"You're not dead?" Liu Feng asked, his face filled with excitement.
Yu Daohen, looking haggard, managed a wry smile. "What are you saying? I wish I were dead."
"No, no."
Liu Feng shook his head repeatedly. He got up and rushed towards Yu Daohen, but due to his weakness and overwhelming emotion, he lost his footing and fell to the ground.
Yu Daohen reacted swiftly, dashing forward and catching Liu Feng.
Looking at Liu Feng's gaunt face, Yu Daohen teased, "I've never seen a master who trips and falls."
Liu Feng was overjoyed, but upon seeing Yu Daohen's injuries, he inquired, "How are your wounds?"
Yu Daohen wore an expression of relief and shook his head. "It's nothing, just superficial injuries. I promised I'd take you back!"
"Mm!"
Liu Feng nodded, saying no more.
As long as Yu Daohen was safe, nothing else mattered!
Liu Feng, feeling curious, asked, "By the way, how did you withstand that terrifying explosion?"
Yu Daohen also shook his head, perplexed. "I'm not entirely sure myself. At that moment..."
He only remembered gathering his Water Kan Mirror to block the ferocious blast.
However, the terrifying energy wave shattered his energy shield instantly. Just as Yu Daohen thought he was doomed, the wooden box in his pocket suddenly flew out, emitting a burst of golden light.
The radiance blinded Yu Daohen. When he could finally open his eyes again, the explosion had passed.
After hearing Yu Daohen's account, Liu Feng nodded thoughtfully.
He hadn't anticipated that Xu Feng would have such a contingency.
Among the fairy's reincarnations, Xu Feng was undoubtedly the strongest and most meticulous.
He had laid countless fallback plans for the subsequent five lifetimes.
Yet, without exception, each life ended in failure.
And Yu Daohen was the final reincarnation.
Five hundred years ago, Xu Feng scoured the world for rare treasures and methods to grow stronger.
In all of history, how many extraordinary individuals could orchestrate such a plan after their own death?
The planning itself wasn't difficult, but to plan for five hundred years into the future was something few could achieve, perhaps not even immortals.
Over these five hundred years, not a single piece of his plan could go awry.
One wrong move would lead to a cascade of errors.
This demonstrated the profound capabilities of Xu Feng.
Yu Daohen looked up at the sky. The heavy burden on his heart finally lifted. He then turned to Liu Feng and smiled faintly, "Let's go home."
"Okay."
Liu Feng replied softly.
Yu Daohen had waited for a long time for this battle.
But at this very moment, he finally felt relieved.
He had won.
He had truly won.
Yu Daohen gazed at the Kui Tree Forest in the distance, his brow furrowed. "What secret was hidden within that Kui Tree Forest?"
Liu Feng also looked towards the forest, a hint of fear in his voice. "I don't know, but whatever can easily kill a powerful immortal is not something we can afford to provoke."
Yu Daohen agreed with a nod.
The Kui Tree Forest was at the epicenter of the explosion, yet it remained completely unscathed, not even a leaf had fallen.
Looking at the surrounding ground, it was nothing but barren earth, the grass having been obliterated by the blast, leaving behind a massive crater.
This clearly indicated the terrifying entity hidden within the Kui Tree Forest.
Gazing at the serene forest, Yu Daohen felt an increasing sense of dread. "We should leave here quickly."
Liu Feng nodded in agreement, then condensed his finger.
A beam of golden light shot down, opening an exit.
Yu Daohen supported Liu Feng as they walked towards the opening.
"Yu Daohen!"
A voice, neither distinctly male nor female, called out from behind.
Yu Daohen stopped, startled, thinking he had misheard.
But then the ambiguous voice called out again.
"Yu Daohen!"
This time, Yu Daohen heard it clearly, and his face immediately contorted with extreme displeasure.
He was certain the voice originated from the Kui Tree Forest behind them.
He knew how terrifying the entity within was.
Could it have emerged?
Yu Daohen swallowed, looking at the exit, which was less than two meters away.
Damn it, with victory so close, why did he have to hear that hair-raising voice again?
Liu Feng, noticing Yu Daohen's distressed expression, mistook it for the effects of his injuries and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
Yu Daohen shook his head slightly. "Did you hear anything?"
Liu Feng looked bewildered. "No, what's wrong with you?"
"Yu Daohen...!"
The voice echoed again.
Yu Daohen felt a chill run down his spine, his breathing becoming heavier.
He was genuinely terrified of the entity in the Kui Tree Forest.
It was something he could not defeat.
He didn't even have the courage to look back.
The fact that it could instill such fear in him, a formidable expert on the Black List, that he dared not meet its gaze, spoke volumes about its terrifying nature.
"Yu Daohen!"
The voice repeated emotionlessly.
He felt as if his very life was now held in that entity's grasp.
"Yu..."
Before the voice could finish, Yu Daohen mustered his courage and turned back.
He saw a figure standing at the edge of the Kui Tree Forest.
They were less than fifty meters apart, allowing him to clearly discern the other person's appearance.
The individual wore black attire, a black trench coat billowing in the wind. A weapon was sheathed at their waist; though its entirety was unclear, the hilt was plainly visible.
Yu Daohen recognized this weapon instantly – it was the Kang Long Jian.
Instinctively, Yu Daohen reached for the Kang Long Jian at his own waist, finding it intact.
Then, looking at the person's face, Yu Daohen froze.
Pale complexion, hair tied back slightly disturbed by the wind, a stern expression that inspired awe and deterred direct eye contact.
This person was none other than himself, Yu Daohen!
Their eyes met. Yu Daohen stared at his other self.
Perhaps due to their identical appearance, Yu Daohen could sense a powerful aura emanating from the other's eyes.
The intensity of this aura was so profound it seemed to transcend this world.
It was on par with the Kun Peng he had encountered.
But more than anything, it conveyed a sense of profound loneliness.
It was like a god who had witnessed all the changes in the world.
No, perhaps even more ancient than gods.
The ebb and flow of time, the shifting of seas and lands, were mere fleeting moments in his eyes, devoid of any emotion.
Those eyes held a power that inspired awe, but more so, a deep pity.
They were like the Great Wall, standing solitary across a vast expanse of China, yet alone.
"Is this person truly me?"
Yu Daohen's mind was filled with doubt.
This person bore his likeness, shared his demeanor, and wielded the Kang Long Jian.
But why did they appear so desolate and solitary?
As if everything in this world was irrelevant to them.