Chapter 2429: Her Life, Damn It

A very quaint small courtyard. Inside the courtyard, there were only two rooms, and surprisingly, a small rock garden with flowing water. In the middle of the yard was a stone table with several chairs positioned around it. Other than that, there wasn’t much else.

After Lin Feng and his companions arrived, they immediately sensed that something was amiss. They wondered why, if there was a formation in this small courtyard to resist the Myriad Gods Divine Flame, the rest of the Bai Family Stronghold wouldn’t seek refuge here, preferring death over coming to this place. What could the reason possibly be?

Full of questions, Lin Feng led Tao Tao and Ma Biaohu into the courtyard and began to thoroughly inspect it, trying to uncover its most hidden secrets.

Just as they stepped inside the courtyard, to their surprise, an old man emerged from the first room. The old man was extremely elderly, with hair and beard as white as snow. He was extremely thin, resembling a skeleton, yet wore a large robe, which made him look somewhat awkward.

Lin Feng and his companions were quite curious about this old man, not knowing who he might be. Despite the entire Bai Family Stronghold being destroyed, this old man remained as composed as a mountain, devoid of any semblance of anger, which was undoubtedly unusual.

The old man looked at Lin Feng and his companions, giving them a once-over before his gaze finally landed on Lin Feng. He shook his head and sighed, "Since you’ve come here, it means those useless fools have already lost. In that case, there’s no point in me fighting you."

Lin Feng heard the old man’s words, narrowing his eyes slightly, and began meticulously scrutinizing the old man. To his astonishment, the Yuan Energy within the old man was incredibly abundant, far surpassing the best among the six Divine Kings they’d encountered before, Divine King Bai Qian. However, he was still far behind the Colorful Butterfly Divine Venerable. Lin Feng couldn’t ascertain what kind of powerhouse this old man was.

"Senior, why are you here?" Looking at the old man, Lin Feng showed no disrespect. It was clear that this old man was a true powerhouse. Lin Feng guessed that he might be a Divine King Powerhouse at the peak of the Universe Realm, just a step away from breakthrough and nearing his life’s end.

"I once explored these Despair Plains and was gravely injured by a Demon Beast. Later, that Bai Qian kid saved my life. Since then, I’ve been here guarding their treasure room and cultivating, searching for a chance to break into the Myriad Laws Realm. Alas, after thousands of years, I am yet to make that final step," the old man replied with a bitter smile, hiding nothing. His lifespan was nearing its end, and he had no hope of advancing, so he wasn’t interested in engaging in combat with Lin Feng.

Ah!

This is a Divine King at the pinnacle of the Universe Realm!

My goodness, how did we encounter such a person!

Upon hearing the words, Ma Biaohu, Tao Tao, and Tangyuan were all dumbfounded. They hadn’t anticipated meeting such a powerhouse and thought this was too outrageous. Why was there such a person in the Bai Family Stronghold? They became tense, and their expressions changed immediately.

A Divine King Powerhouse at the Universe Realm has a significant difference in strength with each minor realm. Upon reaching the peak of the Universe Realm, their power becomes unimaginably vast. Although Lin Feng had previously defeated the six Divine Kings, he had no certainty against this old man. Such a powerhouse had reached an indescribable level. Logically, there shouldn’t have been such an existence in the Bai Family Stronghold...

After listening to the old man’s explanation, Lin Feng nodded, finding everything made sense now. Yet, he still had doubts about the old man, so he continued to ask, "Senior, I plan to take over the Bai Family’s treasure room. Do you have any objections?"

"Go ahead and take what you want," the old man replied, very casually, as if there was nothing worth guarding in that treasure room.

Despite the old man’s indifferent attitude, Lin Feng and his companions were puzzled. The old man was supposed to be the guardian here, so why allow them to explore the treasure room so easily? What was the catch?

Seeing their reaction, the old man chuckled and explained, "I am nearing the end of my life, with no chance of breaking through to the Myriad Laws Realm. Simply put, I’m in a stage where I’m waiting to die. These worldly possessions mean nothing to me. My only reason for staying was to keep my promise to Bai Qian. Now that Bai Qian and the others are dead, I have no reason to persist."

Upon hearing the old man’s explanation, Lin Feng and the others understood the situation, and they all nodded. Lin Feng smiled at the old man and said, "Then we won’t stand on ceremony."

With that, Lin Feng led Tao Tao, Ma Biaohu, and Tangyuan to explore the courtyard. The two rooms were spaces constructed by special methods. The front room contained various materials and Yuan Stones. While the number of Yuan Stones wasn’t large, various materials were piled high like mountains. Whether for Alchemy or Artifact Refining, Lin Feng couldn’t possibly overlook these materials.

The back room housed numerous weapons and Dharma Treasures, including some unknown broken weapons that the Bai Family Stronghold had acquired from somewhere, as well as some unidentified elixirs. What intrigued Lin Feng most was the abundance of Secret Technique Tomes there, including many from sects across the Myriad Heavens Divine Realm. These books were invaluable to him, so he collected all the books in the room with a wave of his hand, with plans to read them later when he had time.

Soon, Lin Feng and his companions had swept through all the books in Bai Family Stronghold and returned to the courtyard. Watching the old man who sat drinking alone, Lin Feng pondered for a moment and approached to ask, "Senior, we’re leaving now, but I have some questions I’d like to ask if you wouldn’t mind answering."

"What is it?" The old man, upon hearing Lin Feng’s request, scrutinized him once more. Originally, he thought Lin Feng would just leave with the loot. He was curious about what Lin Feng wanted to consult him on.

"It’s like this: I want to understand why you haven’t broken through to the Myriad Laws Realm." Lin Feng gave a serene smile, voicing his curiosity.

The old man sighed and replied, "The Myriad Laws Realm, at its core, is about the ’Law.’ To break through, one must comprehend the power of Laws, which is much more challenging than the Universe Realm, incomparable really. Without comprehending the power of Laws, one can only be stuck. I’ve studied this for thousands of years, yet I’ve gained nothing!"

The old man sighed again and continued, "There are countless powerhouses stuck at this bottleneck, not just me. As a Loose Cultivator without roots, reaching this point could be considered destiny. However, I’m not saddened by it, as I’ve already transcended life and death."

Listening to the old man’s reply, Lin Feng and his companions finally understood why he was indifferent to everything. Reaching such a point, the old man truly had no attachments to this world. Hence, there was nothing left to reminisce about anymore.

In unison, Lin Feng and the others bowed deeply to the old man before leaving quietly, not wishing to disturb his remaining time.

Just as they left the crevice of the Bai Family Stronghold, Tao Tao couldn’t hold back.

"Brother Lin, that old man is so pitiful," Tao Tao said to Lin Feng, genuinely feeling that way. Every cultivator faces hurdle after hurdle, and getting stuck at any stage means no progress, even for a Divine King Powerhouse at the peak of the Universe Realm. She was unsure about her own future.

Before Lin Feng could respond, Ma Biaohu solemnly said, "The path of cultivation is like that, Sister Tao Tao. Sometimes, it’s just fate. Compared to that old man, aren’t I miserable? Somehow, I ended up in this Myriad Heavens Divine Realm and somehow learned the Nine Battles Dragon Technique. If not for that, I would be enjoying life on Earth with food and drink and the occasional beautiful company. But now, circumstances force you to keep moving forward."

Speaking of this, Ma Biaohu resentfully added, "Screw this life. If I ever see that powerful master again, I swear I won’t listen to his nonsense anymore. Even if he beats me to death, I’ll be damned if I come to this dreadful place again! I’m about to lose my mind..."

"Actually, you don’t need to think so much. Success is up to people, while the outcome is up to the heavens. We just need to do our best. If we strive, there’s at least hope. Without effort, there’s none at all. That’s just how the path of cultivation is. Otherwise, how would there be so many Divine Venerable Powerhouses in this world? The path exists—it’s just about how you walk it, depending on your luck," Lin Feng said, smiling at Tao Tao and Ma Biaohu. He had long seen through such matters. If he had been fixated on these concerns in the past, he wouldn’t have come this far today. Thus, there’s really no need to dwell on them.

"Yes, yes, Boss is right, just listen to him," Tangyuan added while standing on Lin Feng’s shoulder. It felt the same. Although Demon Beasts and Humans differ, many Demon Beasts face bloodline limitations, yet some break through those limits and advance, achieved through sheer effort. Those beasts comfortable with idleness could never progress, ending up either killed by Humans or eventually by other beasts.

Tao Tao and Ma Biaohu nodded in agreement with what Lin Feng and Tangyuan said. Lin Feng’s words truly resonated with them. The future outcome is uncertain, but no matter what, they must still work hard for it. Only then could they hope for a future that others would envy.

Seeing this, Lin Feng said no more and led them deeper into the Despair Plains. He wanted to uncover what secrets the Despair Plains held. But before reaching its deepest parts, he still needed to enhance his strength. Other concerns were of no real issue...