Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Song Changgong and Li Yixin bowed again to Wan Qingliu and Bai Yuxi.
Both of them knew well that it was tantamount to yielding. How could it not be? It was yielding with their lives as the wager. Even though Wan Qingliu and Bai Yuxi were no higher than them in seniority, Song Changgong and Li Yixin could easily die along the long strenuous journey if the former two men had any ulterior motives.
Once they had gotten the Qi of vitality and escaped the approaching limitations of their age, in addition to their status and cultivation base, the General Commerce League would not pursue the case any further, despite wanting to.
The significant sentiment of what had happened at this moment was indescribable. They could only etch it in their hearts, thinking that it would be unworthy to call themselves humans if they were to ever forget it!
“Brother, remove the seal quickly and use the Qi of vitality.”
Song Changgong stood stiffly straight, looking at Li Yixin.
“Big brother, the elder brother will always come first before the younger one. There is no sense for this young one to go first. You should come first, big brother.” Li Yixin was determined.
Song Changgong replied sternly, “Since we become sworn brothers, I’ve been the decision-maker in everything big or small! Since when do you have a say? You shall take the energy when I ask you to! Are you trying to go against your elder brother?”
Li Yixin laughed. “There’s no you or me in brotherhood. Big brother, I’ve obeyed you my entire life, it’s tiring. What would it matter if I rebel for once today?”
Song Changgong refuted harshly, “If you don’t take it immediately, I shall kill myself right on the spot. Do you think I dare not do it?”
Everyone else was shocked, the color quickly draining from their faces.
Li Yixin looked unperturbed, however, as he spoke calmly, “If you aren’t taking it, I won’t as well. At most, we shall die together. Isn’t it living to what we said when we made our oaths? We can’t be born on the same day, same month and the same year, but we can die on the same day, same month and same year!”
Song Changgong’s snow-white hair and beard shook in his fury. He started to pant. “Are you trying to anger me to death? I’m asking you to use it first and I’ll take the remaining portion. Why are you so stubborn?”
Li Yixin chuckled. “Big brother, I’m three good years younger than you. I still have time.”
Song Changgong was baffled by his rage. They were brothers, sharing a similar cultivation base and age; being Supreme Saint in cultivation base level and enjoying tens of thousands of years in age, the three-year difference was not a gap at all!
As both of them continued to argue, Lang Fantian, Feng Guohai and the rest of the people there were increasingly moved.
These two elderly men had come to the end of their longevity, death knocking at their doorstep at anytime, but they were pushing the opportunity to stay alive to the other party, despite facing the attractive lure of vitality.
Lang Fantian inhaled deeply and said, “You don’t have to do this. Before I came, the chief has given me some heaven and earth resources privately and told me formally that if the Qi of vitality were true and divinely effective, our league will further extend our sincerity and request Brother Yun to enter again.”
Song Changgong and Li Yixin gazed at each other before Song Changgong’s wrinkled face was adorned with a smile. “Brother, what you are worried about now? Use it quickly!”
Li Yixin smiled contentedly as well, replying, “Great, great. Big brother, you really don’t have to worry about me now!”
These two men were still pushing it to each other, unwilling to give in and be the first one to take the ball of energy!
“What if my brother doesn’t get to use the Qi of vitality after I use it – so what would it matter if I can stay alive and live longer?” This was their shared thought.
Yun Yang was already touched when he witnessed Wan Qingliu and Bai Yuxi’s generosity, but now that he saw these two old men who refused to leave each other’s side despite life and death, the brotherhood that was unwavering despite the world’s greatest temptation, he was brimming with emotion. He butted in, “Both seniors don’t have to waste time pushing it to one another. From what this junior sees, the second portion of the vitality Qi is definitely hopeful!”
“Why so? There must be a reason for Brother Yun’s confidence!” Lang Fantian, Feng Guohai, and the others asked collectively.
“This junior has gone into the Spirit’s Grave many times. While what I know about the grave is limited, I still understand some of it. Like my first entrance, I’ve gotten the cultivation method and the way to activate the entrance to this grave; my second time, I started a bartering process – it’s just that what I’ve gotten then were only some spiritual herbs that could help the cultivation base… It went on for quite some time until the reward I received changed to the Celestial Amethysts after one particular time. After that, my cultivation base has improved enough that it’s reached the limit of the realm I was originally in. The senior in the Spirit’s Grave then requested, for the first time, that he needed higher-level resources and mystical steel. This is the starting point of my disguise as the Raider of All But God and collaborated with your league. In retrospect, the Celestial Amethysts are precious to the current world but it’s only slightly valuable in the grave, not at all rare. Otherwise, the senior wouldn’t have given me over a hundred pieces of the crystals back then…”
“What? You have over a hundred pieces of Celestial Amethysts?” Feng Guohai intercepted him, asking in astonishment.
Yun Yang shook his head. “That was before I overcame the cultivation base bottleneck and arrived at Bound of Universe. I was temporarily stuck in my cultivation base progress, causing my search for the treasured resources to be ineffective, so the senior gave me a hundred pieces of the crystals all at once to be cultivated accordingly, resulting in an explosive boost that I surpassed the limitation of my original realm and ascended to the Bound of Universe…”
Lang Fantian and the rest were struck with a realization listening to him, swiftly understanding why Yun Yang was a Saint level cultivator despite being only in his twenties. If he had come from the Bound of Universe and some substantial background, it was reasonable. The reality, however, was that he was an Ascended from the lower realm. His progress was then deemed terrifying, instead. Now that they knew of his cultivation past, their suspicions were lifted.
“Brother Yun, while we’re interested in your cultivation experience too, we honestly aren’t in the mood right now. Speak of the main point, will you?” Lang Fantian cut him off.
Yun Yang was gleeful. “I’m coming to it. The Celestial Amethyst was the best the Spirit’s Grave could give, but now that there’s the Qi of vitality, the crystal paled in comparison and we’re afraid that there won’t be a second time. Still, you fellows don’t interact with the Spirit’s Grave much. You don’t know that the senior within isn’t picky over the mystical resources and steels he receives, basically the more the better. I believe that even if the vitality Qi isn’t as abundant as the Celestial Amethyst, there should still be a few times more.”
“According to my understanding of the Spirit’s Grave, the Qi of vitality has just appeared… There should at least still be a next time. The possibility stands at ninety percent and above. Instead of being hesitant now, it’s better to try it as soon as possible. Things are up to our doing, there’s no need to worry too much.”
The group was deep in thought.
Wan Qingliu and Bai Yuxi looked excited, a sense of comfort coloring their faces, while they secretly heaved a sigh of relief. It was one thing that they had high morals and had willingly given their places – who would like to die if they had the chance to keep on living?
Li Yixin laughed and stood up. “Alright. I’ll keep my guard up for you outside, big brother, and wait for the next opportunity.”
As everyone else chipped in their persuasion, Song Changgong finally sighed and glanced outside rather resentfully, saying in anger, “If there isn’t a next time… I shall be filled with regret for the rest of my life – I’d feel dead even though alive!”
Lang Fantian spoke in grim seriousness, “Don’t worry, Senior Song. Brother Yun must be confident in saying what he did. Since there’s hope, the league will send Brother Yun in again and again, even if it means expending all we have… until we acquire sufficient Qi of vitality!”
He paused for a beat before saying, “This is also the promise Lord Chief made earlier on!”
Song Changgong heaved a long sigh while Yun Yang was already seated in front of him.
Yun Yang’s cultivation base was still questionable before these people but his long time with Emmie made him extremely sensitive to the pulse of life, allowing him to easily judge that it was indeed Song Changgong’s vitality that was the weakest among the bunch. His signs of life were as good as none and while Li Yixin was similar, he was still slightly better than Song Changgong.
Happy to see that the matter with Qi of vitality had played out well, Yun Yang was also impressed by the elderly men’s brotherhood. It was possible that one of them could die just like that as they argued over who to consume the vitality Qi despite the chance at life right before them…
Song Changgong placed his hand on Yun Yang’s arm and covered the seal with his divine sense. As the deific consciousness flowed, it linked with the seal and Yun Yang activated his divine consciousness as well; the Qi of vitality began to flow steadily from his arm.
The others watched from the side unblinkingly, witnessing how Song Changgong shook as a blush resulting from his shock colored his wrinkly face.
