Chapter 1456: Dominating the Inner Realm, Old Ranran is Approaching (Fourth Update)

Bursts of rapid coughing broke the tranquility of the courtyard. The voice was extremely aged, seemingly belonging to someone in their twilight years. As the sound spread, even the wind outside seemed to pick up.

Whistling sounds permeated the area, causing the lanterns outside the courtyard to sway even more violently, as if a breath from the Netherworld was surging in with the wind.

While making the two strings of lanterns shake, it seemed intent on rushing into the courtyard to take away a struggling, surviving returning soul… As the lanterns swayed, one could faintly see the character 'Sun' written on them in red cinnabar.

The Sun Family!

These few bursts of coughing that shattered the silence caused hurried footsteps inside the courtyard. Many servants rushed to the outside of a very ordinary dwelling deep within the courtyard.

Outside the dwelling, three old men were already standing there anxiously. Behind these three elders were many descendants of the Sun Family.

"Why are you all panicking? This old woman isn't dead yet…" A hoarse voice came from inside the dwelling, laced with deep exhaustion.

"Old Ancestress…" One of the three elders outside the door looked very anxious and stepped forward, seemingly about to speak softly.

Just then, bursts of horse hooves suddenly came rapidly from afar. In the darkness, the sound was very noticeable and quickly grew closer. Several warhorses charged down the street outside the courtyard. The foremost horse carried a middle-aged man dressed in Armor, whose demeanor commanded respect without anger. On the horse beside him sat an old man whose hat had fallen off and whose hair was scattered by the wind.

The old man's face was pale, and the warhorse beneath him was moving so quickly that terror was visible in his eyes.

In front of the courtyard gate, the warhorses whinnied and stopped. The middle-aged man dismounted, grabbed the old man, and rushed into the courtyard like the wind, galloping all the way to the outside of the dwelling.

"Old Ancestress, your Dao Grandson has invited the best imperial physician and insists on treating you."

"Nonsense! This old woman has clung to life for a thousand years, and now her great limit is approaching. How could a Mortal physician like this cure it!" The hoarse voice came from inside the dwelling, followed by another bout of coughing.

Amidst the tension of the people outside the door, the dwelling door opened from the inside, and a white-haired old woman slowly walked out, supported by two maidservants.

"The reason I called you all here today is because this old woman knows she won't live past seven days and is somewhat worried about you. However, apart from this old woman, there are no other Dao practitioners in my Sun Family. This avoids the cruelty of the Cultivation World. Remember this: future descendants must not practice the Dao. Enjoying wealth and prosperity in the Mortal world is the best choice for you.

Do you all remember this old woman's words!" While coughing, the old woman suddenly glared, revealing two beams of sharp light as she scanned her descendants one by one.

A pressure radiated from her body, enveloping everyone and causing the Sun Family members, including the middle-aged man wearing Armor, to immediately kneel down and hurriedly agree with fearful expressions.

"It's good that you remember, it's good that you remember… you may all leave now. Let me have some peace and quiet…" The light in the old woman's eyes gradually faded. Although she was aged, it was still possible to tell that she must have been a beautiful person in her youth, and she liked lecturing others.

Her descendants, kneeling on the ground, dared not disobey her words and left one after another. Even the servants and the maidservants beside the old woman dispersed. Outside the dwelling shrouded in night, silence slowly returned.

The old woman sighed and slowly sat down on a stone chair nearby, gazing at the moon, which was obscured and blurry by dark clouds, recalling past events.

"When people get old, they always like to reminisce… even when about to leave this world, they can't change the habit of liking to lecture others. Thinking back, I haven't lectured many people in my life…" The figure of a person gradually appeared in the old woman's mind.

That person, back then, she thought was just a minor Cultivator who didn't take cultivation seriously, and she was quite angry about his lazy practice, lecturing him many times.

In her memories, a smile appeared on the old woman's face. She was very happy, having found joy in her remaining years through memory.

Outside the courtyard, beneath the lanterns, amidst the autumn wind, a figure in white appeared sometime unnoticed.

Wang Lin looked at the courtyard ahead. After arriving at Ran Yun Star, in his Divine Sense, only this one former acquaintance remained in the entire world—an interesting young female Cultivator who had disguised herself as a man back then.

Back then, whenever this person encountered him returning to his Immortal Cave, she would severely lecture him, telling him to focus on cultivating the Dao so that he might one day achieve the Dao.

Wang Lin could tell that every word the other party spoke was sincere. This feeling, compared to the cruel Cultivation World, was very unique and brought warmth to Wang Lin's heart.

Therefore, he always remembered this person.

He hadn't expected that returning to this star a thousand years later, the only acquaintance left would be that woman from back then.

A smile appeared on his face. Wang Lin walked toward the courtyard gate beneath the two strings of lanterns. With his footsteps echoing, he strolled along, slowly approaching the ordinary dwelling deep inside the courtyard.

He saw the old acquaintance sitting there, silently counting her memories: the Female Cultivator Sun Ling, or rather, Sun Ling.

Wang Lin's arrival, like that of a Mortal, produced echoing footsteps. He did not hide anything, nor would he hide anything.

"Didn't I say I wanted some peace and quiet!" The old woman frowned, not turning around, and began to scold him.

"After a thousand years apart, are you going to make me leave right after I arrive?" Wang Lin spoke softly with a smile.

When his voice fell into the old woman's ears, she immediately froze. Turning her head, she looked at Wang Lin, who was not far behind her. At that sight, her entire body trembled.

"Xu Mu…" The old woman gazed at Wang Lin, and after a long time, a smile appeared on her face.

"When did you return…" The old woman did not lose her composure like Yan Leizi and the others; she recovered quickly. Although her Lifespan was inferior to Yan Leizi and the others, and her cultivation was far weaker, she only had seven days left to live and had already seen through everything. At this moment, there was only the joy of seeing an old friend, nothing else.

"Not long ago. I was passing by here, so I came to see if any old acquaintances remained." Wang Lin sat across from the old woman, looking at her as if she were a close friend.

In Wang Lin's eyes, this person's gender was unimportant. His relationship with her was not romantic, but a friendship between old acquaintances. Whether male or female, she represented the scenes of their past.

That night, Wang Lin was very happy. His words and Sun Ling's echoed in the courtyard, and occasionally, Sun Ling's laughter, though aged and hoarse, sounded to Wang Lin like the silver bells of a thousand years ago.

An old friend visits on the road of twilight years; even the chill of the autumn wind slowly dissipated, blowing on them like a spring breeze, stirring waves of warmth in their hearts.

The moonlight gradually dimmed, and a fish-belly white edge appeared on the horizon, slowly spreading out, as if the eye of the world was slowly opening from a closed state.

"Have you truly made up your mind?" As the white light spread across the horizon, Wang Lin spoke softly.

"Where there is life, there is naturally death. I have been very tired this entire life. Even if I were to continue living, it would be meaningless. It is better to depart…" Sun Ling said softly, smiling as she looked at Wang Lin.

"If you change your mind, you can take this Medicinal Pill." Wang Lin's expression was calm. He took out a Medicinal Pill and placed it nearby, then stood up with a sigh. He looked at the old woman one last time, and without turning back, walked toward the outside of the courtyard.

Sun Ling watched Wang Lin's retreating figure fade away. Her vision became slightly blurred, and she seemed to return to the past, sitting cross-legged outside the large stone that managed the Immortal Cave, coldly lecturing the young man who went out all day and rarely entered seclusion.

"Do you know what is most important to a Cultivator? I'll tell you: diligence is most important!"

"Although your Aptitude is not good, if you are diligent, there is still hope for progress. I have guarded this Fang Estate for many years, and the Cultivators I have seen, many of whom have even reached Soul Transformation cultivation, never gave up meditation to wander outside early in the morning like you."

The smile on the old woman's face deepened, but beneath that smile, there was faintly a slight blush.

The morning sunlight scattered across the earth, taking away the indifference of the night. Even the chill of the autumn wind seemed lessened, carrying a hint of warmth.

Yellow, red, withered leaves drifted with the wind across the world, appearing very beautiful.

Amidst the autumn wind, Wang Lin slowly stepped onto the highest peak of this star. He did not use his magical power, but walked up step by step, just like a Mortal.

Just like back then, when he brought Wang Ping to conquer this mountain!

Along a rushing river, Wang Lin stood by the bank, his gaze fixed on the distance.

In the great sea, a lone boat traveled by itself. Wang Lin stood upon the lone boat, facing the roar of the waves and gazing at the world.

"Ping'er, the mountain is like pride, the river is like thought, and the sea is like breadth of mind. Your father brought you to conquer this mountain to let you possess pride, never yielding to heaven and earth, never yielding to fate. In any place, you must raise your head, sharp and unyielding!

Bringing you to conquer this river is to make you understand the ceaseless flow of this great river, which contains a firm belief. Without belief, this river cannot flow. Without belief, a person's life is merely that of a walking corpse!

Your father brought you to conquer this great sea so that you may possess a breadth of mind like the ocean. What are all the hardships when you look upon this great sea!"

Wang Lin walked past mountains, rivers, and seas, walked past plains, walked past jungles, and walked past the scenes and footsteps he shared with Wang Ping back then. Although he was a Seven-Star Ancient God, although he was famous throughout the Outer Realm, and although he would become famous throughout the Inner Realm and a renowned figure in the future.

But he was still a father… a Mortal who, at this moment, missed his son Wang Ping… Returning to his old home, recalling his son, filled with melancholy, sensing Wang Ping's soul inside the Heaven Defying Bead in his body, Wang Lin, a lonely figure with white hair, left Ran Yun Star, which had given him a century of unforgettable memories, and gradually departed into the distance. Only a sigh of melancholy echoed in this world, lingering for a long time.

Ran Yun Star, as its name suggests, Ran refers to the shape, meaning flowing like willow branches, like clouds slowly descending and dissipating on the horizon. Old Ranran is Approaching… The fourth update is delivered! Snatching monthly votes can help Er Gen lose weight. I lost three catties this month—very good, very powerful! Last two days, the dream is imminent. At the moment it is within reach or about to vanish, let us fight this final 50 hours!!