Elian put the invitation away and glanced at Chen Qinghe, noticing that he seemed hesitant to speak.
Frowning slightly, Elian couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, is there something on your mind?"
Chen Qinghe hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "I heard that you still have a Gathering Essence Pill?"
"I do," Elian nodded. Years ago, he had refined three Gathering Essence Pills. One was used by Chen Qinghao, another by Chen Qingwan, leaving him with one remaining.
"This pill can assist cultivators in breaking through to Foundation Establishment, but if you're asking for it, Uncle, does that mean…?" Elian's words trailed off as a heavy realization struck him.
Only now did he notice how Chen Qinghe's temples had turned white, and his face carried an unmistakable weariness of age.
By now, even the third elder and Chen Qingwan were nearing seventy, and this second elder of the family had already surpassed eighty. Time had caught up with him.
Years ago, in an attempt to secure a Foundation Establishment Pill for Chen Qingyuan, Chen Qinghe had repeatedly activated the Nine Deflection Bell to fend off a Foundation Establishment-stage demon ape. He had sustained near-fatal injuries as a result.
Although he recovered with the help of Vitality Nurturing pills, his lifespan was greatly reduced. While most cultivators at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement could live up to 120 years, Chen Qinghe might not even reach a hundred.
"My greatest regret in life," Chen Qinghe suddenly said, his eyes moist with unshed tears, "is that I lacked the courage to attempt breaking through to Foundation Establishment before my prime passed."
"Now, with my lifespan nearing its end, I realize how pointless it is to linger in the Qi Refinement stage, even if it means living a few more years."
"So I want to take the chance to try and break through to Foundation Establishment while my spiritual energy has not yet dried up."
"Even if I die trying, I will have no regrets!"
Elian felt as though a massive bell had struck his soul, leaving him breathless under its weight.
Before the age of sixty, attempting Foundation Establishment was already a perilous endeavor with slim chances of success. After sixty, those odds became almost nonexistent due to the deterioration of blood, vitality, and physical resilience.
Chen Qinghe's body, weakened by age and damaged lifespan, was now comparable to that of a hundred-year-old cultivator. Even with a Foundation Establishment Pill, his odds were less than 5%. With only a Gathering Essence Pill, his chances were almost nil.
Elian understood that Chen Qinghe was preparing for death. He would rather die in the pursuit of progress, clinging to the slimmest possibility, than wait helplessly for death to claim him in bed.
"Uncle Qinghe…" Elian struggled for words, uncertain how to dissuade him.
He knew this choice would almost certainly lead to Chen Qinghe's death and the waste of a precious Gathering Essence Pill. Yet, trembling, he still took out the pill and placed it in Chen Qinghe's hand.
After a moment's hesitation, Elian spoke. "Uncle Qinghe, why not wait a little longer?"
"I'll plead with Ancestor Jiang to see if I can procure a Foundation Establishment Pill for you."
"Silly child."
Chen Qinghe patted Elian's head with a gentle smile.
"A Foundation Establishment Pill is worth an astronomical sum and should go to someone with a greater chance of success."
"I'm an old man with withered vitality. Even I don't believe I can break through. I only wish to glimpse that realm before I die."
"Even if it's just for an instant."
…
Night fell, and the bright moon hung high in the sky.
Elian's heart was heavy, burdened with countless unspoken words. He soared out of the Tianxu Market on his flying sword and landed atop a towering mountain that pierced the clouds. Gazing at the vast sea of clouds and the wilderness below, he took out an ancient guqin.
Sitting serenely on the mountaintop, his white robes fluttering like snow, Elian placed the zither on his lap and began to play. The ethereal melody echoed through the heavens, like a lament across the river of time, stirring the soul with its haunting resonance.
He played for an unknown amount of time before the final note faded into silence.
Opening his eyes, Elian noticed a faint silhouette standing quietly in the distance, watching him.
Her bright eyes glimmered slightly as she asked calmly, "What is the name of that piece?"
"Big Fish," Elian replied instinctively, before realizing who she was. Rising quickly, he saluted and said, "Greetings, Ancestor Jiang." (I may have previously wrote Senior Jiang, well it was my mistake, after all Jiang Linglong is a Purple Mansion cultivator)
Jiang Linglong shook her head and stepped toward the edge of the cliff, her gaze falling upon the vast earth below. A faint smile graced her lips.
"Are you afraid of me?"
"I wouldn't dare," Elian replied, startled.
She chuckled softly but didn't comment further. Instead, she asked, "Do you think I'm old?"
Elian's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly answered, "Senior, you are in your prime. How could you be old?"
"Then why do you call me Ancestor Jiang?" she asked with a sly smile.
Before he could reply, she turned her gaze back to the horizon, her expression calm as she spoke.
"The mayfly lives and dies in a single day, never knowing the difference between morning and night."
"To it, the rising and setting of the sun is a lifetime."
"You've lived for thirty-something years. To a mayfly, that's like witnessing 3,000 cycles of life and death. Are you old?"
Elian was rendered speechless. Many viewed high-level cultivators with their thousand-year lifespans as immortal monsters clinging to life.
But from the perspective of great cultivators, what difference was there between mortals and mayflies? A mortal's entire life was but the brief respite of an immortal.
They watched mortals be born, grow, thrive, wither, and die, all while remaining youthful and untouched by the passage of time.
"You are different from others."
Jiang Linglong's eyes reflected the endless earth as if she could see through the ceaseless cycles of the mortal world.
"A thousand years from now, you may understand that I am only a little older than you."
Elian, overwhelmed, stammered, "It's said that only Nascent Soul cultivators can live beyond a thousand years. How could I ever be worthy of such a comparison?"
"You," she said with a teasing smile, "are far too young to speak like an old man. Where is your youthful sharpness?"
Her smile was stunning, her bright eyes sparkling like stars in the sky, leaving Elian momentarily entranced.
Noticing his expression, Jiang Linglong's smile faded. With a flick of her long skirt, she transformed into a sword light and disappeared into the sky.
Watching her sword light vanish into the horizon, Elian snapped out of his daze.
Shaking his head with a wry smile, he began packing up his zither, only to notice a jade box beside it that had not been there before.
"What is this?"
Opening the box, he found a Foundation Establishment Pill resting inside.
Silent, Elian stood motionless, gazing in the direction Jiang Linglong had departed. He remained there for a long time.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, a faint fragrance lingering in his heart, bringing with it a serene sense of tranquility that stayed with him for a long time.
...
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