617: Chapter 617 Imperial Tutor (7)

Qin Yun did not pass on the Nine Great Heavenly Books to Xuan Zhao, nor did he pass on the Nine Great Heavenly Treasures, and even less did he pass on the most core Immortal Sutra.

He only passed on the Supreme Scripture.

Xuan Zhao's path should not be a copy of his own.

The Karma involved in the Nine Books and Nine Treasures was too heavy, and the threshold for the Immortal Sutra was too high, easily causing Xuan Zhao to lose his own Dao at the very start.

The Supreme Scripture was high enough and stable enough, yet it still left Xuan Zhao with space to forge his own path.

This was Qin Yun's way of being a Revered Master.

He did not want to treat Xuan Zhao as a second version of himself, nor did he want to Cultivate a weapon capable of fighting for him.

He hoped this youth would have his own path.

After Xuan Zhao began to Cultivate the Supreme Scripture, his progress was not exaggerated.

He was not like other Prodigies who advanced a thousand miles a day, with their Cultivation skyrocketing.

But his Foundation was very stable; every step he took was solid.

He moved step by step, eventually becoming the most dazzling figure of the new generation in the Nine Continents.

That year, Qin Yun became a tutor in a small Mortal city.

The private school was not big, and there was an old locust tree in the courtyard.

In the afternoon, sunlight fell through the gaps in the leaves onto the ground, forming mottled spots of light.

The children were writing, and the scent of ink mixed with the summer breeze, very faint.

A small child with hair tied in double buns raised his hand.

"Revered Master, what is the meaning of the character 'Immortal'?"

Qin Yun stood by the window, looking outside, silent for a while.

He picked up a brush and wrote the character "Immortal" on the paper.

"Immortal, is on the mountain."

He explained.

"A person stands at the foot of the mountain; seeing someone on the mountain, they think that is an Immortal."

"Therefore, an Immortal is high above."

"When a person looks at an Immortal, it is like looking up at a high mountain."

The children listened, understanding only half of it.

Beside him, Xuan Zhao, who was grinding ink for him, suddenly spoke.

"This Disciple thinks, perhaps that is not entirely correct."

Qin Yun looked at him.

Xuan Zhao thought very seriously.

"The character 'Immortal' has 'person' on the left and 'mountain' on the right. But if you take away the 'person', only a mountain remains."

"Without a person, a mountain is just a mountain; it is high above, but also just a dead object."

"Only with a person does the mountain become an Immortal."

Qin Yun looked at him without speaking.

...

Xuan Zhao went astray while Cultivating the Supreme Scripture, and his Qi rampaged within his body, causing him so much pain that he could not sleep all night.

Qin Yun did not directly intervene to smooth out his injuries, only letting him regulate his breathing over and over.

At night, Xuan Zhao was in so much pain that his forehead was covered in sweat.

Qin Yun sat at the courtyard entrance, back turned to him, holding a piece of wood in his hand, slowly whittling it with a small knife.

"Delicate."

He complained with his mouth.

But he never left.

At dawn, Xuan Zhao finally smoothed out that chaotic Qi. When he opened his eyes, he saw wood shavings scattered at his Revered Master's feet, and in his hand was a newly whittled wooden sword.

Later, on the eve of Xuan Zhao proving his status as Emperor, he asked Qin Yun.

"Revered Master, if I become an Emperor, will I be able to help you?"

Qin Yun was reading an old scroll and did not even lift his head.

"First help yourself stand firm."

Xuan Zhao smiled.

"Only after I stand firm can I stand by Revered Master's side."

Later still, the Xuan-Yang Heavenly Emperor passed away.

Xuan Zhao inherited the Heavenly Palace, knelt at the highest point, and accepted the Heavenly Emperor Seal.

Qin Yun watched from afar.

The youth who always liked to ask strange questions had truly grown up.

...

Time passed.

Xuan Zhao Cultivated to the Peak of the Heavenly Emperor, only half a step away from a Pseudo-Immortal.

But he was blocked.

The Immortal Path had swept away a large number of Pseudo-Immortals, and the Origin of the Nine Continents had been damaged many times during the Dark Turmoil.

Even though the Nine Books and Nine Treasures were gathered by Qin Yun to stabilize the Origin of the Nine Continents, wanting to become a Pseudo-Immortal still required one's own Dao Fruit.

Xuan Zhao tried to break through the realm many times.

Each time, he was blocked back by that layer of incomplete Law barriers.

Qin Yun could help him.

As long as he was willing, he could forcibly push Xuan Zhao up.

But he did not.

A Master can support for a journey, but cannot walk a lifetime for their Disciple.

A Pseudo-Immortal pushed up by force would only ruin Xuan Zhao's own Dao.

Xuan Zhao understood this too.

But looking at that threshold he could not cross no matter what, his heart was bitter in the end.

It was also at this time that the Dark Turmoil erupted again.

This time, the momentum was fierce.

The cracks in the Luoyun Heavenly Abyss were forcibly expanded, several azure pagoda Seals dimmed simultaneously, black fog surged across the Nine Continents, and the Fallen appeared in droves.

Xuan Zhao led the Xuan-Yang Heavenly Palace to meet the battle.

In the Heavenly Palace army, there were not just top powerhouses.

There were also many Cultivators who were Loose Cultivators or war survivors.

Their ancestors had once been sheltered by the Xuan-Yang Heavenly Palace, and now it was their turn to protect others.

Xuan Zhao beheaded several Fallen Heavenly Emperors in succession, but the source of darkness continued to flow endlessly.

The Heavenly Palace army suffered heavy casualties.

Xuan Zhao finally came to see Qin Yun in person.

He knelt before Qin Yun, his voice hoarse.

His armor was covered in blood, some his own, and some from those around him.

He knew that as long as his Revered Master made a move, this turmoil would soon subside.

Qin Yun remained silent for a long time, and ultimately refused.

He told Xuan Zhao that the azure pagoda suppression was still there, and this turmoil was not the end, but rather more like a final test.

As long as the powerhouses of the Nine Continents could endure, the Heavenly Abyss would settle down again.

Xuan Zhao did not understand.

He was not afraid of death; he just saw too many people dying.

Qin Yun did not explain all his reasons.

He could indeed intervene, but every time he did, it consumed his own Origin.

Those Origins were his capital for reopening the Immortal Path in the future, finding old friends, and thoroughly resolving the root of the weirdness.

If he suppressed every turmoil personally, the Nine Continents would never truly grow.

His logic, viewed from the highest point, was not wrong.

But it was very cold.

Xuan Zhao was silent for a long time.

He had no resentment, nor did he ask again.

He only kowtowed heavily to Qin Yun.

Before leaving, he said: "This Disciple understands."

This "understand" meant understanding the reason why his Revered Master would not act.

It also meant understanding that this tribulation had to be borne by himself.

...

Xuan Zhao returned to the battlefield.

The Xuan-Yang Heavenly Palace army had already suffered heavy casualties.

Reinforcements from the Nine Continents gathered continuously, but still could not block the darkness.

Xuan Zhao stood before the crack in the Heavenly Abyss, recalling his father, the refugees the Xuan-Yang Heavenly Palace had taken in, and the questions his Revered Master had taught him.

Why must a person become strong?

It is not to compete for the first place, not to be looked up to by others.

It is so that one day, one can stand in the position one should stand in, and block the wind and rain for the people behind.

At this moment, Xuan Zhao's ultimate state sublimated.

For all living beings, seeing himself, seeing heaven and earth.

He began to burn his Imperial blood, his Primordial Spirit, and the Dao Fruit of his entire life.

The barrier of the Peak Heavenly Emperor was smashed open by him with his life.

He briefly stepped into the Pseudo-Immortal level.

Not relying on Qin Yun, not relying on external objects.

It was relying on his own faith of protecting all living beings throughout his life.

Xuan Zhao used the power of a Pseudo-Immortal to transform into a bridge of light that spanned the crack in the Heavenly Abyss, temporarily cutting off the source of darkness.

He also used his own life to fill the final gap in the Seal.

The Dark Turmoil ended.

Xuan Zhao fell.

...

Qin Yun had been watching from afar.

He did not intervene.

It was not that he could not, but that he knew this was Xuan Zhao's own choice.

Before Xuan Zhao fell, he seemed to look back in the direction where he was.

He did not speak, only smiled.

That smile had no resentment, no regrets.

It was even a bit like the smile when he was a youth, having been scalded by a roasted sweet potato, looking up at him.

Qin Yun stood where he was.

He had experienced countless life and death situations, seen the Nine Continents crumble, and seen old friends depart.

But seeing a Disciple die before his eyes was a different kind of pain.

This was not the righteousness of the Nine Continents, not the planning of the Immortal Path, not a trade-off of the Great Dao.

This was a Revered Master and Disciple, this was the Mortal World, this was a child he had taken in with his own hands and watched grow up with his own eyes.

Qin Yun raised his hand, as if to catch something.

But before the Heavenly Abyss, only the light that was gradually dissipating remained.

His palms were empty.

After a long time, he slowly pulled his hand back.

...

After the darkness subsided, the Nine Continents praised the name of Xuan Zhao.

The entire Xuan-Yang Heavenly Palace held a vigil for Xuan Zhao.

Qin Yun did not go to the mourning hall, only coming at night to the ruined temple where Xuan Zhao had Cultivated as a youth.

The ruined temple was long gone, but he still sat before the old site.

He took out two sweet potatoes and buried them in the ashes of the fire.

One for himself, one placed opposite.

The firelight was very small.

After they were roasted, he did not eat, just looked at the empty seat opposite.

The Mortal World was not a ladder he used to achieve Immortal Ascension.

People in the Mortal World would die, would feel pain, and would leave empty seats.

...

Hundreds of years later.

Qin Yun again became an Incarnation of a Mortal tutor, teaching in a private school in a small city.

A child raised his hand and asked: "Revered Master, what is the meaning of the character 'Immortal'?"

Qin Yun stood by the window; outside was an ordinary afternoon, with wind blowing through bamboo leaves.

He was silent for a while, and wrote the character "Immortal" on the paper.

"Immortal, is on the mountain. A person stands at the foot of the mountain; seeing someone on the mountain, they think that is an Immortal. Therefore, an Immortal is high above; when a person looks at an Immortal, it is like looking up at a high mountain."

The child listened, understanding only half of it, and asked again: "Then will an Immortal come down the mountain?"

Qin Yun did not answer immediately.

He looked at the character "Immortal" on the paper; the brushstrokes were very steady, but the ink at the very last stroke had bled slightly.

He suddenly felt that something was wrong.

But what exactly was wrong, he could not figure out for a moment.