“Since you have also advanced into the Heavenly Body Tier, there is no need for you to address me as senior any more. Moreover, this old man is also not that old,” Old Man Xu said. He obviously said that he wasn’t very old, yet still called himself an old man.
Ling Han shook his head, and said, “In my heart, Senior will always be Senior.”
Old Man Xu involuntarily laughed, and finally opened his eyes. He nodded, and said, “You are not bad. I did not misjudge you. Finally, I have not made a mistake in judgement.”
Ling Han couldn’t help but ask, “Senior has misjudged others before?”
“Hoho, that is natural. I have been here for tens of thousands of years, and have guided a considerable number of juniors as well. However, all of them forgot their debt of grat.i.tude. They achieved much in their cultivation, yet not one of them returned to visit me.” Old Man Xu sighed.
Ling Han smiled, and said, “Senior might not have to wait any further in future.” He took out the Highest Jade Essence Heart.
“The Highest, Highest Jade Essence Heart!” Old Man Xu suddenly jumped up.
It was very hard to imagine that a sickly old geezer that seemed like he would be dying any second would suddenly leap three feet into the air. Even Ling Han was a little stunned.
Old Man Xu briskly grabbed the Highest Jade Essence Heart, and at that moment, the aura he exuded was definitely saying that he would kill anyone that got in his way.
“Brat, you wait here for one night. I have some words to say to you.”
Leaving behind these words, Old Man Xu entered into the library. The strange thing was that he actually opened a secret door and entered into the bas.e.m.e.nt.
Ling Han did not follow him. He had already told him to wait here, after all.
Though he was very curious, and though Old Man Xu’s cultivation level had been sealed so he was definitely no match for him, Ling Han still not move at all. How could he be rude to his benefactor?
The night pa.s.sed, and Old Man Xu reappeared. His face wore an expression of great tiredness, but there was even more elation in his expression. He showed a kind of joy and happiness that came directly from the heart.
“Come, sit!” Old Man Xu brought Ling Han into the library, and pulled out a chair for him.
“My name is… Xu Ran!” Old Man Xu revealed his ident.i.ty.
Xu Ran?
The first prodigy to come through opening the sky 300,000 years ago? The freak that had used a mere few thousand years to reach the consummate level of the Sun Moon Tier?
That was not right. At the time, Xu Ran could have come by opening the sky, so he should have already been in the Shattering Void Tier by then. Now, he was in the consummate level of the Heavenly Body Tier, so his lifespan should have reached 40,000,000 years!
Going by that calculation, Xu Ran should have been in the prime of his youth, and would continue to be in his prime for at least another 20,000,000 years. Why would he now look so old as if he was about to die at any moment?
No wonder he had previously said that he was not old. He was only over 300,000 years old, and compared to Zhao Jianbai, the Left Minister, and the others, he was so very much younger.
“Hoho, when I entered into the consummate level of the Sun Moon Tier, I left the Joint Peace Planet and travelled everywhere to improve,” Xu Ran continued. “However, at the time, I did not have a cultivation technique for the Heavenly Body Tier, and continued to stagnate at that level.
“It was only after 30,000 years that I obtained a divine cultivation technique in an ancient site, and that is the Universal Eight Desolation Technique that I taught to you. With its help, I broke through to the Heavenly Body Tier.
“After that, my path was very smooth and easy, and I obtained a great many fated opportunities. I merely used over a dozen thousand years to reach the consummate level of the Heavenly Body Tier. Then, I met the true love of my life.”
A gentleness shone in the old man’s eyes as he sank into his memories. After a long while, he said, “We stayed together and journeyed the world, as happy as if we were deities. However, because of my insistence, we entered into a dangerous ancient site, and the result was she fell prey to a curse, and no cure was effective.
“I used my own life force to extend her life for her, and looked everywhere for a way to save her. After 10,000 years, I finally found out that only the Highest Jade Essence Heart could dispel the curse on her.
“However, at that time, I had also weakened extremely, and could no longer extend her life for her.
“I have long heard that in the treasure trove of the Imperial Palace of the Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire, there is a treasure called the Nine h.e.l.ls Ice Coffin. If a corpse is placed within, it would not deteriorate eternally, and if a living person was placed within, he would be able to freeze his body. No matter how heavily ill he was, his vitality could still be frozen.
“Thus, I returned to the Joint Peace Planet, and planned to steal this treasure. The result was that I was apprehended by the empress.
“However, when the empress knew of my encounter, she actually lent the Nine h.e.l.ls Ice Coffin to me. But she also locked my cultivation level, and forbade me from leaving. Hence, I could only ask for help from the people here, hoping that they would bring me the Highest Jade Essence Heart one day.”
He talked for a very long time, and finally stopped.
Realization dawned on Ling Han. No wonder Xu Ran, who should have been in his prime, had now aged prematurely, and it was also no wonder that such an elite would be detained here. That was because he couldn’t possibly leave.
This was indeed very much like what Empress Luan Xing would do, proud but at the same time, sympathetic.
She did not kill Xu Ran and his woman. Instead, she lent him the Nine h.e.l.ls Ice Coffin, and gave Xu Ran a sliver of hope. However, he had broken into her Imperial Palace, and he still wanted to leave as if nothing had happened?
Of course she would not let that happen!
Hence, the empress detained Xu Ran here. If you wanted to save your own woman, you’d have to think of some other way.
Ling Han thought for a moment, and then asked, “Has ——— recovered?”
“Her vitality has been greatly damaged, but after a little more time spent on nursing, she would definitely return to her previous condition,” Xu Ran answered, smiling. At present, he was in a very good mood.
Ling Han nodded, and said, “When the empress comes out of isolation, I will persuade her to release the seal on you. Furthermore, you would not need the Nine h.e.l.ls Ice Coffin any further by now, so you can return it to its owner.”
Xu Ran was naturally elated, but he immediately shook his head, and said, “That empress… hoho, is not one who would easily be persuaded! It is best that you don’t go, or it would be extremely possible that you would have your cultivation level sealed like me. Who knows, you may be tossed off to become a shepherd even.”
Ling Han only smiled, and did not say anything more.
Hehe, if Xu Ran saw him holding the hand of the empress and walked towards him one day, no, if he saw his arm around her waist, would Xu Ran’s outlook on life completely crumble to nothing?
He was very expectant.
He talked with Xu Ran for a while. This prodigy of the previous generation was also considerably interested in the Star Sand Martial Arts Academy. If his seal was released by that time, he would set out with Ling Han as well.
Ling Han still left the Imperial Capital. At present, his abilities were too strong. No one would be able to rest easy if he stayed in the Imperial Capital.
Thus, their group set out, and headed towards the Great Ling Empire.
A nation could not go one day without its monarch, and he, the ruler, had finally returned.
Ling Han had returned, and the whole nation was fired up.
Because a rebellion had taken place previously, which had encountered Ling Han’s b.l.o.o.d.y suppression, and only a dozen over years had pa.s.sed this time, there was naturally not much change in the Great Ling Empire. Everyone was well-behaved as his intimidation had not been forgotten yet.
Soon after, the news about the battle in the Imperial Capital spread out, and the citizens of the Great Ling Empire all felt incredibly inspired.
Their ruler… had become a great elite of the Heavenly Body Tier!
Just think, in the past, when Ling Han had come by opening the sky, he was immediately coveted by the other nations around them as they wanted to swallow the Great Ling Empire. In the end, Ling Han had no choice but to humiliatingly travel to the Chaotic Stars Majestic Empire, and used himself as a hostage to guarantee the safety of the Great Ling Empire.
This was a great humiliation to the whole nation.
However, only a mere 20 years had pa.s.sed, and Ling Han had become a proud and n.o.ble great elite from the mere hostage he had been before. This caused everyone to be elated and excited.