Cultivating with Bragging System-Chapter 633 - 290: In the Twinkling of an Eye, the World Changes; Looking Back, a Hundred Years Have Passed (7100 words)_2

The sea breeze stirred gently, its passage rustling the blue dress. It further outlined her intoxicating, curvaceous figure.

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her red lips moving slightly. "All this time, our search has been based on the assumption that Wang Xiu was either seriously injured or dead! But what if… he wasn't hurt? What if nothing happened to him at all, and he just can't find his way back?"

These words sounded like an attempt to comfort everyone, but upon careful consideration, they made a lot of sense. It made many of the crestfallen disciples of the Sanqing Immortal Sect feel somewhat better, and a new line of thinking began to open up for Li Xuanqi and the others.

"She's right! For someone like Wang Xiu, as long as he's alive, anything is possible! Searching here is meaningless. He might have just gone somewhere farther away!" Li Xuanqi said suddenly, gazing at Zhao Qingyu's departing figure.

Ji Zidian looked at her and asked, "What do you mean?"

Li Xuanqi replied, "The world is vast. There are places we cannot find simply because we are still too weak!"

Before long, she too departed, returning to the Mount Shu Immortal Sect to announce she was entering closed-door cultivation.

Soon after, Zhang Yuge, Zhuge Changsheng, Zhang Zhong, and other members of the younger generation left one after another.

「Another three years passed.」

Many of the powerful experts from the Sanqing Immortal Sect also withdrew from the Northern Sea. Even Luo Binglan, who had always been the most persistent, suddenly proposed giving up the search and departed decisively. However, she didn't leave with the Snow Ancestor and the others; instead, she headed in a different direction.

This sea area once again became quiet and deserted, the onlookers having long since departed. Only three people remained on the island: Meng Ran, Yu Xiaolong, and his attendant.

「On this day.」

Meng Ran, holding a letter, found Yu Xiaolong. He was momentarily stunned to see him tidying his beard.

Yu Xiaolong hadn't tended to his beard in over ten years. During his time on the island, his appearance had grown increasingly unkempt, and he no longer looked like a young dandy. Yet today, he was suddenly trimming it.

Meng Ran was slightly taken aback and asked, "Brother Yu, are you leaving too?"

Yu Xiaolong sighed. "Everyone's gone. What's the point of me staying? This place is nothing like the Nine Heavens!"

In the Nine Heavens, a single command from me would be obeyed by countless people. If all else failed, I could just throw money at the problem. A generous reward always attracts a brave soul; there's always a way to get things done.

But now, the experts from the Great Immortal Gates had already withdrawn and given up. His continued stay here would accomplish nothing.

As he spoke, he glanced at the letter in Meng Ran's hand. "Want me to help deliver something again? Give it here!"

Meng Ran gave an awkward smile. "Since you're also leaving, Brother Yu, we might as well travel together."

Yu Xiaolong curled his lips. "Alright, stop being so tense. I know your burden is much heavier than mine! The Teacher isn't rushing you, but what about your senior sisters, senior brothers, and your own little sister? They must all be anxious, right? The messages have been coming nonstop for years, haven't they? Give it to me."

He snatched the letter from Meng Ran's hand and stuffed it into his Space Ring.

Meng Ran was startled at first, then gave a bitter laugh. "The Yu Family's Jade Fan truly lives up to its reputation! In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Brother Yu!"

Yu Xiaolong said nothing, just gave a casual wave of his hand.

「Finally.」

Only he and his attendant remained on the island.

The sea breeze carried a hint of salt.

Yu Xiaolong stood on a large reef, looking around with a silent sigh. He had stayed here for nearly fifteen years, a period that constituted a significant slice of his life. Outside of the Yu Family estate, this was the place he had spent the most time.

"My lord, it's time to go!" the old servant's urging voice came from his side.

Gazing out over the surging waves, Yu Xiaolong murmured, "Brother, I know you're not dead! But when will we see each other again? I, Yu Xiaolong, once swore never to owe anyone anything in this lifetime. Don't you dare make me break my vow."

「Finally.」

The area fell into absolute silence, with not a soul in sight.

Wild trees and shrubs grew rampant on the deserted island. The floating icebergs melted and reformed. Spring rains gave way to winter snows. In this icy sea region, there was no great rebirth of nature, yet one could still sense the cycle of life and death. Time flowed on in every minute detail.

Spring passed and autumn came; winter passed and spring arrived in an endless cycle.

In the blink of an eye, decades had passed. A full sixty years had gone by since the emergence of Longhuang Island.

「It was midsummer.」

The sea was calm, with hardly a ripple on its surface. On a large ship, numerous figures were gathered.

There were men and women alike, all of them young and possessing an extraordinary presence. It was apparent they hailed from distinguished families and sects. The men were handsome, and the women were young and beautiful.

They stood on the deck, gazing at the scenery of the Northern Sea and listening to the occasional introduction from nearby.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the very spot where Longhuang Island emerged sixty years ago!" a woman in plain dress stood before the crowd, beaming as she explained. "It's said that the day Longhuang Island appeared, the event was world-shaking. Rivers flowed backward, the sun and moon shifted their positions, and divine phantoms appeared. It was an incredibly grand sight!"

Someone curiously asked, "Longhuang Island? Is that the legendary island that devours people?"

The woman nodded. "That's right. When Longhuang Island first appeared, it didn't just alarm the various Great Immortal Gates and Immortal Sects of the Cangyuan Realm. Even the high and mighty Nine Heavens Realm dispatched numerous favored scions to enter and seek their fortunes.

"Unfortunately, most who entered never came back. Only a lucky few made it out."

Hearing this, the young people on the ship leaned closer to the mast, their eyes wide as they scanned the surroundings, as if trying to glimpse something within the azure water and endless sky.

Suddenly, a girl with exceptionally bright eyes spoke up cheerfully. "I heard that those who returned alive from Longhuang Island were all saved by the Sanqing Saint Heir from back then. Is that right?"