Longevity Candle

On Peach Blossom Island.

The air was filled with the fragrance of peaches, and many spirits gathered together.

They all left behind memories of their past lives.

Although incomplete, it records many secrets.

This land has witnessed countless stories, hidden in every corner, unknown to anyone.

Jiang Zhu remained calm, while Jiang Xiyue remained silent, only her brows furrowed.

She learned from Heng'e that Fusheng's previous life was Jiang Zhu.

But now, Fusheng is Jiang Zhu's past life.

"Life is full of wonders. My name is also Jiang Zhu," Jiang Zhu said with a faint smile.

"It is indeed very strange. There was no Peng bird before, but I just happened to be born nearby, saw the memories, and took it as my predecessor."

The roc said, "But you are exactly the same as Jiang Zhu in my memory."

“Of course, you are different from him; he is more like Fusheng,” the Peng bird sighed.

"You also know about Fusheng?" Jiang Zhu asked.

“I know a little; we North Sea spirits exchange information with each other,” said the roc.

The old octopus chimed in, "Let's not talk about the past for now. We're not here to inquire about the past, but to question the heavens and the earth."

"Heaven and Earth?" Jiang Zhu asked in confusion, "What is there to ask about Heaven and Earth?"

"Heaven and earth give birth to spirits, and when a spirit dies, a new spirit will be born."

The Peng bird said, "But according to our observations, the number of spirits nurtured by heaven and earth is decreasing."

"The number of elves is decreasing?" Jiang Zhu asked in surprise.

"Yes, some spirits, unable to take shape, died in the womb and became strange stones and objects," said the roc.

Jiang Zhu pondered: "What could be the reason?"

"This is also what we want to know. We speculate whether the universe also has a lifespan and is decaying."

The old octopus said, "If the world declines, it doesn't matter to us. We can go to the stars or find a place to die peacefully."

"Even heaven and earth have a lifespan?" Jiang Xiyue murmured, her face full of disbelief.

"I have traveled through the starry sky for many years and have seen many stars. Life is bursting forth, but we cannot arbitrarily occupy other people's stars."

The roc said, "Those stars also have karma."

Jiang Zhu pondered, as the world declines, will we usher in the end times?
The path of immortality collapsed, the laws of heaven and earth came to an end, and other paths were developed instead?
"So, you're asking me about the heavens?" Jiang Zhu sighed softly, "That's giving me too much credit. I have no way to prolong the lifespan of heaven and earth."

"You don't have it, but perhaps you did in your past life."

Peng Niao said, "Jiang Zhu and Fu Sheng are actually both searching."

"They are seeking the eternity of heaven and earth?" Jiang Zhu was slightly taken aback.

"Yes, they're not just thinking about keeping one person, but about keeping the whole world."

The old tortoise chimed in.

“But they all failed,” Jiang Zhu said.

"Whether they failed or not, only they themselves know," the old tortoise said. "Back then, Fusheng actually found the ancient Candle Illumination."

"what?"

The elves stared at him in astonishment: "The ancient Candlelight has truly been found?"

That is an eternal existence. If we find it, why must we die?
He should live forever and remain in the world.

Jiang Zhu glanced at the old tortoise, wondering if he knew more.

Whether it was Jiang Zhu or Fu Sheng in the past, they were both people who grasped the key to immortality.

However, they all ultimately chose to sever their past memories and become new beings.

Jiang Zhu frowned slightly: "If Fusheng has found it, why not let Zhuzhao Youying take action and make heaven and earth eternal?"

"I don't know about that," the old tortoise sighed. "Before Fusheng left, he actually saw me. He glanced at Dream Island from afar and told me that he saw Zhuzhao Youying."

"What I didn't expect was that he would choose to pass away peacefully and leave forever."

"Then let's walk the path of life again, and see if we can see the flickering candlelight?" the old octopus asked.

"I can't find it," the old tortoise shook his head. "I tried before, but I failed."

“Then…” The elves fell silent, their gazes turning to Jiang Zhu.

Jiang Zhu understood their meaning and said, "You want me to relive the Floating Life Path? To see Zhu Zhao You Ying and resolve the problems of heaven and earth?"

“Yes, if we could see the Candlelight and the Shadow, perhaps we could solve the problem of heaven and earth,” said the Peng bird.

They had long since let go of past grievances; all they sought was eternity.

If the world continues to decline like this, the spirits will eventually become extinct.

The path to immortality will also collapse, and all cultivators will be reduced to mortal beings.

Jiang Zhu sighed softly, "Have you ever considered that I might end up like Fusheng?"

The elves opened their mouths, then fell silent.

Yes, will Jiang Zhu end up like Fu Sheng?
The old tortoise said, "Deep in the North Sea, there is a palace built by Fusheng. It is the North Pole True Martial Demon-Slaying God Temple. It was originally intended for me to live in, but in the end, I was not able to."

"The True Martial Arts of the Arctic vanquishes demons..." Jiang Zhu sighed deeply.

"Back then, I wanted to go in and take a look, but he stopped me, using the eighteenth floor to confine me to the South China Sea, saying there might be something precious inside that he wouldn't let me touch."

The old tortoise said.

Jiang Zhu pondered for a moment and said, "Then I'll go and take a look. If it doesn't work, then you should all give up on that idea."

“That’s natural. If it didn’t work, we wouldn’t have pursued it,” the Peng bird said.

The elves readily agreed.

The old tortoise led the way, and Jiang Xiyue, holding the green lantern, followed the elves into the North Sea.

Deep in the North Sea lies a vast abyss, pitch black as ink, devoid of any sign of life.

Elves cannot venture into this place, nor can ordinary aquatic creatures approach it.

This place is like an illusion, and no one can enter it.

A light emerged from the darkness, a radiant glow that illuminated the canyon.

A colossal palace, looming in and out of sight, stands amidst an ancient abyss.

The old tortoise and the other elves couldn't go in, and Jiang Xiyue, holding the green lantern, was also unable to enter. There seemed to be an invisible barrier above the abyss, isolating everything.

"Throw the green lamp down," Jiang Zhu said.

Jiang Xiyue spotted the palace and threw the green lamp down.

The green lamp pierced the void and fell into the abyss, followed by Jiang Zhu, who gracefully landed in front of the palace.

An invisible force drew the green lamp towards the palace.

The palace gates opened silently, welcoming Qingdeng inside.

Jiang Zhu stepped inside, and the palace doors closed behind him.

Endless darkness swept in.

All light and sound vanished, leaving only absolute silence.

Jiang Zhu quietly savored the tranquility, calmly awaiting the impending change.

Time seems to have lost its meaning here, leaving only eternal darkness and silence.

one day?
It might be a year, or it might be longer.

Jiang Zhu was unaware of the passage of time; he fell asleep and then woke up.

This happened repeatedly, and he didn't deliberately keep track of it, but he woke up several times.

Time has long lost its meaning for him.

He awoke from his deep sleep once more, and a glimmer of light finally appeared in the darkness.

A figure in white, exactly like him, floated beside him with a jade pendant.

Floating life!

Jiang Zhu looked at him calmly.

“When I found this place, it wasn’t as quiet as you are here,” Fusheng said. “I have many things on my mind, many unfinished things, and many people waiting for me outside.”

“Someone is waiting for me too,” Jiang Zhu said.

"Then why are you so calm?" Fusheng asked.

Jiang Zhu said calmly, "She has her own story, as well as her own opportunities and good fortune. She is a very good girl."

"And what about your story?" Fusheng asked.

“I have no stories, only many stories,” Jiang Zhu said.

Fusheng said, "Didn't you ever think of leaving behind an ancient legend, like a candle illuminating a dim light, eternally shining upon this world?"

“You did it for me,” Jiang Zhu said calmly.

Fusheng fell silent.

“I once thought that I would accumulate magical power and stay in the mortal world for a long time, so that those who are destined to see me would leave one by one, hear your story, and understand what you left behind.” Jiang Zhu said softly, “You have done many things, but you also said that you have done all those things, just repeating them over and over again.”

Fusheng said softly, "Yes, I originally wanted to create reincarnation, but this world is the greatest reincarnation, so why should I create it?"

"I'm actually a little curious, is the Candlelight's glow truly eternal?" Jiang Zhu asked.

"eternal."

A figure holding a green lantern and dressed in green robes stepped out and smiled, saying, "My name is Jiang Zhu. I am a Taoist priest. I woke up before the Floating Life and transformed myself into the Floating Life Jade."

"Why do you do this?" Li Chongyou asked.

"Because I failed and could not make heaven and earth eternal, I created the Scripture of the Mortal World, hoping to create a new world," said Jiang Zhu in green robes.

Fusheng shrugged: "I failed too."

"Why do you think Fusheng is a good option now that you've failed?" Jiang Zhu asked.

Qingyi Jiangzhu said, "Because I reached the end, my thinking went astray. I once thought about annihilating everything and restarting the world. This idea was too terrible, so I decided to start over."

"Starting over again?" Jiang Zhu asked. "Am I starting over again too?"

“No.” Fusheng shook his head and said, “You chose to sever your ties once more, to no longer interfere in the mortal world, to quietly become a lamp, or rather, to be disheartened.”

Jiang Zhu paused, then asked, "Disheartened?"

Qingyi Jiangzhu smiled, raised her hand, and light filled the darkness, illuminating the scene.

He saw Jiang Xiyue, as well as Li Changge, Yang Liu, the old dragon, and the Peng bird.

They seem to have solved the problem of the eighteenth floor.

Shakyamuni sat in the west, and the Dixiu tree transformed into a mountain peak. He was expounding his teachings: "Peace and freedom from worry spread throughout the three thousand worlds and reflect the great Mount Sumeru. I, Shakyamuni, established Buddhism based on the path of freedom from worry, and only after liberating all sentient beings did I attain Buddhahood."

“He will never become a Buddha, even if everyone calls him a Buddha,” said Jiang Zhu in green robes.

Jiang Zhu remained silent.

The scene shifts to Li Changge, who sits comfortably on the back of the old Kui ox.

But its profundity lies with countless cultivators.

"Our Taiping Sword Way is to use the sword in our hands to seize a glimmer of hope for the world and seek eternal peace," Li Changge said.

“He will never achieve lasting peace,” Fusheng said.

The scene then shifts to Li Wuwei, a prodigy of the Taiping Agricultural Road.

He rode a blue ox, his purple aura stretching for three thousand miles, his Daoist charm boundless.

"There is a way in the world, and there is virtue. There is a way for the ruler, a way for the minister, and a way for the people. All living beings should follow their own way..."

"He believed that everyone has their own path, and that if people in the world pursue their own path and abide by their own principles, then there will be eternal peace," Jiang Zhu in green robes said with a faint smile.

A new scene appears: the starry sky.

Willows and Jingwei birds, and the spirits of the Qingjiang River.

The Jingwei bird urged, "Hey, can you hurry up? Traveling through the stars is a long journey. At this slow speed, when will you ever reach the planet of life?"

“Here it comes, here it comes. That star from earlier was quite interesting, shouldn’t we take a closer look?” Yang Liu said.

"I won't look at it anymore. I'll leave it there and watch it when I come back," said Qingjiang Elf.

Each of these immortal prodigies chose their own path.

Yang Liu did not remain within the Daoist tradition, but chose to travel far and wide in the starry sky, which can be considered as practicing the doctrine of the Wandering School.

Having seen all the mountains and rivers of the world, let's go see the starry sky.

Shakyamuni chose to establish a religion, Li Wuwei left behind the Taoist scriptures, and Li Changge chose to establish a sect.

Yunfeng of the Xiaoyao Dao also established a sect, but the Xiaoyao Sect seeks freedom and liberation, transcending the mortal world and remaining detached from worldly affairs.

Su Qing, a disciple of the Illusionary World Path, follows the Nine-Tailed Fox, navigating the mortal world and studying illusion techniques.

Jiang Zhu sighed softly, "Where is Jiang Xiyue?"

The image appears.

The roc spread its wings, and on its back, Jiang Xiyue, the giant sea serpent, and the old dragon were heading towards the unknown stars.

“This star is quite good. It’s been many years since I last visited, and humans have already appeared there. Why don’t we re-establish our lineage?” said the roc.

"Do you think the incense offerings of the three thousand worlds can last forever?" Jiang Xiyue asked.

"I don't know, but it can definitely sustain a long lifespan," the roc said. "Would you like to give it a try?"

Jiang Xiyue said, "No, I want to go back and guard the eighteenth floor. I can only come out once in a while. Besides, I don't know how my father is doing."

"Do you still remember Ayan?" Jiang Zhu in green robes suddenly asked.

Jiang Zhu was taken aback: "How do you know her?"

"In your candlelight you see her, and in my candlelight I see a little girl who bears a resemblance to her."

Qingyi Jiangzhu said, "After countless years, a similar flower may appear again, but it will not be her; it will only be a part of her."

"Part of it?"

"Yes, countless wandering souls go to the Netherworld. They return to the Netherworld, merge into it, and become pure soul materials."

These materials, once nurtured and reborn, might retain some memories, but these are merely illusions of the past.

Qingyi Jiangzhu said, "Perhaps some people will feel a strange sense of familiarity because of certain things or certain people, but in fact, he is no longer the same person he used to be."

The flickering light within Jiang Zhu's body rose, and the darkness was illuminated: "So, whether it's Shakyamuni or Li Wuwei, they've simply followed the same path?"

"Yes, they found their past memories, which can be considered as a legacy for them, and they still moved forward."

Qingyi Jiangzhu said, "That's how things are in this world. You try your best to change things, but you can't do anything. In the end, you realize in despair that you can't hold onto anything."

"Do the Three Realms still exist now?" Jiang Zhu asked.

“They will eventually establish the Three Realms, follow our path, and seek eternity,” Fusheng said.

"What a pity," Jiang Zhu sighed softly.

In the darkness, figures reappeared; they were all Jiang Zhu from before.

Memories of the past resurface at this moment.

Jiang Zhu remained calm, as memories of the past surfaced in his mind.

He has pursued the eternal universe and the people around him more than once.

He attempted to bring people back to life and create a cycle of reincarnation.

But in the end, they all failed.

He had also seen the Candlelight and the Shadowy Spirits; they were not elves, but eternal beings.

Jiang Zhu saw the light of the sun and moon that shone through the heavens and earth, and saw the appearance of the candle shining in the dim light.

They are the manifestation of the Tao, eternal and unchanging.

They are the creators of heaven and earth, the creators of the immortal path, and the beings that give birth to spirits.

Not only are there elves in this world, but there are also many stars where elves are born.

Those worlds also have legends of candlelight illuminating the darkness, and also pursue eternity, yet can never grasp it.

Failure after failure, effort after effort, yet unable to retain any of them.

Eternal loneliness and eternal despair came one after another.

He severed ties with the past time and time again, constantly experiencing his own cycle of reincarnation.

He even experienced a cycle of heaven and earth.

He had also thought of sharing his eternity with those around him, but he failed each time.

At most, it can prolong their lives, but it cannot preserve them forever.

"Then why can I be eternal?"

Jiang Zhu, searching for eternal memories in his mind, fell into silence.

The flickering candlelight, faint and indistinct, gradually converged around the green lamp.

Jiang Zhu grasped the green lamp. There were no more figures around him; they had become memories and returned to his body.

They are forever immersed in the memories of the past, enjoying their own timeless years, frozen in the past.

Whether it's "Green Robe and River Candle" or "Floating Life," they each have their own stories.

The green lamp that I couldn't lift before, I can now easily pick up.

"Sigh, repeated failures, it's good that you're dwelling on the past," Jiang Zhu murmured. "The old elves can't wait for the peach tree, the world is decaying, and the growth of the peach tree will also be affected, destined not to live long..."

He left the palace, carrying a blue lamp, and went to the depths of the sea, where he fell into a deep sleep.

……

Years later, the old elves were all gone, and the old friends of yesteryear had vanished without a trace.

A small boat, a young girl, and a blue lamp retrieved from the North Sea.

"Hello, my name is Jiang Zhu, a wandering soul in the dim light. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Ayan, I'm a fisherman from around here..."

(End of Chapter)