Chapter 21: The Primordial Immortal Eye

After all, the notion of beauty held no sway over Qin Changsheng.

It wasn’t that he truly shared the playful intimacy he joked about earlier with the robed youth; rather, he had witnessed the cruelty hidden behind those beautiful faces.

Having suffered too many losses, he no longer trusted the words of pretty women.

The white-robed one was like this, and Nangong Ruoxi was no different—every gesture, every movement, could be deadly.

Perhaps the future Wang Yuyan would possess such a dangerous charm as well. Therefore, Qin Changsheng was reluctant to engage too deeply in Nangong Ruoxi’s many dealings. If he were to believe this woman’s deceitful tales, he might not even have a trace of his ashes left to scatter in the end.

In the cultivation world, the greatest causes and effects, aside from fate, were women. Qin Changsheng resolved to be a lone wanderer, unentangled by karmic ties. He would live quietly and peacefully into old age. Then, with time on his side to steadily accumulate his cultivation, he could truly achieve immortality.

After all, the recklessness of facing life and death head-on belonged only to those destined by heaven. For an ordinary man like him, whose only attribute was longevity, survival was the greatest truth.

When beauty failed to tempt Qin Changsheng, Nangong Ruoxi felt a twinge of frustration. To avoid embarrassment, she stepped out of the carriage alone to catch some fresh air. Qin Changsheng chuckled softly, continuing to lie back inside the carriage with his eyes closed, resting.

The little fox curled in his arms, growing hungry after their long journey, blinked its big eyes and crawled out. Affectionately, it nuzzled his hand with its rosy little nose.

“You’re still the most harmless little thing around.”

Qin Changsheng gently stroked the creature’s head, then retrieved some meat from his storage ring to feed it. After a satisfying meal, the fox snuggled back into his arms, greedily inhaling his aura as if it were the finest wine in the world.

The expression of bliss on the fox’s face went unnoticed by Qin Changsheng. Even if he had seen it, he would have thought nothing more than that the little creature had peculiar tastes—after all, a stinky man like him didn’t carry any unusual scents.

As for the supreme vitality and celestial energy emitted by his cultivation of the Longevity Art, Qin Changsheng had no real concept of it. He still considered himself an ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivator, albeit one with over a thousand layers, enough to overwhelm a Golden Core stage easily. But Qi Refining was still Qi Refining.

What he failed to realize was that a person capable of true longevity, a tablet that could grant immortality, and a cultivation method to achieve it could never be simple. If it were, how could it truly grant eternal life?

No one knew why Wang Yuyan had inadvertently become an immortal spiritual root in Qin Changsheng’s presence. Perhaps many years later, the greedy little fox, nestled in his arms and absorbing his longevity aura, would deduce the reason. But that was a tale for the distant future, after the fox had assumed its true form and grown strong enough to become the demon emperor of the demon race—only then would it dare to reveal the truth openly.

***

In the span of a single day, the caravan traveled three hundred miles, nearing the edge of the forest as dusk slowly descended. Nangong Ruoxi, having braved the cold wind for a long while, finally stepped back into the carriage when night fell and sat directly opposite Qin Changsheng.

Meeting his scrutinizing gaze, she explained, “It’s dark now, and as a girl, it’s not very safe outside. Of course, I should rest inside the carriage.”

It was a clumsy excuse, one she had hoped would give her an easy way out. Unexpectedly, Qin Changsheng, ever the straightforward man, nodded seriously.

“Though your Golden Core strength is as formidable as a bull, it truly isn’t safe to be out in the dark.”

“Here’s a piece of advice: once night falls, no matter what noises you hear, pretend you know nothing. Act as if you see nothing. Otherwise, you won’t even know how you died. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

His words carried great weight and meaning.

***

Nangong Ruoxi, who had been smiling moments before, shivered slightly at his warning.

“Could you be more specific?” she asked.

“If I could be specific, would I need to warn you like this?” Qin Changsheng rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I’ve given you the warning. Whether you choose to listen is up to you.”

He would never reveal the secret of the robed youth to Nangong Ruoxi—that was tantamount to courting death. Besides, their relationship wasn’t close enough for him to risk his life for her.

His warning was simply because Nangong Ruoxi had paid him well. By doing so, past karmic debts were nullified, and she owed him nothing. Two strangers crossing paths could afford a simple caution.

“I understand. Thank you, young master,” Nangong Ruoxi purred softly.

Hearing the familiar “young master” again, Qin Changsheng shot her a wry glance.

“If you keep calling me that, don’t blame me for exercising the rights of a young master.”

He opened his celestial eyes aggressively, unabashedly sweeping his gaze over Nangong Ruoxi.

“You’ve lost some weight these past few days.”

That predatory look, that unsettling gaze, startled Nangong Ruoxi. It was the same intense stare she had felt when they first met—like her entire being was laid bare, every secret exposed.

“Keep staring, and I’ll gouge out your dog eyes,” she snapped back, glaring.

Qin Changsheng chuckled. “Weren’t you calling me ‘young master’ so cheerfully? Now feeling shy?”

Caught off guard, Nangong Ruoxi huffed indignantly. “Who’s shy? Young master, young master, what are you going to do?”

“Oh? Feeling bold? Better watch out, or I might pluck that mole on your chest right off.”

His celestial eyes flared open once more as he leaned closer. Nangong Ruoxi froze, stunned.

“How do you know? Were you spying on me?”

Instinctively, she swung her hand to strike, only to have Qin Changsheng seize it effortlessly. This was his domain—no sword hurled by a Tribulation-Transcending master could pierce his bones; at most, they could scratch his skin. This spoke volumes of his physical strength.

Only then did Nangong Ruoxi realize that her Golden Core power was like a feeble chick in Qin Changsheng’s grasp.

“Don’t worry, I’ll let you in on a secret. Your clothes don’t hide anything from my eyes, so do you really think your little seductive act just now has any effect on me?”

“You hold no secrets from me, and your allure is limited.”

With that, Qin Changsheng released her hand.

Nangong Ruoxi’s chest heaved violently as she finally met his gaze fully for the first time. Within those jet-black eyes lay what seemed like a vast cosmic universe, shimmering now with streams of celestial light.

“Ancient Celestial Eyes???” she realized.

At last, she understood why Qin Changsheng had warned her to change clothes earlier—this monster could see right through her garments, every detail clear as day.

The Ancient Celestial Eyes—the legendary gaze before which immortal kings would kneel, and which could see through lifetimes.

No wonder he remained so calm, no wonder he had killed Long Chen!

Because all mystical arts and spells were riddled with flaws under the Celestial Eyes, one who possessed them was the nemesis of all illusions and arcane techniques.

Such a prodigy excelled at defeating the strong with the weak, often needing only a single strike. Like a mighty dam collapsing from a tiny ant hole, the Celestial Eyes didn’t require boundless power to defeat you—they only needed to pierce your weak spot.

“So, are you willing to listen to me nicely now?” Qin Changsheng leaned back against the carriage, keeping his distance from Nangong Ruoxi.

Though he had withdrawn his spiritual energy, his gaze still instilled a deep, unnatural fear in her. She felt utterly exposed before him.

All her defenses seemed void.

All her cleverness, pale and futile.

Everything appeared so laughable.

“...”