Chapter 141: A Tale of Kunlun
Ye Huang felt like he had been having a long dream.
A dream so vivid and real that he had almost forgotten he was dreaming.
The scent of his wife’s hair lingered on his fingertips.
The warmth of his daughter’s hand still radiated in his palm.
Everything felt so close, so real.
But when he opened his eyes, his smile froze.
It slowly morphed into shock, then disappointment, and finally, a deep despair.
He suddenly cried out, as if he had gone mad:
“No, it’s not real! That wasn’t an illusion! It wasn’t a dream!”
“A-Xing is waiting for me, and Ling’er too! Let me go back, let me go back!”
He tried to stand up frantically, but Chen Yin kicked him back down.
“Wake up.”
He stepped on Ye Huang’s shoulder, his voice cold. “Those people aren’t here. Stop dreaming.”
“Answer my questions, or you’ll be trapped here forever.”
Ye Huang stared at him blankly, his eyes bulging grotesquely.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
“You… you’re not dead?”
“Thanks to your blessing.” Chen Yin sneered.
“I don’t know what kind of weapon your Divine Son gave you to use against me.”
“But luckily, I survived. He wasted his efforts.”
“But I believe in returning the favor.” Chen Yin’s voice turned cold. “He gave me such a wonderful gift, it would be rude not to reciprocate.”
“Tell me. Where is this Divine Son?”
“I’m going to beat him to a pulp.” He cracked his knuckles menacingly.
Ye Huang didn’t answer. He just stared at the ground, his eyes dull and lifeless, as if he hadn’t fully emerged from the illusion.
After a long silence, he shook his head weakly.
“…It’s better if you don’t know.”
“Defying him will only lead to a fate worse than death.”
“Oh?” Chen Yin chuckled, amused. “I’d like to see who could possibly give me a fate worse than death.”
“There are only so many Grand Clarity Realm experts in the cultivation world. Which one is your Divine Son? Why won’t you tell me his name?”
Ye Huang looked at him silently, a hint of pity in his eyes.
“It’s not about strength… He possesses a power that transcends cultivation.”
“A power far more terrifying than anything you can imagine.”
Hearing his words, Qingying froze, her eyes widening in shock.
Chen Yin’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Are you talking about… the Heavenly Dao Fragment?”
Ye Huang’s eyes widened in surprise. He looked up abruptly. “You know about the Heavenly Dao Fragment? Are you a Chosen One too?”
“It seems your Divine Son only uses you as a tool and doesn’t tell you anything.”
Chen Yin shrugged. “I’m not a Chosen One. But I killed the Chosen One you were protecting.”
“Impossible!”
Ye Huang shook his head vehemently. “With the protection of the Heavenly Dao Fragment, a Chosen One can survive even the most deadly attacks. They’re almost impossible to kill. No matter how skilled your swordsmanship is, you couldn’t have—”
“Believe what you want.”
Chen Yin didn’t bother explaining. He said bluntly, “I’ll give you some time to think. Either tell me where the Divine Son is, or you’ll be trapped here forever.”
“I’m not very patient. You better hurry up.”
Ye Huang lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
Qingying stopped Chen Yin. “He has a point. The System does have life-saving measures, although the cost is high. It can at least guarantee the Chosen One’s survival once.”
Hearing this, Ye Huang looked up abruptly, his eyes fixed on Qingying.
“Y-you’re a Chosen One?”
“What’s it to you?” Chen Yin’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Ye Huang’s lips moved slightly, then he suddenly collapsed to the ground, kowtowing frantically.
“My lord! Please! If you’re a Chosen One, you must have something called the ‘Life Returning Herb’! I’m willing to give you my life, but please, give me some more of the Life Returning Herb, I beg you…”
He banged his head against the ground repeatedly, the sound echoing through the chamber. Soon, a pool of blood formed beneath his forehead.
But he didn’t stop, his desperation evident.
Qingying was startled by his frantic actions and instinctively took a step back, looking at Chen Yin for help.
Chen Yin watched him silently, until his forehead was a bloody mess, then finally said:
“Enough.”
“…Don’t hide anything. Tell us everything you know. We might consider helping you.”
Ye Huang’s body swayed slightly, his consciousness fading, but he still managed to look up. “Really?”
“I don’t like lying.”
Chen Yin looked at him seriously. “But I also don’t like being lied to.”
Ye Huang seemed to hesitate. His weathered face was filled with a silent struggle, then he finally nodded.
“Alright. I’ll tell you.”
“But think carefully. You’ll be facing the most terrifying group of people on this continent.”
“Once you know about them, there’s no turning back. You’ll never be able to escape them.”
“Even if I didn’t know, I doubt that Divine Son would let me live.” Chen Yin snorted disdainfully.
“I’ll face whatever comes my way. Let them come. I’ll see if they can handle me.”
Qingying also said to Chen Yin in a low voice, “I asked the System, and it did find something called the ‘Life Returning Herb’ in the shop.”
Chen Yin pondered for a moment, then turned to Fuyu. “Could you please send that young lady out of the Azure Cicada Ancient Domain?”
Fuyu nodded and waved her hand. Nan Xiaoxiang, who had just started to say “Wait—”, vanished in a flash of light.
After she was gone, Chen Yin sat down and said casually, “Alright.”
“Now, it’s story time, right?”
Ye Huang lowered his head silently. After a long pause, he finally spoke:
“If I have to start from the beginning… I guess I should start with the day I left my sect.”
Kunlun, in the Northern Region, was a land of snow-capped mountains.
Compared to the other regions of the continent, Kunlun was sparsely populated, its climate harsh and unforgiving, with few suitable locations for cultivation. Both mortals and cultivators were scarce.
It was second only to Xianyun Province in terms of its barrenness.
But there was one sect in Kunlun, occupying the only place in the vast mountain range with a concentrated source of spiritual energy—Fuyiao Peak.
This sect was called the Kunpeng Sect.
Although the Kunpeng Sect didn’t have many disciples, their overall quality was exceptional. Most disciples who reached the age of thirty or forty would achieve the Entering Gate Realm or even the Boundless Realm.
Having avoided conflict for over a hundred years, the Kunpeng Sect had accumulated considerable strength, eventually becoming a major force in the cultivation world.
And their most famous member was a prodigy who had emerged over a decade ago.
His name was Ye Huang.
At the age of thirty-six, he had reached the Supreme Clarity Realm, gaining renown throughout the cultivation world and hailed as a future Grand Clarity Realm expert.
His talent in swordsmanship was exceptional. He had defeated all his fellow disciples and even impressed renowned Grand Clarity Realm sword cultivators with his skills.
The Kunpeng Sect, with its small population, naturally cherished this rare prodigy, carefully nurturing his talent. Only after he reached the Supreme Clarity Realm did they finally allow him to leave the mountain and travel the world, honing his skills and seeking further enlightenment.
Ye Huang wasn’t in a hurry. Cultivating strength was easy, but improving one’s realm required time and insight. So, after leaving the mountain, he didn’t seek out opponents to spar with. Instead, he traveled the mortal world incognito, seeking enlightenment in the ordinary.
He met A-Xing in a small mountain town.
It wasn’t a particularly romantic encounter. He had simply been passing through the town, seeking water to quench his thirst, when he happened upon a young girl washing clothes by the river.
Ye Huang had met countless beauties. In his younger years, many female cultivators had pursued him, attracted by his talent and good looks.
But the moment he saw this girl, he felt something different.
Like a hidden stream deep within the mountains, pure, clear, and flowing gently.
A-Xing was that kind of girl.
Her eyes held a clarity and innocence unlike that of ordinary mortal women, yet she wasn’t as detached and ethereal as a cultivator.
She had a vibrant, down-to-earth aura.
Ye Huang was instantly captivated by her.
He loved watching her wash clothes by the river in the early morning, her slender hands moving gracefully in the water.
He loved watching her walk barefoot on the soft mud, her toes sinking into the earth.
He loved seeing her show off her local jewelry, the intricate earrings and anklets.
He loved her bright smile, her white teeth, and the crescent moons of her eyes.
He loved watching her sleep, her nose twitching softly, like a peaceful nightingale.
Six months later, they were married, settling down in that small mountain town.
He stopped wandering, his quest for the Dao and immortality put on hold.
He knew he had found something more precious than the Dao.
A year later, Ye Ling’er was born.
She was a bright and lively child, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons like her mother’s, her nose straight and proud like her father’s.
After Ling’er was born, Ye Huang made a decision. He declined his sect’s invitation to return and settled down in the town permanently.
He would protect his wife and his beloved daughter, watching her grow up.
Watching her become a beautiful young girl.
He had thought these peaceful days would last forever.
But he never imagined that this secluded mountain town, untouched by conflict…
…Would be destroyed overnight.
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