Longevity Candle

Chapter 58 I am but a traveler in this mortal world, how dare I covet immortality?

The net of immortality struck Yao Yao.

The aged body, like a broken sandbag, fell to the ground.

The golden snakes rapidly converged, lifting her up.

High above, the net of immortals came to a halt, and the seven immortal masters and the centipede spirit looked extremely grim.

The national destiny and dragon energy beneath them were churning, showing signs of slipping out of their control.

If all that merit were killed, the nation's fate might not be able to withstand the overwhelming karmic force.

They now face a difficult choice: the fate of the nation rests solely on their own power—to kill Yaoyao or to kill the White Wolf King.

You can only choose one!

If only the merit could be bestowed upon the White Wolf King.

oooo
The White Wolf King howled, his eyes coldly fixed on them: "Retreat now, and we can pretend nothing ever happened."

The tabby cat gripped the sword, panting heavily; the previous strike had almost drained all its magical power.

The Heavenly Horse stands in the void, at a great distance, and dares not enter the realm of national destiny.

Yao Yao stood up, supported by the golden snake. She never expected that she could stand on the dragon aura of the grassland after causing bloodshed on the grassland back then.

"Peach Blossom Sword Demon, I can grant you a share of white wolf meat to help prolong your life," the centipede spirit said.

"Why don't you cut off a piece of your flesh for me, so I can taste the centipede spirit first?" Yao Yao sneered.

The black-robed immortal master said coldly, "Your lifespan is short. If you were to receive a piece of spirit flesh, you would at least extend your life by a hundred years, if not a thousand.

"The Peach Blossom Sword Demon." The White Wolf King's eyes narrowed, and he looked quite nervous.

If Yaoyao chooses to agree, they can take back their merits, but they themselves will likely be doomed.

"The elves compromised, and the immortal master dared not act rashly. My life has truly been brilliant."

Yao Yao gripped the Tianxuan Sword tightly and summoned eight swords again, while the three flowers on her head showed signs of fusion.

True energy boils, lifespan burns.

Blood Burning and Mind Stabilizing Technique!
"Unfortunately, I no longer seek immortality."

With eight swords accompanying him, his body merged with the Tianxuan Sword, his spirit united with heaven and earth, and the three flowers forcibly fused into one, allowing him to glimpse more of the power of heaven and earth and enhance the true essence within his body.

At this moment, Yao Yao's martial arts surpassed the ultimate.

"I saw it."

Her eyes shone with divine light, and carrying with her a body full of merit, she crashed into the net of immortals, charging towards the golden dragon of national destiny: "Go back to your mountains and forests!"

"Resolve it with good deeds!"

The centipede spirits roared, and in the end, they chose to preserve the nation's destiny.

Merit points also lit up, but they were far less than those of Yaoyao, who had accumulated merit points from many grassland spirits.

click
The Seven Star Sword shattered, turning into countless fragments.

The Tianxuan Sword broke, and all her merits returned to heaven and earth with her demise.

A towering black aura descended from the sky, bringing with it terrifying karmic burdens.

On the golden python of national destiny, the two immortal masters aged and perished at a visible speed, leaving no trace.

They were already immortal masters with little lifespan left, and the World Expo provided an opportunity to extend their lives. Now, due to the backlash from heaven and earth, they can no longer maintain their vitality.

Two of the seven golden lotuses vanished, and the dragon energy of the nation's destiny went out of control, rushing towards the Qian Kingdom without looking back.

The remaining five immortal masters and the centipede spirit were all in bad shape and had no choice but to return with the fate of the Qian Kingdom.

If the nation's fate is out of control and they themselves have karmic burdens, and they don't leave, the White Wolf King and the Horse Spirit can use them as a form of merit.

Watching them follow the nation's destiny closely, the White Wolf King and the other elves gritted their teeth in hatred, but dared not make a move.

The nation's fate is out of control, but the connection with the centipede spirits has not been completely severed, and they will continue to protect them.

The White Wolf King unleashed his magical power, collecting all the broken sword fragments.

Yao Yao disappeared without leaving behind any remains, only these fragments.

"Send the fragments back, and the grasslands will forever remember her kindness and protect her descendants," said the White Wolf King.

“She has a younger brother,” the horse said.

"Please invite him to the Holy Mountain, and my immortal master and I will perform three hundred years of good deeds for him," said the White Wolf King.

"Okay," the horse agreed.

When I looked up again, the tabby cat was gone, and I didn't know where it had gone.

The distant battles also ceased. The war of the elves, which had been in preparation for many years, ended abruptly due to the death of Yaoyao.

……

A month later.

Hu Yan returned to the Qian Kingdom, found Li Qingping, and handed him the martial arts manual and the broken sword left behind by Yao Yao.

"Isn't my sister in Peach Blossom Village? How did she end up on the grasslands?" Li Qingping blankly accepted the manual, unable to accept this blow.

"Back then, when she sought the Longevity Pill, she made a promise to the grasslands. Originally, she only asked for her help, but she chose to give her life instead."

Hu Yan said in a low voice, "Her death has shaken the way the Longevity Path controls the fate of the nation. Now, the immortal masters of the Longevity Path can no longer rely on the fate of the nation for a short time."

Li Qingping was completely dazed and couldn't hear a word he was saying.

The old elf appeared: "A short time?"

"Yes, the Path of Immortality will definitely not give up. If they give up, not only will they not get the elf's corpse, but they will also bear enormous karma. How could they be willing to retreat to the mountains and forests?"

Hu said, "The Heavenly Way will try to stop us, but the fate of the nation has already been sealed by a scheme. They can only stall until the mortal uprising shakes the Qian Kingdom."

"Once they occupy most of the land and population of the Qian Kingdom, forcing the nation's fortunes to decline, they will have no hope left."

"We understand. Thank you for your trouble," the old elf said.

"Please accept my condolences." Hu Yan sighed and got up to leave.

Li Qingping looked at the manual, his mind filled with thoughts of his elder sister, as if she had never left.

The old elf sighed, unsure how to dissuade him, and did not use his magic to force him out of his grief.

He studied it for three days before finally opening the manual and seeing the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top.

The vital energy that was attached to it, including the flame, surged into his brow as he moved.

Yao Yao's voice echoed in her mind: "My sister is a very greedy and useless person. Because of one lowered gaze, she still fantasizes about keeping the person by her side. Don't you think she's very stupid and annoying?"
The older sister has a small heart and a narrow vision. She can only see Peach Blossom Village and only wants to protect the village. Isn't that a lack of ambition?

The older sister is very lucky to have a younger brother with extraordinary talent. However, she has accomplished nothing in her life. She couldn't keep the people around her, couldn't help Jiang Zhu, and couldn't even help with the things she wanted to do.

Jiang Zhu once asked me if I had ever calmed down and thought about what I wanted. I thought about it for a long time, and you are all what I want.

In the past, I would always ask you about things concerning you first, not wanting to hide anything from you. But I know that if I told you, you definitely wouldn't let me go. So I learned from Ah Yan and selfishly kept it from you while I went to do something big.

Although I don't know the outcome, I'm sure I can make it happen. Go ahead, boldly create a new kingdom. I'm watching over you, the lamplight shines upon you. By the way, the scene of the Immortal Palace of Eternal Life, you can decide for yourself. I think it's better to keep it from him. I don't want him to become obsessed and live too hard..."

He saw that the scenes of the Immortal Palace of Eternal Life had all been preserved by Yaoyao.

Looking at those images, Li Qingping felt his hands and feet turn ice cold.

"Sister, sister...why is this happening? Why is this happening?"

He stumbled and ran out of the courtyard, heading towards Peach Blossom Village.

He returned to Peach Blossom Village, a peaceful and quiet place, and came to where the green lamp was.

The old elf stopped far away, seemingly in fear.

"Jiang Zhu, wake up, wake up..."

He manipulated the Seven Star Sword, continuously infusing it with the light of the sun and moon.

Over the years, he has also accumulated the power of the sun and moon, preparing it for Jiang Zhu.

He went mad, hysterical, but no matter how much light he poured into the lamp, it remained unresponsive.

The old elf didn't know what Yaoyao had left him; he only knew that Li Qingping had truly gone mad.

He desperately tried to revive Jiang Zhu, but Qing Deng remained motionless ever since absorbing the flame of the candle.

Finally, Li Qingping was exhausted and lay down beside the green lamp.

"Jiang Zhu, my sister is gone. I have no family left."

"I should go to the West, I should go to the West..."

He sat in front of the lamp for a long time until his body could no longer support him, at which point the white fox brought him out and handed him over to the old elf.

“Country bumpkin, put me down.” Li Qingping returned to the house, took a sip of water, and moistened his lips. “I had planned to return to the West with you when the world was at peace, but I have to break my promise. I want to stay in the mortal world.”

"Why?" the old elf asked, puzzled. "Isn't the path to immortality longevity and peace good?"

"I am but a traveler in this mortal world, how dare I covet immortality?"

Li Qingping went to his desk, spread out paper and pen, and wrote three words: "I only wish for...a book of peace."

“You…” The old elf opened his mouth, seemingly understanding something.

“If I had known earlier that my elder sister had gone to the north, I would have agreed to go to the west with you. But now, my elder sister is dead, and I have no heart for the path of immortality. You often said that I lacked the killing intent of an emperor, but now... I don’t lack it anymore.”

The old elf sighed deeply and said, "Alright, once the Book of Peace is finished, I will make a copy."

"Here's your fruit back."

"Once it's given to you, it's yours."

"I will give it to Jiang Zhu."

"Perhaps, this fruit was meant for him."

"I hope that when he wakes up, he will still be free of attachments, living in peace and tranquility, and that disaster will never find him..."

Li Qingping glanced back at the green lamp, his expression complex. In the end, he did not tell the old spirit what his sister had seen.

And hopefully, Jiang Zhu will never seek to revisit that disaster...

(End of this chapter)