Chapter 481 The New Year

Xu Shanzhang narrowed his eyes slightly, gently stroking the warm, jade-like chess pieces on the chessboard in his hands.

His tone was so calm, as if he were merely discussing the weather: "The Buddha said that there are seven sufferings in this world: birth, old age, sickness, death, being with those you hate, being separated from those you love, and not getting what you want."

At this point, Headmaster Xu paused slightly.

His gaze slowly shifted from the chess pieces to the distant, mist-shrouded green mountains, and he continued, "From the moment we are born, we are destined to experience all kinds of hardships and setbacks. First comes the birth of life, arriving in this world with cries, and then we face the relentless erosion of time, gradually growing old, and our bodies becoming weaker and weaker."

Illness is ever-present, creeping in unnoticed and bringing endless pain and torment. And death, ultimately, is the inevitable fate of everyone.

He sighed softly, gently placed a chess piece on the chessboard, and continued, "In life, there is no such thing as smooth sailing, is there? Everyone suffers, and only by saving oneself can one truly save oneself."

"What do you want to say?" Li Xi looked at him expressionlessly.

"Life is but a short few decades, and I'm already halfway to the grave. My hands and feet are starting to fail me; I'm old and my beauty has faded." He looked at his hands and continued, "If only people could cultivate the art of immortality as described in books. But everything in this world has its destiny; how can human power defy fate?"

“It’s not impossible.” Li Xi smiled faintly. “The world is vast and full of wonders. Although immortality is something that mortals yearn for, it is not necessarily a pipe dream. However, what does immortality even matter? Only by truly transcending life and death can one glimpse the ultimate truth of the universe.”

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes as he looked up at Li Xi, seemingly touched by her words: "Oh? It seems General Li has quite a bit of insight."

Li Xi looked at him quietly, her face expressionless. "Chi Yan, stop pretending. I never expected you to become so erudite."

Upon hearing this, Master Xu burst into laughter, "Lingxi, I never expected that you would also awaken."

The laughter subsided, and Chi Yan's eyes grew deep.

Li Xi seemed to see through his intentions. "You want to open a passage between the mortal realm and the demon realm?"

Chi Yan smiled slightly, a smile tinged with self-mockery and helplessness. "Lingxi, we are of the same origin, why must we be so hostile? Opening the passage is merely to seek balance and coexistence between the two realms."

"Balance and coexistence?" Li Xi sneered. "Since ancient times, the demon realm and the human realm have kept to themselves. Do you think I can't see through your ambitions?"

"My ambition?" Crimson Flame laughed, his laughter echoing through the air. "Do you dare say you've never had such a thought? A thousand years ago, mortals in this mortal realm could also attain immortality and ascend to heaven through dedicated cultivation. After thousands of years of nurturing and sedimentation, the spiritual energy in this mortal realm is now far richer than that of the demon realm, becoming incomparably abundant!"

"If we can successfully locate the spiritual veins hidden in this mortal realm, then we can use their powerful spiritual energy to break through our current bottlenecks and ascend to an unprecedented supreme realm..."

At this point, he suddenly stopped talking, his eyes blazing with a fiery light, as if he could already see himself at the pinnacle of his future.

Upon hearing this, Li Xi was clearly moved, and Xu Shanzhang, who had been watching everything from the side, was very satisfied with her reaction.

Indeed, who could easily refuse such an attractive prospect and opportunity?

After all, no other demons have awakened during their tribulations like the two of them.

At this moment, Li Xi couldn't help but ask, "What you said does make some sense, but the key question is, where exactly is this legendary spiritual vein located? And you know, you're already nearing sixty, and time waits for no one. I'm afraid that before you even find the spiritual vein, you'll be forced to return to the demon realm."

"Haha, you don't need to worry about that," Chi Yan said confidently. "Many years ago, after I awakened, I gathered a lot of intelligence. The southwest direction is very likely where the spiritual vein is hiding."

Upon hearing Chi Yan's words, Li Xi couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Southwest direction..."

Her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were pondering something important, and her gaze became somewhat deep and unfocused.

In its previous life, this body had already exhausted its inner core essence when activating the Time Reincarnation Array, and had long since become an ordinary person.

After death, she will become a mortal corpse, with no afterlife, and will return to the demon realm.

As if she had suddenly thought of something, a glint of light flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and continued to listen quietly to Chi Yan speak.

Seeing this, Chi Yan smiled slightly and continued, "And that's not all. If we can speed things up and find that spiritual vein before our lifespan runs out, then we can absorb the powerful spiritual energy it contains to our heart's content!"

"With the nourishment and assistance of this spiritual energy, we will surely be able to successfully break through our current cultivation bottleneck. Once we successfully break through, the passage to the mysterious land will naturally open its doors for us!"

After saying that, his eyes were filled with anticipation and excitement.

“Okay, I agree to cooperate with you.” Li Xi finally made up her mind.

"Make the arrangements, and we'll set off in a couple of days to avoid any unforeseen complications." After all, he was an old man nearing sixty, and time was of the essence.

After leaving the courtyard, Li Xi smiled meaningfully.

After returning to the general's mansion, Hongying hurriedly pulled her away.

After a while, she was still shaken: "It seems that the person behind Qingluan is still in the capital. It was that person who arranged for her and her child to escape. Xiaoxi, do you think we should report this to the court?"

Li Xi, standing to the side, frowned slightly.

After a moment of contemplation, she gently shook her head and slowly said, "Grandmother, this matter is of great importance and is not yet clear. It is not advisable to make a fuss about it too early. Let me investigate secretly first, and after I have found out the specifics, I will personally explain the matter to His Majesty."

Hongying nodded, indicating her agreement. "In that case, let's follow your arrangements. I've already had Qingluan's body burned. Let's have a good New Year together, the four of us."

She knew her granddaughter's abilities well and naturally had complete faith in the decisions she made.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, many places were bustling with activity.

Almost everyone in the general's mansion, unable to bear the boredom, went out to stroll through the market.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment.

"Sister, this is your favorite pickled fish." Li Yi picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and put it into Li Xi's bowl.

"Thank you, please eat more." After saying that, she put some food on everyone's plate.

Wan Yue sighed, "Yes, everyone should eat more. A new year brings a new look." His eyes welled up with tears, as if he were thinking of something.

“You old man, it’s the New Year, I hope everyone is safe and well!” Hongying understood his thoughts.

"Come on, cheers! May everything go smoothly for you..."