I am the Immortal for Eternal Life

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Old Yellow Ox’s mind momentarily stopped working.

He was just a hair’s breadth away from having a dazed and bewildered expression appear on his face. Fortunately, he had roamed across the mortal realm, the demon world, the Buddhist sects, and the Daoist sects, gaining a wealth of experience. Moreover, his old, leathery hide had endured countless trials, tempered by wind and rain alike. So while his heart was muddled at this moment, his face barely managed to hold its composure, keeping his expression in check.

Yet, in an instant, his heart was filled with great displeasure, even a hint of anger.

Just a little more, and he would have flung away the treasured sword—the very sword that belonged to the Heavenly Star Officials’ ceremonial guard—then drawn out his massive axe to give this so-called Moonlight Universal Illumination Bodhisattva a good shave.

Becoming half a master to a Buddha?

Wuhuo?

That little brat?!

Ha!

Who the hell are you trying to fool?!!

Hah! You must be scheming to trick this old bull, to lure little Wuhuo over to your place, only for him to end up falling into the hands of those bald donkeys in the end.

He was originally a fine Daoist disciple, a holy son of the Daoist Sect. With his level of comprehension, if he devoted himself to arduous cultivation, he might very well earn the title of True Lord in the future. And yet, what would happen in the end? If you managed to deceive him into heading west, he might just end up seated on a lotus throne instead! Good heavens! If that were to happen, never mind the one whose depths are unfathomable—the Taishang Great Heavenly Venerable of the Three Pure Ones.

Never mind the one who appears ever gentle yet once held the divine post of the Five Manifestation Spirit-Observing Great Emperor—Grandmaster Xuandu.

Even if you disregard all of them, there’s still Old Yellow Ox’s sworn elder brother—that big green ox.

That one alone could rip off his nose ring, beat him into seventeen or eighteen different shapes, then press his head down and make him kowtow in front of the Eight Sceneries Palace to beg for forgiveness.

Originally, he still held a bit of goodwill—this old monk’s final letter could at least be exchanged for some money at a grand Buddhist temple that worshiped the [Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathagata].

And so, he decided that if it wasn’t too much trouble, he might as well lend a hand.

However, the moment he heard those words, the last trace of goodwill in Old Yellow Ox’s heart vanished in the blink of an eye. He instantly became alert, worried that these Buddhist monks might have played some trick on that young Daoist. Yet, he kept his face unchanged, maintaining that same simple, honest, and utterly dependable appearance. With a puzzled expression, he pondered aloud:

“Taishang Xuanwei? Taishang… isn’t that referring to the disciples of the lineage of the Three Pure Ones of Daoism, the Taishang Virtuous Great Heavenly Venerable?”

“Moonlight Universal Illumination, you must be joking!”

“I, Old Yellow Ox, am but a lowly demon of the mortal realm who attained the Dao.”

“Even being able to wear this Star Official’s skin was only thanks to the great commotion I caused at the old monk’s place back in the day—that was how I gained this bit of fortune. But even so, I still can’t make my way in the Heavenly Court. Every day, I just stay in this Ox Constellation.”

“I hardly ever go out, have few friends, and am not particularly well-informed. I’m introverted and shy, you see.”

“As for the news you seek, I truly have no idea.”

Moonlight Universal Illumination Bodhisattva chuckled. “Is that so?”

Old Yellow Ox grinned cheerfully. “Still, I don’t know—what matter do you have with this so-called [Taishang Xuanwei True Person]?”

Moonlight Universal Illumination Bodhisattva replied: “Nothing much.”

“Teacher merely lamented that it was a pity to have ruined the True Person’s cup of water. Beneath the Bodhi Tree of this Buddha-land, he brewed a cup of tea.”

“If the True Person ever has the time, he may come here to drink it.”

“That is all.”

Old Yellow Ox narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “That’s all?”

Moonlight Universal Illumination replied: “That is all.”

He shook his head, his voice warm as he continued, “If Star Official happens to see [Taishang Xuanwei True Person], I would trouble you to pass on the message—this cup of tea, this humble monk shall always keep for him. But now, following the instructions of the World-Honored One, my Pure Glazed World is about to close. We shall wait for another day before it opens again, so I won’t invite Star Official inside for a chat this time.”

The Bodhisattva recalled the final teachings of his teacher—the [Wondrous Sutra of the Taishang Xuanwei True Person as Spoken by the Buddha]—and the profound truth of Nirvāṇa contained within.

It was not about saving all living beings, but about snuffing out the three poisons—greed, anger, and delusion—within oneself.

He then remembered the description given by the Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathāgata: The young Daoist, blowing out an oil lamp, pushing open a window, and in that instant, becoming bathed in moonlight. A realization arose in his heart.

With one hand raised in a gesture of reverence, he turned and walked away, step by step.

Beneath his feet, lotus flowers bloomed and faded. His voice, warm and gentle, lingered in the air: “I have heard the teachings of the Master, I have heard the Dharma of the True Person.”

“The Samādhi of Moonlight, illuminating all under Heaven; the sentient beings of the Dharma Realm shall forever receive its grace.”

“Blow out greed, anger, and ignorance.”

“A single point of pure, perfect radiance.”

“The sea of nature is clarified, reflecting the Zen Heart wherever it goes.”

As the voice gradually dissipated, so too did the figure of the Moonlight Universal Illumination Bodhisattva, leaving behind only Old Yellow Ox. He gazed upon this place—both familiar and yet now strangely distant.

The pristine, resplendent world of Pure Glazed Light was gone.

No one knew what thoughts stirred in his heart.

No one knew what emotions welled up within him.

He simply stood in silence for a long while. Then, with a carefree smile, he let out a deep sigh and murmured—

“What a pity.”

And then, he simply said—

“There are no more of those fine lotus seeds left to eat in this world.”

Turning away, he departed.

Without looking back.

Qi Wuhuo extended a single finger. The young peacock, still bare all over, without fully grown feathers—only covered in a layer of soft down—spread its tiny wings and charged forward. Its beak, still soft and lacking the sharpness of an adult peacock, bumped against the pad of the young Daoist’s finger. It didn’t hurt. In fact, it was a little ticklish.

The boy leaned forward slightly—

And the little peacock was instantly flipped over onto the ground.

Yet, it was not upset.

It simply clambered back up, eagerly continuing its ‘battle’ against the young Daoist’s finger, playing and tumbling about.

From time to time, it let out cries that were far from melodious—

But the excitement in its voice was unmistakable.

Perhaps it was because it had remained within its eggshell for over three hundred years. Perhaps it was because it was not an ordinary creature, but a spiritual bird. Unlike common fledglings, which are born blind and must be fed for days before gaining strength, this one was unusually lively. Only half a day after consuming its eggshell, it had already donned a coat of soft, fluffy down.

A single tuft of down stood upright on its head, making it look rather silly.

Not only that—

It had an incredible appetite.

Through his spiritual senses, Qi Wuhuo could perceive the little creature’s thoughts, spilling out in bursts of pure instinct—

What is this?! Leafy greens? Crisp, tender—delicious!

What’s this?! Millet? The more I chew, the tastier it gets—delicious!

What’s this?!

Sesame cake?

Delicious!

What’s this?!

Bugs? Yuck! Disgusting!

I want to eat the same food as Ah-Qi!

The young Daoist had no choice but to extend his palm, allowing the little one to stand in his hand. Then, he tore off a piece of his sesame cake and fed it to the tiny creature. Watching as it clutched the food with its wings and nibbled rapidly with its small beak, the young Daoist was first surprised, then sighed in admiration: “So spirited? Uncle Niu wasn’t exaggerating—this little one truly is a descendant of the Peacock Great Wheel Ming King.”

The young peacock eagerly pecked at the sesame cake, devouring it in big bites.

Its spiritual nature brimmed with joy—

And it readily accepted the statement as truth.

Peacock Great Wheel Ming King!

Okay!

I am the Peacock Great Wheel Ming King!

The young Daoist chuckled, reaching out a finger to flick the single tuft of feathers atop the little bird’s head, a tuft that made it look utterly silly. With a smile, he corrected: “You’re the descendant, understand?”

The little peacock, utterly delighted, chirped excitedly—

But in its newborn innocence, it earnestly added:

“The Peacock Great Wheel Ming King is my descendant!”

“Understood!”

The young Daoist burst into laughter, shaking his head: “You can’t go around saying things like that.”

The little peacock didn’t understand any of this. It was simply overjoyed as it eagerly gnawed on the food of the mortal world. In no time, it had devoured nearly half a flatcake—an amount almost comparable to its own size. After eating and drinking its fill, it lay in the young Daoist’s palm, dozing off once more. It seemed extremely fond of sleep, yet before long, it groggily woke up again and started playing once more.

However, mortal food did not seem to fully satisfy its needs, as it quickly became hungry again.

The young Daoist thought of something and chuckled. “Perfect. I haven’t used what Uncle Niu prepared yet.”

Reaching into the hidden pocket inside his sleeve, he retrieved a jade bottle.

To avoid taking the wrong one, he checked several times.

Indeed, it was the one labeled [Nine-Headed Lion Primordial Lord Holy Spirit].

Yes, no mistake.

It was the order Uncle Niu had written. This should be the weakest one.

He then said: “This was given to you by Uncle Niu. It should help you recover from the deficiencies of these past three hundred years. These are all ordinary ones, progressing from weak to strong in proper sequence. This is the first bottle—try it out first.” The young Daoist extended two fingers and pointed at the jade bottle. Such a one-time sealing method required only a single infusion of Primordial Qi at a key point to destabilize its equilibrium and cause it to unravel on its own.

The jade bottle cracked open, and a surge of energy stirred restlessly within, as if on the verge of bursting forth.

It transformed into a Nine-Headed Lion.

It raised its head and roared, carrying the imposing aura of swallowing the sun and moon.

Qi Wuhuo was slightly taken aback, sensing something amiss.

But the little peacock was already brimming with excitement, utterly impatient, filled with the boundless curiosity of a newborn spirit toward this world.

It was far too agile to be an ordinary bird.

With wings covered in only a thin layer of down, it lifted the jade bottle and stuck its beak inside.

That yet-to-fully-materialize energy, despite having been stripped of its spiritual consciousness, still let out a sky-shaking roar.

The little peacock’s downy feathers fluffed up in an instant!

It seemed to have swelled an entire size!

Then, a surge of confidence filled its being; a newborn calf does not fear the tiger.

Peacock Great Wheel Ming King!

I—

Am invincible!

The little peacock let out a horribly unpleasant screech, seemingly cursing at that strand of cyan energy.

Then, with all its strength—

It raised its head.

Gulp!

It swallowed the yet-to-materialize Nine-Headed Lion’s cyan energy in one big gulp.

Then, with a blink, it closed its eyes, flopped backward, and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Qi Wuhuo was startled. He reached out to check and found that the little peacock had merely fallen into slumber for some unknown reason. Its Primordial Qi and Primordial Essence remained completely intact, and even its Primordial Spirit was steady. Only then did he feel relieved. At that moment, the wooden box at his waist suddenly let out a low hum. Qi Wuhuo paused slightly, took off the wooden box, and opened it—inside was the bronze mirror.

Yet, the originally rust-covered and mottled bronze mirror now seemed subtly different.

The young Daoist noticed that the patches of verdigris on its surface were fading ever so slightly, revealing a deep, icy-black color beneath—vast and boundless like the sky. He could vaguely sense that it was possible to channel Primordial Qi into it. But before he could try, ripples of light suddenly surged across the mirror’s surface. Countless glimmers of brilliance converged, forming the face of a young girl—delicate and graceful in appearance.

Qi Wuhuo instinctively leaned in to get a closer look, and on the other side, the girl also habitually brought the mirror closer to her face.

As a result, it looked as though their faces were suddenly pressed up against each other.

Yun Qin let out a startled cry and reflexively flung the mirror away.

Then, after a brief daze, she hurriedly picked it back up, patted her chest to calm herself, and let out a long sigh.

“Wuhuo, why did you get so close? You nearly scared me to death…”

The young Daoist chuckled. “I was just checking this mirror. It seems to have changed. Yun Qin, do you know anything about it?”

The girl shook her head. “No idea. I only know that it was a wedding gift for my mother.”

“Ah, let’s not talk about that! I tried the osmanthus cake—it was delicious!”

She proceeded to lavish praises on it for a full cup of tea’s time. Then, as if remembering something, she took out a wooden box and said cheerfully:

“I made some candied fruit for you. Later, I’ll have Uncle Niu deliver it to you through the altar. I used some really good peaches! Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into the Flat Peach Orchard, so I had to use some other kind of peach instead. But they still taste amazing—crisp and juicy. Once turned into candied fruit, they have just the right chewiness. Their tartness balances out the sweetness of the osmanthus cake perfectly!”

The young Daoist expressed his gratitude.

The girl waved her hand dismissively. “No need to be polite.”

Then, she simply sat there, staring at the young Daoist with wide eyes.

Today, she wore a light red outfit, her hair styled into twin loops, seemingly arranged by a maid. A small dot of cinnabar adorned the center of her forehead.

She looked a little less heroic than usual and instead carried a touch more gentleness.

She resembled a girl one might glimpse during the Lantern Festival—when joy filled the city, stepping lightly in embroidered shoes, carrying a palace lantern as she walked across a bridge. The sky brimming with stars, the mortal world bustling with life, and the rippling water reflecting all the lights—a fleeting, dreamlike sight.

Yet at this moment, having finished her praise, she merely sat there, eyes wide, staring at the young Daoist.

She didn’t say a word. She just stared at him.

Qi Wuhuo was momentarily taken aback.

Then, as if realizing something, he chuckled softly, set down the Daoist scripture he had been reading, and said warmly: “I heard there’s a kind of sesame pastry in the city. The dough is kneaded into a round shape, with finely ground sesame mixed with sugar as the filling. It’s then baked over a fire until the outer layer turns crisp. When you take a bite, the flaky crust crumbles, and the warm, sweet sesame filling melts in your mouth. It’s said to be very delicious. I was thinking—”

“I want it!”

The girl’s voice rose slightly.

She suddenly leaned in, her eyes sparkling.

The young Daoist paused for a moment before continuing: “I’ll bring you some next time.”

“Alright!”

“I’ll prepare a return gift too!”

“Oh! Speaking of that, I almost forgot.”

Satisfied, the girl clapped her forehead, then rummaged around for something while explaining,

“I gave some of the sweet-scented osmanthus cake you gave me to a lazy uncle.”

“Ah, of course, I can’t tell you where he is.”

“But he really liked it. He probably likes you too.”

“So let me bring you a return gift.”