Chapter 240 - 237: Mental Metamorphosis
"Changchuan, you don’t have to feel burdened by any of this."
"When I first decided to come with you to Dawan Village, my only goal was to find a path for the Han Family’s descendants into the Immortal Cultivation Realm..."
"But I never expected that with your rise, the entire Han Family would ascend with you. Several people have already succeeded at Qi Introduction. Now, the Han Family could even be considered a Minor Immortal Cultivation Clan, having accomplished in a short time what might take other clans decades, or even a century, to achieve."
"Even these old bones of mine, practically one foot in the grave, have gotten to experience the wonders of the Path of Immortal Cultivation before I die..."
"This is all thanks to you."
"Compared to the benefits you’ve brought to this old man and the Han Family, everything our family has done for you is trivial..."
As he spoke, Han Qinhu’s voice was filled with emotion, his face a picture of gratification and contentment.
It was more than enough.
The Han Clan had transformed from a completely ordinary, powerful mortal family into a Minor Immortal Cultivation Clan.
As long as their descendants kept their feet on the ground and managed things steadily, it might not be a legacy that would last for millennia, but securing it for a few generations was certainly possible.
The future would take care of itself.
As the founders, leaving behind the foundation for the family’s rise was more than enough.
The Han Family owed its rise to Shen Changchuan. Without him, what would the Han Family be? Nothing.
What was a little risk in exchange for all that?
Han Qinhu was crystal clear on this point.
He wasn’t about to get delusional after enjoying a little more than a year of good fortune and think that everything he and the Han Family now possessed was earned through their own efforts.
"Grandfather, you’re giving me too much credit. Without your help, managing everything in Dawan Village would have driven me mad. If you hadn’t kept everything running so smoothly, how could I, Shen Changchuan, be where I am today?"
"Haha, Changchuan, no need to flatter this old face. I was just following your instructions. Any mortal with a bit of management skill could have done it."
"Alright, let’s stop with the pleasantries, you and I."
Han Qinhu waved his hand dismissively.
Ready to move on from the idle talk, he changed the subject to a more pressing matter.
"You already had a contingency plan, so we’re not in much trouble here. But, Changchuan, what about Lady Yun? Have you made any arrangements for her?"
"Your reputation has exploded, so I agree with you making a strategic retreat and leaving the Tian Nan Shen Clan’s sphere of influence for a while. After all, with that jealous woman around, you’re safe outside but doomed if you stay... But what if she can’t find you and decides to take her anger out on Lady Yun?"
"Grandfather, that’s the very thing I’m worried about..."
Hearing this, Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but give a wry smile.
Lady Yun.
That was his mother’s name—the woman who, when he left Tian Nan City, had spent more than a decade’s worth of saved Spirit Stones to get him a single Qi Union Pill for his cultivation breakthrough.
"Shen Shengliang was being so arrogant, it was infuriating. On top of that, Shen Zeyu and the others were constantly making trouble. I just couldn’t hold back any longer and I lashed out... I didn’t think about what it would mean for my mother."
’I should have endured it a while longer. At the very least, I should have arranged an escape for Mother before I did anything...’
"Now, I can only take things one step at a time. After you and the others evacuate, Grandfather, I’ll head to Tian Nan City immediately. I just hope I’m not too late."
"Sigh... In the end, it was my lack of foresight."
At this, a worried expression crossed Shen Changchuan’s face.
"That’s not entirely true," Han Qinhu said, shaking his head.
"When that great fiend from the Soul Emergence Realm came to our door, no one in the village was his match. In that situation, you had no choice but to act. After all, he was coming for all of us. You couldn’t just hide your strength and let him slaughter us at will, could you?"
"Besides, while my journey on the Immortal Cultivation Dao pales in comparison to yours, I spent many years honing myself in the Martial Dao, and I’ve learned one thing: only with a clear and unburdened mind can you climb to greater heights."
"If you keep enduring, keep retreating, you’ll make a habit of it. You’ll lose the courage to press forward, and that will cost you dearly when you inevitably hit a bottleneck in your Cultivation."
"You must act when the time is right. And this time, you did exactly that."
"This incident is both a great challenge and a great opportunity for you."
"I imagine that after such a release, your mind feels much clearer now, doesn’t it?"
Han Qinhu said, staring intently into Shen Changchuan’s eyes.
"You’re right... Grandfather, your words are truly thought-provoking."
Shen Changchuan considered this for a moment, then nodded.
He recalled how, before this, even though his Cultivation Realm had been advancing at a tremendous pace, a shadow had always lingered in his heart.
There were too many threats on all sides!
The potential dangers from his surroundings, the lethal threat from the matriarch far away—they all grated on his nerves constantly.
This pressure drove him forward, but it also cast a dark cloud over his spirit.
It left him feeling repressed, deep down.
Until recently, when faced with one problem after another, he had stopped hesitating and simply acted.
The moment he sent Shen Shengliang flying with a kick,
unleashing his power in a single strike after holding back for so long,
a feeling of pure, unadulterated release washed through his Divine Soul.
It was as satisfying as drinking a glass of ice-cold water on a sweltering summer day!
And then, when he stopped hiding,
choosing instead to face Xu Ziming of the Soul Emergence Realm head-on,
in that one instant,
the haze shrouding his heart completely vanished, leaving him with a feeling of limitless new horizons opening up before him!
It was a spiritual metamorphosis!
It didn’t grant him an immediate boost in combat power.
But for his future Path of Immortal Cultivation,
it undoubtedly held immense, unseen benefits.
If the old Shen Changchuan was someone who hesitated, who was always looking over his shoulder and second-guessing his decisions,
then the man he was now,
while still humble on the surface, with an outward personality that hadn’t changed much,
was different. Deep in his heart,
he now possessed a profound self-confidence!
Shen Changchuan suddenly recalled a phrase from his past life:
"Despise the enemy strategically, but respect them tactically."
The first part, ’despise the enemy,’ was probably about self-confidence.
No matter how powerful the enemy,
no matter how difficult the challenge,
you must have the confidence that you can fight and win!
This confident conviction was the very foundation of that invincible army from his previous life!
This held true for mortals,
and it was even more true for Cultivators.
A faint sense of enlightenment dawned within Shen Changchuan’s heart.
"Don’t worry, Grandfather. I will bring my mother out of there!"
Clarity returned to Shen Changchuan’s eyes.
His gaze was resolute.