Few people knew Li Qiye’s departure time and location. Only Liu Chuqing and a few others came to see him off.

Chuqing put on a calm expression but the atmosphere remained moody.

As always, the separation was a sad matter, whether it be via death or just distance.

“Go, this sending party won’t last forever.” Li Qiye stroked her hair and said.

She shuddered inside since it was finally time. It was as if her heart was being torn apart. They were about to be separated by an untraversable distance, never to see each other again.

She breathed in deeply and gave him a tight and long hug before eventually letting go and taking one step back.

The young lady became very determined, evident by her gentle yet unyielding eyes.

“May you forever be victorious. I’ll be here waiting, always.” Chuqing looked at him and said.

He embraced her again and kissed her soft hair: “Silly girl, go back now, I’ll come back alive regardless of how far I travel later.”

“Just let me watch you leave.” Chuqing whispered.

She wasn’t as brilliant or talented compared to other women. However, she was certainly a perfect model of being a virtuous wife.

“Very well, see you later.” Li Qiye tightened his hug one last time before.

Having said that, he turned and left without looking back. True Emperor Jiu Ning and he disappeared into the sky.

Liu Chuqing stood there like a statue and stared at the horizon. Tears wetted her cheeks before she knew it but she didn’t sob, not wanting Li Qiye to hear her.

“Your Majesty, please return.” Poison Phoenix Lady said softly.

“Lady, will we see him again?” It took a while before she responded.

“Yes, Young Noble is a man of his words. He’ll return triumphantly.” The lady paused for a moment before replying.

“Right, I’m just afraid that he might die on the distant battlefield…” She nodded and shuddered, not wanting to speak of this matter lest she jinxes him.

Though she didn’t know what he wanted to do and his true pursuit, she could tell that he would be facing an unbelievably strong enemy later. Thus, she wasn’t worried about him keeping his words but an entirely different risk.

“Your Majesty, don’t worry. Young Noble is invincible with the one-and-only thirteen palaces in existence. No one else in this world can stop him. Just trust him.” Ill Lord consoled.

These five were left behind and had absolute loyalty towards Liu Chuqing.

“Goodbye, I’ll be waiting.” Her tears have dried up as she said her last words with him before leaving.

***

Li Qiye and True Emperor Jiu Ning traveled at a ridiculous pace - one realm with each step. It didn’t take long before they entered a broken area with no one in sight.

The two didn’t speak along the way so the atmosphere felt quite tense.

True Emperor Jiu Ning could sympathize because she has also experienced separation. Separation by death was one thing, but being alive yet unable to see each other was worse. 

“I don’t like coming back to Imperial. I thought I’ve forgotten but that’s not the case at all. I’ve only buried it deep inside. A few things can’t be erased even after millions of years and numerous eras. Time can’t grind it away; all we can do is bury them deep enough to not remember.” She wistfully reflected.

Of course, these experiences and emotions across time served her well, allowing this brilliant True Emperor to walk even further down the path.

“Joys and sorrows; partings and reunions - all unavoidable in life.” Li Qiye nodded and said slowly: “A few apex existences laugh at these emotions such as love and friendship, thinking that they are silly and unnecessary. Little do they know that they’re the ridiculous ones. When they don’t have someone to love, worries, or anything worthy of protecting, their heart is already dead and their dao aimless.”

“A being without emotions normally falls into the evil path. If one truly believes everyone else are mere ants, then world destruction seems just fine. This makes one prone to devour everything else because their heart only has them.” He continued with an insightful gaze.

“No emotions at the apex.” The emperor agreed: “One should only forget about personal ties, not the overall stance.”

“Sometimes they have no choice because everyone else leaves for one reason or another, leaving them all alone on the path.” Li Qiye said.

She became quiet. This was indeed true. As their journey continued, their friends and loved ones couldn’t keep up and died from old age, disappearing among the river of time.

Loneliness wasn’t a matter of choice for some top beings. However, they needed to maintain their humanity. Even if they didn’t care for their personal well being or sect, they needed to guard the three thousand worlds.

“Both good and bad at the apex will stem from a single thought.” Li Qiye said.

“And you’re on the good side because there is still something in this world that you care about. You walk forward all alone in order to protect.” She felt like she understood him.

“I’m not that noble.” Li Qiye finally smiled for the first time during this journey while shaking his head: “It’s only a matter of convenience for me, I’m just doing my own things in order to see what I can be in the future. I don’t think about saving the world.”

“A Buddhist monk might only be searching for the dao but he would also gain abilities and technique in the process. That’s because when his heart has Buddha, he automatically gains these things. That’s your level, something exceeding all of us. We struggle and struggle but still have a long way to go.” She replied.

“As long as you keep your mind set on a goal, you’ll do even better in the future. No one is born with absolute power and comprehension. Ultimate achievements are only obtainable through efforts and polishing.” Li Qiye chuckled.

“I hope so.” She nodded with profundity in her eyes and a determined expression.

“Where do you plan to go up from?” Li Qiye asked.

“I know of an ancient path on this remote region that can reach Immortal Lineage.” The emperor replied.

There were several paths to reach the next world. The most common one was brute force. 

Of course, both of them were strong enough to do so.

However, it was troublesome and demanded ample preparation so they decided against it. Moreover, this process was also relatively dangerous. The probability of something going awry was low, but even a light case would result in grievous injury. The worst-case scenario was death.