Stones Fall on a Withered Board, the Game Unfinished; Golden Flames Become Cranes and Scatter Gardenias

Pointing to the Profound Peak.

Unlike other magnificent palaces, pavilions, terraces, and waterside pavilions on other sacred peaks, this place is grand and imposing.

After Gongye Chun settled on this peak, he simply used his Law Power to carve out a cave abode on the peak, did some simple repairs, and then moved in.

Liu Wenyan, dressed in white robes and with a deep sorrow on his face, bowed deeply as he saw the Golden Core core cultivators descend one after another, saying, " Wenyan greets all the True Person and Dao Child!"

Chen Shuangbai looked at this Senior Brother Liu.

It has been more than thirty years since Gongye Chun, along with his grand-disciple and a group of Spring-Returning Mountain disciples who were willing to follow him, joined the Jade Spring Sect.

The name Spring-Returning Mountain is long gone; only the name of the Jade Spring Sect remains.

He also holds a position within the sect and has considerable talent; he is now close to reaching the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

However, compared to Chen Shuangbai... she is still far inferior.

"Senior Brother Liu, let us go and see our Grandmaster Uncle."

Liu Wenyan stood up, replied "Yes," and led the three into the inner room.

Compared to other Golden Core cultivator residences that Chen Shuangbai had seen, this place was exceptionally simple.

On the wall is a landscape painting in ink, with a Law Artifact Pill Furnace standing in the center. Beside it is a stone bed with a table on it. On the table is a chessboard with black and white chess pieces scattered on it, making it impossible to tell what kind of game it is.

The Pill Furnace burned with a gentle fire, filling the room with a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Gongye Chun lay reclining on the stone bed, his white hair neatly combed, and he looked quite energetic, even appearing somewhat youthful despite his advanced age. He held a black chess piece in his hand, deep in thought about where to place his next move.

His opponent was Yi Chongyue.

Although Yi Chongyue tried his best to play against him, the sorrow between his brows could not deceive others.

Chen Shuangbai sighed softly and stepped forward to pay his respects to True Person Mei.

Gongye Chun then came to his senses, looked at Chen Shuangbai and the other two, a glint of light flashing in his slightly cloudy eyes, and grinned, saying, " Dao Child and Fellow Daoist Mei have both arrived... It seems this old man has quite a bit of influence!"

Chen Shuangbai stepped forward and sat down on the stone bed. Looking at the old man, who was emaciated but still chatted and laughed, she was filled with mixed feelings.

Over the years, this Golden Core True Person cultivator has devoted himself to ensuring that his disciples could integrate into the Jade Spring Sect and have a path to advancement. Now, he is showing signs of exhaustion.

Chen Shuangbai's eyes flickered slightly, and she said softly, "Grandmaster, you flatter me. I should have come to visit sooner, but I was tied up with worldly affairs and have been delayed until now. I hope you will forgive me."

Gongye Chun waved his hand and said, "What's there to forgive?"

"You are Dao Child, a Far-Reaching Luminous Sword Immortal, and a pillar of our Vast Waves Alliance, so naturally you're very busy."

"I've lived for nearly six hundred years, what storms haven't I weathered?"

"It's nothing more than life and death."

"I saw through it all long ago."

As he spoke these words, he was distracted by playing chess with Yi Chongyue; the crisp clatter of the chess pieces hitting the board echoed throughout the inner room.

No one spoke; they simply watched the two play chess in silence.

As the starlight streamed into the room, Gongye Chun sighed softly, looked at the black and white pieces scattered across the chessboard, then turned to Yi Chongyue and said, "Why are you always like this, letting an old man like me win?"

"Is this how your master taught you back then?"

Liu Wenyan could no longer hide his grief; his body was hunched over, and his eyes were red as he looked at the old man on the stone bed.

Yi Chongyue cupped his hands in greeting, his tone somewhat low, "I've gotten used to it, please excuse my apologies, Uncle-Master."

Gongye Chun sighed again and stepped down from the stone bed. His gray Daoist robe fluttered lightly, as if it were worn not by a person, but by a skeleton.

He walked to the stone table and invited everyone to sit down.

With another burst of Law Power, he drew a gentle fire from under the Pill Furnace, boiled the tea, poured a cup of hot tea for each of them, and then took a small sip, letting the warm water go down and barely nourish his exhausted body.

He sighed and said, "I'm powerless to change anything now. In my final moments, there's no need to watch me so disappointingly, gentlemen."

The group's mood improved slightly, and they each began to drink hot tea.

" Wenyan!"

Gongye Chun suddenly spoke up.

Liu Wenyan stepped forward, knelt down with a thud, and burst into tears.

"Grandmaster."

A look of affection appeared in Gongye Chun's eyes as he gently stroked the head of his grand-disciple and said, "I have seen all your efforts over the years."

"After I'm gone, the lineage of alchemy will depend on you and your Master Yi for its continuation."

Let me give you a piece of advice.

Please give your instructions!

A glimmer of clarity appeared in Gongye Chun's cloudy old eyes, as if he were recalling events from many years ago. After a long silence, he said in a hoarse voice, " The Dao of Alchemy is like life; the timing and intensity of the process are paramount."

"If the fire is too high, the elixir will be ruined; if the fire is too low, the elixir will not form."

Liu Wenyan, tears streaming down his face, tearfully agreed.

"Your disciple will remember this."

"Fellow Daoist Mei!"

Gongye Chun suddenly spoke, his gaze turning to True Person Mei.

True Person Mei met his gaze calmly, nodded slightly, and said with a smile, "Please speak, Senior."

The old True Person, nearing the end of his life, nodded and said, "Those disciples I brought from Spring-Returning Mountain, although they have already integrated into our Jade Spring Sect, will still have some attachment to us if I don't die."

"With my death, Spring-Returning Mountain will be completely destroyed, becoming a vanished ripple in the long river of time."

"After I die, I ask you, fellow Daoist, to make this matter public, so as to put an end to their ulterior motives."

True Person Mei agreed.

Gongye Chun nodded slightly, his gaze softening, and finally looked at Chen Shuangbai, his eyes shining brighter than ever before.

He stared at Chen Shuangbai for a long time, then suddenly grinned and said, " Far-Reaching Luminous Sword Immortal... Hehe, a sword immortal!"

" Juyan, Juyan, you made a bet with me back then, saying you'd see whose successor would be more promising."

"I didn't believe it then... but I do now."

Juyan is the courtesy name of Yi Chongyue's master and the name of Chen Shuangbai's grandmaster.

Ignoring Chen Shuangbai's gaze, he continued, "You call me Grandmaster Uncle, and I'm also Juyan -disciple... it wouldn't be right to leave you nothing."

The old man sighed, waved his long sleeves, took another sip of hot tea, and savored the warmth that was gradually fading away. It was as if he were both mocking himself and reflecting on the past.

"Throughout my life I have devoted myself to the study of Dao of Alchemy. Although I have not been able to refine any earth-shattering divine pills, I have accumulated several volumes of insights."

"If you're interested, take a look."

"If you're not interested, you can leave it to Wenyan."

Chen Shuangbai bowed solemnly and said loudly, "I will forever remember your great kindness, Grandmaster Xuhong."

Gongye Chun waved his hand and laughed, "What generous gift? It's just some old paper."

"Alright, we've said our piece and had our tea. Go do what you need to do, don't waste any more time keeping this old man company."

Liu Wenyan sobbed uncontrollably, refusing to leave no matter what, which angered Gongye Chun so much that he could only snap, "I've always valued my reputation, and I don't want you to see me at my most humiliating state."

"Let's go, all of you, let's go."

The group retreated one after another, but did not leave. Instead, they watched as the light from the barrier shone brightly, sealing off both the inside and outside.

Gongye Chun sat beside the stone table, turning over his hands, which were cracked like tree bark, and examining them closely, as if looking at the events of the past few hundred years. Memories of the past flooded his mind, and he was as spirited as a young man. However, the ruddy complexion and vitality in his body quickly faded. After a long, long time, the old man, who resembled Withered Wood, slowly sighed and said:

"If there are still five hundred years... if there are still five hundred years..."

After speaking, the old man closed his eyes, his white hair slowly falling down, a slightly regretful smile on his lips. His figure gradually dissipated, and specks of golden flames, like stars, slowly drifted away from his body, like golden-feathered fire cranes breaking free from the constraints of his gray Daoist robe. As the light of day gradually dissipated, they went straight into the azure sea.

Outside the cave abode.

Suddenly, the group looked up at the sky. Golden flames drifted by, and the faint, melodious cries of cranes could be heard, carrying endless joy. White gardenias, as pure as snow, fell from the sky, fluttering and covering the entire Pointing to the Profound Peak.

Overwhelmed with grief, Liu Wenyan knelt on the ground and sobbed.

Yi Chongyue turned his head away, while True Person Mei stared intently at the golden-feathered fire crane, which scattered gardenia petals and slowly merged into the azure sea.

Chen Shuangbai remained silent for a long time before slowly bowing to bid farewell to her teacher.