Embers of Sword

Chapter 520: Floating Life
"call out!"

Fireworks illuminated the sky, and the dark clouds were driven away by the light and fire.

The night at Lotus Peak was a bit more lively, but standing on the mountain and looking out over the world, a sense of loneliness still lingered in my heart. Because the fireworks would fade, and this liveliness wouldn't last long.

Xie Xuanyi stood atop Lotus Peak, quietly watching the fireworks in the sky bloom, fall, and fade away.

This is one of the few "memorable" scenes from his first life of cultivation.

The year I turned fourteen.

Instead of practicing swordsmanship at the dojo, he came to the mountaintop alone.

Time flies.

Some memories have been lost in the cracks.

Some are still as new as ever.

After crashing into the void of thunder in the Bai Ze Secret Tomb, Xie Xuanyi's consciousness fell into a brief state of chaos.

A few breaths later, he arrived here.

He returned to his "fourteen-year-old self".

A rain had just fallen on Lotus Peak, leaving a clean pool of water at his feet. Xie Xuanyi looked down at his reflection in the water... Ironically, decades had passed, yet his face hadn't changed much. His long hair was loose, his phoenix eyes were languid, but his pupils held a sharp glint.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi silently gazed at the fourteen-year-old face reflected in the water.

This face radiates satisfaction and high spirits.

Because at fourteen, Xie Xuanyi was already invincible among his peers and within the same realm at the Great Sui Sword Palace. In a few days, he would leave Great Sui to visit various geniuses, and what followed... would be a long, undefeated career. He would defeat countless opponents, but only a handful would be worthy of his memory. Tang Fengshu, Zhou, Yan Xie... aside from these few exceptionally talented geniuses born at the wrong time, no one else was worthy of Xie Xuanyi's sword, nor were they fit to be his enemies. Anyone experiencing such a life would inevitably become arrogant and conceited.

That night was so memorable.

It wasn't because Xie Xuanyi happened to be "fourteen years old".

Rather, it was because... that night, Xie Xuanyi vaguely touched the edge of the "Path of Annihilation".

"This is the second level of the Bai Ze Secret Tomb? A meticulously planned 'dream'?"

Xie Xuanyi's thoughts returned to reality.

He tried waving his sleeve, and the night breeze on Lotus Peak was very gentle. The fading fireworks were no different from the fireworks in his memory. Everything was exactly the same as in the real world. Standing on the top of Lotus Peak, he felt countless complex thoughts surging in his heart.

It's as if... my "two lifetimes of cultivation" were fake.

Time has not moved forward.

His time was frozen on that night when he was fourteen.

The moment the fireworks burst open.

He suddenly realized the Dao.

Then came the long, fleeting life, like a dream. When the dream ended, this stumbling journey of cultivation through two lifetimes came to an abrupt end.

"Brother!"

A soft call interrupted Xie Xuanyi's thoughts.

He turned around and saw a girl in white, dressed in plain clothes and carrying a lantern, appearing in the night. This girl was brighter than the moon in the sky, and the most beautiful fireworks in the world paled in comparison when she appeared.

“Wonderful sound…”

Xie Xuanyi was momentarily stunned.

Everything was exactly as I remembered.

On the night he turned fourteen, he came to the top of Lotus Peak alone, thinking it would be another lonely and boring night like any other... but he didn't expect that someone would remember him.

"Senior brother, why did you leave the temple without saying goodbye?"

Although the tone sounded blaming, Jiang Miaoyin's face showed no anger, only worry.

Everyone in the Great Sui Sword Palace knows that Xie Xuanyi is a "sword fanatic." Once he starts cultivating, he works day and night without taking care of his body. Even though cultivators can abstain from grains, excessive worry is still harmful to the body.

So when Xie Xuanyi was practicing at the temple, she accompanied him.

Some things, when done for a long time, become habits.

Jiang Miaoyin had only taken a short nap when she woke up to find the dojo empty and Xie Xuanyi nowhere to be seen...

We've finally found it.

Jiang Miaoyin breathed a sigh of relief. This sword fanatic senior brother was really unpredictable. Before she dozed off, he was practicing his sword properly. How did he suddenly come to the mountaintop to admire the moon?
"Senior brother... these are all freshly made late-night snacks by the senior sisters of Jade Screen Peak. Hurry up and eat them while they're hot."

Jiang Miaoyin carried a lantern in her left hand and a bamboo basket in her right, setting up a folding wooden table that she carried close to her body on the mountaintop.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

He remembered this scene, except that in his previous life, he seemed to be at a crucial moment of "enlightenment".

At this moment, he touched the realm of annihilation.

Enter a meditative state, hold your breath, and suddenly realize enlightenment.

Jiang Miaoyin only greeted him from afar, without having time to say a few words, and before the midnight snacks could even be laid out... Xie Xuanyi resumed his cultivation.

Now, it seems there are more "choices" in this dream world—

Xie Xuanyi chose to sit down.

Jiang Miaoyin chuckled and sat down opposite Xie Xuanyi with satisfaction, lifting the layers of the carefully prepared bamboo drawer one by one.

Pastries, soups, and smoked meats were indeed the signature dishes of the senior sister from Jade Screen Peak. They were beautifully presented and had a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste. However, what surprised Xie Xuanyi the most was the small bowl of longevity noodles at the bottom. The longevity noodles did not look good; in fact, they could be described as rather bleak. It was just a bowl of the most ordinary thick noodles, but a layer of egg was placed on top of the bowl, and someone had carefully arranged the green vegetables into two characters.

fourteen.

Happy birthday, senior brother!

The moment the longevity noodles were revealed, Jiang Miaoyin shouted, and then the mountaintop fell silent, while fireworks continued to bloom in the distance. Little Miaoyin was a little nervous; she hugged her knees and carefully observed Xie Xuanyi's expression across from her.

The senior brother just stared at the bowl of noodles, silent, and did not seem happy.

"Senior brother... what's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

Jiang Miaoyin pursed her lips, somewhat at a loss.

She had prepared this bowl of longevity noodles for a long time, and deliberately found the "birthday book" of the new disciples from Xiaochun Mountain. She found the birthday of her senior brother in black robes. After joining the Da Sui Sword Palace, her senior brother in black robes never mentioned his birthday to anyone... But Jiang Miaoyin paid attention to it. She sent someone to check the case files of the Xie family and learned that the Xie family was not having an easy time in Jiangning.

My senior brother is a man with a tragic fate.

Shortly after his birth, both his parents passed away...

Therefore, Lotus Peak is my senior brother's true home.

If it were a friend she made in Qingzhou celebrating a birthday, Jiang Miaoyin would simply give some "jewelry" or "gold and silver" as gifts, and that would be enough to get by.

But Senior Brother Xuan Yi was different from those people...

With Senior Brother Xuan Yi's talent, he will become famous sooner or later.

Jewelry, gold and silver are nothing but vulgar things, mere dung.

Think before and after.

Jiang Miaoyin decided to "cook herself." The pastries, smoked meat, and soup were all made by her personally, but the longevity noodles had to be served fresh and hot. Who would have thought that her senior brother, who usually practiced swordsmanship all night, would suddenly disappear from the dojo tonight... Anxious to find him, Jiang Miaoyin could only hastily prepare a bowl of longevity noodles, which turned out to be a bit perfunctory.

"It's nothing, I'm very happy."

Xie Xuanyi shook his head, his expression somewhat complicated.

He didn't know whether the story unfolding at this moment was a fabrication arbitrarily altered by a dream based on memories from the lake of his heart, or a real scene submerged in the "gap of time".

If it's true...

So, on the night she turned fourteen, Jiang Miaoyin, who came looking for her with a bamboo basket, waited all night on the mountaintop until the pastries got cold and the noodles got cold, but in the end, she never had the chance to open it.

It turns out that this silly girl had always been concerned about her "birthday".

birthday……

Xie Xuanyi remembered this date.

But he never commemorated it.

Decades have passed since he left Jiangning. He has long since lost his family. Who would still remember his birthday?

365 days.

Every day is the same, with the sun rising and the moon setting. For Xie Xuanyi, every day is the same.

But maybe…

At this moment, birthdays take on a different meaning.

Xie Xuanyi picked up the bowl of noodles, took a sip of the soup, and then ate it seriously... Jiang Miaoyin's cooking skills were much better than he had imagined. This bowl of noodles was just a little ugly in appearance, but it tasted just as good as it did.

"call……"

Seeing this, Jiang Miaoyin, who was sitting opposite, felt relieved.

The girl cupped her cheeks and quietly looked at her senior brother.

Fireworks are still going off on the mountaintop.

At this moment.

The night sky over Lotus Peak was illuminated by firelight, and Xie Xuanyi began his second, different "life." This time, he was no longer seeking the Dao alone, but had a companion. ...

……

"Did you do all this?"

A moment later, Xie Xuanyi put down the bowl.

He focused most of his mind on cultivation and was not picky about food, as long as it filled his stomach.

However, Xie Xuanyi was deeply impressed by the bamboo steamer snack tonight.

"Yes."

Jiang Miaoyin chuckled and said, "If you want to eat it, Senior Brother, Miaoyin will make it for you every day from now on."

"..."

A deep chord in Xie Xuanyi's heart was gently touched.

Looking at the girl before him, he inexplicably thought of the figure in the Thirty-Three Heavenly Caves.

If I remember correctly.

After my fourteenth birthday, my master will soon bestow a sword upon me...

Chronic illness, deep-seated disease.

He and his junior sister each took one.

After that, he left Da Sui and wandered around, returning to Lotus Peak less and less often.

In my memory, my junior sister's smiles became fewer and fewer.

If life could be "started over," and I could go back to the age of fourteen, what choices would I make?

"Senior brother——"

Jiang Miaoyin's childish voice rang out again.

"Ok?"

Xie Xuanyi came to his senses.

The girl blinked, scrutinizing the person before her with suspicion, and muttered softly, "For some reason, you seem a bit strange today..."

"Is it?"

Xie Xuanyi chuckled softly.

He looked at the girl, unsure how to explain. After thinking for a long time, he finally said sincerely, "Senior brother just had a dream."

"Dream?"

Jiang Miaoyin rested her chin on her hands, looked intently at her senior brother, and asked curiously, "What kind of dream?"

"I dreamt about the next thirty years."

Xie Xuanyi pondered for a moment, his voice hoarse: "This is... a very long thirty years."

"Thirty years?"

Jiang Miaoyin raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and quickly moved closer.

"Thirty years later, what has my senior brother become? Did he dream of me? What about my eldest senior brother and Master?"

There are many stories in this world.

It's hard to continue... if these past thirty years have only been filled with laughter.

Then Xie Xuanyi would tell the story with a smile.

only……

Looking back, that fourteenth birthday seemed like a turning point. From that day on, I began to comprehend the "Path of Annihilation," and the tranquility of Lotus Peak was never to return.

"Thirty years from now, I'll probably still be the same."

Xie Xuanyi couldn't help but rub his forehead and said with a wry smile, "I died once, and then I was lucky enough to 'come back to life'."

"Tsk."

Jiang Miaoyin paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Senior brother, are you teasing me? I know something's wrong with you... You're unusually talkative today."

"..."

Xie Xuanyi remained silent for a moment.

He could not laugh or cry.

Back then, I was busy cultivating and often neglected her unintentionally, which made her develop this habit.

Now that they had finally "reunited," Xie Xuanyi wanted to say a few more words, but unexpectedly, this led to a lot of gossip.

"That's all."

Xie Xuanyi sighed softly.

He said slowly, "Thirty years later, the Great Jade Sword Palace has experienced many ups and downs, but the people of Lotus Peak are still here. We will also have a few more lovely junior brothers and sisters..."

Jiang Miaoyin was stunned again.

Looking into Xie Xuanyi's eyes, she truly understood what made her senior brother different.

It's these eyes.

In the past, when they looked at each other, she could feel the fierce sword intent in her senior brother's eyes.

Fourteen years old, full of youthful vigor.

And an eagerness to prove oneself.

But this time...

She saw a calm lake, where a thousand sails had passed and the dust had settled.

"correct……"

Xie Xuanyi stretched out his palm, hesitated for a moment, and then placed it on the top of the girl Jiang Miaoyin's head.

"This is my first time celebrating my birthday."

Xie Xuanyi squatted down in front of his junior sister from his youth. He took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and said earnestly, "Miaoyin... thank you. This will probably be the most unforgettable birthday I've ever had."

"Senior brother."

Jiang Miaoyin was somewhat flattered.

Her face flushed red, and she didn't know what to say, her voice becoming hesitant and stammering.

"besides……"

Xie Xuanyi lowered her eyes and said softly, "I want to apologize on behalf of my past self."

Jiang Miaoyin was completely bewildered and didn't understand.

Xie Xuanyi stood up.

He jumped off Lotus Peak.

Amidst towering clouds and countless fireworks, the past dynasties have all faded into nothingness.

A wisp of sword energy rose into the sky.

This illusion was more "real" than Xie Xuanyi had imagined. His leap from the top of Lotus Peak did not shatter the illusion. The mountains and waterfalls roared, and this leap allowed hundreds of cultivators in the entire Great Sui Sword Palace to witness this magnificent and stunning sword light.

Xie Xuanyi fell close to the waterfall, like a shooting star.

He looked calm.

The illusion remains intact, as expected.

Boom.

He broke through the water curtain and arrived at the back of Lotus Peak, thus arriving at the withered mountain wall covered with dead vines thirty years later.

Thirty years later.

Xie Xuanyi found it difficult to even see the person inside.

Since this illusion... feels so real.

That's perfect.

Some people you can't meet in person, you can meet in your dreams.

"Master, I'm here."

Xie Xuanyi strode forward, shook the dust off his black shirt, and stretched out his palm, pressing it against the stone wall where the Xuan Shui Cave was located.

Now that he is the master of Xuan Shui, he can dismantle the array patterns on the mountain wall in the blink of an eye.

"Boom!"

With a single thought, the array patterns of the Mysterious Water Cave Heaven opened simultaneously.

The mountainside roared.

Let out a welcoming cry for the new Lord!

(End of this chapter)