Desolate Era (Book 6 - Book 10)

The blue-robed man suddenly asked, “Do you know what it means to be Dao-companions?”


Ninelotus hesitated for a moment. Dao-companions?

“Dao-companions…those who will traverse the pitfalls of the Immortal path together for a thousand years, for ten thousand years, for eternity; companions who will never leave each other. Right?” Ninelotus responded softly.

The blue-robed man let out a sigh. “Anyone can say the words. But Dao-companions who truly support each other and never leave or abandon each other…this is incomparably rare. In my life, I have seen far too many ‘Dao-companions’ betray each other, kill each other, abandon each other…far, far too many. Nothing in this world is absolute.”

Ninelotus was stunned upon hearing this.

“You are too young.” The blue-robed man shook his head. “That Ji Ning, he’s too young as well. Are the two of you certain…that you truly understand what it means to become Dao-companions? Do you truly know what becoming Dao-companions means?”

“Dao-companions…this means that you are willing to die for him!”

“Dao-companions…this means that if Immortals or Buddhas were to try and separate you, you would slaughter Immortals and annihilate Buddhas in order to bring your Dao-companion back.”

“Dao-companions…this means that if he dies, even if an eternity passes, you would still be unable to forget him; you would feel as though he was still alive and right by your side.”

“Dao-companions…your other half in life! Without him, your life is no longer complete!”

The blue-robed man stared at Ninelotus, a look of unfathomable ancientness in his eyes. “Are you certain…that you would be willing to die for him? Are you certain…that for his sake, you would have the courage to slaughter Immortals and annihilate Buddhas?”

Ninelotus’s mouth opened and closed a few times.

Die for him?

Battle with all the Immortals and the Buddhas of the heavens for him?

“If you are certain of these things, if you feel no hesitation at all in answering this question, then I won’t stop you. I would only support you.” The blue-robed man sighed. “But I can see from your eyes that you are hesitating, that you are pausing…”

“If you aren’t able to treat him as the other half of your life, if you aren’t able to die for him, if you don’t have the courage to battle against all the Immortals and Buddhas of heaven for him…then why must you become Dao-companions?”

“Without that degree of resolve, there’s no need for you to choose a Dao-companion.”

“The path of Immortal cultivation…is a path which defies the heavens.”

“You can traverse it alone. You can also traverse it with a Dao-companion. This is an incomparably difficult path, filled with pitfalls. Thus, if you are to choose a Dao-companion, you absolutely must choose a Dao-companion who will truly share life and death with him; one you would die for, and one who would die for you. Otherwise…you would be better off traversing this path alone.”

The blue-robed man gave Ninelotus a glance. “Ninelotus, what do you think?”

“I, I…” Ninelotus was completely stunned.

Had she been wrong?

“You are too young…and that Ji Ning is even younger than you. The two of you haven’t experienced enough! You two are nowhere near close to the point of selecting Dao-companions, because your hearts are not yet sufficiently resolved; the two of you simply feel a sort of indistinct longing and affection for each other.” The blue-robed man shook his head. “This sort of indistinct longing and affection…it won’t last.”

“I won’t forcibly prevent you from being together with Ji Ning,” the blue-robed man said.

Upon hearing this, a hint of delight instantly appeared in Ninelotus’ eyes.

“But you must have patience. When you become a Primal Daoist, if you still feel that Ji Ning should be your Dao-companion, than you can choose him. For now, however…you will have to endure,” the blue-robed man said.

“Wait until I’m a Primal Daoist?” Ninelotus was stunned. “How long is that going to take?”

“I’ve doted on you too much. Your Dao-heart truly is quite ordinary. Go to the Myriad Lotuses Cave. I’ll set down a formation; only when you can walk out of the Myriad Lotuses Cave will you be permitted to leave the Dongyan Mountains,” the blue-robed man instructed.

Ninelotus said frantically, “The Myriad Lotuses Cave? How am I suppose to break through a formation that you set down, Forefather?”

“This will just be a bewildering formation meant to help illuminate your Dao-heart,” the blue-robed man said, shaking his head. “No need to argue about it. Go.”

“I’m going to send someone to notify Ji Ning.” Ninelotus knew that refusal was not an option, and so she hurriedly switched tacts.

“Go,” the blue-robed man said calmly.

Ninelotus immediately boarded a lotus-shaped magic treasure, immediately departing and making arrangements for a notification to be given to Ning.

The blue-robed man watched Ninelotus leave, then gently shook his head. “She truly is too young. Still…Ruyin, she truly does look just like you. How long has it been…do you remember how the two of us fought, shoulder-to-shoulder, in the ‘Skylight’ major world? That battle…no matter how much time passes, I’ll never forget it. Never…”

And then, he quietly went back to his fishing. His fishing hook attracted quite a number of fish to come circling around it, but the ‘hook’ was straight. It would never catch a fish.[1. This is a reference to the legend of Jiang Ziya, a ‘historical’ Chinese Immortal who fished without a hook, on the belief that the fish would come to him when they were ready, without need for a hook.]





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Book 9, Chapter 30 - Nine Years in the Blink of an Eye


In the air above Serpentwing Lake. A tall, willowy, silver-armored woman appeared, standing atop a giant sword.

“Ji Ning!” The silver-armored woman called out in a high voice. Swoosh! A wind suddenly howled forth from Brightheart Lake, and then Ji Ning appeared in midair.

“You are…?” Ji Ning looked at the silver-armored woman.

“My mistress is your ‘senior apprentice-sister Ninelotus’. Per the orders from my mistress, I have come to notify you of something,” the silver-armored woman said. Ning, actually, had already guessed that this woman had something to do with Ninelotus.

“My mistress said that she needs to remain within her clan for a time and won’t be able to come out in the near future. She asks you to wait for her patiently.” The silver-armored woman said in a cold, clear voice, “Mistress also said that the two of you could take this opportunity to consider if the two of you were perhaps too rash in deciding to become Dao-companions.”

Ning frowned. Ninelotus had gone back to her clan and would not return? And was asking him to consider if they had decided to become Dao-companions too rashly? What was this supposed to mean?

“I’ve delivered my message.” The silver-armored woman, after finishing, flew away on her giant sword, quickly disappearing into the horizons.

……

Ning returned to Brightheart Island with a belly full of suspicions. Auutmn Leaf was there by the beach, quietly waiting for him. “What happened, young master?” Autumn Leaf, seeing the restless look on Ning’s face, couldn’t help but ask him.

“That was senior apprentice-sister Ninelotus’ servant, just now,” Ning said with a frown. “She came on orders to deliver a message. Ninelotus won’t be able to leave the clan for a period of time, and also said that I should calm down and think about if we were perhaps too hasty in choosing to be Dao-companions. What does this mean? Since we’ve already chosen to become Dao-companions, what’s this about it being ‘too hasty’?”