavilion, gazing at the Spirit Spring with eyes filled with bone-deep sorrow.
Song Wen's heart pounded with shock.
He recognized this man!
Xuan Chengzi!
The Nascent Soul Stage Ancestor of the Liangyi Sect, the leading force of the Orthodox Path in the Chaotic Sea.
Years ago, it was Song Wen who had given him the third-tier Devouring Soul Array, through which Xuan Chengzi had glimpsed the opportunity for Ascension.
Yet, to think he had ascended to the Western Rong Continent—a twist of fate.
Now at the peak Divine Transformation Stage, Xuan Chengzi's appearance had changed significantly. In the Lower Realm, he had been a benevolent old Daoist; now, he looked like a handsome middle-aged Daoist, considerably more refined.
Xuan Chengzi noticed Song Wen's arrival and turned to face him.
"Your face is unfamiliar. Are you the person King Jianglin recently brought back?"
"Precisely. Fellow Daoist, what is your name?" Song Wen asked with a smile as he entered the cooling pavilion.
"I am Xuan Chengzi. May I ask your name, Fellow Daoist?" Xuan Chengzi replied.
"Ji Yin," Song Wen answered.
"Ji Yin?" Xuan Chengzi frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over Song Wen.
"Fellow Daoist, what troubles you? Why does a mere name cause you such surprise?" Song Wen asked.
"I once knew someone also named 'Ji Yin'," Xuan Chengzi said, a trace of recollection in his eyes. "However, his appearance was entirely different from yours, and his cultivation..."
At this point, Xuan Chengzi suddenly realized something and asked, "May I inquire about your cultivation level?"
"Early Body Integration Stage," Song Wen replied.
"You are already at the Body Integration Stage!" Xuan Chengzi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Then it is absolutely impossible that you are my old acquaintance. Even if he had the fortune to ascend, his cultivation would likely not have surpassed mine."
Song Wen said, "We are both trapped on this barbaric Western Rong Continent, fellow castaways. There is no need for such formalities as 'senior' or 'junior.' Let us simply address each other as 'Fellow Daoist.'"
Hearing this, Xuan Chengzi's expression grew exceedingly complex, as if a thousand memories were swirling in his eyes.
"Senior... Fellow Daoist, you speak the truth. I was once a resident of the Lower Realm, a person of exceptional talent and character. Yet, due to the scarcity of resources there, I cultivated diligently for a thousand years, enduring countless hardships, before finally achieving Ascension."
"I once thought that ascending to the upper realm would mean the freedom of a bird soaring through the heavens and a fish leaping through the boundless sea. Little did I know..."
A bitter smile spread across Xuan Chengzi's face, tinged with a profound sense of helplessness.
"Little did I know I would ascend to the Western Rong Continent, stepping directly into an endless abyss. No sooner had I arrived than King Yinliu captured me, turning me into her plaything. Not only was I forced to serve her day and night, but when she was in a good mood, she would invite her friends and family to join in the revelry. Worse still, when one of her subordinates achieved merit, I would be given as a reward, sent to be toyed with by others for days. Even... seeking refuge in the Human Pavilion for a moment of peace would result in lewd advances from the two guards at the entrance."
"I recall the days when I was a figure of authority in the Lower Realm, capable of deciding the fate of billions with a single thought. With a wave of my hand, I could shift the winds of change, shake the mountains and rivers, and command all living beings to bow in submission. Now, I am reduced to a mere plaything, drifting through the days in a daze."
Song Wen asked, puzzled, "Since you ascended to this realm, you shouldn't have any cultivation techniques for the Divine Transformation Stage. How then do you possess a cultivation level at the peak of this stage?"
Xuan Chengzi replied, "The cultivation technique was given to me by King Yinliu. According to her, the Willow Serpent Clan had contact with cultivators from the Eastern Profound Continent tens of thousands of years ago, but for some reason, the connection was severed. The cultivation technique was obtained from those Eastern Profound Continent cultivators at that time. However, having only the technique without the cultivation insights and breakthrough medicinal pills of previous generations, my progress has been painfully slow."
"The Willow Serpent Clan has nine human cultivators in total, but the highest cultivation level among them is only early-stage Void Refinement. I ascended nearly four hundred years ago, and even with the Willow Serpent Clan's abundant resources, I've only reached the peak Divine Transformation Stage. Breaking through to the Void Refinement Stage remains as distant as the stars."
Song Wen asked, "Hasn't someone already broken through to the Void Refinement Stage? Why not seek guidance from him on how to achieve such a breakthrough?"
"That Void Refinement Stage cultivator is named Mo Chuan. According to him, he broke through by sheer luck, without understanding the underlying principles. Of course, it's possible he's unwilling to reveal the truth."
Xuan Chengzi paused abruptly, his tone becoming slightly more respectful.
"Fellow Daoist, your cultivation is at the Body Integration Stage, and from what you've said, it doesn't seem you ascended from the Lower Realm. May I ask where you hail from, and do you possess any methods for breaking through to the Void Refinement Stage?"
"I come from the Eastern Profound Continent. Pursued by enemies, I stumbled upon an Ancient Teleportation Array and was forced to flee here. However, the array is now destroyed, and there's no hope of returning. As for the method for breaking through..."
Song Wen produced a jade slip and tossed it to Xuan Chengzi.
"Take this, Fellow Daoist. If it helps you break through, consider it a good deed."
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist," Xuan Chengzi said, accepting the jade slip with a delighted expression. "Come to think of it, my breakthrough to the Divine Transformation Stage and subsequent Ascension were thanks to an old friend named Ji Yin. Now, you've gifted me insights into breaking through to the Void Refinement Stage. It seems this title, 'Ji Yin,' carries great fortune for me."
Song Wen glanced at Xuan Chengzi but didn't respond to his remark. Instead, he changed the subject and asked, "Having been trapped here for centuries, have you never considered trying to escape?"
(End of the Chapter)
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