Chapter 57: The Final Farewell of the First Snow?

In the evening, half of the sun was swallowed by the sea, leaving the other half resting on the water's surface.

Like a painter, she used light as her brush to dye the surrounding sky in shades of vibrant red.

Wang Chu stood by the beach, quietly gazing at the sea and listening to the sound of the waves beneath the setting sun, his face brushed with a faint, reddish glow.

Suddenly, Chuxue stepped out from a spatial rift and stopped beside him.

"To me, breaking through has lost all meaning. Why would you give me such a precious fish to eat?"

Not until she had consumed the fish did Chuxue truly realize just how precious the fish Wang Chu had given her actually was.

Not only had it refined her physique and cleansed the impurities from her soul, but it had even allowed her to catch a glimpse of the fundamental laws of the Heavenly Dao.

It lifted her in a single bound from the Soul Formation realm to the Void Return realm.

In the past, Chuxue might have felt at least a trace of joy.

But now, she could not muster any happiness at all, feeling only that bestowing such precious cultivation resources upon someone like her, whose days were numbered, was nothing short of a massive waste.

"It was just a fish," Wang Chu said in a very casual tone.

"Besides, this fish is not entirely without meaning for you."

Chuxue looked slightly perplexed.

"I am about to die from poison; what meaning could it possibly have?"

She said with a hint of dejection, "A poison like the Seven Fiends makes no difference to cultivators in the Soul Formation or Void Return realms. Once afflicted, one dies after seven days."

Wang Chu stepped forward and reached down to take off his shoes.

"You are different. You are going to keep living."

Chuxue shook her head.

"Forget it, do not make things difficult for that senior. The Seven Fiends poison is incurable."

Wang Chu rolled up his trouser legs and stepped into the surf, his bare feet sinking into the wet sand beneath the waves. The soft, cool sensation felt instantly refreshing.

"Hehe, that is not necessarily true."

Chuxue smiled faintly.

"Perhaps."

After a brief moment of silence, Wang Chu invited her, "Would you like to try it as well?"

"What?"

Chuxue looked at Wang Chu's feet submerged in the seawater.

"You mean going barefoot in the waves?"

Wang Chu nodded.

"Yes, come and try it. It really feels wonderful."

Chuxue hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright, I will try."

With that, she reached down to take off her embroidered shoes, stepping her flawless, jade-white bare feet into the oncoming tide.

Experiencing seawater with her bare feet for the very first time, Chuxue found it surprisingly gentle.

It brushed softly against her calves, feeling much like a gentle massage.

Wang Chu walked closer to Chuxue, nearer to the deeper part of the ocean, and said to her, "Let us walk forward a bit."

Chuxue readily agreed, "Alright."

And so, the two began to stroll through the surf.

As they walked, the sun finally plunged entirely into the deep sea, squeezing the moon up out of the water.

The red light transformed in an instant into a white radiance.

Wang Chu turned to look at the pristine woman illuminated by the moonlight, and suddenly said with an apologetic tone, "I am sorry, Chuxue, but I am afraid I cannot fulfill the promise I made to you earlier."

Chuxue seemed to have anticipated this; rather than showing any disappointment, her eyes crinkled as she smiled, "It is fine, you do not need to blame yourself. Instead, I should be thanking you. I never expected you to bring me so many surprises these past few days."

Wang Chu knew Chuxue must have misunderstood something. However, he had no intention of clarifying just yet, and a mischievous impulse rose within him.

"Ah, perhaps I should refund you a few spiritual stones."

Chuxue shot him a sidelong glance.

"What use do spiritual stones have for me now? Besides, everything you have done these past few days far exceeds the value of the stones I gave you."

Looking somewhat touched, Wang Chu covered his mouth and gently grasped Chuxue's shoulder.

"Chuxue, you are too kind! I am deeply moved!"

Chuxue detected nothing amiss, a faint mist seeming to gather in her eyes.

"No, you are the kind one. I am deeply touched. If not for you, I would never have known that this world could be so wonderful—that the cultivation world, with all its endless fighting and desires for immortality, also holds a mortal realm so enchanting that one never wishes to leave."

At this, she turned and walked toward the shore, leaving the sea behind.

"Now, for these final moments, please come with me back to the flower-covered hillside and accompany me for a little longer."

Wang Chu wore an expression of profound grief.

"Alright!"

The two put their shoes back on, left the beach, and returned to the hillside that had previously been blanketed in flowers.

Among the floral clusters, insects were slipping into the foliage, emitting bursts of joyful, high-pitched chirps.

Finding the spot where they had sat earlier, Wang Chu and Chuxue sat down together, gazing up at the moon in silence.

After a long while, Chuxue slowly rested her head on Wang Chu's shoulder and asked, "Wang Chu, is there someone you like?"

"Guess." Wang Chu gave an ambiguous reply.

Chuxue smiled.

"She must be very pretty, right?"

"She's alright," Wang Chu put on a pretense.

"Does she like you?" Chuxue asked again.

Wang Chu thought for a moment.

"Perhaps."

Chuxue lifted her head from Wang Chu's shoulder.

"If you like someone, you must be brave and pursue them!"

Wang Chu looked at her.

"Did a book say that?"

Chuxue lowered her gaze, absentmindedly twisting a lock of her hair.

"Mm, that is what the books say."

Wang Chu withdrew his gaze.

"Ah, I will."

After a brief silence, Chuxue continued, "The Fairy Zixia ultimately failed to meet the love of her life arriving on a colorful auspicious cloud to marry her. But I am different. Although I do not have a lover riding a colorful cloud, at the very least, I met you in the final moments of my life. I feel very fortunate."

"Is this considered a dying declaration?" Wang Chu's words sounded somewhat harsh.

Yet Chuxue did not grow angry; instead, she readily admitted, "Mm, pretty much."

She glanced up at the moonlight.

"It is getting late. You should head back first, and come back tomorrow morning to collect my remains."

"You do not want me to stay with you?" Wang Chu looked slightly surprised.

Chuxue shook her head.

"No need."

She explained, "When the poison acts up, I might look rather unsightly. I do not want you to see me like that, so please, just come back tomorrow morning."

Wang Chu wore a look of deep regret.

"Ah, very well."

With that, he stood up, turned, and stepped directly into the spatial rift without a moment's hesitation.

After he left, only Chuxue remained in the sea of flowers.

She chose to close her eyes at that moment, lying down among the blossoms, listening to the chirping of the insects and the sound of the waves while waiting for death to arrive.

What the acting up of the Seven Fiends poison truly looked like, and why there had been no signs of it acting up over the past few days—

Chuxue was not entirely clear on these matters.

Yet she figured she would soon know the answer.

Time felt both very slow and very fast to Chuxue now.

In a daze, the Hour of the Rat drew ever closer.

Chuxue suddenly opened her eyes, sat halfway up, faced the ocean, and harbored a sudden thought.

"Earlier, I wanted to recite poetry like the poets in the books, but I was always too shy.

Now, on the verge of death, I might as well fulfill this long-cherished wish before the pain arrives."

So she thought to herself.

After all, she was entirely alone here at this moment.

More importantly, she was about to die.

Chuxue took a deep breath, slightly calmed her racing heart, and then softly chanted aloud:

"Starting tomorrow, be a happy person..."

Gradually, whether influenced by her surroundings or the creeping approach of death, Chuxue's voice rose, growing high and passionate:

"Starting tomorrow, write to every loved one..."

Within the hidden space, Wang Chu watched all of this and listened to Chuxue's melodious voice, furrowing his brow as he murmured softly,

"She's quite expressive. I just wonder if she would die of embarrassment if I showed up right now?"