Xu Feng stroked his chin, assuming an air of an otherworldly master. "Did you see that palm strike clearly?"
Yu Daohen nodded heavily. "That palm strike, if it were a thousand-year-old demon, would have been beaten back to its original form on the spot."
"In your prime, could you really go toe-to-toe with that three-thousand-year-old great demon?" Yu Daohen hesitated before asking.
Xu Feng shook his head. Yu Daohen thought it made sense; how could a human cultivating for twenty years possibly contend with a three-thousand-year-old great demon on equal footing?
"Three-seven. Him three, me seven," Xu Feng suddenly stated.
Yu Daohen's eyes lit up. Xu Feng looked no older than twenty-five or twenty-six. If he could truly fight on a three-seven basis, perhaps in fifty years he could even fight Fan Wei on a fifty-fifty basis.
Seeing Yu Daohen might have misunderstood, Xu Feng cleared his throat. "I mean, him three, me seven."
As soon as Xu Feng said this, Yu Daohen stared at him in disbelief. "Him three, you seven!"
Xu Feng nodded with satisfaction at Yu Daohen's shocked expression. "Perhaps. But it's very likely him two, me eight. At the very least, conservatively speaking, it's him three, me seven."
If it weren't Xu Feng, Yu Daohen would have cursed him out. Fighting a three-thousand-year-old great demon and speaking conservatively about a seven-three split? Why didn't he just fly up and shoulder the sun?
"I want to know how to become stronger." Yu Daohen's eyes were firm. His current strength was still too weak.
Xu Feng walked over and patted Yu Daohen's shoulder. "Honestly, I'd love to teach you, but I can't. I was just born this strong."
Yu Daohen forced an awkward smile, feeling speechless. It would have been better if Xu Feng hadn't said anything; it only made him more annoyed.
"However, your current strength is already among the best of the younger generation," Xu Feng nodded in affirmation, then changed the subject. "Of course, compared to me back then, you're still a hundred thousand miles behind."
'Could you please shut up?' Yu Daohen felt like delivering a palm strike to this guy. Was his mouth always this incessant?
But he reconsidered and endured it. After all, this guy was his past life; he should show some respect. Besides, he couldn't beat him anyway.
"Alright, it's time to talk about serious matters." Xu Feng dropped his playful smile, his expression turning serious, a complete contrast to moments before.
"I've told you about the price of using the brocade pouch," Xu Feng began.
Yu Daohen grunted. "The price is losing one of the five senses."
Xu Feng elaborated, "All spells that require one's own body as a price are forbidden arts. Sealing the remnant soul and strength within the brocade pouch is already a forbidden art."
"Do you regret it?" Xu Feng asked again.
When Xu Feng's remnant soul entered Yu Daohen's body, he had the option not to accept it, but he didn't.
Yu Daohen shook his head. "For him, I have no regrets!"
Xu Feng looked at Yu Daohen, his expression becoming complex. After a long pause, he said, "Do you want to become stronger?"
Yu Daohen's eyes lit up. "Yes!"
Xu Feng didn't teach any techniques but instead uttered some incomprehensible words. "Actually, there are no shortcuts to becoming stronger. When all your support collapses, and all your friends leave you, and you fight alone, that is when you will become powerful."
Yu Daohen was satisfied yet confused, not understanding the meaning. Xu Feng didn't explain but instead asked Yu Daohen, "What do you think of my strength?"
Yu Daohen replied without a second thought, "The strongest in the mortal world, none can match."
Xu Feng burst into laughter. "But I was still killed, and my head is still hanging on the Ascension Stone."
Yu Daohen didn't feel any relief. Even someone as powerful as Xu Feng ultimately met a tragic end.
Xu Feng shook his head, unwilling to dwell on that past.
"Alright, time is almost up. What do you choose?" Xu Feng asked.
Yu Daohen pondered for a moment and then replied, "The nose."
"Have you thought it through? It cannot be changed," Xu Feng reminded him.
Yu Daohen nodded. "No changes."
Xu Feng grunted. "Fine. I'll borrow your body again to say a few words to him. You rest for a while longer."
Yu Daohen wanted to say more, but he felt his vision go black and lost consciousness.
Outside, Yu Daohen slowly opened his eyes and sighed. "This life should be the last. I hope you can end your fate of being killed."
With that, Yu Daohen stood up and walked towards Qin Muyu and Hu Guizhi.
Qin Muyu saw Yu Daohen emerge from the forest, and the worry in her heart finally subsided.
Yu Daohen approached Qin Muyu.
Qin Muyu watched the golden light around Yu Daohen's body slowly dissipate, her brow furrowed. "Are you alright?"
Yu Daohen smiled. "This wisp of my soul is nearing its limit."
Qin Muyu grunted and said nothing. Five hundred years had passed; hearing his voice again was more than enough.
"Can you walk with me?" Yu Daohen asked.
Qin Muyu nodded and followed Yu Daohen towards the forest.
Hu Guizhi, standing nearby, chatted for a moment before taking her leave. After all, she felt like an extraneous presence at this point.
In the forest, Yu Daohen and Qin Muyu walked side by side.
Yu Daohen spoke first. "Is that guy doing well?"
Qin Muyu sighed. "That guy is still the same as before, not changed at all."
Yu Daohen recalled the past times and smiled faintly. "I knew that guy would still be the same."
Author's Note:
(Make-up chapter.)