Immortal of the Ages

In the back courtyard of the Silver Swell Residence, under the cover of dusk, the sound of flowing water rang clear.

Beneath a towering silver tree, a luminous hot spring glimmered. The water, alive and moving, held a clarity obscured by its medicinal thickness, exuding an intoxicating fragrance that promised both healing and comfort.

There, amidst the embrace of the spring, a woman lay afloat, her form cradled by the gentle caress of the water, most of her submerged, save for three parts that broke the surface.

Her face, a masterpiece of nature's art, floated above the mystical brew, her features—a nose sculpted to perfection, eyes veiled by lashes, lips moist with the promise of stories untold—composed a vision of ethereal beauty.

The other two parts, like ivory sculptures kissed by the moon, adorned the water's surface, their elegance accentuated by the occasional kiss of a falling droplet, a display of dignified grace.

Nearby, a voluminous silver robe hung upon a stone, the characters for Mystic Zenith Law embroidered on its back, glowing faintly.

The woman, lost in the tranquility of her surroundings, was stirred by the approach of footsteps, confident and familiar, as if the intruder walked his own grounds. A hint of a smile played upon her lips at the sound.

A figure in white emerged, shrouded in the mist of the spring, his garment clinging to his form from the moisture in the air.

"Zhixiu, didn't I tell you not to come tonight?" Dharma Crown Qin voiced softly, a hint of resignation in her tone.

"Why?" a voice asked, simple and direct.

"I have a task at dawn; I wish for no distractions tonight," she explained. With a languid gesture of her hand, she dismissed him, "Leave, I find no joy in company tonight."

Yet, the man in white remained unmoved, his stillness a silent challenge to her request, sparking a flicker of surprise in her, as she realized something amiss.

"Your voice?" Her silver lashes quivered, eyes slowly unveiling to the sight of the young man in white emerging through the mist, an ethereal presence, each inch of him a testament to perfection, rivaling even the divine.

"Yun Xiao?" Disbelief painted her features, as if beholding the most astonishing sight in the world.

"It's me," he affirmed, locking gaze with her.

With a fluid motion, Dharma Crown Qin rose from the waters, her form a blend of emerging silver and mist, long hair cascading down, veiling her yet not concealing the intensity in her stare.

"What's this?" Yun Xiao asked with ease, gesturing towards the spring.

"A Lesser Yin Spirit Spring, nurtures the Life Sigil," Dharma Crown Qin articulated, her voice laced with a chill.

"Nice," Yun Xiao nodded, eyes drifting, "And the droplets, quite charming."

A laugh escaped her, despite the absurdity of the situation.

"You, a brat on the brink of impending death, dare to waltz into my abode in the dead of night, making bold assessments?" she mocked.

"Thrilling, isn't it?" Yun Xiao replied, a playful edge to his voice.

"Exhilarating, like a dream!" she retorted with a laugh.

"Good." Yun Xiao chuckled along.

Her amusement fading, she pressed, "What's your game?"

"I bet you're plotting my demise," Yun Xiao stated plainly.

"And?" she prodded.

"So, I'm here to turn the tables, strike first, dodge the bullet," Yun Xiao said, facing her icy gaze unflinchingly.

This woman, commanding winds and clouds in the Mystic Zenith Temple, Primordial Academy, and the wider Primordial Ruins, bore her pride like a cloak. Yet, her freedom never clouded her vision; her eyes on Yun Xiao held only the coldness of impending doom. And disdain!

"Yun Xiao, if you think a pretty face is your ticket to winning my favor and securing a lifeline, you're sorely mistaken," Dharma Crown Qin said, her brow marked by a silver double-headed serpent that seemed to come alive, coiling around her arm.

Her gaze on Yun Xiao was as cold as ice. "You're right; I do fancy young and handsome men. But not when they're pretty dogs!"

With those chilling words, the serpent sigil swelled, transforming into a massive snake entwining her slender form.

With a splash, she leaped from the water, the giant silver serpent wrapping around her, its forked, scarlet tongue fixed on Yun Xiao. The snake's body was etched with countless inscriptions, forming thousands of tiny sigils.

"Qin Lianyan, in the Establishment Five Decays Realm, has transcended five cycles of decline and possesses centuries of life. One of the adjudicating Crowns of the Mystic Zenith Temple, hailing from the Mystic Earth Ruins. Her Life Sigil is the Great Silver Serpent Sigil, with 450,000 Runes. Quite formidable," Yun Xiao recited, his gaze intense.

"Have you lost your mind to fear?" Dharma Crown Qin sneered, tired of the banter.

With a flick of her wrist, the Great Silver Serpent Sigil, with its 450,000 Runes, lunged at Yun Xiao.

"You come from wealth, surrounded by treasures?" Yun Xiao mused, a smirk playing on his lips. "Becoming a top-tier Inscription Cultivator sure is a headache. Sigils, inscription pens, formations... all cost a fortune, and I'm broke!"

"Broke and clearly insane," Dharma Crown Qin mocked.

As her words fell, the double-headed serpent tightened around Yun Xiao, its crushing force paralyzing him, bones trembling under the immense pressure.

"If not for the Temple Head's request to keep you alive, you'd be dead already," Dharma Crown Qin taunted, flying close, her mature allure enveloped in a mist that clung to Yun Xiao, her beauty undeniable.

"Little dog, thanks for delivering yourself. Saves me the trouble," she said, pinching his cheek, her laughter shaking the leaves.

Her plan was to capture Yun Xiao, especially with a trip to the Nine Hells on the agenda. Who knew it would be this easy? Hilariously so.

But then, Yun Xiao slowly lifted his head, his gaze burning into Dharma Crown Qin, and said softly, "No need for thanks. After all, I'm not the one who's about to lose their head."

Yun Xiao stood firm, a sneer playing across his face as the twin-headed silver serpent lunged for him, driven by the furious command of Dharma Crown Qin.

"Everything about me is tough," he retorted, ice in his voice.

No sooner had the words left his lips than a little black beast burst forth from his chest, unleashing a jet of dark flames straight into Dharma Crown Qin's face. The black flames swept over her, leaving her visage charred, her luxurious hair gone in a whoosh, and her once-white eyes turned to blackened orbs.

In a mix of shock and fury, she screamed, her eyes locked onto Yun Xiao, who, unfazed, bellowed back, "Grandma, take her down!"

With a flurry beneath his sleeve, the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, ablaze with a stormy dark azure fire, tore through the uncontrollable Great Silver Serpent Sigil and pierced Dharma Crown Qin's chest in a clean thrust, the blade passing straight through her.

Gasping, Dharma Crown Qin's blackened eyes widened in disbelief. She had underestimated the strike, not expecting it to breach her defenses, let alone impale her. Yet, what truly bewildered her was the terrifying force carried by the blade, which ravaged her insides, searing through her Dantian, and setting her bones alight.

As Dharma Crown Qin reeled from the unexpected blow, the giant serpent released its grip on Yun Xiao in agony.

"Sorry about this, but not really," Yun Xiao declared, tightening his grip around her throat. Withdrawing the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, he delivered thrust after relentless thrust, each strike piercing through her.

"Yun... AGH!" she gasped, her voice trailing off as the relentless onslaught continued.

Dharma Crown Qin's expression went from furious to confused, then numb, and finally, to sheer terror. She couldn't fathom it. The force invading her felt like the power of the Sword Heart, yet not quite. The real kicker, though, was the black flames right in her face, scorching her skin and seemingly searing her soul, plunging her straight into the abyss of death.

With nine swift strikes from Yun Xiao, Dharma Crown Qin's strength left her, and she fell back, lifeless. The wounds from the sword smoked, licked by a sinister dark azure flame.

Her dimming eyes fixed on the young man for the last time, who, with a smile, said, "Maybe we'll meet again in another life, Dharma Crown Qin."

As her life ebbed away, her gaze hardened. But despair deepened as she saw Yun Xiao's Life Sigil transform into a nine-headed dragon, seizing and consuming the Great Silver Serpent Sigil, absorbing its power into itself.

"His Life Sigil can devour other sigils..." That was Dharma Crown Qin's last coherent thought amid the shock. But watching Yun Xiao plunder her Bag of Holding felt trivial in comparison to this nightmare.

Having devoured the Life Sigil and looted her treasures, Yun Xiao stood victorious. Smiling, he gave her a thumbs-up. "You're quite the wealthy one. Everything you have will be of great use to me. When I overturn the reign of the Three True Immortals, consider it a feather in your cap."

With that, Dharma Crown Qin spat a mouthful of black blood and breathed her last. Her body, untouched by cloth, was consumed by the dark azure flames, leaving not even ashes behind.

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