Chapter 1285: Departure
While looking at her firm gaze, Li Qiye nodded and smiled: “I know you can definitely do it.”
These words were spoken with credence. They gave her power like an immortal nectar and made her feel as if her body was floating among the clouds.
Such simple words carried great influence and impact. They were more pleasant than anything else Lin Miao had heard before. Very shortly, she was overwhelmed with joy and felt something sweet like never before.
“You are about to drool.” Li Qiye chuckled after seeing her dazed state.
She regained her wits with a blush that spread to her neck, making her feel quite hot. Nevertheless, she was in a great mood due to the long lasting aftertaste.
He smiled and concluded: “Go. One day, you shall soar through this world like a phoenix.”
Her heart fluttered with jubilation. Even her steps felt lighter as she walked outside. Before leaving, she turned back and asked: “Will, will I see you again?”
Li Qiye lamented in his mind after seeing her expression. This was an unfortunate feeling, but he still showed a smile and nodded: “If it is meant to be. If I am not in this world in the future, you can find me above the nine heavens.”
“I got it.” She looked deeply at him, letting go of her shyness as if she wanted to carve his face and appearance deep in her mind to never forget them.
After she left, he finally sighed and looked at the lake to say: “Emotions come and go, having no emotions is easier than otherwise. But how many could actually reach a true state of emotionlessness?”
With that, he closed his eyes to enter a state of zen, no longer caring about external affairs.
Several days later, Jian Longwei came to pick him up. Even if he didn’t, Li Qiye would leave the lake anyway.
Jian Longwei asked after seeing him: “Your Excellency, the divine dragon has sent word. The preparations are complete, will you leave right now?”
“I should go today.” Li Qiye softly answered while looking at the lake through a window.
Longwei asked: “You do not wish to stay a bit longer?” In fact, he was hoping that Li Qiye could stay at the Jian Clan for a short while.
Li Qiye turned to look at him and smiled: “You have grown up to be quite excellent, I have nothing to teach you. As for your descendants, those who are capable will be personally taught by the old geezer. I won’t steal his thunder.”
He went on: “I have met your ancestors and said my goodbyes. Lingering any further would only exacerbate my frustration.”
The ancestors he mentioned were Jian Wendi and Jian Wenxin.
Jian Longwei nodded silently. He didn’t know much about the past, but he had heard something about Li Qiye and their ancestral aunt. [1. Aunt because Wendi is the progenitor.]
“I’m very happy about how prosperous the Jian Clan has become.” Li Qiye smiled: “Even though humans are merely pa.s.sersby in the Heaven Spirit World, this is not true for your clan, this is your home. As long as your progenitor and the older geezer are here as well as the mountain and the dragon kingdom, your clan shall stand strong.”
“Our progenitor only wishes for his descendants to stay here.” Jian Longwei added: “I heard some ancestors wanted to open a separate branch in the Mortal Emperor World, but his venerable did not agree.”
“This is where he belongs.” Li Qiye gently sighed: “Like many others, he has a deep affection and great love for this land; he’s more than willing to take root here in this life and the next.”
Li Qiye also understood that Jian Wendi still had a dao hurdle in his heart. This sister and brother duo couldn’t overcome this ridge in their hearts.
Their father had hurt them too deeply, so those two would never want to return to the Mortal Emperor World. That was a land full of heart-wrenching pain, the place they experienced their most difficult years.
Of course, Li Qiye could sympathize with their horrific past, so he never forced them to do anything.
Longwei asked: “Your Excellency, where do you wish to go?”
Li Qiye looked up towards the far horizon in response: “The Bonesea. I’m finished with my business here, so it is time for me to leave.”
“The Bonesea…” Longwei shuddered.
The Bonesea was one of the twelve burial grounds, an extremely ominous location. As a taboo location of legends, even a G.o.dking like him wouldn’t carelessly tread through it since it was a path of no return.
Of course, he knew that for a supreme existence like Li Qiye, he could easily travel to any place as if it was flat ground.
Eventually, Li Qiye withdrew his gaze and spoke: “I want to ask you something.”
“Your Excellency, please go ahead.” Jian Longwei quickly bowed in response: “If this disciple knows about it, I will definitely let you know.”
Li Qiye paused for a moment before slowly asking: “How has the Celestial Pavilion been in the last two generations or so?” [2. The actual raw is Heavenly Immortal Pavilion, but the most common meaning behind the combination of Heavenly + Immortal is a G.o.ddess/fairy/beautiful women. It can also be used as a particular cla.s.s of immortal, such as celestial/heavenly immortal or earth immortal. In this case, I’m refraining from using fairy and G.o.ddess because it isn’t the same word. Heavenly Immortal is just too long and it doesn’t fit the real meaning of both the word and context; immortal and heavenly has been used too much already. Celestial is a better choice.]
Longwei was a bit surprised by this topic, but he hurriedly answered: “Your Excellency, the Celestial Pavilion is still holding strong as one of the most powerful lineages in the Heaven Spirit World. However, it has become increasingly reclusive, their disciples rarely show themselves.”
Li Qiye asked with sorrow: “Is the Lunargrasp Fairy still in this world?”
This simple question startled Jian Longwei, but he answered right away: “Your Excellency, I heard the fairy is still in this world, but I have never seen her. After the divine dragon bestowed my t.i.tle, I personally visited the Celestial Pavilion. The pavilion lord told me that she is still alive, but even the ancestors from their sect can’t seek an audience.”
Li Qiye internally bemoaned: “So many years...” He knew that he had to face certain things or it would forever be an unresolved knot.
Longwei didn’t know the relations.h.i.+p between Li Qiye and the fairy. He quietly said: “The progenitor has said that the fairy is one of the strongest beings in Heaven Spirit right now. His Venerable himself felt that he couldn’t match up against her.”
“Yes, she has always been that powerful. How could she not be?” Li Qiye sentimentally responded: “She was someone who competed against Empress Hong Tian for the Heaven’s Will and even defeated the empress many times when she was younger. She is indeed mighty.”
“The progenitor also said that Heaven Spirit has the Lunargrasp Fairy while Mortal Emperor has South Emperor. Those two were the most gifted during that era.” Longwei found this topic quite interesting.
Empress Hong Tian’s generation had geniuses coming out in droves. It could be considered a magnificent era.
Immortal’s Legacy — these words were used to describe the Lunargrasp Fairy. One could easily imagine just how incredible her talents were from this t.i.tle.
“Their talents were indeed peerless during that era.” Li Qiye nodded in agreement and continued: “Even though there were as many geniuses as there were stars in the sky back then, they were still as dazzling as ever. However, South Emperor and the fairy were very different people. South Emperor was an elegant hermit while the fairy was an unyielding warrior.”
Longwei was taken aback by this statement. Generally speaking, men were more p.r.o.ne to be considered warriors, but Li Qiye described the fairy as one. This made him wonder just how domineering she used to be.
Eventually, Li Qiye smiled and shook his head: “Let’s go, it is now time.” He left the room afterward.
Longwei busily kept up right behind him.
Before his departure, Hong Tianzhu’s group showed up to bid farewell. They saw him all the way out of the lake.
Li Qiye told the group: “Go back, even if you see a friend off for a thousand miles, you will still have to part in the end.”
Hong Tianzhu and the others respectfully kneeled and wors.h.i.+pped him: “Young n.o.ble, take care. May we meet again.”
Li Qiye smiled and took one last good look at the green Dongting Lake before flying to the sky with Jian Longwei.
As he was leaving, Lin Miao mustered courage out of nowhere and shouted in his direction: “Young n.o.ble, take care!”
Li Qiye looked back at her and revealed a faint smile before leaving with a nod.
Lin Miao watched his departing figure in a trance. She eventually smiled, firmly engraving his image in the deepest part of her heart.
After a long time, Tianzhu told Lin Miao: “Child, let’s go back.”
As a senior, how could he not see it? He could only gently shake his head because Lin Miao and Li Qiye were people of different worlds. It might be too difficult for them to meet again in the future.