Chapter 1359: Gloom
At sixteen, Mo Li rebuilt his profound veins for him, allowing him to be reborn.
At seventeen, for Cang Yue's sake, he represented the Cangfeng Imperial Clan in the Cang Feng Ranking Battle, securing an unprecedented first place for the imperial family and shaking the entire nation.
At nineteen, in a fit of rage, he single-handedly destroyed the Fen Tian Gate, one of Cang Feng's four great sects.
That same year, he represented the Cang Feng Kingdom in the Seven Nations Ranking Battle in the Shenhuang Empire, sweeping through all the geniuses of the other six kingdoms alone, shocking the entire Tian Xuan Continent.
At twenty-one, he survived the calamity of the Primordial Mystic Ark and arrived in the Huan Yao Realm. At the Demon Queen's grand ceremony, he fought six battles in a row, angrily denounced seven clans, re-gathered the Heart of Huan Yao, shattered Prince Huai's conspiracy, and saved the Yun Clan and the Demon Emperor bloodline from the brink of annihilation.
At twenty-two, he returned to the Tian Xuan Continent, forcing his way into the Fenghuang God Sect, compelling them to cease hostilities and apologize, saving the Cang Feng Kingdom from the edge of destruction.
At twenty-four, he defeated Xuanyuan Wentian, who had stepped onto the divine path with his profound force, saving the entire Tian Xuan Continent and the Huan Yao Realm from peril, hailed as the greatest person in ten thousand years.
At twenty-five, he followed Mu Bingyun to the Yin Xue Realm in the divine realm, crushed all the geniuses of the Bing Huang God Sect at the Minghan Heavenly Lake, and became a personal disciple of Mu Xuanyin.
At twenty-six, he fled to the Heiya Realm and, single-handedly, threw the realm-ruling sect Black Soul Divine Sect into chaos, indirectly causing its downfall.
At twenty-eight, he participated in the Eastern Divine Region's Xuan God Assembly, defeated the Four Divine Sons of the Eastern Domain, triggered the Nine Heavens Calamity, shaking the entire divine realm, drawing rivaling olive branches from various Divine Emperors.
At twenty-nine... just ten days ago, he forced his way into the Xing Shen Realm alone, using forbidden power with the body of a Divine King, slaughtering an elder of the Xing Shen Realm and one thousand five hundred Star Guards.
...
To a profound practitioner, thirteen years is very short. And in the divine realm, it is so brief it might be merely a few fleeting moments in cultivation. But in this short span of just thirteen years, Yun Che spent eight years becoming the number one person on a continent, and four years shaking the vast divine realm.
From the lower realm to the divine realm, from a lower star realm in the divine realm to the supreme king realm, every step he took was astonishing and earth-shattering, every step certain to shake heaven and earth. One could even say that every step he took was creating a miracle.
The Evil God, Dragon God, Phoenix, Golden Crow, Ice Phoenix—the power inheritances of five ancient true gods, along with the divine arts of the Life Creation God, Desolate God, and Tiansha Xingshen—all gathered in one person was itself a miracle that had never occurred and could never be replicated.
But...
All of these were dead. Completely dead. Permanently dead.
The red sword mark on his arm was gone. The Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword could no longer be summoned, and he could never see Hong'er again.
And the Heavenly Poison Pearl, along with He Ling, who had just staked everything to transform into a poison spirit...
All vanished with his death in the Xing Shen Realm.
The Nirvana Fire on his body had barely managed to revive his most basic life, but it could not revive Hong'er or He Ling.
Because I had enough power, I protected the Cang Feng Kingdom for Yue'er, rescued Grandfather and Lingxi, found my parents in the Huan Yao Realm, met Xue'er, saved the Demon Emperor bloodline and the Huan Yao Realm for Caiyi, returned to the Cang Yun Continent to find Ling'er and Master...
Grandfather... Father... Mother... Yuanba... Yue'er... Lingxi... Xue'er... Caiyi... Ling'er...
I am back...
But now that I am a cripple, how am I supposed to face you all...
Back in the divine realm, he had wanted to return but could not. Hunted by Qianye Ying'er and countless big shots in the divine realm, if he rashly returned to Lan Ji Star and was discovered, it would bring great disaster to those around him, even the entire Lan Ji Star.
And now, his return was impeccable. No trace left behind, and in the perception of the divine realm, he was undoubtedly dead.
The pressure and crisis of the divine realm were completely shed.
But...
He raised his arm, bit by bit... and finally, his arm was fully raised for the first time.
A withered leaf drifted with the wind, landing on his arm. This dead leaf had lost its last trace of green, and even in the gentle breeze, there was no moan of life.
Yun Che stared silently, his gaze lost and vacant.
From the day he met Mo Li, the thirteen years that followed were like a great dream...
A dream that had already awakened. After waking, he was still the crippled Yun Che of that year, a useless good-for-nothing, subject to contempt and cold stares, relying only on Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi for protection.
What was harder to accept than this fall was that the countless efforts of these years, his many life-or-death struggles, and all his beliefs and pursuits... had all turned to nothing.
If it were just turning to nothing, it would be fine. He could start over like thirteen years ago, strive again, fight again...
But he didn't even have the chance to dream again.
Time passed silently, Yun Che's world remained shrouded in gloom.
What do I still have now?
Life...
And what is life?
In this life, countless efforts and breakthroughs were all for survival, to live better, and there were some people, some matters, for which I would willingly risk my life, even sacrifice it.
And now...
The life I have regained is merely living...
"Brother Benefactor!"
The girl's voice came from afar, incredibly ethereal and pleasant, but it could not stir the slightest ripple in Yun Che's eyes.
Feng Xian'er drifted down lightly... The most basic Void Crossing, something a mere Heavenly Xuan Realm in the mortal path could achieve, was now an unattainable luxury for Yun Che.
She came to Yun Che's side and tried to help him up: "You've been here a long time. If you stay any longer, you'll catch a cold. Let's go back now."
Catch a cold...
Once, he could stand firm in storms that could shatter mountains. Now, he was reduced to guarding against the cold...
"Leave me alone." He used what little strength he had to push Feng Xian'er's hand away.
"Brother Benefactor," Feng Xian'er helped him again, "be good, okay? Everyone is so worried about you. You haven't eaten anything since you woke up. You must be hungry now. Mother not only made bamboo soup but also prepared a lot of delicious food..."
"Leave me alone!" Yun Che's voice suddenly grew heavier. Feng Xian'er's extremely gentle words were each a cold stab to Yun Che. He said coldly, "Don't call me Brother Benefactor anymore... That person is dead. What stands before you now is just a... useless cripple, understand?!"
"..." Feng Xian'er's lips parted, her beautiful eyes wide, clearly frightened by Yun Che's reaction. Then, a mist of tears silently spread in her eyes. She bit her lip, trying not to cry out loud, "Brother Benefactor, don't... don't be like this. You... you will get better... you will definitely get better..."
"You don't understand," Yun Che looked away, "you don't understand anything... Go away. Leave me alone."
"Brother Benefactor, I..."
"Can't you understand what I'm saying?!" Yun Che's voice grew even harsher. "Get lost!!"
"Cough... cough cough..."
The mountain wind rushed into his chest, causing him a bout of painful coughing.
"..." The girl stared at him helplessly, tears slowly sliding down her beautiful eyes. She would never forget that gentle, towering figure from back then, who had descended like a god to save them. Since then, her entire life had been spent trying to get closer to him...
But why...
"No... you are not like this..." Feng Xian'er shook her head, tears silently flowing down her pretty face. "Back then, you were so badly injured, yet you showed no fear of those villains... and that difficult Phoenix Trial, you didn't hesitate at all..."
"Brother Benefactor..." She bit her lip harder, finally turning it into a heartbroken sob, "I hate you like this!"
The girl covered her lips, turned around, and flew away, scattering tiny star traces in the air.
"..." Yun Che closed his eyes, a bitter, desolate smile on his lips.
Ha... I actually said such harsh words to a girl who cares for me with all her heart...
Turns out, the mental fortitude I always prided myself on is so fragile.
A tall figure walked over slowly and stood beside the old tree.
Feng Baichuan.
"I'm sorry," Yun Che said weakly.
Feng Baichuan shook his head: "No need to apologize. She has only truly stepped into the mortal world for less than two years. She hasn't experienced great storms or real twists of fate, so she doesn't understand."
Yun Che: "..."
"Back then, our ancestor committed a great wrong and was cursed in blood by Lord Phoenix God, his profound force forever limited to the Initial Xuan Realm. He led the entire clan into seclusion here. Back then, the reason I gave you was to atone and protect the clan, but actually..." Feng Baichuan sighed softly, "the main reason was the ancestor's utter despair after losing all his profound force."
Yun Che: "..."
"Although I have never experienced such a twist of fate, the heights you reached far surpassed the ancestor back then, and the abyss you have fallen into is darker than his. So the 'utter despair' you bear is hundreds, thousands of times greater than his."
"The ancestor never escaped this nightmare in his lifetime, dying of depression early on." Feng Baichuan turned to look at him. "And what about you?"
"..." Yun Che could not speak.
The sky gradually darkened, dusk approaching, the mountain wind turning cold.
"To achieve the world-renowned achievement of 'the greatest in ten thousand years' at your age, you must have experienced countless dangerous trials in your life. But perhaps," he said, "the trial you face now is the greatest of your life."
"During the days you were unconscious, you called out many names. I think, since you have so many attachments and concerns in your heart, you definitely won't be willing to sink into this."
"...Give me time," Yun Che murmured.
Feng Baichuan nodded, turned around, and left. "We won't spread word of your presence here... until the day you actively wish to leave."
The sky grew darker and darker, the bright moon rising unbidden. Starlight scattered over Yun Che, making his heart even more lonely and cold.
No one came to disturb him again. He remained motionless, as if dead. Only his eyes still stared blankly ahead.
"Brother Benefactor..."
The girl's timid voice sounded in his ear. She held a bowl of steaming soup in her hands, her eyes red, clearly having cried for a long time. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that to you... Don't be mad at me, okay?"
"..." Yun Che didn't move.
The girl stepped forward, her voice soft and timid like a child who had just made a grave mistake. "You just woke up and haven't eaten all day... This is bamboo soup that Mother and I made fresh. Please have a little, won't you?"
Yun Che's cracked lips twitched slightly. "I'm not hungry."
His voice was weak and hoarse.
His body was no longer a divine one that needed no food or drink. Waking up weak, spending a day in the wind, and having neither eaten nor drunk in a day, he was now far more exhausted than when he first woke, his vision blurry.
Feng Xian'er didn't urge him. She knelt gently beside Yun Che, quietly keeping him company. She held the soup bowl close to her chest, carefully protecting it with her profound aura to prevent the night wind from blowing even a speck of dust into it.
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[Alas, state of mind... Anyway, these chapters are really, really hard to write.]
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