Chapter 41: Matters Before and After Birth

  Yu Lin's spirit has improved a lot, and over the years, Bai Jian took away her son. Her heart is very clear about this. She just worries that the demon clan from Xianzhou will come after her to make trouble, so she pretends not to know.

  Bai Qi was stunned for a while, seeing Yu Lin Dang not speaking, and then said: "That... mother, why did father want to sacrifice himself to save me?"

  The father in his mouth is Ba Jian. So many years of father-son affection, it's not that you can give up by saying a sentence that is not born to him.

  "He's already regarded you as his own son, no need to ask. Some people are emotional, some people... " Yu Lin Ting rolled up the painting and handed it to Bai Qi: "Some people only know how to love themselves. This painting was personally painted by him, with the essence of the Lie Xian Sword inside. I reckon you won't become a sword cultivator in the future either, but the sword energy stored here can be life-saving at critical moments."

  Bai Qi didn't show any dislike for the origin of the painting and accepted it as spoken.

  "Get up, son. Your mother may not make it. From now on, you'll have to take care of yourself. If there's anything you want to ask, hurry and speak up while I'm still lucid." Yu Linzhong no longer had the majestic aura she once had, but looked like an ordinary middle-aged woman.

  "Daughter?"

  "My Golden Elixir is shattered, my body suffers from the torture of the Immortal Sword's energy corrosion, even the gods cannot save me."

  "I don't know..." Bai Qi's reply was somewhat bewildered. His cleverness was of no use at this moment, his usual reliance was about to leave him, and the world had narrowed down to just one person.

  "Sooner or later you'll understand, unfortunately, I'm good at my own cultivation but not skilled in teaching you. Sigh..."

  Yu Lin wanted to say some words of encouragement, but saw Bai Qi's eyes streaming with tears, crying silently.

  "What are you crying about!" Yu Lin's tone became stern. Bai Qi thought to herself, this was how she usually educated Xiao Yu.

  "It's sad, so I cry." Bai Qi didn't wipe away his tears, nor did he choke back a sob.

  "That's good, then. People are bound to die sooner or later. Even immortals can't escape it, let alone us."

  Bai Qi said at this time, also didn't have the mood to ask about how Xian Ren died, he just said: "Mother... I am willing to listen to your teachings."

  "Alright, I can teach you a thing or two. Let me tell you, in the world of cultivation, everything is based on the premise of longevity. If one cannot achieve longevity, no matter how great their talent is, it's all for naught. That deceitful sword cultivator, with his exceptional skills, was not even a match for a late-stage immortal after he merged with the Dao. Yet, he still died. I didn't kill him, and he couldn't escape his fate either."

  "Immortality..." A thunderbolt seemed to have struck in Bai Qi's heart, leaving only a pale color between heaven and earth. These two words heavily struck his heart. Unable to live forever, even the greatest achievements are in vain.

  The parents are like this, so is Emperor Wu of Jin, Yan Gongzi, and also Qin Er Shi.

  "It's just that living a long life is difficult, going against the heavens, and once you reach a certain stage, heavenly tribulations will descend. Before this, there are all sorts of tribulations, either coming from outside or triggered by oneself, which cannot be clearly described. Therefore, cultivators must learn various Daoist methods to defend against these tribulations. Just like those few Daoists from earlier, they were my tribulation. I hid in the White Manor for over a decade and still got found by them; if I didn't go out and move around, they would also be helpless against me."

  "Mother, it's all because of me!" Bai Qi said with some agitation, and began to cough.

  "No, Guo Gongzi wants to advance to the Land Sword Immortal, he's not just a simple martial artist anymore, and he'll also encounter his doom. If he dies, I still won't be able to escape. I'm going out to make arrangements for you, because the Guo Gongfu can't be protected anymore... Ah, child, these things are called cause and effect by Buddhists, and calamity numbers by Taoists. Can't escape..."

  "What if he escapes?"

  "Then transcend heaven and earth, live forever and never die, no matter how many chaos, how many kalpas, can be safely passed through."

  "Girl, if you were dead, would you..."

  Bai Qi suddenly asked this sentence. He heard Bai Jian say that after his own death, his soul would not perish and he would become a great general in the underworld. What about his mother?

  "I am a heavenly demon, if I die, I'll just die and transform into the primordial energy of the demonic realm. Even if there's a chance for reincarnation, it would be as an unenlightened demon."

  "Can't we leave some mark?" Bai Qi thought of some stories in books and asked eagerly.

  "Of course, it's just that once you're marked, you'll be tainted by fate and when the time comes, danger will be lurking everywhere. I'm afraid that even if you can't find me, I might already be dead." Yu Lin rang out a forced smile: "Xiao'er, do you think your mother wants to die? If one can live, who would want to go and die? Back then, when our master ascended to heaven, she didn't dare take us sisters with her either, precisely because of this fate. Without absolute power, you'll never be able to defy destiny."

  Bai Qi had stopped crying, feeling weak all over. He was just a beginner in the early stages of refining his energy, and even with the suppression of his abilities in this region, he could still rely on his Reverse Scale Spear to make a name for himself. A cultivator like him, even in Zhongzhou, would likely be one among millions. Defy fate? He didn't have that kind of qualification yet.

  "Get up, Mother didn't want to die like this either. If you can cultivate to the level of Qing Emperor back then, you'll naturally be able to figure out where I've gone. So, you must work hard."

  "Is this okay?" Bai Qi's eyes showed a hint of excitement and doubt.

  "I also heard it from others. The Azure Emperor is a demon immortal of the Middle Territory, but his reputation has spread throughout the nine territories and reached the heavens. In those years, the Azure Emperor's palace had millions of great demons, almost to the point of becoming a realm unto itself. The Azure Emperor even built the Beheading Generals' Soul-Sealing Platform, where all his subordinates could have their souls remain intact and not enter the underworld's cycle of reincarnation. I think he has this ability."

  "Will General Zhang be sealed at the altar? Daughter, is it this one?"

  Bai Qi hastily took out the demon spirit gourd and handed it over to Yu Linzhong. Yu Linzhong scanned it with his divine sense, and said somewhat disappointedly: "This is just an illusion. To restore the original appearance of the beheading god platform, you need to achieve a immortal position after that."

  Jian Baiqi was also disappointed, and Yu Linzhong smiled: "Baiqi, you have the Qingdi Inverse Scale Spear and the Qing Lei True Solution. As long as you don't die, you will eventually achieve a immortal position. Even if you can't reach the height of Qingdi, it's enough to rebuild the Zhanchang Fengshen Tower. At that time, relying on my one drop of blood, I can summon my bewildered soul, which is not a difficult task."

  "Alright, Mother, I will work hard and cultivate to achieve immortality..." Bai Qi said this, but also felt a bit ethereal.

  Qing Lei's true skill is indeed unparalleled in its class, but without guidance, the path to mastery remains arduous.

  "Yu Lin Ting said sharply, 'Xiao Er, you're obsessed with my life and death, which is wrong in itself. If I have the opportunity, I can naturally come back again. If not, by the time you achieve immortality, I will have thoroughly dispersed into the universe. If you rush to seek achievement and destroy yourself, it would be of no benefit to me, and all my efforts over the years would become like flowing water.'"

  "What should I do?"

  Yu Lin sighed, he didn't expect the development of things to be so rapid. Bai Qi's cultivation had just begun, and if no one guided him, it would be a blessing from heaven to even form a golden elixir, let alone achieve immortality.

  "After I die, take my corpse to the source of the Chu River, where the cave dwelling of the King of Chu River is. It should be connected to the Naihe Bridge. At that time, keep my corpse there. You have the seal of the King of Chu River, so it shouldn't be difficult to enter. Don't worry about anything else. And whatever you do, don't accept the power of the King of Chu River. Within a hundred years, the Heavenly Court will dispatch a new Heavenly Emperor's inspector, and if you're there, your past and present causes and effects will be investigated."

  "What we're doing now, doesn't Heaven know?" Bai Qi wondered.

  "That Yan Gongzi was blinded by greed and deceived the heavens. When he died, it was within the Qin Wang Mausoleum, and the heavenly court had no way of knowing what happened. Su Mu from the Kunlun Sect also appeared, but the heavenly court couldn't verify whether it was her doing or not, let alone enter Kunlun to investigate. This counts as her taking a blow for you, but she forcibly took Xiaoyu away, so you don't owe her anything."

  Bai Qi's thoughts were interrupted by Yu Lin, who said to him: "You have no one to guide your cultivation, it will be very difficult. The Inverse Scale Spear cannot be used against powerful enemies, and you may end up dying. So, you must not reveal any information related to the Blue Emperor. As for Xiao Yu's matter, don't worry about it for now. Kunlun's Su Miao has not taken a liking to your qualifications, otherwise she would have taken action to bring you away by now. She is blind to talent."

  "Mother, I will find a sect to join and cultivate diligently."

  Yu Lin Ting saw that Bai Qi had finally figured it out after so long, and was delighted. He said: "That's right, you go to the southern region, find a slightly larger sect, don't mind what kind of master, as long as someone is willing to teach you."

  "What... about Father?" Bai Qi said, referring to Bai Jian. He didn't want to give up on this nominal father of his.

  "Bai Jian, he's probably going to die. If he doesn't die, the entire Bai family will be beheaded. He can only fight to the death with the Jin Emperor. Once he dies, the Jin Emperor will say that Bai Jian was killed by a cultivator, and the remaining members of the Bai family will never again have anyone who can reach Bai Jian's level, so they won't pose a threat to his throne."

  "What Dad said..."

  He didn't deceive you, a martial artist who has reached the level of Lu Di Jian Xian, their soul will not perish and is even more powerful than a Lian Qi Shi. In the underworld, the King of Hell treats such souls with great courtesy and can directly confer them as a ghost god.

  Bai Qi thought for a moment, and still decided to listen to his mother's words, sending her body to the Nether River. With his current strength, he couldn't help with anything, and could only be a burden.

  Bai Qi quickly turned his emotions around, and Yu Lin Dang finally felt at ease. After all, Bai Qi was from the demon tribe, and he viewed life and death matters much more lightly than humans. If it weren't for the fact that he had received a human education for over a decade, Bai Qi might have directly asked her how to handle his posthumous affairs without any hesitation.

  The sky slowly darkened, and Lin Xun closed her eyes as the sun set. Before that, she had been telling Bai Qi about the world of cultivation, but she didn't know much about Zhongzhou, mostly talking about Xianzhou.

  Bai Qi did not ask any more questions, but only remembered his mother's words, word for word, firmly in his heart.

  Yu Lin Ting arranged her affairs after death, and went away peacefully. In this life, the first half was carefree and free-spirited, while the second half was spent in escape, with great hardship. Her only son had a promising future, which brought some comfort.

  Bai Qi endured the pain and collected his mother's body, took off his armor, leaving only a ordinary brocade robe, identified the direction, crossed the river, and rushed to the south of the Great Jin Dynasty.