Long Night (Final Chapter of Volume)

Time continued its relentless march, and Xu Lixing, his beloved daughter, had reached the final chapter of her life.

“Dad.” Xu Lixing leaned gently against the bed, clasping Xu Jingming’s hand with a serene smile. “Don’t be saddened. I am immensely grateful to be your daughter in this lifetime.”

Xu Jingming gazed at his daughter.

Those who had brought him into this world and nurtured him had already departed.

Even his dear spouse had left his side.

Now, the only daughter he had raised was on the verge of departing from this realm as well.

Even as a formidable half-step third-realm powerhouse, Xu Jingming felt his heart torn asunder.

“I know, my pride—my dearest father is the strongest.” The aged Xu Lixing locked eyes with her father, her smile unwavering.

Xu Jingming tenderly caressed his daughter’s face. “Lixing, Daddy loves you more than words can express.”

“And I love you dearly, Daddy.” Xu Lixing beamed. “Let Meng Tian and I spend some time chatting with the children.”

“Very well.” Xu Jingming reluctantly rose from his seat, casting one last longing gaze at his daughter before turning to depart from the room.

Meng Tian, Xu Fangjin, and Xu Biyun swiftly entered the chamber, gathering around Xu Lixing’s bedside to bid their final farewell.

Outside, in the courtyard, Xu Jingming stood alone in the corridor, his eyes fixed upon the vast expanse of the cosmos as the night grew darker.

<nulli>What significance does my status as a half-step third-realm possess? Xu Jingming extended his hand, grasping at the ethereal void. <nulli>I cannot halt the relentless passage of time, nor can I alter the boundaries of our mortal existence. All I can do is accept this fate and endure the pain.

Eventually, late into the night, Xu Lixing peacefully passed away.

The aged Meng Tian remained seated beside the bed, unwilling to tear his gaze away from the lifeless form of Xu Lixing. Xu Fangjin and Xu Biyun had already left to make arrangements for the somber rites.

“Senior Sister, I shall soon join you,” Meng Tian murmured with a wistful smile.

“Meng Tian.” Xu Jingming appeared outside the door.

Meng Tian turned to face Xu Jingming. “Father-in-law.”

“You acquired the knowledge of constructing a high-dimensional form over 30,000 years ago. You possess the ability to transcend into a high-dimensional being at any given moment,” Xu Jingming stated, his eyes fixed upon him. “Yet, you have not made the breakthrough. And now, you plan to… perish alongside Lixing?”

Meng Tian could not hide his secrets from Xu Jingming—a half-step third-realm powerhouse endowed with the ability to glimpse into the future.

Among the countless cosmic legends that adorned the annals of humanity, one individual stood out with remarkable subtlety—Meng Tian. Always lurking in the shadow of his wife, Xu Lixing, he concealed his true power. Only Xu Jingming, with his ability to perceive the past and the future, comprehended the true extent of Meng Tian’s growth.

“Father-in-law.” Meng Tian hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I discovered the method to construct a high-dimensional form over 30,000 years ago. However, I understand that the perception of the world by high-dimensional beings is utterly distinct from that of lower-dimensional lifeforms.”

Xu Jingming nodded in agreement.

To ants and humans, the world appeared vastly dissimilar, despite both being ordinary, low-dimensional creatures.

The contrast between low-dimensional and high-dimensional lifeforms was even more profound! Their perceptions extended beyond mere size, color, and scent, even encompassing disparate understandings of space and time.

“I had hoped to grow old alongside Lixing and share the same experiences,” Meng Tian confessed. “Yet, I recognize my limited talent. Despite your guidance, my progress has been sluggish. My abilities… pale in comparison to Deputy Dean Redmond’s. With all five of you present, my contribution to the human race seems inconsequential.”

“Thus, I contemplated a selfish decision.” Meng Tian directed his gaze towards the reclining figure of Xu Lixing. “I desire to depart this world alongside her, for without her, this world holds no meaning for me.”

He couldn’t erase the memories of his initial encounter with his senior sister. Nor could he forget the girl who, with her radiant smile, bought out his contract, releasing him from the abyss of darkness and introducing him to a world of illumination.

“Meng Tian.” Xu Jingming comprehended Meng Tian’s current state of mind. “Your demise holds no significance for Lixing. It merely reflects your selfishness.”

“Selfishness is what I seek,” Meng Tian replied with a smile.

“While you remain alive, hope persists,” Xu Jingming asserted. “I have spent numerous years cultivating my talents, excelling in the Heart Realm lineage. However, my physical prowess is unremarkable. I possess no means to create spawn. The sole path to resurrecting Lixing and the others lies in my breakthrough to the third realm! Yet… the third realm proves to be a daunting challenge.”

“Hence, I must disclose the truth to you! The odds of reviving them are slim.” Xu Jingming fixed his gaze upon Meng Tian.

Meng Tian was stunned.

“I require your assistance,” Xu Jingming implored. “Your physical aptitude is formidable. If you can achieve the half-step third realm in terms of physicality, you can bring them back to life. You possess the power that eludes me.”

“By surrendering your life, you forsake the chance of reviving Lixing and the others.” With those words, Xu Jingming turned and departed.

Meng Tian fell into contemplative silence.

In truth, although his father-in-law reigned as the most formidable force in the entire domain, his expertise primarily resided within the Heart Realm lineage, leaving physical pursuits largely unexplored.

…

Xu Jingming possessed a clear understanding of Meng Tian’s inevitable decision to pursue a breakthrough and ascend as a high-dimensional lifeform once he revealed the slim chances of reviving Lixing and the others in the future.

<nulli>This child has revolved around Lixing his entire life, Xu Jingming ruminated. Witnessing Meng Tian’s unwavering devotion towards Lixing throughout their shared existence, Xu Jingming couldn’t help but feel deeply moved and hold great admiration for him.

In due course, merely six months after Xu Lixing’s passing, Meng Tian achieved the breakthrough, becoming the sixth high-dimensional lifeform amongst humanity.

However, Xu Fangjin and Xu Biyun also neared the end of their respective lifespans.

******

Within the confines of the cemetery.

The graves lay heavy with silence. Xu Jingming sat alone upon the steps, his gaze fixated on the tombstones before him.

His grandparents, parents, in-laws, wife, daughter, grandchildren… all had reached the culmination of their lives and passed away. Logically, it should have been a celebratory funeral.

Yet, Xu Jingming felt as though the weight of the entire world pressed down upon his heart.

<nulli>I am the sole survivor.

Seated upon the steps, Xu Jingming took solace in his drink. <nulli>Despite having witnessed the future and the present scenario countless times, the actual experience proves agonizing.

His heart perpetually felt punctured, the pain unbearable, seeping into every fiber of his being.

Xu Jingming recognized this suffering as a direct consequence of the mental anguish permeating his physical form.

“Jingming,” a voice called out, and the thin dean emerged within the cemetery.

“Dean.” Xu Jingming raised his eyes to meet the dean’s gaze.

“You’ve been here in this cemetery for a century,” the dean uttered.

“Has it truly been a hundred years?” Xu Jingming murmured. “I have been immersed in reminiscing the days spent with my parents and the cherished memories shared with my wife and daughter. Unbeknownst to me, a century has elapsed.”

The dean surveyed the graves. “We must all acclimate to this reality! Every high-dimensional lifeform that transcends the boundaries of low-dimensional existence must grow accustomed to loneliness.”

“Acclimate?” Xu Jingming contemplated the tombstones.

“Yes, acclimate.”

“We must never forget the most significant individuals in our lives. The pain of their loss will persistently haunt us, yet with the passage of time, we shall grow accustomed to this pain,” the dean expounded.

“This agony also drives us to strive harder, to become stronger. Only through attaining sufficient strength can we resurrect those we hold dearest, those who have slipped away through the fabric of spacetime,” the dean imparted.

Xu Jingming nodded.

“You should not dwell on this matter indefinitely.” With those words, the dean dissipated into thin air.

Xu Jingming remained seated upon the steps, motionless. He continued to silently drink, his gaze fixed upon the tombstones.

…

In the South Pavilion 3609 Dominion, Thearch Dragon Island Lord maintained a watchful eye on Xu Jingming, fully aware that his master was becoming entangled in his affairs.

<nulli>This Wu Ming possesses an excessive amount of talent and grows at an alarming rate! Consequently, he can grant his low-dimensional relatives a lifespan of 100,000 years. It is this very bond that binds them together so closely. Through karmic sight, Thearch Dragon Island Lord observed Xu Jingming’s continued presence in the cemetery, immersed in the realm of cherished memories.

<nulli>When I look at him, it feels as if I am gazing upon Master.

<nulli>Master experienced a similar journey. He shared a profound connection with his relatives. Upon attaining the third realm, he bestowed eternal life upon them.

<nulli>In the beginning, the days were filled with beauty, and they relished in their idyllic existence. But what transpired in the end? Those relatives possessed ordinary minds and wills. With time, their faculties decayed and twisted, causing greater sorrow for Master.

Thearch Dragon Island Lord fixated his gaze upon Xu Jingming in the cemetery. <nulli>Wu Ming possesses exceptional talent. Perhaps he will reach the third realm in due course. However, what significance does success hold? He, too, shall tread the same path as Master and confront the corrupted and distorted minds of his relatives.

<nulli>The more profound the emotional connection, the more profound the pain inflicted, Thearch Dragon Island Lord pondered within himself.

******

Xu Jingming remained oblivious to the passage of time in the cemetery. Countless visits from the dean, Tower Master, Island Lord, Redmond, and Meng Tian had occurred.

Despite being fully aware of his actions, Xu Jingming had no desire to cease. He was deeply immersed in a multitude of cherished memories—the most precious moments of his life.

<nulli>Huh?

Raising his gaze, Xu Jingming discovered that the wine flask in his hand had been emptied.

“Finished?” Xu Jingming stood up. “It’s time to depart.”

His eyes scanned the names engraved on the tombstones, their familiarity reminiscent of beloved figures.

“Only after losing you all do I realize your true worth.”

Taking a step forward, Xu Jingming’s figure transformed into ethereal essence as he delved into the Heart Realm and exited the universe.

Within the chaotic Heart Realm.

Darkness clouded Xu Jingming’s eyes, accompanied by a surge of anger, sorrow, indignation, and longing. A psychic spear materialized in his grasp.

<nulli>Whoosh.

Silently, his strike materialized as an infinite darkness, shrouding and seeping into everything.

Within the darkness, hope seemed nonexistent.

The fourth move of Golden Halberd—Night!

He found himself entrenched in an enduring night—a seemingly interminable and agonizing night. Yet, Xu Jingming resolved to patiently await the arrival of dawn.

“My Dao! My Dao!”

“You all are my Dao!”

Whispering fervently, Xu Jingming exhibited unwavering determination, despite the arduous path to the third realm.

It was only at this moment that Xu Jingming fully put his Dao into practice.

Only upon successfully breaking through in the My Dao realm would he be deemed eligible to embark on comprehending the ultimate realm of the Eight Directions Map—Great Freedom!

<nulli>Great Freedom? Great Freedom?

<nulli>How shall I relish in the essence of Great Freedom? Xu Jingming chuckled self-deprecatingly. Taking a step forward, he vanished from the Heart Realm.

Final Chapter of Volume—Half-Step Third Realm