Chapter 489 - Deathless Phoenix Set (I)

Chapter 489

Deathless Phoenix Sect (I)

I was... numb.

The words were like a crack of thunder that went off in my brain and made my thoughts silent for the first time in a while. Though I'd always told myself that was the likeliest reality, that the Earth was no more, that this is my world now... heart and mind don't always like to cooperate.

There was always that kindle of hope, a notion that if I became strong enough I'd be able to swim across the vastness of space and get there, but...

I took the sip of the liquid, barely registering the taste.

"Thank you," words left my lips without ever even being concocted in my mind.

"Do you miss it that much?"

"Hm?"

"Your home world," he repeated. "Do you miss it that much?"

"Oh," I rattled myself awake. "No... it's not that. Before coming here, I was... miserable. I was surviving rather than living."

"Why the shock, then?"

"I still had people who loved me," I said, a bitter smile involuntarily creeping onto my lips. "Even as I fell further and further, they were there. I... I just wish they knew I was doing fine. No, not fine. Way better than I had in many years. It's... heavy knowing they died thinking I died being the miserable piece of shit I became."

"... I'm afraid such emotions elude me," he said, taking a sip after which his cup disappeared. "I hope you feel better."

"I will," I said. "Thank you for telling me the truth."

"You'll find that the truth is a rare currency in this realm," he said, cracking a smile.

"I'm very much aware."

"... very well. I won't hold you up any longer," he said. "It was a pleasure talking with you, young human. Whatever may come, I truly believe you are as great of a blessing for Dao as Dao is for you. Good luck; should we ever meet again, let us drink dragon blood yet again."

"H-huh? That was, that was blood?! Hey, no, don't--" call as I may, darkness began to take over my periphery and soon everything else, while the man never replied.

I blinked and realized I wasn't in the garden but rather in a room of some kind.

It was somewhat small but also decently decorated; several large canvases hung from the walls, there was a window to my right letting in a lot of natural light, there was a stand by the bed with a bowl of seemingly fresh fruit and a cup of some or another liquid, and, perhaps far more importantly than that, I can barely fucking breathe.

Why?

Is it because I got severely injured? Is it because the backlash to using that technique was so massive that this was my punishment? Or is it because there are a few gremlins that have decided to make my comatose body their bed?

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Light lay just flatly on my chest; Xing Feng occupied the right side, with his arm flung cleanly over my throat. There was a statue of a dog made out of solid rock sitting on top of my goddamn knees, courtesy of Eternity.

Dai Xiu and Xi Zhao at least had the conscience to be drooling on the side of my bed as they'd passed out, too, but I could still barely breathe, regardless.

"You're finally awake," Long Tao's voice startled me as I looked to the side where he was not just a moment ago. He was leaning against the white wall, arms crossed, a strange smirk on his face.

"How long was I out?" I asked, making sure to keep my tone as even as possible so as to not wake the kids.

"Four days," damn.

"Where are we?"

"Deathless Phoenix Sect."

"..."

"One of the people you saved is from here, and he graciously offered to hide us," he said. Hide us? Oh, I do not like the sound of that. "There will be the time to catch up. For now..." hm? What... what is that bastard's smirking about even harder? "Oh, Master! You're finally awake!"

... yeah.

"Master's awake?!!"

"Master, you're awake! Thank you, Heavens! Thank you!!"

"Aah, Master!!" Right, there it is.

Dai Xiu broke out into an open weeping, Light hugged me from both sides so hard she was beginning to crack my ribs, Xing Feng's snot was falling directly on top of my robes, and Eternity had become... well, actually, I don't know. He's become something, that's for sure. Like a letter curving inwardly from six sides with dashing lines cutting throughout.

"I was wondering what the fuss was about." Wan Lan and Rayce walked through the doors. "Welcome back, Master."

"... I was always here, though?"

The annoying ritual continued for ten full minutes before the kids finally calmed down and I was able to get them off me. Sitting up, I inspected my body a bit more closely and saw that I was far from fully healed.

My meridians were an absolute wreck, and my dantian had several dozen cracks around the shell; even the Core within was nowhere near as glazed as it usually is. Most of my muscles were subtly aching, but it wasn't that bad. Honestly, considering what I'd done, this was mild.

Though I suspect it wasn't entirely due to my efforts.

"Here, Master! Try this; it's amazing!" Dai Xiu was carrying a banana-shaped kind of fruit.

"No, no, try this--it's for healing quickly!" Xi Zhao, that's your sword.

"All Master needs to heal are my hugs!" That's adorable, Light, but your hugs feel like a skyscraper-sized pinching machine pressing into my sides.

"M-me too, me too!" that was Xing Feng just moments before he bear-hugged me from the back just as I stood up. Light was hanging from my front like a monkey, and he hung from my back like another monkey, and Long Tao, Rayce, and Wan Lan were just about to burst into laughter.

Then the doors opened and a young man came through.

"Is everything alright? I heard some commotion--" he paused as his jaw came unhinged, the world turning silent.

He stared at us, we stared back at him, and it was all very... normal.

"Could... could you give us a moment?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"... o-of course. Please excuse me."

"..."

"Get off," I said, and they quickly jumped off, likely noticing the tinge of anger in my voice. "Everyone except Lan'er--get out."

"But Master--"

"Hm?"

"..." as the room slowly emptied, I sat back down and looked over at the young girl--well, to most she was probably a young woman at this point. They don't get to see her petty rivalry with Dai Xiu, though.

"Catch me up," I said.

"Of course, Master," she said. "Right after you saved us, all those who were there to witness your majesty, your unprecedented divine-like--"

"I'll smack you."

"--khm, as I was saying, all those who witnessed it quickly swore Oaths to not divulge anything, and one of them--Young Master Zhan Qiu--offered to hide us in his sect, the Deathless Phoenix Sect. That's where we are right now."

"Right," I said. "There's a whole lot of space between me passing out and waking up here, Lan'er."

"... uh, the truth is... I don't really know, Master."

"E-eh?"

"As soon as we exited the realm, Young Master Zhan pushed us into his battleship and sped out of there. Ever since, only Senior Brother Tao has been in direct communication about what is happening outside."

"... hm."

"Should, should I--"

"--no. I'd rather die ignorant than do it. For starters, I should at least meet the man who saved us. After that... well, we'll see."