106: Chapter 106 The Supreme Source, [Primordial Heavenly Scripture]

"Fifty thousand years have passed." Ancient Kirin Emperor said softly, "Too long, far too long. The title of Emperor Jiaoheng has likely long since become a legend, leaving only fragments of words in ancient books. Those Supremes do not recognize the human emperor banner either; they were merely frightened away by its aura, without knowing who that aura belonged to."

Xiao Shitou nodded.

"Indeed, too long, far too long."

He looked toward that figure, a flicker of gratification flashing in his eyes.

"He is the master chosen by the void mirror."

He paused, his tone becoming even softer.

"He is also the person the human emperor banner chose to protect."

Ancient Kirin Emperor looked at him.

"Is he a member of the Ji Family?"

Xiao Shitou nodded.

"He is the descendant of those two Disciples of mine from back then."

He fell silent for a moment, as if lost in distant memories.

"At that time, I took a pair of brothers as my Disciples. Their Aptitude was mediocre, but their Heart-Nature was excellent; they were kind to others and held benevolence in their hearts. I passed the Hunyuan Heavenly Scripture to them and gifted them that mirror, instructing them to protect the common people and never commit evil."

"They succeeded. In their generation, the Ji Family was just a small Family, but they never bullied the weak nor fawned over the powerful. They upheld the ancestral teachings, passing them down generation after generation, for countless myriads of years."

"That child is their descendant."

Ancient Kirin Emperor listened without interrupting.

After a long while, he asked, "Do you want to go out and see him?"

Xiao Shitou was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"No."

His voice was very soft, yet carried a hint of relief.

"In my current state, going out would only frighten him. Besides..."

He smiled, though the smile was somewhat bitter.

"I do not have long to live."

Ancient Kirin Emperor fell silent.

He knew what Xiao Shitou said was the truth. Forcibly breaking open the immortal source and burning his final Origin had already exhausted Xiao Shitou's remaining vitality. That he could still stand and speak now was already a miracle.

"Your teacher and your younger sister will return." Ancient Kirin Emperor spoke, his tone firm.

Xiao Shitou shook his head.

"I do not know. The Immortal Domain is so vast, and time is so long. Perhaps they are still Cultivating, perhaps they have encountered trouble, perhaps..."

He did not continue.

The two fell into silence again.

Deep in the starry sky, Ji Xukong was still patrolling.

He held the void mirror and walked, step by step, past every forbidden zone. At the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning, he stood high above, looking down at the thirty-seven immortal sources below. He could feel the sleeping auras, could feel the faint, lingering hostility.

But not a single Supreme dared to come out.

The human emperor banner fluttered gently above his head, golden rain of light falling and enveloping his entire body.

He did not know the Origin of this banner, nor why it chose to protect him. But he knew that without it, he would have already died under the siege of the three Supremes.

"Thank you." He spoke softly, addressing the banner above his head.

The human emperor banner trembled slightly, as if in response.

Ji Xukong smiled and continued walking forward.

At the God Ruins, he stood high above and looked down.

At the Reincarnation Sea, he stood high above and looked down.

At the Immortal Mausoleum, he stood high above and looked down.

At the Heavens, he stood high above and looked down.

He stood for a long time at every forbidden zone. He did not attack, did not provoke, but simply stood there quietly, letting those Supremes see clearly—the Great Emperor of this generation is qualified to stand here.

When he walked past the last forbidden zone, when he confirmed that all Supremes were cowering inside, he tilted his head slightly and looked toward the direction of Undying Mountain.

There, it was a patch of Chaos, and nothing could be seen clearly.

But he could feel that two gazes were watching him.

In those gazes, there was gratification, expectation, and a hint of complexity he could not read.

He did not know what was within, nor who the owner of those two gazes was.

But he knew that if not for the intervention of Undying Mountain, he would not have ascended to Great Emperor so easily just now.

That golden banner had flown out from there.

"Thank you."

He spoke softly, bowing slightly toward the direction of Undying Mountain.

Then he turned around and continued walking forward.

He needed to finish patrolling all the forbidden zones, to confirm that all Supremes dared not come out, and to confirm that this Universe was temporarily safe.

The human emperor banner fluttered gently above his head, following him into the distance.

Inside Undying Mountain, Xiao Shitou watched the figure gradually moving away, a smile appearing on his face.

That smile was exactly the same as it was back in Qingshi Town.

Warm, pure, and carrying a hint of honesty.

"Teacher, did you see that?"

He murmured softly.

"That child... he is truly very much like you."

He paused, then added, "It is not about the appearance, but that temperament. That temperament of standing in the starry sky, overlooking everything, yet still remembering why he is standing there."

"He remembers the ancestral teachings of the Ji Family. He remembers that he must protect the common people. He remembers why he wanted to become an Emperor."

"In this regard, he is exactly the same as you were back then."

Ancient Kirin Emperor stood beside him, listening to his self-muttering without speaking.

Moonlight spilled down, the night breeze blew past, and the willow branches of Undying Mountain swayed gently.

Xiao Shitou watched for a while, then suddenly began to cough. He covered his mouth, bent down, and coughed violently. When he straightened up, there was a pool of bright red blood in his palm.

Ancient Kirin Emperor's expression changed.

"You..."

"I am fine." Xiao Shitou waved his hand, interrupting him. "I know my own situation."

He raised his head and looked toward the depths of the starry sky. That figure had already disappeared at the end of the starry sky, but the light of that golden banner was still faintly flickering.

"He will do very well." Xiao Shitou said softly, "Even better than we imagined."

Ancient Kirin Emperor was silent for a moment, then finally spoke.

"Have you thought about what to do next?"

Xiao Shitou shook his head.

"No. I do not know either."

He turned around and looked at the two immortal sources in the courtyard—those were Ancient Kirin Emperor's son and daughter, Huo Liner and Huo Linzi, still sleeping. Nearby, the immortal peach tree was rooted in the spirit pool, its branches and leaves swaying gently; the ancient tea tree of enlightenment stretched its branches, scattering bits of Dao rhythm.

The Tyrant Blade leaned against the wall, the blade occasionally flashing with a hint of light.

"They are all still here." Xiao Shitou said softly, "The things Teacher left behind are all still here."

Ancient Kirin Emperor looked at him.

"Do you want to wait for them to return?"

Xiao Shitou was silent for a very long time.

Then he smiled.

"I do not know when they will return. Perhaps in ten thousand years, perhaps in a million years, perhaps even longer."

"But I can wait."

He raised his head and looked toward the depths of the starry sky.

"In any case, I do not have long to live. I will wait as long as I can."

"If I cannot wait for them, that is fine too."

His voice was very soft, yet carried an indescribable calmness.

Ancient Kirin Emperor looked at him, suddenly not knowing what to say.

He had lived for too long, seen too much life and death, seen too many partings. But at this moment, looking at Xiao Shitou's aged face, looking at his calm eyes, a complex emotion he could not describe surged in his heart.

"You have changed a lot." He said softly.

Xiao Shitou smiled.

"Is that so?"

"Yes." Ancient Kirin Emperor nodded. "Before, you were always very anxious, anxious to become stronger, anxious to protect your younger sister, anxious to complete Teacher's instructions. But now, you seem... not so anxious anymore."

Xiao Shitou was silent for a moment.

"Because I understand now."

"Understand what?"

"Some things cannot be rushed." Xiao Shitou said softly, "My younger sister has her own path to walk, Teacher has his path to walk, and I also have my own path to walk."

Ancient Kirin Emperor looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Xiao Shitou was silent for a moment, his gaze falling toward the direction of the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning. There, thirty-seven immortal sources stood quietly, thirty-seven Supreme auras faintly radiating.

"Thirty-seven Supremes." He spoke, his voice very soft, "Can you sense it? What kind of Cultivation Technique are they all Cultivating?"

Ancient Kirin Emperor was slightly startled, his Divine Thought sweeping across.

A moment later, his expression changed.

"Hunyuan Heavenly Scripture..."