Chapter 162: Silence

"Rebellious scoundrel, you're courting death!!!"

Meng Fan was deep in thought, racking his brain over how to take the first step toward going home, when a sudden murderous intent pierced the air. His entire body jolted as adrenaline surged, snapping him instantly back to reality.

Catching sight of the youth rapidly closing in on him, a flash of anger crossed Meng Fan's eyes. With a furious roar, he raised his hand, and the Heaven Executioner instantly morphed into a menacing silver staff, which he gripped firmly in his palm!

He brought it down fiercely!

Bang!

Thud!

All of this seemed drawn out in description, but it happened in the blink of an eye! From the moment Meng Fan was startled to the instant he knocked the youth unconscious with a single blow of his staff, no more than the batting of an eyelid had passed!

Yet, following this brief skirmish, an eerie silence descended upon the area.

Hoo...

A bleak, chilly gust of wind swept fallen leaves past the scene. Meng Fan looked down at the youth, whose vital energy was weak and who now lay motionless on the ground, a trace of suspicion flickering deep within his eyes.

What in the world was this brat going mad for...

Even with a half-step Foundation Establishment cultivation base, his physical body was inferior to that of a mere third-layer Qi Condensation cultivator...

Why, practically any random seventh-layer Qi Condensation martial artist could have laid him flat.

To charge blindly at him with intent to kill...

Could it be...

Hiss...

Recalling the youth's previous roar brimming with hatred, Meng Fan glanced sideways at the scattered pieces of tender bone scattered all over the ground. Sudden comprehension dawned in his eyes, and his breathing grew slightly ragged!

This fellow must be the owner of that White Tiger, and he has come seeking revenge!!

I cannot let him off lightly!

A profound look appeared in Meng Fan's eyes, deep within which a glint of murderous intent flashed!

He was an immortal second-generation heir, but he was not a fool. In the cultivation world, stories of killing people for their treasures and fighting to the bitter end were a dime a dozen.

If he did not execute this man today, he would undoubtedly become a source of trouble down the line!

Yet, he was merely at the half-step Foundation Establishment stage...

This whole affair...

No matter how he looked at it, he was somewhat in the wrong...

Meng Fan felt rather conflicted. He had eaten the man's spirit beast and then slaughtered the owner—well, knocked him out.

Might that be, perhaps, a tiny bit inappropriate...

"Oh, well... who told Meng Fan to be so kind-hearted, sigh..."

"For now, I shall generously spare your life."

After a long silence, Meng Fan let out a light sigh and slowly shook his head.

Despite his sighing, Meng Fan's hands moved with swift efficiency as he neatly unhooked the storage bag from the youth's waist.

"Since I'm sparing your life, taking a few things is only right, after all."

"I am a stranger in a strange land; it just so happens I need to find some useful items to get acquainted with these parts."

Hugging this train of thought, Meng Fan cast a nonchalant glance at the passed-out youth and began rummaging through the loot on his own.

"Only a few hundred spirit stones, tch... and they're inferior grade at that..."

"And these magical treasures—who even forged these? Do they even know how to refine artifacts..."

Staring at the lackluster, dim spirit stones and the dull, lightless magical treasures inside the storage bag, Meng Fan tightly furrowed his brows with an expression of utter disdain.

Relying on this junk, sneaking up on people every day to knock them out, how long would it take him to save up enough spirit stones to set up a teleportation array and return to his clan?

Could it be he had to wait until that old fox Meng Changhe had a change of heart and came to drag him back?

Meng Fan let out a helpless sigh and resumed rummaging.

"Hiss..." It wasn't until he spotted a pitch-black pill resembling a mud pellet, yet exuding a rich medicinal fragrance, that Meng Fan suddenly sucked in a breath of cold air, his eyes widening to their absolute limit. "Could this thing actually be... an elixir??"

Was this sort of thing meant for human consumption???

Meng Fan found it hard to believe, yet the potent medicinal aroma emanating from the mud pellet continually proved to him that it was indeed a genuine medicinal pill!

Twitching the corners of his mouth, Meng Fan was momentarily at a loss for words.

Right now, Meng Fan truly had the sensation that Meng Changhe had been bribed by some rival aristocratic family.

Otherwise, why on earth would he banish him to such a barren wasteland?!

In a godforsaken place like this, finding even a single supreme-grade spirit stone would be nothing short of absurd!

Let alone gathering a million supreme-grade spirit stones to set up an array and go home!

That was pure daydreaming!

"Tch... how is there not even a single set of spare clothes..."

After an exhaustive search, Meng Fan furrowed his brows deeply, casting a speechless gaze at the fallen youth.

Poor as one might be, one shouldn't be this destitute, right?

He was a cultivator, for crying out loud, yet he didn't even carry a change of clothes?

"I certainly cannot walk out looking like this..."

Lowering his head to look at his own tattered rags, Meng Fan let out a rather helpless sigh.

His lingering gaze drifted toward the azure robe worn by the youth, and his eyes gradually narrowed.

─━_─━?

......

The next morning, the sun shone brightly.

Perhaps due to a whole night of rain, the sky at this moment possessed an indescribable clarity, and the air carried a crisp freshness.

A gentle breeze stirred, sweeping across endless primeval forests, deep earth, mountains, and vast lands until it blew into a modest, unassuming little town. It drifted softly past the side of a youth dressed in azure robes, carrying boundless expectations as it flowed away toward the distant, rushing horizons.

The youth had fair skin and a somewhat slender frame, with a teasing smile permanently lingering at the corners of his mouth. Paired with the purity in his eyes, he exuded a subtle, vibrant liveliness.

As his azure robes fluttered gently in the breeze, they accentuated his gentle aura, giving him a harmless-as-a-lamb appearance.

It was none other than that immortal second-generation heir, Meng Fan.

"After traveling the whole night, I've finally made it out of that wretched mountain forest."

"I'll look for a tavern shortly to grab a bite, and then it'll be time to properly plan things out."

Standing on the streets of the small town, Meng Fan looked at the sparse figures of passersby and muttered to himself while his lively gaze swept about.

"Accumulating a million spirit stones is nothing; with the brilliance of Meng Fan, I am bound to..."

"Or rather, I should..."

"Sigh..."

Meng Fan wore an expression brimming with fighting spirit. Just as he was about to utter words to pump himself up, his voice suddenly trailed off. Glancing down at his azure robe, which had been washed until it was pale, he let out a sigh.

It wasn't that Meng Fan lacked confidence in himself; he was simply a bit uncertain.

Could the Azure Spirit Realm possibly produce a million supreme-grade spirit stones...

"I still need to exercise caution and avoid being overly flamboyant. Who knows if those lunatics might have already descended upon this realm and are lurking in the shadows."

"The title of heir... truly carries a heavy bounty..."

Pausing slightly, Meng Fan's eyes flashed with contemplation. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he decided not to dawdle any longer, turned around, and walked toward a two-story pavilion nearby.

To Meng Fan, whether it was supreme glory, heaven-shaking power, or terrifying strength, none of it was something he cared about.

Just as that old fox Meng Changhe had said, time ultimately had its limits, and all glory and power were merely fleeting clouds.

Even ascending to immortality as an ancestor and becoming a revered master ultimately amounted to a mere million-year lifespan.

Even an immortal cultivator from legends who had survived an epoch would still find it difficult to escape the reincarnation of heaven and earth, eventually turning into a handful of dust.

In Meng Fan's heart, life was meant to be lived as one pleased, doing the things one loved.

Chasing superficial fame and fortune meant lowering oneself to a vulgar standard.

Even if saying such things at the moment felt a bit far-fetched for him, his firm conviction had never once wavered.

Furthermore, he would carry it through to the end with a persistent attitude.

——Meng, the Immortal Second Generation

"Boss, bring out your finest wine and food!"

Stepping into the tavern, Meng Fan casually tossed out a low-grade spirit stone, walked over to a square table in the corner of the second-floor hall on his own accord, and quietly took a seat to wait.

In the mortal realm, a spirit stone was nothing short of a supreme treasure.

"Coming right up, honored guest, please hold on just a moment!"

Sure enough, the proprietor snatched up the spirit stone from the counter, called out with a glowing face, and then scurried back to the kitchen to urge the cooks along.

Meanwhile, Meng Fan gazed out the window at the scenes of the mortal world, quietly calculating in his heart.

When rummaging through the loot last night, he had found a jade slip inside the youth's storage bag. The slip recorded three major cultivation sects within a radius of ten miles that mortals yearned to enter.

What Meng Fan was contemplating right now was how to infiltrate the Beast Taming Sect, the wealthiest of the three...

What he remained unaware of was that hundreds of miles away in a desolate, densely forested mountain region, a naked youth's eyelids suddenly twitched.

And in the grass not far from where the youth lay, there lay a muddy jade token, upon which two characters were faintly visible.

Beast Taming...

Suddenly, the void high above this location trembled slightly. A figure clad in black-and-gold embroidered robes stepped out, gazing down at the youth below. After pondering for a brief moment, the figure slowly shook his head and vanished once more.

There was the Domain of Heaven's Ripple, divided into the four realms of East, South, West, and North.

Further east than the Eastern Realm, there were mountain ranges, and within the mountains lay a blue lake known as Longevity.

Outside the lake stood dense groves of verdant pines and cypresses, while faint clouds and mists coiled around the peaks from all directions, perfectly presenting the scenery of a blessed immortal mountain.

At this very moment, a youth dressed in white, looking completely harmless to humans and animals, was leaning lazily against a large boulder on a mountain peak, fast asleep and entirely unaware of his surroundings...

Hoo...

Hoo...

As the youth's snores continued to echo during his deep sleep, an extremely illusory river could faintly be seen slowly flowing through the void around his body...

This river seemed to guard the youth's side year-round, or rather, it resembled a natal divine ability deeply buried within the youth's bones...

Swish... Swash...

The river seemed to originate from the end of life and the primal beginning of all things. As an intensely bizarre and frigid aura faintly permeated within it, the rushing sound of the flowing water felt as though it could cleanse the souls of all living beings. Hearing it inevitably stirred a sense of solemn reverence and awe in one's heart...

Pity that by the youth's side, there was not a single soul...

Boom!

Rumble...

"My son!!"

Suddenly, amidst a thunderous explosion, the surrounding mountains violently quaked. A large number of pine trees collapsed, rocks shattered, and a cry full of excitement instantly resounded across the entire mountain range!

"Save me!!!!"

Immediately following this, the moment an aged, miserable shriek rang out, an elderly man with white hair, clad in tattered garments and a face full of terror, suddenly burst out from beneath the collapsed ground!

"This is simply too bullying!!"

While the old man's fearful, roaring voice echoed, his eyes were already suffused with a dense web of bloodshot veins. As his hands rapidly formed seals, dozens of magical treasures emanating powerful fluctuations abruptly materialized around him!

"Even if this old man self-destructs them, I won't give them to you!!!"

Daring not to delay in the slightest, the old man seemed driven to the absolute limit of grievance. As a look of hatred flashed deep within his eyes, replaced by an expression of heart-wrenching pain, and with a grinding of teeth, he suddenly whirled around and pointed a finger behind him!

Hum...

As if his words carried the force of law, the light atop the numerous magical treasures flared brilliantly. As they trembled in unison, they abruptly unleashed a terrifying undulation, flying rapidly toward the direction the old man pointed!

Yet at this moment, a sudden change occurred!

My son!!!

The moment that earlier excited shout rang out once more, a dark shadow suddenly appeared out of the collapsed ground from which the old man had just burst forth!

Looking closely, that shadow had a single head and four hooves, its entire body covered in fur, with ears that were not particularly long. At first glance, it looked extremely like a horse, but if one looked closely, they would realize it was...

A donkey! A black donkey!

As if completely indifferent to the numerous magical treasures hurled by the old man, a look of excitement flashed in the black donkey's eyes as it flew straight toward the dozen-odd magical treasures that radiated terrifying energy and were on the verge of exploding, swallowing them whole in a single gulp!

Awoo~

"This..."

Realizing that all the magical treasures he had thrown out in hatred had been devoured, and that his connection to them had been instantly severed, the old man suddenly gasped a breath of cold air. As a strong sense of shock filled his eyes, heaven-shaking billows churned within his heart!

"Save me!!"

When his aged, wretched screams once more tore through the skies, the old man did not dare to delay for even a split second. With his eyes filled with extreme terror, he fled in a blind panic toward the distance!

Hiccup...

Meanwhile, the black donkey gazed in the direction of the fleeing old man. After letting out a thoroughly satisfied burp, a brilliant light flashed deep within its eyes. As its sneaky gaze darted haphazardly in all directions, it swiftly reined in its aura and bolted away toward the distance...

However, the black donkey had flown for less than two breaths when it felt a cold breeze brush against its back, causing its entire body to suddenly shudder!

Slowly turning its head to clearly identify the newcomer, the hairs all over the black donkey's body stood violently on end!

My son!!!

As a shrill, miserable shriek erupted from its throat, extreme terror bloomed in the black donkey's eyes. With its body trembling violently, it hurriedly landed on the ground and began kowtowing incessantly toward the white-robed youth in the void!

Amidst the endless cries of "My son, my son!" and desperate pleas for mercy filling the donkey's eyes, the youth, however, merely seemed somewhat drowsy still. After rubbing his hazy eyes, he lazily stretched his limbs.

"Hand them over."

As the youth's clear and bright voice rang out, a teasing look appeared in his eyes, the smile at the corners of his mouth seeming never to fade as he reached out a hand toward the black donkey:

"This deity enlightened your spiritual wisdom and painstakingly trained you for a year; that wasn't free of charge."

My son... my son...

Hearing the youth's words, the black donkey's entire body trembled. Filled with terror, it let out a grievance-laden cry.

My son...

Seeing that the youth remained unmoved, the little black donkey looked quite helpless. Amidst its wails, it opened its mouth wide, and over thirty magical treasures radiating formidable auras abruptly appeared around the two of them...

"Is that all?"

Scanning the thirty-odd powerful magical treasures floating quietly around him, a strange look flashed deep within the white-robed youth's eyes. As a soft murmur escaped his lips, he cast a meaningful glance at the black donkey before him, while an extremely illusory and majestic river gradually materialized outside his body...

Swish... Swash...

The rushing sound of water from the river felt like a summons from the end of life, and even more like something that could easily cleanse the souls of all living beings, causing anyone who heard it to inevitably feel a sense of dread rising in their hearts! The black donkey was no exception!

My son... my son!!

Feeling the thick, frigid aura emanating from the river, extreme terror welled up in the black donkey's eyes. As shrill, miserable shrieks escaped its throat, it hurriedly opened its mouth wide and spat out nearly a hundred more powerful magical treasures!

"Now that's a good boy..."

Looking at the little black donkey that had nearly been frightened to death by him, the white-robed youth smiled teasingly, admiration showing in his eyes—though his expression suddenly froze!

"Lier's magical treasure..."

A somewhat solemn murmur escaped his lips as the youth's gaze locked tightly onto an exquisite folding fan floating quietly in the void not far away. A gloomy look flickered in his eyes, and his expression turned somewhat ugly.

Swish... Swash...

At this moment, as if sensing the emotional fluctuations of its master, the illusory river surrounding the youth began to surge violently. The frigid aura emitted from the river grew even denser...

My son...

Sensing the chilling aura emanating from the river, the little black donkey shuddered fiercely. With thick terror flooding deep within its eyes, it didn't even dare to breathe heavily, trembling as it cowered flat on the ground.

"Still unable to fully control it, huh..."

Noticing the little black donkey's abnormality, the youth's gaze sank. Muttering inwardly, he projected a single thought, causing the continuously flowing illusory river to gradually fade away. Then, a brilliant light flashed deep within his eyes as he muttered to himself:

"If it wasn't an upheaval within the First Sword Sect, then Lier must have met with misfortune... It has only been three years since I disappeared..."

"The First Sword Sect!"

Pausing for a slight moment, a cold glint flashed in the youth's eyes. With a soft murmur, he took a single step forward, and his figure vanished abruptly!

At the same time, the entire void trembled violently. The instant the entire world rapidly annihilated, boundless immortal intent instantly erupted forth!!

Following that, the entire world began to perish!

The moment boundless, majestic immortal intent rapidly converged toward the surroundings, it fiercely gathered toward an illusory star-recognition control high above!!

All of this seemed slow in telling, but it happened in a flash of lightning. From the emergence of the endless illusions in this realm and its overall collapse, to the gathering of the boundless immortal intent into a ball of intense white light in the hands of that illusory figure above, no more than the blink of an eye had passed!!

The Dao of the Nether: The primordial beginning of the dark underworld, carrying away all grievances of the world, repenting through endless time, and perishing thereafter.

The Dao of the Nether: Pitying the living beings of ten thousand realms, with charred battlefields and mutilated corners of the spirit, wishing for the worldly realms to return to the great void.

The Dao of the Nether: The realm's spirit has a master, its nether-body taking the form of a turtle, traveling through the boundless so that the endless starry sky is hard to find.

The Dao of the Nether: The myriad sources of nether arts, changing in a thousand ways; fully comprehending their spirit allows one to reorganize the great void.

The Dao of the Nether: Wielding the reincarnation of the world, guiding the karma of all living beings, controlling the Dao of endless time, and sustaining it with realm-power to achieve rebirth.

The Dao of the Nether: All variations return to their ancestral origin, yet their changes never depart from heavenly secrets; initial exploration can open the underworld, and those who come after me may recall their predecessors.

The Dao of the Nether: The power to seal demons, sustained through tens of thousands of kalpas, the bodies of ghosts and spirits preserved forever by goodwill; transform your domain into the nether, and it is finished!

Immediately afterward, as a male voice rang out, seemingly coming from primordial antiquity or perhaps the ultimate end of the world, boundless ghost intent abruptly gave birth within the entire world!!

"The gathering of ghost intent is nearly complete..."

With profound, deep light swirling in the depths of his eyes, the man clad in black-and-gold embroidered robes murmured indifferently. After gathering all the ghost intent of this place, he no longer delayed, turning and stepping away into the nearby void.

......