novelraw Chapter 691: Primeval Immortal Emperor
Chapter 691: Primeval Immortal Emperor
The ice-cold lake water flowed with strands of Sword Qi.
Ning Fan held Little Dugu tightly in his arms, carefully protecting her.
At this moment, he temporarily possessed Life Immortal cultivation, naturally unafraid of these Sword Qi.
If it were the previous him, even in full battle mode, he would have been injured by the Sword Qi in the lake water.
Gradually, Ning Fan discovered that Little Dugu seemed to be naturally unafraid of the Sword Qi here.
With her presence, the Sword Qi that wanted to attack Ning Fan retreated one by one, not daring to attack.
Lowering his head, Ning Fan noticed that the little girl in his arms had a pale face, her eyes flashing with sword light, as if she was using some secret technique to suppress the Sword Qi here.
His heart filled with pity, he gently kissed Little Dugu’s forehead and said tenderly, "Rest, I will protect you."
"Mmm..." Little Dugu responded softly, dispersing the sword light from her eyes.
She also realized that Ning Fan, with Life Immortal cultivation, was completely unafraid of the Sword Qi of Sword Lake, which was a relief...
Snuggled in Ning Fan’s embrace, even the icy lake water felt warm.
She gazed at Ning Fan, cherishing him immensely, like a treasure to be protected at all costs.
Such a bold gaze she wouldn’t have dared to show before, but after seeing the reflection in the water, she no longer avoided it.
One hundred thousand zhang, one million zhang, ten million zhang...
He didn’t know how deep they had dived, but the cold here was enough to harm Ning Fan with his Life Immortal cultivation.
Ning Fan’s eyes were extremely grave, concerned that the person in his arms couldn’t withstand the cold here, but he found that her face was flush, her eyes closed, nestled in his arms, and she had comfortably fallen asleep.
"This little girl isn’t afraid of the Sword Qi or the cold here at all..."
Ning Fan shook his head with a wry smile.
What worried him the most was Little Dugu.
Since Little Dugu was perfectly fine, he naturally wouldn’t fear mere cold.
Ning Fan’s hair and eyebrows each formed into ice, and his blood seemed about to freeze.
As he was about to withstand the cold no longer, he finally saw the lake bottom.
Thick sand and mud contained over a dozen corpses encased in ice, wearing ancient Xia Kingdom attire, which suggested they were strong practitioners who once followed Sovereign Xia here.
Ning Fan scanned the area, finding not a single woman among them.
Although he didn’t know Mengx Bingyun’s appearance, Mengx Bingyun should at least be a woman, right?
Could it be that her corpse wasn’t here?
It was said that the lake bottom held the great secret of becoming Immortal, but where was that great secret?
Holding the sleeping Little Dugu, Ning Fan dived and searched the lake bottom.
Long after, amid a coral reef, he found a crystal palace.
The palace had a water-repelling formation, with two sword-wielding deities standing as stone statues outside its doors.
As Ning Fan attempted to approach the palace, the two statues suddenly emitted light and transformed into two sword-wielding deities with half-step Life Immortal cultivation, their empty gazes fixed on Ning Fan; the next moment, they charged at him.
"Perish!"
Ning Fan merely raised a finger, casually pointing it without using any Divine Skills, thanks to his formidable cultivation, and annihilated the two deities.
After their death, the two deities transformed into four sword-wielding deities.
Ning Fan pointed again, and after the four sword-wielding deities died, they emerged as eight.
Ning Fan frowned; these sword-wielding deities multiplied the more he killed them, a strangely eerie Divine Skill.
If this continued, resulting in thousands of sword-wielding deities, Ning Fan, even with Life Immortal cultivation, would ultimately fall to a swarm of Immortals’ attacks.
"Swirling Void!"
With a pointed finger, a gigantic illusionary vortex appeared at the lake bottom, drawing all the deity shadows into the Swirling Void Realm, merely trapping them without killing.
Gradually, the energy of the deity shadows was exhausted, dissipating like smoke.
And Ning Fan, leisurely holding Little Dugu, stepped into the crystal palace.
"Hmm? Where is this place?" Little Dugu woke up, lightly leaping from Ning Fan’s embrace, only to be caught by him again.
"I don’t know. Stay close to me and be careful."
Ning Fan pulled Little Dugu closer.
This was, after all, an unfamiliar place, without Sovereign Xia for company. Ning Fan alone had to protect Little Dugu and needed to be even more cautious.
Coral ornaments, crystal tables and chairs, golden jade utensils emerged one after another.
The walls held numerous empty sword sheaths, along with several paintings, all depicting landscapes.
Occasionally, there were portraits, each depicting terrifying figures of Immortals with the power to shatter stars and destroy realms with a single finger.
As Ning Fan walked, he found the layout very much like a woman’s boudoir.
He couldn’t help but speculate, perhaps this once belonged to the sword ancestor’s chambers.
While there were sword-wielding deities guarding outside the crystal palace, there was no danger inside, which slightly surprised Ning Fan.
Walking all the way to the end, Ning Fan found a room that was tightly closed.
Inside the room, there was a chilling Sword Qi.
Besides that, there was also a faint trace of a living human presence.
There is actually a living person here!
Ning Fan’s vigilance instantly rose to the peak, and his spirit sense swiftly penetrated through the door into the room.
Upon seeing the scene inside, Ning Fan was momentarily stunned, then fell silent.
"Who... who is it..." a feeble female voice emanated.
"Senior, are you Mengx Bingyun?" Ning Fan asked indifferently.
"You... how do you know... who are you..." The woman seemed on the verge of death.
"I was tasked by Xia Wuyou to find Mengx Bingyun’s remains, but I never imagined that Mengx Bingyun would still be alive. Living like this, isn’t it more painful than dying..." Ning Fan closed his eyes, sighing deeply.
A gust of sword wind swept by, and the door slowly opened.
Little Dugu’s cold gaze glanced into the room, and the next moment, she also went silent.
Inside the room, there was an intricate Sword Array.
The flying swords used for the array were all swords from the Crystal Palace.
The empty sword sheaths seen earlier had long been taken, used for setting up the Sword Array.
A woman sat cross-legged in the center of the Sword Array, her body so ethereal, just a wisp of a Residual Soul.
Within the Sword Array, sword lights would pierce through her ethereal Residual Soul at intervals.
The agony of that was unspeakable.
That woman was precisely Mengx Bingyun, not beautiful, yet she had a more stubborn gaze than many men.
The Sword Array she set up was called the ’Array of Subduing Undeath’.
This is an Immortal Array-level Sword Array, requiring numerous Immortal Swords, capable of subduing Dead Souls, denying them reincarnation.
However, the Residual Souls of the dead would suffer the torment of a thousand swords piercing the heart daily, losing their physical defense, losing their cultivations, losing everything, until in the end, only a wisp of Residual Soul remained in the world.
"Wuyou... you say you were tasked by Wuyou... he’s still alive, isn’t he, is he well..." Tears shimmered in Mengx Bingyun’s eyes.
Waiting in desolation for six million years, she had never cried.
Suffering the torment of a thousand swords piercing the heart daily, she had never cried.
But upon hearing news of her beloved, she couldn’t hold back her tears.
"He is by the Sword Lake, where one can enter only once, and the second entry means certain death. He cannot come in, has tried for six million years, but couldn’t enter... he always wished to find your remains and entrusted me to enter the Sword Lake. Yet little did he know, you are still in the world; if he knew..."
Ning Fan had just finished speaking when Mengx Bingyun suddenly pleaded, "Don’t let him know! Don’t let him know that I am living in such a way... If he knew, he would be sad, he would feel guilty, he would blame himself... I don’t want him to blame himself."
"Knowing he’s still alive is enough for me. Knowing there’s finally a shadow of me in his heart is enough for me... You should go, tell him you couldn’t find Mengx Bingyun’s remains... let him forget about me..."
"What if the young one insists on taking Senior with him, allowing Senior to meet with Senior Xia?" Ning Fan said calmly.
"I would rather die than meet him. When you take me away from the Sword Array, I will die." Mengx Bingyun closed her eyes in sorrow.
It’s not that she doesn’t want to meet him; she just doesn’t want him to be sad, to blame himself, to see her at her worst.
Ning Fan remained silent; he had promised Sovereign Xia to bring Mengx Bingyun’s remains back, and since Mengx Bingyun was alive, he naturally had to bring her back.
But Mengx Bingyun insisted on not returning, and if forced, she would seek death.
Ning Fan was in a dilemma, shaking his head, finding the complexity of a woman’s heart truly baffling.
Mengx Bingyun endured six million years of suffering here; wasn’t it to see Sovereign Xia?
Clearly, they could meet now, so why not meet...
"Little demon Ning, could you step out for a moment? I’ll try to persuade her."
Little Dugu looked earnestly at Ning Fan, her gaze seemingly conveying three words.
Trust me.
Ning Fan hesitated for a moment, and thought, perhaps a woman persuading another woman might indeed be more appropriate.
"Very well, it’s said there’s a great secret of immortality hidden beneath the Sword Lake, likely somewhere in this Crystal Palace. I’ll search again, to see if there’s any transcendent secret."
Ning Fan squeezed Little Dugu’s soft palm, smiled, and turned to leave.
Little Dugu then walked into the room, looking at Mengx Bingyun with sympathy and pity.
"May I call you Sister Mengx?"
"...You may."
...
Ning Fan didn’t eavesdrop on what the two women discussed. Since he chose to trust Little Dugu, he would continue to trust her.
He walked back and forth three times in the Crystal Palace, yet he still hadn’t found any transcendent secret within the palace.
Not to mention a transcendent secret, there weren’t even any expensive pills or Dao Crystals.
Originally, some Immortal Swords were hanging on the walls, but they’ve already been set up as a Sword Array by Mengx Bingyun, leaving the palace devoid of any opportunities.
"The rumors of a transcendent secret hidden here really were just rumors..."
Shaking his head, Ning Fan stood outside a bedroom... the former bedroom of the sword ancestor.
He did not immediately go to find Little Dugu.
This bedroom was only a hundred steps away from the room where Little Dugu was located.
Ning Fan decided to wait here for Little Dugu.
He sat by the crystal table, playing with the empty wine cup on the table, his eyes scanning the four walls of the bedroom.
On the wall, there also hung an empty sword sheath; the Immortal Sword had likely been taken by Mengx Bingyun.
Besides that, there was a painting on the wall, depicting the back of a woman in white, a gentle figure.
Three thousand strands of black hair fluttered, a hand gently pressing down her hair by her temples, a slightly revealed side profile with a hint of a smile, though not clearly visible.
That back looked somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere...
Right, it was the back of the Sword Ancestor.
Ning Fan had seen the back of the Sword Ancestor several times, each time accompanied by mass slaughter, each time stepping on piles of white bones.
"The Heavens and Fiendgods, are all but ants. If I break my sword, the world shall have no more martial force..."
He still remembered the Sword Ancestor’s cold yet tyrannical words, viewing all the heavens and Fiendgods as mere ants.
Who would have thought that such a cold woman would also have moments of smiling.
Such a gentle figure, not at all like someone who would slaughter all Fiendgods...
Wait a minute!
Ning Fan suddenly stood up, disbelief written all over his face as he looked at the painting.
In the painting, there was actually a butterfly!
The Sword Ancestor was smiling at that butterfly!
Upon seeing that butterfly, Ning Fan’s mind went blank, and only after a long time did his gaze gradually clear.
"That butterfly, seems to be from one of my past lives..."
"In a past life, did I meet the Sword Ancestor..."
Ning Fan remained silent, approaching and taking down the painting to examine it carefully.
Gradually, Ning Fan’s Heart Spirit involuntarily sank into the painting.
In a valley dense with flowers and grass, a girl in white sat hugging her knees on the ground, her face not clearly visible, only the smile at the corner of her mouth.
Her delicate hand raised slightly, reaching out to tease a butterfly in front of her, smiling lightly, "Little butterfly, why do you want to break through the domain gate? Do you really wish to go to the Purple Dou Immortal Domain? I have guarded the gate for so many years, seen all sorts of intruders, killed them all, yet you astonish me... You’re so weak; you can’t possibly breach the gate."
The butterfly fluttered, seemingly impatient, not wanting to engage with this talkative woman.
"Quite the temper, huh? If I hadn’t spared you with my sword, even if you were an Immortal Emperor, you’d be dead. You know, you’re the first one in my life I couldn’t bear to strike—not a person, but a butterfly. If the Primeval Immortal Emperor were to know, he might reprimand me..."
In the sky, there were ten black suns; this was not the Purple Dou Immortal Domain.
...
Ning Fan opened his eyes, a look of profound shock in his gaze.
He put away the ancient painting, his heart unsettled for a long time.
Although he hadn’t found any significant secret to becoming an Immortal in the Crystal Palace, he got to know more astonishing news.
The Sword Ancestor was not from the Purple Dou Immortal Domain...
The Sword Ancestor hailed from another Immortal Domain, whose Sovereign was known as the Primeval.
Could that Immortal Domain perhaps be called the Primeval Immortal Realm...
Ning Fan’s gaze darkened slightly. It seemed the butterfly originally also came from outside the Purple Dou Immortal Domain.
Was the butterfly also from the outside realm, and Ning Fan, did he come from the outside too...
"Young Friend Ning, let’s go; Sister Mengx has agreed to come with us."
While Ning Fan was deep in thought, Little Dugu and Mengx Bingyun slowly walked into the room.
Ning Fan relaxed his brows, shaking his head with self-mockery.
Whether it’s the Purple Dou Immortal Domain or the Primeval Immortal Realm, these are not the issues I should ponder.
Just like what the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign said during the life-and-death tribulation, some things are not for someone like me to know at this point in time.
These matters are too far-reaching. The only thing he currently wishes to know is the relationship between his past self and the Sword Ancestor.
However, it seems this question will be left unanswered for now.
"Did Madam truly persuade Senior Mengx? Madam’s eloquence is unparalleled, putting her husband to shame." Ning Fan imitated a scholar’s manner, making a deep bow to Little Dugu, causing her face to flush red.
"You’re incorrigible!" Little Dugu gave a soft humph, but her eyes showed a hint of happiness. "You don’t need to ask what I discussed with Sister Mengx. Just take us away from Sword Lake now."
"Alright. But first, Senior Mengx will have to bear with being in the Yuan Yao World for a while, for your Residual Soul is weak and cannot endure even the slightest chill."
Ning Fan stroked the Yuan Yao Jade, and with Mengx Bingyun’s consent, he stowed her away in the Yuan Yao World.
Then he wrapped his arm around Little Dugu’s slender waist, transforming into an Escape Rainbow, heading straight towards Sword Lake.
Borrowing the power of the Spirit has its time limits too.
Ning Fan’s cultivation was gradually dropping back to the Fracture Sixth level; he must return before his cultivation fully recedes.
By the lakeside, Sovereign Xia stared blankly at the lake, restoring his Mana while reminiscing about the past.
Thinking of the woman who loved him deeply, Sovereign Xia felt a heart-wrenching pain, yet could only close his eyes and sigh longingly.
"I hope Young Friend Ning can recover Bingyun’s remains. If he can’t... alas..." Sovereign Xia’s expression was bitter.
People never cherish what they have until it’s gone, and then it’s too late for regret. Humans are truly wretched.
If he had listened to Bingyun back then and not gone adventuring in the secret land...
If he had shown that woman some tenderness...
But there are no ’ifs’ in the world; she’s already gone...
Swoosh!
A rainbow light burst out from the surface of the lake—it was Ning Fan and Little Dugu.
Seeing Ning Fan return, Sovereign Xia, who had been sitting cross-legged meditating, suddenly stood up, a hint of nervousness flickering in his golden pupils.
"Young Friend Ning, have you managed to find Bingyun’s remains..."
Sovereign Xia’s fists were clenched tightly, his aged face tense, feeling a nervousness he hadn’t experienced in six million years.
Before Ning Fan could speak, Little Dugu gracefully stepped forward, saying blandly, "There are no remains of Sister Mengx at the bottom of Sword Lake."
"No remains... hehe, hehe..."
Sovereign Xia tried to smile calmly, but he couldn’t remain calm. In his sudden deep sorrow, his already weakened body began to cough up blood uncontrollably.
"Madam, you..." Ning Fan was speechless. Was Little Dugu deliberately making Sovereign Xia anxious?
Little Dugu blinked at Ning Fan, signaling him not to speak.
She was here to stand up for Mengx Bingyun.
Mengx Bingyun had been so good to Sovereign Xia, yet was always neglected. It was only after Mengx Bingyun ’died’ that Sovereign Xia realized his mistakes.
Mengx Bingyun herself wouldn’t want to see Sovereign Xia suffer, but Little Dugu...
Now that she and Mengx Bingyun were good sisters, naturally, she would stand up for her sister.
Letting Sovereign Xia cough up some blood—what’s wrong with that? He deserves it!
Little Dugu glanced back at Ning Fan and nodded in satisfaction.
In her heart, she thought her man was still the best, not obsessed with cultivation to the point of neglecting his loved ones.
Thinking this, Little Dugu found Ning Fan to be quite peculiar.
Whereas other young men were driven to charge into the path of immortality, shouting slogans about defying fate and slaying immortals, or thinking themselves unrivaled, constantly showing off and humiliating others.
Her man, from the beginning, had no interest in becoming an immortal; it seemed he always knew what he truly wanted.
Sovereign Xia had lived six million years to understand his life.
Her man had just started on the path, yet he understood the importance of cherishing family and loved ones.
Yes, a man is truly best when he comes from one’s own family.
"Young Friend Ning, I wish to be alone for a moment. Please rest here briefly. Once I’ve regained my mana, I’ll send you back to Snow Frontier... As for the matter I promised you, I will certainly accomplish it. Later, I’ll give you a jade tablet for cross-realm communication. If there’s trouble in the Rain Immortal World in the future, feel free to inform me. If I fly at full speed, I can arrive in the Rain Immortal World in a maximum of ten moments and annihilate any invading enemies for you..."
After speaking, Sovereign Xia turned around dejectedly, walking away step by step into the distance.
Having stood up for justice enough, Little Dugu called out to Sovereign Xia once more in a calm tone, "Senior Xia, if you wish to be alone, why not find solitude with Sister Mengx together."
"Together? Sister Mengx?"
Earlier, in his momentary distraction, Sovereign Xia didn’t notice anything odd about Little Dugu’s address.
Now, hearing Little Dugu’s words, he was suddenly stunned.
Why did she refer to Bingyun as Sister Mengx? Did she know Bingyun?
What does it mean to find solitude with Bingyun together? Could it be they had found Bingyun’s remains?
As he was pondering this, Ning Fan gently caressed the Yuan Yao Jade, then, holding Little Dugu, he flew towards the other side of Sword Lake, speaking to Sovereign Xia,
"Senior Xia, Senior Meng, we are waiting for you on the other side of Sword Lake."
A flash of light appeared on the spot, and a woman in a blue dress gradually appeared.
She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but Sovereign Xia fell into a daze the moment he laid eyes on her...
"Bing, Bingyun! You, you!" Sovereign Xia rubbed his eyes in disbelief, confirming he wasn’t mistaken.
The person standing before him was unmistakably Mengx Bingyun, with an aura that was undeniably hers.
Only, Mengx Bingyun was reduced to merely a residual soul...
Upon the residual soul, there were countless sword wounds.
"The Array of Subduing Undeath!" The name of the formation suddenly sprang to Sovereign Xia’s mind!
In an instant, it felt as though a dagger had plunged into his heart. In utter anguish, he drew Mengx Bingyun into his embrace.
For six million years, how much suffering must she have endured...
It was my fault, I wronged her! From today on, no one is allowed to take her away!
"Wuyou... this is the first time you’ve held me..." Mengx Bingyun quietly nestled in Sovereign Xia’s embrace, revealing a look of happiness.
Suddenly, she felt somewhat thankful for the little Dugu girl.
If it weren’t for that little girl’s persuasion, she might never have had this moment of happiness...(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to visit qidian.com to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)