CHAPTER 979: CHAPTER 309: SEVEN YEARS HAVE PASSED

"Got it."

The scholar impatiently waved his hand, not turning back, and then walked down the mountain path with his younger brother, who had a bushy beard, following beside him.

...

"Brother, I believe Brother Qiu isn’t dead."

Halfway down, the scholar’s younger brother, who hadn’t spoken for a long time, suddenly spoke again.

"I know."

The scholar waved his hand and then looked at his brother: "You’ve already spoken twice today; don’t say anything more."

The scholar’s younger brother nodded and didn’t speak again, following obediently behind the scholar.

The scholar glanced back at the towering mountain when they reached the base, paused for a moment, and then continued forward against the blizzard with an expressionless face.

The scholar was just his alias.

He once had other aliases, such as... Bai Yi, and also his real name.

But his brother never had a name from the beginning.

His brother was born as a "Nameless Person."

Being born nameless meant he couldn’t have a name; the Heavenly Dao Decree would never sound for his brother simply because he didn’t have a name at all, thus not appearing on the Heavenly Dao Decree.

As for why he wasn’t mute yet abstained from speaking.

That’s a long story. His brother used to be a very talkative person, but at some point, they discovered that after his brother spoke, they could encounter misfortunes.

This was probabilistic.

The probability wasn’t small, and the more he spoke, the greater the misfortunes they encountered.

Including the time when he was severely injured and his cultivation fell in Da Xia Country; his brother had advised him to be careful multiple times, saying more than usual, and since then, his brother mostly stopped speaking, only saying a few words when he couldn’t hold back.

Especially when others said he was mute, he couldn’t help but clarify.

He wasn’t sure why this was happening, perhaps due to the "Nameless Person" status.

"Nameless Person" wasn’t an entry but an identity marker that mustn’t be known by others, lest anyone who knows shares in the misfortunes.

If his brother hadn’t told him about being a "Nameless Person," the misfortunes triggered wouldn’t have affected him.

That’s why he didn’t tell Brother Qiu.

Though sometimes he thought, maybe Brother Qiu’s fortune could withstand it?

But then he thought it wasn’t necessary...

No need.

In Da Xia Country, he only saw his brother with such an "identity marker," and throughout all these years across many continents, he kept looking for a second individual with an "identity marker," but never found one.

Only his brother alone.

He wasn’t sure whether this peculiarity was good or bad, but at least for now, it was still controllable.

...

"It really is..."

Inside the temple.

Deceit Buddha gazed in the distance at the two scholars on the mountain path, sighed softly without speaking; Chen Qiu has been missing, presumed dead for seven years, yet not a single person from Chao Tian Sect has left or betrayed, and they diligently work to complete the tasks Chen Qiu set.

This is simply an inconceivable behavior.

Most importantly.

Almost everyone in Chao Tian Sect firmly believes Chen Qiu isn’t dead, just trapped there, and will soon emerge, day after day of strong belief.

To instill such strong belief in his followers requires more than creating one miracle—it requires countless miracles for them to unwaveringly believe in the next miracle’s occurrence.

However...

In his experience, missing, presumed dead for seven years is basically no different from truly being dead.

Even if he’s not dead, he’s eternally trapped somewhere; maybe he’ll emerge thousands of years later, but even then, it would effectively be the same as death; everything changes.

As for himself, he doesn’t mind; his Immortal Cancer is resolved, his cultivation fully restored, and he chose to stay on the First Grade Continent solely fulfilling his promise to Chen Qiu; without him overseeing, other Deceit Buddha wouldn’t treat Chao Tian Sect folk so kindly.

Only 192 years remain; for his long lifespan, it’s merely a blink of an eye.

The only trouble is that he can’t enter secluded meditation or sleep, needing to remain awake monthly, which is very bothersome, akin to not linking things up cohesively.

...

"Elder..."

On the Fourth Grade Continent, atop Jiang Taiping Continent, the Barbarian Tribe Leader stood complexly at the mountain peak; it’s been seven years with no news of the elder, unable to locate Chen Qiu’s location via the Sound Transmission Talisman.

He once sent emissaries to the Bai Family on Qi Tian Continent.

To inquire about Chen Qiu, learned Chen Qiu entered a Secret Realm called "Drunken Life and Dream Death," requiring maximum Unification Realm entry, never returning, life unknown.

He doesn’t believe the elder would die in such level Secret Realm.

He spent significant resources researching this Secret Realm’s history, finding it’s not overly difficult; this difficulty level shouldn’t lead to the elder’s demise, utterly illogical.

Yet, regardless his disbelief, there’s been no news for seven years.

He specifically sought Gua Sect practitioners to gauge the elder’s current life status, but... the fortune-teller’s results were chaotic, unable to deduce anything, uncertain of life or death.

After a long while.

The Barbarian Tribe Leader, Ba Dan, sighed softly, prepared to return to the Fifth Grade Immortal Realm; he dearly wished to encounter the elder and recount recent significant events, mentioning Zhao Yishi’s successful breakthrough to the Void Refining Stage.

Then he departed for the Immortal Realm, lots transpired lately, leaving him struggling to cope; if the elder were present, it would be better.

The elder surely has a way.

...

In the Fifth Grade Immortal Realm.

At "Prince Wei Mansion," a woman in a gown soaked in a hot spring listened to reports from her subordinates nearby, her brows slightly furrowed.

This woman was Prince Wei.

Beside the hot spring, the armored middle-aged woman was her confidant.

Her rival faction, "Qi Sect," suddenly abandoned attempts at annexation seven years ago, even proactively seeking peace without conditions, thereafter adopting an extremely low-key, restrained demeanor.

Towards surrounding factions, ceased oppression, barricaded their mountain gate, entered closed-door meditation.

Appeared to focus on steady development.

Though both factions sought peace, she knew Qi Sect’s crippled leader well, certain peace was temporary, battle inevitable, persistently gathering intelligence on Qi Sect.

Qi Sect’s biggest change...

Seems like they became wealthy.

Expenditure increased significantly, Qi Sect’s Spiritual Energy densification heightened noticeably, Spirit Gathering Array activation duration prolonged; strategic material procurement amplified.

But Qi Sect seemed worried about others discovering their newfound wealth, cautiously spent Spirit Stone with minimal visible increase, about a 50% average increase; unnoticed by most, yet she understands Qi Sect impeccably, naturally detecting fluctuations.

"Suddenly wealthy?"

Soaking in the hot spring, the woman pondered for a long while before furrowing her brows: "Could that crippled leader have gone to return grace?"

"No, there shouldn’t be such a thing as Immortal Man returning grace, right?"

Prince Wei Mansion’s slight newfound wealth was due to her identity as a Fairy returning grace, obtaining considerable "Returning Grace and Blessing;" Qi Sect unexpectedly became wealthy without any sign, what’s the reason?

She wasn’t clear precisely what transpired.

But given her grasp on Qi Sect’s crippled leader’s character, deception was likely involved, one way or another.