Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

The Immortal Boat of the Void Mausoleum.

"Greetings, Marshal."

What are your demands?

High atop the towering mountain, Hua stood with his back to Qi Zhimu, hands clasped behind his back, before the cliff, and went straight to the point.

Marshal Hua's reaction was not unexpected by Qi Zhimu, nor was it evasive.

"I want to see the Origin Immortals."

"..."

Hua's expression shifted slightly, and although he did not turn around, his pupils unconsciously darted to the side.

He said he wanted it, not that he wanted it.

"Tell me first, what does she mean to you?" Hua asked again, seemingly out of the blue.

Qi Zhimu did not answer immediately.

My thoughts drifted over the years gone by, past lives and present lives.

He had the answers readily available, but he wanted to know and find the truest emotions deep within his heart.

They lived two lives, but their experiences overlapped in many ways.

In terms of life stages, all of them have been experiencing loss since childhood.

The short-lived species spends its entire life far from the hustle and bustle, untouched by the world's troubles.

In a narrow sense, from the moment his hometown was destroyed, he lost everything and was left all alone.

But in a broader sense, he has… a mentor and friend among his seniors at the Genius Club.

There was a young girl who accompanied him on the final journey of his life and fell in love with him.

I lament that I was born before she was born, and she was born after I had grown old.

The immortal being, from the moment he took on the responsibility, lost two of his closest relatives in just a few decades.

Qi Zhimu looked up at Hua and began to speak eloquently about the truest feelings in his heart.

Since the Second Plenty War, he has become the anchor point for his mother's existence in the world, regarding her as the main seal of his burning hatred, and they have supported each other for hundreds of years.

The seal was completely broken in the year 6300 of the astrological calendar.

He should have lost everything again.

However, at the last moment, the mother used a single thread to mend the broken seal.

Although the mending was not thorough, let alone airtight.

But at least... it's enough to become a new anchor point.

Qi Zhimu, who was born on the Cangcheng Immortal Ship and should have died spiritually in 6300, lived for more than ten years.

The mirror flow is that thread.

My initial thought was simply to take care of her until she reached adulthood, nothing more.

But gradually... things changed.

He saw the countless hours of sweat and effort that Jingliu had put in and did not want to let him down.

Seeing her instinctively shrink back when faced with difficulties, yet still choosing to grit her teeth and face them head-on.

Seeing her grow from a thin, weak girl who had lost everything into the capable Cloud Rider she is today.

She was completely unaware of his deliberately high demands and even his difficult behavior.

Actually, she did a very good job...very good...

For immortal species, a decade or so is but a fleeting moment.

But Jingliu, with the most solid steps, grew from a wealthy young lady with no foundation to a Yunqi leader who surpassed countless predecessors.

Give her some more time, and she will surely excel in the Yunqi Martial Arts Examination and be promoted to the valiant guard.

On many days and nights, watching his disciple's exhausted face as he slept, his long-dead heart gradually warmed up again.

The increasingly uncontrollable madness gradually subsided.

Unbeknownst to him, she became his concern and an important anchor for maintaining his humanity.

Once, my disciple said he wanted to kill all those abundant and wicked creatures and asked him to teach him the art of killing.

He agreed.

But now my disciple is lying on his sickbed, unable to wake up, and his physical condition is deteriorating day by day. We can't even find out the cause of his illness.

…This shouldn't be done.

"I made a promise to Kagami on the day I agreed to her request, so I will not, and absolutely cannot, let her down."

Upon hearing this, Hua's eyes flickered, a hint of emotion flashing across them.

She couldn't detect any other emotion in Qi Zhimu's calm eyes.

Without warning, Hua suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Qi Zhimu's wrist, only letting go after more than ten seconds.

At this moment, a complex emotion welled up in her eyes.

I have many questions I want to ask, but when the words come to my lips, I don't know how to begin.

Cangcheng fell, and as the Marshal of the Immortal Ship, she was unable to accomplish anything. What right did she have to say those things?

Based on this identity alone?

Hua felt a growing sense of powerlessness; the higher his position, the less control he had over many things.

She had no grounds or angle to criticize Qi Zhimu for being so honest.

Some things don't need to be said in full, yet they are enough for people to understand.

Is it worth it?

In the end, Hua felt that he could only say these three words.

"It is my destiny, Marshal. I have no choice." Qi Zhimu said calmly.

Destiny...

Upon hearing those two words, Hua unconsciously held her breath and slowly closed her eyes.

The Qi family owes no one anything, not even Xianzhou, and certainly not her.

Everything began with the fairy boat, and the gears of fate were interlocked.

Planted during the Second Bountiful People's War, it bore fruit when Cangcheng fell and perished.

From that moment on, Qi Zhimu could never turn back.

He wouldn't have ended up with this fate.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that many descendants of the Qi family wouldn't know how; they are too bound by the shackles of the past and have no choice.

On the contrary... she owes him.

A jade omen flew towards Qi Zhimu.

"Let's go to Luofu." Hua turned and looked at the distant, misty landscape.

"Thank you for your kindness, Marshal. I will take my leave now." Qi Zhimu caught the jade tablet, put it away, and turned to leave.

"I hope that one day in the future, you will pass away peacefully."

"I will leave a sharp blade for that day."

Qi Zhimu understood the meaning behind Marshal Hua's words, but he did not stop walking.

From the moment he told Sha Feng that he wanted to see Hua, he was prepared to confess everything.

……

Teng Xiao never expected that his reunion with Qi Zhimu would involve him personally leading him to the deepest part of the Prison of Imprisonment.

Even more unexpectedly, the person he was taken to meet was an absolute taboo on the Immortal Ship.

Originating from the Immortal One, he was the first person to achieve immortality since the Immortal Ship began to be recorded.

His crimes are vaguely recorded, only mentioning that he concocted an elixir of immortality.

His cell had to be made of celestial gold, with walls no less than seven inches thick, and constantly filled with calming gas.

Under normal circumstances, no one may wake him up, let alone enter his cell to talk to him.

Even the slightest sign of awakening must be immediately reported to the Marshal.

But now, during the time when the Dragon Lord of Luofu is undergoing the transformation of his egg, Qi Zhimu arrives in Luofu with the instructions of the Marshal, wanting to see the Origin Immortal.

It really piques my curiosity.

"Zhimu, what exactly is it? Is there any tidbit you can tell us?" Tengxiao couldn't help but ask.

Qi Zhimu couldn't say anything more, nor did he intend to tell Jing Liu about his situation.

"As you know, when it comes to the origins of immortals, nothing can be said."

"That doesn't surprise me. What surprises me is why the Marshal sent you, who is in Yaoqing, instead of a general from Xuling."

"..." Qi Zhimu chose to remain silent.

"Over the years, I've only heard of your exploits in slaying evil creatures, but I don't know how you've been doing, or what about your little apprentice? Since that unexpected battle, she seems to have returned to the fight—"

"You're still as talkative as ever, Teng Xiao."

"Really? You're not even willing to call me 'General' now."

"Lead the way properly, General."

"...It seems you should call me Teng Xiao, at least it sounds more human."