Chapter 629: What Is a Divine Immortal?

That breath of the dragon, filled with boundless spiritual resonance, carried no destruction and only endless vitality.

Before their eyes, the barren mountain turned green. Grass sprouted like threads, trees budded, and peach blossoms bloomed beside terraced fields and sheer cliffs. The chill of winter vanished in an instant, and the eastern wind had already arrived.

In the blink of an eye, heaven and earth were transformed.

“

Whoosh

...”

The azure dragon soared away, piercing into the blue sky.

Though the true dragon was as vast as a mountain, the heavens and earth were even broader. Before long, it had disappeared without a trace.

This was likely the first time it had left in many years, and also the last. No one knew where it was going.

“...”

Song You, bathed in the lingering spiritual resonance, withdrew his gaze. His eyes were filled with sorrow as he shook his head and sighed, “From this day forth, true dragons have truly vanished from the world...”

The cat also raised her head high, eyes wide, still staring in the direction the dragon had gone. Though the sky was now empty, the majestic, sacred figure seemed to remain before her eyes.

The swallow, too, gazed in that direction, filled with emotion.

The Decline of the Dharma[1] was near...

So thought the swallow.

It was strange; though he had only come to this realization today, when he looked back on the years he had followed his master, it felt as though he had already been a witness to this unfolding process. It clearly hadn’t started just today, nor would it begin at some vague point in the future. It had started long ago. He simply hadn’t noticed until now.

Was this a good thing?

The swallow couldn't help but wonder.

In ancient times, cultivators were as numerous as stars, demons roamed everywhere, and the heavens were filled with divine beings. If there was ever an age of true spiritual cultivation and power, that era was undoubtedly its peak.

Yet paradoxically, that era was the harshest for the common folk. Especially for humans, life was brutal and primitive by modern standards, constantly under threat of being devoured by monsters, kidnapped for sacrificial rituals to gods, or dragged away to accompany someone in death. Other sentient beings fared no better.

Cultivators hunted demons, slew gods and Buddhas, and divine and demonic forces clashed in wars that shattered heavens and earth. Any creature with intelligence struggled to survive.

Compared to that, today could indeed be called the Decline of the Dharma. But the human world had become far more peaceful and beautiful.

Rituals and laws had grown refined, civilization more radiant. People had vast cities and an abundance of goods. Compared to ancient times, it was as if the world had entirely changed.

What, then, would the future look like? The swallow could not imagine.

Perhaps it would be a better age for humanity and the common people. But would it be better for the other creatures of the world? For spirits, monsters, and ghosts? For someone like the swallow himself? The swallow still couldn’t understand.

At this moment, Song You had already withdrawn the spiritual resonance in his hand.

Perhaps because it had once belonged to the true dragon, this aura now resembled a jade-like orb. It was a bluish green, and its surface was shrouded in mist. It glowed with a soft azure light, exuding boundless vitality.

The Daoist placed it back into his travel pack.

Mr. Liu stared blankly at his actions. He remained in a daze until the Daoist stepped forward and offered him a respectful bow.

“These past days, many thanks for your care, Mr. Liu. Now that we’ve witnessed the grandeur of the true dragon and obtained what we sought, it’s time for us to leave. May I ask when you plan to descend the mountain?”

“Descend the mountain...” The middle-aged Mr. Liu still hadn’t quite snapped out of his trance.

Suddenly, his mind flashed back to the old man who had been freeloading off their wine and meat these past two days, drinking and chatting with them as if he belonged. Then he recalled the moment when the true dragon soared into the sky but paused mid-air to lower its head and make eye contact with the Daoist beside him. Then came the image of the glowing orb expelled from the dragon’s mouth, landing in the Daoist’s hands.

And then, he remembered what that old man had once said, “You merchant, how short-sighted you are. If you truly wish to befriend a cultivated immortal, just cherish the one beside you. Why bother with others?”

So the immortal had been right there beside him all along.

The middle-aged Mr. Liu now recalled his own words, how he often discussed strange tales of gods and spirits with like-minded friends. But no matter how fantastical or vivid those stories were, no matter if they were seen with one’s own eyes... could any compare to witnessing a true dragon rise into the sky? And now, it felt like he had truly lived such a tale himself.

Finally snapping back to reality, the middle-aged Mr. Liu responded repeatedly in agreement, “Oh, oh, yes, descend the mountain...”

“There’s no need to be so formal, Mr. Liu,” Song You said gently. “I’m but a humble Daoist Master, nothing more than a passerby who crossed paths with you by fate. Please, set your heart at ease.”

“Yes, yes...”

“Is there anything else, Mr. Liu?”

“No, nothing.”

“Then please gather your things. We’ll wait here and go down the mountain together with you.”

“Alright...”

The middle-aged Mr. Liu stumbled forward, almost tripping as he rushed off.

Song You remained in place, watching him go and also glancing toward the few remaining reclusive wanderers further up the mountain.

These people should be content now. It was time for them to return home.

“Was that really a dragon?” At last, the cat beside him spoke.

“Yes,” Song You replied.

“It’s different from what we saw at sea,” the cat said, eyes still shimmering with shock and the glow of memory. “Bigger than the one we saw over the ocean. But... there’s something else different about it too.”

“That was a true dragon, the last true dragon in this world.”

“So there won’t be any more?

Meow

?”

“Maybe...”

“Where did it go?”

“No one knows. Maybe it just wanted to see the world one last time,” Song You replied, shaking his head with a sigh. The true dragon’s heart had already faded... and time was running out.

“

Meow

...”

The cat kept glancing up at the sky.

Meanwhile, Song You took out the wood-element spiritual resonance, and then the other four elemental essences. He held all five in his hands, letting them float around him.

The five-elemental spiritual resonances, each mysterious and boundless, came from separate corners of the world, and yet were subtly connected. Simply placing them together, without using them for anything yet, caused their profound energies to begin resonating. They twined together, influenced one another, as if they were linking up with the Great Dao itself.

There was a strong, almost overwhelming sense that they wanted to merge.

Just a moment of reflection, and Song You already gained insight. But he didn’t dare let them continue their entanglement. Afraid some transformation might occur right here on the spot, he forcibly interrupted and severed their connection, then returned them to his pouch.

Not long after, Mr. Liu returned. Song You descended the mountain with them.

***

Two days later, on the official road at the foot of the mountain...

The Daoist stood at the roadside. A calico cat squatted at his feet, and a jujube-red horse stood beside him. Facing the middle-aged man, Song You bowed in farewell. “The world is vast. From here, we part ways, and may never meet again in this lifetime. Mr. Liu, take care.”

“May I ask where you’ll go next, sir?”

“I should be heading to Fengzhou. There’s something important there,” Song You answered plainly. “From here, I’ll pass through Xuzhou, then Jingzhou, and finally reach Fengzhou.”

“There’s something I’d like to ask...” Mr. Liu hesitated.

“Please speak freely, Mr. Liu.”

“Sir...” The middle-aged man looked up at Song You. After a long pause, he finally asked, “Are you... a divine immortal?”

“Heh...” Song You couldn’t help but laugh.

It was both an easy and a difficult question to answer.

But... what

is

a divine immortal, really?

In the vast mountains of Pingzhou, there were nature-born spirits that protected regions of wandering ghosts and demons. To those beings,

he

was a divine immortal.

In Hezhou’s former Gui Commandery, now the Ghost City of Fengzhou, there was a humble monk with little power but deep compassion and insight. To those he saved,

he

was a divine immortal.

Even the divine doctors of the human world possess no true cultivation, yet they spend their lives traveling across rivers and regions, tending to places ravaged by plague. In the end, they wear their bodies down, but save countless lives. People believe they must be immortals descended to earth, for how else could one have such ability and such a compassionate heart?

So then, was Song You a divine immortal?

Ask different people, and you would get different answers.

But if you were to ask him...

“I am no immortal,” he would say. “I’m merely a Daoist from the mountains, with some cultivation and a bit of knowledge of the Daoist arts.”

“Truly?”

“Truly.”

“...All my life,” said Mr. Liu, his eyes thoughtful and faraway, “I’ve been fascinated by immortals and the Dao, obsessed with longevity and cultivation. But only when I reached middle age did I realize I would never become immortal, nor master the arts of cultivation.

“Still, I’ve always longed for stories of spirits and the strange. Who would have thought that the closest I’d ever come to an immortal would be this, realizing only

after

parting with you, sir, that I had already met one face to face.”

He cupped his hands in deep respect, seemingly not listening to Song You’s denial.

“To have met you is the great fortune of my life. I wish you smooth journeys, with the wind at your back and success in all things.”

“The good fortune was mine to have crossed paths with you, Mr. Liu.”

Song You cupped his hands and bowed in return.

Then the two men walked in opposite directions.

The merchant made his way back toward the county town of Luchuan. He went up a gentle slope, turning back every few steps to look.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The Daoist, leading a cat and a horse, walked southward. The official road dipped gently, curving through woods and bamboo groves. Under the sunlight, each bamboo glowed a soft green, like the beginning of summer. Step by step, the Daoist walked farther and farther away.

Yunzhou bordered both Yizhou and Xuzhou. Though Song You had come from Yizhou, he would not return there.

Previously, he had traveled from Yizhou through Xuzhuo and Pingzhou to Jingzhou, taking a roundabout route. But now, he chose a more direct path, heading straight from Yunzhou to Xuzhou, passing through its northern half, then continuing through Jingzhou to reach Fengzhou.

Along the way, he would once again pass through Liujiang River. He would also stop by Fuyun Temple to collect the fluid from the Four Seasons Spring.

It was still the same small traveling party. Once again, it was a journey through layers of mountains and rivers. Some paths were unfamiliar, while others were familiar, but every road brought its own scenery and its own state of mind.

Hardly had he left Yunzhou when he began hearing local rumors. In many towns and villages, people spoke of how, just days ago, they had accidentally looked up and seen a dragon flying across the sky. The dates all roughly aligned; clearly, that true dragon had crossed thousands of li in a very short span of time. It was likely the final, true tale of dragons this world would ever know.

Yet sadly, it wouldn't be long before this true story of the dragon would begin to lose its truth, fading into hearsay, blending with the falsehoods, until future generations could no longer tell fact from fiction.

By the time Song You reached Xuzhou, there were whispers of a dragon falling into a remote mountain. Before it even touched the ground, it vanished into motes of light.

Song You only sighed upon hearing this. Perhaps... it was better not to know where it went.

He walked on.

Somewhere along the way, dazed by the motion of the journey, he thought he heard once again the chants of boatmen on the river, like echoes from a distant riverbank, or perhaps from a time long past. Mingled with the spring wind, it felt as though he were back in the age of the vanished dragon, and all of it, the chants, the wind, the dragon, were nothing but the echoes of history.

He followed the sound and indeed, came upon a river.

There were men hauling ropes, ferrymen guiding boats, fishermen casting lines. Some stood beneath trees, telling old tales and stories of immortals and gods.

But then,

what truly is a divine immortal?

1. The Decline of the Dharma, refers to traditional Buddhist accounts of how the Buddhist religion and the Buddha's teaching (Dharma) is believed to decline throughout history. It constitutes a key aspect of Buddhist eschatology and provides a cyclical model of history, beginning with a virtuous age where spiritual practice is very fruitful and ending with an age of strife, in which Buddhism is eventually totally forgotten. ☜