Chu Yang remained indifferent and said calmly, "No matter how high your status is, getting beaten up is not disgraceful. Even if you have the King of Heaven backing you, you still have to take this beating."
"Getting beaten isn't disgraceful. What is truly disgraceful is losing your spirit, your dignity, and your integrity as a person. Did you cry for help when you were beaten and trampled? Did you beg for mercy? Did you call them your daddy?"
"You didn't. So, it's not disgraceful at all."
Hearing this, Nie Fengyun was momentarily stunned, then burst into hearty laughter.
Yes, it was just a beating. It wasn't disgraceful, and he hadn't given in because of it!
After a long pause, Chu Yang said, "Your situation is much better than mine. How long do you plan to keep living like this?"
"My Dao Palace is shattered, and my foundation destroyed. I can't cultivate anymore. You can join a major sect, find a powerful master, and train hard to become strong. Isn't that a good plan?"
Nie Fengyun shrugged dismissively, then tilted his nose upward and said sarcastically, "My status is higher than the heavens. Who in this mortal world dares to be my master? If I wanted to find a master, there'd be countless powerful beings in the Immortal Realm lining up to teach me. I'm still young. Why spend my days in secluded cultivation? Isn't it more enjoyable to live freely and happily?"
Chu Yang was already accustomed to such shameless behavior from Nie Fengyun, so he didn't continue to persuade him.
Compared to himself, Nie Fengyun's situation was indeed much better. Not only did he have an extraordinary background, but he also had a great foundation. Any path he chose would be promising.
As for Chu Yang...
He might only be able to live as a mortal for the rest of his life.
Noticing the sadness in Chu Yang's eyes, Nie Fengyun put away his frivolous demeanor and patted Chu Yang's shoulder.
With a serious expression, he said, "I've never been convinced by anyone in my life, but you're an exception. I also don't like owing people, but the debt I owe you keeps growing. I don't even know how to repay you, especially this time. Without your help, I might have been killed by those scumbags."
"How about I repay you with my body?"
Chu Yang felt a wave of exasperation. He thought this guy was finally going to act normal, but he was wrong.
As expected, a dog can't stop itself from eating filth!
Nie Fengyun chuckled awkwardly, then quickly continued, "Since I can't repay you right now, and we've been through a lot together, why don't we become sworn brothers? When I return to the Immortal Realm, you can come to me if you need anything!"
"Well, aren't you just trying to get something for nothing? If you don't want to repay me, just say so!"
Chu Yang feigned anger, jokingly.
"As brothers, we share life and death. What's mine is yours. Except for my wife... she's still mine."
Chu Yang smiled faintly, feeling an immense sense of comfort. This brief banter seemed to be his most leisurely and peaceful moment.
Moreover, this rascal in front of him did make some sense.
His life had been filled with hardships. As a child, he witnessed his parents being brutally murdered in front of him. Since then, he had only his sister, Chu Nannan, as his only family. To spare his sister from suffering, he had been on the run, never resting.
Now, his sister had gone to the Immortal Realm, living a better life. He was alone. Having a brother to chat with and relieve boredom wouldn't be bad.
He looked up at Nie Fengyun and asked, "How do we become sworn brothers?"
Nie Fengyun immediately pulled Chu Yang up, and the two stood side by side under the vast sky.
They raised their hands, pointing to the clouds above.
"I'm older than you, so..."
Originally, Nie Fengyun intended to take the role of the elder brother. However, seeing the depth of Chu Yang's expression, with the endless melancholy hidden beneath, he swallowed his words.
He quickly changed his mind and said, "So, you will be the elder brother, and I'll be your younger brother!"
The sky was a clear blue, and the clouds were particularly bright and distinct. The light shone down on the two young men.
Under this vast sky, the two youths swore an oath together, one that was filled with passion and fervor.
...
Their voices roared towards the heavens, echoing powerfully and stirring the soul.
The youthful passion and friendship between them would surely be passed down as a legendary tale.
Outside the Heavenly Emperor's Realm.
The cultivators hadn't expected the bonding of the Emperor and Nie Emperor to be so simple and unpretentious.
Some were amazed, some were surprised, and some reminisced about the past.
In their eyes, the bond between the Emperor and Nie Emperor must have been forged through earth-shattering trials and tribulations, ultimately resulting in a deep and enduring friendship.
After the Emperor's rise, Nie Emperor became the most loyal and powerful supporter behind him.
The two fought side by side, sweeping away countless powerful enemies across the heavens. Nie Emperor's loyalty to the Emperor was unwavering.
In the end, the Emperor even entrusted the position of the Heavenly Court's first divine general to Nie Emperor, showcasing the depth of their relationship.
However, they hadn't anticipated that their initial bond was so ordinary.
But upon reflection, while it seemed plain, it also made perfect sense.
At that time, neither the Emperor nor Nie Emperor had anything. They were penniless and possessed little cultivation.
And at the age of teens, who isn't full of passion and lofty ideals? Sharing hardships and struggling to survive in the mortal world, they never abandoned each other, forming a pure friendship.
Such a scene would be impossible in the cultivation world.
For cultivators, pursuing benefits is the norm, and so-called friendships hold little value.
Enemies and friends are not eternal; only interests are.
Nie Fengyun's expression became somewhat dazed, his eyes slightly red.
It was as if those days when he and the Emperor were still young, bathing in sunlight and making vows to the sky, were still vivid in his memory, resonating in his heart.
He felt an indescribable pain, and the hatred he held for the Emperor was momentarily soothed by these memories.
"If you had never changed, if you had remained the elder brother you once were, how great it would be. We brothers could fight side by side once again..."
Nie Fengyun sighed heavily, feeling an immense sense of desolation.
On one side was his sister, whose consciousness had been erased by the Emperor, turning her into a spirit artifact. On the other was the elder brother he had shared hardships with...
His sister had once admired his elder brother, and their relationship could have become even stronger. But why did it end up like this?
"Why? Why did you have to change into what you became, Chu Yang? I hate you!"
...
Time flies like a white steed passing through a crack, slipping away unnoticed.
The day came when Nie Fengyun's three-year trial in the mortal world ended, and it was time for him to return to the Immortal Realm, back to the Nie family of Longevity.