Chapter Forty-Nine: The Deadline

He Xiaoliang bore an array of dazzling titles, each capable of stirring a man’s desire to conquer, and besides, he himself was a powerful Qi cultivator.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes…”

He Xiaoliang spoke softly, riding a miraculous spiritual beast that left behind a dazzlingly beautiful rainbow bridge in its wake, his figure gradually fading from Su Ling’s sight.

—

Three days later, at Chen Ping’an’s home on Niping Alley, Su Ling sat casually on a wooden chair, laboriously imparting martial knowledge to Chen Ping’an before him.

The urgency to teach stemmed from the limited time he had left here.

Just a day earlier, a profound tremor from the depths of his soul suddenly stirred within him.

That feeling told him he could not stay long in this vast world.

At this moment, Chen Ping’an seemed like a hopeless student, furrowing his brow on the stool, utterly unable to grasp the straightforward martial concepts being explained.

Even Ning Yao, standing nearby, felt helpless toward Chen Ping’an’s dense mind, raising a hand to her forehead and shaking her head silently.

“Chen Ping’an, why don’t you start with basic boxing? At least that would be somewhat more effective…”

Ning Yao’s tone was cold, a bit impatient with Chen Ping’an’s poor aptitude for martial arts, yet she offered advice with some bewilderment.

“…Alright, got it…”

Chen Ping’an opened his tightly shut eyes, sighed with a slightly gloomy expression, clearly frustrated with his own lack of talent.

He was obedient; first, he gave Su Ling an apologetic nod, signaling that the problem was not with the teaching but with himself.

Then he picked up the “Mountain-Shaking Manual” lying on the wooden table beside him, a martial arts technique he had nearly worn to tatters. This manual had been given to him recently by Gu Can before his departure.

“I’m off.”

“Go on, go on, you’re just annoying me by staying here,” Ning Yao said impatiently, waving her arm to urge Chen Ping’an to go outside and practice his punches.

“Uh…”

Chen Ping’an was at a loss for words but could only scratch his head awkwardly, then turned and stepped out of the room. He looked up at the sky outside—the same dark, cloudy sky that had hung over them for several days without clearing.

“This weather… why hasn’t it improved?”

—

Chen Ping’an was puzzled. Many days had passed, yet the heavy clouds above the small town showed no sign of dispersing, as if a storm was still brewing relentlessly.

Boom!

A bolt of crimson thunder, as thick as a millstone, suddenly appeared, roaring loudly in the distance.

Within the dense, ink-black clouds, the thunder dragon writhed, shattering a patch of darkness and revealing a strange, eerie scene deep within the cloud layers.

“Is it going to rain?”

Startled by the thunder, Chen Ping’an jumped and glanced at the ominous signs of the impending storm before quickly retreating indoors.

In all his years living here, Chen Ping’an had never encountered such a terrifying tempest. The oppressive feeling was as if the heavens themselves were about to collapse, filling him with an inexplicable dread.

“You… never mind.”

Ning Yao, having seen Chen Ping’an rush back inside just minutes after going out, hurried after him. She wanted to tease him but reconsidered, realizing it would be rude to the host while she was resting in his home. So, she bit back her irritation.

“Isn’t it about to rain? Can’t I practice boxing inside the house?”

“…”

Ning Yao was speechless but also curious about the wiring of Chen Ping’an’s mind. Did he not fear accidentally breaking the furniture in such a cramped space?

“Haha~”

Seeing Ning Yao’s gloomy expression, as if sulking, Chen Ping’an didn’t really understand why she was upset or what exactly she was mad about.

Still, Ning Yao was well aware that the storm outside might never actually arrive. According to natural laws, the Lizhu Cave Heaven was fated to be destroyed by the backlash of the Heavenly Dao.

Naturally, the small town within Lizhu Cave Heaven, along with the ignorant residents who had lived there for generations, would perish along with the collapse of the cave heaven.

Among them was this poor boy from Niping Alley, with no background or strength.

However, circumstances seemed to be shifting. Aside from Chen Ping’an’s reckless rescue of her life, Ning Yao was now resolved to save him from this catastrophe.

At this moment, Su Ling, seated quietly on the wooden chair with eyes closed, was more than capable of protecting Chen Ping’an’s life.

After all, the strange cosmic phenomenon that had affected the town days ago might have been a mystery to Chen Ping’an, but Ning Yao had used her own mystical arts to identify the true culprit behind this dreadful disaster—the very Su Ling before her, who wore a mask of pain.

—

Su Ling possessed a terrifying power, yet he appeared to care for Chen Ping’an deeply and might not allow him to perish with the collapse of the cave heaven.

Regardless, Chen Ping’an, although a simpleton in many ways, had extraordinary fortune.

He had a neighborly elder brother willing to look after him, a brother whose strength was so formidable it bordered on the supernatural.

At that moment, an elegant voice, imperceptible to others, echoed in Su Ling’s mind. It was a familiar voice—the Confucian sage Qi Jingchun!

“Su Ling, do you truly wish to defy the wrath of the Heavenly Dao?” Qi Jingchun asked gently, without hesitation.

Su Ling’s cheek twitched involuntarily. Even now, Qi Jingchun still questioned his resolve and had deliberately come to remind him of something, which felt utterly pointless.

“…Yes.”

Su Ling silently affirmed in his heart, signaling to Qi Jingchun that he had resolved to confront the Heavenly Dao’s fury.

“…Hmm.”

Qi Jingchun fell silent, his tone implying deeper meaning. Seeing this, Su Ling rose, waved farewell to those inside the house, and strode out into the courtyard.

“Brother Su…”

Ignoring the wind and rain outside, Chen Ping’an hurried after him, watching with worried eyes as Su Ling’s figure—though not imposing in stature—seemed to carry the weight of heaven and earth, much like Qi Jingchun.

At this hour, Su Ling’s sudden departure spoke volumes. Even Chen Ping’an, not the sharpest mind, sensed something amiss.

“Your Brother Su might be going to do something monumental—something concerning the fate of Lizhu Cave Heaven…”

Ning Yao also stepped out, first glancing at Chen Ping’an, who leaned with one hand on the doorframe, then casting a complex, profound gaze toward Su Ling’s retreating figure.

The town’s collapse was imminent. Although Ning Yao had not heard Qi Jingchun’s words, she keenly sensed the abnormality in Su Ling’s actions.

“…”

Chen Ping’an looked puzzled, but his eyes were filled with worry, revealing his deep concern for Brother Su, who had always watched over him.