Immortal of the Ages - Chapter 649: Celestial Devildom!
A hiss broke the silence.
Not far off, a group of ascenders had just been fished out of the Ascension Pool. Numb and dazed, they stared at the scene before them, utterly bewildered.
Despair had gripped them moments ago. But then, this frightening girl had just saved all their lives.
With a thunderous crash, the young woman wielded the Primordial Doom Stars, shattering a barrier behind her. Below, a gaping void appeared, revealing the Great Dao Celestial Realm.
“Enter, and tell everyone what is happening in the mortal realms,” she commanded.
“Do not fear; more will join you.”
These ascenders, individuals of immense resolve, stood at the pinnacle of the world. In spirit, they surpassed many natives of the Great Dao Celestial Realm.
All they lacked were resources and opportunities.
“Immortal, may we have the honor of your name?” an elderly ascender inquired.
“Go forth,” she replied curtly, gesturing toward the void below.
With that, the Ascension Pool found a moment of peace.
The young girl in white hovered midair, then turned to look towards a young man in white standing not far away.
It was Yun Xiao. At the sight of him, her elegant brows furrowed slightly, like an annoyed little white tiger, and a faint King character seemed to wrinkle upon her forehead.
She parted her lips to ask, “Did you have a hand in what happened back in the Thunder Department?”
Yun Xiao, his lips curling into a smile, responded, “Your appearance here, is it to clear up trouble for me?”
The Longevity Immortal had been overseeing his receiving of incense offerings. And now with his death, delays were inevitable.
“I asked; you answer. No need for questions,” the girl in white stated firmly.
“She’s fiercer now,” Yun Xiao said, his tone tinged with an unexpected fondness.
Despite her fierceness, the girl in white was undeniably charming, her anger only making her appear endearingly fierce.
“I have no desire to speak further,” she declared, turning to leave.
“Lil Xi!” Yun Xiao called after her, his voice deep with sincerity. “You are Chen Xi, Lian Xi, and also the Seventh Princess. Since the outcome was favorable, why can you not forgive me? You know it too. Us working together could more quickly resolve the woes of this world.”
“I don’t need you. Just don’t make trouble!” she retorted sharply, glaring at him. She sniffled, her lips pursed in anger, and accused, “Smelling of milk, and still asking for forgiveness?”
With those final words, she vanished without a trace, not wishing to linger another moment.
“Uh…” Yun Xiao paused, bewildered, then sniffed himself, questioning the little black beast nestled in his arms, “Is the smell really that noticeable?”
“Those who don’t share don’t deserve my company!” Red Moon huffed, puffing his cheeks.
“Poor little Reddy. While you were feasting on milk inside the cabin, he was left snake wrangling outside,” Blue Star joked with a snicker.
“Well then, today’s a poor day for apologies,” Yun Xiao resigned himself. He then let out a sigh. “That woman, thunder Emissary Cao… she really did lead me astray.”
Suddenly, the girl in white reappeared before him.
“Lil Xi…!”
“Shut up!” she snapped coldly. “I only returned to warn you. For the sake of the Immortal Asylum, Lu Fan is colluding with the Immortal Devils of the Celestial Devildom.”
“The Celestial Devildom?” This was the rumored realm of Immortal Devils.
Yun Xiao knew only a little about this place, having brushed up on it briefly. He wanted to ask more, but the girl in white clearly had no desire to engage further and vanished again.
“Well then,” Yun Xiao muttered, glancing over the ruins of the Ascension Pool, his gaze finally resting on a shattered gourd.
“Huh, is his lingering spirit still here?”
He reached out and shaped the remnants of the gourd into a form, its eyes and mouth appearing—it was none other than the Longevity Immortal.
“Longevity Immortal, did you hear all?” Yun Xiao asked.
“Lu Yao, spare me, I’ll join you two!” the lingering spirit of the Longevity Immortal pleaded.
Yun Xiao chuckled and shook his head, saying, “Unfortunately, my name isn’t Lu Yao.”
“Then who are you?” The Longevity Immortal’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You might have forgotten. But a few days ago, two young ascenders, a young man and a girl, came here. You tried to stew them, but they didn’t perish. We were swept near Sky Soaring City together,” Yun Xiao said with a cold laugh.
The Longevity Immortal was speechless, his spirit stifled as he rummaged through his memories, finding a flicker of that incident.
Back then, he was so high above them, why would he pay attention to these ascenders who were mere ingredients?
“And then?” the Longevity Immortal asked, his voice trembling.
“The young man took on the name of Lu Yao and became the Immortal Tournament Champion, and the girl became the Seventh Princess, just the one who flattened you,” Yun Xiao explained with a smile.
“Ah…” Longevity Immortal’s face was a mask of horror, his mind reeling with fear.
“I forgot to mention, the people from the Thunder Department who died yesterday were all killed by me.”
It was karma! At this moment, not even the fiercest storms could describe the turmoil within the Longevity Immortal.
After delivering his declaration, Yun Xiao granted the Longevity Immortal’s spirit a thorough exorcism.
Then he stood up, contemplating his next moves.
“The incense offerings of a thousand stars are delayed, and suspicions only grow. It’s getting too hard to hide.” Yun Xiao wanted to blend in, but the Celestial Court was a dye vat, and his white robes made it too difficult to play his part.
“If that’s the case, perhaps it’s best to return to the myriad realms and secure a future for my body double and blood slave.”
Moon Fairy and the War Princess were Yun Xiao’s trump cards, and he hadn’t had the chance to prepare them. The environment of the mortal realm was too poor; even though Yun Xiao had Liu Mumu bring back many resources, it wasn’t enough to allow them to rise as he had.
They needed to be brought out.
But really, the main reason was… Yun Xiao missed his senior sister.
Yun Xiao then searched the golden treasure ship of the Longevity Immortal, found a small golden boat, boarded it, activated the Celestial Sourcecore, and burst out of the Great Dao Celestial Realm, flying towards the dim stars above.
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Azure Spirit, Little Cloud Residence…
Nestled beneath osmanthus trees, surrounded by lanterns, stone tables, pond fish, and vibrant flowers, another sleepy afternoon unfolded.
A graceful woman in a black gown sat dozing by the stone table.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze wafted through.
The woman’s nose twitched, catching a scent that roused her from slumber. Her eyes fluttered open, and indeed, there stood a young man in white, smiling as if he carried the freshness of spring with him.
“Why have you returned so soon after leaving?” Zhao Xuanran asked, her tone a mix of amusement and exasperation.
“I missed home.” Yun Xiao sat beside her on the ground, leaning his head against her jade-like legs, looking up at her face. “Has our child grown yet?”
“Grown? It hasn’t even come out of my belly yet,” Zhao Xuanran scoffed, her belly still flat as the vastness of the skies.
“Who knows how many worlds I’ll have to traverse before this child is born,” Yun Xiao sighed.
“What’s the hurry for them to be born? You’re still a child yourself,” Zhao Xuanran chided, playfully tugging at his ear.
“Well, you know… I’m afraid I might hurt them when we’re intimate,” Yun Xiao joked.
“Stop that nonsense,” Zhao Xuanran scolded lightly, sniffing him and biting her lip. “Well, even without me, it seems like you’ve been keeping yourself busy regardless, huh?”
“Uh oh!” Yun Xiao’s vision momentarily darkened.
How did both women have such keen noses?
“Tell me some recent tales,” Zhao Xuanran paused, her voice softening. “I’m resting for the pregnancy, nor do I deserve to experience all the drama and chaos you go through everyday. But, your senior sister here still loves to hear your stories.”
Yun Xiao always harbored confusion and frustrations, needing a listener, and Zhao Xuanran was undoubtedly the one who soothed and warmed his lonely heart the most.
For this very reason, though she was the most humble among cultivators, no one could replace her in Yun Xiao’s heart.
He always clashed and competed with Divine Dawn, but with his elder sister, he was forever just a younger brother.
So Yun Xiao told her everything about his recent adventures in the Celestial Court, holding nothing back.
Zhao Xuan listened silently, her jade-like hand gently combing through his long hair.
“Then you came back?” she asked softly.
“Yes,” Yun Xiao nodded, his gaze drifting up to her smooth chin as he queried, “Zhao Xuanran, monkey, human, Immortal—what do you make of these distinctions?”
Zhao Xuanran paused, then countered, “You’re an Immortal now, so do you think your senior sister is a monkey?”
“I could never imagine spending a lifetime with a monkey.” Yun Xiao shook his head.
“Then, there you have it.” Zhao Xuanran pouted. “These lofty figures always try to create many levels, just to justify their dominance over those weaker. Even Ye Guying, a minor cultivator, dared to claim he was an Immortal in front of you. This same charade plays out in every world, endlessly tiresome.”
Looking down at Yun Xiao, she continued slowly, “I think, in this world, there are no true Immortals, just people climbing the same ladder. Those above look down on those below, creating a chain of scorn. I can handle disdain, but if someone tries to kick me from human to monkey, I won’t stand for it.”
“Exactly! A bunch of garbage.” Yun Xiao nodded in agreement.
“Let me give you another example,” Zhao Xuanran proposed.
“I’m listening,” Yun Xiao said.
“Can humans and monkeys reproduce together?” she asked.
“No.”
“And Immortals and humans?” she pressed on.
“Yes.” Yun Xiao nodded.
“So, there you have it. As long as they can reproduce, they are all the same creature, none more noble than the others. This so-called continuation of lineage, using power to slaughter one’s own kind, is condemnable, and can’t be whitewashed,” Zhao Xuanran declared.
A mortal like her could see this clearly, while those so-called Immortals, for their own benefit, deceived themselves over and over again.
The more they lied, the more they believed it to be true.
“As for being an Immortal, I think there might only be one true Immortal in this world,” Zhao Xuanran suddenly said.
“Who?” Yun Xiao asked.
“It’s you,” Zhao Xuanran pinched his cheek, asserting, “In my heart, you are the Immortal destined to change the world.”
Yun Xiao smiled and shook his head. “I’ve fathered a child with you, which proves that even if there were a unique, true Immortal in the universe, at the end of the day, they are human, with all the frailties of humanity…”
As Yun Xiao spoke, a sudden realization thundered through his mind.
Why could the highest Creator Immortal and the lowest Zhao Xuanran have a child together?
Perhaps it meant that from the moment a Creator Immortal was reborn as himself, possessing humanity, he was indeed human…