Chapter 442: Reunion
The person who had just been sitting silently in the soft sedan chair was now standing proudly in the sky, incomparably domineering and arrogant, as if the world existed only for him.
This was Duan Wudao, just as the rumors described—ruthless and merciless, those who obeyed prospered, those who defied perished, with himself as the sole authority.
The flood dragon roared as it surged away, and Duan Wudao's figure vanished from sight, but the hearts of the crowd were far from calm.
First, Lin Feng had shaken everyone; then Duan Wudao had displayed his tyrannical ruthlessness. Both men deeply stirred the hearts of the onlookers. The Falling Cloud Sect, at least a major sect and one of the most powerful forces in Snow Moon, had been completely annihilated over a single insult. This confirmed the truth: when your strength is sufficient, any so-called sect or force becomes illusory. With overwhelming power, you can simply wave your hand and wipe them out.
"No wonder he's the head of the Eight Young Masters. Could it really be true, as the rumors say, that even the other seven Young Masters combined are no match for Duan Wudao?" someone thought silently. Duan Wudao was too strong. Figures like Dapeng Gongzi, who were already incredibly powerful and terrifyingly talented in their own right, were utterly insignificant before Duan Wudao.
"His strength has become even more terrifying." Yue Tianming gazed at the departing figure and murmured to himself. As the second-ranked of the Eight Young Masters of Snow Moon Kingdom, his long-standing goal had been to surpass Duan Wudao. But today, he realized that the gap between them had only widened. Duan Wudao was still undergoing a terrifying transformation, constantly growing stronger.
...
Deep within the Longing Forest lay a forbidden area: the Green Bamboo Elegant Garden. It was tranquil and cool, filled with the harmonious beauty of nature.
Within this Green Bamboo Elegant Garden, there were many exquisitely crafted small rooms scattered among the bamboo grove. Living there, one could listen to the rustling sound of the bamboo swaying.
Yue Menghe, Lin Feng, and Meng Qing were now strolling through the bamboo grove. The others had already returned on their own.
"Mother, have you been living here for these eighteen years?" Lin Feng glanced at Yue Menghe. According to Duan Xinye, the four people who had disappeared eighteen years ago had never been seen again. But Yue Menghe had actually been living in the Longing Forest all this time, in this deep forbidden area where no one else was allowed to set foot. Had she really stayed here for eighteen years?
"Mostly, yes. I rarely leave." Yue Menghe nodded gently, causing a hint of emotion to appear in Lin Feng's eyes. Although this place was beautiful, staying in one spot for eighteen years without any family seemed far too boring. At least, Lin Feng himself couldn't do it.
Lin Feng had his own pursuits: martial arts, the path of the strong, constantly striving for higher realms of martial dao, so that one day he could stand proudly above heaven and earth, fearing nothing.
"Xiao Feng, do you think these eighteen years have been dull and boring for me?" Yue Menghe looked at Lin Feng, her beautiful eyes filled with warmth.
"Mm." Lin Feng nodded slightly. That was indeed what he thought.
"Once you truly understand this Longing Forest, you won't think that way anymore." Yue Menghe smiled mysteriously, leaving Lin Feng puzzled. Could there be something special about this Longing Forest?
"Before that, let me take you to a place." Yue Menghe didn't explain further and spoke again.
The three of them walked across the lush green grass, their steps neither hurried nor slow.
In Lin Feng's line of sight, ancient towering trees appeared, their trunks thick and sturdy. It would take two or three people holding hands to encircle them.
These trees were at least several hundred years old, carrying a faint, ancient aura.
After a few more steps, a terrifyingly ancient tree stood before Lin Feng and the others. It soared into the clouds, with a diameter of ten meters. Its branches extended outward, and even its offshoots were thicker than the roots of many other ancient trees.
This ancient tree was a thousand-year-old tree demon.
What caught Lin Feng's attention was that, nestled in the fork of its branches, cozy wooden cabins had been built, simple and without any hint of luxury.
Following the wooden cabins and the ancient tree downward, a figure sat quietly on a stone stool, holding a carving knife in hand, silently carving something into a withered branch. Beside him were various wooden furniture pieces. He was carving furniture.
The moment he saw this figure, Lin Feng's pupils contracted sharply. But then, his brow relaxed, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.
With light steps, Lin Feng walked across the grass without making a sound, moving toward the figure.
Meng Qing followed behind Lin Feng, but at that moment, Yue Menghe pulled her arm, startling Meng Qing. She looked at Yue Menghe.
Yue Menghe made a silencing gesture to Meng Qing, a faint smile in her eyes. Meng Qing nodded in understanding and stopped walking, watching from a distance as Lin Feng quietly approached the figure from behind.
Lin Feng still made no sound. He slightly bent his body, watching as the figure's steady hand held the carving knife, incredibly stable. Every line on the furniture was carved with perfect clarity, without the slightest disorder, giving a sense of natural harmony.
Lin Feng watched for a while, growing more and more astonished. The force was precise, the hand terrifyingly steady.
Lin Feng noticed that the force of the carving knife never changed in the slightest. The depth of the carved lines was completely uniform, and even the flying wood shavings were perfectly even. Every line was accurate to the finest detail.
"Everything in the world can be a form of cultivation at any time and place," Lin Feng sighed inwardly. At this moment, this figure was also in a state of enlightenment, just like Yan Yuping playing the zither. It was a refinement of the heart. A transformation of the mind could greatly assist in breaking through realms, allowing strength to advance naturally, like water flowing into a channel.
With the final stroke, wood shavings flew, and the figure put down the carving knife, smiling. "Xiao Feng, are you bullying your old man, thinking my hearing has declined?"
As he spoke, the man slowly turned his gaze, landing on Lin Feng. A faint smile lingered in his weathered eyes.
"Father, your realm is higher than before. How could your hearing possibly decline?" A brilliant smile spread across Lin Feng's face. This figure was none other than the former head of the Lin Clan in Yangzhou City, Lin Hai.
"So Father has been here for a long time, and has been watching over me with Mother," Lin Feng thought to himself. During this period, it seemed that someone had deliberately helped him several times. He hadn't been sure before, but now Lin Feng could confirm that it was undoubtedly his parents.
Standing up, Lin Hai clapped his hands and looked at Lin Feng, who was now as tall as himself. A gratified smile appeared on his face.
"I never expected that my son, Lin Hai, would turn out to be so outstanding. It seems I was wrong before," Lin Hai said, his voice tinged with pride—pride for his son. Once, he had wanted Lin Feng to be an ordinary person, to live a plain and simple life. But everything that happened later made Lin Hai realize that Lin Feng was destined not to be ordinary. Moreover, even if Lin Feng were mediocre, he couldn't have lived a plain life. Even those elders and relatives wouldn't tolerate mediocrity.
If you weren't mediocre, you had to rise above the rest. Lin Feng had done just that, climbing step by step to where he was now. Even Lin Hai hadn't expected it, given how ordinary Lin Feng had been before the age of fifteen.
Lin Feng shook his head and then said, "Father, what about the Lin Clan in Yangzhou City..."
"I know everything. You did nothing wrong. If others don't acknowledge us, why should we warm their cold faces? What's owed should be reclaimed. Xiao Feng, you were already merciful. It's just a pity for your grandfather's hopes. Back then, when he knew I had returned to Yangzhou City with my cultivation sealed, he shouldn't have made me the head of the Lin Clan."
Lin Hai sighed. His personality had always been fierce. Back when Lin Badao, Lin Haoran, and several elders bullied Lin Feng, Lin Hai had shown no mercy, injuring Lin Haoran and killing an elder in anger. He had never been a weak-willed person. The reason Lin Hai had remained silent and uninvolved in Lin Clan affairs while serving as its head was likely due to Yue Menghe and the sealing of his cultivation.
Even in the imperial city, people knew that among the four geniuses of eighteen years ago, one had a wild and proud temperament, with an arrogance that reached the heavens. Lin Hai had been like that in Snow Moon Imperial City, which showed how much he had been suppressing himself in Yangzhou City.