Free Web NovelChapter 515: Chapter 255: Sudden Death
After Han Tieshan left, Jiang Feng stayed by Han Dong’s side for quite a while. Han Tieshan’s departure made Han Dong, who always seemed like a heroic woman, become extremely fragile. For a long time she gave up on herself, threw her Two-Handed Sword into the corner, and didn’t touch it for three months straight.
As old friends left one by one, Jiang Feng grew more and more afraid that Han Dong would leave him eventually too. He spent half a year helping Han Dong out of her darkness, then another two months, guiding her to pick up the Two-Handed Sword again, becoming a martial fanatic just like before.
Nearly a year had passed.
Jiang Feng entered the Underground Palace once more to explore.
After decades of searching, Jiang Feng had become intimately familiar with the outer rings of the Underground Palace. Though he still couldn’t enter every room, he could now determine which rooms contained fortuitous treasures, and which locations hid traps and hidden weapons.
Unfortunately, whether due to limits of his cultivation or for other reasons, ever since Jiang Feng and the Little Cyan Snake first entered and opened the first civilian room—obtaining the Rusted Iron Sword that he could still not refine—Jiang Feng had rarely found other opportunities in the Underground Palace besides getting the Foundation Establishment Technique.
Sometimes, for long periods, each time he opened a civilian room, he’d run into a trap. If he didn’t have strong enough ability and a cautious nature, he might have already fallen within the Underground Palace.
This time, entering the Underground Palace again, Jiang Feng wasn’t doing it for himself, but to help Han Dong find a secret technique for breaking through her cultivation. Only if Han Dong advances past the Innate Realm, her lifespan can be increased; otherwise, even if she reaches the Innate Extreme, Jiang Feng still won’t be able to accompany Han Dong for long in the future.
This time, Jiang Feng stayed inside the Underground Palace for half a year. freewebnσvel.cѳm
Half a year later, he left the Underground Palace, returned to the courtyard in the Imperial City, and saw the Two-Handed Sword placed to the side. The courtyard was now filled with more flowers and plants, Han Dong was dressed like a village woman, pruning the greenery.
"Sister Dong, you..."
Jiang Feng looked at Han Dong’s transformation in disbelief.
"You’re back! Look, these are all things I planted. Every flower and plant here, I chose meticulously for you—though I don’t know if you’ll like them."
Han Dong’s face was full of smiles, appearing innocent and carefree.
"I like them. If it’s from you, I’ll love anything."
Jiang Feng walked over and hugged Han Dong.
Han Dong was a few years older than him, already in her sixties. Even with Innate Primordial Power preserving her looks, plus Jiang Feng’s spiritual power nourishment, the marks of time on her face were unavoidable. Outwardly, she looked in her forties; compared to half a year ago, she had shed her former coldness in exchange for a touch more mature charm.
In order to care for Han Dong, Jiang Feng’s appearance also changed with hers; both of them looked to be in their forties or fifties, like a middle-aged couple.
"Not long ago, I figured something out."
Han Dong cooked a pot of pickled vegetables and tofu for Jiang Feng. They sat in the courtyard, sipping yellow rice wine and eating hot pot.
"What is it?"
Jiang Feng was very curious; in his heart, he understood it must be something that had brought such a big change in Han Dong.
"In this life, there are many things we can’t get, and many we can’t keep. Rather than spending our lives chasing after what cannot be attained or held on to, it’s better to let go, and simply live well."
Han Dong said sincerely.
"Sister Dong, you’re right."
After hearing this, Jiang Feng felt a deep ache inside, though his face was smiling and nodding. The reasoning was simple, and he’d heard similar words before, but had never been able to accept them.
Yet with Han Dong’s situation now, obsessed with cultivation, if she never breaks through, she might drive herself to despair. Maybe it’s better to relax her mind and change her lifestyle; perhaps unexpected rewards may come.
Comforting himself thus, Jiang Feng’s heart relaxed a bit, but he would never give up on finding a way to help Han Dong advance her cultivation.
Time slipped by swiftly.
In another twenty years,
During these twenty years, Xiao Zhan successfully reached the Late Divine Realm in cultivation. The Great Zhou grew affluent and powerful, his ambitions blossomed, and he succeeded in annexing the former vassal state of the Turkic people into Great Zhou’s territory.
Ten years ago, after a breakthrough in his strength, he personally led troops to the Turks, slaughtering the Turkic mages and Dharma Kings, raising Great Zhou’s banner into the chaotic region, and even took the Fire God City created by the Saintess.
In recent years, Great Zhou’s soldiers have continued to push into Chishui County, establishing territorial borders at the edges of the Forbidden Forest and Red Earth Forest, showing signs of pressing towards the Sea of Blood.
Fifty years have passed.
The Blood Sea Loose Cultivators and Lin Family Loose Cultivators have entirely seized control of the Divine Sect Mansion, building layer after layer of restriction arrays around it, even moving their respective sects to the gates of the Divine Sect Mansion itself.
As for Xiao Zhan’s territorial expansion, the Lin Family Cultivators and Blood Sea Immortal Venerable and the others have always kept silent. In their eyes, even if Xiao Zhan conquered all lands beyond Great Zhou, as long as he didn’t disrupt their exploration of the Divine Sect Mansion or station troops on Dragon and Snake Island, Xiao Zhan could expand wherever he wanted—it had nothing to do with them.
They didn’t wish to become tyrants in the mundane world, only to gain more fateful opportunities, return to the Blood Domain, reclaim what belonged to them, and perhaps even establish their own sect within the Blood Domain. free𝑤ebnovel.com
In contrast to Jiang Feng, through these twenty years, apart from searching for ways to help Han Dong break through her cultivation, he spent his days accompanying Han Dong, traveling the mountains and lakes with her.
Great Zhou had become peaceful.
Blood Sea Immortal Venerable and the others focused all their attention on the Divine Sect Mansion, never stirring up trouble in the last fifty years. Though Jiang Feng’s Fortune Points steadily increased, the pace had become extremely slow.
