A thin veil of mist drifted through the mountain forest. The wilderness lay in stillness, broken only by clear birdsong echoing far into the distance.
Chen Chang’an stood at the entrance of the courtyard, looking at the radiant Huang Jiaojiao.
“Remember to be careful with those high-grade spirit stones. Spend them sparingly. And take good care of yourself. Don’t overwork…”
The words felt painfully familiar. His parents had once said the same things to him. Of course, that was long ago.
Back then, he had only thought they were nagging. He never imagined that one day, he would become the one repeating those same words.
Huang Jiaojiao nodded seriously. “Senior Brother, I’ll take care of myself, and you should too. You must reconcile with Sister-in-law! Besides, I’m not leaving forever. After some time, probably just over half a year, not even a full year, once I’ve arranged everything, I’ll come back to see you!”
Chen Chang’an smiled and gently rubbed her head. “Go on…”
Huang Jiaojiao answered with a soft “Mm,” then rose into the sky. She smiled brightly, waved at him, and flew away.
Chen Chang’an watched her cross the mountains and fields, pass through the drifting clouds, and finally disappear into the edge of the rising sun.
The early morning mountain breeze carried a slight chill. It stirred his white hair.
He stood there for a long time, staring into the distance, his gaze faintly hollow.
His mind was filled with scenes of Huang Jiaojiao growing up from childhood until now.
“In the future, Senior Brother won’t be by your side anymore. Take good care of yourself…”
Those words could only be entrusted to the wind.
Chen Chang’an returned to the courtyard.
Luo Yizi was still lying on a tree trunk, reading a book.
“She’s already far away. What’s the use of standing there for so long?”
“You wouldn’t understand. When you become a parent one day, you’ll know.”
In his previous life, when he left for university, and in this life when he went to a sect to cultivate, both sets of parents had been like this.
They must have stood under the early dawn sunlight for a long time.
Even after he had already gone far away.
Luo Yizi truly did not understand.
“You can still live for half a year. You can still see her once more.”
Chen Chang’an shook his head with a faint smile. “No. This farewell should be the final one.”
“Why?”
Luo Yizi did not understand.
“I’m afraid of parting. And I’m afraid that if I see her again, I won’t be able to stop myself from telling her the truth.”
He waved it off. “Enough. We’ll leave at midday. I need to visit some old friends. There isn’t much time left…”
The system’s voice sounded in his mind.
[You can still survive 193 days.]
Luo Yizi nodded. “Roughly how long is that?”
“About half a year.”
She fell silent.
At midday, Chen Chang’an went to the sect and found his disciple, Li Bingyun. He briefly instructed her on matters concerning the Eternal Peace Sect.
He did not know whether he would return.
Perhaps he would. Perhaps he would not.
Li Bingyun simply thought Chen Chang’an was going on a long journey. She nodded obediently.
“All right. Go take care of your tasks.”
Chen Chang’an watched Li Bingyun walk away. He stood there for quite some time before finally letting out a relieved smile.
“That little girl worries me the least.”
He returned to the courtyard, packed all his belongings into his storage pouch, and began to leave.
“Who are we going to see?” Luo Yizi asked calmly as they flew.
An old friend of more than 200 years.
Luo Yizi was not very familiar with Chen Chang’an’s friends. She might have seen one or two of them, but she had never truly gotten to know them. She only vaguely knew about Jia Jiyou, who had grown up with Chen Chang’an, and that was from her sister.
“Jia Jiyou?” she asked tentatively.
Chen Chang’an shook his head. “I’ve already said goodbye to Little Jiji. The friend I’m going to see is someone who, together with Jia Jiyou and me, was like a brother. We met in the inheritance grounds.”
The inheritance grounds were the most ancient and prestigious remote power on the Azure Cloud Continent.
Once every 200 years, they accepted disciples. For 10 years, they taught them without asking for anything in return.
After those 10 years, the disciples returned to their respective homes and had no further ties with the inheritance grounds.
It was a force devoted entirely to benefiting the continent and cultivating prodigies.
It was there that he began his rise.
After leaving, he became the strongest prodigy on the continent.
From then on, he swept across all obstacles and eventually became the most powerful person in the world.
And in the inheritance grounds, he, Jia Jiyou, and that old friend had left behind countless legends that could never be erased.
The Phoenix-Chicken Terminator Trio.
The Peeping Maniac Trio.
The Internal Competition Maniac Trio.
And many more.
“The praises of humanity are often praises of courage. He is the bravest person I have ever met. There is no second,” Chen Chang’an said with a smile.
When Luo Yizi heard about the inheritance grounds, she was slightly surprised.
She and her sister had once cultivated there.
Back then, she had heard of Chen Chang’an’s name, but she had never met or known him personally.
“How is he brave? Is he not afraid of death?” she asked.
“He truly isn’t afraid of death,” Chen Chang’an began, then suddenly shook his head. “No. That’s not right. He is afraid.”
Luo Yizi did not understand this contradiction. “So there is something he fears? Then he isn’t that brave.”
“Yes. Ever since he got married, he gained a weakness.”
Chen Chang’an sighed deeply.
A man who was not afraid of death had fallen because he got married.
In the end, he became afraid of his wife.
Tragic. Sigh-worthy. Pitiful.
Luo Yizi fell silent.
After flying for half a day, they nearly reached the southernmost part of the continent.
They stopped before a tall mountain.
A jade-green river encircled it. The surrounding vegetation was lush, and the environment was quiet and beautiful.
A light barrier enveloped the mountain. It was a formation array.
“We’re here.”
He had not come for two years.
This old friend of his was an alchemist, now ranked among the top five alchemists on the continent.
Unlike ordinary alchemists, this old friend refined pills with his life on the line. Brave beyond reason.
Chen Chang’an called out, “Chen Chang’an has come to visit.”
His voice echoed through the mountains.
Soon, a woman flew down from the mountaintop.
She arrived before Chen Chang’an and Luo Yizi.
The woman wore a green dress. She was slightly plump, with a mature charm.
She was Lin Mei, the wife of his old friend, Zhen Yongfu.
“Sister-in-law, it’s been a long time.”
Chen Chang’an smiled. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“Looking for Old Fu? He’s refining pills.”
Lin Mei’s tone toward Chen Chang’an, the strongest man on the continent, was indifferent. She barely looked at him. Instead, her gaze fell on Luo Yizi.
Her eyes lit up immediately.
“Sister Yicheng, it’s been a while! You’re still as beautiful as ever! Tell me, how do you maintain yourself?”
Lin Mei blinked and flew to Luo Yizi’s side, her face full of smiles.
Luo Yizi did not know how to respond and could only look at Chen Chang’an.
Chen Chang’an gave a helpless smile. “Sister-in-law, this is my sister-in-law Luo Yizi. My wife didn’t come…”
“Ah…”
Lin Mei became embarrassed.
Your sister-in-law?
They looked so alike?
Twins?
Their temperaments were slightly different.
“Sorry, I mistook you. But that’s fine. If you’re Sister Yicheng’s sister, then you’re like my sister too.”
Lin Mei laughed heartily.
Luo Yizi smiled and nodded.
Chen Chang’an said, “Sister-in-law, I’d like to stay here for a few days and catch up with Yongfu. Where is he?”
He had already sent Zhen Yongfu a message through Sound-Transmission Stone, but there had been no reply. He was likely still refining pills.
Lin Mei’s face turned cold again. “He’s refining pills. I don’t know when he’ll finish.”
The moment she thought about how Chen Chang’an had influenced her husband’s life-risking pill refinement methods, anger surged in her chest.
Chen Chang’an understood why Lin Mei treated him so poorly.
It was just like how his wife treated Jia Jiyou and Zhen Yongfu.
In their wives’ eyes, the other two were nothing more than bad influences.
“So how much longer will it take?”
“How would I know!”
Boom!
As soon as Lin Mei finished speaking, a terrifying explosion erupted from the mountain.
The mountain and the ground trembled together.
Lin Mei’s face darkened instantly.
Could that idiot not refine pills normally?
Every single time he used that life-and-death refinement method!
One day, she might truly become a widow.
She shot Chen Chang’an a cold glare. “He’s coming out!”
With that, Lin Mei hurriedly flew toward the explosion site, afraid she might find her husband dead.
Chen Chang’an smiled bitterly and looked at Luo Yizi. “Let’s go inside.”
Luo Yizi asked with a strange expression, “It feels like you and her aren’t on good terms.”
“Ahem. It’s always like this. Your sister doesn’t like my brothers either…”
Chen Chang’an covered his awkwardness with a smile.
“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Luo Yizi said seriously.
“Let’s not talk about it. Let’s go in…”
Chen Chang’an’s gaze shifted evasively as he followed Lin Mei into the formation array.
Luo Yizi felt things were becoming interesting and quickly followed behind.