Li Qiye also planned to leave right after the altar. He didnât bother anyone else so only Gong Qianyue and Ping Suoweng knew about it.
Suoweng initially wanted to commence a grand farewell ceremony but Li Qiye didnât give permission.
Gong Qianyue didnât cry at all but her eyes were red. Perhaps she cried during the previous night.
âSilly girl, keep trying. There will be a spot for you up there.â Li Qiye smiled and gave her a hug after seeing her sad appearance.
She hugged tightly and didnât want to let go. Eventually, she let go and nodded: âI wonât let you down, Young Master.â Tears finally wetted the corner of her eyes.
Ping Suoweng also got on his knees and bowed, representing Divine Black to show its gratitude and to bid him goodbye.
Li Qiye nodded and left without looking back at the two. This wasnât because he was emotionless or had a heart of stone but rather, he has experienced these departures too many times before. Thus, he no longer wanted to think about them or look back after each one.
Suoweng stopped following his figure once he disappeared into the horizon. However, Gong Qianyue kept on looking.
Suoweng sighed after seeing this. His disciple was excellent and no geniuses could get into her sight in the past.
âWeâre not in the same world as the young master.â He quietly told her.
Though he was at the Grand Dao Sacred Physique realm and a big shot in northern West King, he knew of the gap between them.
They were nothing more than ants crawling on the ground versus a true immortal above the nine firmaments. The ants couldnât get through the distance and could only look up at him.
âI know. Young Master stands at the apex so I need to try harder. Maybe Iâll be able to get there and see its scenery.â Gong Qianyue took a deep breath while clenching her fists.
âYouâll definitely be able to do it.â Suoweng was happy to see her spirit increasing. He had a high evaluation of her since her dao heart and talents both exceeded his.
Maybe she couldnât become a dao lord later but would still definitely be a top character such as a mighty Heavenly Sovereign. Thus, the future of Divine Black relied on her.
âYoung Master, who is he, really?â She eventually murmured.
Li Qiye seemed like a puzzle that couldnât be solved by anyone, always hidden behind secrecies.
âThe immortal, the one in the legend.â Suoweng pondered for a bit and decided to tell her with a cautious expression.
âThe immortal written in our records?â She became shocked despite being mentally prepared for any answer.
âItâs a possibility.â Suoweng remained prudent: âThis might be the touch of fate he brought up before. Unfortunately, weâre inferior to our patriarchâ¦â He sighed with disappointment.
Their sect had ancient records depicting their patriarch being taught by an immortal. From then on, it obtained a great fortune and followed the immortal to great paradisesâ¦
Everyone in Divine Black memorized these tales. Thus, Suoweng had thought about it very carefully. There was a chance of Li Qiye being the immortal in the tales.
He naturally didnât dare to ask Li Qiye or tell others about it with the exception of Qianyue. Perhaps this connection was the reason why Li Qiye showed up and decided to save Divine Black.
âWeâve let our ancestors down.â He eventually concluded.
There was such an amazing opportunity before them yet they couldnât grasp it - truly shameful. It showed that they didnât have what it takes to earn the immortalâs grace, unlike their patriarch. This was extremely important for Divine Blackâs prosperity, a chance to let them reach their golden age for the second time.
âAn immortal? Either way, heâs still our Young Master.â Qianyue said. He would always be the young master in her mind - a man who had everything in his grasp and acted with complete confidence and leisureliness.
âDonât tell anyone about this. No one.â Suoweng said with a solemn expression.
This matter would stir the entire world and it might have negative effects for Li Qiye.
âI understand.â Qianyue would never tell this secret to anyone.
âYou will shoulder Divine Black in the future.â He stared at her and said.
Though they lost this opportunity, Qianyue did the best out of anyone and clearly got on Li Qiyeâs good side. He taught her quite a bit so given her innate talents and this fateful connection, she would definitely reach the top and bring prosperity to Divine Black.
She didnât say anything and stared in his direction.
âLetâs go back.â Suoweng sighed and went back first.
She remained there for a long time. âYoung Master.â She eventually whispered before leaving.
After returning, she immediately underwent isolated cultivation without caring about anyone else.
The others in Divine Black didnât know that Li Qiye was gone until a long time later.
***
Li Qiyeâs destination was Stone Plateau. He took his time like always during these journeys.
Despite being a Bronze Tendon cultivator, his speed far exceeded the rest. It was easy for him to cross through space.
Nonetheless, he wanted to feel the world. There had been monumental changes in the Nine Worlds, now the Eight Desolaces.
If it werenât for the indelible marks from the Nine Worlds, no one would recognize it. The outlines and geography have all changed.
Li Qiye began deriving the profundities of this land along the way, becoming one with the dao. In this process, he broke through to the next realm - Silver Carapace.
This allowed him to start a new merit law and a mantra. He casually picked one mantra up from Divine Black before leaving - Divinization.
This was naturally one of the seven original mantras. Of course, this version no longer had its original form. This wasnât hard for Li Qiye to change since he could derive a perfect version from it.
What was special about the Divinization Mantra? With a single thought, one could become a god. This was its highest profundity.
Unfortunately, very few have been able to reach this step. Thatâs why most didnât give a damn about it and labeled it as being ordinary and worthless.