"Xiao... Xiao Yao."
Lin Feng stood there, staring blankly at the tightly shut door, his heart aching deeply.
The joyful reunion he had imagined didn't happen. Instead, he was met with cold rejection and sorrow.
Or perhaps, from the moment the old man had taken him back up the mountain ten years ago, this tragic outcome had already been set in motion.
He stood in front of the door, breathing heavily for a long time until his emotions finally cooled. The harsh training the old man had put him through had truly changed him; he felt as though his blood had turned cold. No matter what happened, he found he could now quickly stabilize his emotions.
Lin Feng took a deep breath and spoke softly,
"Xiao Yao, I really was cultivating back then. I was taken to a place where I was trapped for ten years! Today is the first day I've been able to leave..."
But inside the cottage, there was no response.
"Xiao Yao, no matter what, now that I'm back, I won't leave again! I don't care about the demolition money at all. You are my sister, and I have the duty to protect you!"
"From now on, it's just the two of us. I won't let anyone hurt you again."
"Click—"
The door opened.
Lin Yunyao looked at Lin Feng, her gaze complicated and conflicted.
For Lin Feng's claim of being trapped in a place for ten years, Lin Yunyao naturally didn't believe him.
"Is there any point in saying all this?"
"Xiao Yao, Mom and Dad are gone… You must have suffered a lot all these years, haven't you?" Lin Feng said, his voice filled with heartache.
"It has nothing to do with you."
With that, Lin Yunyao slammed the door shut again.
Inside, she leaned against the door, pressing her hands tightly over her mouth, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
She truly wanted—wanted so much—to throw herself into her brother's arms like she used to when she was a child, to cry her heart out, to seek the comfort she had longed for.
But every time she remembered how her brother had disappeared after graduation, leaving for the sake of another woman, leading to their parents' untimely death, she couldn't bring herself to forgive him.
Especially with him reappearing at such a sensitive time, right before the demolition compensation—how could she not question his true motives for coming back?
"Xiao Yao, get some rest. I'll be right outside. If you need anything, just call me."
Lin Feng murmured softly, then found a flat spot in front of the door and sat down cross-legged. His mind was a storm of emotions, and he needed some time to sort through his thoughts.
His parents had died in a car accident while searching for him. His sister had been left to live alone, enduring years of hardship and loneliness. He could only imagine the suffering she must have endured.
"Now that I'm back, no one will ever bully Xiao Yao again…" Lin Feng exhaled a long breath. Since his parents were gone, taking care of his sister and pursuing his path to immortality were now his only priorities.
"As for Yinuo…" Lin Feng sighed again.
Chen Yinuo had been his girlfriend all those years ago. They'd been together for seven years—three in high school and four in college. Though their feelings had been genuine, fate had ultimately kept them apart.
After ten years, Chen Yinuo would be thirty-two by now—likely with children of her own.
"No point in thinking about it now. In the end, it was I who let her down."
Lin Feng cleared his mind and crossed his legs to begin cultivating, channeling his breath and absorbing spiritual energy. The breathing technique he practiced was called the **Nine Heavens Immortal Technique**.
According to the old man, this was a supreme immortal technique—something he had risked his life to obtain from an ancient ruin!
Unfortunately, this technique couldn't be cultivated by just anyone—only those with a natural spiritual constitution could practice it. That was why the old man had been so excited upon discovering Lin Feng…
Now, Lin Feng could understand why the old man had been so harsh and unfeeling with him.
The old man, a rare talent who had reached the Tribulation stage even in this era of dwindling spiritual energy, ultimately couldn't overcome the limits of this barren world. His lifespan ran out before he could ascend to immortality.
Achieving immortality had been the old man's lifelong obsession.
In his final decade, he found Lin Feng and poured all his knowledge into him, hoping that Lin Feng could succeed where he had failed—break free of the shackles of this world and shatter the curse that no one could ascend.
Under the old man's grueling training, Lin Feng had shown incredible progress.
In just ten years, he had reached the peak of the Golden Core stage.
In the path of cultivation, the stages are divided into:
The path of cultivation was divided into ten main stages: **Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Out-of-Body, Divine Transformation, Void Refinement, Fusion, Great Ascension,** and finally, the **Tribulation** stage.
Each of these stages also had several sub-stages. For example, the Golden Core stage consisted of three sub-levels: **Core Gathering, Core Formation,** and **Core Transformation**. Similarly, the Nascent Soul stage included **Soul Gathering, Soul Formation,** and **Soul Transformation**.
Every advancement, even between these minor sub-stages, represented a significant breakthrough for a cultivator, causing their power to grow exponentially.
In this era of dwindling spiritual energy, Lin Feng, having reached the peak of the Golden Core stage, was potentially strong enough to dominate nearly anyone he encountered!
Of course, this was what the old man had told him before his death. Lin Feng himself wasn't entirely sure, as he hadn't yet encountered any other cultivators.
...
The night passed quickly.
Lin Feng opened his eyes from his meditation and exhaled a breath of stale air.
After reaching the peak of the Golden Core stage, advancing further was becoming increasingly difficult.
Due to the thin spiritual energy of this world, forming a Nascent Soul would take an exceedingly long time through mere meditation. To achieve a breakthrough quickly, Lin Feng would have to find an alternative approach.
Just then, the cottage door opened.
Lin Yunyao stepped out, carrying a basin of clothes, heading toward the small pond in front to do the laundry.
Lin Feng immediately walked over to her.
"Xiao Yao, doing laundry? Let your brother help."
"No need," Lin Yunyao replied coldly.
She had noticed him sitting outside all night, but that didn't erase the resentment she harbored. To her, his sudden return was still most likely tied to the demolition compensation.
"No need to be polite with me," Lin Feng insisted, taking the basin from her and heading toward the pond.
But as he squatted down, he realized something was amiss—the basin was filled with… women's undergarments.
To wash… or not to wash?
Lin Feng hesitated. Although she was his sister, there were still boundaries. Handling such personal items felt uncomfortable.
But as he looked at the worn, faded clothes, a pang of sadness struck him.
For a young woman, undergarments should be replaced frequently, yet it seemed his sister had been wearing these for who knows how many years.
"What's wrong? Even someone like you can feel embarrassed?" Lin Yunyao remarked coldly from the riverbank.
"These clothes are too old. I'll buy you new ones later," Lin Feng replied softly, washing the clothes as he spoke.
"Stop pretending to care!" she snapped, turning and walking back into the house.
Watching her retreating figure, Lin Feng couldn't help but give a bitter smile.