"Master, why are you here?"
Yi Nian looked at Daolin, feeling a little dazed for a moment. He didn't know if it was an illusion he had or if it was real.
"Yi Nian, I came to you to tell you something." Dolin looked at him with some sympathy in his eyes.
"Master... Master, are you here to take me back? I know I have done many wrong things... but..."
Daolin shook his head and interrupted: "I'm not here to arrest you. I just want to tell you that your master... Qingyin... he... he has passed away."
"Wha... what? Master... Master, he... he is dead?" He was stunned at the thought. He did not expect such a result. "How... did he die? Was he killed by someone? That person who is it?"
"No one killed him. He killed himself. He committed suicide."
Yi Nian was stunned for a moment and then said: "Why?"
"He wants to use his own life to defend the reputation of Jialan Temple, and he wants to use his own life to atone for your sins... and he wants to use his own life to persuade you to turn back!"
"Turn back?" Tears fell uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes, "Turn back? Turn back? Can I still turn back? Master, tell me! Can I still turn back? Hahahaha!"
"Amitabha, put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha immediately. Put down one thought and feel at ease."
"No!" A thought jumped up, and he screamed hysterically at Dolin, "No! You said let go? How to let go? How to let go? Except for my mother, I have nothing left! No more! From childhood to adulthood I don’t understand why other people have the love of their parents, but I can only kneel in front of the Buddha to chant sutras and meditate! You all say that I am talented, but I am not happy! Master often talks about letting go, but if you don’t have it, how can you talk about letting go? Why should I let go if I already have it? Why should I look back? I don’t want to look back! I will keep going like this! Hahaha!”
Yi Nian cried, laughed wildly, then ignored Daolin's call and flew towards the vast sea of sand.
Daolin let out a long sigh and murmured to himself: "One thought, one thought... If you are attached to one thought, you will also be trapped by one thought... Qingyin, Qingyin, what should I do? Hey... …”
A gust of wind blew up a cloud of sand, and Dolin's figure disappeared with the wind, leaving only a bare sand dune.
…
Ling Ning opened her eyes and was surrounded by ice and snow. The cold wind mixed with ice-like snowflakes hit his face crazily, causing his face to hurt.
"here it is……"
He felt a biting coldness all over his body, and even his eyelids were frozen shut by the cold wind and he couldn't open them. He wanted to circulate his true energy to keep himself warm, but found that his Dantian was empty and his true energy had disappeared without a trace! The snow had already covered his knees, making it extremely difficult to take a step forward.
Suddenly he found a little orange light shining in the distance. He tried to "crawl" towards the light, but the extreme cold made his body stiffen and he could not stop shaking crazily. Finally, he fell headlong into the snow, losing his mind. Awareness.
When I woke up again, my body was much warmer, but I still felt a chill. Looking around, I saw that I was lying on a bed, with an oil lamp placed beside the bed, emitting a dim light. Firewood was burning and crackling in the fireplace, the cold wind was howling outside the window, and nothing could be seen except for the white snow. He tried hard to drive away the drowsiness in his mind, thinking: "Is this the so-called Xuanyuan Secret Realm? It seems worse than imagined."
"you're awake?"
A gentle voice sounded, and then a girl pushed open the door and entered, holding a bowl of hot soup in her other hand.
The girl is very sweet, with two black braids hanging down her shoulders. Although she is wearing a gray-brown animal suit, it highlights her exquisite figure. Her round and straight long legs are tightly covered by long boots made of animal skin. The package is eye-catching.
"I...ahem...where am I?" Seeing that the girl noticed his "dishonest" gaze, she quickly turned away in embarrassment.
The girl smiled slightly, revealing her dimples. She sat on the edge of the bed without hesitation and handed him the hot soup, saying, "Here, let's drink a bowl of hot soup to warm yourself up first!"
Ling Ning nodded and wanted to take the hot soup, but her arms were so weak that she couldn't take it and almost knocked the bowl over. When the girl saw this, she fed him and drank it herself without any hesitation. He took a sip and felt the strong flavor of bone soup sweep through his entire mouth, and then turned into a hot torrent and slowly flowed into his stomach. His body gradually warmed up, and he couldn't help but put his mouth up and drink up the bone soup in big gulps.
"Is there... is there still..." He was chewing meat in his mouth, slurring his words, and the long-lost hunger made him eager to drink another bowl.
"Of course there is, but you can only drink one more bowl! Drinking too much is not good for your health."
The girl stood up and left, and after a while she filled another bowl for him. This time he drank more "elegantly" and savored the taste carefully. It is strange to say that a Taoist like him has been "fasting" for a long time. He basically does not eat grains in the world. If he eats, he will only choose some nectar and spiritual fruits that are rich in spiritual power to satisfy his hunger. He rarely eats meat. Unexpectedly, a bowl of bone soup whetted his appetite, and he felt as if he had become an ordinary mortal.
He tried to circulate his true energy, but found that the sea of qi was still empty, as if it had been drained.
"You don't need to try. Taoism does not exist in this world. You are just an ordinary mortal like me."
Ling Ning was stunned for a moment, but soon accepted the reality and asked: "Dare you ask the girl your name? Did you save me?"
"Is it not me or who? Hehe, my name is Zora, outsider, what is your name?"
"My name is Ling Ning. Where is this place and why is it so cold?"
"This is the Valley of Spring."
"Spring Valley? But I don't think it looks like spring outside. Ah, why not call it Winter Valley instead."
Zora chuckled and said: "What is the Valley of Winter? This place is really called the Valley of Spring!"
"Why? I don't see anything like spring."
"The reason why the Valley of Spring is called Spring Valley is because it is like spring all year round, and the mountains and fields are full of wild flowers..." There was undisguised yearning in Zora's eyes, making it difficult for people to doubt that what she said was false. .
"Then why is it like this now?"
"It's because you are here."
"Us? You mean it will be a cold winter when the Xuanyuan Secret Realm opens?"
"Yes, that's it!"
"Then... where is the Xuanyuan Sword? By the way, there are other monks, are they all here too?"
"I don't know where the Xuanyuan Sword is, but there is a mountain temple here, and maybe there will be answers in it... As for the other monks, I haven't seen them either. To be honest, it's been too long since it was last opened here. ...It's been so long that there's almost no one around, and I just 'picked' you up by chance, maybe other monks have frozen to death."
"You said there is almost no one here? Are you the only one left in the entire Spring Valley?"
"of course not……"
"I knew how it was possible that you were the only one left..."
"And my grandpa, it's just the two of us who depend on each other."
"Eh? How could this happen? How did those people die? Did they suffer some plague?"
"No, maybe it's because this place is too closed... Spring Valley is very small, one mountain, two mountains, three mountains, four mountains is everything..."
"What's behind the mountain?"
"It's an endless fog, and everyone who enters the fog is missing. Some say they are dead, some say they left here and went to the real world, but no one knows what the actual situation is... Even so, there are still There are many, many people heading towards the fog without hesitation."
Ling Ning sighed and said, "People always explore the unknown. You just said that the Mountain Temple will have the answer. Where is the Mountain Temple?"
"The mountain temple is on the top of the mountain to the east. There is only one path to go up. It would be easy to walk in the spring, but now... I'm afraid it will take a whole day to walk."
"All day?"
"Well, there is another question..."
"what is the problem?"
"It's a matter of keeping warm. The weather here is too cold. In addition to clothing to keep out the cold, you also need to wear a 'blazing jade' before you can move outside, otherwise you will freeze to death." As she spoke, she pulled out a red piece of clothing from her neck. The jade was shown to him. This piece of jade exuded bursts of warmth, and the spiritual energy lingered on it for a long time. It was obvious that it was a treasure.
"Blazing Fire Jade? Is this thing rare? You should have many pieces, right?"
"I..." Zora's eyes dodge slightly, "I only have one piece. If I give it to you, you won't be able to get to the top of the mountain without my guidance."
Ling Ning scratched her head and said, "Maybe I don't need that. I'm not boasting, my body is very strong. Can you help me find some thick clothes? I want to try it."
Zora stood up and said, "I have some clothes, but they are a bit old. They are clothes from a long time ago."
She went out to search for a while before giving him some gray fur clothes.
Ling Ning immediately felt much warmer after putting it on. In order to cope with the blizzard outside, he added a few more pieces until he couldn't put them on anymore, but his mobility was also greatly restricted.
Regardless of Zora's objections, he pushed open the door and the thick snow instantly engulfed his calves. Even though he was wearing several layers of animal skins, he could clearly feel the cold wind penetrating into his body like a bone-penetrating needle, making him shiver. He gritted his teeth and braved the blizzard and struggled towards the mountain. He didn't know how long it had passed, but his eyelashes were also covered with a thick layer of ice shards. When he looked up, he saw that he had just reached the foot of the mountain. The white snow-capped mountains were like a giant squatting in front of him, looking down at him silently.
"How could it be...so cold..." This was the last thought in his mind, and then he lost consciousness.
After waking up, he lay on the warm bed again. Zora opened the door and came in, saying: "Fortunately, I followed you all the time, otherwise you would have been buried in the snowstorm!"
"Thank you very much. It seems you are right. It really can't work without Blazing Fire Jade. It's really too cold!"
Zora poured him a cup of milk tea, and after drinking it, he felt much warmer. If he had cultivation, this coldness would be nothing, but now he is no different from a mortal, and he can't help but feel timid when he thinks of the ice and snow outside.
"How long will this snowstorm last? Will it continue like this?"
Hearing his words, Zora obviously hesitated, but still answered truthfully: "The snowstorm will last for seven days, and then..."
"What happens next?"
Zora sighed and said: "The snowstorm will stop later. If you don't leave, you will be trapped here forever."
Ling Ning was slightly surprised and said, "Is the exit the mountain temple?"
Zora nodded and said: "That should be true. The outsiders who came here in the past all left from there. There are records on the murals on the mountain temple."
"It was the first day when I came here, and today is the second day..."
"What? Are you getting nervous? You don't want to steal my jade, do you?" Zora covered her chest slightly nervously.
Ling Ning smiled and said: "How could it happen? Don't worry. I think there will be a way out...Besides, what's wrong with staying here? Didn't you say the spring here is beautiful? I really want to see it." one time!"
Zora chuckled and said: "You are really an optimist. Don't you want the Xuanyuan Sword? If you don't get out of here quickly, someone else will get the Xuanyuan Sword first!"
"You seem to want me to go out? Even if I want to, what can I do? You only have a piece of blazing jade, and you gave it to me. I can't see the way up the mountain, so I have to slowly look for other ways."
"Okay, it's getting dark, I'm going to cook. I hope you can find other ways."
Ling Ning lay on the bed and thought hard, still unable to figure it out. He is just an ordinary mortal now. How can a mortal defeat God? After a while, the smell of food interrupted his thoughts, and he followed the smell to the main room. Zora was putting a bowl of wild vegetables on the table. Seeing him coming, he said happily: "You have a really good nose, come and help." .”
Ling Ning helped her place the dishes and chopsticks. Dinner was a bowl of potato stewed with bacon, a bowl of wild vegetables and a small plate of pickled vegetables. Zora put the vegetables on a wooden plate, filled another bowl of porridge and brought it into the room, and then the old man's voice came from inside. He followed the sound and saw an old man half leaning on the bed. The old man's face was sallow, his figure was thin, and his face had wrinkles like ravines. He seemed to be seventy or eighty years old.
Seeing him come in, Zhuo La said: "Grandpa, he is an outsider, his name is Ling Ning."
The old man grinned and said, "I haven't seen a stranger in this place for a long time. As an outsider, I hope you can get used to it."
Ling Ning smiled bitterly in her heart: "It's really difficult to get used to the severe cold here."
He suddenly noticed that the old man was wearing a red rope around his neck, and he could vaguely see a piece of red jade inside his clothes. He couldn't help but said "Eh" and said, "Is that the blazing jade? Didn't you say there was only one piece..."
Zora quickly stood up to block his sight, and said warily: "Grandpa is frail, this jade is used to extend his life, and he must never leave him!"
Seeing her nervous expression, Ling Ning said: "I see, I don't have any other intentions, don't think too much about it..."
"Okay, okay, go out and eat your meal!" Zora pushed him out without any explanation.
At night, he tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. If you want to leave here, there is only one way to get the Blazing Fire Jade. Of course Grandpa Zora's blazing jade cannot be touched, but what about Zora's own? But without Zora's guidance, can he find the mountain temple alone? Is Zora hiding something from him? There are too many unknown things. Perhaps the best choice is to let Zora willingly take her up the mountain with her, but this is impossible to do unless...
A bold thought came to his mind. If her grandfather died, wouldn't Zora be able to take him up the mountain? But this idea was rejected by him after just a fleeting thought. Zora had saved her anyway, so how could she expect her grandfather to die? But if not, we need to find other ways to leave as soon as possible. Do we really want to stay here for the rest of our lives?
The next day, under Ling Ning's repeated pleas, Zora agreed to take him to explore the outside. Because there was no blazing jade, Ling Ning walked much slower than Zhuo La. Under her guidance, she finally went up the mountain this time. The mountain road was more difficult to climb than he had imagined. His fingers were almost numb from the cold and he couldn't use any strength at all, so he finally failed. The only difference was that this time he didn't faint due to the cold, thanks to the experienced guide Zora. Even this was of no use. There was still a long way to go from the mountain temple, so he could only look at the peak and sigh.
When he returned to the hut, his hands and feet were already purple from the cold. Zora brought him a basin of warm water to soak his feet and a heater to warm his hands. It took a long time for the blood to turn red. He has frostbite on his hands and feet. Although he has applied medicine, he is afraid that he will not be able to go out again tomorrow and can only rest to avoid worsening the condition. He knew he didn't have much time, but he had no choice but to rush.
At night, the two of them sat around the stove, watching the beating fire and listening to the "crackling" sound of burning wood, and fell into a brief silence.
Seeing his frown, Zora asked, "What is the outside world like?"
Ling Ning was lowering his head and thinking hard about countermeasures. Hearing her question, he reacted slightly for a while and then said: "Outside? Hmm... Let me think about it, maybe the changes in the four seasons are not much different from here, but it is much wider, with mountains, There are plains, deserts, grasslands, and boundless oceans... There are many, many places I have never been to, and there are many, many people of all kinds... Compared to here, the outside world is more exciting and crueler. .”
"Really? You know, I haven't seen anyone for a long time... I mean except for grandpa. If grandpa... I think I am the only one in this world." Zora's voice revealed a strong emotion of sadness.
"A world of one person? Have you ever thought about leaving here and going to the outside world?"
"I...of course I want to, I just don't know how to get out."
"Perhaps the exit is at the mountain temple, and your tribesmen may have left from there."
"Maybe, but unfortunately, there are only two pieces of Blazing Fire Jade..."
"I've been thinking that after the snowstorm stops, we still have a chance to go out. I don't believe that this small world can trap us. If we can't find the exit, it must mean that there is something we don't know here."
"You want to wait until the snowstorm stops before leaving? Aren't you afraid of being stuck here forever? Don't you want the Xuanyuan Sword? As far as I know, every outsider is rushing to leave here to find the artifact they dream of. "
"Well...many things cannot be rushed, and I am not the kind of person who uses whatever means necessary. As for the Xuanyuan Sword, of course I also want to own it, but...but can I really own it? It has not been chosen for thousands of years. Can a master be chosen this time? Maybe it will be in vain again."
"Now..." Zora stared at his face and said seriously: "If you really get it, what do you want to do?"
"What do I want to do? Well..." He had never thought about this question, but it made him think.
If you obtain the Xuanyuan Sword, it means gaining absolute control over the Mortal Continent. At that time, he could easily eradicate Jian Lingzong to avenge his father, he could also stay and fly together with Qian Meier, and he could also mobilize all the resources in the entire Mortal Continent for his own cultivation. I believe that he will soon be able to create the top force in the human world... But are these really what he wants? The scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood in the abyss emerged in his mind. He thought of the pregnant woman who fought hard to survive for her child, of Qin Fei who longed to bring real happiness to the people of Zhao State, and of his brother who was serious about helping him realize his dream. Qin Xi...
He suddenly realized that becoming the master of Xuanyuan Sword required much more and heavier responsibilities than he had imagined. He didn't know if he was qualified. Could he watch helplessly as hundreds of millions of creatures on the mortal world sacrificed everything for his selfish desires? Where does he want to lead the mortal world? Is it a bright road or an endless hell? If he ascends, will the Mortal Continent lose the protection of the Xuanyuan Sword Formation, and will hundreds of millions of creatures become enslaved by the monks? He had no answer to all of this, and he was not even sure whether he could think about the problem so "soberly" after getting the Xuanyuan Sword.
"What are you thinking? Why don't you speak?"
Ling Ning shook his head and tried to clear those chaotic thoughts from his mind. They were too far away for him.
"To be honest, I don't know what I will do after getting the Xuanyuan Sword... But now I want to bring real peace to the Mortal Continent, and I don't want so many people to die... Maybe you don't know, every time Xuanyuan When the secret realm is opened, there will be a bloody storm outside, and hundreds of millions of mortals will lose their lives."
"What? Do you sympathize with them? This is very strange. Very few monks would think about problems from the perspective of mortals."
"My sympathy for mortals probably has something to do with..." He sighed slightly, "It probably has something to do with my father."
"Your father?"
"Yes. He passed away to save me."
"Can you tell me about him?"
Ling Ning hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said: "To be honest, I have been deliberately avoiding it, not wanting to remind myself of him... Because until now, I still don't believe that he has really left. I should have done it for him a long time ago Revenge, but... But I never want to step into Jian Ling Zong again. I am afraid that I will think of him... I... I am probably a child picked up by my father. I grew up in Jian Ling Zong since I was a child. I have too many memories there. . I remember Wancheng at the foot of the mountain. During the Chinese New Year when I was a child, my father always took me to play in the city. We sat in the attic and listened to operas. We watched the happy people coming and going downstairs. I always felt that I could not help but feel happy. My father. Said this is the 'fireworks in the world', haha, I still remember the expression on his face..."
At this point, he closed his eyes, and the corners of his eyes were a little moist. After leaving Jian Lingzong, he rarely recalled every moment of his time with his father like he did today. He didn't dare to recall it, maybe deep down in his heart he still couldn't accept his father's death, it was like a dream.
Memories were like a floodgate. Once opened, waves would surge towards him, making it difficult to suppress his sadness. He buried his face in his sleeves, and tears began to flow uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't..."
"No, it's not about your business. I just... I just really... really miss him so much. Apart from him, I don't have a single relative in this world. Xuanyuan Sword... I don't want Xuanyuan Sword , I just want my father to live..."
At this moment, Ling Ning was no longer strong, he seemed to have turned into a child talking angry words. Zora stopped talking and patted his back gently. After crying for a while, his mood calmed down a lot.
"Sorry, I...I lost my composure." He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, "Xuanyuan Sword, it is actually not important to me. Power is probably used to protect important things. The more powerful the power, the more powerful it is. This means that there are more things to protect. I don’t have that big ambition, and the only things I want to protect are my close friends..."
Zora looked at him quietly and said seriously: "Xiao Ning, you are really a very gentle and strong person. It's really great to get to know you..."
"Really? If it is really... that would be... great..."
Perhaps because he was tired from crying, exhaustion swept over him and he gradually fell asleep.
