I Only Marry Widows

On the precipice of the cliff, amidst the fierce cold wind.

Lu Chengfeng and Zhu Yuxian stood side by side, gazing out at the vast mountains and rivers.

"Master, do immortals really exist in this world?"

Zhu Yuxian chuckled softly and asked, "What do you think an immortal is?"

Lu Chengfeng thought for a moment and said, "Eternal life, flying through the sky, moving mountains and filling seas?"

"What you're describing is the worldly imagination of immortals and the abilities attributed to them in myth and legend," Zhu Yuxian said. "The so-called immortal, a person on the mountain is an immortal."

"A person on the mountain is an immortal?" Lu Chengfeng repeated, asking with some confusion.

Zhu Yuxian pointed to the sky, "A person on the mountain is closer to the heavens, so an immortal is one who ascends to the heavens."

"A Celestial Human?" Lu Chengfeng blurted out.

"Yes, and no," Zhu Yuxian said. "The ancient people who created the characters did so with profound reasoning; a person on a mountain represents one who is closer to heaven, and that is an immortal."

"An immortal is actually someone who pursues the Heavenly Dao, transcending the ordinary, a seeker between heaven and earth."

"An immortal is not the result, but the process."

Lu Chengfeng pondered deeply for a long time, suddenly enlightened. He had always thought immortals were mysterious beings, believing they lived forever and could control the elements at will.

But in fact, immortals are also human; they too strive to comprehend the mysteries between heaven and earth, chasing the most eternal secrets of the Heavenly Dao. They are people who have attained the Dao, who are closer to heaven, a symbol, but not the result.

This truth, he never considered, even with the gifts from the Zhao Family Ancestor, as those gifts contained no memories of the ancestor, only insights into martial arts techniques.

"Then, Master, what's the difference between a Celestial Human and an immortal?"

Zhu Yuxian slowly explained, "A Celestial Human is the beginning of an immortal, and when one reaches a certain realm of understanding of the Heavenly Dao, that is an immortal."

Lu Chengfeng suddenly recalled the martial arts realms, taken aback. "The Martial Path has thirty-six layers, the Celestial Human has nine realms, could it be?"

"Correct." Zhu Yuxian nodded. "When the nine realms of the Celestial Human are transcended, one can ascend!"

Lu Chengfeng's scalp tingled for a moment—this news and conclusion came too suddenly, making him feel as though he was in a dream.

"Is this true? Is there really a path to becoming an immortal in this world?"

Suddenly, he stared at Zhu Yuxian with bright eyes, "Master, have you seen an immortal?"

Zhu Yuxian was silent for a long time and did not speak. After a while, she finally said, "Perhaps, I've seen one."

Lu Chengfeng only felt his head buzzing, experiencing an unprecedented excitement and tremor. "There really are immortals in this world?!"

"Then maybe, I could also walk the path to immortality?"

Zhu Yuxian didn't speak for a long time. The cold wind on the mountain blew her robes into violent motion, her eyes filled with an indescribable complexity.

"Anyone in this mundane world has no hope of following the Immortal Path."

Lu Chengfeng was stunned as if he had been doused with cold water, "Why is that?"

Zhu Yuxian's voice was icy, "Those who have hope to become immortal will have an immortal descend at birth to guide them."

"The mundane world, with its myriad beings, is hopeless on the path to ascension."

Lu Chengfeng looked at her and asked, "And the Celestial Humans?"

"Stronger ants, merely fish that temporarily leap out of the water," Zhu Yuxian's voice was filled with unspeakable oppression. "Through the ages, Celestial Humans in the mundane world—none have crossed the nine realms, and most, even reaching the first realm of the Celestial Human, find it exceedingly rare to progress further over thousands of years."

"And those who transcend the nine realms will not be in the human world."

Lu Chengfeng murmured, "So, we're destined to be ordinary people? Even if by some stroke of luck I become a Celestial Human, there is no hope on the path to ascension."

"Exactly!" Zhu Yuxian responded very decisively.

Lu Chengfeng looked at his master standing beside him, suddenly feeling an indescribable respect.

Compared to him, who had only heard tales, his master might truly have seen immortals, understanding the harshness of remaining in the mundane world.

For ordinary people living aimlessly, it's one thing, but for someone who has seen a broader sky and knows of the existence of immortals, to not be crushed by the harsh reality but instead hone such a strong will to become immortal is truly a testament to terrifying resilience of spirit.

At this moment, Lu Chengfeng could finally understand some of Zhu Yuxian's mentality, having seen immortals yet having no hope of becoming one herself, stranded in the mundane world, and even achieving the status of a Celestial Human, she would eventually become nothing more than a handful of dust.

So... she was unwilling!

"I want to become immortal!" Lu Chengfeng suddenly recalled that faint whisper he had heard when facing that punch—it was Zhu Yuxian's deepest will, faith, and yearning.

In this life, in this world, one is to become immortal!

Compared to her, his so-called thoughts of a common man truly seemed like he harbored no great aspirations.

Lu Chengfeng shook his head, deciding not to think too much about it. The path must be walked step by step. From an obscure disciple of the Outer Peak of Yun Cang Mountain to where he stands today, he has walked steadily and quickly enough.

Perhaps the path of an Immortal is indeed unreachable by ordinary folk, but he differs from others, and there's a chance he might succeed.

"Immortals, shouldn't they also marry and have children?"

Suddenly, this thought flashed across his mind. If an Immortal were to fall, leaving behind a widow...

Once this thought arose, it couldn't be stopped.

After a long time, he suppressed his heated thoughts, "I'd better not think too much. First, set a small goal: to achieve Half-Step Celestial Human and then marry a Celestial Human widow?"

With such nonsensical thoughts, Zhu Yuxian snapped out of her previously repressed mood, looked at Lu Chengfeng, and asked, "What's going on with you? Weren't you cultivating the Profound Crane Thousand Shadows Ghostly Sword Technique when you descended the mountain? How come you suddenly switched to cultivating the Zhao Family's Blazing Fire Spear?"

"And moreover, from your earlier moves, it seemed like some kind of Fire Attribute Divine Skill, probably the legacy of the Zhao Family Ancestor?"

"Even if you were a bastard child of the Zhao Family, you shouldn't have been able to cultivate a Divine Skill to such a level in such a short time."

Lu Chengfeng chuckled, "Master, do you want to know?"

Zhu Yuxian, seeing his mischievous expression, snorted coldly and said, "Even if you don't tell me, I know it must be related to your Immortal Bone."

"Immortal Bone?" Lu Chengfeng was genuinely surprised and curious upon hearing Zhu Yuxian mention this term again.

Previously, he thought Zhu Yuxian was referring to extraordinary talent using the term Immortal Bone, but it now seemed different.

And upon hearing Zhu Yuxian say that Immortals truly exist, he couldn't help but ponder, "Master, what exactly is an Immortal Bone?"

Zhu Yuxian glanced at his forehead, "The so-called Immortal Bone is essentially Immortal Fate. Without Immortal Fate, one cannot tread the path to ascension in this lifetime."

"Anyone who achieves Celestial Human certainly possesses an Immortal Bone."

Lu Chengfeng asked again, "So can someone with an Immortal Bone become an Immortal?"

Zhu Yuxian sneered, "Don't delude yourself. Immortal Bones are varied in quality. Those destined to become Immortals are born under a celestial light shooting straight to the heavens. Invisible to ordinary people, Immortals descend to the lower realms to guide them."

"Those left in the mundane world with Immortal Bones are tragically pitiful; despite having an Immortal Bone, they cannot tread the Immortal path and remain in the Red Dust, waiting for death."

"Of course, compared to ordinary people, they are notably different. Most with an Immortal Bone are extraordinary geniuses and, barring errors, can usually achieve Celestial Human."

Lu Chengfeng was left speechless, "Are you saying that I also possess an Immortal Bone?"

Zhu Yuxian nodded, "Others may not see it, but to me, a celestial light sprouts between your brows, golden like fire, with specks of starlight, undoubtedly marking an Immortal Bone."

Lu Chengfeng broke out in a cold sweat; what Zhu Yuxian described almost exactly matched the manifestations of his Gifted Talent in his Spirit Platform's sea of consciousness.

"Could it be that my so-called Gifted Talent is the marvel of the Immortal Bone?"

He pondered, feeling a bit puzzled, so he simply asked, "Master, what exactly are the marvels of the Immortal Bone?"

Zhu Yuxian scrutinized him, seemingly reading his little thoughts but chose not to expose them, "The so-called Immortal is one who comprehends the Great Tao of Heaven and Earth, a person who stands between Heaven and Earth having gained the Tao, a position, and a symbol."

"The so-called Immortal Bone possesses certain characteristics of an Immortal. In other words, the Law of Heaven and Earth infuses the bone, hence manifesting the mysterious."

"Depending on the Immortal Bone, the Law within varies naturally, providing different marvels."

"For instance, Du Mengyan, one of the Three Heroes in the sect, possesses the Bihua Immortal Bone. Cultivating Wood Attribute techniques is as easy as a flick of the wrist for her, able to naturally harness the Power of Heaven and Earth, refine Essence, Qi, and Spirit more extraordinarily than any Miracle Medicine could."

"Furthermore, qualities like aptitude, perception, physique, and True Qi under the nourishment of the Immortal Bone will continuously grow and transform over time."

"While others slow in cultivation as time goes on, those with an Immortal Bone accelerate in cultivation at an unimaginable speed, transforming until achieving Celestial Human."

"Senior Sister Du?" Lu Chengfeng mumbled. "No wonder?!"

When he first met Du Mengyan, she gave off an extraordinarily peculiar feeling, as if something inexplicable about her drew him in.

Later, during a fight against Li Xiaotian after descending Jade Dragon Mountain, Lu Chengfeng fought Du Mengyan once, and when their weapons and True Qi clashed, he felt a burning desire, itching to charge forward and be reckless with her.

Back then, he thought it was just her beauty that stirred his lust. But now, could it be related to the Immortal Bone?

Unashamedly, Lu Chengfeng attributed his lustful desires to her Immortal Bone, finding it completely justified.

Zhu Yuxian, clueless of his thoughts, continued, "Du Mengyan possesses an Immortal Bone, the sect's greatest secret. Despite the Three Heroes and Seven Heroes in the sect, only Du Mengyan truly holds hope of achieving Celestial Human."

"The gap between her and others will widen as time passes, completely leaving them behind."

"If I'm not mistaken, your Immortal Bone should be related to fire, hence your incredible speed and efficacy in mastering a Fire Attribute technique."

"In such a short time, to have mastered a Fire Element Divine Skill to such a level shows that your Immortal Bone's quality surpasses even Du Mengyan's."

Lu Chengfeng, seeing Zhu Yuxian's sly "you think you can fool me?" expression, almost twitched his lips. His Gifted Talent was not merely for cultivating Fire Element techniques.

"Master is truly wise and brilliant. Disciples don't even need to speak; Master already guessed everything."

"Indeed, Master, with profound knowledge and grandeur; I genuinely admire and respect you."