Chapter 109: The Empty Nest

The fire above Hangzhou burned for an entire night.

It had been raging since the battle concluded, casting the sky in a brilliant, fiery red. It was the terrifying residual energy from the phoenix’s divine ability. The entire world was live-streaming this eerie celestial phenomenon, and countless people were engaged in heated discussion.

By evening, explanations began to surface, disclosed by various media outlets established by cultivators: a terrifying demon had entered the mortal realm, attempting a blood sacrifice using the lives of an entire city's inhabitants, but it had been stopped by a supreme powerhouse!

China's official media later followed up with a brief report. They stated that a demonic entity had attempted to invade the human world but was thwarted. They omitted the details of the blood sacrifice, as it was far too frightening and likely to incite panic. As for who had stopped it, the authorities provided no specifics, saying only that a great Chinese powerhouse had intervened, adding that China would never lack such formidable figures capable of holding up the crumbling heavens.

Though the official statement was vague, the sight of that phoenix flying from the heavens like a streak of crimson clouds toward the blood-red sea of clouds had been witnessed by millions. It was a scene never to be forgotten.

This precious footage was recorded by countless people and uploaded to the internet. Despite the intense magnetic field surrounding the phoenix causing the close-up shots to blur into mere streaks of red light, some of the long-range shots remained relatively clear. These videos still caused a massive sensation online.

Even in an age where everyone practiced cultivation, those figures from mythology and those legendary divine beasts remained far too distant from the current era. Now that a creature suspected to be a divine phoenix had suddenly appeared, everyone was in awe. Few knew of the Master’s existence; people saw only a demon descending upon the world and a phoenix appearing to save it.

The encounter was brief, yet it was enough to spark endless imagination. The people of Hangzhou, having survived the ordeal, felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward the mysterious phoenix. Some wealthy individuals immediately announced plans to build temples, cast a golden statue of the fire-phoenix, and ensure it received eternal offerings of incense.

The only ones in the entire city who knew the truth were Song Yue and his companions.

Immediately after the battle ended, the Master and his wife had left. Had they stayed, the laws of the mortal realm would have turned to erase them, just as they had done to Tiansongzi. The laws of the mortal world did not permit the existence of such powerful beings.

Song Yue had received the Master’s parting message at that moment. The Master told him they had to leave. Using his final moments, the Master condensed a spiritual message, urging Song Yue to be cautious in every step of his future path, not to act on impulse, and above all, not to rush to leave the mortal world in search of him.

The Master said he would not be appearing in the Nine Passes world for some time. Song Yue understood; even if his master reached that realm, he would likely keep a low profile. After all, the mountain-like pressure of the Three Pines Ancient Sect still loomed over them. Having suffered such a heavy loss back then, he would surely have learned his lesson.

Though his heart was heavy with reluctance, Song Yue understood that his master’s departure from the mortal realm was inevitable. He just hadn't expected his mistress to be so powerful. He had always assumed she was merely a formidable martial artist, but it turned out she was just like the Master—the so-called "Grandmaster of Martial Arts" was nothing more than something she had practiced in her spare time out of pure boredom.

He remembered a saying: the more beautiful the woman, the more she could deceive!

At Song Yue’s home, in the dining room, he was treating Chen Jue to seafood and dragon-patterned leopard meat. Qian Qianxue and Wen Rou were also there. As holders of the Heaven-Reaching Stele, there was no need to hide the affairs of the Nine Passes world from them. A little more knowledge never hurt.

Chen Jue had also received the Master’s message, telling him to continue living well and not to be affected by the event. It left him feeling melancholic and unsettled. After a few drinks, a sentimental Chen Jue couldn't help but talk to Song Yue about his past.

"That ancient sect—you know which one I mean. My status was very low back then. I was just an outer disciple, and the kind who wasn't doing well at all. Anyone could bully me, and my talent wasn't particularly good either..."

Chen Jue laughed at himself. "But back then, the Master already displayed such peerless grace. I, and everyone around me, worshipped him. You have no idea how magnificent he was in those days!"

"We spent our days fantasizing about when we could be like the Teacher, roaming the battlefields of the Nine Passes, sweeping away all enemies. Only then would this life be worth living!"

"But we all knew in our hearts that we lacked the talent."

"Compared to ordinary mortals, we might have been considered excellent; we could shamelessly call ourselves geniuses. But in that world, we were just a bunch of ordinary people. We never imagined that one day, we would receive guidance from the Master himself!"

Chen Jue sipped his wine, reminiscing. "The atmosphere in our ancient sect was actually quite good back then. Everyone was training desperately, struggling to cross the threshold, hoping to become true powerhouses."

"Then one day, the Teacher suddenly came to us, smiling and asking if we had any difficulties in our cultivation..."

"Of course we did! How could we not? There were simply too many!"

"Someone like you, who has been taught by the Master since childhood, can't imagine how excited we were back then!"

Chen Jue downed his drink in one gulp, let out a long sigh, and said, "We were all talking over each other, asking so many questions, and the Teacher patiently answered every single one... That feeling was truly wonderful. I will never forget it as long as I live!"

Song Yue looked at him and asked, "Then why... why did you end up in a place like the Fiery Star, serving as a manager?"

Chen Jue gave a self-deprecating smile. "After the incident with the Teacher broke out, all of us were lost. We even lost our sense of direction. The idol we worshipped, the greatest goal of our lives, had been suppressed by others. What was the point of people like us, who were nothing, continuing to struggle?"

He couldn't help but swear, then offered an apologetic smile to Qian Qianxue and Wen Rou. He sighed, "So, for a long time, a large group of us lived in a daze. Years later, someone said a planet rich in fire-essence ore had been discovered in the mortal realm and that they needed an outer disciple to go there as a manager..."

Chen Jue laughed bitterly. "Nobody wanted to do that! It was hard enough for everyone to move from the mortal realm to the so-called 'Immortal World'; nobody wanted to go back."

"Even though you could become a local lord on that planet, no one volunteered. Let alone a mere manager of a resource star, how many cultivators would even look twice at a mortal emperor?"

"I hesitated many times, but in the end, I felt that instead of living in a daze, it might be better to return to the mortal world and be a small lord where I made the rules... that didn't seem so bad."

He looked at Song Yue. "After all my former ideals were shattered, all that remained was endless emptiness and confusion. So, to be honest, after going to the Fiery Star, I quickly became lost in the pleasure that power brought. I became the very kind of person I once hated most..."

Perhaps because he had been bitter for so many years, or perhaps because things related to the Nine Passes world could only be confided in a "warrior," Chen Jue was very candid with Song Yue, his junior brother. He told him everything, the good and the bad, holding nothing back.

"I never dreamed that I would see the Teacher again in my lifetime. Do you know? Before this, I didn't even know which world the Teacher was from. I never expected him to be on the home planet."

Song Yue then suddenly asked, "Will you tell anyone that the Teacher has broken the seal and recovered his strength?"

Chen Jue didn't even think about it. He widened his eyes, looking at Song Yue with some dissatisfaction. "Junior brother, that’s not kind of you! I just told you honestly that I’m not a good person, but how could I ever do such a thing?"

"I may lack the skill, but if I were truly talented enough to reach that level, I would be dying for the day I could personally overthrow and end that old, rotten, and dark ancient sect..."

Perhaps feeling he had said too much, Chen Jue took another sip of wine to cover it up. He looked at Song Yue and said earnestly, "Don't worry. Although this 'cheap' senior brother of yours may not have much talent and his character is average, I am never confused when it comes to matters of principle!"

He stood up and said, "Keep that token. I think in the future, you might have a chance to use it."

"Are you leaving?" Song Yue looked at Chen Jue. "It shouldn't be that urgent, right? Why don't we have a few more drinks?"

Chen Jue smiled. "No more, I'm already happy. The blockage that has been in my chest for so many years has finally cleared; it feels so good! Although I am the supreme lord on that planet, there are still too many people above me who can hold me down. Why do you think I left so much fire-essence in each mining area?"

He shook his head self-deprecatingly. "If you ever have a need, just come find me!"

Song Yue nodded. "In that case, I won't keep you any longer. Let me see you off, Senior Brother."

That title, "Senior Brother," made Chen Jue glow with joy. He had never dared to call himself a disciple of the Master, though he had always hoped for such recognition.

He thought for a moment, then simply took a storage bag from his storage artifact and said, "There are a hundred kilograms of fire-essence in here. Your senior brother has nothing else to offer, no divine weapons or treasures. As for cultivation techniques... I believe you don't lack those either. It’s a bit meager, don't mind it, Junior Brother!"

"I don't mind, I don't mind..." Song Yue accepted it and handed it to Qian Qianxue. In the mortal world, this stuff was so expensive it was auctioned by the gram—what kind of wealthy cultivator would call a hundred kilograms of fire-essence "meager"?

"But remember, use it cautiously. Don't leave any traces for others to follow," Chen Jue cautioned.

Song Yue indicated he understood.

"Oh, right," as they reached the outside of Song Yue's residential complex, Chen Jue looked at Song Yue, feeling a bit embarrassed. "At this hour, are there any high-end shopping malls still open?"

A master at the Dan-Gathering Realm was asking this? Song Yue was stunned and looked at Qian Qianxue. Qian Qianxue looked blank—shopping malls? She barely ever went to them.

It was Wen Rou, who had come along, who said, "Yes, in the city center. There’s a newly opened luxury store. The staff there are from the Tianyue Star—all advanced artificial intelligence. That store is open twenty-four hours."

Chen Jue breathed a sigh of relief and said goodbye to Song Yue. If he couldn't vent his anger for his beloved concubine, he at least had to buy her a few bags. Maybe... he should just buy the whole store?

She would be happy, right? It was alien merchandise! She would be, wouldn't she?

Qian Qianxue looked at Wen Rou, puzzled. "Why would he go to a store like that at this hour?"

Wen Rou said, speechless, "To buy a gift for someone he likes, of course!"

Qian Qianxue said, "I understand, but shouldn't a cultivator give cultivation techniques..." She stopped herself mid-sentence.

Wen Rou seized the opportunity, asking with a grin, "Then when you gave Senior Brother that footwork technique back then..."

"I'm a bit sleepy!" Qian Qianxue said loudly, walking quickly toward the complex.

Wen Rou made a face at Qian Qianxue's retreating back, then looked at Song Yue, looking for praise. Song Yue was speechless and ruffled her hair.

After sending them home, he didn't return with them but turned and headed to the Master's place.

It was already empty. The Master had only been gone for a day, and though he had been away for long stretches before, Song Yue had never felt anything. Now, however, he felt a sense of emptiness in his heart. The Master’s departure was sudden, yet not unexpected. He hadn't even given instructions on how to handle the small building, perhaps because he knew that before long, Song Yue would also leave the mortal world.

He hadn't mentioned asking Song Yue to look after his daughter, either, because Lu Man lived a very carefree life. Over the years, Song Yue had only met "Sister Man" a few times. He had heard from his mistress that she didn't have a high cultivation level, her talent was average, and she was quite lazy. She had adopted the title of "scientist" and spent her time wandering between the stars.

Now that he thought about it, the claim that her talent was "average" was questionable. His mistress was a true Great Demon, and when she revealed her true form, it was cool to the extreme. A person like that, combined with the heaven-defying talent of the Master—how bad could their child with demon bloodline really be?

Perhaps his "sister" was a warrior too!

The small building held too many memories. Song Yue, lost in thought, went to the backyard and saw the Old Peony and "Little Red," the bird that had been acting out lately and often went missing. The flower demon, the bird demon, and the human all shared a sense of melancholy.

Song Yue asked the Old Peony about her future plans. The Old Peony pondered for a while and said, "I think this place is quite good; it's suitable for retirement."

Song Yue felt a twitch in his eye; it was hard to understand the thoughts of a plant that had lived for so long.

The Old Peony continued, "All cultivation worlds are too cruel. For an old tree like me with no combat ability, once discovered in such a place, I would be unable to escape the fate of being caged. Here in the mortal world, I still have a long life to live, and I am free. There is nothing wrong with that."

The Old Peony then gave Song Yue a few whole flowers and a flower branch full of vitality.

"If you plant this branch, it will slowly grow. If there is enough opportunity, it might even gain intelligence. Although it won't have any combat power, the greatest benefit of a plant is that it can gather information for you."

"If you ever establish a sect in the future, you can plant it within the mountain gates; it can serve as an early warning system."

Song Yue thanked her and then asked Little Red about its plans.

"I haven't had enough fun yet. Whenever you decide to leave the mortal world, remember to take me with you," the red bird said seriously. It had originally been a bird with no great ambitions, but after seeing the phoenix, it felt admiration and longing; it wanted to become stronger.

Song Yue nodded in agreement.

"Oh, right, if you ever come across that kind of top-tier soil, remember to save some for me," the Old Peony added.

Song Yue agreed to that as well.

He then left the Master and Mistress’s small building. If nothing unexpected happened, he probably wouldn't be coming back for a long time.