Seeing this, Yin Ming's eyes narrowed slightly. Even with his Cultivation Level sealed, his vision remained, and he could naturally tell that Lin Lan's current methods were something only a Dou Venerate expert could achieve.
A strong jealousy burned in his heart. Thirty years ago, he was already a Dou Sect, while Lin Lan was just a small Dou Emperor. He hadn't expected that now he had also reached Dou Venerate, and was only stronger than himself, not weaker.
Lin Lan seemed to read the intense jealousy in his heart and said coldly,
"You are just trash. If I had been born a few years earlier, you wouldn't even be worth a fart in front of me. Fortunately, heaven hasn't forsaken me, allowing me to take a good disciple and bringing you before me. Thirty years have passed, and someone like you probably feels no guilt. Just die."
Saying this, Lin Lan flipped his palm, carrying vast yet contained energy, and pressed it towards Yin Ming's crown. He had no intention of torturing Yin Ming.
*Bang——*
Lin Lan released the suppression on his energy, and a massive force erupted within Yin Ming's body, letting out a muffled sound.
Yin Ming's flesh and blood seemed like paper. The vast energy surged wildly within him, destroying everything in its path, reducing him to dust.
Looking at the empty space in front of his hand, Lin Lan felt a little dazed. The person who had forced him into a desperate situation thirty years ago, causing the greatest pain of his first half-life, was just gone like that.
"What a pity. Even if I killed him countless times, it wouldn't bring them back to life."
After a long time, Lin Lan sighed, raised his head, and looked into the distance. He seemed to see a beautiful face, and she seemed to be smiling at him. In a daze, Lin Lan reached out his hand, but grasped at empty air.
Pain and self-blame surged in his heart once more:
"If I hadn't been so inexperienced, arrogant, and high-profile when I first started out, perhaps I wouldn't have been targeted? Or if my strength had been greater, if I had stood out at the Pill Convention, I could have protected you all, right?"
Thirty years had passed, and they had never disappeared from his heart. Instead, they grew stronger each day, accumulating deeper and deeper.
Lin Lan hated his own ignorance and incompetence. If he had been more low-key and steady back then, the outcome would have been different.
He felt that all the tragedies were caused by him. He didn't even dare to look at the Yun Family from a distance, quietly leaving a letter before returning home in a sorry state. He had no face to meet the Senior who had helped him and the companion who had admired him.
For the past thirty years, he hadn't dared to stop for a moment, cultivating diligently, even with damaged foundations. Only when he saw the hope of breaking through to Dou Venerate did he dare to give Zhao Li a word of instruction before he went out.
After a while, Lin Lan shook his head and smiled. He hadn't expected that his former enemy would appear before him like this, utterly defenseless.
He composed himself and walked out.
Outside the door, Zhao Li leaned against the huge Stone Gate, his eyes looking into the distance, lost in thought. Seeing the trace of melancholy still on Lin Lan's face, he felt a little worried:
"Master, are you alright?"
He felt a little regretful for bringing Yin Ming back out of curiosity instead of killing him directly.
Lin Lan looked at the concern in his disciple's eyes, and a warmth rose in his heart. He smiled gently, comforting Zhao Li:
"Don't worry, Master is fine. I didn't expect you to have grown to this level in just ten short years. I'm afraid you've already surpassed Master, haven't you?"
Although Lin Lan was asking a question, he was very certain in his heart. He had no doubt about Zhao Li's talent.
Hearing this, Zhao Li scratched his head and said sheepishly,
"It's all just my own hard work."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Lin Lan's slightly changed expression and immediately became serious, simply recounting his experiences.
Lin Lan listened silently, nodding from time to time. After a long while, Zhao Li finished speaking and sighed,
"The world is vast. Even with many fortuitous encounters on this trip and great progress, it's still nothing. However, in the Eastern Region of this Continent, hehe... Oh, right, Master, I should be able to be a master myself now."
Zhao Li didn't say it too directly, but Lin Lan still understood what he meant. He nodded gently, acknowledging Zhao Li's words. He pondered for a moment and said,
"You've always been like this, never causing worry. Now, there's really nothing more Master can teach you. However, I still need to warn you that there are always people stronger than you, and heavens beyond heavens. On the path of cultivation, you must not be complacent."
He was naturally speaking from his own experiences.
Zhao Li naturally understood this principle:
"Disciple understands."
Lin Lan didn't say anything more, looked into the distance, and said,
"Master wants to go to White Cloud City for a trip. If anything happens within the sect, you can handle it yourself."
He just said it casually. Within the Great Qian territory, there were no forces that dared to provoke the Danyuan Sect.
Zhao Li's heart stirred slightly. The relationship between his Master and the Yun Family was probably more complicated than he had imagined.
He pondered for a moment and agreed. Then, he took out a Storage Ring and handed it to Lin Lan:
"Don't worry, Master! I still need to go home for a trip, so I won't accompany you. Inside are some of my own insights. See if they are of any help to you."
Inside were his gains over the years. He gave everything he could to Lin Lan without reservation.
Lin Lan did not refuse Zhao Li's good intentions, took the Storage Ring, and put it away directly, smiling:
"I really liked your previous gift. You go back and take a look first, I'm leaving!"
Lin Lan didn't think that what Zhao Li gave him would really help him much. After putting the things away, he said a word to Zhao Li and left.
Zhao Li felt a little anticipation and smiled:
"I hope this 'Master' of mine won't disappoint Master."
Then, his figure also faded. It was time for him to go back.
Danxia Peak was not far from the Imperial Capital, Danyuan City. With just one step, Zhao Li returned to the Zhao Family.
This time, Zhao Li appeared directly in front of his own house.
His sudden appearance still caught the attention of the guards at the gate. Some who saw him even rubbed their eyes, clearly finding it hard to believe.
Seeing this, Zhao Li smiled:
"Uncle Li, I didn't expect you to be close to advancing to Dou Spirit!"
For him, ten years to go from peak Dou Master to peak Great Dou Master was already a very fast pace.
The guard named Li exclaimed:
"Young Master Li, it really is you!"
He had been following Zhao Lingxiao since he became a guard, and he had watched Zhao Li grow up almost his entire life. It was only after Zhao Li started cultivating with Lin Lan over ten years ago that he saw him less often.
The new guards nearby heard their captain's address and were slightly stunned for a moment, then their eyes lit up. A quick-witted person even shouted loudly:
"Welcome Young Master Li home!"
They had figured out from the address that Zhao Li was the legendary figure of the Zhao Family. They had heard Zhao Li's name often, but had never seen him in person.
In the more than ten years that Zhao Li had been away, his name had not faded in the Zhao Family. On the contrary, the various things he left behind had caused the Zhao Family to grow rapidly. Although they hadn't reached the level of the Danyuan Sect, they had far surpassed the other two families and were comparable to the Imperial Family.
The younger generation, in particular, often mentioned him. It could be said that even though Zhao Li wasn't in the Zhao Family, the family was full of his legends.
Zhao Li saw the fervent look in their eyes, feeling a bit confused. After nodding in acknowledgment, he entered the house.
"Uncle Li, is Young Master Li really as amazing as the legends say?"
"Captain, you've been with Third Master all this time, you must know a lot of stories about Young Master Li, right? Tell us some?"
Seeing this, the guard named Li's expression changed slightly, and he barked:
"This is guard duty time, pay attention to your post! Otherwise, you'll be dealt with according to the rules."
The younger guards reacted, returning to their positions, but their darting eyes showed that they were somewhat distracted.
The guard named Li didn't say much more. After giving the usual reminder, his tone shifted:
"Guard properly. After the shift rotation, I'll tell you all about it and broaden your horizons."
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