Zhao Li asked about Lin Lan.
Lin Lan shook his head, a hint of reluctance on his face. He had spent ten years with Little Yun Shan; he was a child completely different from Zhao Li when he was young, and he had brought him much joy.
He was already over a hundred years old and had experienced the departure of many friends and family, making him quite sensitive to emotions.
As if to dispel the sadness in his heart, he teased Zhao Li:
"When are you two lovebirds going to have a child to keep this old man company?"
Zhao Li blushed and said nothing. He was too embarrassed to say he was still a virgin, even though they had held a wedding ceremony and were truly married.
After a moment of silence, Zhao Li found an excuse:
"That kind of thing depends on fate; you can't force it. You, kid, what are you laughing at? Hurry up and pack your things."
Yun Shan was innocently caught in the crossfire. He stifled a laugh and ran off, but Zhao Li could clearly see his shoulders still trembling.
In the Grand Hall, a burst of aged, hearty laughter rang out...
Early the next morning, Yun Shan impatiently knocked on Zhao Li's door:
"Master, I'm ready. Let's go."
"Since that's the case, then let's go."
Zhao Li's smiling voice came from behind Yun Shan.
Yun Shan turned around and saw a figure in the distance. The next moment, it was standing before him. His mouth opened slightly, his heart filled with envy.
Seeing this, Zhao Li said gently:
"Don't forget what your master told you when you were ten years old: be down-to-earth, climb upwards step by step, and in the future, you can do it too."
Yun Shan nodded seriously.
When he was ten, he had just broken through to the Ninth Segment of the Dou Qi Stage. Because he had a competitive thought with his senior brother in his heart and wanted to break his record for becoming a Dou Disciple, he tried to force a breakthrough. The result, naturally, was failure.
Fortunately, his foundation was solid enough, and no lingering issues were left behind. After a period of time, he returned to the Ninth Segment. Of course, he couldn't avoid a good scolding.
Seeing Yun Shan's serious expression, Zhao Li didn't say anything more. He grabbed Yun Shan and disappeared from the mountaintop.
All he could do was teach him to be as strong as possible, both in Cultivation Level and in mind. Only by being strong could he have more choices. As for how to choose, that was up to Yun Shan himself.
Zhao Li didn't rush the journey but occasionally stopped in towns they passed through to broaden Yun Shan's horizons.
Walking and stopping, half a month passed. Zhao Li arrived in the Jia Ma Empire once again, the place where the story first began.
He didn't delay and directly descended into the Cloud Mist Sect.
Of course, Zhao Li wasn't here to cause trouble, so he naturally had someone announce his arrival first.
Yun Yun quickly arrived. She was still the Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect, but compared to twenty years ago, she had aged. Even though she was at the Peak Dou Emperor Cultivation Level, she still couldn't hide the traces of time.
Yun Shan looked at the figure that was quite different from his memory but still familiar. An inexplicable fear rose in his heart, a fear of time.
He felt that if he waited a few more years, he might not see Aunt Yun, who was like his own Mother.
"Sect Master Yun, it's been a while!"
Zhao Li greeted her.
Yun Yun was a little surprised, then quickly remembered Zhao Li. He was the same as before; time seemed to have left no trace on him, but she herself...
She felt envious but also knew that she couldn't force it. She bowed respectfully:
"Yun Yun was unaware of Senior's arrival and failed to greet you properly. What brings you here?"
She was a little confused, not knowing why Zhao Li had come to such a remote place again.
Zhao Li had stayed in the Jia Ma Empire for more than half a year before leaving without a sound. As time passed, no one paid attention anymore, but everyone in the Jia Ma Empire who had come into contact with Zhao Li knew that he didn't belong in a small place like theirs.
Zhao Li looked at Yun Shan beside him, his gaze shifting. This kid's expression seemed a little off.
But before he could speak, Yun Shan spoke first:
"Aunt Yun, Shan'er has come to see you."
He slowly walked closer to Yun Yun and stopped in front of her.
Hearing this, Yun Yun remembered what had happened before, but seeing the handsome young man before her, she could hardly believe it. She looked him over for a while before reaching out to touch Yun Shan:
"Are you Yun Shan?"
Yun Shan took her hand and placed it on his cheek:
"Aunt Yun, it's me."
Upon confirmation, Yun Yun hugged him tightly.
At this moment, Yun Shan gained a concrete understanding of the feeling from the bottom of his heart that Zhao Li had mentioned before but had only existed as a concept. He also gained insight into the most fundamental purpose of cultivation that Zhao Li had spoken of – not plunder and snatching, but protection.
Various other things also surfaced in his mind. He knew that even if he didn't understand these things now, they would be a valuable asset to him in the future.
After a good while, Yun Yun finally calmed down, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and said somewhat awkwardly:
"I've made Senior laugh. Please come in."
Zhao Li didn't refuse. Returning to the Jia Ma Empire, he wanted to see if the casual move he had impulsively left behind had any effect.
Night, on the peak of Cloud Mist Mountain, Zhao Li and Yun Shan stood side by side.
Zhao Li's gaze was distant as he asked,
"Have you thought it through? If you truly choose to stay in the Jia Ma Empire, then from now on, you'll be entirely on your own."
Yun Shan had already made his decision, and today only solidified his thoughts. He answered quite directly,
"Master, I've thought it through. You often say that a towering tree cannot be grown in a greenhouse, and an eagle cannot spread its wings and fly from a cage. I can't always live under your protection, can I?"
Zhao Li smiled,
"You, I'm not worried about other things, I'm just afraid you'll get competitive and not know your own limits."
Yun Shan scratched his head and chuckled dryly,
"I was young and foolish back then, causing Master trouble."
"As if you're not still a little kid now."
Zhao Li teased, which lifted Yun Shan's heavy mood a little.
Without waiting for Yun Shan to say anything more, Zhao Li continued,
"I still have some things to attend to, so I won't stay. You... since you've made your choice, then do your best. Don't seek results, but seek to look back and have a clear conscience. As for the rest, you have me."
He didn't know what to say for a moment and paused for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out a word of encouragement.
Hearing this, Yun Shan nodded heavily, as if making a solemn promise,
"I will, I will definitely not forget Master's teachings."
But Zhao Li's figure was no longer beside him. He felt a bit lost, then a fierce fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.
...
The next day, Yun Shan was appointed Young Sect Master by Yun Yun. The process was smooth and didn't cause any ripples.
In the days that followed, Yun Yun did her best to cultivate Yun Shan, but throughout the process, there would frequently be questions like, "Aunt Yun, do you think this way might be better?"
"Aunt Yun, Dou Techniques are dead, but people are alive. I think this process must have been specially added because the creator of this Dou Technique was somewhat different from ordinary people. Look, without that one process, the effect and power aren't any different."
"Aunt Yun, try doing it this way first, then that way..."
Such voices appeared frequently in their daily interactions.
Yun Yun, with a mind to just try it, followed what Yun Shan said. Then she fell into self-doubt. In terms of Cultivation Level, she was miles ahead of Yun Shan, but in terms of knowledge, she was far inferior to this teenager who was only a little over ten years old.
"Shan'er, how did you think of these things?"
Her face was full of surprise, still unable to believe it.
Yun Shan said as if it were the most natural thing in the world,
"Master taught me, didn't Aunt Yun's Master tell you?"
A feeling of being completely crushed arose in Yun Yun's heart. Later, she no longer interfered much with Yun Shan's cultivation.
On the other side, Zhao Li naturally didn't know about this somewhat comical scene on Cloud Mist Mountain. After leaving the Cloud Mist Sect, he found the "Jade Capital Academy" he had established.
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