In the desolate old village, all was silent.
There were no birds singing, no insects chirping.
Only the crowing of roosters heralded the dawn.
That night, Chen Jiuyang and Yao Zixuan embraced, but did not sleep.
Yao Zixuan asked Chen Jiuyang, "Jiuyang, how long will we stay here?"
Chen Jiuyang smiled and said, "Perhaps for a very, very long time. Don't you like it here?"
Yao Zixuan curled up in Chen Jiuyang's arms, "I just feel this place is a bit scary."
Chen Jiuyang wasn't entirely sure how the desolate old village came to be, but he said, "But we can live a peaceful life here."
"No enemies, and no disputes."
Yao Zixuan's eyes lit up, "Really?"
Chen Jiuyang nodded, "Mmm."
Yao Zixuan said, "Can we awaken my parents and children then?"
Chen Jiuyang gave a wry smile, "That might still take a long time. My strength is not enough yet. If I were to awaken them rashly, it might cause a calamity, just like in the past."
Yao Zixuan lowered her head, "Will you seal me up too?"
Chen Jiuyang sighed helplessly, "Youth fades quickly, and I have no choice but to seal you. When the time comes, I will awaken you all together."
"But even so, I can accompany you every day. Zixuan, just consider it a sleep. When you wake up, you'll see me."
Yao Zixuan said, "Then stay with me a little longer, and then I'll go to sleep."
Chen Jiuyang said, "Alright."
When dawn broke, the armless old sword emperor and the blind old woman stood outside the door.
The armless old sword emperor said, "Let's go, I'll take you to register your household, so that the people from other villages know you've arrived."
The blind old woman smiled at Yao Zixuan, "Little girl, I'll teach you how to live here."
Yao Zixuan said, "Okay."
Chen Jiuyang left with the armless old sword emperor.
Only now did Chen Jiuyang have the chance to thoroughly examine this desolate old village.
Mysterious, vast, and terrifying.
Strange Buddhist carvings were found everywhere, and the mountains and rivers were as magnificent and ancient as a small immortal realm, weathered by the passage of time.
Chen Jiuyang had been to the desolate old village several times, but had never visited the other villages within it.
Chen Jiuyang asked, "Senior Qin, are all the people here inheritors of the Human Emperor's Path?"
The armless old sword emperor replied, "Most are. There are also some original inhabitants. Look."
The two passed over a stone bridge, below which flowed a wide, terrifying, and surging river. A giant snake, kilometers long, emerged from the river and coiled around a mountain peak, its forked tongue flicking out, its eyes full of apprehension.
Giant crocodiles, like mountains, flipped in the river.
Chen Jiuyang did not feel afraid, saying, "It's strange. Although these creatures are large, I don't sense any demonic power from them. They don't seem like demons."
The armless old sword emperor explained, "These are the ancient remnants of the Spirit Realm. They possess the physical form of demons but lack the bloodline power. They are merely larger and live longer. They are everywhere in the village. If we want meat, we usually slaughter one to eat. There's plenty of meat, enough for us to eat for a long time."
"Besides these original inhabitants, there are also descendants of mortals. Some inheritors revived their relatives and they have lived here, multiplying. They live their entire lives unable to leave the village."
"If you don't want to repeat the same mistakes, do not revive your relatives to multiply here."
"The boundless dark curtain can erase the Yin extreme fortune on our bodies, but it can also devour the talent of all creatures born here."
Chen Jiuyang shuddered and glanced at these colossal ancient remnants.
After walking for an hour, they traversed mountains, rivers, and witnessed ancient ruins, eventually arriving at a place resembling a bustling ancient city.
The armless old sword emperor said, "This is the First Village."
Many people watched as the armless old sword emperor led Chen Jiuyang, regarding him with friendly eyes.
"Another new villager has arrived?"
"With the old sword emperor leading the way, they must be here to register."
Chen Jiuyang carefully observed that most of the inhabitants of this city were true mortals, unlike them who possessed cultivation.
Then, the armless old sword emperor led Chen Jiuyang into an extremely ancient-looking courtyard within the city, where they met a maiden-like figure.
The maiden was dressed in ancient attire and used a massive white tiger as a cushion. Her eyes lit up upon seeing the armless old sword emperor, "You've come. This is a rare guest."
The armless old sword emperor said, "I've brought a newcomer from our village to register."
"Chen Jiuyang, this is the village chief of the First Village. You can call her the Old Village Chief."
Chen Jiuyang didn't know the background of this maiden-like Old Village Chief, but she was certainly not a mortal. He respectfully cupped his fists and bowed, "Greetings, Old Village Chief."
The maiden Old Village Chief exuded an ancient aura with every movement. She sized up Chen Jiuyang, "Your foundation is quite good. After so long, only your desolate old village has not added new members. It is fitting for you to settle here and add some vitality."
"Squeeze out a drop of your vital blood, and I will register you on the desolate old village's information sheet."
"Alright." A drop of golden vital blood, containing the five great origins, seeped from Chen Jiuyang's finger. The white tiger beneath the maiden Old Village Chief's cushion opened its eyes, revealing a hint of hunger.
The maiden Old Village Chief directly slapped the white tiger on the head, causing it to faint. The maiden Old Village Chief took the drop of vital blood, performed various ancient hand seals, and then placed the drop of vital blood into a small, ancient bronze cauldron. Chen Jiuyang instantly felt a sense of belonging to the desolate old village, a connection to this land.
"Done."
The armless old sword emperor nodded slowly and said, "Let's go."
The maiden Old Village Chief said, "Newcomer, feel free to visit here often."
"Alright," Chen Jiuyang replied.
Then, he turned and left with the armless old sword emperor.
The armless old sword emperor said, "Every village has a divine spring that can accelerate cultivation, heal injuries, and induce slumber."
"Only one registered villager can use it. Your wife is an immortal cultivator, so she cannot use it. Before we leave, you still have some time to spend with her. I will send someone to seal her when the time comes."
Chen Jiuyang nodded slowly and couldn't help but ask, "Senior Qin, will you be leaving?"
The armless old sword emperor replied, "The Golden Age. When someone ascends to the imperial throne and triggers the great dark tribulation, we will attack the Immortal Realm to settle our destiny."
"We have lived for too long, weathered countless eras, with only one wish and destiny left unfulfilled."
"When your cultivation reaches our level in the future, you will understand this matter."
"And you will witness all of this in the not-too-distant future."
In the days that followed, Chen Jiuyang and Yao Zixuan lived the peaceful life they had always dreamed of.
A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, the armless old sword emperor arrived with people to seal Yao Zixuan.