zài zhòng rén de bǐng xī zhù shì zhī zhōng ， nà wèi xiān zhǎng nù hè yī shēng ， zhǐ shǒu biàn jiāng shuò dà de huǒ shí dǎng xià ！
在众人的屏息注视之中，那位仙长怒喝一声，只手便将硕大的火石挡下！
Under the breathless gaze of everyone, the Immortal Master roared and with one hand, deflected the massive firestone!
liǎng gǔ páng dà de lì liàng zài shùn jiān pèng zhuàng 。
两股庞大的力量在瞬间碰撞。
Two immense forces collided instantly.
cóng jù xíng huǒ shí shàng ， gèng shì jī qǐ wú shù xì xiǎo de suì piàn 。
从巨型火石上，更是激起无数细小的碎片。
Countless tiny fragments erupted from the giant firestone.
yǎn kàn jiù yào fēi shè zhì xià fāng ， nà wèi xiān zhǎng zài dù chū shǒu le ！
眼看就要飞射至下方，那位仙长再度出手了！
Just as they were about to fly towards the ground, the Immortal Master acted again.
yī zhī shǒu huǎn huǎn jiāng jù xíng huǒ shí jǔ qǐ ， lìng wài yī zhī shǒu zé shì chà nà jiān fā chū yī dào dào bái guāng 。
一只手缓缓将巨型火石举起，另外一只手则是刹那间发出一道道白光。
One hand slowly lifted the giant firestone while the other emitted a series of white lights in an instant.
jiāng xià fāng fēi jiàn de suì shí xiāo miè 。
将下方飞溅的碎石消灭。
The flying debris was eliminated.
duǎn duǎn shù xī shí jiān ， yī cháng miè shì jié nàn ， jiù xiāo mǐ wú xíng 。
短短数息时间，一场灭世劫难，就消弭无形。
In just a few breaths, this world-destroying calamity was eradicated into nothingness.
dà lí fán rén zài duǎn duǎn de dāi zhì zhī hòu ， shēng lèi jù xià 。
大离凡人在短短的呆滞之后，声泪俱下。
The people from Great Xuan Province, stunned for a moment, wept profusely and bowed towards the figure in the sky. They repeatedly shouted: "Thank you Immortal Master for saving our lives!"
fēn fēn cháo zhe tiān shàng de shēn yǐng kòu bài qǐ lái ， tóng shí kǒu zhōng hái bù duàn gāo hū ：“ duō xiè xiān shī jiù mìng zhī ēn ！”
纷纷朝着天上的身影叩拜起来，同时口中还不断高呼：“多谢仙师救命之恩！”
The existence of cultivators wasn't a secret in Great Xuan City. After all, immortals would descend periodically.
xiū xiān zhě de cún zài ， zài dà lí jīng chéng zhōng ， bìng bú shì shén me mì mì 。
修仙者的存在，在大离京城中，并不是什么秘密。
Many years ago, there was even an incident where "an immortal's anger caused rivers to run with blood."
bì jìng měi gé yī duàn shí jiān ， dōu yǒu xiān rén jiàng lín 。
毕竟每隔一段时间，都有仙人降临。
So when this Immortal Master saved the entire city, the common folk were both grateful and somewhat fearful.
xǔ duō nián qián ， hái fā shēng guò “ xiān rén yī nù 、 xuè liú chéng hé ” de shì qíng 。
许多年前，还发生过“仙人一怒、血流成河”的事情。
After all, it was said that in the eyes of immortals, humans were no different from ants.
suǒ yǐ dāng zhè wèi xiān zhǎng chū shǒu jiāng zhěng zuò chéng chí de rén jiù xià hòu ， yī zhòng fán rén xīn zhōng jì shì gǎn jī 、 yòu yǒu diǎn huáng kǒng 。
所以当这位仙长出手将整座城池的人救下后，一众凡人心中既是感激、又有点惶恐。
Now, an immortal had actually intervened to save a human’s life. This couldn't help but surprise everyone.
bì jìng dōu shuō ， xiān rén yǎn zhōng ， fán rén yǔ lóu yǐ wú yì 。
毕竟都说，仙人眼中，凡人与蝼蚁无异。
The people in the city knelt on the ground, unable to rise.
ér xiàn zài ， jū rán yǒu xiān rén wéi le jiù lóu yǐ de xìng mìng ér chū shǒu 。
而现在，居然有仙人为了救蝼蚁的性命而出手。
After removing the impact force of the giant firestone, the Immortal Master casually threw it towards the wilderness outside the city.
zhè zěn me néng bù ràng rén gǎn dào jīng yà ne ？
这怎么能不让人感到惊讶呢？
With the earth trembling, he quickly flew toward the central volcano.
chéng zhōng fán rén guì le yī dì ， bù gǎn qǐ shēn 。
城中凡人跪了一地，不敢起身。
Soon, the rolling black smoke from the volcano slowly dissipated. The violent volcano returned to calmness.
nà wèi xiān zhǎng zé shì jiāng jù dà huǒ shí de zhuàng jī lì xiè chú hòu ， suí shǒu jiāng qí rēng xiàng chéng wài wú rén de huāng yě 。
那位仙长则是将巨大火石的撞击力卸除后，随手将其扔向城外无人的荒野。
In Great Xuan World, everyone couldn't help but cheer with relief at this scene.
zài dì miàn jù dà de zhèn dòng shēng lǐ ， xiān zhǎng yòu xùn sù cháo zhe zhōng yāng huǒ shān de wèi zhì zhōng fēi qù 。
在地面巨大的震动声里，仙长又迅速朝着中央火山的位置中飞去。
The Emperor of Great Xuan led his people in formation outside the city, waiting for the Immortal Master's arrival.
bù duō shí ， huǒ shān zhōng de gǔn gǔn hēi yān ， màn màn xiāo shī 。
不多时，火山中的滚滚黑烟，慢慢消失。
Unfortunately, he waited for three days and nights without any sign of the Immortal Master.
bào nüè de huǒ shān yě chóng xīn biàn dé píng jìng xià lái 。
暴虐的火山也重新变得平静下来。
The Emperor was restless, unsure if he had done something wrong. He couldn't sleep day after day until seven days later when someone reported that a small mountain suddenly appeared in an empty field outside the city.
dà lí shì jiè ， suǒ yǒu jiàn dào zhè yí mù de rén ， dōu rěn bú zhù fā chū jié hòu yú shēng de huān hū 。
大离世界，所有见到这一幕的人，都忍不住发出劫后余生的欢呼。
And on top of this small mountain, there seemed to be people living there.
ér dà lí huáng dì gèng shì shuài lǐng qún zhòng ， zài chéng shì liè duì ， děng hòu xiān shī de dào lái 。
而大离皇帝更是率领群众，在城市列队，等候仙师的到来。
Hearing this, the Emperor's heart trembled. Knowing it was an immortal’s handiwork, he hurriedly led his people towards the mountain.
kě xī ， yì zhí děng le sān tiān sān yè ， dōu méi yǒu děng lái xiān shī 。
可惜，一直等了三天三夜，都没有等来仙师。
But when they reached the foot of the mountain, a seemingly invisible barrier blocked their path, preventing them from moving any further.
dà lí huáng dì xīn zhōng tǎn tè bù ān ， bù zhī dào zì jǐ shì fǒu nǎ lǐ zuò cuò le shén me 。
大离皇帝心中忐忑不安，不知道自己是否哪里做错了什么。
"Those with destiny may come and see."
yī lián shù rì ， zhǎn zhuǎn nán mián 。
一连数日，辗转难眠。
"Those without should return."
zhí dào qī tiān hòu ， yǒu rén lái bào ， shuō shì zài chéng wài hū de píng dì shēng qǐ le yī zuò xiǎo shān 。
直到七天后，有人来报，说是在城外忽的平地升起了一座小山。
A young woman in her teens shyly addressed the Emperor.
ér xiǎo shān shàng ， sì hū yǒu rén jū zhù qí zhōng 。
而小山上，似乎有人居住其中。
In the queue of officials, Su Changyu, an old scholar, suddenly lifted his head upon hearing this voice.
dà lí huáng dì tīng wán ， xīn zhōng jù zhèn 。
大离皇帝听完，心中剧震。
Recognizing it as his sister Su Yuning, he nearly collapsed to the ground.
zhī dào zhè shì xiān jiā shǒu duàn ， lián máng lǜ zhòng qián wǎng 。
知道这是仙家手段，连忙率众前往。
Fortunately, a friend nearby quickly supported him.
kě xī rén dào shān qián ， què hǎo sì yǒu yī dào wú xíng píng zhàng zǔ gé 、 zài bù néng cùn jìn yí bù 。
可惜人到山前，却好似有一道无形屏障阻隔、再不能寸进一步。
"Scholar Su, do you know this fairy?"
“ yǒu yuán zhě zì kě xiāng jiàn 。”
“有缘者自可相见。”
The scholar was parched and speechless despite having abundant knowledge.
“ wú yuán zhě qǐng huí 。”
“无缘者请回。”
After sending away all the officials, Su Yuning breathed a sigh of relief. She patted her chest, knocked on the retreating crowd towards her brother, then looked back at the cottage on the mountain, feeling somewhat troubled.
yī míng shí duō suì de nǚ zǐ ， qiè shēng shēng dì duì zhe huáng dì shuō dào 。
一名十多岁的女子，怯生生地对着皇帝说道。
Recently, this Immortal Master suddenly appeared in his scholar's residence and claimed she had an immortal destiny. Without hesitation, she was brought to this mountain.
ér zài guān yuán duì liè zhōng de sū dà xué shì ， tīng dào zhè shēng yīn de chà nà ， měng dì tái qǐ le tóu 。
而在官员队列中的苏大学士，听到这声音的刹那，猛地抬起了头。
She was even taught a set of immortal techniques and instructed to focus on cultivation.
kàn qīng chǔ le ， shuō huà de dí què shì zì jǐ mèi mèi sū yǔ qíng hòu ， chà diǎn shuāng tuǐ yī ruǎn ， diē zuò zài dì miàn shàng 。
看清楚了，说话的的确是自己妹妹苏语晴后，差点双腿一软，跌坐在地面上。
But now, her heart was in turmoil; how could she concentrate on cultivation?
hǎo zài shēn biān de hǎo yǒu yǎn jí shǒu kuài ， chān le tā yī bǎ 。
好在身边的好友眼疾手快，搀了他一把。
After much deliberation, Su Yuning decided to boldly approach the cottage at the summit and knock on the door.
“ sū xué shì ， zhè wèi xiān nǚ ， nán bù chéng nǐ rèn shí ？”
“苏学士，这位仙女，难不成你认识？”
The door opened automatically. The Immortal Master was seated in meditation in mid-air with his eyes closed.
sū xué shì zhǐ jué kǒu gān shé zào ， zòng yǒu jīng lún mǎn fù ， cǐ shí jìng yě shuō bù chū bàn jù huà lái 。
苏学士只觉口干舌燥，纵有经纶满腹，此时竟也说不出半句话来。
"What is it?"
ér sū yǔ qíng zhuàng zhe dǎn zi ， dǎ fā zǒu mǎn cháo wén wǔ zhī hòu ， bù jīn sōng le kǒu qì 。
而苏语晴壮着胆子，打发走满朝文武之后，不禁松了口气。
"Immortal Master, I have come to pay my respects," Su Yuning first bowed deeply before gathering her courage and saying: "I beg of you, Immortal Master, to release me back home. I do not seek immortality or enlightenment. I just wish to stay with my family and live a peaceful life."
tā pāi le pāi xiōng pú ， qiāo xiàng yuǎn qù rén qún zhōng de gē gē ， yòu huí tóu kàn xiàng shān shàng de máo lú ， bù jīn yǒu xiē kǔ nǎo qǐ lái 。
她拍了拍胸脯，敲向远去人群中的哥哥，又回头看向山上的茅庐，不禁有些苦恼起来。
This request from a young girl seemed out of place.
bù jiǔ qián ， zhè wèi xiān shī hū de jiàng lín xué shì fǔ zhōng 。
不久前，这位仙师忽的降临学士府中。
But in Su Yuning's demeanor, it didn't seem incongruous.
shēng chēng tā yǒu xiān yuán ， suí hòu èr huà bù shuō ， jiù jiāng tā dài lái le zhè zuò shān shàng 。
声称她有仙缘，随后二话不说，就将她带来了这座山上。
After speaking these words, Su Yuning's heart pounded fiercely.
suí hòu gèng shì chuán xià yī mén xiān fǎ ， dīng zhǔ tā jìng xīn xiū xíng 。
随后更是传下一门仙法，叮嘱她静心修行。
She had seen the Immortal Master single-handedly repel the meteorite’s impact. If she angered him...
kě tā xiàn zài xīn luàn rú má ， yòu nǎ yǒu shén me xiū liàn de xīn sī ！
可她现在心乱如麻，又哪有什么修炼的心思！
No, he saved so many people from the city. He must be a good person, right?
sī lái xiǎng qù ， sū yǔ qíng hái shì zhuàng zhe dǎn zi ， lái dào shān dǐng máo lú 、 qiāo xiǎng le fáng mén 。
思来想去，苏雨晴还是壮着胆子，来到山顶茅庐、敲响了房门。
Su Yuning thought to herself.
mén fēi zì dòng dǎ kāi ， nà wèi xiān zhǎng zhèng pán tuǐ xuán yú kōng zhōng ， bì mù jìng xiū 。
门扉自动打开，那位仙长正盘腿悬于空中，闭目静修。
The Immortal Master didn't respond.
“ hé shì ？”
“何事？”
A moment of eerie silence enveloped the cottage on the summit.
“ jiàn guò xiān shī 。” sū yǔ qíng xiān shì kòu shǒu yī bài ， ér hòu gǔ qǐ yǒng qì dào ：“ hái qǐng xiān shī fàng wǒ huí qù 。 xiǎo nǚ zǐ bìng wú qiú xiān wèn dào zhī xīn 。 zhǐ xiǎng péi bàn jiā rén ， píng jìng dù guò yú shēng 。”
“见过仙师。”苏语晴先是叩首一拜，而后鼓起勇气道：“还请仙师放我回去。小女子并无求仙问道之心。只想陪伴家人，平静渡过余生。”
After a long while, he slowly spoke: "An immortal destiny cannot be forced."
zhè huà ， cóng yī wèi shí jǐ suì de xiǎo gū niáng kǒu zhōng shuō chū ， xiǎn de rú cǐ gé gé bù rù 。
这话，从一位十几岁的小姑娘口中说出，显得如此格格不入。
"If you truly do not wish to cultivate, I won’t force you."
dàn zài sū yǔ qíng zì shēn qì zhì dì chèn tuō xià ， què yòu sì hū bìng bù wéi hé 。
但在苏语晴自身气质的衬托下，却又似乎并不违和。
"But remember, when you witness your loved ones' tragic deaths in the future, don't regret it."
sū yǔ qíng zài shuō wán cǐ huà hòu ， xīn zàng dùn shí pēng pēng zhí tiào 。
苏语晴在说完此话后，心脏顿时砰砰直跳。
Su Yuning was momentarily stunned. Her face turned pale.
tā kě shì qīn yǎn kàn dào dāng rì xiān shī zhǐ shǒu jiě jué yǔn shí zhī wēi de ， rú guǒ zì jǐ rě nù le duì fāng ……
她可是亲眼看到当日仙师只手解决陨石之威的，如果自己惹怒了对方……
"Tragic deaths?"
bú duì ， xiān shī chū shǒu jiù le chéng zhōng zhè me duō bǎi xìng 。 yīng dāng shì gè hǎo rén ba ？
不对，仙师出手救了城中这么多百姓。应当是个好人吧？
The Immortal Master didn’t explain and closed his eyes again: "Go now."
sū yǔ qíng rú cǐ xiǎng dào 。
苏语晴如此想到。
Su Yuning felt a gust of wind as she suddenly found herself outside the cottage.
xiān shī bìng wèi dá huà 。
仙师并未答话。
The door slammed shut, leaving her bewildered.
shān dǐng máo lú ， yī shí xiàn rù le guǐ yì de chén mò zhōng 。
山顶茅庐，一时陷入了诡异的沉默中。
She stumbled down the mountain path, her mind consumed by the words from the Immortal Master.
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， tā cái huǎn huǎn chū shēng ：“ xiān yuán ， cóng lái bù kě qiǎng qiú 。”
许久之后，他才缓缓出声：“仙缘，从来不可强求。”
As she approached the boundary of the immortal's domain, she hesitated again.
“ nǐ ruò zhēn bù yuàn xiū xíng ， wǒ yě bú huì miǎn qiǎng nǐ 。”
“你若真不愿修行，我也不会勉强你。”
"Immortal Master definitely wouldn’t deceive me."
“ bù guò ， děng rì hòu nǐ qīn yǎn kàn zhe shēn biān qīn rén cǎn sǐ de shí hòu ， bú yào hòu huǐ biàn shì 。”
“不过，等日后你亲眼看着身边亲人惨死的时候，不要后悔便是。”
"Tragic deaths..."
sū yǔ qíng wēi wēi yī lèng ， suí hòu xiǎo liǎn shà bái ：“ qīn rén cǎn sǐ ？”
苏语晴微微一愣，随后小脸煞白：“亲人惨死？”
Su Yuning’s mind was flooded with images of the volcano's black smoke and the apocalyptic scene that day.
xiān shī bìng wèi jiě shì ， ér shì zài dù bì shàng le yǎn jīng ：“ nǐ qiě qù ba 。”
仙师并未解释，而是再度闭上了眼睛：“你且去吧。”
She shuddered as realization dawned on her.
sū yǔ qíng zhǐ jué de yī zhèn fēng chuī guò ， zì jǐ chà nà zhī jiān ， jiù yǐ jīng chū xiàn zài le máo lú zhī wài 。
苏语晴只觉得一阵风吹过，自己刹那之间，就已经出现在了茅庐之外。
With urgency, she changed direction and rushed back to the cottage at the summit.
mén fēi hōng rán guān bì ， sū yǔ qíng xīn zhōng mǎn shì máng rán 。
门扉轰然关闭，苏语晴心中满是茫然。
"Immortal Master, will the central volcano erupt again?"
tā yǒu xiē hún hún è è dì shùn zhe shān lù ér xià ， nǎo hǎi zhī què quán shì xiān shī kǒu zhōng nà jù huà 。
她有些浑浑噩噩地顺着山路而下，脑海之却全是仙师口中那句话。
She asked through the door, but received no response.
jí jiāng zǒu chū xiān shān de fàn wéi ， tā yòu yǒu xiē yóu yù le 。
即将走出仙山的范围，她又有些犹豫了。
Su Yuning tried to open the door but couldn't budge it. Her heart raced with anxiety, yet she dared not act rashly in front of an immortal.
“ xiān shī kěn dìng bú huì piàn wǒ 。”
“仙师肯定不会骗我。”
She knelt down and bowed repeatedly: "Immortal Master, I am willing to follow you and diligently cultivate!"
“ qīn rén cǎn sǐ ……”
“亲人惨死……”
There was still no reply.
sū yǔ qíng nǎo hǎi zhōng bù zhī wèi hé ， yòu fú xiàn chū dāng rì huǒ shān hēi yún 、 zhē tiān bì rì de kǒng bù chǎng jǐng 。
苏语晴脑海中不知为何，又浮现出当日火山黑云、遮天蔽日的恐怖场景。
Biting her lip, Su Yuning maintained this position without moving.
tā dùn shí dǎ le gè jī líng ， míng bái le shén me 。
她顿时打了个激灵，明白了什么。
As the object of her father’s late-in-life affection, Su Yuning had been pampered since birth. After just a cup of tea, she felt her entire body aching and couldn't bear it anymore.
jí jí máng máng ， gǎi biàn le fāng xiàng ， cháo zhe shān dǐng máo lú bēn qù 。
急急忙忙，改变了方向，朝着山顶茅庐奔去。
But she seemed to see the devastating eruption that would destroy Great Xuan Province again.
“ xiān shī ， nán dào zhōng yāng huǒ shān ， hái huì zài bào fā ma ？”
“仙师，难道中央火山，还会再爆发吗？”
Her eyes hardened as she stubbornly endured.
tā cháo zhe mén fēi wèn dào 。
她朝着门扉问道。
An hour, two hours...
lǐ miàn méi yǒu sī háo shēng yīn chuán lái 。
里面没有丝毫声音传来。
After four or five hours, her consciousness began to blur.
sū yǔ qíng shì tú jiàng mén dǎ kāi ， què zěn me yě tuī bù dòng 。
苏语晴试图将门打开，却怎么也推不动。
Finally, she collapsed from exhaustion.
xīn zhōng yuè fā jiāo jí ， què bù gǎn zài xiān rén miàn qián zào cì 。
心中越发焦急，却不敢在仙人面前造次。
Before losing consciousness, she seemed to hear the door of the cottage open.
sū yǔ qíng pū tōng yī shēng guì xià ， kē tóu dào ：“ xiān shī ， xiǎo nǚ zǐ yuàn yì gēn suí zuǒ yòu ， rèn zhēn xiū xíng ！”
苏语晴噗通一声跪下，磕头道：“仙师，小女子愿意跟随左右，认真修行！”
Su Yuning had a dream.
yī jiù méi yǒu rèn hé huí yìng 。
依旧没有任何回应。
In it, Great Xuan Province faced its end.
sū yǔ qíng yǎo yá ， wéi chí zhè ge zī shì ， yī dòng bù dòng 。
苏语晴咬牙，维持这个姿势，一动不动。
The volcano's smoke column reached the heavens as lava flowed freely, leaving no living soul on earth.
zuò wéi lǎo xué shì lǎo lái de nǚ de duì xiàng ， sū yǔ qíng zì chū shēng nà kè qǐ ， jiù shì wàn qiān chǒng ài zài yī shēn 。
作为老学士老来得女的对象，苏语晴自出生那刻起，就是万千宠爱在一身。
It was truly like hell.
jiāo shēng guàn yǎng de tā ， jǐn jǐn yī zhǎn chá hòu ， biàn jué de hún shēn shàng xià suān tòng wú bǐ 、 zài yě jiān chí bú zhù 。
娇生惯养的她，仅仅一盏茶后，便觉得浑身上下酸痛无比、再也坚持不住。
This horrific scene instantly woke her from her nightmare.
kě tā sì hū kàn dào le huǒ shān zài dù bào fā zhī hòu ， dà lí bèi huǐ yú yí dàn de chǎng jǐng 。
可她似乎看到了火山再度爆发之后，大离被毁于一旦的场景。
"Did you see clearly? That is the future of Great Xuan Province," the Immortal Master said indifferently.
yǎn shén biàn dé jiān yì qǐ lái ， lèng shì yǎo yá jiān chí zhe 。
眼神变得坚毅起来，愣是咬牙坚持着。
"Please save Great Xuan Province!" Su Yuning's eyes were already wet.
yí gè shí chén 、 liǎng gè shí chén ……
一个时辰、两个时辰……
She knelt and begged again: "Immortal Master, please save us!"
zhí dào sì wǔ gè shí chén guò hòu ， tā de yì shí dōu biàn dé yǒu xiē mó hú 。
直到四五个时辰过后，她的意识都变得有些模糊。
The Immortal Master sighed with compassion: "I can save for a while but not forever."
zhōng yú zhī chēng bú zhù ， yūn le guò qù 。
终于支撑不住，晕了过去。
(End of chapter)
Under the breathless gaze of everyone, the Immortal Master roared and with one hand, deflected the massive firestone!
Two immense forces collided instantly.
Countless tiny fragments erupted from the giant firestone.
Just as they were about to fly towards the ground, the Immortal Master acted again.
One hand slowly lifted the giant firestone while the other emitted a series of white lights in an instant.
The flying debris was eliminated.
In just a few breaths, this world-destroying calamity was eradicated into nothingness.
The people from Great Xuan Province, stunned for a moment, wept profusely and bowed towards the figure in the sky. They repeatedly shouted: "Thank you Immortal Master for saving our lives!"
The existence of cultivators wasn't a secret in Great Xuan City. After all, immortals would descend periodically.
Many years ago, there was even an incident where "an immortal's anger caused rivers to run with blood."
So when this Immortal Master saved the entire city, the common folk were both grateful and somewhat fearful.
After all, it was said that in the eyes of immortals, humans were no different from ants.
Now, an immortal had actually intervened to save a human’s life. This couldn't help but surprise everyone.
The people in the city knelt on the ground, unable to rise.
After removing the impact force of the giant firestone, the Immortal Master casually threw it towards the wilderness outside the city.
With the earth trembling, he quickly flew toward the central volcano.
Soon, the rolling black smoke from the volcano slowly dissipated. The violent volcano returned to calmness.
In Great Xuan World, everyone couldn't help but cheer with relief at this scene.
The Emperor of Great Xuan led his people in formation outside the city, waiting for the Immortal Master's arrival.
Unfortunately, he waited for three days and nights without any sign of the Immortal Master.
The Emperor was restless, unsure if he had done something wrong. He couldn't sleep day after day until seven days later when someone reported that a small mountain suddenly appeared in an empty field outside the city.
And on top of this small mountain, there seemed to be people living there.
Hearing this, the Emperor's heart trembled. Knowing it was an immortal’s handiwork, he hurriedly led his people towards the mountain.
But when they reached the foot of the mountain, a seemingly invisible barrier blocked their path, preventing them from moving any further.
"Those with destiny may come and see."
"Those without should return."
A young woman in her teens shyly addressed the Emperor.
In the queue of officials, Su Changyu, an old scholar, suddenly lifted his head upon hearing this voice.
Recognizing it as his sister Su Yuning, he nearly collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, a friend nearby quickly supported him.
"Scholar Su, do you know this fairy?"
The scholar was parched and speechless despite having abundant knowledge.
After sending away all the officials, Su Yuning breathed a sigh of relief. She patted her chest, knocked on the retreating crowd towards her brother, then looked back at the cottage on the mountain, feeling somewhat troubled.
Recently, this Immortal Master suddenly appeared in his scholar's residence and claimed she had an immortal destiny. Without hesitation, she was brought to this mountain.
She was even taught a set of immortal techniques and instructed to focus on cultivation.
But now, her heart was in turmoil; how could she concentrate on cultivation?
After much deliberation, Su Yuning decided to boldly approach the cottage at the summit and knock on the door.
The door opened automatically. The Immortal Master was seated in meditation in mid-air with his eyes closed.
"What is it?"
"Immortal Master, I have come to pay my respects," Su Yuning first bowed deeply before gathering her courage and saying: "I beg of you, Immortal Master, to release me back home. I do not seek immortality or enlightenment. I just wish to stay with my family and live a peaceful life."
This request from a young girl seemed out of place.
But in Su Yuning's demeanor, it didn't seem incongruous.
After speaking these words, Su Yuning's heart pounded fiercely.
She had seen the Immortal Master single-handedly repel the meteorite’s impact. If she angered him...
No, he saved so many people from the city. He must be a good person, right?
Su Yuning thought to herself.
The Immortal Master didn't respond.
A moment of eerie silence enveloped the cottage on the summit.
After a long while, he slowly spoke: "An immortal destiny cannot be forced."
"If you truly do not wish to cultivate, I won’t force you."
"But remember, when you witness your loved ones' tragic deaths in the future, don't regret it."
Su Yuning was momentarily stunned. Her face turned pale.
"Tragic deaths?"
The Immortal Master didn’t explain and closed his eyes again: "Go now."
Su Yuning felt a gust of wind as she suddenly found herself outside the cottage.
The door slammed shut, leaving her bewildered.
She stumbled down the mountain path, her mind consumed by the words from the Immortal Master.
As she approached the boundary of the immortal's domain, she hesitated again.
"Immortal Master definitely wouldn’t deceive me."
"Tragic deaths..."
Su Yuning’s mind was flooded with images of the volcano's black smoke and the apocalyptic scene that day.
She shuddered as realization dawned on her.
With urgency, she changed direction and rushed back to the cottage at the summit.
"Immortal Master, will the central volcano erupt again?"
She asked through the door, but received no response.
Su Yuning tried to open the door but couldn't budge it. Her heart raced with anxiety, yet she dared not act rashly in front of an immortal.
She knelt down and bowed repeatedly: "Immortal Master, I am willing to follow you and diligently cultivate!"
There was still no reply.
Biting her lip, Su Yuning maintained this position without moving.
As the object of her father’s late-in-life affection, Su Yuning had been pampered since birth. After just a cup of tea, she felt her entire body aching and couldn't bear it anymore.
But she seemed to see the devastating eruption that would destroy Great Xuan Province again.
Her eyes hardened as she stubbornly endured.
An hour, two hours...
After four or five hours, her consciousness began to blur.
Finally, she collapsed from exhaustion.
Before losing consciousness, she seemed to hear the door of the cottage open.
Su Yuning had a dream.
In it, Great Xuan Province faced its end.
The volcano's smoke column reached the heavens as lava flowed freely, leaving no living soul on earth.
It was truly like hell.
This horrific scene instantly woke her from her nightmare.
"Did you see clearly? That is the future of Great Xuan Province," the Immortal Master said indifferently.
"Please save Great Xuan Province!" Su Yuning's eyes were already wet.
She knelt and begged again: "Immortal Master, please save us!"
The Immortal Master sighed with compassion: "I can save for a while but not forever."
(End of chapter)