Translator: AnubisTL
In truth, Miao Xi's inner shock far surpassed that of the children.
Yes, he had seen him again—the man whom his father and Master Zhao had both called Brother Li.
The face was identical to the portrait, and the tall, upright figure matched his memories perfectly.
What kind of miracle was this?
Years had passed in a whirlwind, and time had eroded everything. Yet this man remained eternally youthful, his face unchanged.
Miao Xi knew that cultivating the Red Moon Secret Power could indeed grant immortality. However, even those who relied on it to prolong their lives still showed signs of aging!
Why was this man exactly as he had been back then? Not only were there no signs of aging, but Miao Xi even felt he looked younger.
"Uncle Li, it's really you!" Miao Xi, the martial alliance leader, lost his usual composure. His eyes were wide with disbelief.
He hadn't lowered his voice, and the children in the courtyard and the martial alliance members outside all felt dizzy.
What had they just heard? The martial alliance leader had actually called this man "Uncle Li"? And this man looked so young?
This was utterly absurd.
Li Qing, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, didn't seem surprised at all.
After all, Miao Xi was technically his junior. A gentle smile played on Li Qing's lips as he murmured, "Yes, it's me. You've suffered these past years."
Miao Xi was a towering figure, even taller than the upright Li Qing.
Yet standing before Li Qing, he seemed like a lost junior, his hands and feet feeling clumsy.
Countless questions flooded Miao Xi's mind, leaving him unsure where to begin.
Sensing Miao Xi's confusion, Li Qing simply shook his head, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "Take me to see your father's grave. He helped me a great deal back then."
"Yes," Miao Xi replied, his voice slightly hoarse.
On a black earth slope not far from Giant Rock City, several tombstones stood.
As Li Qing read the familiar names carved on the tombstones, he couldn't help but sigh deeply.
"Alas."
These were all the graves of old friends. Though he had long prepared himself, a wave of melancholy still washed over him.
No wonder they say the immortal dao is heartless. Watching one old friend after another pass away, buried in the yellow earth, would make anyone grow indifferent over time.
Li Qing produced a jar of fine mortal wine, one of his favorite varieties.
Splash!
As the liquid poured out, a rich, intoxicating aroma instantly filled the air, permeating the surroundings.
Behind him, Miao Xi's eyes widened in shock. He was stunned by Li Qing's sleight of hand, utterly baffled as to how he had suddenly produced such a large jar of fine wine.
Moreover, in the World of Eternal Night, wine had almost become a legendary treasure. Even as the martial alliance leader, Miao Xi had rarely seen it.
In a few more years, there might not even be anyone left who knew what wine was.
Li Qing poured a cup of wine for each tombstone, honoring Zhao Kou, Wei Tian, Miao Jiu, and An Xuan. He also paid tribute to the shared memories of their past, those irreversible years.
Finally, Li Qing stopped before An Xuan's tombstone. After a long silence, he murmured, "Why did you have to do this?"
His words spoken, Li Qing composed himself before slowly turning to Zhao Kou and saying:
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll tell you everything I can," Li Qing said, gazing at his nephew with unmistakable satisfaction.
The question Miao Xi most wanted to ask naturally concerned Tianliang Mountain.
"Uncle Li, did you really destroy Tianliang Mountain single-handedly?" Miao Xi asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Li Qing nodded with a smile. "Yes, I did. You're not going to blame me for claiming the title of new martial arts protector daoist, are you?"
"How could I dare? Master often spoke of your existence back then. Without your help, he might never have reached the Grandmaster Realm, and the vital energy martial dao wouldn't even exist."
"Whether it was quelling Tianliang Mountain or helping Master back then, it's the greatest fortune for the vital energy martial dao to have you as its dao guardian!"
The Master Miao Xi spoke of was none other than Zhao Kou, the young man who had once sought to join the Righteous Gang but was nearly killed by Tian Long's blade.
"Uncle Li, I want to know where you've been all these years and what path you've been following. I can't sense a trace of Red Moon energy on you," Zhao Kou asked, posing two questions in quick succession.
Li Qing wasn't surprised by the question. He had no desire to elaborate, only sighing, "My path isn't universally applicable. It's an exception. I've been traveling and cultivating outside for years. There's no need to inquire further."
Miao Xi was sensible. He hadn't expected to gain any answers. After all, even his father, his Master, and Gang Leader An had failed to unravel the mystery.
"Uncle Li, Master disbanded the Green Gang back then. Later, I took the initiative to establish the martial alliance. I'd like to invite you to join as its alliance leader."
Before Miao Xi could finish, Li Qing cut him off.
"Enough. I have no interest in that position. I'll stay in Giant Rock City for a while longer, then continue wandering the world."
"You focus on being the martial alliance leader. I'm eager to see how far you can take the new martial dao."
"All martial artists, each like a dragon... Heh, that won't be easy."
Li Qing wasn't exaggerating. Miao Xi knew well that even without Tianliang Mountain, they would inevitably face other obstacles in the future.
Now that the Black Wind Domain was free of threats, the new martial path's true development would require expansion beyond its borders, even spreading across the entire world.
Only by standing in this position did he truly understand how difficult it was to forge a new path, to broaden and lengthen a road that had never been walked before.
Now at the ninth transformation of qi and blood, he still had little understanding of the next realm.
His only hope was to attract more people to join him, to have more people walk the path of new martial arts, and to pray that among them, a genius would emerge.
"I can't help you much with new martial arts, but here are a few inheritances I scavenged from Tianliang Mountain, all related to body refinement. You can take them back and study them."
With that, Li Qing handed two ancient manuals to Miao Xi.
Both were First-Tier body refinement secret techniques, similar to the Precious Wood Body Refinement Manual, using spiritual objects to temper and nourish the body.
These First-Tier secret techniques were of little use to him now. Only Second-Tier body refinement secret techniques could truly help him.
He decided to give them to Miao Xi anyway, hoping he might gain some inspiration from them, allowing him to broaden and deepen the new martial path.
While the body refinement secret techniques of the immortal dao and Miao Xi's vital energy martial dao weren't exactly the same, they shared some common ground. Perhaps Miao Xi could glean something useful from them.
It wasn't that Li Qing couldn't help much; he simply had too many other things to do. Just digesting the spoils of Tianliang Mountain would take considerable effort.
How could Li Qing find time to ponder the next step in the vital energy martial dao? After all, pursuing the immortal dao was the most important goal of his life.
Because of this, Li Qing was destined not to invest too much attention in this path.
A spare piece on the chessboard remains just that—a spare piece. Even if the vital energy martial dao stagnated in the future, it wouldn't greatly affect him. He could simply return to the Lingyun Sect, accumulate contribution points, and exchange them for a second-tier body refinement secret technique.
Of course, if the vital energy martial dao did develop, it would be an unexpected bonus, and he could benefit from it as well.
Having done this much was already the greatest effort he could exert.
"Thank you, Uncle Li!" Miao Xi said, clutching the two immortal dao secret manuals. His eyes suddenly burned with fervor.
Although he was currently feeling his way forward, having these inheritances to draw upon was invaluable.
As the martial alliance leader and a top-tier figure in Giant Rock City, Miao Xi understood certain things.
For instance, Tianliang Mountain had once been a dao lineage dedicated to cultivating immortals during the Sunlight Era. The inheritance it left behind naturally held profound connections to the elusive immortal dao!
"No need to thank me. It was just a small matter."
"Very well, if there's nothing else, you should return now. I'd like to stay here alone for a while longer."
With that, Miao Xi didn't dare linger any longer. He bowed slightly and respectfully departed from the graveyard.
(End of the Chapter)
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