162. Immortality and Eternal Life Originated from the Island

"Sister Mengru, I believe you have misunderstood. As you can see, I was just dealing with a traitor. This fellow actually attempted to ambush me and seize the Abyss Flood Dragon in order to become the master of Snake Island. And all of this... was helped by that child Xie Wuji. Right now, I am searching everywhere for him," the Serpent Beauty said with a smile. Her smile concealed a knife, embodying the moniker of the Serpent Beauty to the absolute limit.

Dangerous yet beautiful, seductive yet fatal.

Dai Mengru waved her horsetail whisk and retorted, "Then tell me, what business do you have with my disciple?"

"Sister, aren't you afraid that the people from the Supreme Immortal Sect and the Danxia Sect will blame you for taking Baili Qingyan as your disciple?" the Serpent Beauty said, her eyes narrowing like a poisonous snake coiled and ready to strike.

Dai Mengru laughed heartily. "Afraid of them? The Supreme Immortal Sect has seen its glory days pass and has long retreated to the second tier. Meanwhile, the Beast King Valley, a first-tier sect, is an ally of my Red Dust Valley; many of their disciples are betrothed to ours. And what is the Danxia Sect anyway? A mere sect with only a single Nascent Soul cultivator—it's an absolute disgrace to the Ten Great Sects! Frankly, any random second-rate sect out there is probably far more formidable than Danxia!"

"So you are dead set on keeping this disciple?" the Serpent Beauty asked.

"Yes, absolutely!"

"Very well, so be it. However, since Xie Wuji helped us resolve our internal strife, I, as the newly reinstated island master, naturally must thank him personally. Moreover, this Baili Qingyan seems to share some close relationship with Xie Wuji, so we merely wish to locate Wuji through him," said the Serpent Beauty.

Baili Qingyan spoke up, "Island Master, how can you expect me to believe that you aren't here to hunt down Wuji?"

"Do you remember Wuji drawing our White Snake Sword?" the Serpent Beauty asked.

"Yes."

"The White Snake Sword and the Green Snake Sword have always been a pair. My daughter wields the Green Snake Sword, and no one had ever been able to pull the White Snake Sword from its sheath. Since he was able to draw it, he shares a destined affinity with my daughter," the Serpent Beauty explained.

Dai Mengru burst into laughter. "Ah, so he's the son-in-law!"

Hearing this did not sit well with Baili Qingyan, who clenched his fists tightly. Yet, recalling that Xie Wuji was a completely straight man, he felt utterly powerless and slowly relaxed his gripped hands.

The Serpent Beauty continued, "With this reason, do you think you can tell us Xie Wuji's whereabouts now?"

"The reason is compelling; I have no grounds to refuse," Baili Qingyan replied. "They are in the Soul-Lost Forest."

"Many thanks!" the Serpent Beauty said, cupping her fists in salute.

At that exact moment, the Serpent Maiden looked at Baili Qingyan, and Baili Qingyan returned her gaze.

Baili Qingyan marveled at the Serpent Maiden's tender charm, while the Serpent Maiden was struck by Baili Qingyan's ethereal beauty.

"Wait a moment," Baili Qingyan called out to the Serpent Maiden.

The Serpent Maiden paused in slight surprise.

Baili Qingyan bit his lower lip and said, "If you happen to encounter Wuji, please treat him well. He has suffered the most from this ordeal—betrayed by those he trusted most and framed by those closest to him..."

Seeing the anxious look in Baili Qingyan's eyes, the Serpent Maiden smiled. "I will."

"Thank you." Baili Qingyan offered a faint, exhausted smile that was heartbreaking to behold.

Looking at that smile, the Serpent Maiden suddenly understood a great deal. She let out a soft sigh and watched quietly as Baili and his companions departed.

"What is it, my daughter?" the Serpent Beauty asked.

"Nothing, it's nothing."

...

Back in the village, just as everyone was racking their brains over what to do next, a scout rushed in to report an enemy attack.

Stepping outside, they discovered it was the people from Snake Island. The Serpent Beauty and her entourage entered the village, and Xie Wuji looked quite astonished to see them.

"Aren't you going back?"

"We came to take you with us," the Serpent Beauty replied.

Xie Wuji was bewildered. "Island Master, why would you do that?"

The Serpent Beauty smiled. "You are the successor of Ancestor Xue Leng, and we are the descendants of the Immortal Heaven Sword Sect. We are walking the same path, so naturally, you should come with us to Snake Island now."

After a brief explanation from the Serpent Beauty, Xie Wuji finally grasped the situation.

It turned out that Xue Leng's wife was named Tang Xueyan. Back in the day, Xue Leng had brought the Immortal Heaven Sword Sect to the peak of its glory, making it one of the preeminent giants in the cultivation world. In the end, however, he was betrayed by villains and perished here.

Snake Island had originally been a branch of the Immortal Heaven Sword Sect—akin to a regional branch office under a major corporation—and was governed by Tang Xueyan's kin.

As it happened, Tang Xueyan shared blood ties with the Serpent Maiden and her mother. Having narrowly escaped the catastrophe when the main sect fell, and facing a chaotic era, the branch had simply changed its name and established itself as Snake Island, standing proudly as an independent power.

When the Serpent Beauty and her daughter witnessed Xie Wuji's sword formation, they immediately confirmed that he was indeed a descendant of the Immortal Heaven Sword Sect. They had intended to reveal their identity then and there, but Dongmen Yong's sneak attack on Xie Wuji had interrupted them.

"Now that our identities are in the open, I will be direct. In truth, our purpose in coming to this tournament was not for the rankings of the Ten Great Sects..." the Serpent Beauty said.

"What?" Xie Wuji asked in surprise.

"We came for the Immortal Heaven Sword Artifact," the Serpent Beauty declared.

Upon hearing the mention of the Immortal Heaven Sword Artifact, both Song Zhong and Song Xiao stood up in shock.

Song Xiaoyu asked, "Father, Uncle, do you both know about this item?"

"Legends speak of the Immortal Heaven Sword Artifact, but the tale is ancient beyond measure. I only ever heard your grandfather mention it," Song Zhong explained. "Millennia ago, the Immortal Heaven Sword Sect was a titan of cultivation, possessing staggering collective strength. Any ordinary disciple from back then could rival the elders of today's major sects. Yet, they vanished overnight. To think such a history actually exists."

"Indeed. We sought the Immortal Heaven Sword Artifact to help revive the Immortal Heaven Sword Sect. It is also a matter of destiny; who would have thought that Wuji is also a member of the Undying Longevity Sect? Actually, the sect has deep ties to the Sword Artifact as well," the Serpent Beauty said.

Puzzled, Xie Wuji asked, "Ties?"

"Let me explain that to Wuji," Song Zhong chimed in. "The founding ancestor of the Undying Longevity Sect chose that name because he was originally the Island Master of the 'Longevity Island,' which floated among the skies within the territory of the Immortal Heaven Sword Sect."

"Longevity Island?" Xie Wuji chuckled. "The more you say, the more unbelievable it sounds."

"The Immortal Heaven Sword Sect was built upon a cluster of islands suspended in the air—one main island surrounded by numerous satellite islands, and Longevity Island was one of them," Song Zhong continued.

The Serpent Maiden shook her head. "Of course, that Island Master had his own selfish motives at the time. Seeing that the Immortal Heaven Sword Sect was doomed, he led his followers away to establish their own sect."

Song Xiao smiled bitterly. "That is why the people of the Undying Longevity Sect never pursued vengeance as their goal. Instead, they focused entirely on cultivation and longevity, remaining detached from worldly conflicts."

"My father said before he passed that we owe a profound debt to the Immortal Heaven Sword Sect, but alas, the sect has long since perished, leaving certain things beyond repair," Song Zhong sighed.

"Since we are all kindred spirits, I propose this: you can all come to Snake Island to temporarily take refuge from the storm," the Serpent Beauty suggested. "Whether it is the Supreme Immortal Sect or the Danxia Sect, neither of them are benevolent. Furthermore, Wuji's head carries a bounty of five thousand spiritual stones. If anyone out there discovers his whereabouts, they are bound to hand him over to those sects. If that happens, making a comeback will be utterly impossible."

"But is Snake Island truly safe?" Song Xiaoyu asked. Having suffered through numerous trials, it was difficult for her to easily trust anyone anymore.

"Rest assured, Snake Island is isolated from the world—a solitary island in the midst of the ocean. Anyone wishing to leak our whereabouts would still have to leave via the docks, and I would be alerted in advance. Besides, don't the esteemed Sword Master Song and the others urgently need a safe haven right now?" the Serpent Beauty reasoned.

"Staying here is certain death. We might as well go to Snake Island to catch our breath. When the time is right, we will hunt down Ding Desheng and clear Wuji's name! We will let the entire world know that Wuji is innocent!" Ximen declared.

The surrounding people nodded in agreement.

"It all depends on Big Brother Xie. Wherever Big Brother Xie goes, I go," Fatty Long said resolutely.

Xie Wuji's brow relaxed. "Very well. Since Snake Island is willing to take us in, we will be troubling you!"