The Return to Brightheart Island

The Yan Mountains of the Anchan Commandery. Above Winged Serpent Lake.

The Golden Crow hung high in the sky, its light shining down upon the earth. Thick snow covered the treetops and the ground; each breath drew in bone-chilling cold.

Whoosh!

A youth stood in midair, gazing at Brightheart Island not far away.

Swish! Swish! Swish!!!

A grey-robed youth who looked dispirited, a blue-clad girl, and a massive snow-white hound appeared out of thin air.

“Senior apprentice-brother?” The grey-robed youth, Mu Northson, stared incredulously at the distant Ji Ning.

“I told you it was master who had returned, but you didn’t believe me. I’m master’s spirit-beast; how could I sense it wrong?” Little Qing let out an excited cry as she charged toward Ji Ning, then with a flicker transformed into a green serpent, coiling around Ji Ning’s arm. Her little green head rubbed affectionately against his arm. “Master, I’ve been so worried about you all these years. You’re finally back.”

Ji Ning gently stroked the green serpent with his right hand.

“It’s good that you’re back.” Uncle White didn’t say much, but his eyes were filled with joy.

“Senior apprentice-brother, it was all my fault…” Mu Northson looked at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning had been quite worried about his junior apprentice-brother’s condition over the years. Before the war with the Shaoyin clan, his junior brother, after being tortured for decades, had just lost his Dao-companion. Ji Ning himself had then been plagued by Karmic Hellfire and banished by the Shaoyin clan to a death world. He was afraid that his junior brother would blame himself greatly. With his junior brother’s state of mind, blaming himself for all these years… Ji Ning was very worried that something terrible might have happened.

But thankfully…

There were a few more white hairs on his junior brother’s head, but at least he was still here.

“This isn’t your fault. If you want to blame someone, blame my own arrogance. I underestimated the Shaoyin clan.” Ji Ning stepped through the void, walking over, and gently patted his junior brother on the shoulder. “Besides, the enmity between me and the Shaoyin clan is already deep. Don’t go flattering yourself by taking it all onto your own shoulders.”

Mu Northson couldn’t help but let out a faint smile.

“Master, where have you been all these years? We were all so worried sick.” Little Qing lifted her head to look at Ji Ning. Mu Northson and Uncle White also looked at him.

“I was banished by the Shaoyin clan to a deadly place in the endless void outside the Three Realms,” Ji Ning said. “For over eighteen years, I was trapped there, only managing to escape today.”

“So you were trapped in a death world the whole time. I thought you’d gone through some epic adventure again.” Little Qing sighed.

“Who did you tell about my situation?” Ji Ning asked.

Uncle White spoke up: “We only told the Diancai Immortal. However, because we’ve been living on Brightheart Island, Little Qing and Mu Northson found it hard to hide their grief and worry. Qiuye caught on, so she knows too. Also… your Dao-companion, Yu Wei. When she returned to the Grand Xia World, she already knew about your situation. Her master, Patriarch Lu, must have told her.”

Ji Ning frowned slightly. He hadn’t wanted Qiuye or Yu Wei to know, as they would surely worry.

“I’ll go see Sister Qiuye,” Ji Ning said.

“Go ahead,” Uncle White said. “Your room, study, and quiet chamber… Qiuye has spent time there every single day for all these years. I can see that little girl’s heart belongs entirely to you.”

Ji Ning nodded gently. Then, a flicker of candlelight appeared in his eyes. He cast a glance toward Brightheart Island and saw Qiuye.

…

Inside the study.

Qiuye was gently wiping the desk with a cloth. Actually, thanks to the formation, there was no dust in the study at all. But touching the desk brought back memories of when she used to grind ink while her young master wrote at it.

“Young master… when will you come back?” Tears shimmered faintly in Qiuye’s eyes as she looked at the chair. The chair where Ji Ning usually sat.

It had been so long.

She had waited for such a long, long time. Even when her young master had gone to study the Dao for over thirty years, it hadn’t felt this long. Back then, she knew he was learning the Dao. But this time, she knew her young master was trapped in a desperate situation, that he could die at any moment. This torment made every day feel as long and agonizing as a year.

When she was very young, she had been sold as a slave. Eventually, she entered the Ji clan and became a young maidservant, serving Ji Ning personally.

From the very beginning, that babbling child had been her sky, her earth.

If Chuncao still had her father and family to worry about, Qiuye had long since had no family left. Her only family was… her young master.

She had watched her young master grow from a babbling child step by step, gradually maturing. She had followed him into the Eastmarsh Swamp… until the day Ji Ning embarked on the path of Immortal cultivation and left for Anchan City. She was no longer capable of taking care of him; following him would only make her a burden. She had no complaints. Willingly, she stayed on Brightheart Island, silently waiting for her young master to return.

If her young master came back, it was her happiest day.

If her young master did not return, she would wait in silence.

But this time…

Her young master might never come back.

“Creak.” Suddenly, the study door was pushed open. Qiuye’s body trembled, and she quickly turned her head.

Standing at the doorway was a youth. He still wore his animal-hide clothes, still wore the most familiar smile: “Sister Qiuye!”

“Young master!” Qiuye rushed forward excitedly, but when she reached Ji Ning, she hesitated.

Ji Ning, however, reached out and hugged her.

He held her for a good while, until Qiuye’s emotions had calmed down.

“Sister Qiuye, the snowy scenery outside is beautiful. Let’s go enjoy the snow,” Ji Ning said. His feelings for Sister Qiuye were unique. They had grown up together; she had taken care of him. In his heart, Sister Qiuye was like family, like his own parents or siblings.

His parents were gone. The family he had left was just Sister Qiuye and Uncle White.

Qiuye was like an elder sister to him, his dearest sister.

Uncle White was an elder, a senior who silently cared for him.

Being intimate with other women gave Ji Ning pause, but with Sister Qiuye, even an embrace was like a brother and sister embracing. It was a very warm feeling.

“Snowy scenery?” Qiuye nodded quickly. “Alright, let’s go see the snow.”

…

Brightheart Island was Ji Ning’s home, and Qiuye naturally took good care of it. The island’s usual scenery was already breathtakingly beautiful. Under the blanket of snow, it possessed a rare and stunning beauty.

It wasn’t until the sky began to darken and evening fell that Ji Ning said, “Sister Qiuye, I’m going to Anchan City. I haven’t told my master or my senior apprentice-sister that I’m back.”

“Go ahead.” Qiuye smiled. “Your master and your Dao-companion have probably been worried about you all these years.”

“Mm.” Ji Ning rose directly into the air on a cloud, flying into the sky.

Qiuye watched Ji Ning leave, her eyes filled with contentment.

Her young master was safe. Even if he wasn’t by her side, she felt at ease.

Within the aquatic palace. The great hall.

The black-robed Ji Ning looked at the Yellow-Furred Bear and the seven Empyrean Gods before him.

“Senior Bear, there are some things you should tell me now,” the black-robed Ji Ning said.

“I believe you’ve already guessed some of it.” The Bear nodded. “Let me introduce them to you first. These seven… are the seven Empyrean Gods who served under my master, Daoist Threelives, in the past.”

Seven Empyrean Gods?

Although Ji Ning had known this for a long time, he still couldn’t help but feel a shock of awe. These were not the large-scale, flaw-ridden soldiers of the Broken Horn World. These were true gods born from Heaven and Earth. Each and every one of them possessed immense power.

“This is Empyrean God Ninefangs.” The Bear pointed at the bald old man. The old man grinned at Ji Ning. “Young master.”

“Don’t be fooled by this old fellow. He’s the most sinister of us all,” said the enchantingly beautiful woman with white brows beside him.

“Calling me old fellow? Are you any younger?” the bald old man scolded.

The Bear laughed and pointed at the woman beside him. “This is Empyrean God Snowscorpion. She is very straightforward.”

“Young master.” Empyrean God Snowscorpion looked at Ji Ning with a beaming smile. “You have to cultivate quickly and become an Empyrean God soon. Then we can roam the world together.”

The Bear then pointed to a gentle-looking youth who seemed utterly harmless. “This is Empyrean God Viperbird.”

“Empyrean God Viperbird?” Ji Ning was astonished.

The Viperbird was a true divine beast, born during the creation of the primordial Pangu’s World. It was the most venomous of all divine beasts. To think that such a venomous divine beast would take on such a form as a human…

“These two.” The Bear pointed at the two most stalwart and towering men. One seemed wild and ferocious, the other cold and sinister. The first had reddish skin, the second blackish skin. “When the primordial Pangu’s World was first born, a pair of Fiendgods were born. They were twins, born at the same time. One was born from the sun’s true fire, the other from the moon’s true water. No matter who they fight, they always attack together. They are Empyrean God Scorching Sun and Empyrean God Dark Moon.”

“Young master.” Both of them looked at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning sighed inwardly.

All of these Fiendgods had lived since the primordial era. They had been born at least when the primordial Pangu’s World was created. Every single one of them had extraordinary origins.

“And this one.” The Bear pointed to a young child wearing a necklace. “When the primordial Pangu’s World was still a desolate place, he was the first to follow my master. He is my master’s adopted son. His name is Empyrean God Radiance.”

“Back then, I wanted to learn the ‘Starseizing Hand’ from my father, but by the time I was born, I was already at the Void Fiendgod level. There was no way for me to even begin.” The child looked at Ji Ning with a smile. “My father’s ‘Starseizing Hand’ has finally found a true successor. You must train hard and become an Empyrean God as soon as possible.”

The Bear finally pointed to the last one, Empyrean God Blooddrop. “You already know Empyrean God Blooddrop. He is the most valiant of my master’s Empyrean Gods, and also the most powerful. Among Empyrean Gods and True Immortals, few are his match.”

“I heard before. My master said that Senior Blooddrop is only one step away from becoming a True God or Daofather,” Ji Ning said.

“That one step is not so easy to take.” Empyrean God Blooddrop looked at Ji Ning and smiled. “But Ji Ning, when I saw you last time, I was worried you might not be able to command their respect in the future. Don’t be fooled by how polite they all are now; they are all extremely proud. But this time, in the Realm of Annihilation, you weathered the Karmic Hellfire, reached the third level of Heartforce, figured out a way to use Heartforce on your own, and even grasped a trace of Sword Force before your Sword Dao had fully matured. Even I have to admire you. The other six have all accepted you. They are just waiting for you to become an Empyrean God. You heard them just now; they all addressed you as ‘young master’.”