Chapter 2482: Bitterness

Published Mar 30, 2026, 05:58 AM

Chapter 2482: Bitterness Zu An was stunned. He suddenly realized that he had unknowingly narrowed the scope of his thoughts too far. He'd instinctively assumed the Human Path’s power insignia was with the humans, and that the humans were the rulers of this world. It was only upon the other party’s reminder that it dawned on him that the Human Path had more than just the human race. In the future, it was proven that the Cultivation World was the Human Path; it was just that the Fiend races were the stronger ones now. That sparked a thought in his mind, but the thought drifted away before he could clutch onto it. Nevertheless, it was a fruitful journey. He earnestly said out of gratitude, “Thank you for the enlightenment, elder.” The man in the cave calmly replied, “If you are truly grateful to me, fulfill my request.” As if fearing Zu An would ask more questions, the space around them distorted. Before they knew it, the three of them had already returned to the Crystal Boat. They quickly scanned their surroundings, but the island and the Firecloud Cave were nowhere to be seen. “Was I dreaming earlier?” The Peacock Princess rubbed her eyes in confusion. “No, it wasn’t a dream,” the Mermaid Queenreplied with a quivering voice as she looked at the pills in her hands. Zu An looked at the vast ocean and remarked, “What a profound formation.” All that was left in front of them was the ocean, meaning that someone had moved the island elsewhere. Zu An was awed by the Firecloud Cave’s methods. Speaking of which, is he truly the successor of the Flame Emperor... The Mermaid Queen was glad that her people could be saved, but the realization that she would have to part ways with Zu An caused her smile to stiffen up. The Peacock Princess just had to poke the hornet’s nest then. “Big sis queen, shall we first accompany you back to the Dragon Palace?” The Mermaid Queen could see through her intention, but she shook her head and said, “No, you still have other matters to attend to. I shall not hold you back.” She then turned to Zu An and asked, “May I have a private conversation with you?” Upon seeing the plea in her eyes, Zu An’s heart softened. He nodded and followed her to the other end of the deck. The Mermaid Queen had many things she wanted to tell him, but now that their moment of parting had come, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words. They stood in silence for a long time. It was Zu An who broke the silence in the end. “Stay safe. You should take the Crystal Boat back.” The Mermaid Queen shook her head. “The Crystal Boat is the Dragon King’s gift to you. I can’t take it. Besides, there’s still some distance before you reach land. You’ll need it.” The corners of her lips curled up. Without this Crystal Boat, big brother Zu might have to carry the Peacock Princess for the rest of the journey. This shall be my little vengeance against her. “But it’s a long distance for you...” Zu An was worried. The Mermaid Queen smiled. “Have you forgotten my race? The ocean is my home turf.” Zu An thought those words made sense. In the water, mermaids are fearsome adversaries. Silence descended between them once more. The Mermaid Queen realized it was about time for her to leave and asked, “Can I have a hug before we part ways?” Zu An was taken aback. He hadn’t expected such a request from her. He wondered whether to turn down her request, especially since he wasn’t from this era and didn’t want to influence her. Sensing his rejection, the Mermaid Queen laughed miserably. “This might be our final parting. After all the time we spent together, do I not at least deserve a friendly hug?” Tears trickled down her cheeks and landed on the deck, producing crisp knocking sounds. Mermaid tears turned into pearls upon striking the ground, after all. Zu An knew this could be their final farewell too. His determination wavered. He was about to open his arms to embrace the Mermaid Queen when a trembling body suddenly held onto him tightly. Zu An fell into a daze. At that moment, he experienced the emotion called bitterness. He had never believed in monogamy. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have turned the Mermaid Queen down. But the difference in their eras evoked his helplessness. He knew there was no future between the two of them. Instead of hurting each other, it was better for them to sever ties for good. It was no wonder that in his previous life’s literary works, love had so many hurdles. He had always scoffed at those tropes, but now, he understood that not all hurdles could be overcome with effort. Zu An let out another sigh. He was about to speak when he saw the Mermaid Queen’s face approaching him, and a pair of soft lips pressed against his. His eyes widened in astonishment. It was a kiss most men in the world would have been envious of, but he was in no mood to enjoy it. Instead, his mind was in disarray. All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain. He instinctively touched his lips and saw a trace of blood. The Mermaid Queen had already let go of him and retreated to the corner of the boat. She looked at him with a mischievous smile, saying, “I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again, so I want you to remember that sensation forever. Farewell, my lover.” She turned around and leaped into the ocean, turning into a beautiful mermaid as she swam into the distance. She didn’t turn around, fearing that she wouldn’t be able to leave anymore if she did. The setting sun cast glistening specks of light on the ocean's surface. Zu An couldn’t tell if those were just light reflections or her tears. The Peacock Princess walked up to Zu An and sighed sadly, “Big sis queen has left.” She regretted playing such a trick on the Mermaid Queen earlier. Big brother doesn’t belong to this era anyway, so what’s the point of competing for him? She thus said, “Big brother, once you’re done with your business in the Fiend races' side, you can return to the Ocean races' side.” Zu An shook his head. There were too many things he had to do, and the world was always throwing new tasks at him. Who knew if he would have a chance to return to the Ocean races' side? The two of them continued their journey to the Fiend races’ imperial court. The Dragon King’s Crystal Boat could soar through the sky as well, though it was much slower than traveling on the ocean. Still, it was much faster than the airplanes in Zu An's previous life. Along the way, the Peacock Princess asked Zu An about the descendant he had gotten close to, whereas Zu An asked her about the Fiend races. Soon, they arrived at the Fiend races’ temporary imperial court. The Fiend race experts guarding the perimeter were already expecting their arrival. “Princess, this must be the great hero our Saintess mentioned. The Saintess has been awaiting your arrival!”

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