Chapter 21 Reentering the Mortal World
The Sword-hidden Peak used to be the most mysterious place in the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect, and it was the core place of the sect. But now it was only Ding Hao’s residence, and it no longer bore the responsibility of the sect. The entire floating peak was tightly wrapped in clouds as if wearing a white cotton-padded jacket embroidered by immortals. It was like a fairy peak floating from outer space. Occasionally, a corner and the trees of the peak could be seen. Its scenery was something that other peaks in the world could not be compared with.
Ding Hao, Zhang Fan, and the others chatted along the way.
“It’s been a thousand years since we parted, and yet it feels like a moment.” Ding Hao sighed with emotion.
“Senior Brother Ding, how long will you stay in the sect this time?” Zhang Fan asked with a smile. Even though a thousand years had passed, he was still the same simple man.
Fang Tianyi and Wang Xiaoqi also looked at Ding Hao.
Since Ding Hao transcended eternity, he seemed to be carefree, but the time when the brothers were reunited was always very little. They had vaguely guessed what Ding Hao was going to do, but they did not know how to help him.
“I should stay for a few more days this time,” Ding Hao said with a smile.
They talked and laughed. Accompanied by laughter, they came to the top of the Sword-hidden Peak.
At the top of the misty peak, it was dark green.
The place was overgrown with green grass, which looked like a green carpet. The first thing that came into view was the familiar peach tree that had been growing for over ten thousand years.
Looking at this peach tree, Ding Hao couldn’t help but recall some memories of the past. The last owner of this tree was the person he admired very much. That person was also wearing a cyan shirt all year round and was his teacher.
It had been more than a thousand years since a new generation replaced an old one.
“You’re back?”
A familiar voice came into Ding Hao’s ears.
Ding Hao turned his head and saw that it was Ximen Qianxue.
Even after over a thousand years had passed, the gentleness in her eyes remained unchanged.
Ximen Qianxue was holding a lovely baby in her arms.
When Ding Hao was about to say something, there was another burst of laughter. Li Lan came to the top of the mountain with a group of children.
The slender woman did not change at all. She was wearing a long white dress, and her swaying figure in the wind showed more charm. Li Lan, who had resigned from the position of the head of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect, finally had a soft look on her face. She no longer had to worry about the sect’s affairs, and the relaxed Jade-faced Asura became more charming.
“Come on, go and call your great-grandfather,” Li Lan said to these children.
It turned out that these children were the grandchildren of Ding Tianshuang, Ding Chunqiu, and others. Ding Hao’s trip to Earth took too long, so Ding Tianshuang and others had been married and had children. Ding Hao’s seniority had increased by several generations, and now he was a great-grandfather.
“Nice to meet you, great-grandfather. I’m Jingjing.” A little girl with a delicate face, as lovely as an elf, stumbled to Ding Hao and greeted him politely.
Ding Hao happily picked her up, pinched her little face, and said, “Good girl!”
“Great-grandpa, are you not going to give me something? Where’s my gift?” Jingjing stretched out her hands and blinked.
Ding Hao was stunned for a moment.
“Kids nowadays… are so straightforward.”
…
Ding Hao stayed on the Sword-hidden Peak for half a month, during which time he did not go out.
The news that Imperator Ding had returned quickly spread throughout the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect. Since the first day he returned, a large number of inside disciples had gathered at the foot of the Sword-hidden Peak.
As disciples of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect, they were most proud of Ding Hao. Now, as soon as they heard the news of their idol’s return, they were all excited.
They had been waiting at the foot of the mountain. The chance of seeing Imperator Ding was very slim, but they still insisted on doing so, even if they could only see a flash of his figure or even nothing.
There were very few people who were qualified to enter the Sword-hidden Peak, and only Ding Hao’s close friends such as Wang Juefeng and Ren Xiaoyao were qualified to do that as they were the top elders of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect.
Reuniting and reminiscing with his good friends was not the topic of Ding Hao’s recent life. In the past ten days, Ding Hao had neglected his good friends a lot.
Recently, other than talking to his wives about the past, Ding Hao mainly played games with his great-grandchildren.
Ding Hao had just fulfilled his filial duties as a child on Earth. At this time, when he returned to the Heaven Path world, he immediately changed his role and became a successful husband and a great-grandfather with a child’s heart.
The setting sun cast a long shadow on the peach tree, reflecting the red glow. The top of the mountain was dyed bright red.
Under the peach tree, Ding Hao was half-lying comfortably on the rocking chair, which he brought from Earth. The rocking chair was made of bamboo, and the bottom was designed into an arc, which could be shaken back and forth. It was very comfortable to lie on it, and it was very popular with the old people on Earth.
Ding Hao had also ordered the disciples of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect to manufacture this chair for him.
He had played with his great-grandchildren for an entire day. At this time, he was bathing in the sunlight and enjoying peace. There was nothing more comfortable than this.
At this moment, Ding Hao felt that a hand was slowly approaching him. He did not take it seriously but pretended not to know it.
“Hee hee…” After a triumphant laugh, a small hand firmly pinched Ding Hao’s nose.
Ding Hao still pretended not to know at this time and looked as if he was immersed in a dream.
After pinching his nose for a long time, the little hand still refused to let go.
Ding Hao closed his eyes and said in an extremely heavy nasal voice, “Jingjing, if you don’t let go now, I’m going to die.”
“Mom said that you’re an immortal, and immortals won’t die.” Jingjing giggled, revealing her little teeth.
“I need to sleep. Can you let me sleep?” Ding Hao still spoke in a strange tone. He did not open his eyes. It was as if he was reluctant to part with the great time he was having.
“Daddy said that immortals don’t need to sleep. You can’t deceive children like this. Get up quickly and play with me, okay?” Jingjing began to act like a spoiled child. Not only was she acting like a spoiled child, but she had also climbed onto Ding Hao’s body.
“Oh, you’re hurting me… Jingjing, didn’t we play for a long time at noon?” Ding Hao was surprised by the energy of these little kids.
“No, no, I was sleeping at noon. Qingqing was playing with you.” Jingjing shook her head and continued, “Great-grandfather, you can’t be partial to your great-granddaughters.”
Ding Hao was speechless.
“Alright, alright. Come on, I’ll take you to fly.”
Jingjing’s face immediately lit up with joy, and she looked at Ding Hao expectantly with her big eyes.
After that, Ding Hao picked up clever Jingjing, scurried into the clouds, and wandered among them.
The clouds and mist near the Sword-hidden Peak seemed to be stirred and began to rotate around the peak.
There was a commotion under the Sword-hidden Peak. Someone said surprisedly that he saw Ding Hao in the clouds.
The next morning, at the top of the Sword-hidden Peak.
The whole peak was filled with thick fog. As far as the eye could see, only the peach tree was looming. The symbolic plant of the Sword-hidden Peak had been silently guarding the peak for tens of millions of years.
The breeze blew through the thick fog, and a figure could be seen vaguely under the peach tree.
The man stood under the tree, looking into the distance thoughtfully.
Then, the figure seemed to produce some kind of suction force, sucking all the clouds around him to his side. The clouds wrapped him as he hid in them.
A breeze blew away the thick fog. Under the peach tree, the man had disappeared from the Sword-hidden Peak.
“Where is Great-grandfather going?” Early in the morning, Jingjing was looking for her great-grandfather. As soon as she arrived at the top of the peak, she saw Ding Hao disappear.
Li Lan, who accompanied Jingjing to find Ding Hao, said to her in a gentle voice, “Your great-grandfather is an immortal. Immortals are very busy. He has to protect all living things in the world. How about I play with you today?”
Nodding her head, Jingjing looked at the peach tree with her big eyes.
…
Ding Hao once again patrolled the world. This time, he was focusing on finding those humans and demons on the verge of death in the Heaven Path world.
According to the suspected dark power observed on Earth, Ding Hao was not sure of the nature of this mysterious force. If he found it in the world of the Heaven Path, he might be able to know more about it.
Strangely, Ding Hao patrolled the entire Heaven Path world, investigating the Demon Clan and the Human Clan in the Northern Region, the Southern Wilderness, the Western Desert, and the Eastern Continent.
Ding Hao carefully detected these people on the edge of death, including the ones that were all dying of illness or serious injuries, to see if there was any dark power in their bodies, but he found nothing.
If there were only one or two people who did not have the aura of darkness, it would be understandable. However, looking around the entire Heaven Path Continent, Ding Hao found that there was not a trace of darkness when he patrolled around.
Ding Hao had to reconsider. The Human Path was the weakest of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. People on Earth could not practice martial arts, and their lives were short, but he found that power in fragile human beings.
On the contrary, the Heaven Path in the Six Paths occupied all the secrets, but it had no dark power at all. Why was that?
Regarding this issue, Ding Hao could not figure it out for a while.
While he was thinking, Ding Hao had unknowingly come to the border area of the Northern Region, which was already the northernmost part of the Heaven Path continent. The resources there were quite poor.
Not far away, a wave of mysterious strength fluctuation attracted Ding Hao’s attention. After running his power a bit, Ding Hao came to the place where the fluctuation was in an instant.
This was a shabby village. The situation in front of him was that a guardian martial artist of the Human Clan at the Great Grandmaster level was facing the siege of several Demon Princes from the Demon Clan alone.
The guardian martial artist of the Human Clan was badly mutilated, and his appearance could not be seen clearly at all. Only his sharp eyes were staring at the Demon Princes who were besieging him. He was gasping for breath. It seemed that he had held on for a long time, and it might be difficult for him to hold on any longer.
Behind the guardian martial artist, in the dilapidated village, among the broken bricks and tiles, some villagers could be seen faintly. They were watching the life-and-death battle of the village. They knew very well that if the guardian martial artist died, it meant that the village and everyone in it would suffer a disaster.
