My grandfather was a great practitioner of the Earth Immortal Realm. Even though those at this level of cultivation may not live as long as the heavens, they can still have lifespans exceeding a thousand years. Moreover, he was the founder of the Demon Slayer Department. One could say he was someone who had reached the pinnacle. How could he have ended up in a backwater place like Lin Jiang, working as a fortune teller?
Su Linyuan was undeniably a legendary figure, with a past, life, and abilities that were all nothing short of legendary.
Such a legendary figure ended up dying an unnoticed death, which is truly saddening.
"The things that happened afterwards are matters that I cannot understand, despite a lifetime of reading. I will tell you about them later. Knowing them now will not benefit you," Su Linyuan sighed profoundly.
"Hold on! You can’t just tell me half the story when we’re at this point!"
Su Chengyu was seriously engrossed in the story. When Su Linyuan said that the rest would be told later, Su Chengyu felt as if he was being tantalised. This was truly too unbearable!
"It’s not that I don’t want to tell you; it’s that knowing would bring you harm."
After Su Linyuan finished speaking, he pointed towards a mountain in the distance and continued, "At the peak of that mountain, there is a pavilion. When you reach that pavilion, you will know everything."
"What’s so difficult about that? I can go there straight away."
Su Chengyu summoned the Dragon Slayer Sword and was about to fly up with it. However, just as he was a mere tens of meters off the ground, he felt an intense pressure dragging him down, causing him to fall and crash back onto the ground.
"You won’t be able to ascend with your current cultivation level."
Su Linyuan gave a kindly smile. A disheartened Su Chengyu walked back, the Dragon Slayer Sword in his hand.
"The Dragon Slayer Sword?! Where did you get it?!" Su Linyuan suddenly cried out with astonishment upon catching sight of the Dragon Slayer Sword. It was clear that he was very surprised.
"You recognise this sword?" Su Chengyu asked.
Su Linyuan took the Dragon Slayer Sword from Su Chengyu and gently stroked it, causing it to hum with resonance.
"The sword is made from Mount. Kun Iron, East Sea Cold Essence, and the blood of dragon, tempered with Samadhi True Fire, and quenched with water from the Dark Ghost. Only after a hundred days was it completed. When the sword was unsheathed, it would resonate with the roar of a dragon and produce dazzling light. Thus, it is named Dragon Slayer."
As Su Linyuan recounted the history of the Dragon Slayer Sword as smoothly as if marveling at a treasured possession, Su Chengyu suddenly remembered the figure of the man in black he had seen within the Dragon Slayer Sword. This figure bore quite a resemblance to the Su Linyuan standing before him.
"Grandfather, was the Dragon Slayer Sword forged by you?" Su Chengyu ventured to ask.
Su Linyuan nodded slightly, "Indeed! I was the original master of the Dragon Slayer Sword."
Su Chengyu was taken aback. He had never expected that the legendary figure who could slay dragons with one stroke of a sword and who could declare that he would slay demons and dragons with his sword, was actually his own grandfather.
"Old buddy, we haven’t seen each other for so many years, yet you have degraded to such a state."
As Su Linyuan stroked the Dragon Slayer Sword, it was clear that this sword meant more to him than just a magic artifact. It was a comrade with whom he had fought side by side, a partner in life and death.
The Dragon Slayer Sword emitted a humming sound, as if it was crying, yet it also seemed to be responding to Su Linyuan.
"You don’t need to be sad. You are now in the hands of my grandson. In a way, this is my legacy continuing. From now on, stay by his side and experience life and death with him."
After saying these words, Su Linyuan flicked the Dragon Slayer Sword lightly with the tip of his finger, caressed the body of the sword carefully one last time, then tossed it back to Su Chengyu.
"How did you come by the Dragon Slayer Sword?" Su Linyuan asked.
"A divine sister gave it to me. She is the White Saint Envoy of the Demon Slayer Department. You definitely know her; she might even have been subordinated to you once," Su Chengyu replied with a smile.
Su Linyuan’s face darkened considerably, and he immediately questioned, "The White Saint Envoy of the Demon Slayer Department gave you the Dragon Slayer Sword? Why did she give it to you? Does she know your identity? Who is she?"
"Why are you getting so worked up... Her name is Ye Qingci. We’ve met two or three times; she’s also saved me two or three times. Otherwise, I would be dead. The last time we met, she gave me the Dragon Slayer Sword."
Su Chengyu hurriedly offered up an honest account.
"Ye Qingci... so it was her who gave it to you." Su Linyuan’s mood seemed to calm down.
"So you do know her. Was she under your command?" Su Chengyu asked.
"No. This girl has grown up well and even became the White Saint Envoy. Very good! In terms of seniority, you should address her as Aunt Ye," Su Linyuan said.
"What nonsense is this?! Aunt?! Are you joking? Is she that old?" Su Chengyu looked at him incredulously.
"Didn’t I just say? By seniority, you should call her your aunt. She probably handed you the Dragon Slayer Sword because she had some suspicions about your identity," Su Linyuan said.
Su Chengyu was speechless. Just like that, the divine sister was replaced with an aunt. This was absolutely ridiculous!
"Alright, if you have any more questions, you can ask me now. I will tell you everything I can. For those I can’t tell, you’ll have to wait until you can reach the peak of the mountain before you will know the answer."
Su Linyuan’s spectral form became even more illusory, as if it was going to disappear at any moment.
"Why did you die? You were an Earth Immortal!" Su Chengyu asked urgently.
"This is a secret of the Ancient Clan. People of the Ancient Clan are naturally gifted, but they are also cursed, unable to attain eternal life. As for my downfall, it is related to this secret, but it was not entirely due to the curse," Su Linyuan explained ambiguously. Su Chengyu was still left in the dark.
"Then what exactly caused it?"
"What about my parents? Where are they, are they still alive?" Seeing Su Linyuan’s apparition fading again, Su Chengyu quickly continued his questioning.
"They are both alive. Your mother is from the Cloud Tribe, one of the nine Ancient Clans, and she should currently be in Cloud Tribe."
"And my father? Where is he?"
"I don’t know. Child, remember this. Cultivate diligently, and never reveal anything about me or your identity to anyone. The curse of the Ancient Clan will manifest in you as well, but it’s not impossible to break it."
After Su Linyuan had finished speaking, his spectral form completely vanished.
Su Chengyu called out loudly. His voice echoed in this world within the painting, but it was to no avail.
The fragment of spiritual consciousness that Su Linyuan had left behind had completely disappeared.
Su Chengyu, unwilling to give up, headed towards that very mountain. Since he couldn’t fly up, he would have to climb it step by step.
The mountain was about a thousand feet high with a winding stone staircase leading up to the peak, through the midst of clouds, straight into the sky.
Su Chengyu began his climb. After having ascended about thirty steps, he felt an overwhelming pressure that left him gasping for breath. He couldn’t even lift his foot to take the next step.
After struggling for quite some time without being able to ascend any higher, Su Chengyu was forced to give up. He sat disheartenedly on the stone staircase.
Though there were still many questions that had not been answered, Su Chengyu at least now knew about his origins, the identity of his grandfather and the whereabouts of his mother.