This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

"It's done... junior sister and junior brother...it's done..."

Qingfeng was unusually excited.

Mingyue clenched her fists tightly, gazing at the sky with great excitement.

Fortunately, the tragedy that befell Zhu Jiu back then did not repeat itself.

All the junior brothers and sisters successfully survived the heavenly tribulation...

Wang Jingshu and Zhu Jiu descended from the sky and landed in front of Qingfeng Mingyue. The light on their bodies gradually faded, but the two seemed to be trying their best to restrain something.

Before Qingfeng could ask, Zhujiu spoke first:

"Senior brothers and sisters, although my fourth senior sister and I have survived the Heavenly Tribulation, the Essence Cave Heaven is too scarce, so we have not yet formed our cores."

Wang Jingshu nodded and said:

"That's right, I finally understand why Master was so eager to leave Jingming Cave Heaven back then. If we had stayed any longer, the entire cave heaven world would probably have been destroyed."

Zhu Jiu quickly said:

"There's no time for further words, we must go now. Senior brothers and sisters, we'll be waiting for you in the Xuanhuang Great World..."

After saying that, Zhu Jiu's body began to gradually become ethereal and disappear little by little.

Wang Jingshu, however, continued to restrain herself and did not leave.

Zhu Jiu looked at Wang Jingshu with a puzzled expression.

Wang Jingshu waved her hand and smiled:

"Junior brother, you go first, I'll be right behind you."

Zhu Jiu nodded without saying anything more. His figure transformed into a dazzling golden light, seemingly merging into the entire world and disappearing completely.

After he left, Wang Jingshu stood in front of Qingfeng without saying a word.

Mingyue's gaze lingered between her and Qingfeng before she silently retreated and vanished in a rainbow.

Qingfeng watched Mingyue leave, completely bewildered.

"What's wrong with Mingyue?"

Wang Jingshu lowered her head, a blush creeping across her face.

Finally, she mustered her courage, stretched out her hands to Qingfeng, and said in a seemingly relaxed manner:

"Senior brother, who knows when we'll meet again... Let's give each other a hug? As a farewell gesture..."

Qingfeng was taken aback, and for a moment he was at a loss for what to do.

Just as he was stunned, Wang Jingshu stepped forward and gently hugged his waist and back, pressing her face against Qingfeng's chest, closing her eyes, and whispering:

"Senior brother... thank you for all these years..."

Qingfeng's body stiffened, his hands half-raised in the air, completely at a loss for what to do.

Wang Jingshu smiled, moved away from Qingfeng's chest, and said with a charming smile:

"Senior brother, I'll be waiting for you in the Xuanhuang Great World..."

After saying that, Wang Jingshu transformed into a streak of sword light and disappeared.

Qingfeng stared blankly as the sword light disappeared into the distance, his mind filled with only one thought.

"That direction isn't for ascension, is it?"

Even Li Daoxuan, who was hiding to the side, couldn't help but want to step forward and give his eldest disciple a flick on the forehead.

I've never seen such a clueless straight man.

But then he saw Qingfeng reach out and gently touch his chest, his eyes gradually softening.

He murmured to himself:

"Jing Shu... likes me?"

Li Daoxuan smiled reassuringly, thinking to himself:

"Thankfully, he's not completely clueless..."

As for the relationship between his disciples, he, as their master, would not interfere.

If both parties are willing, then naturally everyone is happy.

If it were merely a case of the goddess being in love but the king being indifferent, Li Daoxuan would not force a match.

Let things take their course.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

It is said that after Wang Jingshu parted ways with Qingfeng, she did not actually choose to ascend to immortality.

She continued to suppress the urge to ascend and sped all the way to Shangdu, the capital of the Great Zhao Dynasty.

Inside the inner city of Shangdu, in a residence that was considered the highest-ranking among all the officials of the Great Zhao Dynasty, everything was arranged in an extremely simple manner.

Aside from the basic garden landscaping, there are no luxurious decorations to be seen.

The owner of this mansion was none other than Wang Jingshu's elder brother, Wang Yangming, the great prime minister of the Great Zhao Dynasty who abandoned his cultivation to devote himself to the study of ways to save the world and bring peace to the people.

Decades have passed, and Wang Yangming is now middle-aged. A few strands of silver can be faintly seen among his jet-black hair.

Even though he carried the entire Great Zhao Dynasty on his shoulders through decades of trials and tribulations, his back remained upright, his eyes remained clear, and his demeanor remained extraordinary.

Wang Yangming, who was working at his desk, suddenly felt a premonition, put down his pen, and left the study.

Standing in the empty courtyard, looking up at the sky, her eyes, now etched with wrinkles, held a touch of tenderness.

The sword light suddenly appeared from the distant horizon and finally hovered in mid-air above the capital city.

All the experts of the sixth realm in the entire capital city were alarmed.

The guards who had been secretly protecting the Prime Minister's residence all revealed themselves and stood ready for battle.

After everyone saw the person floating in mid-air on a celestial sword, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"So it's the Fairy Jinghong, the Prime Minister's sister..."

"It was a false alarm..."

"Disperse, disperse. Even if Fairy Jinghong wanted to do something, we couldn't stop her..."

After all the experts recognized Wang Jingshu as the newcomer, they retreated like a receding tide.

With the Prime Minister around, Fairy Jinghong would never pose a threat to the capital.

In the study courtyard of the Prime Minister's residence, Wang Jingshu descended from the sky and landed steadily in front of Wang Yangming.

"elder brother..."

A soft call, just like back then, has never changed.

Wang Yangming nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Wang Jingshu with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Have you taken that step?"

Wang Yangming asked.

Wang Jingshu was slightly taken aback, then nodded and said:

"Um."

Wang Yangming then asked:

"When are you leaving?"

"I only spoke a few words to my brother before leaving."

Wang Yangming remained silent for a moment, then said with some melancholy:

"So hasty, just like Master did back then..."

The Wang family now consists of only the two of them. Their parents passed away a few years ago, both at a peaceful age, which can be considered a good end.

Now that Wang Jingshu is also leaving, Wang Yangming can't help but feel a little reluctant.

Looking at his younger sister's still youthful face, Wang Yangming suddenly smiled with relief:

"Very good, it's best to be able to walk the path you want to walk..."

Wang Jingshu frowned slightly and looked at Wang Yangming with a hint of accusation:

"But what about you, brother?"

Wang Yangming was taken aback for a moment, then laughed:

"Me? I'm fine..."

Wang Jingshu asked in a deep voice:

"Brother...don't you regret it?"

Wang Yangming smiled smugly upon hearing this.

"Regret? Hahahaha... Jing Shu, look at the Great Zhao Dynasty now, look at the world now..."

"What do I have to regret, brother?"

Wang Jingshu was silent for a moment, then raised her head and smiled sweetly:

"I'm glad you're happy, brother. Master said it's never too late to start cultivating."

"When you are tired and weary in the future, there will still be a celestial palace left for you in the Taiyi Qingming Heaven of Yujing Mountain."

Wang Yangming neither nodded nor refused.

He simply smiled faintly:

"There are countless paths to take, and everyone has their own path to walk. There's no need to worry about me, your brother."

"Once you get there, find your master as soon as possible. Only with your master's protection can your brother be at ease."

Wang Jingshu nodded slightly, then took half a step back and bowed deeply to Wang Yangming, saying:

"Brother...take care..."

Wang Yangming straightened his clothes, and Baoquan bowed in return.

"The journey ahead is long and arduous; I hope my sister has a safe and healthy journey..."

When Wang Jingshu stood up, her face was already covered in tears.

She knew very well that this farewell might be forever.

My brother did not enter the path of cultivation; he remains a mortal, and even if his lifespan is long, it will only be a hundred years.

Once she arrived in the Xuanhuang Great World, the hundred years of the Jingming Cave Heaven would be nothing more than a blink of an eye for her.

However, she knew very well that, just as her brother said, everyone has their own path to walk. Having cultivated to this point, Wang Jingshu deeply understood that everything is predestined.

She won't force it.

But the reluctance in my heart is real.

Wang Jingshu took one last deep look at her brother before her figure began to slowly fade away.

Finally, it transformed into a golden light and disappeared completely.

Wang Yangming stood there, staring at the sky, speechless for a long time.

Her face, already showing some wrinkles, was wet with sweat.

But after a moment he smiled calmly and murmured:

"Life is fleeting, like the life of grass and trees in autumn."

"What use is immortality to me?"

"My king, Yangming, has devoted his life to serving the people and making their lives meaningful. I have no regrets."

"All I seek in this life is light; now that my heart has attained light, what more could I ask for?"

Wang Yangming returned to his study, picked up his brush again, moistened it in the brush washer, and continued working at his desk.

Besides the books and documents, there was only a cup of tea on the desk.

The prime minister's residence was extremely simple.

Meanwhile, Li Daoxuan, in his primordial spirit form, stood outside the window, gazing at his disciple with unwavering composure, two words repeatedly tumbling into his mind:

"Light...righteousness..."