After leaving the Bonesea, Puresun wanted to leave as well. He looked over to Li Qiye and cupped his fists with a smile: “Brother Li, I’m ready to return to Ancient Spirit. I wonder if we will meet again after this?”

Li Qiye smiled and replied: “If it is meant to be.”

The daoist forced a smile: “I’m afraid it will be a very long time until then. After coming along with you, I was deeply touched and had a great harvest, so I want to go into a death cultivation. Who knows when I will be able to come out?” [1]

These words came from the heart. He indeed benefited greatly from this trip, but not in the form of treasures. It was about a new dao enlightenment.

In the past, he already knew that he had a ways to go before catching up to Meng Zhentian. However, after seeing the man in action, he understood the true disparity between them. Li Qiye’s mighty display opened a new door for him; cultivation could be trained in this manner while merit laws could always be improved. Outside of longevity laws, fate laws, and techniques, many other things could be polished.

Even though Li Qiye didn’t teach him half a technique, Puresun gained a different perspective after seeing Li Qiye in action. What appeared before him might be an unprecedented door that no one has entered before.

Because of this, he felt the urge to go into closed cultivation. Due to his great talents, it wasn’t out of arrogance that he thought even the older generation wasn’t a match for his current skills. Alas, after this experience, his yearning for the dao burned even hotter than before. He understood that he still had an incomparably long road to go.

He used to have a particular idea about cultivation due to his lack of ambition. It was that with his talents, he could eventually reach the peak just by taking it easy, thus he never took it seriously. However, after seeing Zhentian’s strength and Li Qiye’s miracles, he was looking forward to the colorful path that awaited him.

“Strike the iron while it’s hot, cultivate when you are still young. Someone with your talents should indeed boldly move forward. Even if you don’t become emperor, you will find that there are many surprises ahead while you are traveling at the apex.” Li Qiye understood Puresun and smiled.

“I’ll keep your advice in my heart, Brother Li.” Puresun cupped his fists again.

Li Qiye continued: “Go now. If fate allows it, we will meet again in a future full of surprises.”

He actually enjoyed the daoist very much. Even if the daoist didn’t want to compete for the Heaven’s Will, Li Qiye would still be happy to give him some pointers since he was aiming for the dao.

“Well, hopefully we can meet again. No matter what, our four branches will always open our doors to you. Feel free to come any time. Even if I’m not there, my junior brother will represent our sect to take good care of you, right?”

“I’ll receive him.” Profound coldly stared at Li Qiye and nodded his head. It didn’t matter how powerful Li Qiye might be, Profound still hated him all the same and didn’t wish to be his friend. Alas, Profound was an interesting person. Despite not seeing eye to eye, he wouldn’t act rude to Li Qiye.

Moreover, out of respect for his senior brother, he would follow all of his commands, so if Li Qiye actually visited the four branches, he would still play the role of a good host in his brother’s stead. It was the least he could do.

Li Qiye smiled at Profound’s attitude. Puresun didn’t worry either because he was confident in his junior brother being sensible!

“Brother Li, Schoolmasters, farewell.” Puresun eventually said goodbye to the group. Profound also said goodbye to the two schoolmasters but ignored Li Qiye.

Puresun only took several steps before Li Qiye called for him: “Puresun.”

He turned back and asked: “Is there something else, Brother Li?”

Li Qiye smiled and told him: “From a man to another, it will be very disappointing if you don’t finish your business with your martial aunt, an affront to your innate blessings.”

Puresun was somewhat embarrassed after hearing this. He let out a hollow laugh and didn’t know what to say.

“He can handle this!” Profound patted his shoulder as encouragement.

Eventually, the two brothers floated away and disappeared into the vast sea.

After they left, Li Qiye returned inside and sat in front of a coffin. Fairy was still peacefully sleeping inside. She had a gentle smile as if she was having a nice dream.

Her sleeping posture was so beautiful that even women like Jianshi and Ruyan felt their hearts thump while watching her. Li Qiye reached out and gently caressed her wondrous face and then sentimentally sighed. This was the most perfect work of art in this world. In the end, he held her right hand and their fingers intertwined before he closed his eyes to fall asleep as well.

The two girls breathed slower as if afraid of waking these two up. Just like that, Li Qiye rested next to Fairy.

In the beginning, Ruyan and Jianshi didn’t notice anything. However, they heard a heartbeat after a while. They thought they were just hearing things, but after paying more attention, there were two separate heartbeats coming from Li Qiye and Fairy in complete harmony!

This heartbeats made the world sound quiet and seemed to be slowing down all of a sudden. They thought they were now in a whole different world.

This was a magnificent world with a surging momentum, a colorful place as if it was a land of immortals. A boundless aura existed alongside an exceedingly pure and vast primordial atmosphere. This breath left others extremely energetic and feeling much younger. Moreover, they would feel their bodies being filled with power as if they had rose several levels.

In a split second, all of this occurred for Ruyan and Jianshi. A mythical realm of immortals wouldn’t be much different from this. Alas, such a beautiful world had a crisis unknown to others, a potential existential eradication.

They blinked and in the next second, they were back inside the ship while the immortal realm was nowhere to be seen.

Fairy woke at this time. She slowly opened her unbelievably beautiful eyes to look at Li Qiye: “Thank you.”

Li Qiye withdrew his right hand and casually smiled: “It’s no big deal, you will still have to take the final road alone.”

Fairy stood up from the coffin and said: “I must return now.”

Li Qiye nodded: “I know. There isn’t much time left since the disaster is inevitable. Perhaps this will be an entirely different era, a future contradiction to all expectations.”

Fairy didn’t answer. She stared at him quietly as if she understood what he was referring to.

Li Qiye gently touched her hair and showed a rare gentle side: “I have prepared an ace for you, just in case. When that day comes, it will be useful.”

Fairy slightly tilted her head and stared at him in confusion: “What changed your mind?”

Li Qiye answered in a serious manner: “I don’t know either. Maybe I’m too used to being evil and suddenly got the urge to do something good. Who can really understand people? It is human nature to be perplexing.”

“Human nature…” She repeated while carefully savoring his meaningful words.

Ruyan and Jianshi had grown accustomed to these confusing conversations from the two. Nevertheless, they still attentively listened.

[1] This is a term that makes more sense for wuxia because of shorter lifespans. Death cultivation just means a meditation session until death, until they receive a great injury, or they reach the end of their lifespan before they manage to break through. Just a more serious session than regular isolated cultivation.