As soon as the youth’s words came out, both Yumu and Tuoying’s expressions changed. An old Daoist standing beside the youth trembled as he scolded: “Stop spouting nonsense!”

This opportunity to observe such a grand occasion had been obtained only through repeatedly begging acquainted immortals. He absolutely couldn’t let this senseless disciple bring calamity back with them! The old Daoist smiled apologetically at Tuoying, saying: “Children don’t understand propriety and speak incoherently. I beg the two immortal lords not to take offense.”

Yumu snorted coldly, looking disdainfully at the two from the corner of his eye. Obviously mortal cultivators—this made him even more disgusted.

The youth was a newborn calf unafraid of tigers. Seeing Yumu’s gaze, he immediately became angry. Regardless of his status, regardless of his master glaring repeatedly at his side, he cleared his throat and declared loudly: “I’m not talking nonsense! All Five Elements artifacts recognize their masters. The Sea Clan belongs to water—they absolutely cannot profane and play with a Metal Spirit artifact in their palm!”

His words were very harsh, demeaning the Kongtong Seal too severely. In front of all the immortals, Tuoying’s face couldn’t hold up.

“Ignorant mortal, presumptuously slandering the Metal Spirit artifact, your crime deserves—” Tuoying paused. He wasn’t originally a vicious person, but back when Dong Tianyun had destroyed Linye with one strike at the Sea of Flames, though his behavior had been domineering, that Dijun’s bearing had deeply impressed everyone’s hearts. Unknowingly, Tuoying had also secretly agreed that such was the proper bearing of the chief of the Five Elements Dijun. “Ten thousand deaths!” he said coldly. With a flick of his two fingers at the Kongtong Seal, the jade plaque shot into the sky, instantly growing several times larger, crashing toward the cultivator youth like a massive boulder.

Seeing this, the old Daoist’s legs went weak with fright. He collapsed to the ground, hugging his head and crying: “Heavenly Venerable, save me!”

The youth’s expression didn’t change at all. He even showed disdain, snorting as he activated the longsword on his back. With a ringing sound, the blade left its sheath. It looked like he planned to clash head-on with the Kongtong Seal.

“Xiao Yan!” Only then did Xiang Su awaken from her contemplation. She pulled the feather hairpin from her hair and swiftly threw it. As it spun continuously, it transformed into the Sinking Star Fan to clash against the imposing Kongtong Seal.

Tuoying was startled. Not wanting to damage Xiang Su’s magical artifact, he urgently shouted “Stop!” The Kongtong Seal abruptly reversed just as it was about to strike the Sinking Star Fan, transforming back into a jade plaque and falling into Tuoying’s hand.

“Xiang Su, what are you…” Tuoying frowned, his tone carrying some complaint.

Seeing all the immortals looking at her with various expressions, whispering among themselves, Xiang Su felt rather embarrassed. “Dijun Jiyun, this child is an old acquaintance of mine. Please don’t hold it against him.”

Once these courteous yet distant words came out, Tuoying’s expression became several degrees uglier than before. He glanced at Yumu in sullen silence.

From the moment the cultivator youth had activated his longsword, Yumu had appeared thoughtful. Now he laughed, completely changing from his earlier disdain and saying amiably: “Since Immortal Xiang Su has said so, naturally we must give her some face.”

Xiang Su glanced at him. Though his smile was quite attractive, she always felt it was utterly false. She didn’t even want to humor him with a response.

Tuoying seemed somewhat surprised by Yumu’s reaction. He raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

“You’ve mistaken me for someone else.” The cultivator youth’s expression was also unpleasant. Being publicly called a child by a young woman who looked about the same age as himself was simply insulting. “I’m not your old acquaintance.”

This cold voice, cold manner, and cold expression—Xiang Su actually smiled seeing them. Though he had been reborn, and fifty years had only brought him to the appearance of sixteen or seventeen, his attitude and expressions when speaking hadn’t changed one bit.

“Yanji, with your unruly behavior today, my Fangdi Mountain can no longer keep a disaster like you!” The old Daoist recovered his senses and stood up, his legs still trembling continuously.

Today he had brought this youngest-entered but most talented young disciple to see the world, never expecting him to offend the Heaven Clan’s crown prince and the Metal Dijun. If he kept him at the temple any longer, wouldn’t Fangdi Mountain’s several hundred years of foundation be destroyed in one stroke? Better to make his position clear before the two immortal lords.

Hearing this, Yanji wasn’t saddened at all. Instead, he laughed coldly several times. “Perfect. Your Fangdi Mountain has nothing left to teach me anyway.” With that, he summoned his longsword, preparing to depart by sword.

“Stop!” Several immortals spoke in unison, quite indignant.

Establishing mountain sects most detested such master-insulting and ancestry-destroying types. Most immortals were deeply dissatisfied with this arrogant youth and prepared to teach this presumptuous youngster a lesson.

The corners of Yanji’s mouth carried an extremely cold smile. He slowly turned back around, deliberately drawing out his words: “Do the immortal lords have any further… instructions for this mortal cultivator?”

Those who had just stopped him were actually blocked by this statement. Fighting seriously with a young cultivator youth would really be somewhat like bullying the weak and lowering their status.

Xiang Su immediately saw things would turn bad. Though Xiao Yan’s tone was bold, his actual skills were far inferior to these immortals. If they got serious, he would definitely suffer. “Xiao Yan, how can you not recognize me?” She stepped forward, blinking directly at him, signaling him not to show off with words anymore.

Yanji narrowed his eyes, looking at her as if she were a monster, making Xiang Su feel breathless. “I don’t know you.” He said very ungratefully, then turned to leave.

Xiang Su was so angry at him she felt helpless. She reached out to pull his arm, not expecting his determination to leave to be so strong. Xiang Su couldn’t quite hold him. Her hand slipped from his arm down to his wrist. Xiang Su grabbed his hand, also losing her good temper. “That’s right, it’s you!”

Yanji’s body trembled very lightly, held firmly by her.

“Look!” Xiang Su puffed up indignantly and raised her hand, touching his forehead with her finger. Using spiritual power to withdraw, the cinnabar mark between his brows transformed into a blood drop, trembling on her slender, pale fingertip about to fall. “This is the mark I left on you!”

Everyone watched them silently. When Xiang Su had grabbed Yanji’s hand, Tuoying’s expression had changed. He wanted to speak but was stopped by Yumu shaking his head.

Xiang Su wanted to quickly take Yanji away. She tugged at him. “Come, I’ll take you somewhere.”

This time Yanji didn’t struggle, obediently mounting her cloud. Xiang Su felt gratified. Though reborn as human, Xiao Yan was indeed Xiao Yan. Quite sensible—once he recognized her, he no longer insisted on opposing her.

“Where are we going?” Yanji’s tone was still very unfriendly.

Xiang Su blinked. “To a place both you and I are very familiar with.”

Yanji curled his lips in disdain and snorted, obviously feeling Xiang Su was being deliberately mysterious.

Xiang Su restrained herself. If he were easy to get along with, he wouldn’t be the bad-tempered Xiao Yan.

They concealed their forms and descended at the small town where they had once lived side by side. Xiao Yan looked around coldly for a while. “Where is this? I’ve never been here!”

Xiang Su didn’t answer him. Forget about Xiao Yan who had already been reborn once—even she felt it was quite unfamiliar. The streets were still streets, the small river still a small river. The carts transporting goods to Hangzhou still made creaking sounds along the way. But among the people on the streets, there wasn’t a single one she recognized.

Walking to their former residence, the courtyard was somewhat aged, though it hadn’t deteriorated much since people lived there. Xiao Yan’s home had already changed owners. A family of over ten people, old and young, lived somewhat crowded. Cooking smoke and the fragrance of food filled the entire small courtyard—it actually had more signs of life than when Xiao Yan and his grandfather had lived there.

Xiang Su’s home was inhabited by only a couple with several servants. The courtyard was empty and quiet, appearing tranquil and comfortable.

Xiao Yan watched with no reaction, even appearing somewhat impatient.

Xiang Su looked at him, then at the courtyard both strange and familiar. She gained a deeper understanding of reincarnation’s ruthlessness and indifference. Changed by one lifetime, those people and things that had seemed important in the past were equivalent to extinction. Only those lingering outside reincarnation grieved alone.

Xiao Yan looking at her was probably like looking at these two houses and their owners, wasn’t it?

“What’s wrong with you?” Yanji frowned, asking somewhat puzzled. “Do you know these people?”

Xiang Su shook her head. “Not anymore. It’s been too long.”

Xiao Yan laughed coldly. “I thought so. With your kind, who would you know? I’m tired. Where do you live? I want to rest.”

This question stumped Xiang Su. After returning to Shenghuan Palace once, that feeling of drifting rootlessly had become even stronger. If asked where home was, she truly couldn’t answer.

Yanji also felt he seemed to have touched her sore spot. He pressed his lips together, wanting to change the topic, but his tone sounded somewhat provocative no matter how one listened: “Apart from those guys who only bluff and bluster earlier, do you have no other friends?”

Xiang Su felt she hadn’t encountered such an infuriating fellow in decades.

“You’re the one with no friends with that stinking temper! This old lady has friends throughout the world!”

Yanji scoffed. “Friends throughout the world? Show me one then?”

In Xiang Su’s heart, he would always be that chubby little child. Though he had grown up somewhat now, her psychological advantage remained.

Yanji nearly spat in her face with contempt, humming extremely disdainfully.

“What? Not convinced?” She raised her head arrogantly. “I’m three hundred fifty years old this year. And your esteemed age?”

Hearing this, Yanji not only didn’t show surprise or admiration, but rather snorted coldly in challenge again. “You’re an immortal, I’m human—can we compare like that? In the immortal realm, three hundred fifty years old is still a little brat.”

Xiang Su was so angry she gasped. This child had been reborn—how had his temper gotten worse and his mouth more vicious?

“Are you having asthma, old one?” Yanji crossed his arms, seeming somewhat worried. That expression made her want to beat him up more than at any other time. “Seeing this, you really are getting on in years. Take care of yourself.”

Xiang Su “wheezed” again, feeling that recognizing him was simply a huge mistake. No wonder his master in this life couldn’t stand him either and didn’t want him as a disciple anymore.

Fortunately, they arrived at Yintai Mountain. She didn’t look at Yanji again, hastily landing on the mountain peak. At the summit was a cave with its entrance sealed by a huge stone. On the stone tablet were carved three characters: “Water Immortal’s Tomb.”

“Jin Zhan, I’ve come to see you again!” Angered by Yanji, her tone was very poor, as if she had come to collect a debt.

Naturally no one would answer her. Since parting at the Sea of Flames, Jin Zhan had gone into seclusion here. Elder Sister Qingsui said he had vowed not to emerge until he broke through the Wood Spirit tribulation.

The Wood Spirit tribulation was a difficult barrier in wood spirit cultivation. Breaking through it would bring cultivation to another level, allowing practice of more profound magic—roughly equivalent to mortals opening their celestial eye.

Because Xiang Su had the cultivation given by Dong Tianyun, she had rather lazily surpassed this limit. Seeing Jin Zhan work so hard, she felt somewhat guilty, feeling she had taken shortcuts.

“Jin Zhan… when exactly will you be able to come out?” Xiang Su looked at the heavy stone, remembering how when she first left the Abyss River, this was the first place she came. Actually, she had never truly lived alone. When keeping vigil by the Abyss River, Elder Sister Qingsui and Dijun Yuanhou had come to see her constantly, and there were many people who came to check on Junshang’s situation.

When she truly began venturing out on her own, her heart had still been confused and frightened. At that time, how much she had hoped this stone would open and Jin Zhan would walk out very vainly, looking in a mirror while saying: I’ll accompany you.

Tears came very quickly. Not wanting to lose face before Yanji, Xiang Su quickly blinked and desperately held them back. “You’re really quite stupid!” She complained with feigned lightness. “After so long you still haven’t succeeded! Look, I’ve fallen to keeping company with children!”

Yanji hummed again but didn’t speak mockingly. Though Xiang Su had also disparaged him in passing, he clearly sensed the sorrow she deliberately concealed.

“Why are you so anxious to cultivate… We wood spirits can live so long—what’s the rush?” Xiang Su smiled bitterly. “Come out quickly. As soon as you emerge… come find me.”

Her fingers spun beautifully, and a pure white, elegant gardenia flower had already manifested at her fingertips. “I’ll leave this for you. Hold it, and you can find me anytime.” She gently placed the flower atop the stone tablet.

When she turned around, she discovered Yanji looking at her with a dazed expression. She couldn’t help feeling a bit smug. Was he dazzled by this move? Every year she lived by the Abyss River for a few days. Gradually she discovered that though the Abyss River’s spiritual energy made one’s chest feel stuffy, it greatly aided cultivation. Her progress over these years had been quite good.

Xiang Su felt somewhat troubled again. Where should she go next?

Suddenly a phoenix’s sharp cry sounded in the air. Upon hearing it, she knew it was Chilin’s mount Jingyu. Looking up, she indeed saw Jingyu circling above. Chilin was truly a capable person—to find her even like this.

A dazzlingly golden phoenix feather slowly descended. Xiang Su caught it in her hand and discovered a note strung on it. The note had few words, only writing “I have succeeded as Fire Lord.” Xiang Su was stunned.

These past decades she hadn’t seen Chilin again. She had never come to the Abyss River even once. Xiang Su actually understood quite well. This was probably like her not wanting to return to Shenghuan Palace. Compared to those immortals who cried at the riverside then each married someone else, Chilin’s never coming made Xiang Su sadder.

Previously she had hated how Chilin was too domineering, wanting to interfere in everything concerning Junshang. Only now did she understand—Chilin… truly liked Junshang very much. Now her feelings toward Chilin were very complex—neither enemy nor friend.

Yanji walked over to look, frowning: “The Fire Lord Yinghuo has passed away?”

“Ah?!” Only then did Xiang Su cry out in belated surprise. “Come, let’s go to the Abyss River.”

She knew Chilin would definitely go there… to tell Junshang.