Unseen Immortal of Three Hundred Years - Chap 73
Chapter 73
Anyone who had ever dealt with Hua Xin would be astounded by the life-for-life array beneath their feet because this didn’t seem like something Hua Xin would do.
Hua Xin, the head of the Twelve Immortals of Lingtai, epitomized Xiandu—
Gentle but not tender, compassionate but never sorrowful. He was like the deity on the altar, with a serene visage and upright posture, unchanged for hundreds of years.
He had briefly shown a trace of humanity because of his playful disciple. However, once Yun Hai was gone, that faint trace vanished without a trace…
Not only did he return to his former self, but he became even more extreme.
Someone had once privately remarked that such a Hua Xin was like a walking statue, devoid of any human traits.
So no one would have expected him to go to such lengths to forcibly bring back someone who was already dead.
This was not something the head of the Immortals of Lingtai should do; it even reeked of something sinister.
He knew he shouldn’t, so he did it quietly and covertly, hiding this enormous life-for-life array outside the human realm, on this chaotic line.
He used his flesh and blood to nourish the vines in this grave, and through these symbiotic branches, he indirectly and tortuously sustained Yun Hai, who had died by his sword in the mortal world.
At first glance, it seemed cautious and difficult to detect or destroy, but upon closer inspection, it was riddled with flaws—
First, how could he ensure that no one would intrude upon the divine tomb beneath the mortal world? How could he ensure that the Yun Hai in the tomb would not encounter any accidents?
Second, this was an aberrant line that shouldn’t exist. Everything he did seemed like it was floating on clouds; if this line were cut, the array would cease to exist. Without the array, the symbiotic vines would naturally die, and Yun Hai in the mortal world would also wither and perish.
If either of these happened, Hua Xin’s efforts would have been in vain.
These issues were not difficult to foresee. Would he tolerate these flaws and leave no contingency?
“It can’t be…”
Xiao Fuxuan’s face darkened as he looked at the blooming branches within the hole.
Previously, he and Wu Xingxue had believed that this chaotic thread originated from the Feng family. The head of the Feng family, wanting to resurrect his children, had, under the guidance of a dream figure, used the power of the divine tree to create this thread. All causes and effects were attributed to the Feng family.
But now, upon further reflection, that might not be the case…
Otherwise, why did the countless chaotic threads that had appeared in the world not catch Huaxin’s attention, yet he chose this one involving the Feng family, hiding the array within it?
And why was this particular thread left for hundreds of years without being severed?
Considering this, it became evident who that dream figure guiding the head of the Feng family was.
The Feng family served as a decoy to attract all attention, while Huaxin was the one who truly wanted to create this thread.
Since he had guided the Feng family to open this thread, he wouldn’t want it to be discovered by any threatening figures, such as the celestial immortals or the Spirit King. Thus, he must have left some arrangements, doing something when this thread was intruded upon.
For example, when Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan tried to follow the Feng family’s clues, they were swept out of this thread.
Even… arrange something to follow them out.
Xiao Fuxuan thought of Wu Xingxue’s Que Bu Luo.
At this moment, there was a “Fang Chu” in Que Bu Luo’s courtyard who had followed them back.
***
Various chaotic and complex speculations flashed through his mind in an instant.
In the moment Xiao Fuxuan paused, the branches and vines in the crevice suddenly started to move—they were like dormant snakes and insects suddenly awakened by the spring thunder. As the crevice was opened, they rapidly extended and grew. The tightly closed buds abruptly bloomed, displaying the purest red, as vivid as blood, with a strange, enchanting beauty.
There is a saying among the people that certain domesticated animals must not taste blood. Once they do, their appetite becomes wild, and they can never return to their previous state.
These branches and vines were just like that. Nourished by the essence of flesh and blood, they had already become “wild.” Once they sensed the presence of a living person and smelled the fresh essence of flesh and blood, they couldn’t resist the urge to absorb more.
As the vines grew, the entire formation started to hum and vibrate.
A massive suction force arose from the ground. Even Xiao Fuxuan’s incarnation felt his spirit shaken. How could Yi Wusheng, who was left with only a sliver of his soul, possibly withstand it?!
Half-kneeling on the ground, Yi Wusheng’s body swayed, unable to resist the formation’s suction force, not even able to remain kneeling.
A faint tearing sound was heard.
Xiao Fuxuan suddenly raised his eyes!
He saw a crack appear in the black seal on Yi Wusheng’s mouth and nose. Another moment, and the seal would completely shatter. Once it shattered, the remnant soul would either be absorbed by the array’s tendrils or dissipate entirely. Either way, it would be beyond saving.
Xiao Fuxuan immediately raised his hand, pinched a talisman between his fingers, and flung it towards the black seal to stabilize it.
Unexpectedly, just as the faint golden light was about to touch the seal, Yi Wusheng lightly tilted his head to avoid it.
Xiao Fuxuan was about to cast another talisman, but it was too late.
The black seal shattered in the violent winds of the array, revealing Yi Wusheng’s face, which had not been seen for a long time, looking calm and gentle. This indicated that the head tilt just now was intentional.
This unexpected action left everyone stunned, even Xiao Fuxuan was taken aback. “You…”
“Weren’t you seeking something when you came to Great Sorrow Valley?”
Yi Wusheng’s remnant soul was trembling incessantly, his ears buzzing, but he still vaguely heard these words.
Indeed…
When he came to Great Sorrow Valley, he was seeking something. But he had never really figured out what exactly he was seeking.
Was it a longing for the mortal world, regrets left unfulfilled, that drove him to the source of all calamity, hoping to do something that would allow him to live forever?
Until he stepped into the temple, fell underground, and stumbled to the edge of this abyss, Yi Wusheng believed that was his true intention.
His cultivation was decent, but he had never become an immortal and remained a mere mortal. Fear of death was natural.
He always believed that, driven by his greed and fear, he wanted to do something. But when he lifted the mud and stones, faintly seeing the twisted branches in the deep pit and smelling the strong scent of blood and dust beneath them, he suddenly calmed down.
At that moment, his vision darkened intermittently, and the lingering soul in his mouth trembled like a candle in the wind. He no longer had the energy to think. But he was, after all, from an immortal sect and had seen too many formations. Even if he had to guess, he could still figure it out.
The meticulous grand formation under his knees was meant to revive someone.
The word “alive” was too alluring.
He thought he would feel excited or comforted at that moment—see, even if I do something, it’s understandable. I’m neither the first nor the last.
But strangely, what he felt at that moment was calm.
He was full of death energy, half-kneeling among the rampant branches, and suddenly enlightened—
He actually didn’t want to do anything.
It seemed he had never wanted to do anything.
What he sought wasn’t to change fate and live longer, although he was indeed reluctant to leave this world.
What he sought was actually just this moment. He simply wanted to come here, to the Great Sorrow Valley, enter this temple that should have buried Yun Hai, stand at the node where fate could be altered, and give himself a clear answer.
He told himself, “This is it, Yi Wusheng.”
His deceased parents once said that he could grasp objects before he was half a month old, and the first thing he held was a wooden sword. At that time, people said he would become a formidable sword master, majestic and awe-inspiring.
When he was four, he traveled with his parents through the countryside. They saw refugees in a mountain temple, crying pitifully and endlessly. A person in plain clothes passed by, tapped a few times on the refugees’ foreheads, and gave them a pill to swallow. After that, the wailing ceased.
He asked his parents who that person was, and they said, “Maybe a wandering doctor from the City of Dreams.”
Since then, he wanted to be someone who could stop the cries of suffering.
At fourteen, he joined the Hua family and wore a medicine pouch at his waist from that day on, always keeping it stocked with various pills for emergencies. From being a novice to becoming an elder of the Hua family’s four halls, over a hundred years had passed, and that medicine pouch had never left his side, nor had it ever been empty.
He traveled through many places, heard countless cries of sorrow, and saved many people.
Now, he had given away the last two pills before the Great Sorrow Valley to the people.
His medicine pouch was empty, his efforts exhausted, and he stood alone, feeling light.
In his youth, he often chatted with Hua Zhaoting and Hua Zhaotai about urban legends and tales of “resurrection” and “starting over.” They would always conclude seriously, “Such things defy the natural order and moral principles, and should not be pursued.”
Back then, Hua Zhaoting laughed and called him an old gentleman. Huazhaotai would deliberately tease him, saying, “Little stickler, don’t be so absolute in your words. You speak so firmly now, but if such things were to happen, who knows what you’d do.”
After teasing him, she felt it was inauspicious and quickly added, “Pah, it won’t happen.”
At this moment, he could finally answer that little girl’s words from a hundred years ago.
“My dear wife, Zhaotai… I encountered what we often talked about, and fortunately, I can answer you. My original intention remains unchanged.”
***
The fragment of the soul had already dwindled to a mere glimmer, shattering completely in the turmoil. As the black sealing cloth covering his mouth and nose broke apart, Yi Wusheng no longer had to hold his breath. He let out a sigh-like laugh, gathered his remaining strength, and shattered the fragment of the soul into nothingness.
The tiny glimmer of light snuffed out with a soft pop.
In that moment of dispersal, he still clutched the silk paper Xiao Fuxuan had given him, conveying his final words.
He said, “I owe Tian Su a thank you. Pass on my regards to the other one.”
“In the future, if fate allows, we may meet again in a hundred years…”
Even if we meet, we might not recognize each other. Perhaps we’ll point at them and say, ‘Immortals.’
That wouldn’t be too bad.
A long time ago, Huazhaotai pretended to read his fortune, saying they had deep ties, one lifetime wasn’t enough, probably three lifetimes. She said in the next life, it would be a long, long time, maybe hundreds of years, and he would join the military and become a soldier.
At that time, he was rather blunt, saying, “Soldiers tend to have short lives.”
Zhaotai gave him a pat and said, “I can’t change that, so I wish you the best of luck.”
He thought for a moment and said, “Alright, you can predict my next life.”
Zhaotai said, “In your next life… hmm, thanks to a benefactor, you’ll have a mark on your hand.”
Thanks to the benefactor, it was said that they had known each other since childhood and grew up together. They would live their lives helping others, practicing medicine, and saving lives.
After hearing this, he said, “It’s settled then, no backing out.”
They had made all these promises long ago.
Now it was time to move forward.
He was born in the 177th year of Qinghe but died earlier, in the 29th year of Suining, which was rare in this world.
His life of a hundred years was both long and short, filled with many regrets and unfulfilled wishes, but every human life is like that, without exception. So, when his soul dispersed, he had a smile on his face.
In the courtyard, green paulownia trees grew by the well, and the bright moon illuminated the flowers and people.
He was going to fulfill the old friend’s promise.
