In the same cave where Su Lin and Shan Yan are hiding, Shan Yan explains the difference between storage rings and storage bags to Su Lin. After putting the ring on his finger, Shan Yan looks at Su Lin and says,
"There are not many things that can help us, but first, what I need is that beautiful thing."
Saying this, Shan Yan moves his fingers vertically through the air. A torn space, like a new entrance made of nothing, appears before Su Lin's eyes. When Su Lin looks inside, he sees nothing. But before he can ask about it, a black sword comes out on its own.
"See, this is the power of this strong ring. Look at this sword. It is much better than mine. Let's check another item." After checking the sword, Shan Yan sends it back into the storage ring. After that, an old wooden trunk appears.
"It looks like garbage."
Shan Yan throws it back into the ring. Then, he takes out a jade that is half light red and half white. When Shan Yan holds it in his hand, he looks at Su Lin and says,
"See, here is the jade you were asking about. Take a look."After giving the jade to Su Lin, Shan Yan closes the open space. He then takes out his own jade and shows it to Su Lin.
"See what I told you? I have the same jade as you. When you look at it with your divine sense, it can show you the location of the other jade. With these, we can also communicate with each other. We just need to put spiritual energy into them."
"By the way, Shan Yan, when those jades see each other, do they vibrate like this?"
While Shan Yan is explaining the jade's features, he hears Su Lin's words and looks at the jade. Right now, the jade is vibrating violently, as if it is about to tear itself apart. Suddenly, a crack forms across the jade, and a powerful force sweeps through the cave.
At that moment, the jade falls from Su Lin's hand. After a few breaths, a faint light emerges from the jade. Following that, an image of an old man gradually forms. When Su Lin sees the image, an uncontrollable emotion rises within his heart. But before he loses control, he quickly calms himself down. From birth until now, Su Lin has experienced many things in his life. In recent year, he has witnessed the cruelty of life, which has made him somewhat more mature.
He understands that the figure standing before him may resemble someone from his memories, but that person is no longer present in his life. The figure was none other than Uncle Hong—or, rather, a message he had left behind for them.
"I think you two have finally met, Shan Yan and my dear Su Lin. I know you both have many questions about the past, but unfortunately, by the time you receive this message, I will no longer be in this world to answer."
Uncle Hong is dressed in white robes, and his illusory figure gives off a gentle and warm feeling.
Seeing this, Shan Yan looks at Su Lin. But when he sees Su Lin gazing intently at Uncle Hong's figure, he turns his attention back to the old man as well.
"Where should I begin? Ah, yes! Today, I came to a city with Su Lin, and it was the day of his examination. At this time, he was taking an examination for his future.
My dear Su Lin, do you think your uncle didn't notice you peeking at that girl this morning? She is beautiful, isn't she? Even your uncle likes her. She would make a good concubine for you. What do you think?
Anyway, let's get to the main point.
Shan Yan, ever since your clan was annihilated, I have been investigating the matter. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything important. However, I did discover something strange about the other five major forces that participated in that crime.
Before launching an all-out assault, their ancestors and elders experienced a tremendous incease in cultivation, advancing by an entire realm.
Shan Yan, I know you are smart, so you understand what this means. Therefore, do not investigate this matter until both of you are strong enough.
There are some things I want to tell you both.
Su Lin, listen carefully first. I know you are an impatient child, but cultivation requires dedication and persistence. So, do not rush things. And one more thing—do not seek revenge. It is irrelevant now. Shan Yan can help you with many things, so do not leave his side until you are strong enough.
Shan Yan, I know you are very capable. In my entire life, I have never met anyone as sharp, ruthless, and calculating as you were at your age. But do not reveal your identity as the last surviving member of the Shan Clan to anyone.
After your mother and grandmother died, those major forces stopped searching. I believe they do not know that you are still alive, so be careful.
I have also left a few things that might help you both.
And finally, there is one very important matter, Shan Yan. Do you remember when I once mentioned the war over an immortal inheritance? That war will break out a thousand years from now. Make yourselves as strong as you possibly can.
Remember my words, Su Lin and Shan Yan. You both have only a thousand years left to prepare. And goodbye both of you." As Uncle Hong finishes speaking, his illusory figure gradually disappears, and the crack in the jade closes.
"A thousand years? Then let it come. Shan Yan, there will be some changes to your plan." Hearing Su Lin's words, Shan Yan looks at him and notices his indifference.
"What do you mean by changes?" Shan Yan asks.
Hearing Shan Yan's question, Su Lin looks at him and replies, "I will not take the Gentle Sword Sect's recruitment test. Instead, I will join a different sect. Do you know why?
"Because of Feng Yin. I have been thinking about this for a long time. Feng Yin could have killed Uncle Hong and me with ease, but he didn't. He thought using his strength was unnecessary, so he used a disguise instead. But why? Why?" While speaking to Shan Yan, Su Lin looks at the jade lying on the ground.
Seeing Su Lin's strange behavior, Shan Yan is initially confused. But in the next moment, disbelief fills his eyes. He looks seriously at Su Lin, draws his sword, and silently takes his position at the cave entrance.
As he gazes at the sky, Shan Yan murmurs inwardly,
'An epiphany... Elder Hong and Feng Yin never imagined that this day would come. I wonder what kind of epiphany he will experience when he gains something from this.'
Throughout the vast history of time, every living being struggles to survive. In this struggle, some survive while others perish. Some possess powerful claws, while others have sharp teeth. Humans, however, possess intelligence and the ability to learn from their experiences.
Through their experiences and accumulated knowledge, some extraordinary individuals come to understand the world on a deeper level and grasp an absolute truth.
When a truth suddenly becomes clear in one's mind, changing the way one perceives the world, it is known as an epiphany.
And right now, Su Lin is experiencing this very phenomenon.
In a small forest, two figures are fighting each other. One is a young man radiating an immortal aura, while the other is a wounded old man. The old man struggles to hold his ground against the young man. With every clash, his wounds worsen.
On the ground, a boy of around sixteen watches their battle, his face filled with worry. One is struggling to survive, one is killing, and the last is witnessing everything. But high upon a cliff, a fourth figure watches the battle with dark eyes. His expression remains unreadable, as though he is merely reliving a scene from the past.
In the end, the battle concludes with the young man beheading the old man. After that young boy escape. Then, everything reverses and begins again from the beginning.
Just like that, Su Lin watches the same scene from the cliff, witnessing his past unfold again and again.
"So, that's what happened on that day. I never thought I would end up like this."
"Do you really think so?" A man's voice reaches Su Lin's ears from behind him. A warm feeling spreads throughout his body, causing him to relax instinctively.
When Su Lin turns around, he sees a young man wearing a long black-and-gray robe. His long hair reaches the ground, and his white skin shines like jade. His gaze gives the impression that one is looking up at the vast sky.
As Su Lin looks at the young man, He studies the man's face, which bears a slight resemblance to his own.
"Who are you?" Su Lin asks the young man a question, but the man merely stares at him in silence.
After some time passes, the young man finally speaks.
"Just a nobody." He looks directly into Su Lin's eyes. "Or you could say... a man who has long been forgotten."
"What are you doing here." Su lin asks.
Hearing Su Lin's question, the man glances toward the distant horizon, his expression indifferent.
"Why does it matter what I'm doing here?"
He steps forward and stops in front of Su Lin.
"Tell me, if you meet a stranger on the road of life, do you concern yourself with why he stands there, or do you concern yourself with where your own road leads?"
Hearing this, Su Lin sits on the edge of a cliff and gazes at the birds soaring through the sky.
"The road of life... Do you know? To everyone else, my road of life may seem pathetic. My way of living may bring nothing but disgust to others.
Do you know that I have already lost everything? Sometimes, I even think about ending my own suffering. But then I wonder... who will bring justice to my loved ones?
I once wrote about Heaven. I said that Heaven was not heartless; it simply saw life as life, treating everyone equally. That is why Heaven appears heartless in our eyes.
But now, after experiencing so many things, I, too, am beginning to believe that Heaven is heartless. And this belief... makes my soul weep." The man remains silent for a long time. His gaze follows the bird soaring freely across the sky.
"Do you know? I was once a cultivator too, and I pursued immortality. Do you know why?"
He doesn't wait for Su Lin to answer.
"Once, I had a family. I had love. I had things I wanted to protect. I thought that as long as I tried hard enough, I could hold on to them."
Suddenly, a wine gourd appears in his hand. He raises it to his lips and takes a small sip.
"But the Heavens didn't care about my suffering. The world didn't stop just because my heart was breaking. And the people who took everything from me didn't lose a moment of sleep over my tears."
He turns his gaze toward Su Lin.
"You say your life is pathetic in the eyes of others. That your way of living disgusts them. Tell me, since when did the eyes of others become the measure of anyone's existence?"
His voice remains calm.
"If the world thinks you are pathetic, must you become pathetic? If the world despises you, must you despise yourself? And if Heaven refuses to give justice to the person you love, does that mean their suffering was meaningless?"
He pauses, his gaze following the bird as it disappears into the clouds.
"You speak of Heaven as though it has wronged you by refusing to care. But tell me... did you ever have the right to expect Heaven to care in the first place?"
Su Lin raises his voice.
"Then what if Heaven cannot do anything? Fine, let it be! But why is it that whenever I try to do something, it never works out?
When I took the test at the Immortal Sect, they told me I had no talent. Then, sometime later, I discovered that I did have talent, but it was terrible. Even so, I refused to lose hope.
But later, I discovered that the person I had been traveling with was a demon. He killed people as easily as one might kill ants. He had slaughtered so many innocent people.
Yet when he told me that he had suffered too, and that his past had made him the way he was, I couldn't understand how someone could become so cruel.
But deep down, I know he is an extraordinary individual. He is destined to rise like a soaring dragon.
And what about me? I have nothing. Nothing that makes me special!"
The man listens quietly. For a long time, he says nothing. Then, he looks at Su Lin.
"You say there is nothing special about you."
He takes a sip of wine.
"Then tell me, what makes you think the world owes you something special?"
His gaze shifts toward the distant mountains.
"I was once an ordinary man. My talent was mediocre. Others walked farther than I could, and some reached heights I could only look up at. If I had compared my beginning to their destination, perhaps I would have given up long ago."
He turns back to Su Lin.
"You met a demon who killed countless innocents. You saw his cruelty, yet you also saw the suffering behind it. You understood why he became what he is, but you could not accept what he had done. That is your contradiction."
He pauses.
"You think he is destined to rise like a dragon because he is exceptional. And you think you are destined to remain beneath him because you possess nothing exceptional."
His expression turns cold.
"Tell me, who told you that the Heavens had already written your ending?"
He sets down his wine gourd.
"Perhaps he will rise. Perhaps you will remain ordinary. Perhaps one day, you will stand above him. I do not know, and neither do you."
He looks directly into Su Lin's eyes.
"But if you have already decided that your life is worthless because another person's brilliance overshadows yours, then tell me…"
"Are you truly fighting against Heaven, or have you already accepted Heaven's judgment of you?"
Su Lin looks at his hands. After clenching his fists, he asks,
"Then what should I do?"
The man looks at Su Lin for a long time. His eyes hold no pity, only a quiet understanding.
"Live."
He takes a sip of wine.
"When you have no talent, cultivate. When you fail, try again. When the world refuses to acknowledge you, keep walking. Not because you are destined to succeed, but because you have not yet reached the end."
He looks at the bird flying beyond the cliff.
"And that person you spoke of… the one who became a demon because he suffered. Understand his suffering if you wish, but do not use it to excuse his cruelty. His pain is his own. His choices are his own."
He turns toward Su Lin.
"As for your loved one, if you seek justice, then seek it. But do not let revenge become the only reason you continue to breathe. Otherwise, even if you obtain your revenge, what will remain of you?"
The man slowly rises to his feet.
"You ask what you need to do."
He pauses, his long figure facing Su Lin.
"You want to know whether an ordinary man can defy Heaven? Then live long enough to give me your answer."
Su Lin looks at the man and speaks with determination.
"You think I seek revenge? Then so be it. My revenge may not bring them back, but at least it will put my heart at ease. Then, let's meet again at the end of my path."
The man stops walking. For a moment, the wind is the only sound between him and Su Lin.
"Very well."
He turns his head slightly, glancing at Su Lin from the corner of his eyes.
"If revenge is the path you have chosen, then walk it. But remember this: the dead will not return, and the past will not change. Do not deceive yourself into thinking revenge can repair everything you have lost."
He raises his wine gourd and takes a long drink.
"Still, everyone has their own reasons for living. I have no right to choose yours."
He begins walking away, but his voice reaches Su Lin one final time.
"However, I hope that when we meet again at the end of your path, you will still be able to recognize the person you have become."
He pauses.
"After all, if you lose yourself along the way, who will be left to tell your story?"
The man walks into the distance, his figure gradually disappearing beneath the vast sky.
"And something is waiting for you at the edge of the Netherworld."