Wayfarer

Chapter 470: Prelude to Farewell

The dark clouds in the Netherworld Palace had vanished and were now replaced by warm sunlight.

Xiao Nanfeng sat cross-legged in the sky in meditation. Beside him stood Madam Rouge, a somewhat tired expression on her face. Clearly, helping him attune to the Records of Life and Death hadn't been an easy undertaking.

With a huff, Xiao Nanfeng opened his eyes wide.

"Well? How many of your golden crows perished?" Madam Rouge asked urgently.

"What do you mean, how many perished?"

"When you combined them with the Heavenly Stems, of course. If you're even the slightest bit careless, your golden crows will be destroyed during the process. Your cultivation has advanced incredibly quickly, and I suspect your foundations aren't as sturdy as they could be. You likely only had a one in ten chance of linking each of your golden crows to a page of the Heavenly Stems. As far as probability goes, you should only have managed one undying crow, or perhaps two if you're lucky. But don't worry. Even if you failed, you can start over. Two undying crows would be far preferable to ten that might perish at any time," Madam Rouge consoled.

Xiao Nanfeng furrowed his brows. "You thought the success rate would be low from the beginning?"

"I was worried that you would be too attached to your golden crows to attempt the experiment—no, the breakthrough—so I hid it from you. It was all for your own good, I promise," Madam Rouge said.

Xiao Nanfeng fell silent after giving her an odd look.

"You... couldn't have failed with all your crows, could you?"

Xiao Nanfeng waved a hand. Ten golden crows flew out from his body and into the air.

The ten suns caused the air to grow dry and arid. The temperature around them rose rapidly, and the lakewater down below quickly began to evaporate.

"You succeeded with them all? How?!" Madam Rouge exclaimed.

"I have a strong foundation, of course. Is this surprising? It's not as though it's my first time melding my cultivation with cursed effigies." It was Madam Rouge's time to frown. Having a strong foundation would boost the rate of success, but a strong foundation alone didn't guarantee anything. Even she wouldn't be confident in her ability to successfully link all his golden crows in one go. How had Xiao Nanfeng managed it? Just how strong was his foundation?

"Let me have a look," Madam Rouge nudged him, excitedly slapping at one of his golden crows.

The golden crow's body crunched as it turned to her and gave her a furious look.

"Didn't I use enough strength? Again!" Madam Rouge prepared another palm technique.

"No need for all that trouble. Explode!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

The golden crow exploded in a frightening burst of flame that turned the sky incandescent. Madam Rouge's palm technique shattered.

"You really dared to do it?" Madam Rouge murmured, an odd look on her face.

The flames into which the golden crow had transformed quickly surged toward his dantian, which reformed into the shape of a golden crow.

Then, with a loud caw, the reborn golden crow flew out of his dantian.

"They can regenerate that quickly after exploding? The Records of Life and Death is truly powerful," Madam Rouge praised.

Xiao Nanfeng returned the ten golden crows to his dantian with the wave of an arm.

"Causing these golden crows to explode and reform drains some of my energy, but not much. It's an acceptable cost," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"You'll have to thank me well, then," Madam Rouge replied, raising her chin.

"How?"

"Why don't you sing me another song?" Madam Rouge smiled.

Xiao Nanfeng's face turned dark. "There aren't more."

He'd die from embarrassment if he were to sing any more of those mushy love songs out loud!

"I'm right about to leave. Won't you do me this one favor?" Madam Rouge pretended to be upset.

"Leave? Where to?"

"Didn't I tell you? I have ten empires in the west that are about to combine into a divine empire. I have to return and direct its growth."

"Don't you have an avatar?"

"I don't. I don't like operating two bodies at once. Cultivators who do have a tendency to develop multiple personality disorder and go crazy, and I want to preserve the sanctity of my mind."

Xiao Nanfeng fell silent. Is she calling me crazy?

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to insinuate anything. Some people are born like this; you can think of it like a talent," Madam Rouge consoled.

Xiao Nanfeng: ...

It would have been better if you hadn't tried to console me...

Xiao Nanfeng immediately changed the subject. "Where's Blue Lantern? Wasn't he helping me attune to the Records with you? Where did he go?"

"He headed to the mouth of the abyss. You absorbed all the energy that the heavens left in this realm, so leaving might be a problem. Blue Lantern should be able to resolve that issue. As for you, don't change the subject. Will you sing for me, or not?"

"I will, but as you know, it wouldn't be a good look for me to sing such sentimental love songs in public. Why don't we switch locations?" Xiao Nanfeng suggested, a wry smile on his face.

"Oh? How?"

"Head to my avatar, and I'll sing to you that way. How's that?"

Madam Rouge hummed, then smiled. "You're worried that the black lotus and superior yin pearl will overhear, aren't you? Very well. I'll head to your avatar's side so they can't listen in."

Madam Rouge happily vanished from sight, darting into Xiao Nanfeng's mental world and toward his avatar.

Xiao Nanfeng smiled. He knew how busy monarchs were, and Madam Rouge had dropped all her work to accompany him for almost a month. He had to pay back this favor. Furthermore, Madam Rouge had arrived by his side within just two hours of his summons. It was evident she cared greatly for him.

A few songs was a small price to pay in light of what she had done.

He glanced around and, seeing that there was no one, flew toward the mouth of the abyss.

There, he found Blue Lantern deep in thought.

"What's wrong, Blue Lantern?"

"Your Majesty, after we leave the abyss, I'm afraid we won't be able to return in the short term."

"Oh?"

"The mouth of the abyss is unlocked using the strength of the heavens, which have now been consumed. Only a bare skeleton of natural law remains in this realm. After the next full moon, no one will be able to enter it."

"We can't leave, then?"

"We can. I can take advantage of the Formation of the Complete Heavens to provide some energy to these natural laws. When the time comes, the mouth of the abyss will collapse, but there'll be a short window of opportunity within which we can escape. Once we do, however, we won't be able to return."

"So this hidden realm will be inaccessible from then on?"

"In a few years, when I grow a little stronger, I'll be able to use a formation to open a passageway into this realm from the outside."

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. "In that case, we can leave, but we can't bring a large batch of people with us?"

The internal space of the Divine Seal of Dazheng would be able to fit a large group of cultivators, but he didn't want anyone else to enter it, and didn't intend to use this strategy to bring them out.

Blue Lantern nodded.

"In that case, start laying out the formation. The next full moon will be in just a few days' time. We'll leave at that point."

"Very well." Blue Lantern nodded.

After settling matters with Blue Lantern, Xiao Nanfeng headed in search of Ye Dafu and his crew.

Two days later, in the city of Wuliu, a space was cleared where the governor's manor had been.

Xiao Nanfeng stood at the center of the space, Ye Dafu and his other subordinates beside him. Before them were almost a thousand cultivators of the alliance.

"Thank you for your warning, City Lord Xiao." The cultivators bowed respectfully.

A month ago, those cultivators who had listened to Xiao Nanfeng and chosen not to head to the mouth of the abyss all survived. The rest of them had all perished at the Rabbit Yanluo's hands. When the cultivators learned of the truth, they were all overjoyed that they had made the right decision.

"Ye Dafu has told me that you've all been helping the civilians around here over the past few days," Xiao Nanfeng began.

"Yes, City Lord Xiao! We've been teaching them how to cultivate as well," one cultivator reported.

"Very well done."

The cultivators relaxed.

"You must have felt the disturbance a few days ago," Xiao Nanfeng continued.

"We did, City Lord Xiao, but we didn't know who was fighting."

"I thought it was the apocalypse!"

"I thought the ten Yanluo Lords came back to life."

"City Lord Xiao, are the cursed effigies making a move again?"

The cultivators murmured to each other in worry.

"Relax. From now on, there will be no cursed effigies in this realm," Xiao Nanfeng announced.

"Oh?" The cultivators' eyes lit up.

"However, because of the intense fighting, the mouth of the abyss has been damaged. Only a few cultivators can make it out, and the rest of you won't be able to leave in the short term."

"What?" The cultivators looked at each other in worry.

"City Lord Xiao, will you be leaving? Can you take us with you?" one cultivator begged.

Many people instantly looked toward Xiao Nanfeng hopefully.

"There's no rush. In a few years' time, I'll open up a passageway out of the abyss once more. Everyone will be free then."

"A few years' time?!"

"Many of you have spent generations in here. What's a few more years? There aren't any cursed effigies left, and none of you will be in danger."

The cultivators glanced at each other, but there was nothing they could do.

"We will await your return, City Lord Xiao," one cultivator began.

"We will await your return, City Lord Xiao!" others echoed.

"I promise I'll return," Xiao Nanfeng said, then continued seriously, "Although the cursed effigies are gone, I expect none of you to commit evil or seize power by force. In a few years' time, when I open a passageway into the abyss again, I'll assign my subordinates to check on your behavior within the past few years. Those who have acted virtuously will be able to leave at will; others I intend to execute."

The cultivators shivered, but they quickly schooled themselves. "Understood, City Lord Xiao!"

"Those who go above and beyond, on the other hand, shall be rewarded. For kindness and virtue, for instructing civilians, I will grant you all tremendous opportunities."

"Thank you, City Lord Xiao!" The cultivators bowed.