Chapter 896: Carefree Immortal

Although Ji Yuan was walking through the market in Du Kuifeng at this moment, he had little interest in browsing. His thoughts were entirely focused on the "Great King" mentioned by Du Gangzong.

"Xiezhi," Ji Yuan asked, "you just said that Zhuyan's cultivation might be incredibly formidable?"

Immediately, Xiezhi's voice emanated from his sleeve.

"That fellow dares to use this name with such impunity and has already become a Demon King in the Southern Desolate Continent. Even if it's unlikely to be his true body, he must have captured at least a third of its essence. If he truly goes all out, even those high-ranking immortal masters would find it hard to subdue him."

Receiving no reply from Ji Yuan, Xiezhi prompted, "Ji Yuan, what do you say? Should we take action against this Zhuyan? If I can devour him, I'll surely recover a significant amount of my vitality and be able to assist you more. Although you aren't at your peak either, you can manipulate the ways of heaven and earth. If we could also take him by surprise, then..."

Ji Yuan shook his head slightly.

"This demon must be deep within the Southern Desolate Mountains. Finding him is secondary, but to act within the Southern Desolate Mountains without cause would certainly trigger great chaos. With heaven and earth on his side, I am not confident I can apprehend him."

Xiezhi clearly grew impatient.

"You can do it, Ji Yuan, you definitely can! Even if the Immortal Binding Rope can't completely subdue him, it can hold him for a moment or greatly inconvenience him. Zhuyan's true body is said to be invulnerable, but currently, it's absolutely just some monkey's shell. His true body must still be trapped in the Desolate Realm. His current body absolutely cannot withstand the Azure Vine Sword. If one sword isn't enough, then two; if two aren't enough, then three. As long as we decapitate him, and I immediately assist from the side, we can certainly capture him! We have fifty percent, no, at least sixty percent chance of success!"

Ji Yuan remained deep in thought. Seeing his silence, Xiezhi's words flowed out like spilled beans.

"Ji Yuan, Zhuyan delights in calamity and chaos; he is by no means benevolent. I don't believe he can change his nature. If we don't confront him today, it's inevitable we will someday. It's better to strike first while he's unprepared!"

Ji Yuan walked along the streets of Du Kuifeng's market, brushing past various humanoid and non-humanoid beings.

Was this Zhuyan a pure ancient malevolent spirit awakening to seize an opportunity in this era of great contention, or did he represent a chess player or merely a pawn?

If it was the former, it would be somewhat better. If it was the latter two, Ji Yuan would have to be exceedingly cautious. After all, Ji Yuan's image in the eyes of those "chess players" was that of a highly cultivated immortal in the current world. If Ji Yuan were to immediately seek to kill Zhuyan upon hearing his name, it would only indicate that Ji Yuan knew what the name Zhuyan represented from the very beginning.

"Ji Yuan, Ji Yuan, say something! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! And he's in the Southern Desolate Mountains, surrounded by demons. You can go all out without worrying about harming the innocent!"

"Are there no innocents among demons?"

Ji Yuan's words made Xiezhi laugh.

"Hehehehe, demons naturally have innocents, but I don't believe you, Ji Yuan, are so pedantic. How often can one encounter a situation where everything is perfect? One can only say that there are relative priorities, and in urgent situations, one must make choices."

"Hmm, you have a point, but now is not suitable. At least, I cannot actively seek out Zhuyan. Even if I could kill him, it wouldn't be easy. It would certainly leave a massive mark on the Southern Desolate Mountains and make the demons there aware of it, possibly inciting rebellion."

"So what? Has your reputation not spread far enough, Ji Yuan? And even if Zhuyan dies, the Southern Desolate will fall into chaos with various demon kings vying for power, just like in the Black Desolation era."

Ji Yuan paused, looking down at his right sleeve, and said coldly, "Xiezhi, do you truly not know, or are you pretending not to know? During the Great Desolation era, heaven and earth shattered, and those who stirred up heaven and earth were rejected by it, never to rise again. But in this day and age, those truly capable of turning the world upside down will certainly not give up. They will incite chaos, manipulate all energies. They won't miss any opportunity. Is your Zhuyan truly just Zhuyan?"

Xiezhi fell silent. After a long moment, a hoarse voice slowly drifted out again.

"Alright, since you, Ji Yuan, put it that way, I'll be direct. Others can say that, but do you have the nerve to say it? Back then, when the ways of heaven and earth were contested, and the cosmos became a chessboard, the capable all vied for power. Even the sun and moon contended for brilliance, and from the nine heavens to the nine hells, there was no peace. Heaven was burned, seas were boiled, and the firmament was torn apart, leading to the shattering of heaven and earth. Among those who contended most fiercely, you were surely one!"

*Boom!*

At that instant, thunder suddenly boomed in the sky. Lightning, like a jagged tree branch, appeared in the heavens, momentarily illuminating everything on the ground. Countless people in the Du Kuifeng market were startled by the thunder, and many looked up at the sky or sensed the surging energies.

It was as if a single sentence had revealed a heavenly secret. Xiezhi's words shook Ji Yuan to his core, his brow furrowed in prolonged silence. He wanted to say he was innocent, but he couldn't bring himself to.

Creating cosmic fortune, shaping destiny into a game, sensing the ways of heaven and earth, influencing the changes of wind and clouds—Ji Yuan's entire skill set was likely connected to the events Xiezhi spoke of.

Having reached his current level of cultivation, and having entered the Heavenly Mechanism Palace and visited Immeasurable Mountain, seen the heavenly mechanism murals, and heard the millennial expectations of Zhong Pingxiu's lineage, whether others believed it or not, could Ji Yuan still claim to be merely an innocent young man who had stumbled into this world?

The events of his previous life were vivid in his memory; that universe and Earth truly existed. But just as Zhuang Zhou dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreamt it was Zhuang Zhou, regardless of which realm he was in, Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly were fundamentally one, weren't they?

So Ji Yuan sometimes wondered if he was truly the "self" he knew from his past life. Although memories of his past life always made him adopt a transmigrant's perspective, hadn't this current life also become deeply ingrained?

"Perhaps... but what's the point of discussing this now? Even if I was truly a prime culprit once, then in this life, I shall do my utmost to restore peace and order to the world."

"Hmph, easy to say. What if you do your utmost and still can't restore peace? What will you do then? You often say that when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken, but if heaven and earth shatter and the shackles are lost, you might very well escape!"

Ji Yuan took another step, heading towards a fragrant, steaming stall not far away. Although the stall owner was in human form, his fangs were still visible, and his face was somewhat ferocious.

"At that point, there will probably be no Ji Yuan left. Let any worries be for others to ponder."

Ji Yuan's faint words immediately rendered the somewhat agitated Xiezhi speechless. In fact, Xiezhi tried to say something else, or to mock and probe, several times from inside Ji Yuan's sleeve, but couldn't. Because when Ji Yuan spoke those words, a strong sensation, like someone making a solemn vow, arose in Xiezhi's heart.

'Ji Yuan, he's serious!'

In the past, Xiezhi and Ji Yuan had ambiguously probed each other more than once, but today, in some sense, it was a complete showdown. Xiezhi, who believed he held the moral high ground, couldn't retort.

Such a statement, coming from Ji Yuan just a few decades ago when he first arrived in this world, would have been impossible. To say "rather my friend dies than me" might be extreme, but his own safety would certainly have been the highest priority.

However, by now, Ji Yuan had too many attachments in this world. Having witnessed the enduring immortal charm and the mortal world's essence, these emotional bonds were not restraints but rather beautiful moments that brought a smile to his face. Without a human heart, how could one speak of an immortal heart? With an immortal heart, one should cherish the human heart—this was also the truth that Min Xian had realized after years of demotion. And now, Ji Yuan could calmly utter that very sentence.

An immortal, in essence, seeks the path of carefree existence. This freedom might not necessarily be transcendence, nor eternal life. For Ji Yuan, the freedom of his heart *is* the immortal path. To have no regrets, to generously face what comes, even death on the path ahead, is also freedom.

Ji Yuan had reached the stall and observed the owner. It seemed to be a wild boar that had cultivated itself, running its business in Du Kuifeng market just like any ordinary human vendor.

"Shopkeeper, what are you selling, and how much?"

"Oh, patron, aren't you afraid of me? For a mortal like you to walk in this market, you should be careful once you leave Du Kuifeng."

The shopkeeper grinned as he scrutinized Ji Yuan. This must be a scholar; he certainly had courage.

"Hmm, no need for your concern, shopkeeper. I just wish for something warm to eat. I was actually on my way to a banquet, but unfortunately, I left the chopsticks down and came here after only a few bites."

"Oh, that's a shame then. But you're not out of luck. My big bone and tofu soup is the product of a hundred years of culinary refinement. It's stewed with both pork and lamb bones, infused with various spiritual ingredients. It's incredibly warming, nourishing, and expels cold—you can't taste anything like it in the human world. Seeing as you're a mortal, I'll sell it to you cheaply. One tael of silver!"

Ji Yuan looked at the stove on the food cart.

"You also stew pig bones?"

The shopkeeper looked up at Ji Yuan.

"Huh, by asking that, can you discern my true form? You're no simple scholar!"

"Oh, I just guessed based on your prominent nose, bright, round eyes, and energetic look, your white teeth and large, fortunate ears—a truly handsome individual."

The shopkeeper immediately broke into a wide smile.

"Hahahahaaha... Good, good, good! You scholars really speak well. Indeed, you've hit the nail on the head. How many bowls? I'll give you extra tofu; all the flavor of this soup is in the tofu!"

"Many thanks, many thanks. One bowl will suffice."

Just after saying that, Ji Yuan glanced at his sleeve and changed his order.

"Two bowls, please."

"Alright! Just a moment! Since you praised me so well, I'll add a bit more heat for you!"

With that, the pig demon puffed out his cheeks and blew into the stove's air vent.

The flames in the stove intensified dramatically.