Nine thousand years had passed,
which was not long for a True Immortal Heir. But for the mortals of the Fallen Immortal Realm, countless generations had come and gone, and the world had long since changed beyond recognition.
On this day, Jiang Ding opened his eyes.
The next moment, he vanished. After passing through a teleportation array, he reappeared at the Heavenly Beast Garden. He stepped out of the array and quietly surveyed his surroundings.
"Greetings,"
"Great Sun Supreme!"
Heavenly Beast Supreme and Pill Heaven Supreme bowed deeply. The many cultivators at the Celestial and Dao Integration realms around them bowed as well, and silence fell on every side.
Those two Supremes were ancient figures from the previous era. Yet no one found it surprising that they greeted another Supreme with such deference, almost like subordinates. It seemed only natural.
"No need for such ceremony, seniors."
"It seems more than two hundred thousand years have passed since I last saw Senior Sun, haven't they?"
Jiang Ding sighed. "How many spans of two hundred thousand years can one life hold? So much time has passed that even we cannot help but feel it. Time flies like a shuttle; in the blink of an eye, it is gone."
"Ah..."
Heavenly Beast Supreme sighed softly.
They had known Taiyin-Sun Supreme for many years as an equal, ever since their days as Dao Children. Now they had all entered the twilight of their lives.
"Youth fades easily, and life is painfully short."
"Now that Senior Sun has returned, we ought to welcome him with some ceremony."
Jiang Ding smiled. "Seniors, I'm not well versed in such etiquette, so I'll have to rely on you both. You've weathered many ages, and your sects have long traditions. I hope you'll guide me."
"I wouldn't presume to."