Chapter 23: The Struggle for Immortality

Chapter 23: The Struggle for Immortality

The green mountains remain unchanged, the clear waters flow endlessly, and the Jade Lake Sanctuary still stands, but the people are gone.

Sighing softly, Shaohua couldn’t help but let out a gentle exhale.

After all, humans are not grass or trees; who can be without emotion?

Especially when it comes to her own younger brother, bound by blood and raised together with deep affection. How could anyone not be heartbroken at such a forced parting?

The Western Emperor and his wife trembled from head to toe. All their invincible airs and imperial presence were cast aside.

At this moment, they were just parents to their child.

And in their eyes, this parting was no different from a final farewell, a separation that would last forever. Wushi would fall into a deep slumber, and they would complete their fated paths in this world.

Even if Wushi were to awaken in a future life, they would never meet again.

The pain was unimaginable, akin to the sorrow of a white-haired parent burying a black-haired child, tearing at the heart and rending the soul.

"I’m sorry, I can no longer protect you. This era does not belong to you. You cannot stay with me, or you will be forever suppressed by my path."

"Wushi, you must grow strong. Remember the words your father, your sister, and I have said. The future lies in your hands alone."

The Western Emperor caressed Wushi’s cheek, her eyes welling with tears. Her gaze gradually grew resolute, and she no longer hesitated. With supreme power, she activated the Celestial Source, preparing to seal Wushi away.

Wushi couldn’t hold back his tears any longer. He wailed and rushed into his mother’s embrace, crying uncontrollably, a far cry from his usual obedient self.

After all, he was just a child.

"My child, from now on, you mustn’t cry like this. You must stand tall and strong, a true man. Mother believes you will surpass all who came before you, break all chains, and achieve the Dao, ascending to immortality!"

The Western Emperor’s eyes shimmered with emotion, her voice gentle. She finally picked up Wushi and kissed his face.

"No, I don’t want to achieve the Dao, I don’t want to ascend to immortality. Mother, please, don’t let me leave alone", Wushi cried, his tears blurring his vision. Today, he shed all the tears he would ever shed in his life.

Unfortunately, the Western Emperor’s resolve was firm. As the reigning Celestial Emperor, her every word and action was law, and she would not change her mind.

"Father!"

"Sister!"

Wushi turned his head, looking to the side, and cried out loudly.

Wuning’s entire body trembled. Even the toughest man couldn’t withstand such a scene. He almost couldn’t bear to look at his own son.

He had wanted to say: "Our child, if you cannot ascend to immortality, you can still rebuild the Heavenly Court and govern the world."

Wouldn’t that be bold?

Everyone would be thrilled to hear it!

But under his daughter’s death glare, he abandoned this bold idea.

Shaohua was no better. After a moment’s hesitation, she couldn’t resist stepping forward to embrace Wushi. She whispered in his ear, "We will meet again. Your sister is waiting for you to protect her."

These words were for Wushi, but also for herself.

Live on, for the day we meet again!

The feeling of parting was unbearable. Although she often spoke of ascending to immortality, what was it all for?

Was it because everyone else was striving for immortality, so she should too?

But if she only wanted to "ascend to immortality", she could take a shortcut by riding on Wushi’s success. Entering a wondrous realm would be easy, and she could seal herself into the future, hitching a ride with Ye Tiandi.

Having died once, she understood the value of life even more. She knew her worth, but that also meant she had less courage to face death.

Shaohua seemed to understand something. For the first time, she felt a strong, tangible desire to ascend to immortality, no longer just a vague dream.

Wushi’s eyes gradually regained some of their light, his little head still a bit dazed. He clung to Shaohua and quietly slipped a small stone into her hand, then said hopefully, "Promise me, don’t lie."

"Of course, I’ve never lied to you", Shaohua gently pinched his little upturned nose, her mind already made up.

"Hehe~" Wushi finally managed a smile.

Shaohua smiled, then leaned down and lightly kissed the other cheek of the little one.

She knew she would never fall in love with any man. Her only wish was to walk the path of the Dao, and Wushi was the closest male in her life, bound by family.

Or perhaps, Wushi also carried some of her own aspirations.

A son should be like Wushi!

Shaohua pressed a small azure bell into his hands. In reality, it was a bell, reforged from the broken Feathered Azuregold Pike, with extraordinary power.

Wushi had long played with this "Feathered Bell" and loved it dearly, always thinking about it. Now, his wish was finally fulfilled.

Before he could react, Shaohua pushed him into the Celestial Source Fluid, sending him into a deep sleep.

"The little guy wanted to disrupt my Dao heart. Off to sleep with you." She clapped her hands, easily resolving the issue, so quickly that even the Western Emperor didn’t have time to react.

The couple looked at her with a hint of resentment. In truth, a few more words wouldn’t have been a problem.

Wushi was temporarily placed in the deepest part of the Jade Lake Sanctuary. The Kunlun Ascension Land would have been the most suitable place for him, as it was a place where immortality could be cultivated, a true cradle of immortals, and a fitting tale.

In the days that followed, the Jade Lake Sanctuary became much calmer, but their little Sacred Maiden never reappeared.

Shaohua formally took Nan Jinping and Li Xingruo as her disciples, and the two became the new Sacred Maidens of the Jade Lake Sanctuary.

Future generations only knew of these two, revering them as the first Sacred Maidens, unaware that the Jade Lake Sanctuary had briefly had a little Sacred Maiden before them.

The Western Emperor and his wife began to live in seclusion, rarely appearing before others. Even Shaohua didn’t know what they were up to.

She had suggested the idea of the Nine-Life Reversal and Mundane Immortality to her parents, but it was easier said than done, as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

Most of those who had achieved the Dao could only extend their lives to a second incarnation with the help of the Immortal Life Herb. To live even longer, was it that they didn’t want to or hadn’t tried?

It was simply impossible. Otherwise, why would so many people be willing to self-sever and transform into the Forbidden Sanctum?

Of course, this also had something to do with a certain ancient bird’s interference, undermining the hopes of many.

Observing the Immortal Life Herb for four or five thousand years, who could say they would understand the supreme truth of Life-Death Reversal?

The Post-Natural Primordial Chaos Body could also extend life to a second incarnation, but it was incredibly difficult, almost impossible to achieve, and certainly not something that could be accomplished in a single lifetime.

The Underworld Realm had attempted to create a Primordial Chaos Body by unifying myriad true bloodlines, but despite their long-term planning, they never succeeded.

Heng Ren Da Di, however, had set a precedent by condensing myriad origins into one, transforming a Demon Womb into a Divine Embryo, and achieving a Primordial Chaos Body in his second incarnation.

But his methods were too damaging to the natural order, and gathering so many origins was no easier than the Underworld Realm’s quest for true bloodlines. The final transformation was also a significant challenge.

Ye Tiandi, the future Celestial Emperor, was even more extraordinary, pushing his Dao and methods to the peak, using the Hundred Classics Crucible to melt down myriad Dao into a Primordial Chaos Body.

The world had already seen many attempts at immortality, but most had failed.

Even a genius like Heng Ren Da Di encountered an accident during his transformation.

People are not foolish. Even if they didn’t know that the Mundane Realm could lead to immortality, the idea of extending life through multiple incarnations has always existed. In the end, the most important factor is human capability; if it can’t be done, it simply can’t be done.

As for the Nine Cycle Karma Seal of the Ming Huang and the Imperial Blood Life Extension of the Immortal Emperor, these were even less reliable methods of immortality.

Moreover, in this era, the pressure from the Forbidden Sanctum was immense. Ancient Sovereigns were almost unable to seal themselves, and the Darkness Calamity loomed at any moment.

When the Sovereigns emerge, there won’t be much time left for you.

Shaohua, of course, felt a sense of urgency. She knew that the Underworld Realm would soon target her family.

She had tried many methods, but it seemed her path had reached its end, always falling short, like an insurmountable chasm in front of her. All she could do was prepare for the impending crisis from the Underworld.

Another thirty years passed, and Nan Jinping and Li Xingruo, the two sisters, had both ascended to sainthood. Shaohua gradually handed over the affairs of the sanctuary and retreated behind the scenes.

Time was merciless. It hadn’t taken Shaohua, but it was claiming the lives of the older generation. People she knew were growing old, reaching their twilight years.

How many could live for over seven thousand years?

Even the Great Sages were aging, and many had already passed on.

In the Jade Lake Sanctuary, a cemetery had appeared at some point, with some being buried and others sealed in the Celestial Source to preserve their essence. Many old friends would never return.

The world was withering, and everyone showed signs of age.

May you all be healthy and long-lived, and I love you all!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end