Bixi looked like a turtle carved from stone, gazingly at Fan Wubing.
The Heaven Nurturing Cauldron pressed on its back for tens of thousands of years had truly been lifted. It felt an unprecedented lightness and comfort, akin to the feeling of rolling and bathing in the mud on the seabed upon its birth.
Those were its happiest times.
In Bixiâs eyes, a mix of excitement, joy, shock, and sudden realization flowed, entwining together, leaving its mind in a tangle, filled with complex emotions.
At this moment, it fully understood that the man before it was serious. It couldnât help but ask:
"What do you want to do with this cauldron?"
Fan Wubing looked at the Heaven Nurturing Cauldron hanging before him. Its size was variable and had now shrunk to the size of a golden goblet used by nobility for drinking. He smiled sincerely,
"At first, I didnât really understand what to do with this cauldronâsave my life? But before now, I didnât even know if I could do it. Now I roughly understand. Bixi, this cauldron is a bridge for all beings to communicate with the Heavenly Dao, right?"
Bixiâs eyelids drooped, "Yes. However, after the Path to Immortality collapsed, that bridge was also severed. Now, itâs merely used as a tool to obtain the Divine Techniques âHeaven Nurturing Techniqueâ."
In the depths of Fan Wubingâs pupils, a strange light slowly rotated, containing both the determination to contend with the heavens and the spirit of pursuing the great path,
"Someday, I will use it to ask properly, why such attempts to kill me."
Bixi recalled Fan Wubing previously asking about the âSeven Luminariesâ, and its thoughts stirred, asking:
"Whatâs your relation with the Seven Luminaries?"
Fan Wubing, however, counter-questioned, "Who are the Seven Luminaries?"
Bixiâs voice turned heavy, as if only this way could match the weight of âSeven Luminariesâ,
"The Seven Luminaries, no one knows who he is. He is you; he is me; he is every one of us. You might think he never appeared, or that he will never disappear. Young man, remember, any description or portrayal of the Seven Luminaries is wrong, including my words here. To know who the Seven Luminaries is, you alone must touch, search, and inquire."
"I donât understand."
Bixi laughed heartily, "Not understanding is exactly right. If you understood what the Seven Luminaries is, you would have become him."
Fan Wubing was moved, realizing that for many, the Seven Luminaries seems akin to a dreamlike existence.
Looking at the Heaven Nurturing Cauldron, Bixi sighed, "This cauldron, pressed upon me for two millennia, was agonizing. But suddenly losing it, thereâs oddly a bit of reluctance."
Fan Wubing laughed, "Itâs like missing an old friend, isnât it?"
Bixi said, "In my life, wandering the oceans, Iâve witnessed the rise and fall of countless races. I once had many friends, but they all ultimately turned into corpses, crumbling into barren tombs on the seabed. Without a persistent goal, longevity becomes a pain."
"I can empathize," Fan Wubing thought, that in such long years, how Bixi had not forgotten who it was, was already remarkable.
Bixi wanted to tease him, âWhat does a young man like you know of empathy?â but seeing the turning of distant years in his pupils, couldnât even utter half a word.
"We agreed before, taking the Heaven Nurturing Cauldron is like owing you a favor. What do you want me to do?" said Bixi, "Let it be clear, anything that damages my turtle dignity is not okay."
Turtle dignity.
Fan Wubing couldnât help but laugh, "Of course not. Bixi, in these thousands of years, you should have traversed every sea."
"Mostly, but of all the places I wandered, nowhere is as comfortable as the Sea of Eternal Life."
"Have you ever seen a skeleton?"
Bixi instinctively said, "The bones Iâve seen are more numerous than the stars youâve witnessed."
"None of them special?" Fan Wubing asked with a smile.
Bixiâs thoughts stirred, covering half an eye with its eyelid, "Young man, speak plainly, no need to banter with this old turtle."
"A dragon skeleton." Fan Wubingâs gaze fixed, his entire demeanor changed.
Bixi paused. Its huge eyes flared upon like comets, and the scales on its shell thundered.
"Dragon? Haha, there are no dragons in this world!" Bixi spoke of dragons with sarcasm, "You think a creature with horns, claws, an elongated body ensconced in scales is a dragon? Absurd!"
Fan Wubing smiled, "I hadnât even said anything. Seems you harbor a great grudge against the dragons of this world."
"A bunch of thieves! Bearing dragon bodies insults true dragons! Bixiâs resentment almost oozed from its eyes, "Enjoying the worship of all demonic and spiritual beings, yet their heads filled only with selfish desires, rotting upon the so-called Path to Immortality, oozing pus and leaving a stench for millennia!"
Bixi coldly eyed Fan Wubing, "Boy, what kind of dragon are you looking for?"
Sensing Bixiâs change in attitude, Fan Wubing was puzzled. What did the dragons do in this world to make such a good-natured old fellow this angry?
Taking a deep breath, he solemnly answered:
"I seek the ancient Great Wilderness Cyan Dragon, one that nurtures all beings with its blood and flesh, leaving an eternal life imprint over millennia in the ages of time."
Bixi stood shocked as thunder echoed in clear skies, dumbfounded. It found it unbelievable that in this present era, someone still knew of the "Great Wilderness Cyan Dragon"? Its deeply wrinkled and connective skin suddenly passed with a gentle light, its voice became somewhat cautious, as if fearing to awaken a beautiful dream.
"Young man, did you say, Great Wilderness Cyan Dragon?"
Fan Wubingâs eye corner showed warmth, "Yes. The Great Wilderness Cyan Dragon."