It was as if the entire sky overhead had become a vast red lotus pool, with the golden seal talisman radiating blazing light, illuminating and flickering, making the celestial palace appear even more magnificent.

All the torn and continuously expanding cracks actually stopped at that moment!

A layer of faint golden light attached to the edges of the cracks.

Then, a miracle occurred.

Like cuts made by a knife, they began to gradually close, as if healed by that golden light, drawn together, beginning to mend;

The cracked earth began to tremble and grow again, the fractured places rejoining;

All the spreading floods, in those final moments, disappeared beneath the ground…

Everything was changing, becoming better.

Gone was the great marsh water that had reached their ankles, gone were those terrifying fissures, gone were the torrents that could swallow people at any moment. Only the ruins emerging from beneath the water surface remained, the damaged arrays, the soil soft and moist after soaking…

Among the spirit beast groups, a small deer keenly sensed the changes around it and spoke somewhat stutteringly: “Suc-success!”

This trembling, fragmented voice finally broke the silence at that moment!

The outer layers of the maze immediately erupted in cheers!

“Success!”

“Wonderful, the hidden realm is fine, the hidden realm is fine!”

“The Grand Luminous Seal worked!”

“Lord Lijun succeeded!”

…

Nearly boiling with excitement.

Even the old turtle and silver fox couldn’t help but smile.

Only the little squirrel still stood foolishly in place.

The thin red light curtain that had blocked it for so long disappeared almost simultaneously with the Grand Luminous Seal being pressed back to the base of the celestial palace, as red lotuses bloomed across the sky.

Gone?

“Chitter chitter chitter!”

The little squirrel immediately became excited, quickly raising its head to look eastward!

Lord Lijun!

Lord Lijun!

Yes, Lord Lijun had succeeded!

With no more obstructions before it, the little squirrel was only stunned for a moment before frantically and excitedly stretching its four little short legs, running desperately toward the east!

“Chitter chitter chitter!”

It knew the location of the Koi Pool, it knew where Lord Lijun was!

It wanted to see him right now!

The countless jubilant spirit beasts in place finally reacted.

They could see Lord Lijun too!

So they all became excited, swiftly racing across the now-exposed land, traveling unobstructed all the way east…

Within the scroll painting, in the Koi Pool.

The red robe, crimson as fire, now had only a tiny bit of pale red remaining at the left sleeve cuff, like a single circle of red embroidery on a white-based robe.

Lijun still stood in his original position.

Water flowed past him, but couldn’t make him waver in the slightest.

The red thread in the void withdrew to his sleeve cuff, lying flat as embroidery; but the emerald lotus stem standing upright in the void collapsed thunderously as it fell, transforming into streams of dark green qi that were diluted by the air and completely disappeared…

Only the red lotus at the horizon continued to bloom.

Fiery red, as if burning.

It burned until the entire sky’s edge grew hot.

A pale golden seal talisman reappeared at the base of the celestial palace, with countless lotus flower shadows supporting the palace, lingering long without dispersing.

But…

Lijun could no longer sense that familiar presence.

Fish and lotus were natural bonds and companions.

Both he and it were merely things under Master Buyu’s brush, relying on those deep emerald or pale red colors to absorb the essence of heaven and earth and form demonic bodies.

From the moment he appeared in this world, the red lotus had accompanied him.

Its cultivation was inferior to his, unable even to take human form.

But it always accompanied him thus.

Fish playing beside lotus was wordless understanding, the quietest vigil.

Their friendship, in all heaven and earth, only the lotus leaves knew, only the pool water knew.

The karmic fire red lotus, once departed, would linger three days before leaving.

It had already passed away, yet would leave its light and shadow in the sky for three days, ensuring that all who witnessed it could never erase its traces throughout their lives.

Lijun’s eyes suddenly became moist.

Gazing at that red lotus, at that golden Grand Luminous Seal, he felt entirely dazed.

With the red thread drawn away, it was as if all his color had been extracted, making him appear transparent, about to fade away in this heaven and earth.

At this moment, even the usually rash Zuoliu seemed to sense the atmosphere floating in the air and tightly closed his mouth, not daring to speak a word.

They were all intelligent people—how could they not understand what Lijun had just done?

Everything that seemed simple had been tremendously difficult for him.

Jian Chou looked toward him.

His body swayed and nearly failed to stand, almost falling back into the water.

Everyone almost couldn’t help but rush forward to support him, but he managed to steady himself.

Turning his gaze, Lijun looked at everyone. His eyes were still pitch black, with water seeming to flow around his pupils.

“The celestial palace was built by the Master gathering sand into a tower, serving as the guardian of the entire hidden realm. Now that the Grand Luminous Seal is complete, with the still lake water re-spread across the heavens, the hidden realm can at least be preserved for another hundred years without worry…”

His voice paused, as if he found the words “hundred years” quite laughable.

But Jian Chou frowned: “The hidden realm’s connection to the greater world has been severed. Even if the hidden realm can be preserved for a hundred years, but…”

What about those spirit beasts?

Would they have to live out their days lonely in this hidden realm, without even a place to be buried?

“The hidden realm originally had spirit-gathering arrays, cough cough… but as more and more people came to explore the secrets of the ‘Nine Curves River Map,’ the entire array was gradually destroyed.”

Lijun suddenly revealed a smile, sighing self-deprecatingly.

“So I actually didn’t like uninvited guests from outside, including all of you at first. I just didn’t expect that you would come to this place and even help the hidden realm…”

Jian Chou and Xie Buchen were enemies, appearing to be the type who couldn’t rest until one died, yet when the hidden realm began collapsing, she chose not to kill Xie Buchen, all for that Grand Luminous Seal.

The others weren’t like those profit-driven people he’d encountered before who came to explore the hidden realm…

Even someone like Xie Buchen had brought the Grand Luminous Seal, hadn’t he?

Before him was a lotus leaf and a red lotus still in bud. Lijun looked at both, saying: “Visitors are guests, and the Master was actually a hospitable person. Now having nothing of value to give, there’s only this one lotus…”

He coughed twice, then extended his hand to pluck the large lotus leaf along with its stem, handing it to Lu Xiangleng who stood at the edge.

“The leaves of the karmic fire red lotus can be used medicinally.”

Lu Xiangleng was slightly stunned, unable to quite react.

By rights, one shouldn’t accept unearned rewards, but the moment she raised her eyes to meet Lijun’s gaze, she was moved by that gentleness in his eyes that had never been simple.

This was the “gift” Lijun was giving them.

As he himself said, having nothing of value, only this one lotus that had grown alongside him could be given.

With little time remaining, possibly disappearing the next moment, in the long years ahead, he wouldn’t be accompanying them anymore…

The karmic fire red lotus was the third most precious among lotuses.

Its roots, flowers, and leaves could be used medicinally, for pill refining, and weapon forging—not to mention this lotus before them had been painted by Master Buyu’s colored brush?

Rather than fall into the hands of those with unknown intentions, better to give it to someone he found agreeable.

Thus, beneath the nine springs, perhaps he could rest more peacefully.

That lotus leaf finally ended up in Lu Xiangleng’s hands.

She bowed solemnly, wanting to say she would definitely use this item to heal and save people, but opening her mouth, she couldn’t make a sound.

All words seemed pale at this moment.

The lotus flower was part of the painting. Then Lijun gently extended his hand, plucked that lotus flower, and with a light flick of his finger, a rich and vivid shadow flew from the lotus flower and landed on Young Master Ruhua’s sleeve.

What he gave Young Master Ruhua was the lotus’s shadow.

After separating the shadow, the lotus flower became even more real.

Lijun gently extended his hand, touching the flower bud with his fingertip. The bud actually bloomed in response, seven lotus petals falling off, which he gave to Xia Houshe.

What remained in Lijun’s hand was the lotus pod with its stem, like a jade ruyi scepter.

Azure-green, hard, with a faint fresh fragrance.

Inside should be nine lotus seeds.

Lijun extended his hand and gave this lotus pod with its stem to Zuoliu.

At this point, there was nothing left before Lijun.

The two lotus flowers were gone, the lotus leaf was gone too.

He slowly bent down, his fingers touching the water surface. In that instant, faint pearlescent light emanated from beneath the water.

Everyone immediately looked over, somewhat surprised.

The light from the water bottom was somewhat dim, but gradually became clearer.

That patch of pearlescent light slowly floated up—it was actually a small section of lotus root white as jade!

“Neither spreading nor branching, existing because of it; clear ripples without seduction, growing because of it, yet emerging from filthy mud, rarely seeing much sunlight… This section of lotus seed, I’ll give to you.”

Lijun held in his palm that small piece of lotus root, only the size of a baby’s palm, looking almost adorably small.

Xie Buchen stood in front, hearing these words but remaining silent.

A section of lotus root…

He extended his hand to accept it, blinking. Though his entire being exuded a gentle aura, it suddenly became grave and solemn.

At this point, there was nothing of value left in the pool.

Lijun’s body swayed a few more times, becoming even more transparent. Jian Chou, standing closest to him, clearly saw: in the moment he swayed, the vague shadow of a koi fish swam through his body before disappearing in a flash.

Even maintaining his transformed state had become extremely difficult.

Inexplicably, Jian Chou’s heart felt heavy.

But Lijun noticed her expression and smiled gently and kindly, even with that warmth like spring sunshine: “Aren’t you curious? I have nothing left to give you.”

Jian Chou didn’t mind such things.

Or rather, from the moment she stepped into the Nineteen Continents, she had no pursuit of external objects. Even the third-ranked karmic fire red lotus seemed to her just an ordinary gift.

To her, what mattered wasn’t the lotus, but Lijun’s goodwill.

So she said: “What I want, I’ll go get, take, seize, or steal myself. I don’t need others to give it to me.”

“…”

Lijun actually found these words somewhat familiar.

He was dazed for a moment, then suddenly smiled: “You’re also a Yashan cultivator?”

Also?

That “also” referred to Qu Zhengfeng?

Jian Chou didn’t deny it, nodding her head.

Lijun walked toward the steps while saying gently: “Are all you Yashan cultivators so good?”

Good?

That was still referring to Qu Zhengfeng.

Well then…

Jian Chou smiled mysteriously and said three very curious words: “Not necessarily.”

Not necessarily.

Not necessarily?

Was it or wasn’t it?

Even Lijun, who had cultivated for over a thousand years, couldn’t determine from Jian Chou’s voice—so faint it was almost inaudible—whether she meant “yes” or “no.”

These cultivators…

Were truly all very peculiar beings.

“Cough cough cough…”

The smile at his lips had only deepened slightly when he immediately began coughing, his entire body bending over, constantly trembling with his coughing.

“Lord Lijun!”

Jian Chou felt his breath become chaotic, like a suddenly collapsing snow mountain, like a bursting dam, unable to check its decline in an instant.

Seeing that figure about to fall, Jian Chou couldn’t help but reach forward to support him.

But when she actually steadied him, she was shocked to discover this body had no weight at all.

“You’re also a Yashan cultivator, so you’re his fellow disciple… cough cough…”

Lijun was still coughing, his entire being completely transparent now, with only the deep red circle at his left sleeve particularly striking.

He raised his eyes, meeting Jian Chou’s gaze that held some compassion within its indifference.

He suddenly felt somewhat dazed.

After a while, he sighed: “My life is nearly over, but please tell him not to forget what he promised me in the past.”

“…All right.”

After a moment of silence, Jian Chou agreed.

She didn’t know what Qu Zhengfeng had discovered in the hidden realm, what he had promised Lijun, or where Qu Zhengfeng might be now.

But having agreed was having agreed—she should still be able to manage passing along a message.

Seeing her agree, Lijun finally smiled.

“In the past, you accidentally saw the Heaven-Flipping Seal at Qingfeng Nunnery and had a fortuitous encounter, learning this seal and even understanding it without a teacher. This was a cause I unintentionally planted, and your coming today is the effect. All told, you and I still have a karmic connection of cause and effect.”

This was not wrong.

Jian Chou said nothing.

Lijun shifted his gaze to look at the horizon. His now-transparent pupils reflected the red lotus in the sky, casting his entire body in glassy red light.

He suddenly said: “I am a koi, but I’ve never known what real water is like…”

Born already within a painting, shuttling between pool and celestial palace, forever waiting…

In this world, the longest years were those of waiting.

Waiting with hope was still hard to bear; waiting without hope—how much more torment would that be?

He spoke ramblingly, as if he’d found a suitable confidant.

“If everyone carried hope while only one person despaired in their heart, bearing all the secrets… how painful would that be?”

Everyone was waiting for Master Buyu’s return, except him.

Because he knew Master Buyu could never return.

As Lijun spoke, he turned to look at Jian Chou.

Her eyes showed no surprise at all.

She was just like Qu Zhengfeng before—she had probably guessed Master Buyu’s secret long ago: nearly a thousand years ago, someone had indeed ascended, and it was indeed “Master Buyu,” but there was simultaneously another Master Buyu who had perished because of this.

He had ascended, yet hadn’t ascended.

He had died, yet still lived.

Lijun became increasingly dazed, but the smile at his lips grew warmer.

He asked: “The outside world must be very beautiful, right?”

Jian Chou answered: “Not necessarily beautiful, but very vast.”

“I originally had a thousand years of cultivation, but now it’s all exhausted. However, I’ll become a real koi and forget everything here… Friend Jian Chou, could I trouble you with one thing?” Lijun smiled.

Keeping her voice low, Jian Chou understood his meaning but asked: “Do you want to go outside, or stay in the hidden realm?”

“Heh…”

Lijun actually laughed aloud, but after laughing awhile, he stopped.

He ultimately said: “Stay here then…”

So he looked toward Jian Chou.

Jian Chou also looked at him, simply extending her two hands, and then heard a faint sigh.

Lijun, who had been tottering on the verge of collapse, swayed and actually transformed into a massive three-zhang transparent koi. The originally dense red scales on its body all disappeared.

Only on its left fin remained about three parts of red.

“Splash…”

Accompanying its soaring posture, the sound of water seemed to echo in the void.

But seeing it leap up, it actually dove toward Jian Chou’s palms!

At this moment, the entire surrounding world—whether pavilions and towers or corridors and emerald lakes—

All collapsed!

Like a ladle of water splashed onto a famous painting, instantly the ink stains spread out, making the entire world blurry.

Only the water in the Koi Pool seemed to sense something and surged wildly in reverse!

Jian Chou felt helpless, caught up by a hurricane, and in the blink of an eye was out of the scroll painting!

Before her eyes was the hidden realm again.

The great gate stood tall, and the surrounding marsh waters had all receded, leaving only a stream ahead that formed a river flowing toward the distant lowlands.

On the distant horizon, several figures could be vaguely seen running toward them.

“Pop.”

A light sound.

The three-zhang koi shrank to merely an inch in length, falling into Jian Chou’s palm.

Completely transparent, with only its left fin bearing some bright red, like a mark.

It was tiny, cupped in Jian Chou’s hands.

Its inch-long body seemed newborn, yet those fish eyes were full of innocence.

In that instant, Jian Chou’s eyes grew hot.

Behind her, the scroll painting embedded in the gate was stained and dirty, ink marks smeared into blotches, no longer showing what had originally been painted, much less revealing that a koi had once lived within.

That tiny koi trembled in Jian Chou’s hands.

She was dazed and stiff.

As if a long time had passed, or perhaps only an instant, Jian Chou heard that voice echoing in her ears: “Stay here then…”

The outside world was so vast.

Knowing that Master Buyu had perished and that only the heart demon had ascended, it still refused to leave this place.

Even though it was now a koi that couldn’t even remember its past.

Jian Chou blinked before finally stepping forward.

The entire hidden realm was changing, and the river before her was still rushing.

She knelt down, immersing her hands in the muddy river water.

This was a release.

The tiny koi circled once in place, looking back at Jian Chou.

Then it gently flicked its tail, creating an almost invisible ripple, and followed the current away, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

From this day forward, there would be no more Lord Lijun in the world.

“How wonderful…”