Longevity Candle

Chapter 135 Immortality and Becoming an Immortal

Jiang Zhu was somewhat surprised by the arrival of the tabby cat.

He had been hiding from him, afraid to come to Yigu City, but now he had come, and even drew his sword at him.

The chilling killing intent was real and intense, causing the sky to change color.

The overwhelming might of the heavens pressed down, like a celestial river pouring down or mountains pressing in.

Surprisingly, it had no effect on Yigu City.

To ordinary people, it was nothing more than a sudden change in the weather, with heavy rain about to fall.

The surrounding space shifted, Yi Gu City had vanished, and a person and a cat stood in the void.

The tabby cat gripped the ancient sword, which shimmered with brilliant golden light, exuding a majestic aura, like a deity descending from the heavens.

Jiang Zhu remained calm, and though no candlelight was seen, the surrounding void rippled silently.

"The sky you've searched for your whole life still bears the traces of the Candlelight's Illumination. You, who possess the Candlelight's Illumination Technique, why do you linger in the mortal world?"

The tabby cat stared at him: "I didn't dare to come looking for you before, but now, I don't ask for immortality anymore, I only ask for this sword."

"There are countless old spirits in the world, why did they seek me out?" Jiang Zhu asked in confusion.

"Li Qingchen, Jiang Yunmeng," the tabby cat said coldly. "I only have one sword. If you die, my swordsmanship will spread throughout the world."

"What if you lose?" Jiang Zhu asked calmly.

"Then you shall hand over this sword of mine to them."

The tabby cat said, "I have nothing left. I can't go back to the Path of Heaven, and I don't want to enter the Path of Immortality. You know me."

My dream of immortality is shattered; I will never seek immortality again.

He has already left the Way of Following Heaven and disdains the Way of Immortality.

All I ask for now is to keep this sword.

Jiang Zhu looked towards the peach grove, while Jiang Yunmeng looked up, gazing at the scene.

Blue Moon and Niu Youdao are also paying attention.

The elves in the distance also watched from afar, wondering what the outcome of this elven war would be.

The spirits of Shuntiandao were puzzled as to why the tabby cat would choose to confront the Green Lantern Spirit, even at the cost of its life.

The nine-colored deer sighed in the distance, its aura ethereal, as if it wanted to transcend this mortal world.

Jiang Zhu understood the tabby cat; his dream was shattered, and he lost the will to live.

Utter despair, that's all there is to it.

However, he still wanted to take a gamble, because Fusheng was Jiang Zhu's past life.

If one cannot attain immortality but perishes on the path to it, it can be considered an explanation for one's obsession.

He also felt indebted to Jiang Chenxi from back then, so he hoped that Jiang Yunmeng could learn all of his swordsmanship.

If he wins and Jiang Zhu dies, then Jiang Yunmeng can study his swordsmanship and avenge Jiang Zhu.

He will wait.

“On the path to immortality, you have indeed gone further than them.” A wisp of pink light appeared at Jiang Zhu’s fingertip: “Since you are looking for him, then you have entered the mortal world.”

Pink fairy light bloomed at the fingertips and spread in an instant.

The tabby cat drew its ancient sword, but it lacked the dazzling sword light and the former might; it was simply a simple sword strike, carrying a unique ancient aura.

This sword seems to have come from ancient times, breaking through the years to reach the present world.

However, when the sword touched the pink fairy light, it gradually faded, as if it had entered another space.

The ancient sword passed through Jiang Zhu's body, and the tabby cat also passed through.

He stared blankly at the sword in his hand, then turned around. Jiang Zhu was still standing there, unchanged.

A wisp of his long hair was lifted by the wind, confirming his presence.

He swung his sword again, and the immortal light bloomed at that moment, but it still passed through Jiang Zhu's body.

"Impossible, this is impossible..."

The tabby cat found it hard to accept that its sword couldn't even harm Jiang Zhu, and it didn't even qualify him to use the Candle Illumination skill.

"The fact that you came to me proves that you are still trying to let go and are still clinging to the past."

Jiang Zhu slowly said, "You came following his path, but you do not understand his teachings. Your thoughts and attachments are all illusions. Only by establishing a firm footing can you find reality."

"Life is but a dream?" The tabby cat stared blankly into thought.

“Yes, his life is but a dream.” Jiang Zhu nodded slightly: “You will never see the candlelight again, but you will see his 'all worldly affairs are illusions, only I am real'.”

The tabby cat stared blankly: "You've mastered it?"

Jiang Zhu raised his hand, and the ancient sword broke free from the tabby cat, disappeared into the void.

He grabbed the tabby cat by the neck: "Since you're here, then accompany me on a journey through the mortal world. You can take this broken sword away whenever you've figured things out."

"That's the Legend of Sword and Fairy!" the tabby cat corrected.

"The Immortal Capital doesn't exist, so there's no such thing as an Immortal Sword," Jiang Zhu scoffed.

The tabby cat was silent for a moment, then suddenly woke up: "What do you want? Last time you took care of the children, now you're taking care of someone else's old age? I'm an elf!"

It was one thing to take care of Li Qingchen before, since he had the talent for immortality.

Now he knows perfectly well that Jiang Zhu and Lao Wang are hanging out together.

Why would an ordinary person, especially an elderly one, expect me to take care of him in his old age?
In the void, the elves who had been spying all withdrew their gazes.

The exchange just now left them all silent.

"Old Dragon, can you do it?" The Dragon Blood Serpent broke the silence first.

The old dragon shook his head and said, "Although I can suppress the tabby cat, it's not that easy. Besides, he didn't even use the nation's fortune."

They also thought that Jiang Zhu would influence the fate of the Rong Kingdom in this battle.

"Could it be a performance for us?" the white lion asked.

"If it's all an act, he could have easily injured the tabby cat, and the tabby cat could have used that opportunity to return to our side and learn about our movements. Wouldn't that have been better?" the old dragon said calmly.

The elves fell silent.

Since it's not acting, Jiang Zhu's dangerousness has likely increased to a new level.

An ancient elf with boundless magical power!
"Hurry up, we must take Ningguo. Qingdeng has grown stronger," the Dragon Blood Serpent said in a deep voice.

Previously, they only held the fate of the nation in their hands, so they had to treat it with utmost care.

Now, his own magical power alone has already reached such a level.

If we don't find a solution soon, then I'm afraid we'll really be unable to help the lonely lamp in the future.

If Jiang Zhu were to obtain the Ning Kingdom's destiny again, all the elves would be unable to sleep peacefully.

Even if Jiang Zhu doesn't use the nation's destiny to kill the elves, who can guarantee that?
More importantly, Jiang Zhu's mastery of the Southern Dragon Qi also gave the Longevity Path a new path.

If they are the ones who control the dragon's energy, then why do they need to wait until the end of the dynasty to plan this?
The Dragonblood Serpent was well aware of these spirits' intentions, but in order to completely control the dragon energy, he had no choice but to join forces with them.

As for who will ultimately become the master of the dragon's energy, that will depend on their own abilities after Jiang Zhu is dealt with.

It is advisable to take care of the city.

Jiang Zhu tossed the tabby cat aside, sat on a small stool, and drank his wine: "If I don't wake up, you'll help me see Old Wang off."

"Aren't you worried that I'll take advantage of my slumber to harm Qingdeng?" the tabby cat asked.

“The old dragon could have done that too, and you couldn’t have stopped him, but he didn’t,” Jiang Zhu said calmly.

"Hey, they really love causing trouble. Why don't they just seal your Green Lamp away?" the tabby cat said.

Jiang Zhu smiled faintly, "Perhaps they thought about it, but they were worried that sealing only the Green Lamp wouldn't be enough to seal me."

"Why don't you give it a try?" the tabby cat asked eagerly. "Then you give it a try," Jiang Zhu said calmly.

The tabby cat ultimately didn't try it, though he had actually tried that green lamp.

The magic could not shake it, and it could not even leave a trace.

He had wondered more than once what Jiang Zhu really was—a wandering soul, an elf, a Taoist master?
But no one could give him an answer, not even Jiang Zhu.

The tabby cat then asked, "Floating Life, you couldn't achieve immortality?"

“If he were immortal, he wouldn’t have perished in West Kunlun,” Jiang Zhu said calmly.

"Longevity... sigh." The tabby cat sighed softly.

“Fusheng is the closest existence to immortality, but he still failed to become an immortal,” Jiang Zhu said.

"The closest thing to an immortal? What exactly is an immortal?" the tabby cat asked.

“Whatever you think an immortal is, that’s what it is,” Jiang Zhu said thoughtfully. “In the eyes of mortals, you are an immortal.”

"Your answer is no answer at all," the tabby cat said, pouting.

"The mortal scripture of fleeting life: life is but a dream, the mortal world is all illusion, only I am real; if one masters it, one can become an immortal."

Jiang Zhu said, "He can't master it."

"I sensed it, so you've become an immortal?" the tabby cat asked.

"No," Jiang Zhu shook his head and said, "Do you know why Fusheng couldn't master it?"

"Why?" the tabby cat asked quickly.

"Because he wanted to become an immortal too much, he couldn't become one. I didn't want his mortal scripture. I just created illusion magic in his memory. Because of Old Wang, I understood that only I am true."

Jiang Zhudao.

"Those who are too eager to become immortals will fail to achieve it and will not become immortals. You, who do not want to become immortals, have actually succeeded."

The tabby cat grinned, a laugh that was both ironic and melancholic: "The spirit that seeks immortality will never grasp it."

“Yes, they’ve become too attached to their beliefs and have lost sight of their true selves,” Jiang Zhu said.

The tabby cat then asked, "How did Old Wang help you?"

“He said the world is a lie. If you stay by his side and feel his ordinariness, you will naturally know,” Jiang Zhu said.

The tabby cat was silent for a moment, then said, "What if I can't feel the ordinary?"

“That’s your problem then,” Jiang Zhu said calmly.

The tabby cat jumped to his side, snatched the gourd of wine, and took a sip: "Sometimes, I really want to just die."

"Then why don't you commit suicide?" Jiang Zhu glanced at him. "Don't finish drinking it all."

"If I commit suicide, I don't know who will benefit. But if I die at your hands, at least Jiang Yunmeng and Li Qingchen will get a share."

The tabby cat paused for a moment, then said, "I know you can kill elves, that's why I came looking for you."

"You're willing to risk your life, but you still can't let go," Jiang Zhu said.

"It's not that easy to let go. We elves are all favored by heaven and earth. We all think that we will be eternal beings in this world..."

"If asked who in this world can live forever, in the hearts of elves, the answer would be themselves!"

"I used to look down on ordinary people, but after I started looking, I realized that many ordinary people, especially those with some talent, always dream of shining brightly, but there are just too many talented people..."

The tabby cat began to chatter on and on, recounting his experiences in the mundane world.

These gifted individuals, aren't they also the darlings of heaven and earth?
However, they are far inferior to those elves.

However, if the lifespan of an elf is shortened, then they are no different from those gifted individuals, except for the pursuit of something different.

He snatched the gourd again, took a sip of wine, looked up at Jiang Zhu, and said very seriously, "At what level can I become an immortal with my sword?"

"You still dream of immortality?"

"No, I asked about becoming an immortal, not achieving eternal life," the tabby cat said, distinguishing between immortality and becoming an immortal.

"What do you think?" Jiang Zhu asked in return.

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking you."

"I don't know either, because I don't practice swordsmanship." Jiang Zhu shrugged; he indeed didn't practice swordsmanship.

"When I die, I will build a grand tomb, inscribing it as the tomb of the greatest swordsman of all time, and proclaim that I have attained immortality. I will then let the spirits and mortals who follow in my footsteps find that they cannot achieve immortality!"

The tabby cat laughed loudly, its body twitching from laughter.

Jiang Zhu glanced at him, never expecting this cat to have such a wicked sense of humor.

"The appearance of immortals might be just what you're thinking," Jiang Zhu said.

The tabby cat's laughter stopped abruptly, as if its throat had been gripped.

That's actually quite possible!
He suddenly didn't want to talk to Jiang Zhu anymore, so he snorted and jumped onto Jiang Zhu's bed, taking over his bed.

Jiang Zhu just smiled and didn't send him away.

Old Wang didn't wake up until the next day. He welcomed the tabby cat's arrival, which meant it had another companion.

The city was still in chaos, so they didn't go out and stayed peacefully in the courtyard.

Jiang Zhu used the excuse that he found this unwanted tabby cat because of the war outside.

Old Wang was very interested and happily took the bone to tease the tabby cat.

The tabby cat rolled its eyes, but still gave him face and cooperated to make Old Wang happy.

You've already taken care of children, how can you not handle an elderly person?

Not long after, Old Wang burst into laughter.

Jiang Zhu quickly joined in, and the tabby cat gritted its teeth in anger, thinking, "That bastard."

Three days later, everything outside became quiet.

Jiang Zhu and Lao Wang went out, with the tabby cat following beside them.

The city was deserted and dilapidated, with corpses lying on the ground.

Old Wang wandered around and found a wheelbarrow, where he began to move the body.

"With your legs like that, let me do it," Jiang Zhu said.

"You help push the cart, and we'll transport the body out, dig a hole, and bury it," Old Wang said.

"Okay." Jiang Zhu nodded. "Where to bury it?"

"Just bury them wherever there's an empty spot. There's no need to be particular. They're all just unfortunate people. As long as they can rest in peace in the ground, that's enough," Old Wang sighed.

Jiang Zhu pushed the cart, and the tabby cat jumped onto it: "Why don't we let these corpses walk away on their own?"

"Don't try to take shortcuts," Jiang Zhu said calmly.

"Alright then," the tabby cat muttered. "How about I talk to Old Wang? Being a silly cat all day is pretty boring."

"Let's wait for Old Wang to talk to you," Jiang Zhu said.

"When is there a day when he doesn't talk to me?"

"When he pointed out your extraordinary abilities, did you really think Old Wang was stupid?" Jiang Zhu sneered.

"If I don't make a wish to you, am I not really stupid or just pretending?" The tabby cat rolled its eyes at him. "Alright, that mountain over there should be enough to bury him."

The tabby cat pointed to a mountain in the distance, saying that they didn't need to go too far.

Old Wang followed behind, carrying a hoe and other tools, limping along, without asking them for help.

Upon arriving at the mountain, Jiang Zhu and Lao Wang swung their hoes and began digging a pit.

Too many people have died, so they no longer dig individual pits; they just dig one big pit and bury them all together.

(End of this chapter)