Ten years later.

In the expanse of the Shiwan Mountains, where precipitous cliffs loom and ancient trees soar to the heavens. A solitary Taoist temple stands amidst the clouds atop the mountain summit. Before the temple are two figures, one aged and one youthful.

"Lin Feng, twenty years have elapsed. Thou art now invincible in the mundane world and may descend the mountain." The elder's voice is laden with the weight of years.

"Speak plainly if thou desirest to chastise me." Lin Feng's gaze upon the old man is filled with rancor.

The old man is silent for a moment before uttering, "Verily, my chastisement of thee is for thy own good."

"Hmph..." Lin Feng responds with a sneer and remains silent.

"Lin Feng, dost thou hold great enmity towards me?" The elder inquires suddenly.

"Once, I did so with great vehemence."

"And now?"

"Now, it matters not. Twenty years have passed, and speaking of this holds no significance."

"Indeed, it is of no import. How many score years are there in a lifetime..."

"Time is like a sharp blade, cutting down the paragons of talent."

"Powerful as I am, still I have not been able to leap across that distant and unreachable shore." The old man sighs.

He raises his head with difficulty and gazes into the distant sky. At this moment, the sun is setting in the west, and dusk descends. The sunset glow intermingles with the clouds, and the afterglow falls upon the vast mountain forest, reflecting a resplendent luster.

"The setting sun is infinitely beautiful, yet it is but near dusk." The old man utters with sentiment and then says, "Lin Feng, canst thou address me as master?"

Lin Feng lowers his head, and a sardonic smile still lingers at the corner of his mouth. The old man seems accustomed to this and continues to speak on his own.

"Lin Feng, what thinkest thou the immortal realm to be like?"

"Lin Feng, I yearn for dumplings."

"Lin Feng, my tooth aches..."

The scene gradually falls silent.

"Whoo-whoo~"

The gentle evening breeze wafts in slowly, bringing a hint of coolness. After a long while, Lin Feng senses something amiss and looks up at the old man. Only to find that at some unknown time, the old man has closed his eyes and there is no longer any trace of breath. Witnessing this scene, Lin Feng abruptly steps forward and lifts the old man's body, saying in a cold tone, "You just want to deceive me into going down the mountain and then find an excuse to beat me. Why would you do something as absurd as pretending to be dead?" But no matter what Lin Feng says, the old man remains unresponsive. His face is gradually turning purple, and the temperature of his body is steadily cooling. His emaciated body weighs less than eighty catties, completely lacking the once ethereal and transcendent appearance.

... Memories gradually surface in his mind. Ten years ago, Lin Feng was only twenty-two years old and had just graduated from university. To fulfill his promise to his girlfriend, he took a bus alone to Yunchuan to meet her parents. Unexpectedly, on the journey, he encountered this mysterious old man. The old man said that he was a natural spiritual body and an excellent seed for cultivating the Tao. Subsequently, disregarding his opposition, the old man forcibly took him to this desolate mountain. This stay has lasted for ten years! During these ten years, the old man subjected him to the most stringent training in the world. Every day before dawn, he had to get up and cultivate. Practice boxing at seven o'clock. Practice leg skills at ten o'clock. Practice swordsmanship at twelve o'clock. Practice pupil techniques at two o'clock in the afternoon. Refine formations at six o'clock in the evening. Practice alchemy at nine o'clock in the evening. After midnight, he begins to breathe in and out. Day after day, year after year.

For ten years, he had countless times wanted to escape, to flee from here, and to return home. But every time, he would be easily caught by the old man and severely beaten! The most serious time, he even almost lost half his life. Although cultivating immortality is a great opportunity, Lin Feng doesn't care at all. His girlfriend is still waiting for him to go and propose marriage. His elderly parents and young sister at home are all waiting for him to earn money to support the family. How can he stay here? But no matter how much he pleaded, the old man remained unmoved. He once tactfully proposed to send a message home and even knelt down and begged, but the old man still didn't agree. Instead, after beating him severely, he said coldly, "Cultivating the Tao is going against the heavens and one must cut off the causes and effects of the mortal world!" "Lin Feng, unless I die, you will never be able to go down the mountain!"

... From that moment on, Lin Feng hated the old man in front of him to the core! He cultivated assiduously every day, hoping to achieve success in cultivation soon and surpass the old man, then tear him to pieces to vent his hatred. Just like this, ten years passed in a flash! After ten years of arduous cultivation, he didn't wait for the day to surpass the old man, but instead witnessed such a scene.

At this moment, Lin Feng's heart is empty. There is neither the expected joy nor the expected anger. There is only an unruffled calm. Or perhaps it is more appropriate to say numbness. He just feels that these ten years of perseverance are so ridiculously futile. The evening wind blows more urgently, and the temperature in the mountains seems to drop suddenly below freezing. Lin Feng remains silent and buries the old man in silence. Then he stands up and turns around, his melancholy eyes looking at the verdant mountains in the distance. No one can understand what kind of mood he is in at this moment. For a long, long time... "I didn't expect that this time you are really dead!" "Your body will slowly dissipate and turn into eternity. Just like the sand grains in the desert. In a sense, this may also be a kind of eternal life." "This parting means we will never see each other again!" Lin Feng still fails to utter that word "master". Or perhaps, what's the point of calling it now? He summons his long sword and turns into a wisp of light, disappearing into the sky. At this moment, if there are cultivators here, they will definitely be extremely shocked. It is hard to imagine that in this era of the decline of the Dharma, there is actually someone who can fly with a sword!

... Half an hour later, Lin Feng finally returns to his hometown in his memory. His hometown is located on the outskirts of Jinling City, Jiangnan Province. And the long-cherished home is just a simple and unadorned small bungalow. In front of the bungalow is a small pond, and willow trees sway by the pond. "So... everything remains unchanged!" Looking at this familiar scene before his eyes, Lin Feng's deep eyes finally become moist. After a ten-year absence, he returns to his native land.

Even with his current state of mind, he can't help but feel a twinge in his heart and wants to shed tears. In the mountains, there were countless days and nights when he would dream of such a scene... Dreaming of swimming in the pond in his childhood, dreaming of the mortal world's fireworks, dreaming of the verdant past... People are still the same. "I disappeared without a trace for ten years. My parents probably think I'm dead, right?" "And my sister. When I left, she was only nine years old. I don't know if she has gone to college now!" "The old man said that cultivating the Tao is a path to longevity and one should cut off all the causes and effects of the mortal world. But if these closest people are cut off, what's the purpose of cultivating the Tao?" Lin Feng let out a long breath of turbid air and stabilized his already chaotic state of mind. All these years, isn't this the moment he has been waiting for? Just then, a terrified cry suddenly came from inside the bungalow: "I was wrong! I don't want the demolition compensation anymore! I was wrong. I know I was wrong!" "Woo woo woo, don't... don't..." "Slap! Behave!"

... Hearing this terrified voice, Lin Feng's expression changes abruptly. This is Xiao Yao's voice? Is his sister being raped?? "Damn it!!!" Lin Feng's expression is as cold as ice. His body is almost like teleporting as he rushes towards the door of the bungalow!