Chapter 275: Honor

Within the sword light was a young man. He had a dignified and exceptionally handsome appearance, dressed in deep black leather. Although his attire differed somewhat from the Cultivators of other countries, it possessed a unique refreshing quality.

The third Disciple standing nearby immediately brightened her eyes and exclaimed softly, “Senior Brother is back!”

As for the second Disciple, who had just climbed up from ten-odd feet away, a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes before he quickly put on a joyful expression.

From the Core Formation Cultivator's memories, Wang Lin could tell that this Core Formation Cultivator greatly admired his Eldest Disciple. Moreover, this person shared some blood relation with the Core Formation Cultivator, belonging to a branch of the same clan.

This Eldest Disciple could barely be considered a Genius. In less than a century, he had already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage Great Perfection Realm, just one step away from Core Formation.

However, according to the Core Formation Cultivator's memories, the reason he favored this Eldest Disciple was precisely because of his appearance. The Core Formation Cultivator intended to use this person to form a Dual Cultivation marriage Alliance with a female Disciple who was a Late Stage Core Formation Cultivator, thereby establishing an Alliance between the two parties.

Wang Lin merely glanced at such matters and paid no further attention. At this moment, the sword light had already approached, landing in front of the Ice Snow Tower. The Eldest Disciple pulled up his clothes, knelt on one knee, and loudly declared, “Disciple greets Master. I have not failed my mission; I have found the hiding place of the Four Sects Alliance remnants!”

Wang Lin's expression remained normal, but his heart stirred. The Core Formation Cultivator's memories also contained a description of this matter. The Eldest Disciple had left because Mortals had recently reported encountering a mysterious person who did not seem to be from the Snow Domain Country.

Therefore, the Core Formation Cultivator had sent his Eldest Disciple to investigate the matter.

Such incidents were not uncommon in recent years. Generally speaking, even if those Four Sects Alliance remnants had high cultivation back then, years of erosion by the strange ice and snow had left them severely weakened.

Despite this, one could not be careless. When such incidents occurred, they would usually be reported to the Ice Snow Divine Palace, and the Divine Palace would naturally send people to handle them.

The Divine Palace was very keen on such matters, almost arriving the day after being reported.

Wang Lin pondered for a moment, his gaze calm, and slowly said, “Lead the way!”

The Eldest Disciple was startled. In the past, his Master would never personally take risks in such situations, but he found it inconvenient to ask further. So, he quickly nodded, stood up, and led the way.

The second Disciple and third Disciple exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, and then followed. After all, since their Master had gone personally, if they didn't go, there might be trouble in the future.

Thus, they braced themselves and followed behind Wang Lin.

The group of four transformed into four streaks of sword light and flew into the distance. Before long, the Eldest Disciple stopped and pointed at an ice and snow mountain range ahead, saying, “Disciple personally saw that person disappear here through the Flying Snow Ice Sculpture. He must have a hiding spot beneath this ice mountain.”

Wang Lin swept his Divine Sense, and though his expression remained normal, his eyes narrowed.

“The three of you wait here!” After leaving a sentence, Wang Lin flew forward.

His Divine Sense detected a Restriction Formation beneath the ice mountain, containing two Divine Sense fluctuations. One was merely at the Core Formation Stage, while the other was quite peculiar, sometimes Core Formation, sometimes Nascent Soul, and even occasionally emitting Soul Transformation fluctuations.

This phenomenon had only one explanation: this person was already on the verge of Divine Sense collapse and cultivation dispersion, in utter chaos.

Wang Lin landed on the ice mountain, and in an instant, his entire body sank into it, then quickly pressed towards the Restriction.

Soon, he arrived at the Restriction. As long as it was a Restriction, Wang Lin was fearless. He merely glanced at it, and the structure of the Restriction was already clear in his mind. He waved his right hand, sending out a Restriction light circle, and immediately, the two Restrictions began to merge.

Wang Lin charged forward, calmly stepping through the Restriction and entering its interior.

As soon as he entered, he saw sword light swirling before him, and more than a dozen Flying Swords transformed into Sword Qi, rushing towards him.

Wang Lin's gaze was calm. He seemingly casually pointed at the Void Realm and softly uttered: “Life!”

The Concept of life and death, born from the Heavenly Dao of Reincarnation, immediately condensed on Wang Lin's finger with his point. This gentle point contained the Heavenly Dao, like an Immortal guiding the way, subtly profound in its understatement.

A cry of surprise came from within the sword lights. The Flying Swords mysteriously broke free from control, connecting into a circle, swirling around Wang Lin's fingertip.

On the sword bodies, even traces of crystal clear light appeared. Nourished by this light, these Flying Swords seemed to undergo Rebirth, emitting several times more spiritual power than before.

However, the Divine Sense upon them was completely erased under the might of the Heavenly Dao.

Wang Lin's eyes revealed a strange light as they fell upon a young man not far away, whose face was filled with horror. This person was currently dumbfounded, unable to speak.

Behind this young man, on an ice bed, sat a white-haired old man with his eyes tightly closed, his face alternating between green and red.

Wang Lin flicked his fingertip, and immediately the dozen or so Flying Swords paused, then fell to the ground, emitting subservient sword hums.

The young man now recovered, his face filled with grief and indignation. He clenched his fists and sharply declared, “You destroyed my homeland, and now you've hunted us down here. Do you really intend to wipe us out completely? If you kill us today, someday, someone will surely come to destroy your Snow Domain Country!”

His voice was filled with deep, bone-piercing hatred!

Wang Lin glanced at the young man, then his gaze fell on the old man behind him.

The young man immediately moved to block Wang Lin's gaze. He looked at Wang Lin, remained silent for a moment, then actually knelt on the ground with a thud. Biting his lower lip until blood flowed, he said bitterly, “Don't kill my Master, kill me instead! I am the Young Sect Leader of the Water Ink Sect. If you capture me and take me back, you will surely gain merit. As long as you spare my Master, I will willingly go with you. Otherwise, you will only get my corpse!”

Although Wang Lin's gaze was calm, he was moved. He looked at the young man, then at the old man behind him, and slowly said, “Why do you want to exchange your life for your Master's?”

The young man remained silent. After a long while, he said bitterly, “If it weren't for me, my Master, that old man, would have left long ago. It's all because of me, to save me…”

“Huan'er, get up. This person is not a Snow Domain Cultivator.” The old man, sitting cross-legged on the ice bed, slowly opened his eyes.

The young man was startled, but then his face immediately lit up with joy. He stood up, his face quite excited, and said, “Master, you… you're awake!”

Wang Lin glanced at the old man, cupped his fists, and said, “Junior greets Senior of the Water Ink Sect!”

The old man coughed a few times, and the green and red color on his face became even more pronounced. Wang Lin's Concept of life and death naturally allowed him to see at a glance that a Death Qi hovered around the old man, who was clearly at his last gasp.

The old man raised his head, looked at Wang Lin, and slowly said, “Young friend, this old man is injured and inconvenient to greet you. Please forgive me. May I ask why young friend has come here?”

Wang Lin sighed softly and said, “Senior's hiding place has already been discovered by the Snow Domain Cultivators. It would be best to leave!” After speaking, he paused for a moment, took out a bottle of Medicinal Pills from his Storage Pouch, and sent it forward. The Medicinal Pills floated lightly onto the ice bed.

“Senior is too gravely injured. This bottle of Medicinal Pills won't cure you, but it should alleviate the pain of your cultivation dispersing. This will allow Senior to leave this place. The world is vast; perhaps there will be another Opportunity to recover your cultivation.”

The old man smiled faintly, not even looking at the Medicinal Pills, and said, “Young friend, though I don't know which sect's Disciple you are, do you know that if this old man wanted to leave, I could have left back then? Even now, if I risked accelerating the dispersion of my cultivation, I could certainly leave. But, do you know why I don't leave?”

Wang Lin remained silent, gently shaking his head.

“This is my home! I was born here, and I will die here!” Though the old man's voice was soft, at this moment, an indescribable aura enveloped his entire body.

Wang Lin glanced at this person, said nothing more, but cupped his fists and turned to leave. His purpose in coming here was not to kill, but to help.

After all, he had lived in the Four Sects Alliance for over thirty years and had personally witnessed the invasion of the Snow Domain Cultivators. Although he couldn't change the facts, he would still help within his capabilities when he could.

The moment Wang Lin turned to leave, the old man looked down at the Medicinal Pills, sighed, and suddenly flicked his right hand. A fan with only two feathers remaining flew out from his sleeve.

“Young friend, I give you this treasure to settle the Karma of the Medicinal Pills you offered!”

After Wang Lin caught the fan, his expression changed. He remembered this treasure quite clearly. When the nine-person killer Formation of the Four Sects Alliance had killed the woman in white, she had used this very fan. Wang Lin remembered that after the woman died, one of the Late Stage Incarnation Cultivators had taken this fan.

He turned back and carefully looked at the old man, immediately recognizing him. This person was one of the renowned Late Stage Soul Transformation Cultivators of yesteryear!

All former honors had become distant memories… Wang Lin left, carrying a complex mood, and walked out of the ice mountain. The three Disciples dared not ask, but silently followed behind him.

Not long after Wang Lin left, an old man and a young man emerged from the ice mountain. They glanced at the spot where Wang Lin had disappeared, then quickly left the ice mountain.

At the border, the old man slammed his palm onto the boundary-protecting light screen, opening a gap. He split the medicine bottle in half, handed it to the young man, and with a loving look, gently said, “Go now. From now on, you'll have to rely on yourself. Master can no longer protect you…”

The young man's eyes showed sorrow, seeming to want to say something, but with a wave of the old man's sleeve, he was sent out of the light screen. Afterward, the light screen returned to normal.

Outside the light screen, the young man stared blankly at his Master, knelt on the ground, his eyes bloodshot, and his voice torn, “Master!!!”

The old man laughed heartily, swallowed half a bottle of Medicinal Pills in one gulp, and then his aura continuously soared. At this moment, he had returned to his former Peak, though only temporarily!

He flicked his sleeve, and his body moved abruptly, his target precisely the Ice Snow Divine Palace in the central area of the Snow Domain Country!

Even if he died, he would die in his homeland; even if he died, he would die among those protecting the nation!

All former honors have become distant memories… Falling in flames, it must be the undying Phoenix… Even if its wings are burned, it still aims to fly in paradise… Closing a door seems to lose a world.

Memories of the past, henceforth become distant.

The shifting sands in the wind no longer permeate the space of dreams, the wailing Qiang flute leaves only a desolate echo.

Closing a door seems to isolate a space-time.

A glorious past exists only in the faint praises of future generations.

Yesterday's chants have lost their shared resonance, whispered confessions find no listening zither.

Opening a window is like embracing a ray of sunshine.

Today's dreams become tomorrow's hopes.

Ordinary you and I also need brilliant self-expression, to feel the vastness of heaven and earth with unregrettable pursuit.

Opening a window is like welcoming a spring breeze.

The shattered Void Realm awakens past confusion.

Falling in flames, it must be the undying Phoenix, even if its wings are burned, it still aims to fly in paradise!

(This last section does not count towards the word count. It is a poem I wrote in 2007. When writing this chapter, I felt a bit bitter, and its Concept was quite similar to this poem, so I searched for it on Baidu and unexpectedly found that my poem from back then is still being reposted. So I wrote it out. This is indeed an original work from that year!)