Shi Feiyang had originally wanted Jinxu Nu to achieve Ascension, and had brought it up more than once.
Whenever Jinxu Nu heard him mention it, he hastily knelt. "This disciple was originally a merfolk who gained sentience, an inhuman creature whose fate was full of disasters and hardships. It was only with great difficulty that I inherited the Immortal Arts and survived to this day. That alone was extraordinary good fortune! I never dared dream of becoming a heavenly immortal. If I could merely become an earth immortal, live forever, and enjoy immortal blessings eternally,
"That would fulfill all my wishes! Honored Master taught me to observe heaven and measure earth, to comprehend the Heavenly Dao. Over these years, I have also accumulated much merit, averting many calamities and tribulations and cultivating a yang spirit. Your kindness is profound, Master, and this disciple will remember it through a hundred lifetimes... This disciple does not wish to achieve Ascension. I only want to remain forever at your side. Wherever you are, Master, that is where this disciple will be..."
Shi Feiyang brought it up several times, and each time Jinxu Nu grew more emotional. Toward the end, his voice was almost choked with sobs, and he was on the verge of tears.
He felt that Shi Feiyang was driving him away. He also had a premonition that once he achieved Ascension, their bond as master and disciple would be severed, and that filled him with sorrow.
Later, Shi Feiyang stopped mentioning it and summoned him to oversee the Heaven and Earth Creation Furnace. Only then did he brighten again.
His cultivation was also at the heavenly immortal level, and among Shi Feiyang's disciples, his understanding of the Heavenly Dao was the deepest. He knew the role the Heaven and Earth Creation