Immortal of the Ages

Atop a roof on the Radiance Palace, Yun Xiao, clad in white, sat cross-legged, his body shimmering with a ghostly white light. A small black creature lay on his legs, its gaping maw tirelessly nibbling on Immortal Jades, one after another. With almost 200 million Immortal Jades in his pocket, scrimping was a thing of the past.

"Half for living off others, half for dowry in advance, you're really something," Blue Star said, rolling his eyes in disdain.

"A gentleman earns his wealth honorably," Yun Xiao retorted with his eyes closed, dismissing the comment.

Scoffing, Blue Star quipped, "Well, if it wasn't for your new loyal lapdog, that Blood Oath Curse would've had you in a real pickle. Nasty business, that."

"Just someone seeing the light. Let's not be so harsh," Yun Xiao replied, his eyes cracking open to gaze toward the Field Palace, his expression turning deadly serious. "Those bastards, daring to assassinate me, using forbidden blood arts to erase me, and even endangering innocents..."

His anger was reaching a boiling point. It was like they were haunting him incessantly, challenging him at every turn since his debut. Every confrontation ended with Yun Xiao standing tall, yet they became increasingly desperate.

"Let's hope the next round brings a stringent set of rules, settling scores once and for all," he muttered under his breath, his voice as cold as ice.

As he prepared to resume his cultivation, Blue Star suddenly announced, "Your latest admirer has arrived."

Yun Xiao stood and turned, finding a young, dreamlike girl standing in the night behind him. Barefoot on the rooftop tiles, her simple white dress danced in the wind, revealing glimpses of her snow-white skin through the fabric's tears.

She was enchanting, with a melancholic beauty that tugged at the heartstrings, yet her presence was unsettling. The rich stench of death clung to her, as if she were a corpse fresh from the grave. She might still be warm, but she was undeniably dead.

"Immortal Yun..." she murmured, hugging herself against the chill, her eyes trembling as she looked at him.

"Come here," he commanded, fixing his gaze on her.

"Yes." Gliding over the tiles like a weightless breeze, she arrived before Yun Xiao, her scent a unique blend of youthful freshness and the hollow void of the deep sea. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but it was certainly memorable.

"Why save me?" Yun Xiao asked calmly, looking down into her eyes, as deep and empty as the ocean.

"You are the answer at the end of the world, not meant to fade away," she replied, her voice tinged with nervousness.

"The answer at the end of the world?" That sounded like a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

Yun Xiao cracked a smile, his lips barely parting, then pressed on, "Ever thought of yourself as one of those demons?"

"I am human..." came the shaky reply from Pale Revenant, her voice betraying the turmoil within, touching on her deepest inner struggle. fre(e)webnov(l).com

"You're human, yet you loathe the human world," Yun Xiao observed.

"Yes..." Her response was barely audible, drowned in a sea of sorrow.

"You don't care for the deep sea, nor do you fancy the company of demons. You can't stand to be part of their ranks, a vessel of hatred... Yet, the resentment you bear pushes you towards losing yourself, turning into a corpse filled with endless grievance from the deep sea," Yun Xiao continued, peeling back the layers of her torment.

"Immortal Yun..." Pale Revenant lifted her head, her hollow eyes brimming with tears, a sight unseen by any soul.

To the world, she was a beacon of resentment, but to Yun Xiao, she was always the little girl thrown into the sea to feed the sea demons.

"Fear grips you because the part of you that's truly Pale Revenant is dwindling. You're not sure when your spirit will vanish entirely, leaving behind nothing but a patchwork of spite," Yun Xiao said softly.

THUD! Pale Revenant knelt down, tears streaming down her face, "Immortal Yun, please, save me."

"So, you believe I can save you?" Yun Xiao looked down at her, his gaze probing.

"I don't know..." Pale Revenant was a picture of confusion. "All I see is the endless deep sea, a world shrouded in darkness... But you, you shine brightly."

"Stand up," Yun Xiao commanded.

"Yes..." Wiping away her tears, she slowly rose, her eyes filled with a mix of anxiety and reverence towards Yun Xiao.

As Yun Xiao reached out, possibly to wipe her tears, she instinctively recoiled like a scared bird.

"What did you feel the day you were cast into the sea?" Yun Xiao retracted his hand, asking gently.

"Endless fear," she replied.

"That fear has seeped into your soul, rotting it to the core." Yun Xiao sighed.

"Such is the human world..." Pale Revenant managed a bitter smile.

"In an era of strife, where might is right, and the survival of the fittest is the law of the land, beneath the ladder of cultivation, with its rigid hierarchy, aren't we all but mere ants, as long as there are rungs above us?" Yun Xiao suddenly grasped her shoulders, pulling her closer, looking deep into her eyes. "Having endured so much, try to see beyond it. At least you can still witness the myriad changes of this vast world, unlike those who sank into the sea and vanished."

"Yes." Pale Revenant instinctively shrank back, but upon realizing Yun Xiao wasn't applying much force, her tension eased, and she relaxed.

"You're quite remarkable," Yun Xiao suddenly said with a smile.

"What?" Pale Revenant asked, puzzled.

"You could have lost yourself to the resentment, becoming a full-fledged spirit of vengeance. But you haven't. You still cling to a sense of self, a flicker of hope. That alone is extraordinary," Yun Xiao explained with a gentle smile, "That makes you unique."

"Unique..." Pale Revenant echoed, still somewhat lost. Yet, in her vacant eyes, a spark began to twinkle, however faint.

"Pale Revenant," Yun Xiao's gaze intensified, his voice deep and solemn, "If I am the light, then let me illuminate your path in this life." freewebnov(e)l

"Immortal Yun..." Before she could grasp the weight of his words, the Prison Warden Sigil appeared in Yun Xiao's hand. The nine dragons within the sigil seemed to stare at Pale Revenant, and in an instant, her complexion turned ashen, with wisps of smoke rising from her form.

"No!" Her expression turned fierce, ready to lash out and flee from Yun Xiao.

But Yun Xiao was prepared. With lightning-fast reflexes, he placed the Prison Warden Sigil on her forehead.

Pale Revenant shuddered violently. She opened her mouth in a silent scream, her body convulsing as if drowning, her eyes wide with terror as she collapsed.

Yun Xiao caught her in his arms.

"Immortal, Immortal..." she flailed, then clung to him desperately, like a drowning person grasping for a lifeline, her grip tight and tears streaming down her face, sobbing uncontrollably.

The white smoke of resentment evaporated from her, wailing and howling in terror at the sight of the Life Sigil, before dissipating into nothing.

"It's over," Yun Xiao reassured her, stroking her hair tenderly, his eyes filled with compassion. She was like a little sister with a tragic past, her struggle and fear evoking sympathy from anyone who saw her.

Hearing Yun Xiao's comforting words, her trembling gradually ceased, and the fog of her despair lifted.

As she looked up, her eyes brimmed with tears, but her gaze was filled with intense admiration for Yun Xiao, a beacon of light in her darkness, her love for the light burning fiercely within.

"How do you feel?" Yun Xiao asked lightly as he tucked away the Prison Warden Sigil.

"It's like... all the unhappiness and fear have vanished. I feel so light, like I'll never sink again," Pale Revenant responded, a bit dazed.

"I've cleansed you of the resentment of corpses and the grievances of souls. You're almost entirely yourself now, even looking quite like a vibrant living being," Yun Xiao said with a smile.

"Am I human again?" Pale Revenant asked, bewildered.

"No." Yun Xiao shook his head. "This Life Sigil can't change your essence. Your body remains that of a deep-sea corpse demon. Your power hasn't diminished, and as you continue to grow, those resentments will gather around you once more."

"What should I do then?" Pale Revenant asked anxiously, clearly relishing her newfound liberation.

"Simple, we'll just cleanse you again when the time comes." Yun Xiao chuckled, pinching her cheek.

"Ah... okay." She flinched instinctively at first, then, as the impulse to flee subsided, this tender gesture brought a blush to her otherwise pale face, and even the sound of a heartbeat could be heard.

"Does this mean I can stay by your side forever?" Pale Revenant asked, looking up nervously.

"Stay by my side?" Yun Xiao shook his head. "That would only drag you back down into the deep sea."

"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"I aim to climb to the pinnacle of the Heavenly Dao. To keep up, you need to grow! And the only way for you to do that is to accumulate corpses and gather their resentment. As a corpse demon, you're inherently a creature of the heavenly path, with endless potential. But to embark on this journey, you must continue to wade through seas of corpses," Yun Xiao explained.

"It's okay!" Pale Revenant didn't hesitate to respond.

"Are you sure?" Yun Xiao initially hoped she would find release, to live almost as a human, free from the fear of the deep sea.

"Yes." Pale Revenant suddenly reached out, gripping his arm with a determined look. "I've grown accustomed to everything in the sea. As long as I'm with you, I'm willing to be lost forever..."

Yun Xiao fell silent.

"Immortal Yun, from this moment on, my life belongs only to you." Pale Revenant let go of his arm, her gaze resolute, and gently knelt down. Her frame was slight, but her resolve was unshakeable. "Please let me, in this life, die for you."

Yun Xiao looked down at the fragile girl before him, his emotions complex. "Alright!" He nodded deeply, then extended his hand with a cheeky grin. "First, let's have you pay off that cleansing fee with 100 million Immortal Jades."

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