Old Master, Times Have Changed - Chapter 721 (Patreon)

Chapter 721: Just Likes Brother Xu

In that segment of “true history” extracted through Gu, several indistinct shadows—only rough outlines—were gathered around a cold, stern existence whose body was hidden behind boundless chaos.

All kinds of indescribable, line-like streams of light kept twisting, and bizarre blotches of radiance—like a child’s scribbles—kept landing on different parts of that cold existence.

As far as the eye could see, the entire world shown by “true history” had become a riot of strange lights—mad and grotesque.

This was that battle back then! The battle where Tai, under the siege of several True Immortals, fell completely! That cold existence hidden behind that chaotic veil was “Tai.”

And those indistinct shadows with only vague outlines were the Tai Xuan True Immortals who took part in the siege that year.

As for why it looked like this, it was entirely because the power of a True Immortal was vast yet unfixed—lofty beyond the world, far outside common limits.

It was also because “Tai” had fallen completely, utterly losing the traits of one who had attained the Dao, that traces related to Him could be recorded in full.

Moreover, this was only because Xu Xing belonged to the human side among those who had attained the Dao. If it were any other existence besides “Gu,” they wouldn’t even be able to see those blurry outlines.

But…

He had replayed it countless times, and still hadn’t found the slightest thing wrong.

No matter how he looked, Tai’s fall contained no anomaly at all.

“Could it be I really overthought it, and the abnormality during that Dao-attainment had nothing to do with Tai?”

Thinking that, Xu Xing couldn’t help frowning.

He recreated it once more, and the result was still nothing.

Threads of red light rose up along the “true history” orb, climbing higher and higher until they completely wrapped it.

After all, “the past” belonged to Gu’s authority.

When he wasn’t observing it, it was best to isolate this segment of “true history” from the outside world. Only then could he fully prevent it from being altered by Gu, and thus losing its “authenticity.”

After finishing all that, Xu Xing had just raised his head when he realized the others had ended their previous topic at some point. Now, all their gazes were on him.

…

After a pause, he said calmly, “What is it?”

“Did you find anything?” Daoist Yuanjun asked.

“No.” Xu Xing shook his head slightly. “No matter how I look, Tai truly fell completely in that battle back then.”

“So… this has nothing to do with Him?”

“Based on what we know so far, yes.” Xu Xing handed over the sealed “true history” in his hand. “But we still can’t relax our guard. From here on, I’ll keep an eye on this angle.”

“If we can exclude Tai for now, then the only side left is Tian.” Ning Ruo also spoke. “But there’s no need to investigate Him specifically, right?”

To confirm anything from “Tian,” they would have to wake Him from His dormancy first.

For a sliver of suspicion, revive a half-dead “Tian”?

Even if it was only a brief, incomplete “lucidity” for an instant, the risk was far too great.

“Correct.”

With this trip to Qingxu over, Xu Xing wasn’t planning to keep digging.

And besides—

“If it really is ‘Tian,’ then everything makes sense.”

“Tian” not only had the ability, but also the motive, to interfere with that Dongzhen Cang race member’s Dao-attainment.

After all, Xuan was extremely wary of Him.

Even though the Cang race’s situation was currently quite bleak, Xuan still hadn’t awakened Him to resist the human race together.

So, once “Tian” realized this, it was entirely possible that, for the sake of His own revival, He would use this method to threaten Xuan.

Hearing this, the group—starting with Daoist Yuanjun—took turns examining the “true history” of Tai’s fall.

The result was the same as Xu Xing’s: nothing at all.

After it made the rounds, that segment of “true history” returned to Xu Xing’s hands.

“Later I’ll make a trip and show it to the other Dao friends as well.”

Maybe they could notice something.

…

…

After that, they chatted about a few other topics.

The atmosphere was a bit strange, sure…

But the topics were all normal, aside from Meizu tossing out a couple more complaints.

Mm…

And some of the scenes he’d half-expected didn’t appear at all.

Just like that, time slid into the early hours.

Meizu and Daoist Yuanjun had already left. Ning Ruo ended the call. Bie Xuening had gone back to the Sword Sovereign Hall.

Xu Xing returned alone to the Sword Ancestor Hall, entering a peculiar space completely cut off from the present world, dedicated to storing all kinds of important items.

There were no decorations at all—still that familiar expanse of whiteness.

Up high floated dots of red radiance of varying sizes, like scattered starlight.

Xu Xing opened his hand. A light orb—sealed by encircling crimson锋芒, with shifting images flickering within—rose upward, taking its place among those star-like red lights.

“I’ll store it here for now.”

The segment of “true history” he’d obtained by accident when he went to Ancient Tai Xuan Heaven to leave Dao traces was also here.

Besides that, there was “Tian’s blood” and “Tai’s Dao resonance” collected from the final battle back then, as well as some “shadows of resentment” left behind after certain Dongzhen great clans were wiped out.

Xu Xing’s gaze swept across those star-like red lights one by one.

In the end, his eyes stopped on a small region among them.

Within the ring of crimson锋芒 were swords of many different shapes—some broken, some intact. Their sword intent was chilling; every single one was a rare divine weapon, its edge intimidating.

But at this moment, the sword spirits within them were completely sunk into silence.

These weren’t weapons that had once brought disaster upon the world and were seized and sealed here by Xu Xing.

On the contrary, they and their sword masters had once protected their lands. Even their current state was something they themselves had requested.

These were swords that had already lost their masters, and no longer held any hope for the future.

To them, the only meaning left in continuing to exist in this world was to wait for the final moment to arrive.

The sword wielder had died; the sword endured, carrying its master’s last will.

But the waiting was simply too painful, so they had asked Xu Xing to seal them away here.

“Wait a little longer…”

With a soft sigh, Xu Xing turned and vanished.

…

…

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, another month passed.

During that period, Xu Xing carried that segment of “true history” across the other great immortal sects and the starry sky.

Including Kui, nine True Immortals in total watched the “true history” record of that battle where “Tai” fell.

Unfortunately, the result was the same.

None of them saw the slightest anomaly.

On the other hand, Lord Hong still believed the abnormality during Dao-attainment wasn’t “Tian’s” handiwork.

He couldn’t give a reason—only intuition…

But Xu Xing still kept it in mind.

Better to believe there might be something than to assume there’s nothing.

From past experience, Lord Hong’s intuition was usually very accurate. Being more cautious was never a mistake.

“I didn’t see anything off either.”

Ning Ruo walked around the silver-gray desk and sat beside Xu Xing, handing the “true history” back to him.

Right.

He’d chosen Lingyin Pavilion as the last stop.

In fact, when he came back from Qingxu last time, Ning Ruo had already looked at this “true history” outside the Sword Ancestor Hall. But no matter what, with something like this, it was best to see it in person.

“Then let’s leave it at that for now.”

Everything that needed doing had been done, everything that needed verification had been verified.

Xu Xing brought his hands together and put it away, then asked, “Wanxin should be close too, right?”

Ning Wanxin was the highest-cultivation disciple among all of Ning Ruo’s disciples.

Like Xu Qianning before, she had long stationed herself at the Starfront Battlefield to comprehend the “Dao-Extremity path,” and had not returned to the Central Continent for over a thousand years.

“Mm. After all, Wanxin has always been just a little behind Qianning.”

They had started cultivating at almost the same time. From Qi Condensation to Soul Transformation, at every realm, Ning Wanxin had been a little later than Xu Qianning.

But only a little.

Xu Xing mentioned her now because the Dao she cultivated was precisely “order.”

To a certain extent, it overlapped with the innate “law” and “order” that “Tai” had once held.

Ning Ruo also understood:

“Brother Xu wants to use Wanxin’s Immortal Threshold to verify something?”

“More or less. Of course, it’s also for her sake.” Xu Xing sighed softly. “If ‘Tai’ still exists in this world and can affect the outside, He will definitely intervene.”

To cultivators, there was no conflict more serious than “Dao contention.”

For example, Cheng Ding—back then, because the Dao he cultivated overlapped with “Gu,” he had no choice but to change his path.

In other words, as long as Tai still had the ability to interfere with the world, He would never allow a Dao-attainer who encroached on His innate authority to be born.

“I understand. When Wanxin returns, I’ll notify you and Meizu immediately.”

Xu Xing didn’t need more explanation—among the Tai Xuan immortals, he had the highest cultivation and had gone the farthest.

As for Meizu, she had also gone very far, and she held the Dao of the True Self. In this matter, she could play a major role.

“Mm.”

At this point, the matter could be considered settled, and the follow-up vigilance had its arrangements.

Xu Xing leaned back, closed his eyes and pressed his brow, then opened them again and looked at Ning Ruo with a smile.

“Maybe she’ll use this chance to make things difficult for you.”

Even though he still didn’t know what their so-called “agreement” was, Meizu was clearly very unhappy about what happened this time.

“Not difficult, really—at most she’ll throw a little tantrum.”

Ning Ruo took a Xuan Candle Fruit from the fruit platter, gently peeled away its skin, revealing a pure, hazy, multicolored glow inside, and brought it to Xu Xing’s lips.

Xu Xing wanted to reach out and take it, but she didn’t let go.

“To understand the ‘True Self,’ to follow one’s heart, untouched by external things—sometimes I really envy that kind of mindset.”

In her eyes, Meizu was someone who lived with extreme freedom.

She walked the world with “nameless” status, always knowing what she wanted from beginning to end, and once she decided, she acted immediately.

And she never cared how others judged her.

So Ning Ruo felt that if she didn’t take initiative, sooner or later she’d be beaten to it.

“Brother Xu, why don’t you tell me how you and her met back then?” The peel in Ning Ruo’s hand turned into specks of light and vanished. “I can trade you for information from the group chat.”

That little group’s information?

Xu Xing’s heart stirred. “You’re curious about her past too?”

“No.” Ning Ruo shook her head slightly. “I just like Brother Xu, so I want to understand her.”

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