Elian walked out of the estate, his face calm and unreadable.
Standing outside the residence was an elder with snow-white hair. This was Fourth Elder Chen Qing Yuan, who quietly asked, "Has he gone?"
"Yes," Elian replied with a nod, though his heart trembled again as he looked at the elder before him.
Chen Qingyuan, now 101 years old, didn't have many years left either.
Compared to the First Elder, Chen Qing Yuan carried even greater regret in his life. Before the age of 60, the family had obtained a single Foundation Establishment Pill, but he had failed to secure it, losing it to Chen Qingmeng (sixth elder, the previous alchemist).
Later, when the family acquired two Foundation Establishment Pills, he had just passed the critical age of 61, when vitality begins to wane, and missed the opportunity again.
Meanwhile, peers like Chen Qinghao and Chen Qingwan, who were of similar age, successfully broke through to Foundation Establishment. They had since reached the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, with real prospects of advancing to the Purple Mansion stage in the future.
This disparity, no doubt, was the greatest regret of Chen Qingyuan's life.
The elder sat beside the residence, gazing calmly at the sea of clouds with Elian as he spoke in a tranquil voice.
"In my youth, I had a fiery temper. When Qingmeng failed to break through to Foundation Establishment and recklessly tried again, risking death, I thought he was running from responsibility. I despised his desperation."
"But as I grew older, I came to understand Qingmeng's perspective."
He shook his head and smiled faintly, a look of peace on his face.
Elian turned to look at him. The impatience of youth was long gone, replaced by a gentle serenity.
"In life, there will always be regrets," Chen Qingyuan continued.
"All of us are like fish swimming against the current, living in the vast river of heaven and earth. We're swept along, struggling upstream, only to be submerged in the river of time in the end."
"Only a rare few, like you, can fight against the current, surpass the limits of life and death, and have even a sliver of hope to become an immortal. To escape the constraints of time, to become eternal in the river of space-time."
His tone was calm, but there was a trace of self-deprecation—a recognition of his fate, a quiet acceptance of his inability to change it. He could only surrender to time, acknowledge the inevitability of death, and wait for his lifespan to ebb away.
Even the most extraordinary cultivators, even the Nascent Soul Dao Lords, could not escape death. In the end, they too became nothing more than dust.
He smiled and turned to Elian.
"Your life is a constant struggle, leaping higher and higher, growing stronger, transforming yourself, all for the hope of one day transcending it all and becoming a true dragon."
"But even someone as brilliant as you will face things that cannot be changed."
"One day, you'll watch as those you love, or who love you, walk toward death."
"You are too sentimental. This is your driving force in cultivation, but it may also become your tribulation, or even your heart demon."
"I hope you understand this. Some things need to be let go. Being overly attached could harm you in the end."
Elian listened silently, not speaking a word.
Standing atop the mountain, he watched the sea of clouds roll and surge. He stood there for a long time.
Eventually, he turned to Chen Qingyuan and said calmly, "Some things cannot be known until they are attempted."
"As for feelings, obsessions, or heart demons, I, Elian, will bear them all."
"One day, when I'm strong enough…"
"Will the depths of the Nine Netherworlds dare to deny me entry as I challenge death itself to reunite with those I hold dear?"
Chen Qingyuan's expression shifted. He now realized how firm Elian's beliefs were. His principles were as vast as the universe, rejecting the avoidance of karma or the severing of ties for self-preservation.
He was decisive, unyielding, and fearless in the face of responsibility or karmic consequences. Beneath his calm exterior lay an indomitable spirit capable of swallowing the heavens.
But reaching such heights was incredibly difficult. Even those who severed karma and focused solely on cultivation rarely achieved immortality. For someone like Elian, who carried the weight of karma and emotion, the path would be even harder.
Looking at his tall, snow-white figure, Chen Qingyuan felt a sudden surge of emotion. A phrase came to mind:
"A peerless immortal grace, as elegant as jade."
By the time Elian emerged from the back mountain, the banquet was about to begin. Several Purple Mansion Immortal Clans had already arrived, with Purple Mansion cultivators attending to offer their congratulations.
From Yu County's Pan Clan came Pan Boyuan, a fourth-stage Purple Mansion cultivator.
From Feng County's Xu Clan came Xu Daoyuan, who had recently broken through to the fourth stage of the Purple Mansion. Six or seven years ago, the beast uprising had brought great benefits to the Xu Clan, enabling them to upgrade their spiritual veins to mid-grade third rank.
They had also purchased two Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pills with two precious treasures. With these pills, Xu Daoyuan successfully broke through to the mid-stage Purple Mansion.
It was said that Xu Qianyang, now at the sixth stage of the Purple Mansion, had also advanced. With over a century of lifespan remaining, he still had a two or three out of ten chance of breaking through to the Golden Core stage.
Finally, from Ling County's Yang Clan came Yang Yuanhe. The Yang Clan's patriarch had suffered severe injuries and had yet to recover, significantly weakening the clan's power.
However, Yang Yuanhe had recently advanced to the second stage of the Purple Mansion, thanks to acquiring a metal-attribute Purple Mansion cultivation technique at the Chu Kingdom's trade conference six years ago.
At the banquet, the Chen family's thirteen Foundation Establishment cultivators hosted their peers from across Bianzhou Region.
The Patriarch sat at a table with the Purple Mansion cultivators. When Elian arrived, Xu Daoyuan smiled and teased, "Daoist Chen, you're the host. Why are you so late today?"
"I was delayed by some matters. I apologize for keeping you waiting," Elian replied, raising his cup with a smile.
"Allow me to drink this as a penalty to apologize to everyone."
Apart from Pan Boyuan, the others at the table were all comrades from the beast uprising. As fellow cultivators of Bianzhou Region, they felt a certain camaraderie with Elian.
However, many secretly revered him. While the Patriarch was the Chen family's leader, it was widely known that Elian's methods were sharper and more decisive. With his recent breakthrough to the Purple Mansion stage, even late-stage Purple Mansion cultivators had to show him respect.
After a few rounds of drinks, Elian set down his cup and said with a smile, "Friends, to be honest, the reason I've invited you here today is to discuss the distribution of interests in Bianzhou Region."
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D