The Legend of Immortality

The grand streets of New York were bathed in the glow of twilight as Liu Lei emerged from his residence. Twelve years had passed, and though he appeared unchanged, his eyes bore an indescribable weariness. Twelve years of exile in a foreign land, unable to return home or claim his country; his body may be immortal, but his heart was not. Now, twelve years later, he had become a true vampire—pale, clad in a pristine black suit, his eyes filled with the weight of countless years. His expression was cold, his attire immaculate, and his gaze, one of profound experience.

When he had first chosen North America over Europe, it was due to the overwhelming influence of the Vatican in Europe. In the Americas, however, such influence was significantly weaker. Upon leaving, Master Feng and Elder Da Sha had given him numerous gifts, including money. With wealth in hand, Liu Lei easily obtained a local passport, smoothly entered several renowned universities, and successfully established his own company. Twelve years passed by with relative ease—at least, that was the outward appearance. The one thing that still troubled Liu Lei was the fact that three years ago, Xuanyuan Xuejian had finally lost control of his cultivation, and the Heavenly Tribulation had arrived. Though the ordeal was perilous yet survived, Liu Lei could not shake the guilt of not being able to protect his friend—what is a friend, after all? Only in times of crisis do true friendships manifest, and yet, he was powerless to return, left with nothing but guilt for his old companion.

He resided at the top floor of an apartment on a busy street. Each evening, as dusk descended, he would step out of his room and head to a nearby bar for a drink. A narrow alley lay fifty meters to the right of his exit, and a few steps further, there was a bar named "If." Liu Lei had a fondness for the red wine here. The bar's owner had a small vineyard and a winery in the countryside, where he grew his own grapes and made his wine, selling it exclusively at his bar. The wine was pure and delicious, and many regulars, like Liu Lei, frequented the place. He often sat in a dimly lit corner of the bar, swirling his wine, lost in thoughts of the past: *If only I had done this differently, perhaps today would have turned out differently?*

Tonight, however, the bar felt different. The moment Liu Lei entered, he sensed it—more precisely, he smelled it—blood. As a creature that fed on blood, his sensitivity to it was innate, even though he was not a full-fledged vampire. The others in the bar seemed oblivious, sipping their drinks and chatting quietly. Liu Lei took his usual seat, and the scent grew stronger from the table diagonally across from him by the window. There sat a tall man, draped in a black coat, the blood scent emanating from beneath his attire. Liu Lei thought to himself, *It seems tonight will not be a peaceful one in this neighborhood.*

At eight o'clock, the man in the coat stood, perhaps intending to leave, but upon noticing an elderly man holding a black umbrella at the door, he immediately sat back down. Liu Lei saw beads of sweat begin to form on the man's forehead. At the same time, he realized who the elderly man was—his shock mirrored the man's. From the old man, he felt the same aura as himself—not the scent of the bloodline, but of dark power. The old man was a dark sorcerer! Liu Lei was astonished. Dark sorcerers were rare, and to encounter one was a rare occurrence indeed.

The old man smiled at the man in the coat, causing his sweat to intensify. Then, the old man turned and locked eyes with Liu Lei. After a moment of recognition, the old man smiled warmly at him, nodding in acknowledgment. It seemed the old man, too, was pleased to encounter a kindred spirit.

The old man then returned his gaze to the man in the coat, whose body began to tremble, though he remained seated obediently. *Shadow binding?* Liu Lei mused, realizing the old man wielded formidable dark magic. The old man pushed the door open and walked to the man's table. The man struggled to speak, his mouth opening and closing, but no words came. The old man placed a hand on his shoulder, as a parent might comfort a child, but Liu Lei noticed something unusual. Suddenly, the aura of death surged from the old man—the necromantic spell "Necro-Life" was unleashed, transforming the man from a living being into a summoned undead. Liu Lei was stunned—this old man was a necromancer, a rare and even more formidable type of dark sorcerer.

After the old man had settled the bill and left with his newly summoned undead servant, he glanced at Liu Lei. Liu Lei called out, "Boss, put it on my tab," before following him outside. The old man was slowly walking ahead, and Liu Lei caught up, calling, "Senior!" The old man turned, looked him over, and clicked his tongue, saying, "A descendant of the Yellow Race! Rare indeed. Which country are you from?" "China," Liu Lei replied. The old man frowned. "China? Who dared to venture there and develop descendants? Aren't they afraid the cultivators would—what's the term again?—destroy their souls?" Liu Lei smiled and responded, "Destroyed both body and spirit." "Yes, that's it," the old man replied, then paused before asking, "So why are you in the U.S.? I thought vampires mostly resided in Europe?" Liu Lei smiled and answered, "Aren't you here as well?" "Me?" The old man said, "I grew tired of Europe, so I came here to take a break. What about you?" Liu Lei was silent for a moment before replying, "I had no choice. Europe is fine, but with the Church there, I didn't want to stir up trouble." The old man nodded and changed the subject. "Your power is impressive. If you hadn't released your aura just now, I wouldn't have sensed you." Liu Lei smiled without responding. The old man continued, "Turning the corner, he headed toward a car parked on the roadside. Next to it stood a figure that was no longer human but undead—a necromantic servant, for Liu Lei could sense no living energy within. The undead respectfully opened the car door for the old man, who entered with Liu Lei, and the servant closed the door before swiftly moving to the driver's seat and starting the car.

After about twenty minutes, the car stopped in front of a mansion. Liu Lei stepped out and gazed at the dark, unlit house, recalling the mansion left to him by the old Count in the Qinling Mountains and the events that had transpired there. A sigh escaped him. The old man, too, stepped out and walked alongside Liu Lei into the house. The undead drove the car into the garage. The old man, seeing Liu Lei lost in thought, said, "We don't care for the light; our strength is greater in the darkness."