"Uhh..." Qin Sang looked inward into his Qihai through his inner vision and saw the gray qi.

That gray qi, which had always remained quietly in his body, turned out to be the sword spirit of the spiritual sword, and it was anything but obedient. Taking advantage of his unconsciousness, it stirred up chaos within him.

"I don’t know whether the sword spirit has truly recognized you as its master. You’d best be cautious from now on. Still, this may not necessarily be a bad thing. Once the sword spirit awakens, you’ll be able to sense the locations of the other fragments of the spiritual sword and assemble the entire peerless art!" Qingzhu sighed deeply.

He had endured to this very moment just to help Qin Sang retrieve that art and guide a successor.

The immortal path he had failed to complete would now be continued by Qin Sang, and with great hope of success!

Qin Sang struggled to digest all this information. He did not know whether to feel elated or relieved. Yet one doubt lingered in his heart.

The sword spirit had entered his body even before the teleportation. When exactly did that happen?

It certainly wasn’t inside the hall where the ancient teleportation array had been located. Otherwise, since both he and Qingzhu had cultivated the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment, there was no reason for the sword spirit to ignore Qingzhu and instead choose him, a later arrival.

"Could it be..." Qin Sang suddenly recalled the moment when he was captured by Dongyang Bo. He was brought into the bronze hall, where Chenyan's master had vanished, and used as leverage against her.

Before that, he could be sure nothing strange had occurred within his body. It would have been impossible for the sword spirit to sneak in unnoticed.

Only then, when Dongyang Bo had sealed his entire body with forbidden talismans, could such a thing have happened.

Was the sword spirit hiding inside that bronze hall all along, waiting for someone who cultivated the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment, before quietly slipping into my body? The more Qin Sang thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

After hearing Qin Sang’s explanation, Qingzhu pondered. "That’s possible. Both Seven-Kill Hall and Ziwei Palace share deep connections with the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment and the fragments of the spiritual sword... Unfortunately, I can’t accompany you further. From now on, you’ll have to uncover the rest yourself."

Qingzhu patted Qin Sang’s shoulder, then briefly recounted the events that had followed.

"After sending you and the sword spirit away, I planned to return and retrieve the spiritual sword fragment and the art. Unexpectedly, the devilish soul grew suspicious and began searching the hall of sword qi, refusing to leave. If I had forcibly broken the barrier, the disturbance would have exposed me, and I was no match for him at that time. Before I could even reach the sword fragment, I would have fallen into his hands. Thus, we remained deadlocked until Seven-Kill Hall closed, and I had no choice but to retreat from the inner hall.

"Afterward, I searched both great seas for the devilish soul’s whereabouts. I discovered that as his cultivation grew, the seal continued to weaken. Moreover, he frequently changed identities, as if plotting something grand. If I waited until the inner hall reappeared, the seal would already be broken, so I had to find a way to counterattack."

"Later, when the witch race opened the outer hall for the first time, I left a jade slip within the sword path to lure the devilish soul to Linggui Island. At the same time, I misled him into believing his true identity was my sword soul, preventing him from devouring me first.

"I willingly invited the devilish soul into my body and personally controlled the spiritual sword fragment. The seal indeed held firm.

"Before that, I had sent my sword soul incarnation to Heavenly Dao Sect. If the incarnation failed to reach breakthrough, it was to form an External Spiritual Infant with the Earthblood Ginseng and retrieve another spiritual sword fragment. By harnessing the power of two fragments, I planned to reinforce the seal upon the devilish soul.

"Unexpectedly, things were far more complicated than I imagined. The devilish soul tried to release the ancient devil and stirred chaos across the immortal cultivation world, inciting conflicts among factions. I could only watch, powerless to intervene. When the witch race opened Seven-Kill Hall for the second time, I had hoped to send word through you, but the devilish soul stopped me. The rest... You’ve seen yourself at Yitian Peak."

After hearing Qingzhu’s account, Qin Sang sighed deeply. He had not expected that Senior Qingzhu had endured so many twists and turns, perhaps even more than he himself had.

After a long silence, Qin Sang asked softly, "Senior... Is there anything you’d like me to bring back?"

Though cruel, he had to ask, for he could feel Qingzhu’s condition worsening.

"Don’t grieve for me! After my death, just send my body back. They’ve waited for me many years. At last, we can reunite in the afterlife. As for Qingjun, there’s no need to trouble her..." Qingzhu shook his head. "To her, I was merely an irresponsible father, nothing more."

He then walked alone toward the edge of the Nether Valley and gazed silently into the depths. After a long while, he turned back to Qin Sang. "The path of immortality is ever elusive. Have you ever regretted walking it?"

Qin Sang froze, then shook his head without hesitation.

"Good!" Qingzhu praised him softly.

Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze grew distant, filled with nostalgia and quiet reminiscence. "Do you still remember the Red Jade Peach?"

Qin Sang nodded.

Of course he did. The Red Jade Peaches of Sword Pass on Shaohua Mountain were sweeter than any spiritual fruit. It was there he had first heard of Senior Qingzhu’s legend, and now he was about to witness that legend come to an end.

"It’s been so many years since I last tasted one," Qingzhu murmured.

He had searched far and wide for peach seeds, hoping to grow the Red Jade Peach on Linggui Island. Yet the flavor never matched the one in his memory.

Hearing this, Qin Sang suddenly remembered something. He quickly rummaged through his Thousand-Jin Ring and indeed found several peach pits.

Back then, he had intended to plant Red Jade Peaches in his cave dwelling, so he had kept a few.

Qin Sang planted the pits upon a mound of soil and asked Senior Qingzhu to channel the medicinal energy of the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances into them, imbuing them with vitality.

The pits sprouted roots, grew shoots, extended branches, and unfolded leaves, transforming into a peach tree before their very eyes.

In an instant, peach blossoms burst into bloom! The valley filled with their fragrance.

Soon the blossoms withered, leaving green fruits that ripened beneath a red glow. They finally became Red Jade Peaches, bright and radiant, covering the branches in abundance!

Such a miracle could only occur within the immortal cultivation world.

The tree continued to sprout new branches, its canopy lush and vibrant, the blossoms ever-renewing.

Qingzhu ceased pouring in vitality and stared at the tree, his eyes softening. He nodded gently to Qin Sang, plucked a peach, and took a bite.

After savoring it for a while, he sighed. "A hastily grown fruit, untempered by wind or frost."

Qin Sang tasted one as well and agreed, "It’s not as sweet as those from Sword Pass."

"You’ve yet to taste the truly good ones," Qingzhu said with a hint of regret.

Still, he finished the Red Jade Peach to the very last bite.

"Go," Qingzhu said softly.

Qin Sang looked at him, worry flickering in his eyes, then turned and flew toward the Nether Valley.

As Qin Sang’s figure disappeared into the rolling netherworld qi, Qingzhu summoned the spiritual sword and unleashed a world-shattering sword qi to clear the path for him.

He recited quietly, "With my sword I cleave the Netherworld. In the next life, may I no longer chase the endless Dao!"

The sword qi tore through the ancient barrier, opening the way. Qin Sang descended into the depths of Nether Valley. Just as Qingzhu had said, there lay a copy of the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment.

After retrieving the art, Qin Sang flew out of Nether Valley and landed upon the earthen platform, his steps unconsciously slowing.

Carved upon the stone wall were several lines of writing left behind by Senior Qingzhu.

A small courtyard, filled with peach blossoms.

A clear pond, pure as jade.

A senior sister, age of sixteen.

A junior sister, still in her youth.

A lifetime spent pursuing immortality, never knowing where the grave will lie.

Would it not be better,

To live by the mountains and rivers, to plow the fields and sail the streams,

To catch demons and ghosts, and tell a fortune?

The words were written with a sword, making it a sword scripture. A fragment of the spiritual sword was embedded in the stone wall beside it, inscribed with a single line. "Sword presented to Daoist Qin."

Qin Sang saw Qingzhu resting beneath the peach tree, the peachwood sword cradled in his arms.

A gentle breeze passed through. Petals drifted down, one after another.