Chapter 71: Welcome to the darkside
Chapter 71: Welcome to the darkside
The finals were anticlimactic. Although the audience knew what to expect, they still couldn't help but feel disappointed when Shui Wushuang conceded without even waiting for the day of the finals.
Next came the award ceremony, where the first, second, and third places were all taken by the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.
That day, Ling Yuefeng finally showed his face. He visited his son to check on his injuries and sent the guests away. After the end of the tournament, only the top ten participants remained to explore the Heaven Basin Secret Realm.
At night, he walked around with his hands clasped behind his back, deep in thought. The image of Chu Yuechan kept flashing in his mind, and with it came the sinister face of Yun Wuji, his smile sending a chill down his spine. He sighed, 'I should give up. I already have a wife and children. I can't provoke someone so terrifying, someone who could bring destruction to my sect.'
He aimlessly walked down the long road and turned to his left, his mind still drifting back to that beautiful memory from years ago. He had fallen for her blindly at first sight, pursuing her relentlessly for ten years but never managing to catch even a glimpse of her shadow. After all these years, his greatest wish was to see her face once more, it had become his obsession.
Unfortunately, he was destined to never fulfill his wish. Ling Yuefeng sighed deeply as he raised his head, only to be surprised by his surroundings. Unconsciously, he had walked all the way to the residence of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.
...
At the same time, Yun Wuji brought Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi to the Xiao Clan.
"Master, why did you bring us here? Did you bring us to see Father?" Xiao Lingxi asked curiously, holding onto the hem of Yun Wuji's shirt.
Xiao Che was also curious, and he looked at him, waiting for an answer.
"You will know very soon," Yun Wuji didn't explain further as he took them to Xiao Lie's courtyard.
Xiao Lie was the strongest expert in Floating Cloud City, second only to Yun Wuji. After helping Yun Wuji build his palace, he rewarded Xiao Lie with some pills, which helped him break through to the Earth Profound Realm.
Xiao Lie was originally ostracized in the clan, despite being the strongest among them. He often felt angry and disappointed by the behavior of his fellow clan members. However, because he still loved his clan, he never considered leaving or retaliating. After Yun Wuji arrived, Xiao Lie's status within the clan rose sharply.
Because Xiao Lie had spent most of his wealth trying to heal Xiao Che, his courtyard was quite small and ordinary. However, now that his status had changed, the clan did their best to renovate his courtyard.
"Father/Grandpa! We're here!" Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi shouted as they rushed into the courtyard.
Upon entering, they spotted Xiao Lie drinking tea and playing chess with another old man. "Haha, you're here!" Xiao Lie turned around and laughed amiably upon seeing them both. When the duo entered, Yun Canghai's movements halted, his eyes fixated on Xiao Che. He opened his trembling mouth, wanting to say something, but the words wouldn't come. Turbulent emotions surged within him, his eyes becoming slightly red. This was his grandson! His flesh and blood!
At the same time, Xiao Che sensed the strange old man's intense gaze on him, feeling confused. Why was this guy looking at him so intently and breathing so heavily? It couldn't be that he had some strange hobby, could it?
Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his back, and he subconsciously contracted his butt. He slightly hid behind his master, seeking a sense of security, and asked, "Grandpa, who is this?"
"Come, come! This man came specifically for you," Xiao Lie said, unaware of his grandson's strange behavior as he waved for him to come closer.
Xiao Che hesitated, feeling that his dignity was at stake. He glanced at Yun Wuji for help, and the latter smiled at him, saying, "Go on, your grandfather has something important to tell you."
"...!!!" Xiao Che looked at his master in shock he felt that he was abandoned.
"I'll come back later to take you to see the secret realm," Yun Wuji said before teleporting away. As an outsider, it wasn't appropriate for him to stay.
"Little Che, I'm going to tell you about a secret I've kept for more than ten years. Lingxi, you should listen closely too," Xiao Lie said solemnly before he began recounting the events of the past.
...
Ling Yuefeng stood a few meters away from the residence, lingering in place for a moment. He smiled bitterly and mumbled in a low voice, "Ever since the first time we met in the Ranking Tournament, I've gone to Frozen Cloud Asgard twenty times over the past ten years, but I've never been able to see you even once, until this year's Ranking Tournament."
He took a deep breath and raised his head, feeling a tightening in his chest. In his life, he had glory and strength; he had everything anyone could dream of. But the only thing he truly wanted, his love, remained unattainable.
Ling Yuefeng sighed and continued to whisper, "Everyone knew how I felt about you. I endured being the laughingstock and my parents' anger just to visit Frozen Cloud Asgard, hoping to see you again. After all these years, my memories of you remain the same. My greatest wish now is simply to see you once more, to glimpse how you've changed." "Unfortunately, even that is impossible for me right now..." Ling Yuefeng shook his head, laughing self-deprecatingly before walking away.
Ling Yuefeng was passionate, but it wasn't easy for him to become infatuated. Before meeting Chu Yuechan, he devoted himself to swordsmanship. However, when he met her, buried emotions erupted. Thirty years have passed since that moment, yet Chu Yuechan's image has never faded in his heart.
In short, he was a natural-born simp.
Not far away, hiding in a dark corner, Xuanyuan Yufeng trembled, her face twisted in an ugly expression.
Ling Yuefeng was so distracted that he didn't notice someone was tailing him. Originally, Xuanyuan Yufeng felt sorry for her husband. When she learned he had finally stopped hiding, she wanted to comfort and support him. However, as she approached to speak with him, he was already near the Frozen Cloud residence. After hearing everything Ling Yuefeng had said, her anger exploded.
"Ling Yuefeng! You really are a passionate man. It has already been thirty years! thirty damn years! and yet you're still unable to forget that woman!" Xuanyuan Yufeng uttered each word with deep hate and rage, her large, plump chest bouncing up and down in response.
"I, Xuanyuan Yufeng, have shortchanged myself, brought shame to my family, and married into this tiny Heavenly Sword Villa for over twenty years! And yet, I still don't compare to a woman who embarrassed you before the world and refuses to even meet you. Ling Yuefeng as a simp, you've truly outdone yourself!"
"I sacrificed my future and life for you, yet you didn't even care about me! Damn it... damn it!" She clenched her fists, veins bulging on her arms, her fingers cracking as she felt
humiliated.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
She was the only daughter of an elder from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, an expert at the 7th level of the Profound Realm. She commanded the respect of most people in this continent and enjoyed all the treasures and the best conditions for cultivation. Yet, she gave up all of this for the man she loved, only to find that he didn't think much of her.
If it weren't for her status as the daughter of an elder, he probably wouldn't have even glanced at her, no matter what she did for him.
Anger, hate, and envy, all sorts of negative emotions began to gather in her mind,
transforming her love for him into hatred.
After a while, she took a deep breath and cast a lingering gaze at his receding figure before
turning to leave.
...
Yun Wuji returned to the Heavenly Sword Villa and strolled around. There was still some time before the secret realm opened, with four days remaining.
He walked to a small pond surrounded by trees and a few beautiful white cranes. He stopped
to take a look around and pondered which room he should sneak into tonight. Cang Yue or the Chu sisters? He had enjoyed researching cats with Cang Yue over the past few days, so should he instead visit the Chu sisters for a three-way fight?
Or better yet, should he have a royal battle between them all?
Hmm, it was so hard to decide...
"Hmm?" At that moment, he sensed someone approaching and turned around to look back.
A beautiful woman was heading his way. Upon seeing Yun Wuji, surprise flickered across her face and she hurriedly walked closer and bowed. "Greetings, Lord Yun Wuji." "Hmm," Yun Wuji nodded in response to Xuanyuan Yufeng's greeting and was about to leave when he noticed her following him. He turned to ask, "Do you need anything?"
The next chapter will mark the end of this arc, after which the story will move to the Illusory Demon Realm arc.