The fat man, no longer guessing now that he knew the outcome, leaned against the wall.
"Brother Ye, I have no regrets. Even if I fall into an abyss ten thousand feet deep the next second and die, what does it matter? My life has ended here, and I feel it has been exciting enough, with nothing to regret."
"Truly no regrets?"
Ye Tiancheng had asked this question because he feared his good brother might die with unfinished business. If his brother, like himself, had a lingering attachment, he could at least convince himself to let go. In a way, that was also good.
"No regrets. As long as I die alongside my good brother, even if there are regrets, it doesn't matter. It's a fulfillment in itself."
"Mm, it's just that we don't even have any beautiful women around. Just the two of us single men, it's truly a bit tragic. I hope you don't blame me."
The fat man held no resentment. He had always known he was restless. Ye Tiancheng had advised him not to follow, but the fat man wouldn't listen, saying he wanted to live more vibrantly. If he lacked even this courage, he might as well die.
The fat man hadn't always been away from home, but during those few days, he felt incredibly bored. So bored, in fact, that he'd rather burn like fireworks for a lifetime than remain dormant forever. Living like that truly felt meaningless.
As life entered its countdown, even the wind was quiet. He didn't think much, only feeling that life was inherently an illusion. Since it was destined to leave this world, sooner or later, it didn't really matter that much upon closer thought.
The platform formed by true qi began to show larger cracks, on the verge of collapse. Everything was about to crumble in an instant. It was highly possible that in the next second, Ye Tiancheng and the fat man would plunge into this infinite depth.
Just then, the Nuwa Stone suddenly spoke within Ye Tiancheng's divine sense space.
"Ye Tiancheng, I am leaving. I've come to say goodbye."
Used to being called a "stinky brat," Ye Tiancheng was taken aback by the Nuwa Stone's politeness today. The Nuwa Stone's appearance at this moment gave Ye Tiancheng a glimmer of hope, but its words made him uneasy, as if something major was about to happen.
"Where are you going?"
"You found me in the fields. This was our destined connection. Now I am leaving you, and this is also our destined connection. Fate arises and dissipates, sometimes beyond our control. Therefore, I hope we can part on good terms when I bid farewell."
The Nuwa Stone speaking like this suddenly terrified Ye Tiancheng. He had experienced this before with a small stone and a large green snake; before they sacrificed themselves for him, they had almost spoken in the same vein, which made him feel scared.
"Nuwa Stone, you know you're all I have left. I don't want to lose you. You won't be as heartless as the great green snake and the little stone, abandoning me, will you!"
"You're about to die, why bother with so much? We've always been together, sharing in glory and ruin. If you die, I can't survive alone either."
"So what are you going to do!"
"Actually, I've never been truly dormant. I've been protecting your origin, which is why I'm always so weak. Every time you called for help, every time you scolded me, I knew. I've held grudges, so I won't truly disappear. I'm different from the great green snake and the little stone. I can preserve my primordial spirit. As long as you get through this crisis, you can find a way to locate me again."
"No, I feel like you're lying to me."
The heart-wrenching separation from before felt as if it were still vivid. Ye Tiancheng didn't want to disbelieve, but he dared not. If even the Nuwa Stone left him, it would truly be the epitome of being utterly alone.
"Give me more time, okay? I don't want to lose you. I believe there will be a way. Don't let me lose you."
The primary reason he had become an extraordinary person was because he had found the Nuwa Stone. Without the Nuwa Stone's enhancement, Ye Tiancheng wouldn't have feared becoming an ordinary person. What was truly terrifying was being left alone, with no one to know his painful cries. Moreover, they shared a bond, a connection that was hard to sever.
"I told you, I won't disappear completely. I've lived for so long, with thousands of years of cultivation. Others can't do anything to me, and I can still survive. I just need you to save me."
Whether the Nuwa Stone was truly stating the facts or deliberately trying to give Ye Tiancheng a sliver of hope, fearing he might not persevere otherwise, was uncertain. It was a well-intentioned lie. Because Ye Tiancheng was unsure and didn't know what suffering the Nuwa Stone would endure, he didn't want to sacrifice it.
"I don't believe you, you stinky stone. I know you're trying to trick me. You always do this, saying unreliable things and making me worry about you."
"This time, I might not be able to save you. I'm just trying my best to get out and send a message. I will transmit this information. Whether Lin Xue will come to rescue us, or if she can arrive in time, I'm not entirely sure. But we can't afford to gamble anymore. This is our only remaining option."
The words were clear, and Ye Tiancheng understood perfectly. If he persisted further, nothing would be left but a void of pain.
"Alright, stinky stone, I'm willing to let you go. I know we will part ways someday, but as long as I'm alive, I won't give up searching for you. No matter how many mountains and rivers, even if you've become just one stone among countless stones in this world, I will search inch by inch. In my lifetime, as long as I'm alive and breathing, I will never give up."
Unfortunately, the Nuwa Stone was a cold, hard rock. Even with human-like divine sense, it couldn't shed tears for Ye Tiancheng. However, the Nuwa Stone's heart was severely shaken, feeling as if it were about to shatter.
"This parting, I don't know when we'll meet again. Stinky brat, one last time, I'll call you Master. Goodbye."
After speaking, the Nuwa Stone vanished into the heavens and earth, disappearing without a trace, making it impossible to find any trace of it.
"Stinky stone, are you gone? You must wait for me. I won't let anything happen to you. I'll be back as soon as possible. I'll let you know that this title of 'Master' will be for eternity. I will always be responsible for your life."
But no one responded to Ye Tiancheng. Even their usual bickering had now become a luxury; no one argued with him anymore.
"Fatty, do you think the Nuwa Stone has truly disappeared, or is it waiting for me somewhere? I'm not too sure right now."
"It's alright. We'll meet again eventually. You have to believe in the Nuwa Stone. An ancient divine stone, how could it be defeated so easily?"
The long wait was filled with the howling wind, almost driving one to the brink of collapse. He didn't know what had happened, but Ye Tiancheng always felt that something significant was about to occur.
Just like that, Ye Tiancheng felt the ground beneath him begin to shake, the cracks in the platform widening. If measures weren't taken now, the consequences would be irreparable.
"Fatty, I originally didn't want to hold on any longer, because every second I force myself to endure is immense pain. But now that the Nuwa Stone has made such a great sacrifice, I feel I can't just stand by. How about this, I'll hold on a bit longer. Life is so precious, I'll try to last until the very last second."
The Nuwa Stone had made such a great sacrifice, and Ye Tiancheng couldn't remain indifferent. He tried his best to do better, even if it meant burning the last second of his life. At least he had tried.
After enduring for an unknown period, Ye Tiancheng could clearly feel sweat beads continuously streaming down. That feeling of giving his all every second was truly unpleasant, but Ye Tiancheng had to hold on. He absolutely could not give up so easily.
After an unknown duration, Ye Tiancheng felt his teeth grinding together, his throat filled with a sweet, metallic taste. He felt they were about to die.
Due to extreme exhaustion, he even began to hallucinate, seeing Hou Mingzhu before his eyes.
"Hou Mingzhu, why are you here? It's very dangerous, hurry and leave."
The fat man had been watching Ye Tiancheng, listening to his nonsensical ramblings. Knowing Ye Tiancheng was clearly in trouble, he quickly reminded him.
"Brother Ye, Sister-in-law Ye isn't here. Are you having hallucinations? Wake up quickly."
Seeing that his words were not working, the fat man reached out to push him. After much effort, he managed to bring Ye Tiancheng back to a semblance of consciousness.
"I didn't just see Hou Mingzhu just now; I also saw Miss Su, and Liu Lanying. All my past memories are flashing before my eyes like a slideshow. I never thought my life would end here. While it's regrettable, there's nothing I can do."
If Ye Tiancheng said that, it meant he couldn't hold on any longer. The fat man also knew this; he had already known the outcome before the Nuwa Stone left. Now, he wore a natural smile.
"Brother Ye, it's okay. At least I, your brother, am here with you. Don't be so nervous. Everything will calm down slowly. We'll just wait for the final outcome."
They had already prepared for death. However, at the critical moment, they suddenly saw a golden light descend from the sky. Following the shattering of the platform formed by true qi, they did not fall but were instead returned to the desert.
Circling in the sky was a phoenix. The small phoenix from before had grown considerably. Although Lin Xue hadn't come, the phoenix's arrival indicated that Lin Xue had intervened.
The Nuwa Stone's sacrifice had been worthwhile. By consuming its last bit of cultivation, it had successfully notified the phoenix, allowing it to rush to their rescue in time.
The phoenix then spewed fire, mercilessly burning the great rooster. Before long, the great rooster was reduced to charcoal and fell to the ground.
The phoenix chirped at them twice more and circled in the sky for a couple of rounds. Ye Tiancheng realized the phoenix was likely leaving.
Ye Tiancheng quickly expressed his gratitude and waved, "Please tell Xue'er for me, thank my good disciple. I knew my disciple wouldn't abandon me."
Ye Tiancheng was beaming with joy. After circling a few more times, the phoenix flew away. The fat man, having calmed down, quickly ran to look at the great rooster's corpse.
"You good-for-nothing dead rooster, you were going to kill people, but you fell first! You've turned into charcoal-roasted chicken!"