Chapter 408 - 386: The Self That Was, The Self That Is, The One True Self, My Dao Endures Forever

The Heaven and Earth Scale still contained over two hundred jin of General Spirit Level Demon Spirit Malice and over a dozen jin of Slaughter Spirit Level Demon Spirit Malice.

Based on Song Ciwan’s current capacity, the upper limit of Lifespan she could trade for in a single transaction was one thousand years. Any more than that, and she might "drift away" again.

Therefore, she could trade at most ten jin of General Spirit Level Demon Spirit Malice or one jin of Slaughter Spirit Level Demon Spirit Malice at a time.

Making ten trades a day, it would only take a little over three days to completely trade away all the Malice.

A little over three days—let’s round it up to four.

Thus, Song Ciwan’s Lifespan increased by ten thousand years each day. By the end of the third day, her total Lifespan had reached 159,600 years.

By the fourth day, when all the Demon Spirit Malice had been traded, her Lifespan had become 167,300 years.

At this point, Song Ciwan felt as light as a feather, finally free of her "debt." She no longer had to constantly worry about the Demon Spirit Malice left untraded in the Heaven and Earth Scale.

At that moment, Song Ciwan, sitting cross-legged in her Cultivation Room, suddenly let out a soft breath and began to laugh.

Although her Lifespan hadn’t reached the four hundred-odd thousand years she had originally envisioned, Song Ciwan sensed something else. The very essence of her life had undergone a qualitative leap. Consequently, if this Lifespan of over a hundred thousand years were to be used for combat—

—for example, to power the Sun and Moon Wheel of Formless Life and Death, then her current Lifespan would undoubtedly be much more "valuable" than her previous Lifespan!

It was, in a way, not a loss at all.

The reason it was considered "not a loss" was because the gain was mainly reflected in her life’s foundation and her combat power. However, the loss of time on her Lifespan was real and could not be compensated for.

After all, ’when you expect to get something but don’t, it’s not an exaggeration to call it a "loss," is it?’

But Song Ciwan saw things clearly. Acquiring Malice wasn’t a one-time deal. Just because she had sold off all the remaining Malice in the Heaven and Earth Scale didn’t mean she couldn’t replenish it later.

The Demon Realm was still there, not to mention that the Nine Provinces World had no shortage of Demon Fiends. With her Cultivation having soared, obtaining Malice was no longer a difficult task.

’Even if the exchange rate is lower, in the future... I’ll just have to kill more Slaughter Spirit Level Demon Spirits, or perhaps Core Formation Stage Demon Race members—’

’There will always be fiends to be slain, and demons to be killed.’

’What’s there to fear?’

A Lifespan of over a hundred thousand years was more than enough for Song Ciwan to truly walk the path of longevity in the long years to come.

At that moment, having traded away all the remaining Malice, Song Ciwan suddenly felt as if she had gotten rid of more than just Malice. It was as if she had shed an invisible burden, a subtle, lingering obsession!

So that was it. Back when she was obsessed with maximizing her gains, not daring to break through to Divinity Transformation because the Malice in the Heaven and Earth Scale had not yet been fully traded, she had already, unknowingly, fallen into the trap of this obsession.

She thought she was perfectly enlightened, but in reality, a Heart Demon can lurk anywhere!

Even Song Ciwan, a cultivator of the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting, was no exception.

Sitting cross-legged, Song Ciwan chuckled in self-deprecation once more.

She gently exhaled a breath of turbid air. It shot out like a sword of mist, striking the floor in front of her with a thud.

Instantly, the lights of various Arrays rippled through the Cultivation Room.

The Duality Dust Array within the Han Guang Glaze Residence activated spontaneously. Waves of arcane fluctuations spread out, swiftly neutralizing the impact and ensuring the Cultivation Room remained perfectly safe, while Song Ciwan’s own shifting aura was sealed so tightly that not a single trace leaked out.

「Outside, in Prince Yun’s Mansion in Guangling City.」

Prince Yun’s Mansion was magnificent and vast, and within its grounds lay a Four Seasons Garden.

A so-called Four Seasons Garden was one that contained the scenery of all four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—all at once.

Within a single step, one could see blooming flowers, lush summer foliage, bleak autumn winds, and blankets of white snow.

The saying "a new view with every step, a new season with every view" perfectly described the marvel of this Four Seasons Garden.

To be able to shrink the four seasons’ climates into this space and control them so harmoniously was clearly a feat of extraordinary Immortal Techniques, something beyond the reach of mortals.

At this moment, the Heir of Prince Yun sat high in a waterside attic. To the east of the attic, flowers were in full bloom; to the north, it was covered in ice and snow.

The Heir of Prince Yun was personally boiling water and steeping tea. Amidst the curling steam, he refilled the Third Princess’s cup, attentively caring for his new bride while listening to Yun Chong’s report.

Yun Chong said, "Fairy Song entered her residence for secluded Cultivation nine days ago. There has been no sign of her aura, nor any indication she intends to emerge."

The Heir of Prince Yun’s expression was noble and gentle. He brought the teacup to the Third Princess, who was reclining on a floral couch, and said nonchalantly, "Since she’s in seclusion, a mere nine days is nothing at all."

He added, "Forget nine days. With the abilities of a Celestial Pride like Song Zhao, going into seclusion for ninety days, or even nine hundred, would be perfectly ordinary. Ninety days would be fine, but if she were to remain in seclusion for nine hundred days... that would be making my dear wife wait, which would be most unfortunate."

This display of putting the Third Princess first in everything made her, who was lounging lazily on the soft couch, turn her head, a smile suddenly blooming on her radiant face.

She extended a slender, jade-like finger and gently tapped the Heir of Prince Yun on the forehead, chiding, "You, with your silver tongue. What do you mean ’making me wait’? It’s only nine hundred days. I’ve lived for millions of years; what are nine hundred days to me?"

The Heir of Prince Yun immediately raised a hand and gently tapped his own lips, chuckling. "Yes, yes, my dear wife is absolutely right. You are of a long-lived species; a mere nine hundred days is but the blink of an eye to you. It truly is nothing."

At this, he sighed again. "But while my dear wife’s life is long, your husband’s is short. We had agreed before that we would cherish our time together. Even if it’s only for a brief thousand years, as long as we can love each other for a lifetime, I would be content.

However, now that I am so blissfully intimate with you, I sometimes grow greedy and feel that a thousand years is too short... Every single day should be treasured. If we just wait idly in Prince Yun’s Mansion for these nine hundred days, wouldn’t we be wasting the precious time we have together?"

His logic wasn’t exactly wrong, but something about it still felt off.

The Third Princess tilted her head, propping her chin on one hand while accepting the teacup from the Heir of Prince Yun with the other.

She thought for a moment, head still tilted, then suddenly said, "But Ah Jing, Song Zhao might not be in seclusion for nine hundred days!"

The Heir of Prince Yun: "..."

The Third Princess giggled. "Maybe she’ll come out in ninety days?"

Then, she tilted her head again, her eyes hazy as if trying to recall something. "But... I just saw her not long ago. Why do I have to see her again? Is it okay if I don’t? Ah Jing, you said you wanted to go to the Merfolk Abyss with me. We can still go!"

She looked at Yun Chong and said, "When Song Zhao comes out of seclusion, you can just send us a message, right? We can rush back from the Merfolk Abyss anytime, so it won’t cause any delays."

This logic was also flawless, leaving the Heir of Prince Yun even more at a loss for words.

Without waiting for Yun Chong or the Heir of Prince Yun to respond, the Third Princess clapped her hands, her face lit with joy. "Ah Jing, that’s settled then! It’s perfect! Ah Jing..."

She leaned in, her radiant face suddenly filling Bu Jingxing’s vision.

A sweet fragrance washed over him, and for a moment, Bu Jingxing felt a daze. In that brief instant of stupor, the Third Princess threw her arms around him, and the space around them began to shift rapidly.

The transformation came without any warning, yet it was perfectly smooth and seamless, without a hint of lag.

Countless lights and shadows dissipated around them, the shifting scenes forming a mysterious, indescribable tunnel through time and space. It felt as if only a moment had passed before all the images vanished. The next instant, the Heir of Prince Yun felt his feet touch solid ground.

He focused his eyes and saw that he was surrounded by dim light and rippling water.

The "solid ground" was actually a stretch of soft, fine sand on the seabed.

Seaweed swayed above the sand, and tiny, brightly colored fish darted cheerfully between the fronds. In the distance, it seemed a colossal turtle carrying a city on its back was leisurely swimming their way.

The scene before him was fantastical and bizarre. This was clearly no longer the Mortal World, but the bottom of the sea!

The Heir of Prince Yun was speechless for a moment before blurting out, "You... This is... the Merfolk Abyss?"

The Third Princess giggled. "Yes, it is, Ah Jing! Aren’t you surprised?"