Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Sage Bai Mei finished speaking and turned his head to scold the already very weak Yan Dan, "This is utter nonsense. If the mountain is lost, let it be lost. Why go to such lengths? If all the Mount Shu disciples die in battle and only the empty Mount Shu remains, what's the use?

Although I, Bai Mei, am known to have never been inferior in my life, I've fled countless times when faced with life-and-death crises. How did I end up with such obstinate successors like you?"

"And you, each and every one of you! Yan Dan is still young, yet you, who have lived for so many years, still don't know what to do and let him fight to the death." Bai Mei's spit almost sprayed on the elders' faces. Seeing the elders, whose hair was already white with age, being scolded bloody, not daring to lift their heads, was indeed a strange sight.

"Great Master, do not blame the elders. It was my own stubborn decision. Mount Shu is my home, it contains my family; fighting to the death for them is my blessing," Yan Dan urged Sage Bai Mei.

Bai Mei turned his head and started to carefully observe Yan Dan's condition, his frown deepening the more he looked. He couldn't help but sigh, "Oh, foolish child, truly a foolish child."

At this moment, Bai Mei's heart was filled with both sadness and joy. Joyous that his successor was a person of sentiment and loyalty, yet saddened by the fact that such an excellent heir was burdened by these feelings, now his energy spent and without any prospect for further progress.

"Daoist Lu, I know you are a high-ranking individual of the Celestial Immortal Dao, and widely connected. Is there any way to heal his injuries?" Sage Bai Mei could only pin his hopes on Lu Yu.

Being a registered immortal of the Heavenly Court's fighting division, he was well-acquainted with many significant matters across the three realms and naturally knew of Lu Yu's existence.

After all, battling with the gods of the Three Altars at the shores of the Eastern Sea and representing Empress Hou Tu to appoint a City God—these events had spread across the three realms, making Lu Yu a fairly recognized figure. Enjoy exclusive content from empire

"His soul has been exhausted to the brink of no return. If Yan Dan is willing, I might be able to preserve his life, but I'm afraid he will no longer be able to cultivate or take action," Lu Yu shook his head as he spoke.

How could he not want to save his dear friend? Yet, Yan Dan's injuries were to his soul, the most mysterious entity within the human body, not easily healed.

"If I cannot take action, then what difference is there from being dead?" Yan Dan nevertheless refused.

For him, as long as Mount Shu was safe and the disciples survived, that was the greatest meaning of his life. Death was not something he feared.

"Alas!" Bai Mei looked at Yan Dan's face, filled with resolve, and could not help but sigh. He knew his disciple was a very opinionated person who cherished the thrill of battle; to deprive him of the right to fight was indeed no different from killing him.

"Let's stabilize the injury first, and then I'll find a way to heal you. You know I am acquainted with many powerful beings. If I can request one of them to assist, you will surely recover completely," Lu Yu still tried to persuade.

"Lu Yu, I appreciate your kindness, but I don't want to waste your opportunity. I know those powerful beings value causality greatly, and if your involvement with me causes you to bear more karma, then living would be worse than dying. It would be better to reincarnate.

Since you have connections in the Underworld, you can just find a good family for me then," Yan Dan spoke with an ease that suggested he barely regarded his own life and death.

After the great battle, Mount Shu lay in ruin and all the disciples were busy. Some cleared the bodies; others restored the damaged things. Meanwhile, on a large rock at the summit of Mount Shu, Lu Yu and Yan Dan were sitting on the ground, just as they had first met in the ruined temple, only now Lu Yu was no longer the man lost in his thoughts, and Yan Dan was no longer the youth he had been then.

"How about it, the taste of this treasured wine isn't bad, right? Only someone like you, Lu Yu, could have a sip.

That bottle of wine was long coveted by the Third Elder, that old wine ghost, and I never let him get his wish," Yan Dan said as he drank the wine, his eyes nearly slits due to his smiling, looking joyfully at the busy Mount Shu disciples below—a scene he greatly cherished, the most beautiful landscape of Mount Shu in his eyes.

"After enjoying your fine wine, how could I not return the favor? Try some of mine." Having said that, Lu Yu tossed a Wine Gourd to Yan Dan. As soon as Yan Dan opened the wine gourd, a strong aroma of wine filled the air, signaling that it was a good drink.

With a gulp of the strong liquor, Yan Dan closed his eyes in comfort, quietly savoring the sensation of the fine wine sliding down his throat and into his stomach.

"This really is fine wine. I never thought that in my lifetime, I could taste such wonderful wine. Even the Jade Liquor of heaven couldn't surpass this," Yan Dan remarked sentimentally. As a connoisseur, he had tasted all the fine wines under heaven, but none could compare to the wine from Lu Yu's gourd.

"Where did you get such fine wine? The taste is really..."

"You lucky fellow, you don't realize the fortune you're in. This is a wine that has been infused by the Liquor Worm. Although the Jade Liquor of heaven is delicious, it still doesn't compare to the wine that's been infused by the Liquor Worm," the voice of Sage Bai Mei came, as it turned out that the grandmaster had not departed and was standing not far from Lu Yu and the rest.

"Grandmaster, may I still be a Mount Shu Disciple in my next life?" Yan Dan suddenly asked, looking at Bai Mei.

Seeing Yan Dan's smiling face, Bai Mei felt an inexplicable sadness in his heart. What a good child.

"As long as you wish, the doors of Mount Shu will always be open for you. You will always be a disciple of Mount Shu in all your lifetimes," Bai Mei declared resolutely, bringing great joy to Yan Dan.

Feeling that his end was near, he solemnly said to Lu Yu, "Thank you, Lu Yu. If you hadn't come to see me this time, I'm afraid I wouldn't have witnessed this beautiful scene again."

"Yan Dan, you..." Lu Yu was about to say something more when he saw Yan Dan's breath growing weaker, gradually fading away.

Just then, two figures appeared out of nowhere beside Yan Dan's body, one dressed in black and the other in white, one constantly smiling with a tall hat bearing the words "Prosperous at First Sight" and the other with a serious expression, his hat bearing "Peace throughout the World." It was the fearsome Black and White Impermanence.

Seeing these two, Lu Yu was also greatly startled and said, "I didn't expect Seventh Master and Eighth Master themselves to come here. My apologies for not greeting you sooner."

"When it involves the death of a Cultivator, naturally we brothers must handle it personally to prevent the soul from escaping and seeking rebirth. That would be our fault."

"I didn't expect Lu Yu to be here too. Could it be that this deceased Cultivator had some connection with you?" Lu Yu had been to the Underworld many times and had done significant deeds there, hence he was quite familiar with Black and White Impermanence.

"To be honest, this man's name is Yan Dan, my dearest friend. I hope you brothers will take good care of him," Lu Yu said with a smile.