Chapter 209 - 207: Immortal
"You’ve been to the Ancient Abyss Country?"
"Heh heh..." Zhao Dongming chuckled proudly, looking quite serious.
However, Liu Xiangnan, who was beside him, shook his head and said truthfully, "We couldn’t possibly. The Outer Realm fog separates the border between the two countries. With our strength, how could we cross it?
We just happened to meet a formidable individual from the Ancient Abyss Country over the years..."
Liu Xiangnan simply followed this topic and started telling Song Changming about his experiences after leaving Donglai County City.
Back then, Song Changming didn’t stop them, allowing Liu Xiangnan to be successfully rescued by those people from Donglai County City, and then fleeing with his close friend Zhao Dongming.
While avoiding capture by the government, they wandered around looking for famous doctors, hoping to heal his crippled limbs, but unfortunately, it was all in vain.
Years later, just as he was feeling disheartened, they accidentally met a high-level individual who was also traveling the world in a tea house.
The high individual was named Jiang, initially appearing unremarkable, so Liu Xiangnan and Zhao Dongming didn’t pay much attention.
During the conversation, Liu Xiangnan shared his story one by one.
Perhaps moved by Liu Xiangnan’s knightly spirit, the individual suddenly decided to help, healing Liu Xiangnan’s crippled limbs that had troubled him for years.
Afterwards, the individual voluntarily invited them to travel together.
They gladly accepted.
"Is that individual a divine doctor?" Song Changming looked at Liu Xiangnan’s fully recovered legs and couldn’t help but ask.
He knew well how severely injured Liu Xiangnan’s limbs were. At the time, it seemed completely destroyed and beyond repair.
If it weren’t so, Liu Xiangnan wouldn’t have been so despondent when imprisoned back then.
After years of fruitless searches for a cure, this person healed him just like that. Isn’t this what you’d call a divine doctor?
Liu Xiangnan shook his head, saying, "Not exactly a divine doctor, but the person came from the Ancient Abyss Country, carrying extremely precious healing medicine. It’s said that even at the brink of death, this medicine can pull one back from the grip of death!
My limb injuries couldn’t be treated in Da Han, but in the Ancient Abyss Country, it’s not a big deal, just a matter of a pill."
Listening to this, Song Changming couldn’t help but marvel at the Ancient Abyss Country.
In the Da Han Dynasty, Liu Xiangnan visited countless renowned doctors, all to no avail, yet a single pill from the Ancient Abyss Country cured him, making one marvel at the country’s mystic power.
It’s no wonder countless martial artists aspire to it.
"Meeting Mr. Jiang might be the greatest opportunity I’ve seized in my life." Liu Xiangnan continued.
Zhao Dongming nodded in deep agreement.
After that, their group not only traveled across Da Han but also ventured into the Outer Realm for training.
With the individual’s protection, both Liu Xiangnan and Zhao Dongming improved rapidly.
Over a decade, they’ve experienced and changed much.
Upon reaching the Body Refining Extreme Realm, they opened the Nether Sea in the Outer Domain, gaining guidance and stepping into the Qi Refining Realm, learning martial techniques from the Ancient Abyss Country!
Since then, they’ve soared high, and upon returning to the Da Han Dynasty, their prowess was enough to be considered top-tier in the martial realm.
No longer comparable to the days of being knights and wielding the Xiaoyao Sword in Jianghu.
"Congratulations, Brother Liu, on your nirvana rebirth!" Song Changming raised his glass to Liu Xiangnan.
"Before leaving Donglai County, I once said that we should share a drink upon our next meeting. I thought it wouldn’t happen, yet here I am back in Da Han, and it’s come true." Liu Xiangnan raised his glass, suddenly remembered, and laughed heartily.
"Brother Liu, it seems you and this Younger Brother Song are quite destined." Zhao Dongming chuckled.
Song Changming was also quite sentimental.
Seeing Liu Xiangnan again reminded him of the past, back when he first set upon the path of martial arts.
At that time, he had to rely on government protection to grow quietly, without any fame in Jianghu, just a small figure.
"Originally, when I met you again, I wanted to see how well you’d mastered the Flying Swallow Technique I taught you back then. But now, it seems unnecessary." Liu Xiangnan downed his drink, shaking his head with a smile.
Seeing the skill Song Changming just displayed, he understood clearly.
Song Changming, now possessing Qi Refining Realm strength, has no need to cling to the high-level martial arts he taught back then.
The current Song Changming, though appearing young, is no longer the junior Patrol Guard from over a decade ago.
Having just returned to Da Han, he wasn’t aware of the Earth List released by Zhuji Pavilion, nor did he know Song Changming is now ranked first on it. But he reckoned that with Song Changming’s age and power, he should no longer be a minor character in Jianghu.
"Brother Liu, back then you taught me without reservation, benefiting me greatly. I’ve relied on the Flying Swallow Technique for many years and have achieved great perfection." Song Changming said gratefully, feeling he needed to report his knife training achievements.
To prove he didn’t waste the martial arts learned from him back in prison.
Upon hearing this, Liu Xiangnan suddenly picked up a chopstick, pointing it at Song Changming.
Song Changming, understanding his intent, quickly picked up a chopstick with his fingertips to fend it off.
The two were at the table, using a piece of chopstick as weapons, performing a theatrical display of blades and swords.
Both showed great synergy by only using the Flying Swallow Technique.
They exchanged moves for dozens of rounds, with no victor emerging.
"Good!" Liu Xiangnan was the first to withdraw his hand, smiling with satisfaction.
Both were martial arts experts, and this small exchange was enough to glimpse each other’s martial arts mastery.
Afterward, Song Changming recounted to them the turbulent situation in Da Han and the recent intrusion of the Outer Realm Evil Cult into Wangyue Prefecture.
In turn, they shared with Song Changming numerous anecdotes about the Outer Realm and the legendary figure from Ancient Abyss Country.
"Brother Liu and I originally thought of accepting him as our mentor, but he only allowed us to call him Mr., Younger Brother Song, do you know how old Mr. is?" Zhao Dongming suddenly spoke with mystery.
Song Changming shook his head, waiting for Zhao Dongming to proceed.
"Nearly two hundred years!"
"!" Song Changming’s first reaction was to think Zhao Dongming was joking and turned to Liu Xiangnan.
Liu Xiangnan merely smiled without speaking.
"Seriously?" Song Changming said, half in doubt.
In this world, the average lifespan of ordinary people is only fifty to sixty years, and anyone over sixty is considered enjoying longevity.
Martial artists practice body refinement; as long as they’re not depleting their life force through refining techniques, most martial artists tend to live longer.
Moreover, the further one pursues the Martial Tao, the higher their longevity.
If they follow proper wellness practices and consume some rare items, like Liu Dingsheng, reaching eighty or ninety, even a hundred years old is not a problem.
But to say living up to two hundred years, except for Song Changming’s own potential, he really hadn’t heard of such an immortal anywhere!
"Initially, I was amazed when I found out, especially since Mr. looks as if he’s only middle-aged, showing no signs of aging, how could he be of such age.
But as time went on, Mr. shared many stories from over a hundred years ago, and gradually, we came to believe.
In Ancient Abyss Country, there truly are immortals!" Liu Xiangnan said seriously.
Zhao Dongming’s slightly mischievous character still had room for jest.
But Liu Xiangnan appeared upright and wasn’t one to make jokes.
Ten to nine times what he said was serious.
In the Ancient Abyss Country that spans the Outer Domain, reputed as the nation of beginnings, there exist immortals!
"According to Mr., when martial arts reach a certain realm, longevity naturally extends, and martial artists living for two hundred years in Ancient Abyss Country are as common as cattle!" Liu Xiangnan continued to reminisce.
"..." Song Changming was speechless, and after his amazement, a strange sense of eagerness stirred in his heart, saying to Liu Xiangnan, "Brother Liu, hearing what you said, I really want to go and see Ancient Abyss Country for myself."
"Who wouldn’t want to go? It’s just that the Outer Domain seems like a natural barrier, standing there, it’s not easy to cross." Next to them, Zhao Dongming put down the large bowl he emptied again, pouring more wine while shaking his head.
The legendary figure they encountered disappeared suddenly one day, leaving them just a note, claiming to have been called back by his clan, hastily returning to Ancient Abyss Country, without taking them along.
He only said they were strong enough to seek him themselves.
Thus, they returned to Da Han first.
For the moment, they didn’t have the confidence to cross the outer realm fog and reach Ancient Abyss Country.
"I see." After hearing Liu Xiangnan, Song Changming realized that the great figure from Ancient Abyss Country was indeed like an immortal living in seclusion among commoners.
Despite Liu Xiangnan’s limbs being crippled, becoming a disabled person, misfortune turned into fortune, granting him such a transformation that his life changed immensely.
The future achievements in martial arts became unpredictable!
If destiny truly existed, if there truly was a protagonist aura, Liu Xiangnan’s path of nirvana rebirth indeed resembles that of a half protagonist.
In the future, barring accidents, Liu Xiangnan and Zhao Dongming would likely not stay in Da Han for too long; they would surely cross the Outer Domain to Ancient Abyss Country to seek out that extraordinary Mr...
After a lively meal and drinks, Liu Xiangnan initially considered returning to Donglai County City for old times’ sake.
But upon learning of the rampant evil cult members within Wangyue Prefecture, Liu Xiangnan decided to stay and contribute his efforts.
It wasn’t out of a desire to protect the homeland, but purely not wanting to watch the helpless people within the prefecture suffer.
If truly unstoppable disaster strikes, he wishes to save as many as he can.
If there are true righteous knights in Jianghu, it’s basically individuals with the character of Liu Xiangnan, even willing to sacrifice themselves for righteousness.
This is one reason Song Changming has long remembered Liu Xiangnan even after so many years.
After all these years, he remains unchanged.
...