The Last Immortal

Chapter Four

With his sword-like eyebrows slanting upward and deep-set features, he truly possessed a handsome appearance that could stir the hearts of many young maidens across the Three Realms. Unfortunately, the mischievous glint in his eyes dragged his majestic aura down to the mundane, making him seem like an immature youth.

Any Female Immortal Lord eager to find a husband would take one look at him and sigh: though he appears promising from afar, he is still but an unopened flower bud.

If he hadn’t overheard a Female Immortal Lord beside Hua Shu utter those words at Feng Ran’s birthday banquet on Phoenix Tree Island all those years ago, sparking the subsequent calamity, he would never have ended up in such a dire predicament. Gu Jin sighed, casually tying the silk sash at his waist, and began strolling barefoot among the valley’s lush pines.

For over eighteen hundred days, aside from the immortal lad who delivered Drunken Jade Dew each year, he hadn’t seen a single soul. If his master didn’t emerge from seclusion soon, he feared he would truly grow moldy at the bottom of this valley. Gu Jin glanced up at the cliff top and grumbled inwardly: if Tian Qi hadn’t forcibly sealed his Divine Power, not even that smug, fluttering fat wings—let alone Great Marsh Mountain’s guardian Divine Artifact, the Sky-Shielding Umbrella—could have restrained him!

A dragon stranded in shallow water is teased by shrimp; a tiger on flat land is bullied by dogs. This tiny, insignificant place had confined him for a full five years.

After Mother returned from Mount Liaowang, she sealed off the Ancient Realm. He wondered how things were now in the Ancient Divine Realm?

Over a century ago, Yuan Qi had his Divine Power sealed by Tian Qi and was cast down to Great Marsh Mountain, taking the name Gu Jin and becoming a disciple under the old High Lord Dong Hua. Later, when Shang Gu returned, she established the rule that only High Gods could enter the Ancient Realm. By his reckoning, it had been over a hundred years since he last set foot in the Ancient Divine Realm.

In all these years, only Bi Bo had secretly visited him once in the Mortal Realm, bringing news that Mother had reopened the Primordial Spirit Pool and that Father might return. This was the sole beacon of hope in Gu Jin’s monotonous and tedious cultivation life. Unfortunately, Bi Bo had only managed to hide in Great Marsh Mountain for ten days before Tian Qi caught him and dragged him back to the Demon Realm’s Jingyuan Mountain for cultivation.

Gu Jin’s fate was even worse. Five years ago, after committing an offense, Feng Ran—who had doted on him since childhood—swatted him with her wing from Phoenix Tree Island all the way back to Great Marsh Mountain, directly imprisoning him in the forbidden grounds.

Truly, once one’s own flesh and blood appears, an adopted child like him gets pushed aside.

Gu Jin snorted twice, muttering under his breath, “If not for the fact that you raised me from infancy…”

Mid-sentence, his swaying steps halted abruptly beneath a pine tree. He lowered his head suspiciously, scanning his surroundings.

How could there be a living creature here? This valley was a place of no return; despite its overflowing spiritual energy, not even the lowest immortal beast would willingly enter. What fool had stumbled in here?

The thought of having a companion in misery brought a flicker of amusement to Gu Jin’s heart. Barefoot, he began circling the pine tree, searching for the intruder. A faint, unfamiliar spiritual aura drifted from the rear valley. Following it along a small stream, he stopped before a cave hidden in a secluded corner.

The cave entrance was overgrown with moss and veiled by green vines; without careful inspection, one would never guess another world lay within. Having lived in the valley for five years, this was the first time Gu Jin had discovered this cave. He pushed aside the vines and strode inside. To his surprise, the interior was warm and dry—a perfect shelter from wind and rain. From a corner came the rhythmic sound of snoring, accompanied by a faint wisp of spiritual energy.

Gu Jin crouched low, lightening his footsteps as he crept past a stone bed. When his eyes fell upon the creature in the corner, his curiosity instantly transformed into astonishment.In the corner lay a slumbering little immortal beast of jade-green hue. Its short limbs were curled up on its plump belly, basking in the sun as it slept soundly, with two crystalline, iridescent wings tucked behind its back.

Gu Jin stroked his chin and immediately recognized that this little creature, identical in form to Bi Bo’s true body, was a Water Condensation Beast.

The Water Condensation Beast was a distant relative of the ancient Water Condensation Divine Beast. Though they shared the same appearance, it only inherited the healing power of the Water Condensation Divine Beast, and their Immortal Power was vastly different. After the Chaos Tribulation sixty thousand years ago, only Bi Bo remained of the Water Condensation Divine Beasts, and even ordinary Water Condensation Beasts rarely appeared in the Three Realms.

Lost in thought, Gu Jin glanced at the shattered eggshell fragments beside the little creature. It seemed that this Water Condensation Beast had fallen into a deep slumber after hatching, deprived of its mother’s Spiritual Power. Fortunately, Great Marsh Mountain was abundant with Spiritual Power, nurturing it until it finally regained vitality, allowing him to discover it.

Soft snores accompanied by tiny bubbles escaped from the Water Condensation Beast’s mouth, and its delicate pink paws twitched occasionally, utterly captivating. Everyone in Clear Pond Palace knew that the Little Divine Lord’s favorite pastime was bullying Bi Bo, but they were unaware of his peculiar habit of tormenting those he cherished.

Since childhood, what he treasured most was not the Divine Artifacts that filled the Ancient Divine Realm, nor the Drunken Jade Dew from Great Marsh Mountain in the Mortal Realm, but a plump, chubby bird named Bi Bo. However, this preference was hardly something to boast about, and aside from Feng Ran, who had discovered this little secret, no one else knew.

Now, he stared wide-eyed at the Water Condensation Beast before him, unable to tear his gaze away for a long while. After a moment, he sighed and lifted the little creature, who was sleeping as if the world had ceased to exist, from its grassy nest.

"Fine, you’re a pitiful one too, unloved by both father and mother. I’ll reluctantly take care of you," Gu Jin muttered as he strode outward, his words feigning reluctance while his eyes and brows brimmed with delight.

This contradictory nature of his was likely inherited from his father, something that wouldn’t change for centuries.

Having another living creature in the valley was a joyous occasion for Gu Jin, but within just three days, his enthusiasm had been utterly drained. This lively, vibrant, and plump Water Condensation Beast hadn’t woken up even once. Gu Jin tried every method—infusing it with Immortal Power, placing fragrant Spiritual Fruits before its nose, even offering Drunken Jade Dew—but the little beast showed no signs of waking, only sleeping soundly, lying on its side, or tossing and turning.

Undeterred, Gu Jin grew even more determined and made it his mission to outlast it. He carried it everywhere, talked to it all day long, and picked the freshest Immortal Fruits for it daily, displaying a resolve that wouldn’t waver until the very end.

Time passed unnoticed in the mountains, and half a year flew by in the blink of an eye as Gu Jin and the plump, fleshy ball in his arms relied on each other for companionship. Soon, it was once again the auspicious day when Qing Yi, that little child, would deliver warmth and goodwill.

The large barrel of Drunken Jade Dew had long been drained by Gu Jin’s unrestrained indulgence, leaving him craving it for half a month.

As soon as Qing Yi’s crisp, tender voice echoed from the cliff top, Gu Jin straightened his robes and, putting on a dignified air, prepared to drift away on a cloud with the fleshy ball in his arms. Halfway through his ascent, he suddenly recalled the plump wings that wouldn’t rest until they turned him into charcoal, and his hands trembled slightly. Fondly glancing at the little beast drooling in his arms, Gu Jin stroked his chin and quietly retreated back.Qing Yi on the cliff top only saw his little martial uncle, who had flown halfway, turn back to the valley, place an indistinct bundle in his hand onto the phoenix tree, and then fly back.

Of course, Gu Jin’s decision was wise. The tragic scene from half a year ago repeated itself at the cliff’s edge. Gu Jin was once again charred black, while the fiery clouds stretching across the sky dissipated along with the strange cries of flapping wings. The hundreds of lotus flowers, as ever, played the role of peacemakers. As for Qing Yi, he was noticeably calmer than before, his childish face now bearing the marks of a youth coming into his own, which filled Gu Jin with a sense of relief.

"Little Martial Uncle, this is the Drunken Jade Dew Master prepared for you."

Gu Jin, as usual, set aside a bottle for him. His mind preoccupied with the Water Condensation Beast at home, which had never left his sight, he took the wooden bucket and was about to return to the valley when Qing Yi called out to stop him.

Gu Jin turned back. Qing Yi, fiddling with the corner of his robe, tried hard to conceal the curiosity in his eyes as he asked, "Little Martial Uncle, is it true that the Little Fire Phoenix of the Phoenix Clan won’t wake up? If she doesn’t wake up and the Celestial Emperor remains enraged, and if Grandmaster never emerges from seclusion, won’t you be trapped here forever?"

His face scrunched up with worry. "I’ve inquired about it. The shortest time Grandmaster has ever been in seclusion was eight hundred years, and the longest was three thousand years. You haven’t even married yet. If you’re locked up until you’re old, what Female Immortal Lord would be willing to marry you?"

"And also..." Qing Yi blushed, hesitating before continuing, "You should stop pining for Hua Shu, the princess of the Peacock Clan. Senior Brother Qing Ye says she’s the number one beauty in our Immortal Realm, and the line of admirers stretches from the Heavenly Gate all the way to our Great Marsh Mountain. Your hopes... they’re just not realistic. Over the past six months, Senior Brother Qing Ye and I have secretly scouted a few Immortal Mansions. He says the eldest daughter of Immortal Lord Shui Lin has a round, jade-like face and wide hips—easy to bear children. He plans to report to Master and arrange a marriage proposal for you once you’re out..."

Gu Jin silently turned back to face his earnest little martial nephew, his expression cycling through every color of the rainbow without missing a single shade.

He suddenly recalled a question Tian Qi had asked him many years ago in Clear Pond Palace, while stroking his face.

"Hey, A Qi, do you know what’s even more terrifying than a god-like opponent?"

Back then, naive and innocent, he could only remember shaking his head in pure ignorance.

Then, he heard Tian Qi’s devilish laughter as he whispered a few words into his ear: "Teammates as foolish as pigs."

Back then, Tian Qi had encountered his father. Now, he was faced with two martial nephews overflowing with idle, dim-witted concern.

After a long silence, he did not disappoint the century of teachings from Feng Ran and Tian Qi. Before losing his temper, he upheld his status as an elder, nodded with utmost restraint, and uttered the most stifled five words of his life: "Thank you for your concern."

Qing Yi opened his mouth, about to add that the youngest daughter of the locust tree immortal at the foot of the mountain wasn’t bad either, but he saw his little martial uncle transform into a swift arrow, charging back into the valley without a backward glance.

At that moment, on the phoenix tree.

The Water Condensation Beast, which had not opened its eyes for half a year under Gu Jin’s relentless bombardment, finally lifted its eyelids and gazed out at the world.