As the sliver of his divine soul was about to dissipate, Bai Yuji took one last look at Noah and Leah.
“It has not been easy for the Allen family to come this far,” he said. “As for the future, you do not need to remain trapped in my shadow. Since you were born in this world, live well in accordance with its ways.”
Leah's eyes grew slightly red, and she nodded vigorously. Noah responded in a low voice:
“We will heed your teachings, Ancestor.”
Bai Yuji then looked at Venus.
“The path of the Empire does not lie with me, nor does it rest entirely on Fellow Daoist Li.”
Venus's expression turned solemn, and she straightened her posture.
Bai Yuji continued in a gentle voice:
“If the rise and fall of a nation rests solely on the shoulders of one person, it is ultimately not a long-term solution. If the Empire truly wishes to survive the future calamity, it must still rely on yourselves.”
Venus remained silent for a moment before replying earnestly,
“I understand.”
Bai Yuji nodded gently, finally turning his gaze back to Li Yuan.
Folding his fan, he clasped his hands solemnly and bowed deeply to Li Yuan.
“I leave this world in your hands, Fellow Daoist.”
Li Yuan looked at him and accepted the bow calmly.
He also raised his hands and returned the gesture.
“Farewell, Fellow Daoist Bai.”
Bai Yuji smiled, showing the relief of someone who had completely let go of his burdens.
In the next instant, his phantom completely dissolved, turning into countless white specks of light that vanished from everyone's sight.
At the same time, the compass floating in mid-air let out a crisp crack.
“Crack.”
A crack appeared on its surface, quickly spreading across the face.
Before Noah and Leah could even reach out, the compass shattered in mid-air. The fragments fell, but they turned to dust before touching the ground, vanishing without a trace.
It had fulfilled its purpose, so there was no longer any need for it to exist.
Leah stared blankly at where the compass had been and muttered softly,
“It's gone...”
Noah stood by her side and gently patted his sister's shoulder.
Venus didn't speak; she merely raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. On this trip to the Kingdom, the events that had unfolded far exceeded her initial expectations.
In his heart, Li Yuan silently saw Bai Yuji off on his final journey. As a fellow cultivator from Kyushu, seeing him meet his end in a foreign land—it would be a lie to say Li Yuan felt no regret.
He placed the teapot back on the stove and poured some more tea for everyone.
A moment later, Noah retrieved an ancient book from his coat, carefully wrapped in cloth.
Its cover was yellowed but extremely well-preserved, with only a bit of wear on the edges.
Holding it with both hands, Noah walked up to the bar counter and respectfully presented the ancient book to Li Yuan.
“Mr. Li, this is the ancient book our ancestor spoke of.”
Leah also stepped forward, her expression solemn.
“Please accept it.”
Looking at the siblings, Li Yuan reached out and took the ancient book.
This book was probably Bai Yuji's cultivation insights. It was quite impressive that his descendants had managed to preserve it for over a thousand years.
“Thank you.”
Noah and Leah quickly shook their heads.
“This is our ancestor's final wish. We dare not accept your thanks, sir.”
Li Yuan said no more and placed the ancient book on the inner side of the bar counter.
Watching this scene, the last trace of wishful thinking in Venus's heart gradually dissipated.
After today, the delegation truly had to leave.
They had found their target, confirmed his identity, and received an answer.
Although it wasn't the answer the Empire wanted most, it was at least not the worst-case scenario.
Venus stood up and bowed slightly to Li Yuan.
“Since everything has been confirmed, we will not disturb you any longer.”
Li Yuan set down his teacup and nodded.
“Safe travels.”
Supporting herself on the edge of the table, Vina stood up. She looked in Li Yuan's direction, hesitated for a few seconds, and then said in a low voice,
“Mr. Li... please forgive me for my previous offense.”
Li Yuan replied gently:
“It was a minor matter. No need to take it to heart.”
Noah and Leah also bowed and took their leave of Li Yuan.
The group made their way toward the door one after another.
As she reached the door, Venus paused slightly.
She turned back, casting a complicated look at Li Yuan.
There was regret, there was a touch of unwillingness, but most of all, there was relief.
After a moment, she flashed a relaxed smile and said in a clear voice,
“Mr. Li, if you ever suddenly feel like visiting the Empire, you are welcome to come find me at any time.”
Li Yuan also smiled and replied,
“If there is an opportunity, I will go.”
Venus knew this was likely just polite conversation, but she still nodded.
“Then I shall look forward to your visit.”
With that, she led the others out of the teahouse.
The wooden door closed, and the sound of their footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Once again, only Li Yuan remained in the teahouse.
Standing behind the bar, he swept his gaze across the empty little room, then looked at the yellowed ancient book.
After a long while, he reached out and picked it up.
“Insights into the path of time...”
Li Yuan murmured softly, casually flipping to the first page.
The characters on the pages were not from the Ogu Continent, but the ancient script commonly used in Kyushu.
The handwriting was elegant, with a sense of unhurried ease in each stroke. Just from the calligraphy alone, it indeed lived up to the bold and untamed spirit of the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.
He flipped through a few more pages.
Most of the contents recorded within were tips for cultivating the path of time, methods for resolving related issues, or some problems he had encountered during his cultivation along with their explanations.
Quite a bit of the content would indeed be incredibly precious to cultivators who specialized in the path of time.
In particular, Bai Yuji had even recorded the method to enter the River of Time. If those in Kyushu who practiced the arts of deduction and divination were to see this, they would probably enshrine this book as an invaluable heirloom.
Yet, Li Yuan's heart remained completely undisturbed; he was even a bit tempted to yawn.
The reason was simple: it was boring.
Finally, after flipping past the halfway point of the book, he couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
“As expected, it's completely useless.”
By relying on the Pupil of Time, Bai Yuji had stepped onto the path of time. After reaching great attainment, he could freely roam the River of Time for short periods.
It sounded very impressive... and indeed, it was.
But the problem was—he had absolutely no use for it.
He didn't possess the Pupil of Time, nor did he need to cultivate any path of time.
Yet, as long as Li Yuan wished, he could step into the River of Time at any moment, and without any time limit whatsoever.
Furthermore, his lifebound magic treasure, the 【Record of Return to the Void】, was something he had personally yanked out of the River of Time... It wouldn't even be an exaggeration to call it a part of the River of Time itself.
To put it bluntly, Bai Yuji's understanding of the River of Time probably couldn't even compare to the barest surface of his own.
Li Yuan flipped through a few more pages. By now, his gaze was beginning to wander, unable to focus, so he simply closed the book.
As for the prophecy Bai Yuji had left behind...
He did not fully believe it. The scenes witnessed through the path of time were, in the end, merely a tiny fragment captured from one of countless branching paths.
Even if Bai Yuji had exhausted his remaining soul back then, it would have been impossible for him to see an entire, complete timeline.
Besides, the future was not a static thing to begin with.
A single thought, a coincidental choice, or even a gentle breeze could cause the original branch to shift.
The “dead world” Bai Yuji had seen might indeed exist in some branch.
But Li Yuan had not seen such a future.
Of course, it was also possible that he hadn't looked thoroughly or far enough.
Or perhaps it was because the Heavenly Dao of this world had not yet manifested, leaving a portion of the future still hidden.
Ultimately, if such a future truly existed, concrete signs of it would show up sooner or later.
There was no need to get all worked up and tense right from the start. Moreover, worrying all day about things that hadn't happened yet was inherently quite boring.
He casually tossed the insights into his storage space and sighed,
“I'll read it slowly when I'm bored one day.”
Having said that, he poured himself another cup of tea.
The tea fragrance was rich, and the water temperature was just right.
Li Yuan picked up the teacup and took a small sip.
Then, he reopened the book he hadn't finished reading earlier.
Outside, the night grew deeper, and everything returned to silence.
For Li Yuan, tonight's matters were now behind him.
As for the Empire, the Abyss, the prophecy, and the future—
That was a matter for later.
For now, drinking tea and reading books was what truly mattered.
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