Eternal Cultivation of Alchemy

Alex understood his own shock at what he saw, but sensing waves of shocked emotion coming from Scarlet's bond surprised him even more.

What had Bai Jingshen done that caused an Immortal to be completely shocked?

"What is that? What did you do?" Scarlet asked.

Bai Jingshen placed his earring back on his right ear. "One of the many little things I can do thanks to my master," he said. "But I can't do this many times, so there is that."

"You resurrected him? What happened?" Scarlet asked.

"No, not resurrection. A true resurrection can only happen mere moments after one's death, maybe half a minute while the soul is still returning to where it came from," Bai Jingshen said. "What I did instead is akin to what he can do with Beast Cores."

"Me?" Alex asked, thinking for a moment. "What I get from beast cores are just impressions. Are you saying you drew an impression from this man's corpse?"

"Yes," Bai Jingshen said. "His soul was dead, but there is still spiritual energy in his body that hasn't dissipated just yet. Not all the way at least. The skill I used allows me to gather those fragments, empower them, and create a spirit from it with memories and experience of the person I get it from."

"The more spiritual energy there is, the more I can gather. I'll have to see how much of him is remaining in there still," the White Tiger said.

"Why would you want to make him alive again?" Alex asked. "Don't you want him dead?"

"No, I want him hurt. I want him crying, and I want him begging for his life without ever being able to die. An eternity of torture will not be enough for the man who killed my daughter and granddaughter," Bai Jingshen said.

Alex sensed the hatred in his words and said nothing.

"Grandfather," Pearl said with a solemn look. "Couldn't you… couldn't you have done the same with Mother? We could have—"

"I'm sorry, child, but that wasn't possible. This only works on those recently dead, and it needs a body. This artifact my master gave me did not have one where it worked on beast cores."

"I see," Pearl said with a saddened look.

"In fact, I tried it on your mother. I went to her grave to try and get something of her back, but it was already too late by the time I had come back from that other world. She was dead for far too long. I'm sorry," Bai Jingshen said.

"No, no, don't be sorry, grandfather," Pearl said quickly. "I already got to meet Mother, so I'm not sad. Besides, you tried your best, that is all I could ask for."

Scarlet gave Pearl a big hug. "You're the best, Pearl."

Pearl smiled widely. "Oh right, I was thinking of something," he said. "Since I'm the son of the previous ruler. Can I invite the two of you to the Eastern Continent? Will that work?"

Bai Jingshen shook his head. "That won't work. Unless your father told you explicitly that he was leaving the continent in your hands if he was ever absent, it wouldn't work. I fear your mother might have been who he chose, if any."

"We can still try," Pearl said.

Bai Jingshen was about to say something when he paused and shook his head. "Sure, go on."

Pearl stood up tall. "Grandfather, sister Scarlet, I welcome you to my land," he said.

Bai Jingshen looked toward the Eastern Continent and gave a rueful smile.

"It didn't work," Scarlet said. "Just the thought of going to that land tightens the oath around my chest."

"Is that so?" Pearl was a little saddened.

"Hey! If it was so easy, we wouldn't need to have stayed outside while we feared how you did the entire time," Bai Jingshen said. "So it's alright."

"I suppose," Pearl said and put up a brave front. "I still have many things to do in the continent. Turns out, being a ruler is not so easy. I'll have to return now. I'll see you all later."

The others chuckled a little and let Pearl return. Alex flew back with him, making his way back to continue dealing with the aftermath of the war.

It took 2 days for the soldiers to be certain that they had left behind nothing after taking away everything that had scattered throughout the capital after the war.

This not only included treasures, but also corpses and beast cores as everyone knew just how important it was for their ruler.

They also gathered the corpses of their comrades to return them to their families for the funeral.

Alex looked at the number of dead once again and sighed. It was a lot less than he had expected when he came here, perhaps thanks to the war being a surprise.

But it was still a lot more than he could afford to lose. A single life was too many to lose. Especially when they fought for him.

Alex could only sigh once again.

"Your Majesty, we're ready to leave."

Alex turned around to see the elder Qiu Jianhong standing beside him with a slight bow.

"Everything is done?" he asked.

"Yes," Qiu Jianhong said. "Everything that would require the soldiers at least. I fear there are more things to be done here still for you."

Alex nodded. "Let us return for now. I'll deal with other things later," he said and stood up.

He called for the others to come with him, but Hannah and Liz refused. They were going to stay behind with Long Huan to help him handle everything here.

Alex understood. "Take care of Pearl for me while I'm gone," he said. "He might be a little more overwhelmed than everyone else."

"Of course," Liz said. "Don't worry about him."

Alex nodded and left.

The Southern Continent's massive ship flew through the skies of the Eastern Continent, the color of the phoenix fire prominently displayed on the side of the ship.

Many people all around the empire came out to watch them fly back, the victors of the war.

Alex stood on the deck of the ship, looking down at every single person. He had found the time to cultivate and was now back on his full cultivation.

As such, he released an aura around him, a frightening aura that scared every single spiritual sense that came close to it.

He stood atop the ship like a demon of battle, a power that defeated the strongest person in the world. His would be a name that would spread through the continent for generations.

Men would speak his name in hushed tones, mothers would use his name to scare their children at night.

Sleep soon or the Phoenix regent will come for you at midnight with his long claws and his sharp fangs.

As the ship flew, with Alex atop it, it left behind a legacy for him. A legacy of war and death.

But there was something more to it than just that, for the people knew the truth now. Fearsome he may be, he was still a savior to many of the people.

However people felt about him, one thing was true. Because of what he had done here, his name would go into the annals of history here for thousands and thousands of years to come.