Castle Peak.
After leaving seclusion, Li Han's black hair turned nearly half white. For a monk in his late fifties who was in his prime, he now had a twilight look about him.
"Li Han!"
Arriving in front of the pavilion, Li Han's gray hair was messy and he didn't say a word. He weakly picked up the drink on the stone table and drank it all in one gulp.
"Gudong... Gudong..."
Li Han, who has always been determined, never indulges himself, but today he drank a pot of spiritual wine.
Murong Yue on the side sighed and shook his head, but Lin Changan frowned, seeing what Li Han's problem was at this time.
"Li Han, you actually forced yourself to break through the realm, and you suffered a backlash. It will take at least a year or two to recover from your injuries alone."
Li Han's will to seek the truth was indeed firm, and in the end he relied on his will to force a breakthrough, but failed, causing his body to suffer backlash.
Murong Yue also sighed and said: "Brother Li Han, you should never force yourself to break through the barrier. If your body suffers backlash like this, when will you wait for the next breakthrough?"
finally! The wine in the pot was gone. Li Han, who put down the pot, looked at the two of them with dull eyes. He shook his head and said hoarsely: "Force? If I don't force myself to pass, will I still have a chance?"
"It's hard to find foundation-building elixirs. Even though Senior Brother Lin's elixirs are unparalleled, the foundation-building materials outside are all expensive and unavailable now. I still have a chance to force myself through the pass. If I wait for that misty future! If I spend my whole life If I don’t get this chance, I will regret it for the rest of my life.”
Although the foundation building failed, Li Han seemed to have a deeper understanding of this life, especially for this gamble, he had no regrets at all.
A thousand birds in the forest is worse than a bird in the hand.
Now that he has taken the Foundation Establishment Pill, he naturally wants to fight against all odds. Instead of looking forward to unknown possibilities in the future, he is more willing to fight hard if he has the opportunity now.
Li Han's thoughts also made Murong Yue full of emotions. Yes, she only said comforting words after seeing Li Han's failure to break through. What if it was before?
If Li Han really steadily looks forward to the so-called unknown future, it will make people look down upon him even more, and his own Taoist heart will also be damaged. If he encounters difficulties in making breakthroughs in the future, should he continue to look forward to the future?
If it were herself, would she shrink back at the critical moment of breakthrough?
When she thought of this, Murong Yue secretly shook her head, she wouldn't either, because there was only one chance, and no one knew what would happen in the future.
"Senior Brother Lin, you are disappointed."
The spirit wine, which is usually sweet and has an endless aftertaste, is bitter in the mouth this time. Li Han looked at Lin Changan and spoke hoarsely, his eyes filled with darkness.
"Take good care of your injuries."
After making so many preparations, Li Han still failed. Lin Changan was also mentally prepared for this. After all, the purifying power he injected into this Foundation Establishment Pill still needs to be slowly absorbed.
The biggest benefit of his purification power to Li Han when he breaks through is that it temporarily suppresses the hidden injuries and stabilizes the side effects of erysipelas, allowing Li Han to attack the foundation with all his strength.
As this purifying power remains silent in the body, it will take some time to truly fully heal the dark wounds and remove the erysipelas.
Regarding Li Han, Lin Changan sighed and did not say too many words of comfort. Even he was having difficulty finding foundation building materials at the moment. This thing was purely a strategic material in the turmoil, and everyone treated it as a treasure.
"I want to go back for a walk and see my family."
The failure of this breakthrough was a huge blow to Li Han. His eyes were dim at this time. After all, at his age, he was about to turn fifty.
This time he had already spent all his life savings. Even if he was given another Foundation Building Pill, he would still need several years to cultivate.
Regarding Li Han's scene, Lin Chang'an sighed secretly and shook his head. He did not refuse. He could not help the other party without restraint. After all, the cost of a Foundation Establishment Pill outside is so high at the moment. If one is spread out, it can be used. There are tens of thousands of spiritual stones.
"This is a bottle of healing elixir. Stabilize the injury first, and then go back and take a look."
Lin Changan handed over a bottle of elixir and a jade token. With this jade token, Li Han could take the spirit boat outside the city to enter and leave the border.
After receiving the elixir and token, Li Han nodded silently and said hoarsely: "Thank you."
Then Li Han slowly stood up and did not stay here any longer. At this moment, he finally felt why strength has the final say in the world of immortality.
Lin Changan and Murong Yue were both foundation-building monks, and he hadn't felt much of it before because he was still thinking about breakthroughs, but this time, he felt the difference.
Especially when the four of them entered the sect together, they also practiced together. He was an innate master in the mortal world at the beginning, and his combat power was also among the top among the four. But it is getting bigger and bigger.
Seeing Li Han leaving alone, Lin Changan and Murong Yue didn't say much. They just sat in the pavilion, speechless for a long time.
"Hey, fate plays tricks on people. Brother Li has an extraordinary will. He was the one with the strongest will to seek immortality among all of us at the beginning. However, Qi Feng has good aptitude but has long since lost his enterprising spirit. Instead, he now has many children and grandchildren."
"It's really fate that plays tricks on people." Murong Yue said quietly, there was never any right or wrong in this matter.
Although Qi Feng has many children and grandchildren, do you think he has no regrets? He must have also regretted that he should have practiced hard in his youth and perhaps had a chance to build a foundation.
This is the human heart.
"Those who have a firm Taoist heart lack talent, and those who have talent waste their talent. Everything in the world is unpredictable."
Lin Changan shook his head, and the two of them were filled with emotions in the pavilion. Although they were young, they had experienced too much and seen too many situations over the years.
Three days later, Li Han left, before this group of spirit boats arrived.
A few months later…
Qingniu Town on the border of Dajin.
"There's still no change after all these years."
Li Han, with his gray hair tied up and wearing a bamboo hat, appeared on the rural road he was familiar with since childhood. Looking at the lively market and the children playing on the street, a rare smile appeared on his vicissitudes of life. .
"When I was a kid, I played here without any worries. Every day I looked forward to growing up, earning money, living a good life, and just being able to eat cornbread every meal."
"It turns out that the happiest time was when I was a child, but I can never go back when I grow up." Frightened by the feeling of being close to home, Li Han looked at the familiar scenes, and his eyes became moister.
Looking at the children playing in the joint, I seem to see my past self. At that time, I didn't have enough to eat every day, so I played like this. My biggest wish was to grow up quickly, and then go out to earn a lot of money in exchange for a lot of food.
"I'm not short of money now, I have everything, but!" Li Han murmured hoarsely to himself, but his eyes were filled with mist at some point.
"I can't go back! I can't go back anymore!"
Putting down his bamboo hat, Li Han mingled with the crowd and hurried towards home. It turns out that only children are the happiest. When people grow up, their hearts will become bigger and bigger, and they will never be satisfied.
He had already achieved that he had no shortage of money as a child, let alone the freedom of Wowotou, even if he had a lot of food and fish every day, it was no problem, but he could never regain the happiness of his childhood.
"Home! Is this my former home?"
When he walked to the familiar home, Li Han was at a loss. What was once an adobe house has now become a spacious and tall Li Mansion, which is completely a large courtyard with three entrances and three exits.
"Mr. Li is really lucky."
"Who says it's not the case? I heard that Li Yuanwai's eldest son is a martial arts master with great reputation outside."
"Tsk, tsk, I'm really envious. It's true that one person has achieved the Tao of chickens and dogs and ascended to heaven. Look at the old Li at the beginning. Now he is no longer a member of the Li family. Even the youngest son in the family has also enjoyed the blessing and become a warrior..."
With the sounds of envy heard in his ears, Li Han realized at this moment that his home had changed so much over the years.
His hometown still hasn't changed much, but his own home has undergone earth-shaking changes with him.
After he got his start in the Dajian Sect, he returned home once and left a lot of money. At the same time, he also taught his parents and younger brother some mortal martial arts elixirs. Not only did they prolong life, but they were also rare in the mortal world. A marrow-cutting elixir.
Relying on the gold and silver that he asked people to send back several times and never took it seriously, he changed the direction of his family and developed from an ordinary tenant farmer to a famous official in less than thirty years.
He built a big house and purchased hundreds of acres of land, and became a well-known official.
Even his family members practiced martial arts and became famous martial artists. Not to mention how powerful they were, but they were enough to protect their family in this small place, and they could even become a legacy.
I don't know why, Li Han habitually concealed himself in a daze and entered this familiar yet unfamiliar large courtyard. What was strange was that this large courtyard was no longer his friendly adobe house. It was obviously better, but he Instead, it felt strange.
What is familiar are the familiar faces, and the tattered and patched coarse cloth clothes that were once precious are no longer visible at home. Instead, there are figures in distinctive clothes.
"Second Master, this is the harvest of our Li family this year. The weather is going well this year. It's a good year."
In the room, Li Fei, his forty-year-old brother with a distinguished air, listened to the steward's report and couldn't help but look at the account book in his palm with satisfaction. He was dressed in luxurious clothes, showing his identity.
"Yes, this year's harvest is good, and the tenant farmers below will also have a good year."
"Second Master, you are kind-hearted."
Facing the butler's compliments, Li Fei waved his hands and sighed: "I am from a poor family and naturally know the sufferings of the people below, but these brats have been pampered since childhood and have no idea of the sufferings below. In the future!"
Li Fei also looked melancholy when he said this. He was born in a poor family and would naturally help the people below him if he could, but his own child!
But Li Han, who was hiding outside the house and saw all this, was shocked, "The second brother has a child?"
"Yes, my second brother is over forty. If I were still at home back then, I'm afraid my parents would have found a wife for me by the time I was fifteen or sixty-seven."
Then he saw several young people in bright clothes and several young children playing and playing in the backyard. Li Han was stunned and realized that not only had he become an uncle, but his eldest nephew was also married and had children.
When he finally entered the backyard, he saw his parents who had been raising their children for a long time. They had suffered too much and the years had left indelible marks on their faces, but now the gray-haired elders were smiling and teasing their grandson and granddaughter. The smile on his face was something Li Han had rarely seen before.
"You brats, stop making trouble."
"Haha, grandpa, I will become a martial arts master like grandpa in the future and beat all the bad guys."
"Me too, I want to be the best in the world..."
"Haha, yes, you are all martial arts masters."
When the second elder heard about his son, his face showed a proud smile. This scene made Li Han, who was hiding in the corner, have tears in his eyes.
It turns out that his status in the family is so high, and his parents are even more proud of him.
As if sensing something, his mother turned back blankly, "Old man, was there anyone there just now?"
The white-haired Lao Li turned back and looked at the branches in the distance. He suddenly smiled and waved his hands and said, "You are presbyopic. What are you thinking about?"
"Come on, I'll help you go over and have a rest and let these naughty dogs play here."
The two elders helped each other to the pavilion under the tree, and as they sat down, there happened to be two wet raindrops under their feet, which they stepped on.
"Old man, I don't know how Han'er is doing outside."
After sitting down, the mother seemed to be sensing something, and suddenly thought of her son who was far away outside. Her eyes couldn't help but become moist, while the father was obviously stronger and couldn't help but wave his hands with a smile.
"You old woman, don't worry blindly. It's not like you don't know that Han'er is doing big things outside. Besides, letters and money have been sent to her every once in a while these years. This kid doesn't know how to save some for himself. Really."
"This kid is promising, but at this age, he can't just do big things without having a biological son."
"Old man, Han'er must have suffered a lot outside."
The two elders talked melancholy, and the mother wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes from time to time, while the father smiled and scolded strongly, saying that his son was someone who was doing big things outside, so he shouldn't hold him back.
For several days, until half a month later...
Under the setting sun, on a hilltop, Li Han looked at his hometown, especially the bustling Li Mansion, his eyes filled with peace of mind.
"Father, mother, I felt relieved when I came back and saw that you two elders are doing well. My younger brother is also doing well. He has supported the family and is developing well."
Li Han murmured to himself that he originally wanted to come back and reunite with his family. Maybe it would be good to live the rest of his life, but when he came back, he found that his family was living a happy life.
In particular, he found that there seemed to be a gap between himself and his family. This gap was not based on status, but between mortals and cultivators.
"The path of cultivating immortality that I pursue is like this and I have no regrets."
Under the setting sun, a smile appeared on Li Han's face. The previously dim eyes showed the firm look once again, even more firm than before.
His family is living well, and he has no regrets. All he wants in this life is to cultivate immortality and live forever.
"Father, mother! Li Han is leaving again. Please forgive me for not meeting each other this time. Don't worry..."
Under the reflection of the setting sun, the figure wearing a bamboo hat on the hilltop disappeared without a trace. At this time, Qingniu Town was still lively, and everyone in the Li family was still as happy as usual.
But under the setting sun, Father Li, who was lying on a chair in the backyard of the Li Mansion, seemed to be sensing something. He stood up and looked at the mountains in the distance with confusion.
"It's weird, old lady, I seemed to see a figure on the top of the mountain in the distance, and then he left again."
"Old man, what are you thinking about? The mountain is so far away, can you see it?"
The old couple supported each other and returned to the house with smiles, but they had no idea that their son had come back and stayed with them every day for half a month. (End of chapter)
