Chapter 516: A Letter That Carries My Heart

From afar, the ancient battlefield looked like a dark forest drifting through space.

Inside a hollow piece of dead wood, Wang Sheng sat cross-legged in silence. His immortal power had long torn apart his tattered Daoist robe. Several seven-colored celestial crystals revolved around him as his aura rose and fell in quiet waves.

After hundreds of years, he had finally broken through his bottleneck. Looking back, the obstacle that had blocked him for so many decades had been nothing more than a trace of doubt buried in his heart. Too much time in the blood mine had let the fiend-blood energy stain his thoughts enough for despair to seep into him.

He was not as strong as he had believed. Fortunately, the Eastern Kang Star Deity had saved him and helped him escape the Celestial Wind Sect's pursuit, allowing him to break free of his restraints.

Now, the vast sea of stars was his to roam.

He meditated for two days to stabilize his realm, then opened his eyes. There was no joy in them, only a faint heaviness.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Wang Sheng stared at the ancient battlefield for some time. He knew he still had to return to it once he avoided the Celestial Wind Sect's first wave of search parties.

Wang Sheng had to find a temporary foothold, and that required knowing which of the thirteen qi planets in the region wasn't under the Celestial Wind Sect's influence.

Having been trapped in the blood mine for hundreds of years, he was desperate for news of his senior sister. He wanted to see her face again, to hear her call him "Junior Brother" once more.

However, by the time he'd return to Earth and come back out, more than two hundred years would have passed in the endless space.

Wang Sheng hesitated once more. It was not cultivation that stopped him from going back home. He didn't have any ties out here either, and he couldn't really feel the difference in the time flow of the endless space and the Realm of Exiled Immortals. Moreover, though he was a challenger of the ancient battlefield's thirteen qi planets, it made no difference whether he challenged it now or centuries later.

The reason he hesitated was that he wanted to become powerful enough to obliterate the Celestial Wind Sect as soon as possible. Only then could he build a foundation that would let Earth's cultivation world broaden its horizons. He also feared that once he returned and saw his senior sister, he would never be willing to leave again.

Because of the years he had spent in the blood mine, his experience in cultivating outside the Realm of Exiled Immortals had become bleak. He had to be patient, especially since he would have to prolong his stay here. The Celestial Wind Sect would search for him for some time; there was no point in stepping into their path.

Looking at the immortal armor and greatsword in his Qiankun Ring, Wang Sheng fell into thought. He still couldn't make sense of the many strange things that the skeleton had done, including the fact that it greeted Yaoyun with a mere conventional salute, yet later knelt before him.

Though it seemed ridiculous, he couldn't help but conclude,

Am I... the reincarnation of Yaoyun's father?!

Tinged with irritation, Yaoyun telepathically exclaimed, "

Pfft! Stop thinking nonsense!

"

"

Done resting, are you?

" Wang Sheng sighed.

"If you don't want me guessing, then be honest with me. What exactly did you show Star Deity Li with that light at your fingertip? You keep calling yourself my sword spirit and read my thoughts every day, yet you refuse to open yours to your sword master. Such a bitter life I have."

"

When the time comes, I'll tell you all that I know. Right now, it'll be detrimental for you to learn these things.

"

Wang Sheng shook his head. "

Misfortune leans on fortune. If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know whether it's good or bad?

"

Yaoyun simply ignored him.

Wang Sheng pressed a hand to his forehead. After calculating how many days he had stayed here, he guided the dead wood toward another direction.

He hadn't witnessed the outcome of the battle at the blood mine.

The skeleton had to have fully regained its consciousness. Seeing how dangerous Wang Sheng's circumstances were, it sent him away from the battlefield before turning back to face the pursuers from the Celestial Wind Sect.

The Celestial Wind Sect had wanted Star Deity Li's greatsword and immortal armor. However, using some unknown technique, his skeleton had somehow delivered both treasures to Wang Sheng, who wasted no time storing them in his Qiankun Ring. Afterward, he escaped from the hurtling rock and hid in space.

Setting aside the questions in his heart, he found it unfortunate that they had lost the Star Deity. With Yaoyun guiding him, he would've had a chance to survive as a spiritual entity. He could have lived somehow.

Instead, he chose death. Engaging the enemy in a fierce battle, he left behind one last forgotten symphony on the ancient battlefield.

The Celestial Wind Sect suffered heavy losses with nothing to show for it. Meanwhile, after centuries in captivity, Wang Sheng had reached the late stage of the Primordial Immortal Realm and even got two priceless treasures for free.

By any measure, the Celestial Wind Sect suffered a grievous blow. Nevertheless, Wang Sheng was the one who now harbored hatred for them.

On his first day at the blood mine, he had not felt much resentment. All he thought about then was how powerful he had to be to secure a place for Earth's cultivation world in the endless space despite the Celestial Wind Sect's pressure looming over them. No righteousness was involved in such a conflict, only clashing interests. After all, it was merely a fight for territory.

However, after the Star Deity's death, Wang Sheng examined his Dao Heart and found that he now hated the Celestial Wind Sect. A cultivator had to follow their Dao Heart. From this point onward, he and the Celestial Wind Sect would not rest until one of them had perished.

"

Yaoyun, why don't you go back and deliver some letters for me?

"

"

Mm?

"

Yaoyun sounded slightly confused.

"

You want me to return by myself?

"

"

Yes. I'll take you back into the Realm of Exiled Immortals and throw you at my fastest speed toward Earth. With Soaring Red Feathers, I'm now twice as fast as I had been as an early-stage Ascended Immortal. The return trip should only take five months.

"

Once you reach Earth, deliver the message, collect their reply, then come back. Xi Lian can give you a ride on the Shadowless Shuttle. The round trip will take about a year and a half, which is a hundred fifty years out here. I'll spend that time hiding in some quiet corner, contemplating the principle of the undying true spirit.

"

Yaoyun questioned, "

What if you come across a powerful enemy while I'm away?

"

"

Don't worry. My heart has calmed down now, and every place has its own survival rules. The thirteen qi planets here attract so many unaffiliated practitioners because all the factions here follow certain agreements. Even though the Celestial Wind Sect is the strongest around these parts, others can still counter it. Moreover, I'll be hiding outside its territory. I'll come pick you up after a hundred fifty years.

"

"

In that case, settle down somewhere first. I'll deliver your letters once you have.

"

Rendered speechless, Wang Sheng couldn't help but feel as though his sword spirit was beginning to behave like a manager.

He asked several times about Yaoyun's secret, but no matter how subtly he probed or how patiently he coaxed, she never yielded. She refused to reveal even half a word.

Although he was her sword master, he could not force her to obey him since their relationship was not the same as that of an ordinary sword master and sword spirit. Unlike Nameless, who behaved like a servant before Wenqu Star, Yaoyun acted like an aunt to Wang Sheng—one he dared not offend.

Wang Sheng quickly slipped back to the ancient battlefield. He then stripped a Grand Immortal-Ascension Realm unaffiliated practitioner of his outer robe and quietly stole a pair of new boots and trousers from two other cultivators.

Disguised as an unaffiliated practitioner who was new in the area, he gathered information on the forces across the thirteen qi planets and then decided on his next move. Through it all, he stayed as far away as possible from Tianfeng.

Wang Sheng spent more than half a year creating a map, outlining the ancient battlefield and the distribution of faction influence across the thirteen qi planets in careful detail. He also wrote a simple account of his conflict with the Celestial Wind Sect.

Finally, he offered his advice regarding the development of Earth's cultivation world: cultivate steadily and wait for his signal. Since the situation out here was relatively stable, he found no reason for Earth's cultivation world to rush into the endless space.

In truth, he really just wanted to send back three letters: one for his senior sister, one for his master, and one for his family. The map was just a bonus.

To them, he had only been gone for a few years, but centuries had already passed for him. His longing could only be conveyed through these letters.

***

Half a year later, on a qi planet jointly governed by the Fengli Sect and two other immortal sects.

Wang Sheng had rented a little courtyard in a corner of a small city. At night, its layers upon layers of arrays would activate along with the ones scattered throughout the entire city, glowing like overlapping turtle shells.

Sitting before a lamp, Wang Sheng picked up his brush and paused several times. The thin paper before him was already filled with writing.

At dawn, he looked at the letters he had written, folded them neatly, and set them aside. He then took a new sheet and wrote one simple line.

All is well out here. Do not worry.

Wang Sheng sighed. "This will do."

He placed the letters into a storage artifact he had just bought, a small pouch, then tied the pouch to the hilt of Spiritless.

"Is that everything?" Yaoyun asked.

Wang Sheng smiled. "Yes. Remember to bring back my senior sister's reply. If you can get a phone and record a few videos, that would be even better."

Yaoyun nodded lightly. "Very well. I'll keep that in mind."

Wang Sheng thought about it a little longer, concluding that he had prepared all that he had to.

He placed a jade hairpin, which he had found while wandering the city, into a storage artifact. Feeling it suited his senior sister best, he had bought it with Spirit Stones.

Still smiling, he commented, "It has only been a few years over there. Senior Sister likely hadn't changed much."

Wang Sheng paused, walked to the wardrobe, and took out a bronze mirror. He then summoned a dagger and shaved his beard clean.

Watching his reflection, he thought his looks hadn't changed at all. He looked just like the young Ascended Immortal who had once chased a celestial insect with single-minded focus. However, his eyes were now far more weary and showed far less clarity.

He put on a pale-blue Daoist robe and strapped a "decorative" sword on his back. Afterward, he stored Spiritless in the Qiankun Ring and walked proudly out of the courtyard and the city. The better he blended in, the less attention he drew.

Like any other unaffiliated practitioner, he flew toward the ancient battlefield. Many streaks of light passed back and forth along the star route, giving it a lively atmosphere.

For Wang Sheng, this was the moment he truly stepped into the endless space. He could only blame the Celestial Wind Sect for the centuries he had lost in between.

Sneaking back to the giant Buddha statue, he dug a hole into its back and crawled inside. Afterward, he examined every corner to make sure there was no trace of any anomaly.

Soon, he entered the wormhole. A few hours later, he crawled out again. He exited through the hole in the statue's back, sealed it completely, and quietly left the ancient battlefield.