Pathway To Eternity

They continued to eat as they relished the moment together. After they've had their fill of the food and had the rest put away, Zhang Xiu Ying called the attention of her parents.

"Father, mother, there's something I want to show you."

The demigod sat down at the table and her parents followed suit. She reached into her spatial sac and retrieved the Flame Essence spirit fruit. She placed at the center of the table as she glanced towards her parents. 

"A spirit fruit?"

Zhang Li Qiang and Zhang Wang Jing stared curiously at the red fruit. They could sense the high energy coming from the red fruit. As farmers, they knew the differences among the fruits. Back in their home village on the continent of Kaifeng, they were, once, farming medicinal fruits. The low-grade Red-Water medicinal fruits, used to nourish the blood's life-force. And this, was nothing compared to the lowest-grade Spirit-Fruits.

"Yes. It's the Flame-Essence spirit fruit."

"I've never seen one with this high energy before."

"Me neither."

Spirit fruits were much more rarer, expensive and consomed more significant time and effort than medicinal fruits. Medicinal fruits could take between five and twenty years to be ready while spirit fruits could take hundreds of million of years to ripe. But one thing about the two types of fruits was that, each type was grouped according to their gradings. With this high energy coming from the fruit, it would be nothing short of a high-grade spirit fruit.

"I believe it's because of its pure essence of fire."

The two continued to stare in abject shock at the red fruit. This was no common fruit that could be found easily on the mortal plain. How did their daughter come into possession of it? Zhang Wang Jing turned to her daughter in utter surprise.

"How did you come across this, Xiu Ying?"

"It was only by chance."

Zhang Xiu Ying recapped what happened to them. From the moment she sensed Ju Feng to the moment she picked the fruit in the garden of the Jade emperor's forsaken palace. Everything he relayed to them including what happened inside the spacetime palace, except a tiny little part.

"Since I've already formed my golden core, you have more need of the fruit than me. So, I want the two of you to have it."

Recollecting the words of the fairy as she left the forsaken palace, Zhang Xiu Ying knew she couldn't afford to advance any further if she wanted to avoid early tribulations. It was true that demigods didn't undergo heavenly tribulations, but that was only true for demigods born on the Luminence Dimensional plane. But for Zhang Xiu Ying, she was born on the mortal plane. Her life essence was connected to the mortal plane until she attain ascension to the heavenly plane.

"Is that really necessary, Xiu Ying?"

"I mean, we can make do with a spirit fruit but you need it more than us."

"Don't worry about it, mother, father. As I said earlier, I no longer have use for it. Please, accept it from me."

After staring at his daughter for a moment, Zhang Li Qiang nodded his head in agreement.

"If it's as you said, then we accept. We cannot thank you enough, Xiu Ying."

"It's alright, father. It's only a spirit fruit."

Zhang Wang Jing, lightly squeezed 's hand as she looked at her.

"Thank you."

"Nothing to it, mother. It's the least I can do."

After much hesitation, her parents finally divided the spirit fruit into two, each taking a half. In great anticipation, they ate their shares of the fruit before proceeding towards the pond area. They sat down in lotus position and started meditating, using the Soul-Pith technique which was a mystical technique. Mystical techniques focused on the elements inside the Chi essence. The Flame-Essence fruit was a fire element fruit, hence, they had to use the Soul-Pith technique instead of the Astral-Primal technique.

The importance of mystical elements couldn't be emphasized enough. They had direct connection to the soul of a cultivator through the Chi essence. The nature and appearance of the nascent soul would reflect the mystical elements of the cultivator. The more a cultivator advances in the mystical arts, the more conditioned the soul would become for cultivation.

As they continued to meditate, they started to feel the power of the fruit's energy growing stronger in their core. Then, all of a sudden, a red flaming essence materialized around Zhang Li Qiang. The essence continued to get denser and thicker until it finally encased Aodh in a cocoon. Few minutes later, Zhang Wang Jing too was covered in a cocoon of flaming essence.

The demigod, who was sitting on the knoll-top, looking at her parents, smiled widely at their transformations. This would make their mystical arts much more stronger than before. Their ancestral mystical art was the Infernal beast technique. Zhang Xiu Ying, remembering her own nascent soul creation of a tall figure cladded in feathered armor with large flaming phoenix wings, could only wait in anticipation. They wouldn't form their nascent souls this day, they would have to advance to the nascent soul stage first. Their conditioned souls would make that easier.

"However..."

She frowned at the thought of their impending tribulations inorder for them to reach the nascent soul immortality. For now, they would have to take their cultivation slowly until they were fully prepared for the heavenly tribulations.

"They would be ready."

Zhang Xiu Ying spoke out softly into the dark night, nodding her head. She was about to lowered her head when she saw the flaming essence converged on her father before dispersing outwardly.

Her father floated into the midair before executing the Heavenly Dragon Stance move of his Dragon-Inferno technique. A bit surprised, Zhang Xiu Ying was still staring at the manifested move when her mother's cocoon of flaming essence was dispersed too. Her sight was grazed by powerful energy coming from the manifested flaming giant eagle claws.

Titan's torso!

Filled with joy from the events of the evening, Zhang Xiu Ying lay In bed as she softly hummed to herself. Soon, her parents would be on their way to become true immortals when they formed their nascent soul. She wouldn't have to worry much about their eternal being anymore. As long as they endeavor to stay out of trouble and harm's way, they would be able to live for eternity.

Immortality!

Deep in thoughts, the demigod let out a soft breath as her mind wandered back to the proceedings of the forsaken palace. The godly palace she came upon by pure luck due to her keeping a reasonable awareness on her child's whereabouts. His safety was of utmost importance to her. This decision had been proven right. Or else, how could she have been there for him and the rest, when they were in difficulties. On that, it was a right decision.

It was through this way, that she encountered the forsaken palace.

Ah! The forsaken palace. She closed her eyes as she recollected the events from them leaving the Luduans. With one leg half-way in, she heard the voice of the giant residuum, Darghek.

"Remember, this palace is a spacetime. You will find yourself in different places and if you find yourself in difficult positions, simply exit. May fortune smile on you."

As her right foot landed inside the palace, cold wind rushed to meet her face. The wind was, mildly, plucking at her hair as she stepped into the open valley. Her light yellow robe, made from an ember spider's silk and embedded with the lower-grade defensive runes, danced to the rhythm of the cold air.

Quickly adjusting to her surroundings, she slowly looked around, in detail examination of the place.

The place was a small valley yet it felt large to the demigod The medium-sized path she was standing on, led to an old-looking cave at the other end. Even though she didn't feel herself at any risk, she could sense the valley's air had traces of immortal elements.

Suddenly, she had the feeling of being vividly alive and anxious. It was as if her immortal soul was being weighted on a divine scale.

"Immortal transient."

A moment in immortality. Zhang Xiu Ying thought to herself as she lowered her head and indulged herself in the feelings. Briefly, she had the moment of seeing herself through the eyes of the universe.

"All souls can be immortal but not all souls can be divine."

The demigod raised her head as she continued to stand in place, staring at the old cave. Though she was a nascent soul and a demigod for what it meant, she knew a place like this valley, could only be a true immortal place. Should she turn back now or go ahead? Coming to the conclusion of the significance of a place like this, she walked towards the cave. What harm was there to see what was on the other side of the cave? Especially, when there was a certain name she could call to take her to safety.

"Welcome to Suorang!"

A chiming voice sounded out from all directions, stopping Zhang Xiu Ying on her track. The echo of the voice continued over the cacophony of the valley, creating a vibrating world of sounds. In a flash, she looked around but couldn't find the location of the voice, only a gathering energy field. From the field, emerged a four-feet tall entity with four gossamer wings, hovering in the air.