The Undying

After regrouping in the Blue Wind Imperial City, they moved onto the Xiao Sect where Xiao Jiantian made his will known. From henceforth, the Xiao Sect had no ties with Cang Lin to the delight of his third brother. He also sent off a veiled threat to the Heaven Burning Clan to do the same or face consequences.

For that moment, it seemed as if he was the guardian of the Blue Wind Imperial Family and not the Heavenly Sword Villa who had sworn to do since long ago. The Emperor more than fulfilled his end of the bargain as well, granting him complete rule over several of the nearby towns to the Floating Cloud City along with New Moon City. For one man to hold so much of the Emperor's land with complete autonomy… Xiao Jiantian's status was comparable to that of a Duke.

...

The Divine Phoenix City's outskirts.

Ten or so kilometres away from the Divine Phoenix City was a hotspring… and a fearsome one, at that! Xiao Jiantian decided to take a little break there. It was good for his subjects too, especially those of the Spirit Profound Realm. They were a tad bit exhausted from trying to keep up with Xiao Jiantian's suppressed running speed.

Those from Xiao Sect and Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace were obviously separated with one group going first, except for Xia Qingyue and Xiao Jiantian who shared their own bath after everyone else was done.

Though, they weren't exactly alone.

The Phoenix floated around freely in the air right next to Xiao Jiantian.

"Can you mind your own business?" He sighed, slightly irritated. "Go hunt some profound beasts or something."

"Well, it has been quite some time since this great one has taken a proper bath…"

"-?"

Suddenly, the figure of the little Phoenix was replaced with that of a mature human goddess, appearing right beside him. Xiao Jiantian's eyes widened for a moment in shock. In her human form, the Phoenix was incomparably beautiful with just the 'perfect' size in each important category. Her golden eyes were full of glamour and her long red flame-like hair reached down all the way to her hip.

'About to make me act up…'

"I beg your pardon?" Xiao Jiantian raised an eyebrow.

"You made this body for me so there is no need to be embarrassed seeing it." The Phoenix smiled. "You seem to be quite the restrained young man, as well."

Xia Qingyue was just as surprised as Xiao Jiantian was seeing the Phoenix turn into a human… or well, its true form.

"This is a little awkward…"

"Don't pay much heed to me, I'm not foreign to watching mortals mingle. Actually, a certain rival of mine quite enjoys watching…"

'So one of the perks of being a God is the ability to watch porn in the highest quality… got it.'

"Why watch when you can join in?" Xiao Jiantian smiled, his confidence sky-high as usual. Though, he did speak in a jestful tone.

Suddenly, his sixth sense felt killing intent from above… but the source itself escaped his perception. 'Complete invisibility?'

"My, you are a bold one." The Phoenix chuckled. "It is not out of the realm of possibility… perhaps at a later date. For now, however, I will leave you two to it."

She turned back into her Phoenix form and flew away.

After that, Xiao Jiantian and Xia Qingyue did, in fact, do a little mingling in the steaming hot waters. Once they were done, Xia Qingyue asked a question that was on her mind for quite some time.

"I wonder, how many lovers in total did you have in your reincarnations?"

"Why don't you take a guess?" Xiao Jiantian smiled, knowing that she wouldn't get it right.

"You must have lost count by now."

"Incorrect." Xiao Jiantian shook his head, the light in his eyes turning dark for a moment. "I only had one in the past… and after I failed to protect her, I distanced myself from the world completely. All bonds were meaningless, only strength mattered to me as I continuously climbed to the very peak… alone. Alas, I found myself isolated in the endless, cold, cycle of rebirth… unable to progress further."

"It made me think, what was the purpose of my worthless existence? Nothing I ever did matter because I'd only lose it all again... I wanted to end it all… but-" Xiao Jiantian paused, feeling his emotions boil over a little too much. "The God who had given me this blessing refused… and so, I had no choice but to break out of the very prison that I had created for myself."

"Oh…" Xia Qingyue had not known the burden that endless rebirth came with. Though, as she thought more about it, the whole thing was rather depressing. Living through different lives, knowing that all the attachments you had would fade away with time… the thought reminded her of the man who stood alone in an endless field of ice.

Behind the mask of his tyrannical aura and confidence, was a man with a frozen heart who felt isolated from the world… this was her interpretation. Knowing that she was the first woman he had opened his heart to in so many reincarnations, she felt touched and her desire to keep him close only strengthened.

"You don't have to be alone anymore." Xia Qingyue softly spoke, resting her head against his chest. "I'll always be with you from now on until the end… that is the duty of a wife, after all."

"Even if death temporarily separates us, then we will just have to find each other in our next lives… isn't that right?"

Xiao Jiantian lightly chuckled, his eyes growing a little watery as he was deeply touched by the statement. "We will…"

~

Only a few kilometres away from the hot spring was a vast field of flowers, at the centre of which laid a deep and enormous lake. Its waters were beautiful and pure, shimmering under the radiant sun. The flowers that had grown beside the lake were all coloured a mysterious violet tone, though they weren't too friendly. One touch of its petals and you'd feel chilling lightning run up to your spine.

Due to its severely volatile nature, not even medical saints could find a use for such a violent flower. Around a thousand or so people were observing the landmark that was now known as the 'Sacrificial Lake', highlighting the 'sacrifice' that the Sovereign Profound Realm elder had taken to defeat the rebellious Jun Zhi. There were several stone tablets littered around the lake highlighting its history… or well, the history that the Divine Phoenix Sect had written.

"Here lies the 'Sacrificial Lake', where the courageous and saint-like Divine Phoenix Sect elder Feng Chen had sacrificed himself to slay the devil that was Jun Zhi. The elder was beloved by all… and even now, after thousands of years, his memory lives on through this beautiful lake. May he rest peacefully knowing that he saved countless innocent lives from the devil's sword." Xiao Kuanglei read out loud the writings on one of the tablets, his elegant voice befitting of a young master.

"That was well said." Xiao Jiantian praised, though he seemed to be oddly furious with what he had heard. "But… as expected, the Divine Phoenix Sect made themselves out to be the heroes when they were far from that. And the loser of it all, Jun Zhi, is written off to be an overly ambitious devil-like man who wanted the Grand Asura Kingdom for himself…"

He couldn't help but laugh. "Overly ambitious! How ironic and hypocritical coming from the Divine Phoenix Sect."

"How do you have such a strong opinion on the Divine Phoenix Sect, having come from the Floating Cloud City?" Chu Yuechan wondered.

"How? Well, there's little point in keeping it a mystery any longer. I fought against them, encircled in Phoenix flames… and I was the one to kill this Feng Bing." Xiao Jiantian smiled, making up a slight lie. "Long ago, I created a profound art that allows one to reincarnate continuously and that is why there is not a single expertise where I'm lacking skill-wise."

"You were the Jun Zhi written here!?"

"It's far from an accurate depiction of me… but yes, I used to be Jun Zhi."

"Everything makes sense now!" Xiao Wuqing exclaimed.

"Quiet down… idiot."

"Sorry, Big Daddy Xiao." Xiao Wuqing sincerely apologised. "It's just that I've always wished to know how you were so wise. Turns out that you are the true senior here, hahaha-"

"So, how many lives have you lived?" Shui Wushuang wondered. "Is it possible to learn that profound art?"

"I've lost count…" Xiao Jiantian admitted. "Though, only people of destiny could ever hope to comprehend it which is rather unfortunate."

"A man of destiny… sounds about right when describing our great palace master." Wu Xuexin replied.

After that, more of the mysterious fog around Xiao Jiantian faded. Though, with this new development, they only had more questions to ask which he left for later. The Phoenix was also surprised but also gained more clarity regarding his true identity.

~

"Since you've got a human form and all, simply calling you 'Phoenix' just doesn't really cut it for me." Xiao Jiantian stated as they were making the final stretch to the Divine Phoenix City. "How about I give you a more convenient name?"

"I wouldn't have an issue with it unless the name you come up with is tasteless."

"Hmm… let me think." Xiao Jiantian stroked his chin. 'An English-ish name would be rather nice, I quite miss hearing those.'

"What about Evelyn, Elizabeth, Aria, Grace, Scarlett, Victoria, Stella, Julia, Athena, Ayla, Jasmine, Cecilia, Ashley, Ariel, Talia...?"

Xiao Jiantian spilt a bunch of names off the top of his head. "Anything catch your attention in particular?"

"I'd rather you give me a name than choose." The Phoenix countered, falling on his palm.

"Aria it is!"

"Aria… very well." The Phoenix nodded, accepting her new name. "The last time I met this other Phoenix spirit, it ended in a battle that greatly cost both of us. It's uncertain whether or not it is still hostile… just keep that in mind if you ever intend on meeting it."

"Hostile, eh? I have some history with that other Phoenix spirit…" Xiao Jiantian recalled ruthlessly beating it up. "But that's quite a while ago."

Because of Xuanyuan Jiantian's not-so-kind visit back then, the Divine Phoenix Sect were not on the best terms with the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Of course, despite this resentment, the Divine Phoenix Sect lacked the strength to oppose a Sacred Ground… let alone the strongest (by far) out of all five.

~

After renting out temporary accommodations, Xiao Jiantian went on to pay a visit to the burial grounds of the old royals. They were rather desolate and uncared for… in fact, the Divine Phoenix Sect had the nerve to lazily move them from their original position to the outskirts of the Divine Phoenix City. Fortunately, the remaining loyalists in that time ensured that the dead were properly buried.

Even though it had been so long, Xiao Jiantian still felt vengeful towards the Divine Phoenix Sect. After he died, the Divine Phoenix Sect slaughtered most of the royal family while some managed to flee from the nation that would soon become the Divine Phoenix Empire.

From those ashes, a raging flame emerged and swallowed an unconquered land many years later. This land would be called the 'Grand Asura Nation', forged by 'Jin Tai' and ruled by his descendants thereafter. The Divine Phoenix Empire did not think much of the nation, ignoring it due to its lacklustre strength and foundations. But… as time went on, this Grand Asura Nation rose to become second only to the Divine Phoenix Empire in regards to strength among the Seven Nations.

Even then, that gap could never be closed as the Grand Asura Nation wasn't built on a divine inheritance.

Xiao Jiantian kneeled before Jun Mei's grave and cleaned it up before replacing the long withered flowers with his own. He only used two variants, red roses and the sacrificial flowers from the lake. Then… when he was finished, Xiao Jiantian sat in silence.

Flashes of the past came to him… his fourth life that came right after Jun Zhi's death in particular. He recalled his thoughts, breaking into the depths of his memories.

…

'Why… what did I do wrong? Why did I deserve this? I've bettered so many people's lives… all for what? For them to all stab me in the back? What is the point of being kind? In the end, all they ever do is take advantage...'

'Love… where did all that get me to? Death… yes, that's right. These bonds are… a meaningless liablity. A weakness.'

After the loss of his beloved… and all that he had worked for, the kind, caring and honourable Li Chen / Jun Zhi of the past was all but scattered shards replaced by anger. Anger on the world… anger on everything. From this anger, the Tyrant was born.

'I will be the strongest… so strong that not a single being can defy me ever again!'

...

A hill of torn-apart bodies, masterless swords and only one man remained standing. His long black hair was wild, blowing in the direction of the wind. The sword at his side was bloodied and the once radiant azure eyes of his were dull as can be. From his eyes fell a tear… as he realised that he had become the very thing he once hated.

A murderer. A slaughterer. A massacrer. A man who didn't even blink as he bloodied everyone and everything in his path.

He was the Tyrant of the World, a man who had carved his way to the very peak with his bloodied sword. He had fought against the strongest empires and crushed them all… leaving him atop the hill of vanquished foes.

Yet, no matter how great his victory was, the man's face was devoid of all joy. He remembered… remembered the reason why he was so enraged and distant. As he imagined her caring smile turn into a face of disgust at what he had become… he knelt and took his own life, joining the hill of the vanquished.

He did not want to live anymore… he didn't want to have his heart broken again… he did not want to fight another blood-stained battle… he did not want to lose himself in this endless cycle.

All he wanted was to be united with her in death.

And yet, no matter how much he sought death, he was never released from his 'blessing' of reincarnation.

…

Xiao Jiantian couldn't help himself.

'I promised that I'd move on… but I still can't.' Xiao Jiantian mocked himself as his tears fell on the flowers he had planted. 'How pathetic…'

"She must have meant a lot to you…" Aria remarked with a soft tone.

"I remember my mother told me that losing your first true love is always the hardest." Xiao Jiantian chuckled, wiping his eyes. "She was right… I stayed away from women for over five hundred years. I thought that I would never fall in love at one point and it was probably for the best…"

"Heh, then she approached me and my world changed completely. For years, everything was so bright and it was so damn perfect… I was revered by all… the Grand Asura Kingdom was blossoming... and then…"

"I lost everything of meaning."

In her human form, Aria appeared behind Xiao Jiantian and embraced him. Having his guard down, she was able to see through his memories and understand him. "... I see now. Kindness turned to anger, sorrow, regret and then indifference to the world. Yours is a troubled soul, one seeking comfort yet coldly turning away from it."

"You've made steps to change that, opening ever so slightly with time. I've not known you for long but… you've done so much for me and so, I must naturally repay the favour. Your struggles are my strugglers… your foes are my foes… whatever you need, if it is within my power, I will grant to you."

"Even if it is something so small as comfort… I will warm you with my flames."

She was ashamed of the Divine Phoenix Sect's actions in the past… and somewhat captivated by the man she saw, though she wouldn't admit it.

"Hmm…" Xiao Jiantian stood up, helping Aria do the same by holding her hand. He smiled afterwards. "You speak with quite the honeyed tongue, Aria."

Xiao Jiantian couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of Phoenix flames warming him.

"Would you forgive me if I had an unfair exchange of goods with the Divine Phoenix Sect?"

"If that is what you wish to do, I will not stop you."

"I'm glad I spent some of my blood essence for you; it was more than worthwhile."

As Xiao Jiantian walked away with Aria on his shoulder in her little Phoenix form, a certain Brahma Heaven God Emperor watched. One of her hands were close to her heart, recalling her master's nature and linking it all to the conversation she had eavesdropped on. Yes… he couldn't be anyone else, she was all but certain.

No one ever truly revered Xuanyuan Jiantian the person… but rather his strength. After all, he was either condescending / playfully arrogant or cold as ice. There was little to like except for how cool he looked. Only a small few managed to bring out his better traits… Qianye Ying'er, most of all.

In the end, his true self was more understood through what he accomplished but that was only after his death. He brought a seemingly eternal stalemate between the Northern Divine Region and the other three Divine Regions, preventing countless needless deaths. Even in regards to smaller conflicts, his thousands of shadows always stood righteous and assisted those who were in dire need.

More than four hundred years after his death… the name Xuanyuan Jiantian, the Sword God, was worshipped like a true deity across both the Realm of the Gods and Devils by many.

'Master still has unfinished business with this world… maybe that's why the shadow lied?' Qianye Ying'er thought. 'He didn't want me to get in the way, perhaps?'

'Silly master… always wanting to do everything on your own.' She chuckled, her golden eyes staying on his figure. 'Hanging around other women, however… hmph, I will not forget that.'

~

He left not a single trace, instantly filling the room with a sweet smell that was essentially sleeping poison. Once everyone was fast asleep and put away from sight, several shadows split up into the darkness of the night and took everything of value while being completely invisible.

It was just another night for the Trickster.

"Your… Your Majesty, every medicine, weapon hall and treasury has been cleared completely overnight! Even every prince's belongings have all been looted!!"

"... What?" Feng Hengkong questioned in the morning, rather confused by what he had heard. Maybe it was just a prank?

"I'm… dead serious!!" The guard knelt low, bowing his head to the point where all he saw was the floor. "All of the sect members in the vicinity of the halls were and still are in such deep sleep that they can't wake up-"

"... Let me see for myself."

After seeing every single guard sleeping like there was no tomorrow, every single weapon hall empty except for countless weak weapons he did not even look at and the medicine halls… oh, the medicine halls were filled with sacrificial flowers.

Feng Hengkong's body was building up with rage… rage that needed venting.

"Your Majesty, we also found this note on the ground…"

"...?" He read it in its entirety within only a moment, breathing it all in.

------------

Looks like Christmas came early hahaha… thank you Divine Phoenix Emperor! Your ancestors were not so kind to me but it seems that you've been humbled enough to present these sweet, oh so very sweet, gifts to me upon my return to this world. Know that I, Jun Zhi the Undying, will use them well <3

P.S, I left a few Nascent Profound Realm swords… I would've felt far too guilty if I left the Divine Phoenix Sect without any weapons to use, you know? Oh, and I left like a thousand purple profound coins so you all wouldn't starve. How considerate and charitable of me, am I right? You're welcome, really.

~Sincerely, Your best friend forever, Jun Zhi

------------

It was clearly written in a very taunting, jestful and sarcastic tone.

Feng Hengkong's hands burst with Phoenix flames, burning the note instantly.

"WHOEVER DID THIS… I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!!"

He exploded into a boiling rage, screaming countless slurs and hateful words. His voice boomed across the Divine Phoenix City, even reaching Xiao Jiantian's true body which had been sleeping soundly alongside Xia Qingyue.