A Home He Could Never Return To

"The Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace?!"

Chen Yi and the others exclaimed in surprise.

Even You Su raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the name of the friend Bai Ze mentioned.

Seeing everyone's surprised expressions, Bai Ze raised his head even higher, adopting a smug posture, as if he had swept away the gloomy mood that You Su had suppressed during the battle.

In fact, if it were any other cultivator, even one who had reached the Transformation Realm or even the Void Glimpse Realm, being able to be friends with the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace would definitely be something to be proud of.

Dragon Seeing Palace holds a position in the Northern Ao Continent that is no less important than that of the Xuanxiao Sect in the Central Yuan Continent. Its overall strength is only slightly weaker than that of the Xuanxiao Sect and Qiming Sect, and it is on par with the Savage Holy Hall in the Western Wilderness Continent. Dragon Seeing Palace is the only sect that can truly claim to be related to dragons, and it is also the oldest among all first-class immortal sects, with a history that can be traced back to the founding and propagation of the five immortal ancestors.

The title of the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace Ganlong Venerable. It is evident that this woman wields such a domineering title, which shows her formidable strength. Not only is her strength unparalleled in this era, making her worthy of being called the leader of female cultivators, but she is also the top figure in the Heavenly Immortal Ranking compiled by enthusiasts. Yet, she rarely reveals her whereabouts and seldom appears in public.

What's infuriating is that You Su once found an expensive book of celestial beings in He Kongyue's study. It was full of portraits of the Fairy on the list, including even the portrait of his Mistress, the Lotus Sword Venerable. However, the last portrait belonging to the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace was blank, which was even more outrageous than the masked Wangshu Fairy. It was as mysterious as she was.

You Su asked He Kongyue for the reason, He Kongyue told her an anecdote.

Someone sought out Zhang Miao, the author of the Heavenly Immortal Ranking and the most famous contemporary master of painting, to inquire why they had spent so many Spirit Stone yet failed to acquire a single portrait. Zhang Miao simply explained with heartfelt admiration:

"I don't want people to value the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace's reputation more than her fame. She is first and foremost an unparalleled powerhouse, and only secondly a Fairy."

However, some people learned the truth after drinking with Zhang Miao: Zhang Miao had secretly ranked the Fairy's names and was about to publish a book and paintings to promote the list, which displeased many Fairy. Ganlong Venerable even privately warned Zhang Miao, asking if she wanted her to become the public enemy of all female cultivators.

Zhang Miao was terrified, but he insisted on his own opinion, feeling that this was a comparison made according to his own aesthetic sense, so what was there to fear? Ganlong Venerable had no choice but to kill Zhang Miao to settle the matter.

Zhang Miao quickly revealed her true feelings:

"At the bottom of each page of the album, I, Zhang Miao, would add a line: 'Spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, summer bamboo and winter plum blossoms. Each has its own merits and is not worth comparing.' The only one I didn't write under this title is because I believe that Ganlong Venerable truly deserves it."

Ganlong Venerable sighed three times, still determined to kill.

Zhang Miao continued, "The Heavenly Immortal Ranking has existed since ancient times. I, Zhang Miao, am willing to carry on the legacy of my predecessors and record the splendor of beauties! This ranking is the Heart's Blood of my life's work, and I will never give it up no matter what! I am not afraid of death! I know the pressure of being the top spot is immense, but looking across the entire world, I believe that only you, Palace Master, can withstand the pressure of this position without any controversy!"

Whether moved by Zhang Miao's persistence or with the resolve of "If I don't go to hell, who will?", and willing to shoulder the pressure of being the top celestial being for someone else, Ganlong Venerable finally agreed to let Zhang Miao rank her first without permission, but he took his own portrait with him.

Ultimately, this Heavenly Immortal Ranking became an incomplete book, but the absence of the top spot made it the most worthy of discussion among the eight volumes of the Heavenly Immortal Ranking written.

Of course, due to Zhang Miao's unique realistic painting style and his meticulous painting skills, this book of Heavenly Immortal Ranking is also recognized as the book with the most beautiful Fairy in the paintings, which is a strange thing that goes against the perception in the cultivation world that advocates "respect for the ancient".

In short, Bai Ze's smug expression was quite normal, as if he were saying, "My friend is amazing, right? Hmph, that just means I'm amazing too."

If it were someone else, they would probably be grateful for the good fortune they've accumulated over eight hundred years, regarding this friend's status as an honor rather than simply feeling proud.

"Don't let yourself treat others as friends while they treat you as just a passerby," You Su casually remarked. "You've been fooled here for thirty years; they might have long forgotten about you."

He's never even met the sect leader of his own Xuanxiao Sect, how could this stupid deer possibly be friends with the palace master of the Dragon Seeing Palace?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Upon hearing this, Bai Ze's eyes widened in anger. "I, Bai Ze, am the Spirit of the Snow Mountain, and I never lie! She came to befriend me herself! It's just... it's just..."

"Just what?" You Su asked.

"It's just that she hasn't come in a long time..."

Bai Ze's tall frame seemed to shrink, as if he were reminiscing about the past. But when he thought about how he had been imprisoned here guarding the large rock for thirty years, plus the fifteen years after the heavy snow blocked the mountain, it was as if his friend hadn't come to visit him for forty-five years...

Bai Ze lowered its eyes dejectedly, and its fur became even duller. Just moments ago, it was a ferocious beast that killed without blinking an eye, but now it looked somewhat pitiful.

Seeing this, Chen Yi could only shake his head and sigh, unsure of what to say.

"Ordinary friends, if you don't see them for a year or two, they'll drift apart. But true friends, even if you don't see them for ten or a hundred years, you'll still remember them," You Su said casually, arms crossed. "For example, I have a good friend, and even if we're thousands of miles apart, when we meet again, our friendship will still be there."

"Really?!" Bai Ze seemed to have been reborn, standing up straight again, looking at You Su in disbelief, as if he never expected that such a bad person like You Su could say such nice things.

"If you don't believe me, ask him, Chief Chen. Don't you think so?"

Chen Yi, suddenly called upon, quickly nodded in agreement, "Fair-weather friends and true friends are naturally different."

Bai Ze's eyes darted around, then it happily stomped its front hooves twice.

"She seems really busy, so she must have been too busy to come see me! But she definitely still remembers me!"

"Even if I don't remember, I'll definitely remember when I see you," You Su added. How could someone like the Palace Lord of Dragon Seeing Palace easily forget things, let alone Divine Beast like Bai Ze? He was just teasing this stubborn little divine Divine Beast with his words.

Bai Ze nodded twice, his gaze towards You Su now showing much less hostility.

"Let's go! We'll go find her now!"

Chen Yi and the other survivors knelt on the ground, paying their respects at the simple grave in front of them.

The grave is located on the only road leading up to Azure Mountain, with glistening Snow Fat Pine growing on both sides. This is the first grave on Azure Mountain; no one had ever dared to bury a body on this sacred mountain before.

You Su leaned against the mountain wall behind her, watching quietly, and glanced at Bai Ze, who was lying on all fours beside her.

Bai Ze's eyes were tightly closed, and his body was trembling slightly, as if he were repenting for his sin of killing.

After bowing for a long time, Chen Yi finally got up, brushed the snow off his body, and then invited Bai Ze to rise.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I thought you were bad people..."

It's hard to imagine that a spirit beast could cry.

Chen Yi looked sorrowful and shook his head, saying, "We are all sinners. If evil spirits land here and harm people, the lives of those innocent people will be taken by our own hands. So we knew long ago that death would be a relief for us. To be buried on Azure Mountain is a privilege we never dared to dream of. After we have completed our mission, we hope that Lord Bai Ze will allow us to keep him company."

Chen Yi certainly wasn't unsympathetic to his companion's death, but he didn't blame the ignorant divine Divine Beast too much for his companion's accidental demise at Bai Ze's hands. He knew very well that the real culprits weren't Bai Ze, but those people. To avenge his companion, the most important thing to do was to drag out those parasites hiding under their glamorous masks.

"Yes, yes! They can all be buried! Except for him!" Bai Ze was extremely generous, but it didn't share its generosity with You Su.

You Su snorted and patted the snow that had accumulated on the Ink Pine Sword.

Seeing this, Bai Ze quickly took a few steps back, wary and no longer daring to provoke You Su.

"Now that things have come to this, let's get going," You Su urged, wrapping the animal hide around himself.

Chen Yi nodded and continued to lead the way.

"Hey, you go to the right."

You Su patted Bai Ze's hind leg with the blade of his sword. Actually, he wanted to pat Bai Ze's butt, but Bai Ze was too tall.

"Why?" Bai Ze asked back.

"You're big and not afraid of the cold, so stand on the right and shield us from the wind and snow," You Su explained matter-of-factly.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi and the others quickly waved their hands in refusal. Given their status, how could they dare to be protected by Divine Beast? Even Bai Ze himself was quite angry.

"Didn't you say you'd protect humanity? Now you're refusing to step in when it comes to actually doing it? No wonder nobody's coming. Don't forget, you just killed one of their comrades."

A wicked child needs a wicked person to discipline him, You Su understood this principle well.

Bai Ze lost his temper upon hearing this and quickly walked to the right side of the group to act as a shield, though he still had some reservations about You Su being in the group.

"Do you know why this sudden blizzard happened?" You Su asked lightly.

"I've never left my house, how would I know?"

Bai Ze's unyielding attitude made You Su really want to spur it on a few more times.

You Su looked back again, but the Cangshan Azure Mountain was almost out of sight, and the wind and snow were getting heavier.

"Is it really okay to leave the Divine Radiance Stone here?"

"In short, none of you are to touch that pile of rocks until you find my friend!" Bai Ze turned around and breathed on You Su, as if trying to freeze You Su to death.

"It stinks." You Su pinched her nose and complained, which made Bai Ze quite angry.

Chen Yi watched the bickering between the man and the beast and found it quite amusing, but he never expected his journey of atonement to end in this way.

"Clan Chief Chen, these Divine Radiance Stones are all so huge, how did you manage to move them back then?"

With Bai Ze acting as a "snow shield," the pressure on You Su and the others to chat was greatly reduced.

"The Divine Radiance Stone is heavier than a regular boulder, but this is Northern Ao Continent. By binding it with ropes and adding strength talismans, we can pull it across the snow." Chen Yi felt a pang of sadness as he recalled the scene of several people pulling a boulder together.

"It's just like a real snow mastiff now," You Su said casually.

The expressions on the faces of the others changed slightly, but Chen Yi did not feel offended.

"Yes... back then, we really were like dogs..."

"So you're planning to drag them back like dogs again?"

Chen Yi shook his head. "Originally, we hoped to use the wandering immortal master to kill the guardian, ensuring that the Divine Radiance Stone was still here and wouldn't be moved, before heading to the Divine Mountain to expose the truth of what happened back then. But now things have changed, and we can go directly to seek justice."

You Su nodded. "Once we're out of the snowfield, our deal will be complete."

Chen Yi, then asked, "Is Master Youxian going home?"

"Go home...?" You Su fell into deep thought. He didn't know if he could return to the Central Yuan Continent, to Lotus Peak.

If one's fate is entirely in that person's hands, then everything about the Xuanxiao Sect is likely under his observation.

True Immortal Zhengyang risked his life to give himself a chance to evade detection. Will he be exposed if he returns? Will it bring disaster to his Mistress and senior sisters?

You Su hesitated, even wishing the road beneath her feet would be longer.

No! You have to go!

Bai Ze jumped up and down, interrupting his thoughts.

"Why should I?"

Bai Ze was speechless for a moment, then after thinking for a long time, he finally replied, "These people are all without cultivation. How can they protect me all the way to the Dragon Seeing Palace? Besides, they are all old people. How slow will they walk? What if we meet my friend and the big rock has already been moved?"

You Su scoffed, "What's with the woman pretending to be a big shot?"

You Su knew perfectly well whether Bai Ze was male or female during the fight.

Upon hearing this, Bai Ze flew into a rage. This Divine Beast, born in the snow, truly hated itself for not being able to breathe fire and burn this annoying human to death.

"Get out!"

You Su only wanted to deflate Bai Ze's arrogance, and then asked, "You still need someone else to protect you? What about your own strength?"

"I'm not telling you!" Bai Ze angrily turned his head away, ignoring You Su.

Chen Yi remained silent, Bai Ze's words prompting him to ponder deeply.

He has lost all his cultivation and has been isolated from the outside world for thirty years. Will he really live to see the day he speaks the truth? Or will anyone even listen to the truth he speaks?

The group trudged through the snowstorm. With Bai Ze's presence, even if someone got lost in the snow, they would be quickly found. As if to atone for his mistake of killing, Bai Ze was exceptionally attentive to protecting everyone.

Unbeknownst to them, the eight mortals and one cultivator at the Condensing Water Realm miraculously crossed the blizzard zone that stretched across the center of the North Pole Snowfield.

Looking at the vast expanse of land and sky, You Su felt a sense of joy. He could even see the black city walls on the distant mountainside.

The members of the Snow Mulberry Tribe had been waiting at the agreed location for a long time, and Xiao Wu had successfully completed the mission assigned by the chief. You Su still did not know about their ability to determine direction in the wind and snow; it must be a closely guarded secret of the Snow Mastiff Sect.

However, the reunion of the clansmen after so long was not as joyful as expected. You Su frowned secretly. He could sense that their joy would come to an abrupt end when they faced him, and their eyes would instead show a hint of fear and apprehension when they looked at him, their benefactor.

Xiao Lu broke free from her mother's hand and cautiously approached You Su. Her bright eyes scrutinized You Su's face, and she asked tremblingly:

"Great God... are you a bad person?"