Longevity Candle

Chapter 10: Rising from the pursuit of immortality, ending in the pursuit of immortality.
"May the immortals take pity on us!"

"May the immortals take pity on us!"

"beg……"

Each desperate cry, each plea to the immortals.

He banged his forehead until it bled, coughed up blood, and his long hair was disheveled; he looked wretched and miserable.

He continued to pray, just as the abbot of Baiyun Temple and the abbot of Yunhe Temple had done in the past.

The old Taoist priest in black mist was also pleading: "Whether you are a benevolent spirit, an evil monster, or a reclusive immortal master, please open your eyes."

"We will be your most devout followers, sculpting a golden statue for you and gathering incense, only asking that you look upon the world with favor."

"He is a descendant of Baiyun Temple. He is dying. You have a connection with Baiyun Temple. Please, do us a favor..."

With each prayer and each upward gaze, they tried to find traces of the immortals above the white clouds.

Above the sky, only drifting clouds remained; no immortals were to be seen, and there was no response.

At the summit, only their prayers and violent coughing could be heard.

Ayan and her father remained in hiding. She felt a pang of pity, but quickly suppressed it.

She wouldn't hand over Jiang Zhu to someone else out of momentary pity.

They continued to pray, and the Yin energy gathered more and more, becoming somewhat out of control and obscuring the essence of the sun.

The old Taoist priest was also losing control, and Bai Qiuyun below was becoming increasingly weak.

Every time he made a move, he was shortening Bai Qiuyun's lifespan.

"Why, why aren't you responding to us!"

“He is a descendant of Baiyun Temple. You once looked down upon Baiyun Temple, and Baiyun Temple gathered incense for you. You watched it fall into ruin and die. Now its descendants are still willing to worship you. Why don’t you open your eyes?”

He asked questions frantically, as if he were shouting, but also as a helpless plea.

Wow
The eerie wind grew even stronger, raging across the entire mountaintop and sending rocks flying everywhere.

The father and daughter's expressions changed, and they dared not make the slightest move, letting the rubble fall on them.

Ultimately, the power of Yin could not be controlled and dissipated.
The green lamp instinctively absorbed the incoming lunar essence.

The moonlight vanished inexplicably, and the old Taoist's gaze turned cold as he looked at the grave: "Who's there?"

He coldly demanded, his expression manic: "It is you, it is you who ruined the prayers, that is why the gods no longer look down on us."

He carried a chilling wind, like a ferocious demon, no longer possessing the dignified and otherworldly appearance he once was.

Bai Qiuyun also stood up, his face covered in blood, looking horrifying.

"Father, you go first."

Ayan rushed out first, her longsword flashing with a three-foot-long light as she attacked the old Taoist.

"None of you can leave! You have desecrated the sacred prayer, you have desecrated the immortals on the white clouds!"

The old Taoist roared, and the abundant moonlight surged forth in a furious outburst.

The moonlight was piercingly cold, like a chilling ice.

But the moment he came into contact with Ayan, all of that vanished.

The three-foot-long sword light arrived in front of the old Taoist priest without any hindrance.

Buzz

The sword's edge passed right through the old Taoist priest, but it didn't harm him in the slightest.

"How dare a mere martial artist harm me?" the old Taoist priest roared, his gaze fixed on the blue lamp on her body: "It's that lamp that can absorb moonlight."

Gu Qianshan didn't leave, but circled around and went straight to Bai Qiuyun: "To catch the thief, catch the king. If we capture Bai Qiuyun and destroy the painting, this evil thing will be unable to run rampant."

The old Taoist priest was anxious and unleashed the immense power of the moonlight, pressing down on him.

Ayan was like a moonlit sprite, nimbly moving, flashing and leaping, holding up a green lamp to absorb all the moonlight.

The sun's fire spirit, not far away, seemed to be drawn in and quickly merged into the green lamp.

"No, that was my sacrifice, that was my sacrifice..."

Bai Qiuyun charged forward in a frenzy, but the surrounding moonlight was surging, and his weak body was unable to overcome it.

"Please, give me back the offerings, give them back to me..."

He knelt and begged, for that was his only hope. The flickering candlelight shattered this ridiculous and tragic plea for immortality.

Jiang Zhu woke up, his pale body floating behind A Yan. The raging moonlight seemed to have found its place, rushing wildly into his body.

Ayan also saw the candlelight and exclaimed in surprise, "Jiang Zhu, you're awake?"

The lamp was not lit, yet there was candlelight, as if a slumbering spirit had awakened.

Jiang Zhu's body solidified, and he smiled at her: "You've grown up. How come you have so much sunlight and moonlight? Where is this place?"

"Immortal, eternal immortal."

The old Taoist priest and Bai Qiuyun looked at him excitedly, their eyes fixed on the green lamp.

The immortals at Baiyun Temple are real; however, they were in a deep slumber, and Gu Yan obtained them.

“Eternal Immortal, I am the one who sought out the essence of the sun and moon, I am the one who awakened you. I am still a descendant of Baiyun Temple, you should look down upon me.”

Bai Qiuyun said excitedly.

The old Taoist priest also took credit, saying, "It was I who accompanied him, traversing thousands of mountains, searching for the Tiger King, and gathering the Yin energy. We are your most devout believers."

Ayan's expression tightened, and she gripped the hilt of her sword.

She originally intended to kill Bai Qiuyun and travel far away with Jiang Zhu, but unexpectedly, Jiang Zhu woke up after absorbing the light of the sun and moon.

If Jiang Zhu really accepts them, she will have no choice but to comply.

"Baiyun Temple?" Jiang Zhu was stunned for a moment, looking at the ruins on the ground, and sighed: "I never thought I would come back."

He drifted down to the ruins of the main hall, looking at the incense burner and the offerings, his thoughts racing.

"Eternal Immortal, please grant me blessings. Your disciple is willing to serve you for life, to create a golden statue for you, and to gather incense offerings for you," Bai Qiuyun pleaded again.

“They were the same back then.” Jiang Zhu looked at the disheveled Bai Qiuyun, then at the old Taoist priest. The black aura emanating from the old man gave him an uncomfortable feeling: “Karma?”

The old Taoist priest's expression tightened, and he knelt down in fear: "Eternal Immortal, I have repented and am willing to repent before you, to intimidate mortals, gather incense offerings, and strengthen mortals' faith in you."

Jiang Zhu sighed softly, a wisp of crimson flame appearing at her fingertips.

The crimson flames burst forth in an instant, transforming into a hot wind that carried rolling flames, engulfing the old Taoist priest.

The sinister painting then burst into flames.

After a piercing scream, the old Taoist priest turned into a wisp of black smoke and vanished.

Although he brought himself the moonlight, it was unintentional. He has committed too many evil deeds and shows no remorse.

To intimidate mortals and gather offerings of incense?
This is something only spirits and monsters would do.

After the old Taoist priest died, a ray of golden light entered his palm.

This should be considered merit, but he couldn't absorb it into his body no matter what he tried.

He wanted to integrate his merits into the lamp, but the lamp rejected him.

Can't you use the merits you've accumulated?
Jiang Zhu frowned, puzzled.

“The Eternal Immortal, I have no relation to him. I was coerced by him. He shortened my lifespan. I am the victim.”

Bai Qiuyun hurriedly distanced himself from the matter.

Jiang Zhu looked at him and shook his head slightly: "Although I don't know the details of your relationship with him, I can guess a thing or two. It's nothing more than you using him to seek profit and harm others, collecting offerings to pray for immortality. Your karma is no less than his."

"I...I did it all for you. If I hadn't brought the offerings, you would still be in slumber..."

Bai Qiuyun continued to defend himself, even shifting the blame onto Jiang Zhu.

Jiang Zhu waved his hand, and a piece of paper flew out of his arms, engulfing him in crimson flames.

I thought that since his days were numbered and he had at least stayed at Baiyun Temple, I would let him die naturally. I never expected that I would seek death myself.

"I rose in pursuit of immortality, and I will die in pursuit of immortality. Let this be the end of it." Jiang Zhu sighed softly. How much desolation has been created by this obsession?

“Jiang Zhu.” Ayan looked at him, not afraid, but relieved.

“Let’s go, this place isn’t worth staying.” Jiang Zhu picked up the paper and looked at its contents: “There are immortals above the white clouds. It turns out that Yunhe left it, but the rest was covered up by ink. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come.”

“Yunhe? Jiang Zhu, are you referring to the immortals above these white clouds?” Ayan asked.

“Yes, but no.”

(End of this chapter)