Immortal of the Ages

In the eerie quiet of the Mysterious Sword Manor, the young guests, wise enough to read the room, bowed their heads and made their exit.

Soon, only Song Bomei and Huyan Luo remained, the latter's face a mix of grief and rage, his once white eyes now threaded with blood, almost entirely crimson.

"I want this man to live a long, cursed life!" Huyan Luo growled, his voice laced with a venomous chill, his teeth clenched in fury.

"To live long, yet wish for death every single day," Song Bomei completed the thought, a grim assurance in his tone. "Primordial Son, worry not. He's but a pawn in the grand game, doomed from the start."

With a deep breath, Huyan Luo tried to find his calm, to still the storm within.

But no amount of deep breathing could quell the rage that seized him. He remembered Yun Xiao's innocent face as he absorbed the Calamity Bone, and how Yun Xiao forced him to his knees with a single sword strike. The humiliation seeped into his very bones.

"Primordial Son, your father is summoning you," a voice from the shadows spoke. It was a figure clad in black, much like the many silent guardians that flanked both Huyan Luo and Lian Xi.

These individuals rarely interfered, but were pivotal in moments of deadly conflict. If only the Primordial Ruins weren't so fraught with chaos, such vigilant protection would be unnecessary!

With a huff, Huyan Luo turned, striding deeper into the hall, Song Bomei following suit, his face taut with tension.

Silence loomed heavily as they advanced until a daunting Sword Hall, bristling with an ominous aura, came into view. They entered, heads bowed in reverence.

"Greetings to the Mysterious Sword Manor Master," Song Bomei intoned with respect.

Before them, a figure in black robes sat, cradling a steaming cup of tea, savoring its warmth. Beside this imposing figure stood a striking girl, her skin as pale as snow, clad in black armor that revealed her slender waist and long legs, her hair tied back, her gaze sharp yet stunningly beautiful.

Like Huyan Luo, her eyes were a pure, eerie white, adding an otherworldly charm to her fierce beauty.

When Song Bomei saw her there too, his nerves wound tighter, and in an uneasy voice, he greeted, "Miss Pin, good day."

"Kneel," the man in the black robe ordered casually as he sipped his hot tea.

"Yes, sir." Sweat beaded on Huyan Luo's forehead as he and Song Bomei knelt together, their heads bowed low, not daring to make a sound.

"Child, cut back on the booze when you're with the troops. Tea's better," the Manor Master advised with a smile. "This top-notch Dragon Tongue Tea, of the Upper Yin grade, is perfect for keeping you fit. We swordsmen need our strength."

"No thanks, too bland for my taste," Huyan Pin shot back with a glance.

The old man, once a heavy drinker, was now suddenly a tea aficionado, what gives?

"Tiger Rod Wine packs a punch, pity we've none left!" The Manor Master sighed.

"Father, I've erred!" Huyan Luo, hearing this, bowed his head in trembling admission.

"And what, pray tell, is your sin?" the Manor Master asked with a sly grin.

Under the stern gaze, his smile seemed to make the air chillier.

"I... I underestimated my opponent, lost a treasure of a lifetime, became a laughingstock, and tarnished our family's and your reputation!"

"You're mistaken," the Manor Master replied softly after a sip of tea.

"Where did I go wrong?" Huyan Luo looked up, puzzled.

"You're not to blame. Your strategy today wasn't flawed; you were just unlucky. Besides the direct descendants of the Three True Immortals, hardly anyone can identify the Soul-Eating Gu. You just happened to encounter one. And someone who could instantly absorb the Calamity Bone? I've never even heard of such a person," the Manor Master explained.

Huyan Luo was taken aback.

He was braced for a harsh reprimand.

"Regardless, the fact that I've disgraced our house stands," Huyan Luo inhaled deeply, his gaze burning with resolve as he looked up at the Manor Master. "Father, I'll learn from this. If there's a next time, I'll ensure a swift, decisive strike, no mistakes."

"No need. You can't beat him. Rest," the Manor Master cut in.

"Father!"

"Rest, I said. Learn from this, dedicate yourself to the sword. There's still a chance for redemption," the Manor Master's voice grew colder, more authoritative.

"Yes, sir."

Though reluctant, Huyan Luo had no choice but to agree.

After another sip of tea, the Manor Master turned to the tall girl in black armor beside him. "Pin, I want you to thoroughly investigate this person, including the mysteries of his dual cultivation of sword and sigil. I want every detail."

Huyan Pin, from her lofty perch, cast a cold glance at her brother, Huyan Luo.

"Leave us," the Manor Master commanded.

"Yes..." Huyan Luo, knowing better than to argue, bowed along with Song Bomei and made their exit.

"Father," Huyan Pin paused before leaving, turning back with a serious tone, "Is there any change to the Tri-Immortal Birth plan?"

"No change," the master replied.

"But what if she, hand in hand with him, remains unharmed... What if she's not the Child of Disaster we think she is?" Huyan Pin probed, her eyes a cool abyss.

"She must be," the Manor Master stated with conviction, causing Huyan Pin to pause.

"Understood!" With a nod, Huyan Pin left the Sword Hall.

Outside, she found Huyan Luo and Song Bomei still lingering.

"Big Sister..." Huyan Luo began, an awkward smile on his face.

"Scram! You're an embarrassment!" Huyan Pin shot him a disdainful look.

Huyan Luo's jaw clenched, anger reigniting within him, but he stood his ground. Song Bomei, on the other hand, stepped forward, positioning himself behind Huyan Pin.

"What are you doing following me?" Huyan Pin's icy gaze fell on him.

"To assist Miss Pin," Song Bomei replied.

Huyan Pin rolled her eyes and said dismissively, "Fine, follow then. I could use a dog anyway."

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In the Nine Hells, just outside the Immortal Asylum, nestled in a high mountain crevice, a gentle breeze stirred a swirling mist of blood. This mist, as if charmed, morphed into a striking woman with long, shapely legs, dragon horns atop her head, waterfall-like hair, and a waist as sinuous as a serpent's.

Enveloped by the blood mist, her allure and beauty intensified, blooming like a rose in the mundane world.

After a moment of collecting herself, she opened her dark red eyes and gazed toward the Immortal Asylum. There, three divine steles now fully enshrouded the Immortal Asylum, while countless tri-colored butterflies added a touch of the fantastical to the scene.

"Where have all the people gone?" a voice echoed from her heart.

"I wouldn't know," the War Princess pouted.

"Keep watching," the heart commanded.

"Watch what? There's nothing to see," the War Princess retorted.

Yun Xiao paid her no mind.

Receiving no reply, the War Princess mused, "And what might you be doing on that ship?"

"Busy saving the world," Yun Xiao hurriedly replied.

"You better be," the War Princess muttered under her breath.

"Nonsense," Yun Xiao shot back.

"Or perhaps unraveling something else entirely..." the War Princess pondered, trusting her woman's intuition that something was amiss.

"Will you ever quit?" Yun Xiao paused, "If you've got time to spare, go tell the Sword Warden and the others they don't need to guard the Immortal Asylum anymore. Better they secure the Calamity Seal Purgatory and the Rising Sun Inferno first, stabilize the common welfare."

With the Immortal Asylum and the Nian out of the equation, the strife within the Nine Hells was essentially over.

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