Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

Perhaps it was fate that was on his side, but the thing that Jingliu feared most never happened.

Master was still alive and well, and lived peacefully until the year 7277.

No… to be more precise, it was simply an incredible miracle; there had never been such an elderly retired Cloud Rider in the history of the Immortal Ship.

If we don't count the very few special prisoners in the Imprisonment, the longest-serving person in the Alliance is Marshal Hua, followed by General Huaiyan of Zhu Mingxianzhou, neither of whom has ever resigned.

The third person is Qi Zhimu.

His appearance remained that of a young man in his early twenties, and his demeanor showed no signs of aging.

But his advanced age of over 1,580 years is an undeniable fact.

Generally speaking, the Alliance will strengthen its monitoring of Immortal Ship people who are over a thousand years old, with the Ten Kings Underworld Messengers and Judges having the strongest monitoring power.

Jingliu noticed that even she was occasionally being observed by eyes in the shadows.

After all, she belongs to the elderly group.

There are also two seniors, Mianxue and Qinghan, whose age difference is only ten years... They retired from the military in 6976.

In addition, there is another person: Teng Xiao, who is over 1,260 years old.

But it's strange that no one seems to be watching over the master.

More than a thousand years have passed since the fall of Cangcheng, and of those who survived that calamity, only five remain.

The core leaders of the Dan Ding Division and the Ten Kings Division had discussed this countless times in private.

These five individuals were not only witnesses and participants in the calamity of the Immortal Ship's main vessel crashing, but also, for many years afterward, they upheld their hunting spirit, chasing after evil creatures and protecting the Immortal Ship.

Generally speaking, the probability of a Celestial Being falling into demonic possession increases year by year once they reach the age of seven hundred.

For retired Cloud Riders, this moment often comes even earlier.

But what about Qi Zhimu and the other four?

Three retired from the military, and two have served in their posts for many years, enduring numerous dangerous conditions, yet they have made it to where they are today.

Considering the case of General Zhu Minghuaiyan, and the existence of a few longevity cases known only to the high-ranking officials of the Dan Ding Division and the Ten Kings Division, no one dared to speak recklessly or discuss anything openly.

……

It was early morning in the dead of winter.

Outside Qingxinju, everything was covered in silver, with fine snow falling. Jingliu pushed open the door and looked out at the fluffy white world.

The snow-covered path remains unswept, the mountain window awaits the moon's opening.

"Master, I'm setting off."

"Wait." Qi Zhimu called out to his disciple who was about to board the star raft.

Jingliu was puzzled. She concealed the fleeting infatuation in her eyes, turned around nonchalantly, and saw her master gently tossing a sword toward her.

She instinctively caught it, and the unexpected weight made her waist sink along with her arm. Her gaze fell on the sword and she was stunned.

"Master...this..."

This sword is so familiar that it's ingrained in my very bones.

The sword that accompanied his master for over a thousand years was also the sword that ended the lives of countless evil beings and severed the lives of his closest relatives and comrades who had fallen into demonic ways.

"I had it reforged, and now it weighs a ton." Qi Zhimu's expression remained unchanged, and his tone was calm.

Jingliu unconsciously tightened his grip on the scabbard, his fingertips gently stroking the blade, a hint of wistful longing flashing in his crimson eyes.

It was as if he wasn't touching a sword, but rather his master's warm body...

"Master, I still don't know its name."

"It has never had a name. If you have an idea, then give it a name yourself. The Bu Li people have been lying low for hundreds of years under the command of Hu Lei, and their power has grown stronger. From now on, you will use this sword to kill enemies with your master's will."

"Then... how about Zhanhui?"

"Zhan" means to gaze upon or admire, and "Hui" refers to the radiance of one's master.

The sword gleams in this light, as if bathed in the master's grace; the sword follows my gaze, and my heart follows the sword's path.

"Can."

"...Thank you, Master."

Jing Liu gave Qi Zhimu a deep look, sheathed his sword, turned around and boarded the Star Raft.

Qi Zhimu had no idea that the moment his disciple turned around, the smile on his lips was impossible to suppress, revealing an almost childlike satisfaction and happiness.

Even after boarding the starship, the smile remained.

She gently pressed the sword against her cheek, feeling the lingering warmth of her master, a deep sense of bliss spreading across her face.

Mianxue and Senior Qinghan... have never used their master's sword.

Or rather, he had never touched the sword.

…After losing for centuries, we've finally won this time.

The master finally had feelings for her, but due to certain reasons, he had not yet fully accepted her.

The reason for that, of course, is military achievements and strength.

If she can defeat Hu Lei and kill more leaders of the evil creature clans, her achievements will surpass those of her master.

By then...

"Master...please wait for your disciple..."

Winter comes and goes, but the Mirror Flow never stops its journey, nor will it ever stop.

During the long war, due to scheduling and various encounters, she gradually gained two more comrades-in-arms with whom she had some interaction.

Yao Qing was born into a nameless fox-human who had traveled across the starry sky and gained extensive knowledge.

There is also the Luofu Dragon Lord, who is as aloof and proud as the moon, capable of summoning thunder and rain, and frequently goes on military expeditions.

On her way back from an expedition, she received a temporary rescue mission and saved a descendant of a family that had served the Earth Balance Division for generations.

The boy was still young, but his face was full of cleverness and cunning. After witnessing her amazing swordsmanship, he claimed that he knew who she was, wanted to become her disciple, and applied to take the Cloud Cavalry exam.

Jingliu refused.

She must constantly slay the wicked, hunt down those far from the battlefield, and frequently lead expeditions.

I don't need apprentices, and I don't have time to teach them.

Unexpectedly, the young man came to their door.

For three consecutive days, every morning before Qingxinju opened for business, a small figure would stand in the snowy path outside the door.

Jing Liu remained unmoved and ignored it.

It wasn't until the third day that Qi Zhimu learned from the discussions of the vacationing guests that a young man had been standing outside the door for a long time, seemingly waiting for someone.

Some guests even jokingly asked if they were waiting for him.

After inquiring about the boy's physical characteristics, Qi Zhimu was certain that he had never had any connection with him.

Out of a bit of curiosity, he decided to ask why they came.

Unexpectedly, the boy was stunned when he saw him, then his eyes lit up and he spoke in a childish voice.

"Are you Qi Zhimu?"

"If you're referring to the owner of Qingxinju, then I am."

"No, no, no, I am referring to Lord Qi Zhimu, the legendary retired Cloud Cavalry Guard of Yaoqing!"

The boy had a bright smile, his white teeth gleaming, and his tone was sincere.

"My name is Jingyuan. My elders served in the Earth Balance Division. They happened to hear about you and had seen your portrait, so I have a deep impression of you."

Qi Zhimu suddenly understood and nodded slightly.

It's not surprising that the scions of the six powerful families of the Immortal Boat knew him.

"I am no legend. What brings you here?"

"This junior originally wished to become Senior Jingliu's apprentice and become a Cloud Rider protecting the Immortal Ship..."

At this point, Jing Yuan scratched his head somewhat awkwardly.

"Senior Kejingliu is not without intention of taking on a disciple. I originally wanted to follow his example of visiting Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage three times to show my sincerity, but so far it has been to no avail..."

"Continuing to pester him will only annoy people. Meeting Lord Qi Zhimu by chance is a blessing I have accumulated over many lifetimes. If I could become your disciple..."

"Alright, I agree to take you as my apprentice."

"..."

Qi Zhimu turned his head in surprise to look at Jing Liu, who had appeared behind him at some point.

She was the one who agreed to take on apprentices.

The young man sincerely visited three times without being moved, so why is he willing now?