Qing Dai was sealed by the Soul Suppressing Seal, temporarily preserved from soul dispersion.
Master also stood up and said,
"Little Qin, I will take Miss Qing Dai below now. Take good care of yourself."
After speaking, he looked at everyone present.
Uncle did not speak, but nodded slightly.
"Farewell, Daoist Gu."
"Safe travels, Brother Gu."
"Take care." Kuaishu Ge
"..."
Master clasped his fists, collected Qing Dai into a bottle, and then, with the remaining five ghost envoys, said to me:
"Little Qin, I am leaving."
With that, he took a step to the west, and his body rapidly disappeared, leaving the place.
Just like that, Master took away the soon-to-be dispersed Qing Dai.
As soon as Qing Dai left, I felt a surge of heat rush to my nose and mouth.
With a "hiss," I spat out a mouthful of blood.
My own cultivation began to decline, returning to its natural level.
My eyes went black, and with a "clang," I collapsed.
"Qin Ze! Qin Ze!"
"Brother Qin!"
"Quick, use the Soul Stabilizing Spell."
"Protect his heart meridians."
"..."
A series of noisy voices reached my ears until the sounds faded, and I lost consciousness...
---
---
Epilogue;
When I woke up, it was two months later.
I woke up in Zhang Chuyue's private hospital.
Chuyue had invited the best doctors to treat me, and I was very grateful to her.
She told me to continue recuperating in the hospital and not to worry about treatment costs.
But I politely declined and left the hospital on my own.
I could feel that my body was not as good as before. Forcing myself to break through to the Human King realm had overdrafted my body's potential.
My current cultivation had dropped from the peak Human King realm to the early Dao Body stage.
Even my body had hidden ailments.
As soon as I used Yin Yang Qi, my dantian would ache with a tearing pain.
But all of that was irrelevant. I had survived, and many people were forever buried in that Black Demon Valley.
By the time Old Mo returned after receiving the news, I was already back at No. 81 on the Path to the Underworld.
I looked at Master's memorial tablet for a long time without speaking.
In the following days, Qiu Xi, Chuyue, and many other Daoist friends, even Li Shiyao, came to visit me.
However, I had become silent...
Recalling this battle, we paid a heavy price to achieve victory in the Demon Slaying War.
And many Daoist friends also perished here, becoming martyrs.
They used their lives to prove their Dao, uphold the righteousness of the world, and maintain peace for all beings.
Sect Leader Qing Ye of the Qingcheng Sect, Grand Elder Yun Qing, and Luo Fei were all hammered to death by the invincible General Liang Fang.
Daoist Master Qingshan of Longhu Mountain and Senior Bai Daozi of Maoshan also perished successively.
Abbess Hei Yun of the Emei Sect, True Man Qi Shang and Zhang Zhi of the Kongtong Sect, met the fate of soul dispersion.
Sect Leader Jing Kong of Shaolin, Daoist Master Ju Cheng, Mr. Bai from Qingshan Funeral Home, the Corpse Fisher Jiang Ye, Meng Fang, Guan Xin of Heishui Temple, Zhao Ke of Canglan Temple, Xiao Yue and Li Cong of Xiaoyue Temple, as well as the demon immortals from the Fox clan, Rat clan, and the Northeast, all died in the melee.
Some lost their physical bodies, and some even had their souls extinguished.
Many, many acquaintances and strangers alike perished in this Demon Slaying War.
This battle caused the already declining Dao Alliance to lose more than half of its members.
Five of the seven Sect Leaders perished directly, not to mention the seniors.
The Alliance Master, True Man Cangsong, also died about a month later due to severe injuries and having forcefully helped me break through my cultivation while I was unconscious.
Now, only Senior Bai Chongzi, the Sect Leader of Maoshan, remains, but he is also injured and in seclusion, unable to walk.
However, the Dao Alliance has also ushered in a new era of prosperity.
Yun Xia Gu of the Qingcheng Sect became the new Sect Leader. Wang Qi of Longhu Mountain, although bitten on the neck, miraculously survived, and his performance in this battle earned him the respect of many.
Zheng Yue, the chief disciple of the Emei Sect, became the Sect Leader, and is currently the youngest Sect Leader of a major sect.
Daoist Master Liuyun of the Wudang Sect also became the Sect Leader.
Xiao Mei and the Fox clan returned to Fox Mountain.
The Bottomless Mother and the Hui family also returned to the Bottomless Cave.
Now, both families have a place among the famous mountains of the world.
This was an agreement previously made between the two demon clans and the Dao Alliance.
Rat Auntie continued to sell her Yin goods.
The demon souls and the ghost soldiers left behind by Qing Dai remained in the Nine Sages Mansion, but it was a pity that Qing Dai was gone...
Everything had returned to how it was before.
The Demon Slaying War had ended, but the world was not completely peaceful, with many remnants still lurking.
Various sects widely recruited disciples to strengthen their forces.
After all, externally, there was still the Amaterasu Alliance, and internally, there was the even more deeply hidden Longevity Society.
However, they were all severely weakened after this battle and should be able to remain dormant for a few years.
But among the younger generation, Gu Qian Yue, Meng You, Wu Ke Hang, Li Chun Long, Wang Qi, Nanyang, Huang Jie, and others formed a demon-exterminating squad, roaming the world, vowing to uproot the remaining evil.
As for me, I had become a legend after this battle.
Whenever Dao Alliance members discussed this battle over tea and after meals, they would mention me.
Because I had slain the last Demon Emperor.
But I had no interest in this at all.
I was even too lazy to cultivate, as I had lost the pursuit and desire for power.
Before, it was for survival, but now, I had an inexhaustible supply of lamp oil.
Yet, even so, my cultivation was still the highest among the younger generation of the current era.
Now, Uncle had handed over all his business to Old Mo.
He opened a tavern nearby, selling aphrodisiac wine every day, and the business was so booming that there was a queue every day.
Xiao Yao continued to work as a nurse, but she and Old Mo were planning to get married next year. They were very happy, and I envied them.
Qiu Xi focused on her cultivation, wanting to break through in her cultivation, and occasionally video-called me to ask for insights on cultivation realms.
Old Mo also came to cheer me up every day, taking me out to play and such.
But I couldn't muster any enthusiasm, feeling like I was living like a walking dead.
Until one day, as usual.
I burned incense for Master, hoping he would appear in a dream and tell me news about Qing Dai's journey to the underworld.
But at this moment, there was a knock on the door behind me.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
I was annoyed and replied directly:
"We haven't opened for business yet. No visitors."
As I spoke, I prepared to insert the incense in my hand into the censer.
But who knew that at this moment, a voice familiar to the point of being inseparable from the familiar sounded from behind me:
"Am I not welcome either?"
Hearing this voice, my body trembled violently.
I no longer cared about offering incense to Master, and in my excitement, I dropped Master's incense on the ground.
I spun around abruptly.
Standing at the door was a woman of unparalleled beauty.
Her hair was as dark as a waterfall, and she was dressed in white.
Her familiar, beautiful face, her captivating eyes, made me breathless, even disbelieving.
"Qing, Qing Dai!"
I was extremely excited and rushed forward.
Qing Dai also ran over.
"Qin Ze!"
In an instant, we embraced each other.
However, during this embrace, I felt something was definitely wrong.
The real touch, the warm body temperature.
I suddenly let go of Qing Dai:
"Your body?"
"It's true. Not only have I returned, but I also have a physical body."
"Ah? This, what's going on? Am I dreaming?"
I couldn't believe it, my eyes were about to pop out.
But even if it were a dream, I wouldn't want to slap myself.
I wished this dream could last longer, to spend more time with her.
But Qing Dai shook her head:
"No, it's real.
In this life, I will never be separated from you again."
With that, she threw herself into my arms again.
I was so moved that I shed tears, holding her tightly, afraid that this was truly a dream.
If I let go, she would leave.
It took a long time before I held her hand, gazing at her foolishly.
Tears blurred my vision.
"Can you tell me what's going on?"
Qing Dai's eyes also reddened, and she nodded slightly:
"After I descended, Daoist Gu took me to the Yin Pool to fix my soul.
Then, I was escorted to the Hall of Yama.
I was about to be sentenced to severe punishment.
But at this moment, your grand-ancestor, the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, descended.
He said that I had done no evil in my life and had merit in eliminating evil.
Furthermore, he was your disciple's ten-lifetimes' fated person.
Therefore, he ordered Yama to change the sentence.
Yama then had the judge alter my judgment, and I was pardoned and allowed to return.
A Lycoris radiata was used to reconstruct my body.
It was only today that Daoist Gu sent me back.
However, from now on, I will no longer be able to cultivate.
I will experience birth, aging, sickness, and death with you, living out my life."
I was already so moved that tears streamed down my face:
"It's enough, it's enough. Your return is everything..."
As I spoke, I hugged Qing Dai tightly again.
Then I remembered my grand-ancestor, who was rumored to be protective of his own.
It seemed that my grand-ancestor was indeed protective of his own.
It was not in vain that I recognized this grand-ancestor.
In my excitement, I remembered that Qing Dai was sent back by Master, so I asked:
"Qing Dai, since Master sent you back, where is he?"
As soon as I finished speaking, Master's voice came from his memorial tablet:
"You brat, did you just drop my incense?"
Hearing this, I quickly looked at the memorial tablet, where Master's shadow appeared in a hazy form:
"Sorry, Master. I'll light more for you."
With that, I lit incense for Master again.
The ethereal Master looked at me and Qing Dai, smiled slightly, and said:
"Miss Qing Dai has returned to the world. You two should thank our grand-ancestor! As for me, I still have to rush back to report.
Oh, by the way, ask Dog Idiot to burn some preserved liquor for me later. I like it very much."
"Okay, Master."
"I'm leaving..."
"Farewell, Master."
"Take care, Daoist Gu."
Qing Dai and I watched the ethereal Master. Although we were reluctant, we understood that Master was now a ghost envoy, and his duties were important.
The ethereal mist disappeared, and Master turned into a wisp of smoke and vanished.
Afterward, we both knelt simultaneously towards Mount Tai in the east.
Respectfully, we kowtowed three times to our grand-ancestor, the God of Mount Tai, thanking him for his fulfillment and kindness.
However, as soon as we stood up, my phone rang.
I picked it up and saw that it was Grandma calling.
I smiled and answered:
"Grandma!"
Grandma's tone was serious:
"Little Qin! When will you bring your girlfriend home?
The silly Er Gouzi next door is getting married, when will you bring a granddaughter-in-law home for Grandma?
Er Gouzi's grandma came to laugh at me again just now.
She said his Er Gouzi found a beautiful wife.
She also said that if you can't find a wife, you'll probably be a bachelor for life.
She's about to make this old woman furious, hmph..."
Grandma, as usual, was urging me to get married and complaining.
But this time, I no longer made excuses or felt nervous, nor did I hang up her call.
Instead, I squeezed Qing Dai's hand, looking at the somewhat shy Qing Dai.
With great confidence, I said loudly to Grandma:
"Grandma, don't worry. I'll bring my girlfriend home tomorrow.
No, today.
No, no, no, I'll be back immediately."
With that, I took Qing Dai's hand and ran out of No. 81 on the Path to the Underworld, into the early morning sun.
Now, I was going home.
Holding your hand, growing old with you.
☺
(End)
Thank you all for your readership. The end of one story is also the beginning of another.
I hope everyone cherishes the people around them, and doesn't regret it when they are lost.
Finally, I silently wish everyone good health and all the best.