Time flies like a shuttle, days and months pass swiftly; in the blink of an eye, countless springs and autumns have gone by.
Jiang Huai had been immersed in the Small World, unaware of day or night, unable to tell hot from cold.
All the turmoil of the outside world had nothing to do with him—no threat of Extraterrestrial Demons, no urgency of life or death.
With Wu Zhaohua, a Heavenly Immortal Sword Immortal, guarding the place, he could focus on solidifying his foundation and consolidating his cultivation.
He sat cross-legged on a putuan, eyes slightly closed, breathing long and steady. The Two Energies of Yin and Yang flowed slowly around him, like two fish swimming tail to mouth, endlessly circling.
The Small World had been recovering all along.
The gray sky was turning blue again. Dead trees sprouted new buds. Rivers grew wider.
The once desolate Small World was gradually returning to its former state—even better than before.
The door of the small wooden house was pushed open.
A charming girl in a green dress walked out.
She was noticeably taller than most girls her age, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long limbs—already showing the outline of a tall, graceful figure.
Her face was clear and beautiful, brows like paintings, lips a pale red. The corners of her eyes tilted slightly upward, carrying the innocence of a young girl, yet also a calmness beyond her years.
She took a deep breath, stretched her arms above her head, and arched her waist. The green dress outlined her slender curves.
“Recovering so fast. At this rate, are you going to become an Immortal?”
She was Ji Xi.
After her body had been used as fuel for Jiang Huai, only a fragment of her Remnant Soul remained, and she had to recover step by step.
Now, she had returned to her teenage form, looking like a girl of 13 or 14—a youthful face that was already showing its beauty.
Given enough time, she would regain her previous figure and cultivation, once again becoming that tall, spirited Senior of the Yin-Yang Body.
“This is really something special,” she murmured, a note of emotion in her voice.
“Could I actually witness the Yin-Yang Body becoming an Immortal? Little Jiang Huai?”
Before she finished speaking, the sky and earth suddenly shook.
The entire Small World began to tremble.
Ji Xi’s eyes flew wide as she stared at the sky. The clouds churned, rays of colorful light blazed forth, and Immortal Qi filled the air.
A huge change had occurred in the Small World.
Mountains rose higher, rivers widened, and the grass and trees became crystal clear, giving off a faint halo.
Immortal Cranes flew down from the clouds, flapping their wings and crying out, circling in the sky.
The five dragons had also changed. Their scales became even more magnificent, and golden light rippled over their dragon horns, as if they had been touched by Immortal Qi.
Ji Xi took a deep breath of Immortal Qi, and her figure even grew a bit taller.
She looked down at her hands, then up at the sky, and whispered:
“Could you really be…”
Suddenly, a tremendous tremor shook the Wen Xuan Sect Forbidden Ground.
The earth quaked, and the entire Sect felt the violent shock wave coming from underground.
Qi Yurong was handling official business when she jerked her head up, her expression shifting sharply.
Bai Lei was training disciples; feeling the tremor, she immediately drew her sword and shouted:
“Everyone, stand by!”
Almost at the same time, the two women flew up on their swords and sped toward the forbidden ground.
Along the way, the disciples stopped what they were doing, staring in shock and confusion toward the forbidden area.
Light was shooting up from that direction, growing brighter and brighter, more dazzling by the second.
A colossal Yin-Yang Light Pillar rose from deep within the forbidden ground, intertwined in black and white, surrounded by Five Elements Light.
The light pillar was many times stronger than when Jiang Huai had emerged from seclusion. It pierced straight through the clouds, dyeing the entire sky black and white.
The clouds were scattered, the heavens changed color, and wind surged inward from all directions.
Not only the Wenxuan Sect, but all the strong cultivators of the Five Provinces felt that overwhelming aura.
Su Yingman was sitting in her courtyard drinking tea. The teacup froze in midair.
Chi Hong stood up from the Dragon Throne, her red dress fluttering.
Bai Lu, at the Dragon Race’s residence, suddenly raised her head, put down the official documents in her hand, and walked to the window.
Xiao Jianjia stood beside her and said softly, “Mom, I think that’s Dad.”
“I can feel it—a very strong aura of the Yin-Yang Body.”
Bai Lu nodded, grabbed Xiao Jianjia, and soared into the sky.
Within the light pillar, a figure slowly walked out.
This time, the figure was much more at ease than the previous time, his steps steady.
He wore a black-and-white robe, the left sleeve pure white, the right sleeve jet black. The hem was embroidered with a flowing Taiji Pattern.
With every step, the black and white colors swirled around him like living things.
Immortal Radiance flowed around him, his aura vast as the ocean.
Qi Yurong’s mouth fell open as she stared at the figure in shock.
At that moment, she felt the gap between herself and Jiang Huai was like the Immortal-Mortal Divide.
He was still the same person, but his bearing was completely different—as if they were no longer the same species.
Because the Extraterrestrial Demons had sealed the Immortal Gate, no Immortal Tribulation descended now.
Jiang Huai landed softly, his robe settling as he touched the ground. He smiled warmly at Qi Yurong.
“Long time no see, Elder Qi.”
Qi Yurong forced a faint smile, her voice a little dry:
“Long time no see… Sect Leader Jiang.”
Jiang Huai frowned slightly, confusion on his face:
“Sect Leader Jiang? What sect leader?”
When did he become a sect leader? Did the Nine Heavens Palace change its name to the Nine Heavens Sect?
“Sect Leader of Wenxuan Sect.” Qi Yurong lowered her head, her voice growing quieter.
Jiang Huai was puzzled: “What do you mean? Did Wu Zhaohua return to the Immortal Realm?”
Everyone from the Wenxuan Sect was silent.
Qi Yurong kept her eyes down. Bai Lei turned her face away. The disciples around them all hung their heads, not daring to make a sound.
Wind blew from afar, rustling the fallen leaves on the ground.
Jiang Huai’s heart suddenly sank. He sensed something wrong.
“Did something happen to Wu Zhaohua?”
“Come with me, Sect Leader.” Bai Lei stepped forward and spoke to Jiang Huai.
Frowning, Jiang Huai followed Bai Lei and Qi Yurong.
They walked along a path paved with green stones toward the Back Mountain of Wenxuan Sect.
The back mountain was a quiet place.
It was planted with pines and cypresses, thick branches and leaves blocking the sky, letting only a few scattered rays of light through.
Further ahead, they reached an open area.
There were no trees here, only rows of tombstones.
Row after row, column after column—some large, some small, some new, some old.
In front of some graves sat incense burners and offerings; others were overgrown, moss creeping over the stone tablets.
Jiang Huai stopped and swept his eyes over the tombstones. His expression changed.
This was the tomb cluster of Wenxuan Sect’s successive sect leaders. Every tablet was engraved with a name and a biography.
His gaze brushed past one tablet after another until it suddenly froze.
In the distance stood a massive tombstone, many times larger than the ones around it.
It was carved from green stone, tall and imposing, its surface as smooth as a mirror. Several lines of large characters were deeply cut into the stone, the strokes powerful and forceful.
He was stunned. With an incredulous heart, he flew to the front of the tombstone.
Jiang Huai stood before the tablet, looking up.
“Tomb of Wu Zhaohua, Sword Immortal of Wenxuan Sect. Cultivation: Heavenly Immortal.”
Jiang Huai’s mind exploded. It was as if a thunderclap had detonated next to his ear.
He involuntarily took two steps back, staring blankly at the grave before him. His gaze moved from the words on the stone to the mound behind it.
The mound was piled very high, covered with green grass and a few clusters of wildflowers. It had clearly been there for a long time.
Suddenly, a question Wu Zhaohua had once asked echoed in his ears. Her cool face flashed through his mind:
‘If I turned into a stone, would you still love me?’
Yes, what is a stone?
The huge tombstone in front of him was a stone.
She had already known.
She had known she would die, so in her final days, she had desperately tried to fulfill all her unfinished wishes.
She hadn’t wanted him to see her die.
Jiang Huai stood motionless before the grave.
Wind blew from afar, lifting the hem of his robe and stirring his long hair.
His lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.
In the sky, streak after streak of light flew by.
The women of the Dragon Race and the Nine Heavens Palace rushed over one after another, landing at the gate of the Wenxuan Sect.