Chapter 176: CH. 176 | Hope And Resolve
In an instant, Lin Tian shifted position and appeared directly before them.
His focus locked onto Yun Feng, once Sovereign of a Star Realm, now reduced to something far more fragile.
Nothing remained of him but the essence of his immortal soul, its power all but drained, his very form growing faint and translucent before their eyes.
"At last... you’ve reached Soul Formation, Junior."
"Now, I can finally rest easy," Yun Feng murmured.
The three of them shifted together, appearing before the valley’s cavern entrance, where Ling Weixi still held Yun Feng steady on his feet.
Lin Tian felt restless, unsure what he could even do to help.
Immortal energy differed entirely from primordial energy. Immortal energy came from spiritual qi of the highest order, exceedingly rare, nearly impossible to extract and refine.
Even so, its quality far surpassed primordial energy, let alone ordinary spiritual qi, richer, purer, and vastly more powerful.
A cultivator who hadn’t broken past the Mortal Realm couldn’t touch immortal energy at all.
One who hadn’t reached Soul Formation couldn’t touch primordial energy either.
"Can we restore him using primordial energy instead?" Lin Tian asked.
Ling Weixi let out a short breath, glancing briefly at her husband before shaking her head.
Primordial energy could technically replenish immortal energy, but the sheer quantity required would be staggering, enough to drain the entire valley’s dimension dry in the attempt.
"No need," Yun Feng murmured, "I’ve already reached the end of my years. I won’t die with regret."
"But you’re the only one who could ever defeat Sect Yuanmo," Lin Tian said.
Yun Feng turned his gaze forward, studying him closely, and a wide, warm smile spread across his face at the sight of Lin Tian.
The golden mark he’d left within Lin Tian’s body had synced perfectly with him, exactly as he’d hoped.
It would serve as the gateway for passing on his full inheritance and understanding.
"There’s no point in me clinging to what remains of my immortal soul essence. I refuse to die before I’ve finished what I set out to do," Yun Feng explained.
"Come closer, Junior," Yun Feng said.
Lin Tian listened and stepped toward him, watching a stream of immortal energy flow from Yun Feng’s soul essence, gathering at the tip of his finger.
He raised his hand and pressed his fingertip against Lin Tian’s forehead.
Lin Tian’s mind reeled in shock as his soul’s awareness witnessed a sweeping flood of memories, everything Yun Feng understood as the Sovereign of the Heavenly Realm.
Lin Tian watched Yun Feng clash against other immortals, commanding vast armies through cosmic warfare, and finally, falling in defeat against the Youdu Demon of the Void Absolute Realm.
Last of all, he witnessed the moment Yun Feng arrived at this valley and forged his own dimension, standing by Ling Weixi’s side for thousands of years, waiting for someone truly worthy to inherit his understanding and his legacy.
"What’s—"
"All of it, my memories, my understanding, my inheritance. I refuse to die before passing it on to you," Yun Feng murmured, cutting off Lin Tian’s words.
His body grew weaker, more drained by the moment, his soul essence thinning further, his form growing increasingly transparent.
Ling Weixi startled and quickly channeled her own primordial energy to help hold Yun Feng’s form together, if only for a little while longer.
Lin Tian flinched, and the transfer of knowledge came to an end.
He dropped to his knees, breath ragged, the full weight of Yun Feng’s inheritance settling over him like a heavy moral burden.
The golden mark on Lin Tian’s forehead began shifting, taking the shape of a golden sun, blazing steadily now.
"Don’t reveal your true identity to anyone until you’ve broken past the Mortal Realm."
"Guard my inheritance well, Junior."
"HAHAHA!"
"I never even learned your name," Yun Feng said.
"This junior is called Lin Tian."
"Heaven... your name, your fate, they’re bound to the heavens themselves, Junior Lin," Yun Feng murmured.
As the two of them spoke, a tremor of energy rippled through the space around them. Lin Tian sensed something had shifted.
He spun around at once, tilting his head up, his eyes locking onto the sky above, cracking apart like shattering glass.
"That’s...?"
CLANK!
The dimensional fracture widened further, tearing apart entirely, revealing a floating island crowned by a golden palace.
That island... felt deeply familiar to Lin Tian.
"The Heavenly Golden Jade Palace?"
"You carry my sovereign mark. That palace, and everything within it, now belongs to you. You are its master," Yun Feng murmured.
"It seems I’ve explained more than enough to you already, Lin Tian."
As time passed, his immortal soul essence continued fading, dissolving into particles of qi drifting up toward the sky.
Ling Weixi could no longer even hold onto Yun Feng’s form, her heart aching, her face crumpling with grief, tears streaming freely down her cheeks.
"Learn everything I’ve left you. Act according to the dao within your heart."
"The path ahead is yours alone to choose."
"Take care of yourself, Lin Tian."
The moment he finished his sorrowful farewell, Yun Feng’s immortal soul vanished completely, leaving nothing behind but scattered particles of golden qi drifting up into the sky.
"No, Yun Feng!"
"Don’t leave me alone!" Ling Weixi cried, collapsing to her knees, her hand reaching desperately upward, trying to catch the last drifting particles of his golden qi.
Lin Tian’s eyes narrowed, his resolve absolute, his conviction unshakable.
He dropped to the ground and pressed his forehead against the earth three times, facing the golden palace floating near the valley’s island.
"I, Lin Tian, accept your hope and your resolve, Senior Yun Feng," Lin Tian murmured.
Though their time together had been brief, Lin Tian carried deep admiration and respect for him.
A wise, virtuous soul from a bygone age, his ambitions noble, his resolve fearless, his hopes simple at their core.
As the one now entrusted to carry his hope and resolve forward, Lin Tian swore, in the name of the heavens themselves, that he would never let Yun Feng down.
He would use everything Yun Feng had taught him, everything left to him, for the sake of righteousness, standing firmly against the Youdu Demon’s looming dominion.
He rose to his feet, eyes still fixed on the floating island crowned by the golden palace.
In an instant, the island shrank down, streaking through the sky in a trail of gold before sinking into Lin Tian’s forehead, settling deep within the sea of his dantian.
He drew a long breath, then exhaled slowly. Glancing back, he found Ling Weixi still kneeling on the ground, head bowed, tears still falling freely.
"Senior Ling Weixi," Lin Tian called out.
Ling Weixi hurried to wipe away her tears and rose to her feet. Even through the grief still etched across her face, Lin Tian could see her forcing a small smile.
"Congratulations, Lin Tian. I hope you can carry forward my husband’s hope and resolve."
"How shameful, someone like me, breaking down in tears like this," Ling Weixi murmured.
"There’s nothing shameful about tears. A cultivator moves forward through a dao heart capable of feeling. The stronger that heart, the firmer one’s principles, the steadier one’s convictions," Lin Tian answered.
"It seems you learned a great deal during your time within the dimension of heavenly enlightenment."
Lin Tian let out a breath and nodded, tilting his head up to take in the clear, cloudless sky stretching above the Saintess Spring Valley.
"I’m no longer just a cultivator chasing after immortality."
"I am the one who carries their hope and resolve."