But Chu Xuan still felt a sense of pain. Even if the facts were true, it wasn't his fault; it was his parents. Why did Ji Mingyu have to be so cruel to him?
Am I condemned as a heinous villain just because a wicked magical artifact recognized me as its master?
Though there's resentment in his heart, and complaints, Chu Xuan clearly knew:
In the face of deep-rooted enmity, few can remain rational. Ji Mingyu taking out her anger on the enemy's child is all too normal.
Thinking back, even though those eight years felt like the relationship with Ming Yu was progressing rapidly, on the other hand, he felt very distant from her, never truly touching her heart.
In fact, this was something he could faintly sense back then, but people deceive themselves, especially when submerged in happiness...
The more Chu Xuan thought, the more chaotic his mind became, the more painful it felt; he simply stopped thinking.
He attempted to extract the Six Souls Banner from his body, but now he was devoid of magical power and had lost the strength of his Divine Sense, rendering him powerless.
Chu Xuan lowered his gaze to his hands; he had nothing left.
...
The world turns on, unaffected by any individual's will.
Chu Xuan recuperated for another three days at the Immortal Zenith Observation.
During these days, his health improved somewhat; at least the high fever subsided, and he could barely walk around.
But in He Yao's eyes, this big brother seemed increasingly lifeless.
He wondered what hurt this person had suffered to become this way?
Anyway, He Yao would often come to chat with Chu Xuan, and today was no different.
However, despite sharing several intriguing stories within the Observation, Chu Xuan remained unresponsive.
Hence, He Yao scratched his head, hesitating before saying, "I'll tell you a secret; you mustn't tell my master."
Chu Xuan raised his hollow eyes, patting the child's head, speaking with a hoarse voice:
"No need, I know Yao'er is a good kid. You just go, don't worry about me."
But He Yao shook his head, leaned in close, and whispered, "There's a guest coming to the Observation today."
A guest?
He Yao continued, "It's an elder of my master, said to be someone important. I'm to call him as Elder Uncle-Master."
"I see that Brother Chu seems quite troubled by his illness. Perhaps my Elder Uncle-Master might have a solution?"
Chu Xuan pondered briefly; he couldn't sense the specific cultivation level of the Observation's master, He Musheng, merely speculating based on a residual cultivator's intuition that the man shouldn't be below Foundation Establishment.
Originally, he thought the person was just a small-time loose cultivator, who set up an observation in the mountains as his dwelling, while occasionally aiding the local people, thus being a good person.
However, judging from He Yao's current words, it seemed the Immortal Zenith Observation had inheritances?
Regardless, for someone qualified as He Musheng's elder uncle-master, their cultivation should be higher—perhaps at the third realm, Golden Core Stage.
Nevertheless, Chu Xuan didn't hold much hope.
After all, the one who acted was Primordial Monarch Taixu; if she was determined to ruin him, there wouldn't be many capable of healing him. Even if possible, who knows the cost involved—would it be worth it?
He Yao believed he had offered a wise plan, initially feeling anxious, unsure whether Chu Xuan seeking the guest would land his master's reprimand.
To his surprise, Brother Chu appeared as lifeless as ever.
This made Young He Yao anxious; he tugged at Chu Xuan's sleeve, asking, "Don't you have any thoughts?"
Chu Xuan gently patted the boy's head, "When will the guest arrive? I'll pretend to take a walk to meet him; you shouldn't follow."
Only then did He Yao breathe a sigh of relief, "About a month ago, Elder Uncle-Master was here, and today is his return day. I am not sure when precisely he'll arrive."
"Let me keep an eye out for you. As soon as he arrives, I'll inform you."
"Mm, I appreciate it."
Currently, Chu Xuan had nothing to repay this kindness but silently recorded it in his heart.
...
"Not good! Quick, quick, quick."
He Yao hadn't been gone long before he rushed back, panting desperately.
"Elder Uncle-Master has arrived, and after having tea with the master, he's preparing to leave."
Startled, Chu Xuan immediately got out of bed, stumbling as he ran outside. Despite the slim hope, he wanted to seize this last chance for survival.
He Yao didn't concern himself with the risk of exposure, hurriedly supporting him.
As the two rushed to Immortal Zenith Observation's front courtyard, they indeed saw a rosy-faced middle-aged Taoist bidding farewell to He Musheng.
He wore a cyan Taoist robe, embroidered with a delicate blue lotus flower on the left chest, with a bright red large gourd at his waist, appearing much younger than his junior nephew.
Beside the Taoist, there stood a shy little girl, about He Yao's age, dressed in red, looking adorable and delicate.
Upon seeing the Taoist's attire, Chu Xuan was taken aback, "Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace?"
Being born and raised in the Yunshan area, while at Langhuan Grotto Heaven, Chu Xuan not only learned about the main cultivation sects and notable figures but also paid special attention to sects near Yunshan.
And indeed, there was one, and it had quite a reputation.
The Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace, although not one of the top-ranked super sects, with few disciples and seldom involving itself in worldly disputes, held a transcendental position within the cultivation world.
Everyone knows, regardless of alignment, a sect's importance isn't about how many disciples it has, but whether it has enough foundation, whether it has a long-standing inheritance, and whether it can cultivate outstanding disciples.
Continually producing excellent disciples secures the sect's high-caliber strength over time.
With guaranteed high-level talents, the chance of having individuals ascend increases.
And the so-called "foundation," crucially depends on: how many Ascended Patriarchs have emerged from the sect in its history?
It's worth knowing, despite the Heavenly Court's strict rule against Celestial Beings descending to the mortal realm.
Yet those who've transcended the heavenly tribulation, ascended to the celestial world, are extraordinary talents, often leaving behind sects, juniors, or a lingering connection in the mortal domain. When their sect faces destruction, it's hard for them to remain indifferent.
Thus, over time, Upper Realm True Immortals devised a method of divine descent, not directly descending but acting remotely through a medium from the celestial world. Once completed, the medium shatters.
This essentially serves as a super trump card; sects with Ascended Patriarchs tend to endure and, when facing total annihilation, directly summons their ancestors, generally surviving unscathed.
The more Ascended Patriarchs a sect has, the more trump cards it holds, making others hesitant to provoke them—that's called foundation.
Of course, with this "borderline" practice, while the Heavenly Court turns a blind eye, anyone daring to use this as a nuclear weapon to bombard other sects would certainly face their wrath.
And the Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace belongs to this kind of sect with deep foundation in Taoism.