The valley wind is desolate, red leaves flutter down.

Elder Ye slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the young man before him, revealing a faintly comforting smile.

"You... have come."

Duan Zhao silently gazed at the old man before him, a slight sadness growing in his heart.

Even he could see that Elder Ye’s great lifespan had nearly run its course.

A lifetime of battles.

Elder Ye bore countless scars on his body. He had created such an astonishing sword move as "Burning Flower" and, in his youth, was once spirited, eager to compete with Zhao Chunyang.

But ultimately, he could not defy the years.

At this moment, Elder Ye was like the giant tree behind him. The wind blew, leaves fell, the red maple spun in the air, making dry and crisp cracking sounds.

Duan Zhao silently took out the Lotus Token.

He knew that Elder Ye was not waiting for him, but for his master.

Separated by thousands of miles.

A thread of soul thought injected into the Lotus Token, and suddenly the entire tomb in Baihua Valley was swept by a warm wind. Countless dead leaves rose like waves, undulating continuously, surrounding Duan Zhao.

Several breaths later.

A black-clad young figure emerged from the tidal wave of dead leaves.

A Yang God Realm Great Divine Ability User, as long as divine thought is bountiful, can wield the Divine Skill of "Manifestation".

Now Xie Xuanyi, with the Lotus Token, manifested in Baihua Valley, across two realms, requiring the expenditure of immense soul thought.

But he did not care.

Dead leaves swept, forming a barrier that encompassed the two figures, old and young.

"Elder Ye."

Xie Xuanyi slowly approached the maple tree.

He half-crouched to observe the old man in the red robe, his eyes welling with sorrow.

All things in the world have an end.

Elder Ye’s great lifespan exhausted, had indeed reached the end.

"Xiao Xie..."

"I heard you have achieved Harmonization..."

The old man smiled.

Looking at this young, spirited figure before him, there was seventy percent joy and thirty percent heartache in his eyes.

The battle in the South Border back then had drained seventy percent of his vitality.

After this battle, he single-handedly held off many Holy Lands.

During this time, the north and south battled, and though he wished to join, he was restrained by the Book Tower. Chen Jingxuan led many Holy Lands north to resist, all Yang God Realm strong persons of Great Chu listed, yet Elder Ye remained outside... Chen Jingxuan adamantly refused to let this Sword Dao Master head north.

The Little State Preceptor hoped that this old man’s twilight years could peacefully end in Baihua Valley.

"Harmonization..."

The old man asked with affection: "Wasn’t it hard?"

"..."

Xie Xuanyi did not expect Elder Ye to ask this.

He paused, laughed: "Actually, it wasn’t so bad."

Everything in this world, every Dao, every skill, is born from facing death.

He had survived.

Thus, all hardships were insignificant.

"In this world, nothing comes easy."

"For most cultivators, even controlling Qi is as difficult as climbing to the heavens, let alone Harmonization."

The old man, hearing this response, did not diminish his affection, only added two or three parts of pride: "But... I always knew you could reach this step..."

A person’s lifetime, in the end, leaves nothing behind.

Even if cultivation reaches the heavens.

Once the great limit comes, they must return to dust.

There aren’t many things that could make a person like Elder Ye proud, and foreseeing Xie Xuanyi’s potential was one of them.

In Baihua Valley, there were no prodigies.

But many years ago, he knew... this young man with the surname Xie would be the leader of Sword Dao in the world.

"I heard... you killed Sun Erosion."

Elder Ye coughed violently for a while, then stared directly into Xie Xuanyi’s eyes.

"Yes."

Xie Xuanyi nodded.

"I also heard, when you killed Sun Erosion, you used Burning Flower."

Elder Ye continued asking.

"Yes."

Xie Xuanyi nodded again.

"Isn’t this move quite remarkable?"

The old man, receiving this answer, displayed immense ease and pleasure, the pride in his eyes nearly overflowing.

"Very strong."

Xie Xuanyi spoke earnestly, stating quite candidly: "In terms of fierce Sword Intent, Burning Flower is the foremost in the current era."

He was not lying.

The Da Sui Sword Palace’s swordsmanship encompasses myriad phenomena, changes unlimited.

Speaking solely of fearless Sword Intent, brutal and fierce.

Burning Flower stands slightly superior.

"Ha... haha..."

Elder Ye laughed.

He knew that in his lifetime, he could not surpass Zhao Chunyang. Whether in individual realm, disciple caliber, or sect fortune, he fell short more than slightly.

However, to receive such an evaluation from Zhao Chunyang’s esteemed disciple.

This time, perhaps he had won a little?

"Nowadays, your display of Burning Flower should be more dazzling than when I was young."

Elder Ye looked at Xie Xuanyi, his eyes full of hope: "Xiao Xie, you know, I have little time left. I wish... to see this sword move performed by you personally, and witness that scene..."

He was a fortunate person.

On the final day, he still had choices.

Now, Elder Ye wished to meet Silent Annihilation amidst the Burning Flower Dao Rain.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi remained silent.

"Elder Ye."

Xie Xuanyi refused Elder Ye’s request: "I did not come to send you off. The Life Lamp is in my possession."

"Life Lamp?" Elder Ye paused.

"I wish to borrow a thread of your soul thought."

Xie Xuanyi spoke earnestly: "If fortunate, Baihua Valley might welcome a second chance at evergreen."

This time, it was Elder Ye’s turn to be silent.

The red robe fluttered in the wind, like a flower bud.

After a long while.

The ceaseless wind stopped, the red robe withdrew and settled down.

The old man smiled and said: "Xiao Xie, do you know why those reincarnators are so young?"

"Why?"

Xie Xuanyi slightly frowned.

He knew the conditions for utilizing the Reincarnation Skill were extremely strict.

Must attain Yang God Realm, must be young.

"Because the Heavenly Dao has its set number."

Elder Ye extended two fingers, pointing to the sky. Above was the giant red maple tree and the endless sky vault with drifting clouds.