Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 146

Volume 6 Chapter 146: Message, Experiment (Part 3)

The group stood on Zhang Ningmei’s yellow bird, quickly flying towards the place agreed upon by Bai Qingfu and Lv Qingshang.

Stepping out of the original circle and looking at the problem from outside often feels completely different.

Before, Xu Qingfan was firmly trapped in the circle he had drawn for himself, struggling to break free, filled with thoughts of human continuity, duty to righteousness, the revival of Jiuhua, and the safety of friends and disciples. He felt completely exhausted. The more he struggled, the deeper he sank. However, at this moment, after deciding to step away from the world, he suddenly realized how vast the outside world was. All his past burdens were cast aside, and he felt an unprecedented lightness in his heart.

Xu Qingfan suddenly discovered that retreating from the world to cultivate oneself, ignoring the swirling winds of fate and looking on with cold eyes, might be the state he had always sought.

However, perhaps because he had been deeply buried in his previous circle for too long, some things had already penetrated deep into Xu Qingfan’s character. At first, he laughed and chatted with his many disciples, but soon he began to think again about Jiuhua’s future and the dangers of the Shura Clan—topics he had decided to let go of.

The thought of stepping away from it all made Xu Qingfan feel a faint sense of loss.

Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu stood beside Xu Qingfan, chattering about how to live in seclusion, where to hide, and what to do afterward. Though they were bright, they had little experience, and their attitude made hiding feel like a game. As for Tian Zhenxian and Tian Zhenling, they remained lost in the joy of dreams coming true, wearing silly smiles. They simply nodded in confusion at their elder martial sister’s differing views on living in seclusion. Ting’er seemed used to having strangers around but still watched her surroundings warily, never leaving Xu Qingfan’s side. Wang Zegang stood firmly at the back of the group, appearing neither happy nor sad. For him, seclusion or engagement with the world was just a different way of practicing; there was nothing to get excited about.

Only Bai Qingfu noticed something odd about Dongfang Qingling. He strolled over to her and asked with a smile, "Junior Martial Sister Dongfang, what are you thinking about?"

"Ah?" Hearing Bai Qingfu’s words, Dongfang Qingling was startled, snapping out of her melancholy, and quickly replied, "It’s nothing."

Bai Qingfu smiled slightly. As an observer, he understood Dongfang Qingling’s thoughts well but was not willing to expose them. He said gently, "Junior Brother Xu seems to be always frowning and thinking deeply, but actually, he is quite slow to grasp things. With so many matters on his mind, like the Righteous Alliance, Jiuhua, and his own cultivation, there are many aspects he has never considered. So, if you don’t say anything, he won’t know."

Bai Qingfu’s words were somewhat blunt, but Dongfang Qingling had long moved past the stage of shyness. She fell silent, reminiscing about the years she had spent with Xu Qingfan, especially during their time in the Southern Wasteland. They were like a couple; she had taken great care of him, helping him wash and groom when he had lost the ability to move. All of this had far exceeded the bond of fellow disciples. Did Xu Qingfan truly not understand? Or was he just pretending not to see?

As she thought about this, Dongfang Qingling felt increasingly resentful and confused.

Bai Qingfu looked at Dongfang Qingling and sighed, "If you want to live in seclusion with Junior Brother Xu, just go and tell him. Not every decision needs a reason."

Dongfang Qingling quietly nodded, neither showing approval nor disapproval.

Looking at Dongfang Qingling’s expression, Bai Qingfu sighed again and changed the topic, suddenly asking, "Do you think Junior Brother Xu really wants to hide away?"

Dongfang Qingling was slightly surprised and asked, "How could he not? He has been so tired over the years and should have rested long ago. I think his decision to hide away has been something he has been thinking about for a long time. Besides, his current state can no longer fit in the cultivation world. What else could he do if he doesn’t hide away?"

Bai Qingfu shook his head, looking at Xu Qingfan surrounded by many disciples, and said, "If the Righteous Alliance stops the Shura Clan from returning, then everything will be fine. But if the Shura Clan really comes back, all of humanity will face a great disaster. Do you think we can really stay out of it? Even if we could, with Junior Brother Xu’s character, would he truly just stand by while humanity is about to be destroyed?"

Dongfang Qingling sighed, and listening to Bai Qingfu’s judgment, it was clear that this time hiding away was just Xu Qingfan’s exhausted thought. At this moment, all they could do was hope the Righteous Alliance could stop the Shura Clan from returning.

Bai Qingfu gazed toward "Black Emperor Cliff" and continued, "Moreover, that person has already taken an interest in Junior Brother Xu. With that person’s nature, he will never allow Junior Brother Xu to hide away."

Dongfang Qingling asked, "Who are you talking about?"

Bai Qingfu whispered, "Zhang Xusheng. Maybe it’s because I was created by him and have never witnessed the tactics of the Shura Clan, so I fear him more. But I always have a feeling that compared to the Shura Clan, he is truly the more terrifying one."

Bai Qingfu spoke softly, but strangely, upon hearing this, Dongfang Qingling felt a chill in her heart.

…

After chatting with Dongfang Qingling for a while, Bai Qingfu walked slowly toward Xu Qingfan, quietly sighing, "How much love is lost because of being too reserved."

Seeing Bai Qingfu approach, Xu Qingfan moved five of his disciples aside. At this moment, Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu had a fundamental disagreement about how to live in seclusion. Zhang Ningmei thought it was enough to build a few grass huts and grow some unusual flowers and plants, with a few cranes to watch over. She wanted to spend her time reading, playing chess, and drinking tea for more enjoyment. However, Bai Yu, influenced by a novel he read as a child, insisted that they should build a large fortress that was easy to defend and hard to attack. He believed that their disciples should also contribute talents to create a formidable presence in the cultivation world. The two sides argued cheerfully.

After the disciples moved aside to argue, Xu Qingfan glanced at Bai Qingfu and suddenly asked, "Are you really so sure that I cannot live in seclusion?"

"Maybe you can hide away for a while, but deep down, you know it’s impossible to truly keep to yourself," Bai Qingfu replied with a faint smile.

After a moment of silence, Xu Qingfan suddenly said, "Unless Zhang Xusheng arrives, I truly won’t come back into the world. I am already exhausted and don’t want to participate in anything anymore. I have made up my mind this time."

Bai Qingfu smiled wider and said, "Are you saying this to convince me or to convince yourself?"

Xu Qingfan’s eyes wavered for a moment.

Bai Qingfu sighed and said, "Sorry, Junior Brother Xu, I’m not trying to push you. You can do as you wish. As long as you believe it’s right, that’s all that matters. However, hearing about your experiences in temptation, I am still a bit worried about Zhang Xusheng."

"What do you think Zhang Xusheng’s true purpose is?" Xu Qingfan asked with a frown.

"Didn’t he say? He just wants to find someone who can destroy him," Bai Qingfu replied, sounding puzzled.

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "That is just the thought of the good part left in Zhang Xusheng’s soul. What about the evil part of his soul? His plans over the years have only shown a glimpse of what lies beneath. His evil soul is controlling what he is really going to do, and I cannot understand it."

Bai Qingfu fell silent; he was created by Zhang Xusheng, and no one understood his fear and respect for him. Even discussing guesses about Zhang Xusheng made him feel uneasy.

Perhaps it was because he had guessed something.

Noticing that Bai Qingfu did not want to talk more, Xu Qingfan also decided to stop asking questions. He gazed into the distance; since he had chosen to retreat from the world, many things needed careful planning.

…

Soon, Xu Qingfan and the others arrived at the meeting place Bai Qingfu and Lv Qingshang had agreed upon, but Lv Qingshang had not yet arrived. They all waited there, chatting about various things.

After a while, feeling a bit bored, Xu Qingfan remembered the warning from the Demon Ancestor. He instructed Bai Qingfu and the others, then walked aside alone. He chose a hidden spot, sat down, closed his eyes, and began to meditate, checking his own condition again.

As the Spirit Qi flowed, the situation remained the same as before. With the absorption of a large amount of righteous and demonic energy, the life and death energy he cultivated became dozens of times stronger but also gained some traits of the righteous and demonic energy. Additionally, a vast amount of this energy still waited to be absorbed, as it was no longer as powerful as Xu Qingfan’s own Spirit Qi, lying dormant in various parts of Xu Qingfan’s body, waiting to be completely absorbed and refined by him. Furthermore, since the "Demon Pearl" gained an advantage and had fused with Xu Qingfan’s body longer, there was a clear demonic nature in Xu Qingfan’s body.

However, the situation was exactly the same, and there was nothing like what the Demon Ancestor warned about that needed caution.

Unable to perceive anything, Xu Qingfan grew more cautious and focused harder on checking his internal situation, yet still sensed nothing.

However, as Xu Qingfan’s meditation deepened, his mind began to wander, extending outward and gradually spreading around him. First, the scenes within a hundred miles entered Xu Qingfan’s mind, then a thousand, several thousand miles. Eventually, it felt as if every plant and tree, every wind and cloud within ten thousand miles was incredibly clear in Xu Qingfan’s heart, as if he carried a world within him.

As the range of his mental probing reached its peak, a sudden sense of alarm hit him, sensing that outside his probing range, near "Black Emperor Cliff," over a hundred powerful fluctuations mixed together, surprising him. The fluctuations were intense, indicating a fierce battle.

"This strongest Spirit Qi fluctuation, though immensely powerful, I have not yet reached even half of its might. It seems somewhat mixed and should be the ‘All Immortals Formation’ formed by the cultivators of the Righteous Alliance. There are also three fluctuations much stronger than mine; judging by their characteristics, they should be Immortal Zizhen, Mr. Liu, and Zhang Xusheng. But I wonder where Li Fulu is. Could he have already fallen in battle? Other fluctuations include four on my level and seven significantly weaker, but still very powerful. They should be the other eleven masters of the Righteous Alliance."

"Additionally, there are more than a hundred extremely strong auras, but they are vague, likely from the Shura Clan. So, the Shura Clan hasn’t made a move yet? However, given the Spirit Qi fluctuations, the ‘All Immortals Formation’ is operating at full strength. Who could their opponent be? Why am I completely unaware?"

Xu Qingfan felt a bit puzzled in his heart.

After observing for a moment, Xu Qingfan suddenly smiled wryly and thought, "Since I have already decided to live in seclusion, why am I thinking about this?"

At the same time, two strong presences suddenly appeared from the location of "Ronghua Mountain," rushing towards this place quickly. One of them should be Lv Qingshang, while the other was majestic and sacred, filled with sharp intensity, and it was undoubtedly Jin Qinghan.

"What is meant to come will always come."

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan stopped observing and gathered his awareness, waking up from his meditation.

However, just as Xu Qingfan finished his meditation, he suddenly paused while instinctively channeling Spirit Qi within his body.

He clearly remembered that the two energies left in his body, righteous and demonic, should be equally matched. Yet, at this moment, he distinctly noticed that the amount of demonic energy within him was slightly greater than the righteous energy.

"What’s going on? Could this demonic energy have appeared out of nowhere?"

Xu Qingfan was secretly alarmed and began to carefully investigate the situation of the demonic energy inside him.

After a long time, Xu Qingfan finally discovered the reason and understood what Demon Ancestor meant by the complex nature of demonic energy.

It turned out that after Xu Qingfan’s body became corrupted, it had been continuously producing demonic energy on its own. Although this demonic energy was very small, it was growing all the time. If this situation continued, one day, the demonic energy would completely overpower Xu Qingfan’s strength and take control of him.

Judging by the growth of demonic energy, this scene might have been hundreds of years in the future, but it still left Xu Qingfan feeling alarmed and troubled, with a headache.

"Once I become a demon, I will be a demon for life. I finally understand what the demon cultivator’s motto meant back then. Is this fate truly impossible to escape? Well, there is still one or two hundred years; I will surely find a way."

Xu Qingfan thought silently.

…

Meanwhile, on the other side, while Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu were still arguing about their hidden life, Lv Qingshang finally arrived on a cloud, and Jin Qinghan was with him.

Ever since Xu Qingfan’s breakthrough to the Astral Projection Stage, he had been trying hard to suppress his presence due to the obvious reason of demonic energy, afraid of scaring others. Besides, everyone was attracted to Xu Qingfan’s image, aura, and experiences, so they didn’t pay much attention to his changes in presence.

However, when they saw Jin Qinghan, they truly experienced what it meant to have the demeanor of a master. Jin Qinghan stood on a golden lotus, with shadows of Buddha and arhats behind him. Wherever he went, golden flowers fell, and faint sounds of Buddhist chants could be heard. He carried an overwhelming presence, and every movement exuded great authority, as if he were a powerful deity from ancient times.

Although he was a familiar person, when they saw Jin Qinghan, everyone looked at him with awe, and for a moment, no one dared to speak first.

When Jin Qinghan reached the group, he was surprisingly silent, with a more pronounced air of pride on his face. He quietly gazed at a low hill in the distance, his eyes sharp as if they could penetrate the rocks and see what lay beyond.

Without needing to sense each other, with a deep connection in their hearts, Jin Qinghan knew that Xu Qingfan was just behind the hill.

"Have you found Junior Brother Xu?"

After Lv Qingshang came down, he asked everyone.

Before anyone could answer, Jin Qinghan was already walking casually towards the hill.

At the same time, as if it had been arranged, Xu Qingfan appeared from the other side of the hill and walked towards Jin Qinghan. Their gazes met in mid-air, sparking a profound connection.

Seeing Xu Qingfan’s appearance at that moment, Lv Qingshang gasped softly, and Bai Qingfu said quietly, "Don’t worry, Junior Brother Xu is still the same Junior Brother Xu. He almost fell into darkness because of someone’s scheme. Although his body has some influence, his mind is still clear."

Upon hearing Bai Qingfu, a look of joy flashed in Lv Qingshang’s eyes. After all, Xu Qingfan meant a lot to Jiuhua, and they shared a deep bond. If Xu Qingfan was fine, his happiness was genuine.

He took a step to go with Jin Qinghan to meet Xu Qingfan but was stopped by Bai Qingfu.

Lv Qingshang was slightly stunned, looking at Xu Qingfan and then at Jin Qinghan, realizing this was the time for Jin Qinghan and Xu Qingfan, and he could not intervene.

Under everyone’s gaze, Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan finally came together. One had a divine and majestic presence, glowing with golden light, as if the God of War had descended. The other had a face marked with strange black patterns, with eyes as dark as night, surrounded by a faint black mist, like a demon that had escaped from the depths of hell. Yet, when the two stood together, they surprisingly looked harmonious.

The golden light on Jin Qinghan stirred the demonic energy within Xu Qingfan, even the "Qi of Demonic Death" started to awaken, making Xu Qingfan push it down with effort. Then he smiled slightly at Jin Qinghan and comfortably sat down on the ground.

Without hesitation, Jin Qinghan also sat down, still looking face to face with Xu Qingfan.

Then, without waiting for Jin Qinghan to ask, Xu Qingfan carefully explained everything that had happened, including why he had to leave without an explanation.

There was no need for apologies or forgiveness; their friendship didn’t require such formalities, just like Jin Qinghan had said when pursuing Xu Qingfan—"As long as you explain, I will believe."

After finishing the explanation, Jin Qinghan nodded and asked, "So, are you going to hide away from the world?"

"Yes," Xu Qingfan nodded and said, "I have considered it. At this time, disappearing from the world is good for Jiuhua, for me, and for the Righteous Alliance. Moreover, there is no place for me in the cultivation world anymore. Junior Brother Jin, will you come with me?"

Xu Qingfan already knew the answer but still asked.

"I really want to, but I can’t," Jin Qinghan said, his eyes filled with sadness, shaking his head.