Meanwhile.
Su Yueli flew hundreds of li in a single breath with Han Yu in tow, only slowly landing her light once they reached the depths of a desolate mountain range.
The wind died down, and silence returned to their surroundings.
Standing at the edge of a cliff, Su Yueli recalled the moment she had brushed past that streak of sword light while flying.
Shen Huai'an.
They hadn't met in years, but in that brief glimpse just now, the spiritual energy fluctuating from him was as vast as the tide. He had actually stepped into the Eleventh Realm.
What terrifyingly shocking talent.
“A Supreme Heavenly Bone... truly extraordinary,” Su Yueli murmured in her heart.
At this rate of cultivation, in time, perhaps he really could break through the shackles of heaven and earth to set foot in the elusive late stage Fourteenth Realm.
But so what even if he did?
The massacre of her village all those years ago, the tragic deaths of her master and the villagers—they were carved like knife strokes deep within her soul.
The vengeance had to be exacted, and the truth behind that blood feud had to be thoroughly investigated.
Even if Shen Huai'an was a peerless genius who astounded the ages, even if he was her childhood playmate, even if... he had once shown her kindness.
None of these things could wash away even a single trace of the blood spilled back then.
“Master? What's wrong?”
Seeing Su Yueli remain silent for so long, Han Yu, her beautiful eyes filled with worry, couldn't help but call out softly.
Su Yueli pulled herself from her thoughts. The coldness and weariness in her eyes quietly faded, her expression returning to its usual placidity.
She shook her head. “It is nothing. I merely recalled some old friends and past events.”
She turned around, surveyed the surrounding terrain, and said softly, “Come with me. I will take you to a place.”
Bathed in the clear moonlight, the two of them traversed the dense forest and finally stopped at the mouth of a desolate valley.
There were no longer any traces of human presence here. The wild grass grew as tall as a person, and ancient trees with twisted, interlocking roots blotted out the sky.
Vines wrapped around the ruined, broken walls. As the wind swept through, it made a low, wailing sound.
Among the piles of jagged rocks stood a stone monument that had long since fallen into ruin.
The writing on the tombstone had been eroded by wind and rain until it was completely illegible, and the burial mound behind it was almost level with the ground, making it easy to miss if one did not look closely.
“Master... what is this place?” Han Yu looked around, an indescribable sense of desolation rising in her heart.
“This is the only village that took me in after my parents were killed,” Su Yueli said, stepping onto the soft fallen leaves and walking toward the abandoned grave step by step.
“Later, the village was destroyed, and the villagers all died. And later, my master also passed away before me.”
Han Yu's heart shuddered.
She stared blankly at her master's slender yet peerless back, her eyes turning slightly red.
She had originally thought that a supreme existence like her master—who possessed heaven-defying strength and could shatter the sky with her bare hands against tribulation lightning—was born a lofty deity.
She had never imagined that beneath her master's feet lay such a heavy, agonizing past.
“Master...”
Han Yu stepped forward, pursed her lips tightly, and tugged at Su Yueli's sleeve. She said softly, “Your disciple will accompany you from now on.”
Su Yueli was slightly taken aback, then let out a helpless laugh.
Longevity was long, and the years stretched on. Over the centuries, she had witnessed too many departures and deaths, and had long grown accustomed to walking between heaven and earth alone.
Yet this young girl's naive words brought a trace of warmth to this freezing valley.
Without saying more, Su Yueli took a jar of clear wine from her storage bag, adjusted her attire, and slowly knelt before the stone monument.
She poured the wine onto the soil, its fragrance wafting through the air.
“Master, your disciple has come to visit you.”
Looking at the monument, Su Yueli's eyes showed a long-absent warmth.
“Your disciple is very strong now. Once I refine this peak Grade Eight pill in my hands, I will attempt to break through the barrier and charge for the unprecedented Fourteenth Realm.”
With that, she turned her head and gestured to Han Yu. “Yu'er, come here. Kowtow to your Grandmaster.”
Not daring to delay, Han Yu hurriedly knelt properly beside Su Yueli and respectfully kowtowed three times. “Granddisciple Han Yu pays respects to Grandmaster!”
After paying respects to Lu Chen, the two of them temporarily settled down in the ruins of this abandoned village.
In the mountains, there was no track of time as the years went by.
Su Yueli did not rush into seclusion to refine the Dragon Blood Red Marrow Pill. Instead, in this wasteland that buried her mortal past, she began to personally instruct Han Yu in martial arts.
“Watch closely. These are the Ji Dao Five Styles.”
On the overgrown grounds of the old courtyard, Su Yueli's figure moved like lightning, her blood qi piercing through the sky like a rainbow.
The first style struck the heavens; the second style trampled the mountains and rivers; the third style swept across the eight wildernesses; the fourth style suppressed the heavens!
As for the final fifth style, Life Burner, Su Yueli etched its core principles—sacrificing blood qi for explosive power and burning one's soul for ultimate combat strength—word by word into Han Yu's mind.
The Ji Dao Five Styles were previously passed down to Su Yueli by Lu Chen.
Some time ago, Su Yueli had also taught Han Yu, who had already learned the first three styles, though she was still unpracticed and had not yet reached the stage of minor mastery.
In addition to the Ji Dao Five Styles, she also taught her the Mountain-Shaking Heaven-Shattering Force.
The wind blew through the deep grass, and the morning dew turned into evening glow.
The four seasons rotated; the fallen leaves turned yellow and then green, green and then yellow.
In this desolate village ruin far from the clamor of the mortal world, time seemed to flow incredibly slowly.
Han Yu worked tirelessly every day, diligently practicing her fist techniques. From her initial clumsiness, she progressed until her blood qi surged like a dragon and her strikes whistled like the wind.
Meanwhile, Su Yueli spent most of her time sitting quietly before Lu Chen's grave, either sipping tea or watching the clouds, nurturing her state of mind to prepare for her upcoming seclusion.
As she watched Han Yu sweat under the sun, her vision blurred, and she seemed to see herself from hundreds of years ago—the girl who was scolded by her master on the mountain but still gritted her teeth and persevered.
Longevity was endless. Everyone in the world sought to become an immortal and attain the Dao, but when the people around you aged one by one, rotted, and turned into yellow dust, leaving you to walk alone between heaven and earth, how could an ordinary person bear that bone-chilling loneliness and desolation?
Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, two years quietly slipped away.
On this day, Su Yueli, who had not moved for two years, slowly stood up.
Two years had left no trace on her face, yet her temperament had grown as deep as an ancient well. Her blood qi had returned to its natural state, faintly merging with the entire mountain.
Han Yu withdrew her fists and stood straight, her entire body's blood qi surging. Her cultivation had completely stabilized at the peak Third Realm, her eyes firm and clear.
“It has been two years. You have thoroughly integrated what I taught you. Now you only need to practice it to great mastery.”
Su Yueli turned around, glanced at Han Yu, and handed her a jade talisman carved with secret array patterns.
“Next, I will enter seclusion to refine the Dragon Blood Red Marrow Pill and break through to the Fourteenth Realm.”
“This breakthrough is of no small matter. It will take several years at least, and several decades at most. During this time, you will comprehend the martial path on your own here. If you encounter an irresistible, powerful enemy, simply crush this jade talisman.”
Han Yu accepted the jade talisman with both hands, straightening her petite back. Her gaze was incredibly firm. “Please enter seclusion with peace of mind, Master! Your disciple will certainly not fail your trust. I will guard this place well and await your successful breakthrough!”
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