This process felt natural, like a form of art.
But when the last day came.
Everything suddenly came to a halt.
Right under Chen Zhixing’s watchful eyes, Chen Tianyuan’s shriveled spirit body was suddenly ignited by a flame from the Spirit Realm, as if burning fiercely. This made Chen Tianyuan seem to regain vitality, instead of retaining the previous deathly appearance, there was a sense of ’returning to youthful vigor.’
White hair becomes black silk.
Visibly, the wrinkles on his face faded, and Chen Tianyuan seemed to awaken, his appearance stabilized as a middle-aged man of around forty.
He could sit up in bed, and even run and jump.
The old man was not surprised by this, just turned to Chen Zhixing, who was still by his side, and smiled:
"This time, I’m truly going to die, the last bit of spiritual essence igniting my spirit body, when it finishes burning, just find a place to bury me. When Ziwei Mountain returns someday, move me back there, at least not to let down the bond between us grandfather and grandson."
"..."
Chen Zhixing nodded slowly, as if still immersed in the previous half-month grandeur feast, not fully awake.
"If all goes well, someone will come after I breathe my last. You can talk to him, but I advise you not to, cough, cough, don’t let the despair he carries infect you."
"Okay."
"Though this world isn’t much, you are good. Even if you don’t like this world, don’t give up on yourself, such things are meaningless."
"Hmm."
"Instead of indulging in self-love, self-pity, self-destruction, try finding ways to solve it. Didn’t an old saying go like this, ’there are no difficulties in the world, only afraid of those who have heart’."
"I understand."
"Hahaha, understanding is good, understanding is good. It’s a pity, something even you the younger generation understand, some people have grown old and still get stuck inside the bull’s horn unable to come out, hahaha...."
Chen Zhixing said no more, just quietly watched.
Watched as, amid laughter, Chen Tianyuan’s spirit body burned out, then fell backward with a smile hanging on his lips.
Silence.
After a while, someone who had been following the old man closely all month finally emerged from the shadows, Chen Zhixing lowered his head to tidy up the old man’s deathmark, spoke up:
"Wasn’t it said that after the spirit body ignites, one can live for an afternoon? Why did the old man burn out within a few words?"
"Burning for an afternoon is for Longevity, Senior Tianyuan never reached it, his spirit body was already hollow, akin to silk burned by fire, once sparked, it was consumed."
"Is that so."
Chen Zhixing nodded, indicating understanding.
Then he didn’t even glance at the figure behind him, supposedly someone so influential that they could make Daluo Taoist Lands retreat, just gently placed the old man’s body into the prepared coffin.
Also without greeting Huayu True Monarch, he disappeared with the coffin from the small courtyard.
Huayu True Monarch watched this, his brows slightly furrowing.
All the instructions Chen Tianyuan gave to his grandson, he naturally heard, even some words aimed at himself, the ’debtor’.
Logically, with Chen Tianyuan dead and him appearing, whether for any reason, the grandson handling Chen Tianyuan’s body should interact with him somehow, even with previous instructions from Chen Tianyuan, he should verify if the ’favor’ from before is still valid.
Yet Chen Zhixing’s conduct....
Considering the child’s attitude this month in front of Chen Tianyuan, then his indifferent expression after his own appearance, Li Er easily deduced an answer.
"This kid’s attention toward me these days was all a façade, he was just pleasing Chen Tianyuan, letting him feel he left a hope for the whole family, leaving behind a legacy belonging to Chen Tianyuan in this world, and genuinely aiding the grandson he favored."
After saying this, Li Er looked in the direction Chen Zhixing left, his gaze became very appreciative.
A person, indifferent to his favor as Huayu Celestial Venerable, could be due to arrogance, or ignorance, or perhaps an act.
But for someone truly indifferent, yet willing, in front of a dying elder, to perform such a gesture.....
Li Er hoped his family could produce such a descendant!
Whether arrogant or foolish, he would accept!
Even if it were an act, he would accept with a pinch of his nose!
...
Li Er, as Huayu Immortal Venerable, naturally wouldn’t pursue the younger Chen Zhixing for words.
Just watched as Chen Zhixing buried Chen Tianyuan, then after guarding the tombstone for a day, chose to leave.
From start to finish, Li Er opted not to appear again.
Only after Chen Zhixing left did Li Er choose to come to Chen Tianyuan’s grave and slightly bowed in salute.
"Senior, I learned."
Chen Tianyuan, already dead, naturally couldn’t respond.
Li Er didn’t mind.
After bowing, he leaned against the tombstone, took out a wine gourd from his sleeve, murmuring some words while sipping slowly.
Hmm, the scene seemed very lonely.
Or perhaps, Li Er himself was very lonely.
Walking up to the position of ’Immortal Venerable’, naturally, no one could engage with him as equals, now with the last friend he owed a favor gone, probably across the whole East Profound State, no one could make this Immortal Venerable look up.
High places are cold.
...
Just as Li Er thought.
Chen Zhixing truly didn’t care about him, the East Profound State’s Immortal Venerable, his previous actions were merely to keep Chen Tianyuan happy.
What Immortal Venerable, Celestial Venerable, Longevity, True Monarch, Taoist Lord.... A mess!
No matter how loudly the names are called, can they withstand the battle against Shi Hao a hundred years later?
If they can’t, where does Shi Hao’s invincible name come from?
If they can’t, why should Chen Zhixing care?
Compared to those so-called titles and favors, what truly mattered to Chen Zhixing was the lesson the old man taught him before his death.
"So this is how Taoist Lords consume."
Not like True Monarch Yimiao described, nor as Chen Zhixing originally imagined.
Just simply borrowing some Spirit Realm authority to harvest followers of the same Great Tao.
The mystery and obscurity arise because the Spirit Realm’s power is inherently secretive, coupled with the normally subtle harvest, making it hard for ordinary cultivators to notice.
Only when a cultivator like Chen Tianyuan at the Peak of Peak is near death, does the harvest amplify enough for detection.
Even so, witnessing such a scene requires at least the realm of Longevity Master.
"Thinking back, Ancestor Chang Feng’s show to the old man was wasted, an entire afternoon, if the old man saw through anything, he wouldn’t still fall into the Five Elements Taoist Lord’s path, causing lifelong confinement at the Peak unable to advance."
Remembering the previous scene, Chen Zhixing felt somewhat embarrassingly envious.
Envious of Chen Tianyuan for having a good father, burning long enough, unlike him, only having a good ancestor, and not burning long enough.
"If I had a half day’s time, would I probably learn those operations?"
First questioning, then affirming.
Then Chen Zhixing felt ashamed for giving rise to this thought.
The old man dying, still making contributions, yet he dislikes the old man’s inadequacy?
Does it sound reasonable?
"But.... Seems like I’m really just short of that half day’s time."
After shame, comes accurate self-awareness of one’s path, he knew, no matter how shameful, things were just as he thought.
Even more so, if he could really learn this method through such means, it seems he could attempt mastering this Taoist Lord ability without entering the Spirit Realm.
Even if no one did it before.
But he could!
Regarding self-perception, Chen Zhixing was very aware.
Cheat-level.
As long as the path can be walked, he can walk it.
If someone succeeded, he surely would!