Chapter 1227: Xu Qing’s Fury!
The wind in the Revered Ancient mainland carried a familiar humidity. It came from the depths of the Sea of Endlessness, and from the mutagen that filled heaven and earth. It was very different from the Fifth Star Ring.
Upon sensing it, Xu Qing opened his mouth to speak. And yet, even though his lips quivered, no words came out. Everything around him seemed somewhat blurry. Perhaps it was the distortions caused by mutagen, or maybe just the general influence of the gods.
The only thing that seemed clear... was the decrepit old woman in black clothing standing next to him. The wrinkles on her face seemed like ravines etched by time, hewn out by wind and rain and fate.
Of course, he remembered that little butterfly. Back then, she had been a young woman. There had been tension between the two of them, until... she took him to the Summer Immortal Palace for the first time. That was when he had met the old palace lord, who was, of course, human.[1]
Despite all those memories existing in his head, Xu Qing felt like they weren’t completely real.
“Master once said,” the old woman continued, “that people who have not experienced excruciating pain can never understand such a feeling. It’s like... they can’t even believe it. They will even go so far as to trick themselves into believing that nothing ever happened. And that’s because after excruciating pain is absolute nothingness.”
She smiled bitterly. “I watched the catastrophe strike. I saw everything go away.... That’s when I understood what Master meant. After experiencing all of that, a thousand years passed, and I still haven’t left this place. And now, today, I’ve run into you.... I just hope that one day, you can leave.”
The old woman turned bitterly and made her way off into the distance. She looked bleak, desolate, and infinitely lonely.
Looking at her retreating figure, Xu Qing suddenly said, “What happened to my Master...? My Eldest Brother...? Plumdark and Ling’er, and... what about all my other friends? My fellow apprentices and... everybody. What happened to them?”
People who knew Xu Qing would hardly recognize his voice at that moment. It was as hoarse as the grating of infinite grains of sand. He hardly dared to ask the questions he had just asked. But he did ask them, his voice hoarse and trembling.
The old woman stopped in place, her back to Xu Qing. She was quiet for a long moment. When she spoke, her voice seemed to contain the flow of history, like a reed flute echoing in time.
“A thousand years ago, that ancient immortal came looking for something. He started with humankind. When he saw the statue of Grand Emperor Swordsage, he waved his hand, and most of humanity was wiped out. Empress Summer Departure was strong, but to him, she was like a child. He erased her mind and turned her into a godslave.