Baizhu's gaze burned as he looked upon the towering mountain that pierced into the sea of clouds.
Up there lay the true Immortal Dao—the path he had sought for his entire life.
"Your pursuit of immortality, I already understand."
"But do you know… cultivating the Dao demands talent. And you…"
The words were spoken lightly, yet they fell upon Baizhu like the toll of a heavenly bell, shaking him to his core.
Jiang Yan did not need to spell out the rest. Baizhu knew it all too clearly.
His talent was lacking.
For one who had devoted his life to seeking immortality, this was an unparalleled blow.
The dream was right before his eyes—how could it be lost, merely because of this?
Baizhu clenched his fists so tightly that blood dripped down between his fingers.
"I beg the Sect Master's mercy! Though Baizhu's aptitude may be poor, my heart for the Immortal Dao is unwavering. No matter the cost, I will cultivate with all my strength."
"I beg the Sect Master to grant me a chance!"
"My lifelong wish lies before me. If I must abandon it now, I would sooner end my own life!"
Hearing this, Jiang Yan sighed, his expression tinged with melancholy.
Of all in Teyvat, whose yearning for immortality burned the fiercest—
Baizhu's would surely rank first.
But alas…
His talent was neither utterly deficient, nor could it be called exceptional.
A cruel twist of fate.
Baizhu, who longed for the Dao with all his heart, was hampered by poor aptitude.
While beside him stood Qiqi, who scarcely even knew what cultivation was, yet possessed an inscrutable and extraordinary physique.
Truly, fate was fickle.
"Your intentions, I understand. But you must know—Mount Shu's Dao differs from the immortal paths of Teyvat."
"The Mount Shu Immortal Dao is indeed cultivated through human effort. Immortality, freedom, and life as long as heaven itself can be attained."
"But the demand for talent is exceedingly high."
"With your aptitude, your progress will be painfully slow."
"Cultivation is a step-by-step trial. If within your allotted lifespan you fail to break through, you will die with regrets."
"And that feeling—immortality within reach, only to miss it by the narrowest margin—that despair is the cruelest of all."
"If your only goal is to cure your illness… given your persistence, I could help you recover your health."
"If it is the longevity you seek, you may look instead to Liyue's martial path."
"Martial cultivation was founded by your own Geo Archon after he joined Mount Shu, fusing it with the cultivation system."
"When perfected, one may become a Heaven-tier Martial Master, and live for three hundred years."
Baizhu lowered his head, his eyes flickering with complex emotions. After a long silence, he asked in a low voice:
"Sect Master… may I ask, how long is the lifespan of one who embarks on cultivation?"
Jiang Yan paused, then replied faintly:
"Five hundred years."
Baizhu smiled, then asked again:
"And if one attains true immortality?"
"Life as long as heaven, youth eternal."
Baizhu laughed freely, but within his eyes blazed an unparalleled determination.
"To abandon cultivation and turn to martial arts—what difference would that be from wasting my years away?"
"Baizhu seeks nothing else. Only that the Sect Master grant me a chance."
"If I fail to live forever, if I fall upon the road of seeking eternity, it will only mean Baizhu did not work hard enough."
Immortality—this was his greatest desire when he once sought the adepti. Yet it was also what the immortals most despised.
Because of this, Baizhu had been watched with suspicion by Liyue's authorities. Yet he did not regret it. He refused to let his life slip away like a fleeting shadow.
Now, only Mount Shu openly accepted the pursuit of immortality, even bestowing it upon their disciples.
If he let this chance pass, Baizhu would rather die.
Jiang Yan's gaze pierced through space, fixing upon Baizhu. Yet even so, that steadfast determination did not waver in the slightest.
Rather than answer directly, Jiang Yan countered with a question:
"This time, did only you come seeking the Dao?"
Baizhu's heart leapt, and he hurriedly replied:
"Qiqi and Changsheng also seek the Dao!"
Turning quickly, he looked toward them.
Changsheng nodded at once. After touring Mount Shu's Cave Heaven, she had already been awed by its foundation.
If she could join Mount Shu, her worries would no longer exist.
"Qiqi and Changsheng…"
Jiang Yan examined their aptitudes again, confirming he had not been mistaken, before saying softly:
"Their talents are excellent. Especially Qiqi—her pure, childlike heart will carry her swiftly along the Dao."
Hearing such praise, Baizhu could not help but glance enviously at Qiqi and Changsheng.
It seemed they would have no obstacle in entering Mount Shu.
Talent…
For a moment, Baizhu wavered. But soon, he steeled his resolve once more.
Though his aptitude was lacking, he believed—man can triumph over fate!
"In that case, aside from Qiqi, you and Changsheng shall enter the square before you."
At once, a violet cloud rose beneath Qiqi's feet, carrying her away to another side.
"That square bears many Heart-Testing Arrays."
"If you can pass them, you will become disciples of Mount Shu, cultivating the Dao of longevity and pursuing transcendence."
"If you cannot, then you must depart."
Though he spoke thus, Jiang Yan harbored little doubt that Baizhu and Changsheng would succeed.
Baizhu's obsession with longevity bordered on madness. Now that he had seized upon this lifeline, he would not let go even in death.
As for Changsheng…
She bore dual top-grade spiritual roots, and her true identity as an immortal meant she had lived for countless years.
The Heart-Testing Array posed little challenge for her.
To speak frankly, Jiang Yan even believed Baizhu might go far on the path of cultivation.
Though his talent was only average, his Dao-heart was unmatched.
A firm Dao-heart mattered far more than raw aptitude.
Talent could be altered later. But the Dao-heart… that was solely one's will.
"Changsheng, all that we have sought lies before us now."
Baizhu took a deep breath, lowering his gaze toward her.
She was silent for a moment, then said quietly:
"Your obsession runs too deep, Baizhu."
"I know."
Baizhu nodded, smiling faintly.
"But this obsession is what drives me to live. I will not give it up."
"And you as well… Changsheng, if today I am accepted by Mount Shu, our contract will end completely."
"If I cannot… then my life shall end here."
With that, he stepped into the formation.
Changsheng parted her lips, but in the end said nothing. She followed behind him.
Soon, she overtook Baizhu, looked back once, and said softly:
"I will wait for you at Mount Shu."
The corner of Baizhu's lips curved upward, and he chuckled.
"Good."
With a single step, he stood fully within the formation.
Darkness fell before his eyes. Memories blurred in his mind, as though he were falling endlessly into an abyss.
After an unknowable span of time, someone suddenly patted his shoulder.
"Doctor Baizhu? Are you alright?"
Baizhu's eyes snapped open.
Before him stood a delicate little girl, her expression anxious, a large medicine basket strapped to her back.
"Yaoyao? This is…"
Baizhu blinked in confusion. He was in Bubu Pharmacy. Everything around him was familiar.
"Doctor Baizhu, you're finally awake! Honestly, what time did you sleep last night? How could you be out cold like that?"
Yaoyao exhaled heavily, placing her hands on her hips like a tiny adult.
"Even though the Geo Archon healed your illness, you still can't abuse your body like this! Early to bed, early to rise, exercise regularly, keep healthy routines!"
"And if you collapse, who will take care of Qiqi?"
"Honestly! I almost called Millelith for help. Doctor Baizhu, really!"
"You're a physician yourself—don't you know what a healthy schedule looks like?"
Yaoyao's nagging filled the room, but Baizhu sat in a daze. After a long moment, he asked urgently:
"I… was here, asleep the whole time?"
Yaoyao eyed him suspiciously.
"Doctor Baizhu, don't tell me you've fallen ill again? You don't even know whether you've been sleeping?"
"You've been here the whole time, I even tried shaking you, and you didn't respond! By the way, what dream were you having to look so emotional?"
"Forget it, forget it. I came to find Qiqi. If you're fine, I'll be going. But, Doctor Baizhu—you've only just recovered. Don't travel long distances treating patients for now."
"Even doctors must care for themselves! Otherwise, how will you save anyone if you collapse?"
As Yaoyao turned to leave, Baizhu suddenly cried out, his obsession flaring instinctively:
"Yaoyao! Just now, you said… my illness is cured?"
"Of course!"
She tilted her head, baffled.
"Didn't you beg the Geo Archon to save you during the Rite of Descension? By the way, have you paid the fine for causing trouble there? Don't let the Ministry of Civil Affairs come after you!"
Baizhu's headache worsened. It felt like something vital had slipped his mind.
"The Rite of Descension… it's already over?"
"Doctor Baizhu, did you sleep so long your brain stopped working? Should I prescribe something for yourself?"
Forcing a smile, Baizhu replied softly:
"Forgive me. I've slept too long—I'm not quite myself yet."
Though the truth eluded him, he decided to humor Yaoyao for now. Otherwise, this little one would scold him all day.
"Qiqi should be in the back. Go find her there."
Seeing him recover, Yaoyao finally relaxed and went off.
"Wait—Yaoyao!"
Suddenly, Baizhu called out again, compelled by a powerful urge.
"Do you know of the sword-immortal legends spreading in Liyue lately? Or any tales of cultivation?"
She blinked at him in confusion.
"Huh? No? I've never heard of such a thing."
Baizhu fell silent, then shook his head.
"Must be my mistake. Never mind, go find Qiqi."
Watching her leave, Baizhu looked down at his own hands. The pain that had tormented him for so long was gone.
As Yaoyao said, he must have sought help from the Geo Archon. His illness, the demon that had plagued him for years, was gone.
He should have been happy. Yet for some reason, joy did not come.
It was as though a voice whispered from deep within—he had forgotten something most important.
His heart felt hollow.
The more he thought about it, the worse his headache became. At last, he gave up pondering.
Just then, patients rushed in.
"Doctor Baizhu! Please save my child—he's had a burning fever all night and just collapsed!"
At once, Baizhu swept aside his chaotic thoughts and rose hurriedly.
"Lay him on the bed. Family members stay, the rest step outside."
Freshly awakened, Baizhu threw himself once more into the frantic work of healing.
And so his life passed…
Years flowed swiftly. To Baizhu, it felt like mere blinks of an eye before decades slipped away.
In those decades, he treated countless lives. The patients who walked away healed by his hands were beyond number.
Bubu Pharmacy expanded again and again, yet still could not contain the mountain of banners gifted in gratitude.
Baizhu became famed across all Teyvat as a saint of medicine.
His disciples numbered in the thousands, spreading across the world to carry out his will—to heal, to save.
He had achieved renown. His name was known everywhere.
Now, his hair was white, his body frail, though the outline of his youthful features remained faintly visible.
His gaze, however, had grown dim and clouded.
Even walking a few steps left him gasping for breath.
Not because his body was ill—
But because age had finally caught him.
Sitting in a rocking chair outside Bubu Pharmacy, he watched the children pass by.
"Doctor Baizhu" rang out in reverence all around.
His life had been full. After curing his own illness, he saved uncountable others.
Yet Baizhu did not feel joy.
It seemed he had forgotten his truest dream…
Day by day, his body grew weaker, and the flame of his longing dwindled to a dying ember.
Until one day—
He suddenly saw Qiqi…
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