Volume 2 Chapter 34

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Volume 2 Chapter 34: Old Grounds

Under the dim sky of the Southern Wasteland, a streak of teal light flashed swiftly by. Against the gray atmosphere of the Southern Wasteland, this brilliant teal light seemed particularly dazzling, bringing a touch of vitality to the desolate world.

On the teal glow stood Xu Qingfan and Ting’er. Xu Qingfan appeared somewhat gloomy, while Ting’er remained calm and indifferent.

Looking at the familiar landscapes below, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but feel sentimental. For half a day, Xu Qingfan steered the "Three Meters Green Silk" with Ting’er across several hundred miles of the Southern Wasteland, yet failed to find any trace of life below, not even a single living being.

In the past, even though the Southern Wasteland was barren and almost lifeless, it was still home to many wild beasts and refugees who had fled from Middle-earth and built villages to survive. Although dangerous and desolate, the Southern Wasteland had signs of life.

Ever since Naxiu obtained the magic pearl, the Southern Wasteland underwent drastic changes. Nearly all the beasts there were transformed by Naxiu into his magic soldiers using the pearl, and the immigrants who fled from Middle-earth were slaughtered. But after the battle at Barbarian Village, those enchanted beasts, along with the Jiuli tribe, were completely wiped out by the alliance at Penance Valley, leaving the once-thriving borders of the Southern Wasteland lifeless.

Thinking about this, Xu Qingfan sighed softly, realizing that it would take at least hundreds of years for the Southern Wasteland to regain its former prosperity.

Xu Qingfan turned to look at Ting’er and found her staring down at the ground with indifferent eyes, showing no sign of the nervousness Xu Qingfan had felt when he flew for the first time with Lu Huayan.

Seeing Ting’er’s calm demeanor, Xu Qingfan ought to have been pleased, but instead, he felt a wave of sadness. Ting’er was just a girl not yet thirteen, yet her expression lacked the innocence and liveliness one would expect from someone her age. Flying at high speed in the sky with Xu Qingfan’s help, Ting’er showed not a hint of curiosity. What does such a personality mean for someone so young? Is it good or bad?

"I can only change it gradually over time," Xu Qingfan sighed to himself.

As the familiar landscape below became more recognizable, Xu Qingfan knew he was getting closer to Xu Family Village. Yet, a peculiar unease crept into his heart. It wasn’t the usual anxiety of returning home since his only family was right next to him. This unease arose because Xu Family Village represented memories he wished to forget. Twenty-seven years ago, he escaped amidst the screams of his parents and clansfolk. The scene was still vivid in Xu Qingfan’s mind.

"But now I’m capable of avenging my parents and my clan," Xu Qingfan thought, clenching his fists tightly.

Ting’er noticed Xu Qingfan’s unusual behavior and glanced at him, a flash of curiosity in her eyes.

Catching Ting’er’s glance, Xu Qingfan shook his head, brushing off his inexplicable emotions. As if trying to distract himself, he smiled and asked Ting’er, "Did your father ever tell you about Xu Family Village?"

Ting’er looked up at Xu Qingfan once more, seemingly puzzled about why Xu Qingfan was saying these things, but she shook her head slightly.

After seeing Ting’er shake her head, Xu Qingfan smiled gently. He understood that Xu Lin felt ashamed in front of the Xu family’s ancestors and probably wouldn’t have shared these stories with Ting’er. So, Xu Qingfan leisurely explained to Ting’er, "Our Xu family ancestors were led by a remarkable martial artist named Xu Tian. At that time, Middle-earth was in chaos, and a foolish emperor ruled. So, he joined forces with many like-minded friends to overthrow the tyranny. But once they succeeded, he helplessly found that his former friends had become the new ruling class, continuing to oppress the common people. At first, our ancestor tried to make changes, but he realized that he was powerless and faced exclusion from his old friends. Disheartened, he left office and led his clan to the edge of the Southern Wasteland, establishing Xu Family Village. Though we had no power, we lived without conflict and enjoyed life."

Watching Xu Qingfan narrate the past of Xu Family Village with a nostalgic expression, Ting’er quietly looked up at him, yet something deeper seemed to sparkle in her eyes.

"After Xu Family Village was established on the edge of the Southern Wasteland, the early days were extremely tough, with beast attacks always imminent. However, the Xu family members fearlessly tackled challenges, clearing the beasts around Xu Family Village and aiding other villages at the edge of the Southern Wasteland to resist beasts, earning the respect of everyone in the Southern Wasteland." At this point, Xu Qingfan’s expression dimmed slightly, as if recalling how other villages in the Southern Wasteland betrayed them after Xu Family Village was destroyed. But Xu Qingfan continued, "Later, Xu Tian, in his seventies, passed away, leaving a saying: ‘Do not oppress others because of power; do not kneel because of low status; simply seek freedom, peace at heart, and nothing more.’ This became the motto of our Xu family."

Then, Xu Qingfan’s tone turned grave, "Regrettably, twenty-seven years ago, the secret planting of a Millennium Lingzhi attracted a Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast, which caught Xu Family Village off guard, wiping out most of its inhabitants in one sweep. In the end, only your father and I survived."

"Now, it is finally time for this twenty-seven-year feud to come to an end."

In this way, Xu Qingfan slowly relayed the history of the Xu family to Ting’er beside him, his tone sometimes heavy, sometimes proud, while Ting’er simply looked up at Xu Qingfan, listening quietly to his tale, never interrupting with a word.

Seeing Ting’er’s silence, Xu Qingfan smiled gently, not minding as he urged the "Three Meters Green Silk" to speed up towards Xu Family Village.

As the scenery became increasingly familiar, Xu Qingfan’s expression grew more intense, knowing he was nearing the old site of Xu Family Village. At last, Xu Qingfan’s expression shifted slightly as he halted the "Three Meters Green Silk."

Xu Qingfan looked down at his feet and saw, on a hill not too tall, a dilapidated fortress appeared in his and Ting’er’s eyes. Compared to Naxiu’s Barbarian village, this fortress seemed incredibly small, spanning only a few miles. The entire place looked desolate, with half of the houses collapsed, dust everywhere, and skeletons scattered, as if it had once endured a devastating war long ago.

This fortress was the Xu Family Village, where Xu Qingfan had lived for over ten years.

As Xu Qingfan gazed at this fortress beneath him, his expression grew deeper, and memories of his childhood returned—his parents’ care, the teachings of Second Elder, and the rebukes of his cousin Xu Lin. Despite having unpleasant memories of being disregarded by his elders and rejected by his cousins, at this moment, looking at the Xu Family Village, which he hadn’t seen for twenty-seven years, Xu Qingfan only recalled the beautiful memories.

When something no longer exists, people always first remember its beauty.

While Xu Qingfan stood in the air, quietly reminiscing about everything in Xu Family Village, his expression suddenly changed slightly. He felt a strong surge of Spirit Qi spreading somewhere within the Xu Family Village below. This Spirit Qi didn’t belong to any of the five elements but carried a robust life force, more like the Spirit Qi emitted by a mystical herb than that of a cultivator.

"Could it be…?" Xu Qingfan pondered for a moment, considering a possibility, then said to Ting’er beside him, "Ting’er, don’t move. I’ll be right back."

With that, Xu Qingfan swiftly dismounted the "Three Meters Green Silk" and landed gently in Xu Family Village. Though the forlorn village before him was much different from his memories, even after twenty-seven years, he found it still felt very familiar. Every tree, every blade of grass, every brick, and tile seemed as if he had seen them yesterday. Xu Qingfan could still, without hesitation, locate Second Elder’s place, the ancestral hall of the Xu family, and the training ground of Xu Family Village.

But Xu Qingfan had no time to feel nostalgic now, nor did he spare a glance at the skeletons beneath his feet; he was eager to prove his suspicion. So once he landed, he hurried towards the place where the Spirit Qi surged, bypassing collapsed houses and avoiding the scattered skeletons. Eventually, Xu Qingfan reached his destination and saw a Spirit Qi-emitting Ganoderma mushroom standing prominently before him.

Seeing this Ganoderma mushroom, Xu Qingfan’s heart skipped a beat. Wasn’t this the very same Ganoderma that brought ruin to Xu Family Village twenty-seven years ago? How had it not been eaten by the Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast?

As Xu Qingfan was filled with doubt, he noticed a barely discernible hint of green on the top of the Lingzhi mushroom, which suddenly made things clear for him.

A Lingzhi mushroom takes at least a thousand years to mature, and in the Spirit Qi-deprived Southern Wasteland, it might take even longer.

Twenty-seven years ago, Xu Qingfan had also seen this Lingzhi mushroom, and back then, the green spot on the top was larger than it is now. Now, unless observed closely, it is hard to spot.

Each Lingzhi mushroom starts off green, and as time passes, it slowly turns golden yellow from the base. When the golden yellow spreads throughout the entire mushroom, it means the Lingzhi is fully mature.

When the Xu family’s ancestors discovered this Lingzhi mushroom, already eighty percent golden, in the Southern Wasteland, they were overjoyed. But they didn’t expect it to take several hundred more years to mature, nor that it would release such a strong Spirit Qi when nearing maturity, bringing disaster to Xu Family Village.

"Could it be that the Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast hasn’t eaten it because the Lingzhi hasn’t fully matured yet? Does that mean the Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast is still near Xu Family Village?"

Initially, Xu Qingfan didn’t think he’d find the Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast near Xu Family Village. He came to pay respects to his family and also to find clues about the Beast, but didn’t expect it to be so close by.

As if to confirm Xu Qingfan’s suspicion, a thunderous beast roar suddenly erupted, and upon hearing the direction it came from, Xu Qingfan’s expression changed dramatically.

"Oh no, that’s where Ting’er is!"

Upon this thought, Xu Qingfan hesitated no longer and dashed quickly toward the direction of the beast’s roar.