Chapter 1881 – Lifetime Dao Companions
The ruined immortal was hacked into two halves, horror covering his face. The expression in his eyes gradually faded, clearly unable to hold on any longer.
“Speak, what exactly is going on?” Shi Hao took action. A wave of overwhelming power surged out, stabilizing the ruined immortal’s body, wishing to preserve his life.
“They… are going to arrive soon!” Like a dying flash, the ruined immortal suddenly roared out. His entire body contorted, primordial spirit burning, turning into a rain of light.
Shi Hao was shocked, backing up. It was as if there was an expanse of stellar sand that moved past, wrapping around that law blade, and then quickly headed into the distance.
The law blade cut down this ruined immortal. His primordial spirit turned into a rain of light, merging together with that divine blade, thus disappearing.
“They are on the path of return, the imprints they left behind revived, wishing to understand the situation of this world.” In the rain of light, the ruined immortal’s final miserable cries sounded.
Shi Hao understood. There were some creatures that could already interfere with the matters of this realm, taking action, trying to understand the situation here. However, they should still be quite far from this place.
Otherwise, their true bodies would have directly appeared!
A ruined immortal fell, dying just like that!
Shi Hao’s body was fast and light, moving through the void. With a single leap, he traveled many tens of thousands of li. He chased after it, wishing to see where that law blade returned to.
This was a great mountain, pitch-black like ink, appearing in the sky dome above. It was as if a heaven reaching sword was inserted there!
In the past, it didn’t appear before. This mountain was something that took form recently, clearly another path just like Immortal Tomb and Origin Ancient Mine.
The law blade also turned into a rain of light, entering the black mountain, thus disappearing without a trace.
Shi Hao’s eyes contracted. He remembered this place. In the future, this would definitely be a terrifying battlefield, a place where rivers of blood would flow.
He began to think to himself. How long did these creatures need before they would truly return, before they could truly step foot into this realm?
Shi Hao felt a greater and greater feeling of pressure, however, time didn’t wait for him. Now, his cultivation had reached eight hundred years, yet it was truly hard to achieve immortality. In the future, how was he supposed to fight?
Shi Hao ended his trip in the uninhabited region, returning to the lower realms. He went to see the restricted region lord, consulting him about when that day would arrive.
“You are worrying too much. Their return is full of twists and turns, at the very least, they need to be on guard against each other, so it will take another hundred thousand years at the earliest, perhaps much longer.”
When he heard what the restricted region lord said, Shi Hao became stunned. It was actually that far away, he really did have time!
“Those creatures are extremely far from you, at the very least, one or two great eras away. In order to approach through the mysterious lands, they need an extremely long amount of time.”
“Separated by one or two great eras?” Shi Hao was greatly shaken.
“There might even be monsters from the Age of Emperor Collapse, those will be even more distant!” The restricted region lord’s voice was extremely heavy, even he became serious when that era was mentioned.
“Age of Emperor Collapse, there are still creatures alive from back then?” Shi Hao’s brows became deeply furrowed. This information really was horrifying. This wasn’t a normal age, just the two words ‘emperor collapse’ would make one produce endless associations.
“Resolve your matters with the mortal world, and then come back. Go.” The restricted region lord said.
Shi Hao released a light sigh. One day, he really would have to step on the path of no return. At that point, he would eternally part from everyone, it was best if he didn’t leave behind any regrets.
He cultivated eight hundred years. Now, when he looked back at the affairs of the mortal world, he became silent.
He thought back to when he was young, those Fire Mulberry Trees that bloomed in Sin Province. That red-clothed young lady smiled brightly under those trees, red flower petals scattered down. She was still waving her hand gently.
Shi Hao’s nose became sour, feeling disappointed and frustrated. So many years passed, but he still didn’t forget about her. The only reason he didn’t think about her was because he always immersed himself in his cultivation.
The Fire Mulberry Tree flowers bloomed, every single flower sparkling and translucent. That young lady was waiting alone, waiting for him to return. However, in the end, he still didn’t come.
Suddenly, a great sky covering great claw tore through Desolate Border’s Emperor City, grabbing the entire Sin Province. During that final battle Shi Hao personally witnessed, he vaguely made out that scarlet clothed young lady standing outside the ruined Fire Mulberry Trees, her face carrying tears, looking at him helpplessly.
“The great showdown… I really want to become strong, slaughter my way into the other side, cut down Anlan, Shutuo, and the others, bring her back!”
Shi Hao clenched his fists, releasing a low roar. It was hard to forget, as if it was just yesterday. If he didn’t think about it, just spending his days in cultivation, then that was that. However, when he thought about it, his heart felt empty, the bitterness hard to describe.
An explosion sounded, the void cracking apart. Shi Hao released a sigh, what could he change? How many years did he need to achieve immortality? At that time, the past young lady would have long grown old.
It was to the extent where whether she was still living in this world was hard to say.
He previously wanted to cut away these memories, but now, it seemed like everything was pointless. There were many people and matters that couldn’t be forgotten just because one wanted to forget about them.
“Not being able to protect you is my greatest regret in this life!” Shi Hao gazed into the void. This was what he thought in the end. It was because if this continued, if he continued to think about it, it would only bring more regret and bitterness.
He really wanted to temporarily bury that period of his memories. Everyone had a time when they were young, he wanted to bury away that portion of sincerity.
It was because if he continued to think about it, he really didn’t treat Yun Xi well enough. She always spent her time in cultivation all these years. He rarely went back to Stone Village all because he still carried thoughts about that young lady under the Fire Mulberry Trees, so he couldn’t calmly face Yun Xi.
Shi Hao returned to Stone Village. He grabbed Yun Xi’s hand, looked at her. After all these years passed, her graceful bearing never changed, her purple hair sparkling, eyes pure, style exceptional.
Yun Xi felt a bit of puzzlement, raising her head to look at him.
“For what happened these years, I’m sorry.” Shi Hao said, his voice extremely soft, but also extremely serious.
“Why do you say that?”
“It is because we really aren’t like dao companions, I’ve let you down.” Shi Hao felt guilty inside.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, rising up in the Cultivationless Age isn’t easy. It was only natural that you were completely engrossed in this, bitterly cultivating to ascend to immortality. There is no need for you to apologize to me.” Yun Xi said gently.
Her complexion was fair, sparkling like jade, eyes intelligent, every word and movement moving.
“Even if I cultivate bitterly in seclusion, I still might not necessarily be able to achieve immortality.” Shi Hao grabbed her hand, saying, “The Nine Heavens Ten Earths have changed so greatly, yet you always remained in the lower realms, never even going around to take a look. I will bring you to see all of the world’s beauty.”
“Where do you have that much time?!” Yun Xi shook her head, refusing.
“This can also be considered a type of cultivation. Let’s go.” Shi Hao brought her with him into the higher realms, moreover saying seriously, “It’s been a long time since you last returned to Celestial Clan. I’ll go with you to take a look.”
When she heard him say this, Yun Xi’s body trembled. She really longed to go back for a visit. In the end, she nodded in agreement, wishing to return to Celestial Clan.
Shi Ziling and his wife smiled. When they saw them leave, the two felt gratified and satisfied, as if one of their cherished desires was fulfilled.
“We finally managed to see this day.” The two both had a bit of white hair, no longer young. This was unavoidable, even though they weren’t old, the passage of time still left traces on their bodies.
“Good, good, good!” The old clan chief Shi Yunfeng also laughed cheerfully. He was extremely old, but his spirit was still healthy, sending Shi Hao and Yun Xi’s figures off with his eyes.
When Shi Hao arrived in the City of Heaven, Celestial Clan was greatly shaken. After more than eight hundred years, he appeared here again, leaving this clan panicked and shocked.
If he came to settle things, then the entire clan would undoubtedly be eradicated. The entire Celestial Clan was extremely scared, truly worried. The faces of some of the people directly involved in those past matters became white.
“I have no intentions of carrying out revenge. The matters of the past, let's just let them pass like the wind.” Shi Hao calmly said.
When some experts in Celestial Clan heard this, they were simply about to cheer, their tense nerves finally relaxed. This was especially the case when they saw Yun Xi, understanding something, becoming even more relaxed.
“Yun Xi misses her home, so I brought her back to take a look.” Shi Hao said.
“Good, good, we also miss her, we’ve always wanted to see her come back.” An old voice said while trembling, stirred emotionally as he greeted them.
“Is the old celestial still here?” Shi Hao asked. The Cultivationless Age descended, he felt like it would be hard for that old fella to continue living.
When they heard this, many people in Celestial Clan revealed worry and helplessness. They told him that the old celestial didn’t have much time left, already about to wither away.
Shi Hao and Yun Xi went to pay a visit. Sure enough, they saw a skin and bones elder, eye sockets sunken, eyes expressionless.
“I should have died several hundred years ago, but I’ve always held on, because there was a remnant will, I couldn’t feel at ease with leaving Celestial Clan. Now that I have seen you come back, already letting go of the past grudges, I can pass on without any worries.” The old celestial said with a smile.
Moreover, not long afterwards, his life’s vitality was cut, withering up, passing away.
All of Celestial Clan wept.
Shi Hao was speechless. This fella really knew how to hold on, waiting all the way until he came, and only then did he take his final breath.
He couldn’t immediately leave, because Yun Xi wanted to pay her respects here, attend the old celestial’s burial.
Several years later, Shi Hao and Yun Xi were inseparable, touring the mountains, rivers, and lakes, becoming true dao companions.
Shi Hao gave Yun Xi pointers in her cultivation, at the same time, he was also researching will force, wishing to open up another path, make arrangements for Mu Qing, the crimson dragon, and the others.
Time continued on slowly. In the blink of an eye, close to two hundred years passed.
Shi Hao was already a thousand years old. His magical force was boundless, no one able to match him in the Mortal Dao Domain. At the same time, he explored the Immortal Dao. Even though he never achieved immortality, he gained some understanding, gaining many insights which were hard to even imagine for outsiders.
Imperial Court became more and more prosperous. With each passing day, Shi Hao didn’t have to pay it any attention, yet there would be endless will force gathering over, supporting his body.
Just like that, he could borrow will force to produce a supreme being body, one that was no different from the main body.
During these years, his real body was still going through the body as a seed path, but that supreme being body concentrated from will force instead walked a different path, one similar to the guardian spirits of Immortal Ancient, using this to achieve immortality.
He was walking both paths. He even felt like he might achieve immortality through will force first, that it was relatively easier.
In these two hundred years, Shi Hao and Yun Xi were always together, true dao companions. When they moved through the world, all experts would come up to pay their respects.
Yun Xi was always quiet and peaceful. During this period, she seemed to have returned to being a young lady, full of youthful energy, always having a warm smile on her face. When she blinked, her grace was exceptional.
During these thousand years, Mu Qing, the crimson dragon, Heavenly Horned Ant, Golden Lion, and others still couldn’t cross that dao pit, unable to become supreme beings.
“Cultivationless Age, just how many heroic talents’ paths do you want to cut short?!” Shi Hao’s expression was grave. They cultivated a thousand years, long passing the five hundred year taboo line, yet those individuals still couldn’t succeed, this was enough to explain some things.
He vaguely sensed that even if they cultivated for an entire age, when he reached his later years, these people would still be stuck, unable to cross that heavenly moat.
It wasn’t that they weren’t good enough, but rather that the world cut their paths short!
“It’s fine, we still have time, it’s only been a thousand years, so how can we extravagantly hope to become supreme beings? In this entire great era, just how many could become supreme beings in just a thousand years?” The Heavenly Horned Ant said, doing his best to calm down.
Shi Hao became silent. Others might not have that qualification, but the Heavenly Horned Ant was a descendant of the Vicious Ten, he should be able to become a supreme being within a thousand years or two.
Once the more flourishing period was missed, when one roamed this great dao deficient, spiritual essence withered era, the Heavenly Horned Era and others would be stopped, sinking into a vile greater environment where they couldn’t achieve the dao at all.
During this period of time, Shi Hao was always thinking. He came to a certain decision.
“You… are you going to leave? Just go, you need to advance courageously, rise up sooner!” Yun Xi said.
Shi Hao stared blankly. He was indeed about to leave, bring the Heavenly Horned Ant, Mu Qing and the others to a different place, try to change their cultivation fate.
“Don’t feel guilty, don’t worry about me. I felt extremely fulfilled during these years. I know that you will achieve immortality one day, while I can only accompany you for one era in this mortal world, that’s all I can do… an era is also fine! The day will come when you will leave, and I will have become old as well…” Yun Xi said, her eyes carrying mist, holding back tears.
