Chapter 414: Recorders of Past and Present (Twenty-Five)

Inside Qingfeng Temple
Su Chen and Dongfang Yunxing sat facing each other.
As for Dongfang Yunxiao, Dongfang Yunxing had sent him away; for some reasons... it was also a form of protection.
"Disciple Dongfang Yunxing congratulates Master on his return! It's wonderful that Master is safe and sound."
Dongfang Yunxing was overjoyed. That battle had been far too brutal... he had even thought that the master and disciple would never see each other again.
Unexpectedly, after countless eons, the master and disciple would meet again.
Su Chen smiled faintly.
He had almost died.
However, such a thing could not be mentioned in front of his disciple.
"Was that little fellow your disciple?"
Su Chen was referring to Dongfang Yunxiao.
Dongfang Yunxing smiled and said, "His name is Dongfang Yunxiao, he's my disciple... just like I'm your disciple, Master, he's been with me for a long time."
Su Chen said, "Yunxiao... Yunxing, you value that disciple highly, even passing on the Myriad Laws Path to him."
"But the Myriad Laws Path cannot lead to true immortality, you should understand that."
Dongfang Yunxing nodded: "What Master says, this disciple naturally understands. A path that has already been proven cannot simultaneously lead to two true immortals."
"But my current situation... although I haven't completely disappeared from this world, I'm merely clinging to life."
Dongfang Yunxing smiled bitterly, his lower body gradually disappearing, leaving a broken sword embedded in the ground.
Now, Dongfang Yunxing is merely a wisp of will residing within the broken sword.
Even a true immortal can recover completely with only a wisp of breath, but at this moment, Dongfang Yunxing's immortal status has completely vanished... meaning that Dongfang Yunxing is now dead, but some great supernatural power has seized his last thread of life.
This scene caused Su Chen's eyes to freeze, his brows furrowing. Dongfang Yunxing's current condition was far too serious; even he wasn't entirely clear on what had happened.
"Over the years, this disciple has tried to return, but without any contact. The spacetime we once inhabited shattered after the battle... the celestial secrets of the heavens are gone, spacetime itself ceases to exist... perhaps too many Immortal Kings have died on the Immortal Path, the great tree has withered, and as its fruit, it naturally ceases to exist."
Dongfang Yunxing's words left Su Chen speechless.
That battle was far too devastating. A complete spacetime was like a complete mirror, within which beings like them could traverse. But now, that mirror was shattered, becoming countless fragments, each fragment larger or smaller, evolving into countless possibilities. With the death of the Immortal Kings, even True Immortals could not reclaim their former Immortal positions. To become a True Immortal with a single thought... perhaps only an Immortal King could encompass all of spacetime with a single thought, or perhaps only those above the Immortal King level could.
After a moment of silence, Su Chen said, "As long as no second True Immortal emerges from this path, you will continue to exist. As long as you exist, there is hope. But once a second True Immortal emerges from this path, you will cease to exist completely... You taught him the Path of Myriad Laws; have you considered the consequences?"
Dongfang Yunxing smiled and said, "Master, don't you think Yunxiao's aptitude is very suitable for the Path of Myriad Laws? With Yunxiao's current accumulation, he will rise rapidly in this lifetime."
Su Chen gently flicked his hand, and the image of Dongfang Yunxiao appeared before them: two golden-brown roasted pheasants, making his mouth water.
This scene caused Dongfang Yunxing's face to darken: "Damn it, that rebellious disciple... daring to hide two 'pheasants' from his master! When this brat returns, I'll teach him a lesson!"
Dongfang Yunxing was indignant. He had been under immense pressure to speak well of Dongfang Yunxiao, yet Dongfang Yunxiao had been betrayed!
"His talent is indeed remarkable, and he is very compatible with the Dao of Myriad Laws, but you must know that once he becomes an immortal, you will be the one who disappears."
Dongfang Yunxing smiled awkwardly: "Master, don't be so serious. He is my disciple's disciple; according to seniority, he should call you Grandmaster."
Su Chen remained unmoved.
Dongfang Yunxing sighed softly, "This disciple has already considered this matter. Master, you should know my personality. Yunxiao is the successor I chose, and his talent surpasses mine."
"This disciple knows. My talent is dull. I was able to become an immortal entirely thanks to Master and the Heavenly Fate Pearl. Becoming a True Immortal giant in one leap is already a stroke of luck. Further advancement is impossible... On the contrary, Master will continue to improve, and one day this disciple will no longer be able to follow in Master's footsteps."
"But Yunxiao is different. He is naturally compatible with all living beings. With my trials and tribulations, he has a very high probability of becoming a True Immortal... and even a sliver of hope to step into a realm beyond True Immortal. That is a realm beyond this disciple's reach. A mortal's life of hardship is not as good as a single day for an immortal. I am fortunate enough to have witnessed the scenery of immortals, but someone must go and see the scenery of an Immortal King on my behalf."
As his voice fell, the trees surrounding Qingfeng Temple were suddenly leveled to the ground, and a terrifying aura seemed to alter the course of history.
Dongfang Yunxing bowed deeply to Su Chen, clasping his hands in a fist salute: "Master... I'm sorry, please allow me to be selfish this once."
The terrifying aura gradually vanished from the end of time. In a fleeting moment, it seemed a terrifying power would erase the entire spacetime, plunging it into a new cycle of reincarnation.
Su Chen looked at this disciple... this disciple who had begun to rebel. His heart ached. For a moment, his heart clenched, and he couldn't express the many words he felt. He hadn't felt this way in a long time.
He coldly stared at Dongfang Yunxing. Su Chen remained silent, and Dongfang Yunxing didn't raise his head.
"I will give you this opportunity... but you must make me understand that he has the qualifications to become a king."
"Otherwise, for me, it would be the hatred of losing a disciple and a family member."
Su Chen's tone was icy.
Dongfang Yunxiao was Dongfang Yunxing's family, not his own... Dongfang Yunxing was his family, the disciple and fellow Daoist he valued.
Su Chen would respect Dongfang Yunxing's choice.
However, if Dongfang Yunxiao disappoints Dongfang Yunxing's expectations, he will only become an enemy who kills his disciple, in Su Chen's eyes!
Dongfang Yunxing knew his master's personality well, and smiled as he looked up: "Yunxiao will definitely succeed."
Su Chen glanced in the direction where Dongfang Yunxiao was. He seemed somewhat agreeable before, but for some reason, he didn't seem agreeable at all now.
"I will witness all of this throughout the long river of time, and only when I am certain will I leave."
Dongfang Yunxing said, "He will certainly not disappoint you, Master."
Su Chen's figure disappeared before Dongfang Yunxing's eyes, arriving in this space-time following the cause and effect. He was not a true immortal belonging to this place, and inevitably encountered terrible rejection, only able to observe this place from outside of time.
As Su Chen disappeared,
Dongfang Yunxing reached out and grabbed, and Dongfang Yunxiao, tens of thousands of miles away, suddenly noticed something amiss. At that moment, he was still happily stuffing a large chicken leg into his mouth until he saw that familiar face.
"Ahem... Master, long time no see."
Dongfang Yunxiao, seeing his master unmoved, looking at the barren Qingfeng Mountain and the vanished mysterious masked man, quickly finished the last chicken leg, wiped his fingers on his clothes, and calmly asked, "Master, what happened? Where is Grandmaster?"
Dongfang Yunxing reached out and tapped Dongfang Yunxiao on the head, annoyed, "You ate delicious roast chicken without Grandmaster! He's been driven away by you!"
Dongfang Yunxiao was taken aback, muttering to himself, "Grandmaster is really stingy..."