351 Extra 1 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

### Extra Chapter 1 After the separation of the cultivation world from the mundane world, the mortal realm gradually returned to tranquility. The Western Continent was no longer an unattainable place for humans, and the flow of ordinary people became increasingly active, advancing steadily with the tides of history. The subterranean palace in the Northern Continent was concealed underground once again, never to be explored by anyone. The Enlightenment Tree stood there quietly, falling into an endless slumber, waiting for the world to need it again. Meanwhile, Moon-Watching Temple was rebuilt, and a young Taoist took residence there, accompanied by a young boy. The young Taoist weeded and tidied up the grave of Master Moon-Watching, then sat down nearby, wiping sweat from his brow, slightly out of breath. The young boy, holding a pot, handed it over and asked, puzzled, "Master, whose grave is this, and why is there no headstone?" The young Taoist shook his head and then said gently to the boy, "We both came here without any roots, and now that we live in this temple, we must take good care of it." "But this place was already in ruins. If we hadn't repaired it ourselves, it would've turned into a wasteland in a few more years." Seeing the boy’s confusion, the young Taoist smiled slightly and said, "The grave is next to the temple; it must belong to a former owner. Even though we rebuilt this place, it should still be treated with respect." The young boy seemed contemplative; although he didn’t fully understand, he bowed humbly to the Master and the solitary grave of Master Moon-Watching, saying, "I understand now." The young Taoist’s face looked very gentle, reminiscent of someone who had once lived there. However, with the passage of time, who still remembered who used to live there? It had now been hundreds of years since Bai Fan entered the Heavenly Gate. The sight of the Heaven-Opening event only existed in the memories of the elders. Young people laughed it off, not believing in the existence of celestial beings; anyone claiming to have seen immortals would be deemed a charlatan from a mountain temple. The osmanthus tree behind Moon-Watching Mountain stood quietly, its budding intelligence vaguely recalling the past. It often stared blankly in the direction of the Heavenly Gate, daydreaming. Without the nourishment of spiritual energy, it might remain forever in this dazed state. On the other side of the world, a new place in the Cultivation Realm was brimming with activity. Bai Fan had just arrived, only to find Kun Peng waiting there. Dressed in grey, he respectfully greeted, "This old servant has been awaiting the master for a long time." Bai Fan was momentarily stunned, then quickly recalled the vague memories associated with Kun Peng. "Oh, it’s you." Kun Peng smiled gently and nodded in affirmation, "Yes." After the Xuanyin Sect arrived, they needed to select a new site for the sect. However, this was not something Bai Fan had to worry about on her own. With the help of Tianji Pavilion, significant matters like this were quickly resolved. The newly developed area was devoid of trees, appearing barren from a distance. Almost everyone was planting; many had brought large quantities of seeds. With all the world's spiritual energy converging here, growth was rapid. Within a few hundred years, the barren landscape had transformed into lush scenery. Pavilions and towers rose one after another, and Kun Peng’s silhouette would occasionally shimmer amidst the thick clouds, which was a sight the cultivators had grown accustomed to. Humans and demons coexisted harmoniously, learning from each other. Some flew through the air using levitation techniques, others sailed, some rode on swords or mystical beasts. Spiritual light filled the sky, creating a celestial paradise. He Yiman and Bai Fan sat together, looking at the abundant spiritual energy below. With relaxed expressions, they toasted each other and drank. After finishing her drink, Bai Fan smacked her lips regretfully, "We’ve run out of the Enlightenment Tea. Since the celestial phenomena changed, I am afraid we can’t go back again. It's a pity we didn't bring the Enlightenment Tree along." He Yiman smiled gently, pondering Bai Fan's lament, and said, "Consider it as leaving a glimmer of hope for the future of the Cultivation Realm." Bai Fan showed a helpless expression and began to complain, "I never knew moving would be so troublesome. We even had to plant every single flower, tree, and shrub ourselves. To prevent some cultivators from stealing, we had to organize patrols. The border is unstable, seemingly located on the outer spatial barrier of the Cultivation Realm." He Yiman listened quietly to Bai Fan’s complaints. Ever since they moved, everyone had been busy, not just Bai Fan. At the edge of the Cultivation Realm, the chaotic spatial storms of the outside world were visible. Without the stable space of the Cultivation Realm, they would all be on the brink of life and death. Amidst the chaotic currents at the boundary, an old man in tattered clothes wandered, muttering, "I want to go back, I want to go back—" The newly established Cultivation Realm had only recently been developed. The spiritual energy was still a bit volatile and lacked accumulation. However, it was still in its youth, and in tens of thousands of years, it might achieve great heights. By then, Bai Fan and the others, who had already surpassed the Nascent Soul stage, would have enough time to ascend. The great cultivators who had once reached the Nascent Soul stage gathered together and, looking around, thoughtfully said, "This is no longer the Four Continents of the past. Why don't we give this place a new name?" Bai Fan pondered briefly, then gazed at the vast land and said, "This place is vast, with mountains and seas, and it’s the new hope of the Cultivation Realm. How about calling it 'Sky-Peering Realm'?" After contemplating for a moment, everyone agreed, "Since Sect Master Bai has said so, let it be called 'Sky-Peering Realm,' the place to peer into the higher realms." "Haha, indeed." In Sky-Peering Realm, Tianji Pavilion was busy setting up formations. Originally floating above the Xuanyin Sect, it now encompassed the entire Sky-Peering Realm. Bai Fan named this formation the 'Heaven-Mending Formation', primarily designed to ward off external threats. In the palace, female cultivators played flutes while flocks of birds flew in synchronized patterns. Bai Fan sat serenely in the grand hall with her eyes closed. Shadowy figures moved at the entrance as Fire Qilin stealthily entered, followed by a similarly sneaky Little Vermilion Bird, both looking like thieves. Fire Qilin gulped as he eyed the fruit platter on Bai Fan’s table, filled with various spiritual fruits, wondering how Bai Fan could eat so many on her own. Seeing Bai Fan motionless, he quickly rushed over, grabbed the platter with his mouth, and dashed out of the hall. In his haste, many fruits fell from the platter. Little Vermilion Bird hurriedly tried to catch them with his beak but was overwhelmed, picking up one while dropping another. Anxious, he chirped loudly at Fire Qilin. Startled, Fire Qilin’s heart skipped a beat when Bai Fan's cold voice suddenly rang out from behind, "What are you two up to?" Bai Fan looked at the sneaky Fire Qilin and Little Vermilion Bird, feeling rather exasperated. Fire Qilin had completely led Little Vermilion Bird astray. She wondered what it would be like if Little Vermilion Bird regained past life memories. In hindsight, she should have listened to He Yiman and brought the little bird to Jade Palace for upbringing. Fire Qilin turned awkwardly and stammered, "Oh, you’re awake! I thought you were sleeping. I saw all those spiritual fruits on your table, so I planned to help you eat them. You don’t mind, right?" Little Vermilion Bird blinked his eyes pitifully and used his small wings to rub his fluffy belly, indicating he was hungry. Bai Fan sighed, waving her hand, "Fine, fine, go ahead." Seeing that Bai Fan didn’t wish to pursue the matter, Fire Qilin picked up the fruit platter, carried Little Vermilion Bird, and dashed outside, not forgetting to say, "Thanks, Bai Fan! By the way, the vermilion fruits on my trees are ripe. I’ll bring you a hundred pounds." Bai Fan felt even more headache coming on. She had a phobia of vermilion fruits, and now Fire Qilin had spread the seeds all over Sky-Peering Realm, causing vermilion fruit trees to flourish. What’s worse, she once saw disciples of the sect eating vermilion fruits with relish. In Jade Palace, Little Sea Demon had grown a lot since her chubby days. From crawling on the ground, she now ran around, no longer the little girl who only blew bubbles, thanks to He Yiman’s careful guidance. At this moment, she was in Bai Fan's rear hall, flipping through one immortal tome after another. These were all items Bai Fan had brought back from the wilderness; they were quite extraordinary now. However, their young girl was rather unenlightened. If it weren't for He Yiman's assistance, she probably wouldn't even know all the characters by now. Her chubby little hands grasped a pen, shakily writing. Without reference, to others it might look like countless caterpillars crawling across the paper. Bai Yu often received disdainful glances from Bai Fan, and she seemed to understand her own shortcomings. She was slowly starting to make an effort, hoping to begin her cultivation journey soon so she could become as powerful as her mothers. Just as she was fully engrossed in copying the scriptures, a slight noise came from the door being pushed open just a crack: "Creak—" Bai Yu looked up in confusion and saw a spirit fruit roll through the door, followed by a small, red head poking in, cheeping, “Chirp chirp.” “Little Vermilion Bird, it’s you!” Bai Yu exclaimed in surprise. Ever since she could remember, she had always envied Little Vermilion Bird. Fire Qilin often took him out to play, always bringing back fun and tasty things, while she had to stay and copy books. “Chirp chirp.” Little Vermilion Bird hopped in, pushing the fruit toward Bai Yu. Bai Yu quickly put her pen aside, slid down from her tall seat, and ran to the door, lifting her skirt. She picked up the spirit fruit and directly put it into her mouth. With a crunch, juice splashed out, filling Bai Yu’s mouth. She looked satisfied, like a little hamster, and said, “So good.” “Chirp chirp,” chirped Little Vermilion Bird, flapping around as if explaining something, which only Bai Yu seemed to understand. Bai Yu nodded while chewing the fruit, saying, “Is that so? I’m so envious that you get to go to so many faraway places to play.” “Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp.” You can come and play with me too. Bai Yu shook her head, “Mother doesn’t allow me to go out. She said I can only go out after memorizing all these books.” She gestured to the countless jade scrolls behind her, stacked densely beyond count. Little Vermilion Bird’s eyes widened in shock, then he chirped sympathetically, “You are really pitiful.” Bai Yu sighed too, feeling the spirit fruit in her hand had lost its flavor. “I don’t know when I’ll have them all memorized. Mother says with my memory, it could take hundreds of years.” Little Vermilion Bird shook his head and patted Bai Yu’s back with his wing, showing pity. But by spending time with Fire Qilin, Little Vermilion Bird had become quite crafty. His brain worked fast, and he often came up with mischievous ideas, much more so than Fire Qilin. He had mastered the art of feigning ignorance and acting cute, often making Fire Qilin the scapegoat, who remained blissfully unaware of it. “Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp—” Hundreds of years is too long, I would die of boredom. Bai Yu looked dejected, feeling extremely stifled. “Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp.” Don't worry, I’ll find a way to help you. Bai Yu looked skeptically at Little Vermilion Bird, "Do you know a way to quickly memorize these books?" Little Vermilion Bird shook his head, "Chirp chirp chirp chirp," I don't know. "Then what’s your plan?" Little Vermilion Bird's phoenix-like eyes gleamed, "Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp—,” You are so silly. Tell me, how often does your mother check on you? Bai Yu thought for a moment, counted on her fingers, then looked up and said, “About once every three days.” "Chirp chirp chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp chirp—," There you go. She only checks every three days, so whatever you do in those three days she won’t know about, as long as you’re back before she comes. “But—” Bai Yu hesitated. "Chirp chirp chirp—" But what? “But that would be deceiving Mother. She would be very angry." Little Vermilion Bird rolled his eyes, thinking to himself how dumb this little sea demon was. Sect Master Bai and Immortal He didn't seem foolish, so why was their daughter like this? Could this be balance in action? "Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp—" Don’t worry, she won’t know. “But—” Bai Yu was still unsure about going out, afraid of Bai Fan's stern looks, which could make her tremble for a long time. "Chirp chirp chirp—" No buts, just come with me. With that, Little Vermilion Bird pulled the little sea demon, running outside. She opened the door, looked around cautiously, and seeing no one, continued to pull Bai Yu along. No one noticed the two little ones sneak out of the Jade Palace. Having been around Fire Qilin, Little Vermilion Bird knew that anyone above the Great Ascension stage had strong perception abilities. To avoid detection took effort, but she had sneaked under Fire Qilin’s nose countless times and now found it easy. Once they left the Jade Palace, Little Vermilion Bird transformed into a girl in red, pulling the little sea demon towards the lively areas. Since coming to Sky-Peering Realm, Bai Yu had never left the Jade Palace. All she saw from up there was a blanket of white. Now being in the thick of things, she finally realized how different it was. She lifted her skirt with one hand and held Little Vermilion Bird’s hand with the other, feeling the warmth from the firebird’s palm, unlike her own cool temperature. Watching various demons and human cultivators pass by, Bai Yu’s eyes sparkled with joy. Unlike the respectful yet serious children of the Jade Palace, everyone here had different expressions, making her feel like a character in a storybook. “Wow, so many people!” Little Vermilion Bird’s eyes shone red with excitement, “There are even more fun places. I’ll take you there soon.” “Really?” Bai Yu’s eyes glimmered with anticipation, but a part of her still worried her mothers would be angry. The place they passed was the largest Immortal Market in Sky-Peering Realm. Many rogue cultivators lived here, as well as sect disciples, shopping for cherished items. Some rogue cultivators would perform tricks on the roadside, appearing very entertaining. The two little girls watched and cheered in delight. A red and white figure vanished in the crowd, while at Jade Palace, Bai Fan rubbed her forehead and told He Yiman, “My eyelids won’t stop twitching.” He Yiman chuckled softly and massaged Bai Fan’s back, “You probably haven’t rested well. Don’t overexert yourself. Rest well; I’ll handle the rest.” Bai Fan nodded in agreement, thinking that with the current stability, resting was important. “I’ll go to sleep then. If anything big happens, wake me.” He Yiman patted Bai Fan’s back, and she quickly fell into a deep slumber as a wave of drowsiness hit her. On the other side of the Immortal Market, Sheng Lan was out shopping with Mingzhu. Although Mingzhu rarely spoke, she was no longer vacant-eyed, her gaze wandered curiously. “In the shop ahead, I found some great fabrics. Let’s each make a set,” Sheng Lan said. Mingzhu tilted her head, looked at Sheng Lan, then glanced away. Seeing no response, Sheng Lan continued, "Since you didn't shake your head, I'll take it as a yes. Although I found my grandfather, you still can’t live independently yet. Don’t look down on me for my lower cultivation. I quite like you this way, though you used to be fierce and wanted to kill me.” Mingzhu’s eyes roved around, eventually focusing on Sheng Lan’s moving lips, dazing out as if recalling something. A golden bracelet on Mingzhu’s wrist, previously returned, now reappeared as Sheng Lan had put it back on her. This bracelet was their bond, something Sheng Lan treasured deeply. In the shop, they had their measurements taken, ready to leave when two little girls suddenly ran into them. ### Extra Chapter 1 (Continued) Little Vermilion Bird and Little Sea Demon felt a sharp pain in their heads as they fell to the ground, holding their heads and looking up. Before them stood two female cultivators, one in elegant blue, the other in cold-pink attire, whose gaze was as sharp as knives. Little Vermilion Bird, being the bolder of the two, quickly scrambled up, then turned to pull Little Sea Demon to her feet, patting the dust off her and asking, “Are you okay?” Little Sea Demon shook her head, ducking behind Little Vermilion Bird while keeping her head down. She felt that the pink-attired woman’s gaze was terrifying. Sheng Lan, having been pampered since childhood, rarely apologized to others. Seeing the two children bumping into her, she was naturally displeased, but with Mingzhu at her side, she couldn’t show much emotion. In a warm tone, she asked, “Are you two alright?” Little Vermilion Bird and Little Sea Demon shook their heads and then turned to run elsewhere. Suddenly, Little Sea Demon felt a tight grip on her wrist. The hand lifting her skirt was grabbed forcefully, so much that, if she weren’t of a demon race, her wrist might have been broken. Little Vermilion Bird, running ahead, stopped abruptly and turned to see the pink-attired woman holding Bai Yu’s wrist tightly. “Let go of her,” Little Vermilion Bird shouted loudly when she saw the pain on Bai Yu’s face. Sheng Lan was also stunned, never expecting Mingzhu to grab a child. She hurried to pull Mingzhu’s hand away, but Mingzhu’s grip seemed glued to Bai Yu’s wrist and wouldn't let go. The two sides started to pull on Bai Yu. The pain was unbearable, and her tears started to fall, turning into sparkling blue pearls as they hit the ground. When Mingzhu muttered the name "Ye He," her grip loosened, and both Little Vermilion Bird and Little Sea Demon stumbled back. Little Vermilion Bird helped Bai Yu up and gently blew on her small arm, saying, “It’s okay, don’t cry. Your tears are precious.” Bai Yu sniffled, trying to stop crying, and glanced fearfully at the pink-attired woman. “Don’t be scared; I’m here. Let’s go somewhere else,” Little Vermilion Bird said, leading Bai Yu away quickly. Sheng Lan stood staring at the pearl tears on the ground, muttering, “So you haven’t forgotten her after all.” Mingzhu, dazed, squatted down and picked up the pearls, absent-mindedly swallowing one. She fainted before Sheng Lan realized what was happening. “Mingzhu, are you okay?” Sheng Lan asked. The taste of the pearl, cool and bitter, filled Mingzhu’s mouth, and pain surged forth. Tears streamed from her eyes, quickly soaking her clothes. “Ye He... hasn’t waited for me. He doesn’t want me anymore.” Sheng Lan felt a pang of anguish and sighed, “But I am waiting for you. Even if you would only look back at me.” --- #### Acknowledgments Thanks to the little angels who cast grenades or irrigated nutrient solutions for me during the period from April 21, 2020, 19:41:54 to April 26, 2020, 16:17:00: - Grenade-casting angel: 1234567 (1 grenade) - Nutrient-irrigating angels: Fifth Xi Plagiarism (10 bottles); Little Sweet (9 bottles) Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard! --- [Previous Chapter] | [Table of Contents] | [Next Chapter] **Home** | **Desktop Version** | **Bookshelf** | **Popular Novels**