When Ji Yuan heard this sentence, he had already withdrawn the Spiritual Qi from the talisman.

No other reason, he just couldn't bear to listen any longer.

Originally standing in front of the house, he just leaned straight back and lay down on the ground, staring at the white clouds drifting east in the sky, lost in thought.

After a long time, he couldn't help but punch the ground.

"You old fool, why are you so damn stupid!"

"Didn't you promise not to go!"

"Damn it, if I had known, I wouldn't have given you that Foundation Establishment Pill! Gave it to you and you didn't cultivate properly, yet went to get yourself killed!"

Ji Yuan cursed, but the more he cursed, the more his heart felt a twinge of sadness.

It took him a long time to adjust before he could move past the news of Xu Fugui's death, but now, in the blink of an eye, he received the news of Isle Master Tie Chui's death as well...

For Ji Yuan, this year was truly quite sorrowful.

He lingered for a long while, picking up the talisman several times, and finally infused his Spiritual Qi into it.

The cheerful voice of Isle Master Tie Chui rang out once more.

"Haha, you brat, are you cursing me? Cursing me for going... Indeed, if I really died, then I should indeed be cursed."

"After all, when I set out, I had made up my mind. I had absolutely no intention of avenging that old guy. I just wanted to find the place where it all happened, see if his body was still there. Even if it wasn't, it would be fine to bring back some ashes."

"Don't blame me for being incompetent, what I can do... is only this much."

"But who would have thought, even with my low target, I still died out there."

"The Demon Dao is truly a bunch of bastards. I'm... I'm even worse, can't even beat those bastards."

"Alright, no more idle talk. You're surely curious why I was so insistent on bringing back Xu Fugui, right? Let me tell you a story, and you'll understand."

Then, in Isle Master Tie Chui's long-winded, intermittent narration.

Ji Yuan finally understood why their relationship was both that of mentor and friend...

It turns out the two had known each other even before joining the Water Dragon Sect. At that time, Isle Master Tie Chui was in the later stage of Qi Cultivation, and Xu Fugui was in the mid-stage. The age gap between them was also significant.

The reason they knew each other was because, during an expedition to slay demons, Isle Master Tie Chui was accidentally injured and passed out.

He happened to be encountered by Xu Fugui, who was also out hunting demons.

What is the normal course of action when a mid-stage Qi Cultivator encounters a heavily injured and unconscious late-stage Qi Cultivator in the wild?

Naturally, it would be to kill and rob.

This kind of work, without risk and capable of yielding great reward, is popular among countless cultivators.

But Xu Fugui didn't do that at the time. Not only did he not kill, but he also took Isle Master Tie Chui back home, fed him a Healing Elixir, and even invited a physician to help treat him.

Eventually, of course, Isle Master Tie Chui survived, and he became friends with Xu Fugui, his savior, across the age divide.

Later, Isle Master Tie Chui successfully joined the Water Dragon Sect, but Xu Fugui couldn't pass the assessments due to his talent and strength.

So the two of them discussed it and came up with another plan.

That was to wait for Isle Master Tie Chui to reach Foundation Establishment, open an isle, and then take Xu Fugui as a disciple. That way, he could bypass the assessments and directly join the sect.

And indeed, they actually did it.

And they succeeded.

Afterward, they both cultivated steadily in the Water Dragon Sect. With the full assistance of a Foundation Establishment Isle Master, Xu Fugui quickly advanced to the Peak of Qi Refining, but to go further...

He needed a Foundation Establishment Pill.

This thing was too hard to come by.

Isle Master Tie Chui had prepared three for Xu Fugui, and in his fifties, attempted Foundation Establishment once but failed.

Since then, no matter what Isle Master Tie Chui said, Xu Fugui was unwilling to try again.

It's not that he didn't want Foundation Establishment; he just couldn't bear to spend any more of Isle Master Tie Chui's Spirit Stones.

He needed to cultivate, and Isle Master Tie Chui also needed to cultivate.

As for what happened next, Ji Yuan already knew.

"So, Ji, it's not that I didn't know about the dangers of going, nor that I didn't understand that steadily advancing in cultivation was crucial, but I also know there are things more important than cultivation."

"If I didn't go, would I, Liu Tiechui, still be human?"

"Cultivation, cultivation; isn't it all about clearing the heart? If I didn't go, my heart would not be clear, and then what immortal path would I pursue?"

"So I went... and thinking about how I didn't come back, it still feels a bit upsetting. Alright, I'll admit it, I'm also afraid of dying."

"..."

After these words, Isle Master Tie Chui fell silent for a long time without saying anything more.

It wasn't until Ji Yuan thought the Sound Recording Talisman had run out that his voice sounded again.

"Ji, actually I lied to you about one thing. You have great talent in Artifact Refining, so I bequeath you my furnace and hammer. All my artifact refining experiences are also recorded in that 'True Understanding of Artifact Refining'. If you have any thoughts on artifact refining, just study it."

"If you truly don't want to refine artifacts, then please, in the future, seek out a younger generation with an aptitude for it, a decent personality, and pass on my artifact refining lineage. I don't want my lineage to end."

"That old guy Xu Fugui always thought I couldn't let go of Body Refinement, but what I truly can't let go of is Artifact Refining. I practiced Body Refinement to better refine artifacts. I love the feeling of sparks flying against my body... Alright, that's enough."

"Getting older makes one ramble on endlessly."

"I need to bring that old guy back home."

"Brother Ji... live well, just as I told you when you came to my island, only by living can there be hope."

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