Chapter 1031: Empty as if nothing is there, lost without loss

The terraced fields spiraled around the mountain peaks.

Two figures sat quietly atop them, gazing silently into the distance. They were Yao Yue and Chen Xun.

Yao Yue remained as dazzling as ever. Even dressed in the attire of a tea-picking girl, her former brilliance as the pride of the Yuehuang Clan couldn't be concealed.

With her Sacred Spirit Root and Sacred Body of Water and Moon, her future potential was limitless. Even at the mere Golden Elixir phase, she had already caught the attention of the immortal sects in the Wild Heaven Region.

Such treatment was something Chen Xun and Black Bull had never dared to dream of. Along their journey, they hadn't encountered many prodigies, except for the rather extraordinary Taixiao.

Yet, even when compared to Taixiao, if Yao Yue's path to immortality went smoothly, she might not fall short by much.

However, it seemed the heavens played a great joke on her. But this couldn't be blamed on the heavens; among all beings, there are always those with malicious intent. Not everything can be attributed to the heavens.

At this moment, Yao Yue looked at the vast mountains and rivers in the distance, murmuring with a smile, "Chen Xun."

"The tea is good, getting more flavorful," Chen Xun responded inexplicably, taking a light sip from the cup of tea Yao Yue had made herself.

"It's the first time I've seen you dressed so properly."

Yao Yue turned her head, her eyes brightening slightly as she teased, "Dressed in white with a jade pendant at your waist, your skin bright and fair, like a noble young master of the human race, though your gaze is a bit old-fashioned."

"Heh, in my youth, I was quite the handsome young man in the area," Chen Xun replied with unusual seriousness, without a hint of boasting. "If I really dressed up, it would only add regret to those young ladies."

"Heh." Yao Yue chuckled softly, almost rolling her eyes at Chen Xun. A dignified immortal, yet always speaking so unseriously—no wonder he couldn't find a Dao companion.

There were no rumors of any fairy admiring him. Ji Yan even mentioned that this Crossing the World was extremely stubborn and stingy to the core. Senior Black Bull must have endured a lot to follow him...

Not to mention any fairy would fancy him. It's likely that the first thing Crossing the World thinks when he sees someone is what treasures they might have worth spirit stones, making him quite unpopular among female human cultivators.

However, as a friend, there was no problem. To have such a confidant in life was to live without regrets!

Outsiders might not know Chen Xun's character, but the beings in the Immortal Prison understood him well. Other immortals were rumored to have been peerless figures in their youth, full of youthful vigor.

Both men and women had countless admirers, some even regretting for a lifetime.

Shi Rong Immortal was among them, and many elders of the Ancient Saint Clan who admired Gu Yuexi felt the same, loving but unable to attain, only cursing Shi Rong Immortal day and night... as unfilial.

But Chen Xun was considered a weirdo. In his youth, he was inconspicuous in the small boundary. After the world opened up, he unabashedly started a garbage recycling plant, picking up trash with the people from the Online Store...

All the stories of becoming an immortal with great flair and brilliance seemed not to apply to him. His radiance was too dim, too ordinary.

However, these were normal emotions for beings. No one in the Three Thousand Great Worlds judged them. Even the Taiyi Ancient Immortal Emperor had an Immortal Empress, and even the seemingly ruthless Human Emperor had one. There were certainly heartless cultivators, but they were never the majority.

At this moment.

Yao Yue showed no signs of nearing the end. Her vitality was abundant, her mana full, with no trace of the decline that comes with old age.

Such a situation would certainly shock countless cultivators outside. How could it be possible?!

The late state of a Great Ascension Venerable, with abundant vitality dissipating, holding onto the last breath, with mana and rule power reversing, forcibly reversing meridians and all signs of old age!

This seemed to be the survival instinct within a cultivator, trying to live as long as possible until everything was exhausted and they sat in meditation.

This situation sounded quite exaggerated. A Great Ascension Venerable could reverse their lifespan in old age, forcibly living on. It wasn't just about being hard to kill; it was even harder to sit in meditation...

You never know how long your Great Ascension body wants you to persist.

But Yao Yue's condition seemed too good, with no signs of old age, as if she were the same as before, vibrant and full of life...

However, her Dao heart had long withered silently, with no desire to survive. Her body seemed to have reluctantly given up, and the real Yao Yue had already passed away.

And under this seemingly normal internal operation, Yao Yue's immortal essence had begun to decay and wouldn't last through the night.

In recent years, Yao Yue had been touched by immortality, with Chen Xun silently extending her life.

At this moment, the mountain breeze blew gently, and the brown camellias bloomed brightly across the mountains, their beauty almost unreal.

Chen Xun's gaze focused slightly. These varieties of camellias... he had never seen or heard of them, but he was certain they didn't exist in the mortal world.

He spoke softly, his words tinged with a sense of age, "Where do you plan to go in the future?"

Yao Yue was slightly taken aback, slowly furrowing her brows, and glanced at the horizon, asking in return, "Chen Xun, where else can I go?"

"I've heard some legends about the Yuehuang Clan."

"Hmm?!" Yao Yue's words carried a hint of surprise, as if she had been seen through instantly, appearing a bit uneasy.

"I've taken a liking to reading now," Chen Xun said with a smile on his lips, "I've learned some racial immortal histories, just reading them as stories."

"Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"I don't." Chen Xun's eyes deepened slightly, speaking without hesitation. Along the way, he had never been as certain as he was today, "The heavens and earth have reincarnation, but beings do not."

He had another sentence he didn't say: even if there were reincarnation, in this vast Three Thousand Great Worlds, he wouldn't encounter it. If they truly met, it would likely be a carefully arranged encounter.

Yao Yue sighed softly, turning her head slightly, falling silent.

She naturally believed in the words of immortals.

Especially when Chen Xun had this demeanor, he wouldn't joke. After so many years together, she had come to understand Chen Xun well.

Chen Xun couldn't help but sigh slightly, "Yao Yue, I won't forcefully wish for anything, nor will I try to persuade you. But if there's anything unfinished, let me help you."

That matter, he couldn't empathize with. No matter what grand words he said, they would seem hypocritical.

Yao Yue rested her chin on her hand, seemingly in thought, but ultimately shook her head, "No, no regrets."

In this life, she had endured too much pain. But looking back, she was alone, with no attachments, no hatred, no bonds. In the end, it seemed there was nothing left.

Empty, with nothing to lose.

"Really?" Chen Xun slowly turned his head, looking at this young girl who had followed him out of the Immortal Prison, full of resentment and killing without mercy... to eventually retire to the tea fields.

Clearly such a brilliant pride of the Yuehuang Clan, yet she ended up with such a fate. Chen Xun felt a stifling breath in his chest, unable to release it.

Now, as a dignified immortal, the founder of the Forbidden Immortal Path, that sense of powerlessness slowly eroded him, spreading throughout his body, even leaving him at a loss for words of comfort.