The spiritual energy was restored, and he became a mortal immortal in two days.

"Five thousand years..."

The Black Wind Ancestor whispered hoarsely, "You old scoundrel, you've imprisoned me for five thousand years."

"Today, I have broken free from my seal and will surely wash the Western Desert in blood to avenge this humiliation!"

He raised his hand, and the black wind condensed into a giant claw thousands of feet long, grabbing towards a city in the distance.

The people in the city screamed and fled, but before the giant claws arrived, the black wind had already swept into the city. Wherever it passed, the living were instantly turned into skeletons, and even their souls were forcibly extracted!

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The Black Wind Ancestor laughed wildly, "Yes! That's it! The more the better! Once I've devoured a million living souls, I can recover to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm!"

"At that time... even if you are still alive, you old scoundrel Hunyuan, I will tear you to pieces!"

At that very moment—

"call out!"

A streak of azure sword light pierced through the eastern sky!

The sword light pierced through layers of black wind, and wherever it passed, the black wind evaporated as if it were meeting the blazing sun!

The vengeful spirits in the wind were cleansed by the purifying power contained in the sword light, turning into specks of white light and dissipating into the world!

"Who goes there?!"

Black Wind Ancestor shouted sharply and looked up.

The azure sword light stopped above the high platform, transforming into two figures.

Chen Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his blue robe fluttering in the wind, his expression calm.

Sha Wanli stood behind him, his face pale, but he stubbornly refused to back down.

Black Wind Ancestor stared at Chen Xuan, a hint of doubt flashing in his crimson eyes: "Who are you? This sword light... I have never seen it before."

Chen Xuan looked down at him and said calmly, "Five thousand years have passed, and you've regressed quite a bit."

"Back then you were at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, but now you're only at the early Nascent Soul stage... It seems you haven't had a good time these past five thousand years."

Black Wind Ancestor's pupils shrank sharply: "You...you know me?!"

"More than just acquaintances."

Chen Xuan raised his hand, forming a hand seal with his five fingers.

That was an ancient and simple hand seal—the starting stance of the Hunyuan Seal.

The instant the seal was formed, the wandering spiritual energy in the world converged wildly, condensing into a chaotic ball of light in his palm. The ball of light spun, emanating an aura that suppressed all evil spirits.

"The Primordial Chaos Seal?!"

Black Wind Ancestor trembled violently, disbelief and profound fear flashing in his eyes. "You...you are a Primordial Chaos True Person?!"

"Impossible! The Primordial Immortal exhausted his lifespan and passed away five thousand years ago!"

"How could you still be alive?!"

"Exhausted lifespan?"

Chen Xuan chuckled, "That's just an excuse I leave for the world."

"If one does not 'die,' how can one break free from worldly ties and continue cultivation?"

He stepped forward, and the primordial light sphere in his palm suddenly shone brightly:

"Black Wind, five thousand years ago I respected your difficult cultivation and only sealed you away, not killed you."

"Today you broke free from the seal, and instead of repenting, you slaughtered hundreds of thousands of lives."

"This debt should be settled."

Black Wind Ancestor's expression changed drastically, but he quickly suppressed his fear and sneered, "Primordial Chaos! So what if you're still alive? Five thousand years ago, you were at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, and so was I!"

"While I haven't fully recovered to my peak, you may not have regained your former cultivation level either!"

"Today... I will see how much you have improved in these five thousand years!"

He formed a hand seal, and black wind surged wildly around him!

"Black Wind Demonic Art - Ten Thousand Blades Rift the Sky!"

The black wind condensed into countless wind blades, each containing the power to tear through space!

A barrage of blades erupted, covering the sky and earth, slashing towards Chen Xuan from all directions! This attack encompassed an area of ​​a hundred miles, leaving no way to dodge or block it!

Chen Xuan remained unfazed.

He held the primordial light sphere in his left hand, and with his right hand, fingers pointed like a sword, he lightly drew a line across the sphere.

"Hun Yuan Seal - Differentiation".

The Primordial Light Sphere split into two, then into four, then into eight... Instantly transforming into countless fist-sized light spheres, which circled around him like stars!

"go."

With a single word uttered, thousands of orbs of light shot out simultaneously!

Each ball of light precisely met a black wind blade!

There was no explosion or roar at the moment the ball of light collided with the wind blade.

Only silent annihilation. The power of primordial chaos is specifically designed to counter demonic energy; the wind blades were purified and decomposed the moment they touched the sphere of light, turning into nothingness!

Ten thousand blades against ten thousand spheres, all neutralized in the blink of an eye!

"Your disciple obeys!"

Qingcheng Mountain, three days later.

When Chen Xuan returned to the Taoist temple, a large number of people had already gathered in the courtyard.

Wu Minghuang, Shangguan Wan'er, Lu Yao, Tai Qingzi, Pei Hanchuan, and the newly arrived Shen Cangming and Ying Yuehua.

Everyone had obviously received the battle report from the Western Desert.

"gentlemen."

Wu Minghuang stepped forward, her expression complex. "The Primordial True Man... Black Wind Ancestor and Blood Fiend Ancestor, in one day, they killed two great Nascent Soul demons."

"The entire cultivation world is now spreading the word that when the Holy Master is angry, even Nascent Soul cultivators are as insignificant as ants."

Shangguan Wan'er opened her booklet, her eyes filled with shock: "Sir, I found it."

"The Primordial Chaos Seal is an ancient, lost 'creation-level' divine power. Legend has it that only powerful beings who have touched the threshold of the 'Integration Realm' can unleash this divine power. Sir, you..."

She didn't continue.

But everyone understood what she meant; the level of the Primordial Chaos Seal had far surpassed that of the Nascent Soul stage.

Chen Xuan did not answer directly, but only said, "It's just the final move of the Hunyuan Seal Technique, not as exaggerated as you think."

Pei Hanchuan asked in a low voice, "Sir, back then... at what level did you seal away the three great demons?"

Chen Xuan was silent for a moment: "Peak of the Nascent Soul stage."

"And now?"

Chen Xuan glanced at him but did not answer.

He simply picked up the teacup and took a sip.

The courtyard was completely silent.

The peak of the Nascent Soul stage... that was only five thousand years ago.

Now?

No one dared to ask.

No one dared to guess.

Nighttime at a small courtyard on Mount Qingcheng.

The moonlight, like water, spilled into the courtyard.

Chen Xuan sat alone at the stone table, the Cangming Sword stuck in the blue stone beside him, its blade reflecting the moonlight and gleaming with a faint blue hue.

Wu Minghuang came over with a pot of hot tea and sat down opposite him.

"Sir, you used the Primordial Chaos Seal today, it must have taken a toll on your health."

She pushed the tea towards him, saying, "This is 'Ten Thousand Year Ginseng Tea,' which I found in the palace storeroom. It's good for replenishing energy and nourishing the spirit."

Chen Xuan picked up his glass, took a sip, and nodded slightly: "Not bad."

Wu Minghuang looked at him and suddenly asked, "Sir, you said you have lived for nine thousand eight hundred years."

"What about the Primordial Chaos True Man from five thousand years ago? Four thousand years ago? Three thousand years ago? Two thousand years ago? One thousand years ago?"

"What were you doing during those times? And what was your identity?"

Chen Xuan put down his teacup and looked up at the bright moon in the night sky.

long silence.

"Four thousand years ago, in the Hundred Thousand Mountains of Southern Xinjiang, I suppressed the ancient Insect Emperor in the name of 'True Lord of Ten Thousand Insects'."

"Three thousand years ago, in the Northern Underworld Ice Plains, I sealed the Nine Netherworld Frost Demon in the name of 'Emperor of the Northern Underworld'."

"Two thousand years ago, on the shore of the East China Sea, I passed down the lineage of alchemy under the name 'Danxia Hermit,' saving the cultivation world from a great plague."

"A thousand years ago..."

He paused, then said softly:

"A thousand years ago, I reverted to my original name, Chen Xuan."

"He built this Taoist temple on Mount Qingcheng, took in a young apprentice, raised a few spirit birds, and lived a peaceful life for a hundred years."

"Then I fell into a deep sleep for nine hundred years, until three years ago... when the spiritual energy revived and I awoke again."

Wu Minghuang listened intently, murmuring, "The Myriad Gu True Monarch, the Northern Underworld Emperor, the Danxia Hermit... these are three more names I've never heard of before."

She suddenly remembered something: "Sir, what about your little apprentice? The one from a thousand years ago?"

Chen Xuan remained silent.

After a long silence, he said softly:

"He's dead."

"Mortals live for no more than a hundred years. Her talent is ordinary; she has already reached the limit at the Foundation Establishment stage."

"After I fell into a deep sleep, she guarded the Taoist temple for thirty years, and finally... died of old age in a small town at the foot of the mountain."

Wu Minghuang felt a pang of sadness: "Sir..."

"It's alright."

Chen Xuan interrupted her, his voice calm, "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of life. I have lived too long and have seen too many partings."

He looked at Wu Minghuang, a faint hint of gentleness flashing in his eyes:

"Therefore, in this life... I will no longer accept disciples."

"You... are just old acquaintances."

Wu Minghuang understood.

The gentleman is not indifferent.

He was afraid of experiencing separation again.

"Then I won't be a friend of the past."

Wu Minghuang suddenly smiled, her smile as bright as ever, "I will be your Daoist partner, and a Daoist partner can stay with you for a very, very long time."

Chen Xuan: "......."

He picked up his teacup and drank it silently.

Wu Minghuang laughed even more happily.

Night was falling.

Outside the courtyard, Shangguan Wan'er stood under the moon gate, watching the two figures inside. A slight smile appeared on her lips as she turned and left.

Some things don't need to be said in a hurry.

Anyway... there's still a long way to go.