Immortal God of War-Chapter 775 - 740: Other Factors? The Old Man’s Choice! _1
Butterfly Valley.
It was as quiet and peaceful as ever. The sea of flowers, the lake, the grassland, the woods—everything remained unchanged.
At this moment, on the shore of the lake, an elderly man with white hair leaned against a sturdy willow tree, holding a fishing rod, intently focused on his fishing.
Suddenly, the float on the water’s surface dipped sharply. The old man’s spirits lifted, and he pulled upwards with force. A large fish, easily the length of an arm, was yanked ashore.
"What a great catch today!" the old man exclaimed, clearly pleased.
"Hm?"
But then, just as suddenly, the old man raised his eyebrows and looked up at the sky. A white figure had materialized out of thin air.
"Qin Feiyang?" he muttered. Are my eyes playing tricks on me?
The white-haired old man was stunned. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, his brow furrowing in surprise. The white figure was still there. This means I’m not just seeing things.
Qin Feiyang chuckled. "Old Man, you’re certainly enjoying your leisure."
That’s right! The white-haired old man fishing was none other than Ren Wushuang’s grandfather.
"Aren’t you supposed to be in the Imperial Capital?" the old man asked, staring blankly at Qin Feiyang.
SWOOSH!
Qin Feiyang smiled, swooping down to land beside the old man. Looking at the large fish still struggling on the ground, he remarked, "Nice catch!"
The old man frowned. "Answer my question. Why have you suddenly returned?"
Qin Feiyang laughed. "I couldn’t make it in the Imperial Capital anymore, so I had to come back and continue to rely on your good graces, Old Man."
"Nonsense!" the old man snapped, his voice laced with anger. "Stop talking rubbish. Did you cause trouble in the Imperial Capital?"
Qin Feiyang paused, then shook his head with a wry smile. "It seems I really can’t hide anything from you, Old Man."
"I knew it! You little scoundrel, you never let anyone have a moment’s peace," the old man fumed, glaring at him. "Spit it out. What happened?"
Qin Feiyang said, "Promise me you won’t get angry, and I’ll tell you."
"Fine," the old man agreed. "I promise not to get angry."
"Well, it’s because in the Imperial Capital I..." Qin Feiyang began, but then he abruptly stopped. After a moment’s thought, he shook his head. "Forget it. It’s better if you don’t know about these things."
"Are you looking for a beating?" The old man’s face instantly darkened, veins throbbing on his temples.
"I’m not joking," Qin Feiyang said. "And I don’t want to put you in a difficult position."
Although the old man has already retired, he’s still a part of the Great Qin Empire and an upstanding man. If he knew I’d killed the Princes, he would definitely be caught in a terrible dilemma.
The old man looked at him deeply, then sighed in resignation. "Alright, I’ll stay out of you young people’s affairs." He then managed a smile. "You’re back just in time, kid. Come on, I’m going to make a pot of fresh fish soup for you to try."
Qin Feiyang glanced at the large fish and shook his head. "I’m afraid I won’t have the pleasure this time."
His expression then turned serious. "Old Man, I came to find you because there’s something I need your help with."
"What is it?" the old man asked, suspicious.
"I want to go to the Land of Oblivion," Qin Feiyang stated.
"Go to the Land of Oblivion?" The old man’s brow furrowed.
"Yes," Qin Feiyang nodded.
"What are you going there for?" the old man asked, puzzled.
"I have some personal matters to attend to," Qin Feiyang replied.
The old man pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "That place is far from simple. If you don’t tell me clearly, I won’t let you go."
"Not simple?" Qin Feiyang’s interest was piqued. "Can you tell me, what exactly is the Land of Oblivion?"
"I’m not entirely sure myself," the old man said gravely. "I only heard from the previous housemaster that the Land of Oblivion is a very terrifying place. Moreover, the Emperor himself has issued an order: without his approval, no one is allowed to enter the Land of Oblivion."
"Is there such a decree?" Qin Feiyang was surprised.
If the Emperor himself gave the order, then why did Zhu Yue ask me to go to the Land of Oblivion to seize the Flame of Heavenly Thunder back then? Wouldn’t that be directly defying the Emperor’s command? He knew that defying the Emperor’s order was a capital offense. And now that the old man mentioned it, he recalled that Zhu Yue hadn’t seemed overly desperate for the Flame of Heavenly Thunder at the time. Could it be that Zhu Yue sent me to the Land of Oblivion not for the Flame of Heavenly Thunder, but for some other reason?
Qin Feiyang cupped his hands. "Old Man, I absolutely must go to the Land of Oblivion. Please, I beg you to make an exception."
"I can make an exception," the old man said, "but you must tell me why."
Qin Feiyang frowned and then transmitted his voice directly to the old man’s mind, "Alright, I’ll tell you. I’m going to the Land of Oblivion to investigate Lu Xingchen."
"Investigate him?" The old man was stunned. What connection could Lu Xingchen have with the Land of Oblivion?
"To be honest," Qin Feiyang continued via voice transmission, "after Lu Xingchen entered the Imperial Capital, he became even more mysterious than before. And people from the Land of Oblivion have come looking for him."
"How is that possible?" the old man looked at Qin Feiyang doubtfully.
Qin Feiyang smiled bitterly. "Every word I’ve said is true. Can I tell you the details after I’ve investigated thoroughly?"
"This..." The old man hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I’ll let you go."
"Thank you, Old Man!" Qin Feiyang was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands in thanks. He then asked, "By the way, is this the only entrance to the Land of Oblivion?"
"As far as I know, this is the only entrance in all the nine major states," the old man replied. "But I don’t know about the Imperial Capital."
Qin Feiyang nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. Time is of the essence; let’s head to the teleportation altar right away." As he spoke, he opened a portal.
"So urgent?" The old man was taken aback, then sighed. "I was hoping to have a good chat with you. It seems we’ll have to wait for another time." With that, he stepped into the portal.
Qin Feiyang followed close behind.
SWOOSH!
In the blink of an eye, the two of them appeared in the secret chamber beneath Butterfly Valley. The old man waved his hand, and his Battle Intent surged forth, pouring into the teleportation altar.
A moment later, the altar erupted with a dazzling blood-red light.
SWOOSH!
Qin Feiyang leaped onto the altar, then turned to the old man. "If people from the Imperial Capital come looking for me, whatever you do, don’t tell them I went to the Land of Oblivion. Just say you haven’t seen me."
"What do you mean?" the old man asked, startled.
But before Qin Feiyang could answer, the altar transported him away.
What on earth is that kid up to? the old man muttered suspiciously before turning and leaving the secret chamber.
However, just as he returned to the lakeside and was about to deal with the large fish—
SWOOSH!!
A group of black-armored guards descended from the sky above Butterfly Valley. Leading them was a man in golden armor, his aura soaring sky-high!
"Who’s there?" The old man looked up sharply, his face etched with alarm. The weakest of these men has a higher cultivation level than I do!
But when he saw the armor on the guards, his expression changed dramatically. "Greetings, esteemed sirs," he said, quickly bowing. Having been to the Imperial Capital, he naturally recognized their attire.
The man in golden armor spoke, "I am the Great Commander of the Black Iron Army."
The old man’s eyes flickered. "Greetings, Great Commander," he said respectfully.
"Are you the Guardian of this place?" the Great Commander inquired.
"Indeed, this old man is," the old man replied with deference.
"Have you seen Qin Feiyang return?" the Great Commander asked.
"Qin Feiyang?" The old man’s heart skipped a beat. He asked uncertainly, "Isn’t Qin Feiyang in the Imperial Capital?"
"Not long ago, he escaped from the Imperial Capital," the Great Commander stated.
"Escaped?" The old man was astonished. "Why would he escape?"
"He killed the current Crown Prince and several other Princes. The Emperor has issued a warrant for his arrest," the Great Commander said, his voice stern. "If you don’t want to invite trouble upon yourself, then tell me the truth: have you seen him or not?"
What?! That damned brat, he actually caused such a massive disaster? The old man was shaken to his core. Killing the Crown Prince and the other Princes! Did that little scoundrel have nerves of steel, or had he simply lost his mind?
He was torn. If I conceal the truth, my conscience won’t allow it. But my affection for Qin Feiyang outweighs my resentment; I can’t bear to see him thrust into a situation beyond redemption. Righteousness on one side, personal feelings on the other... I genuinely don’t know how to choose.
The Great Commander’s voice turned heavy. "You’ve been silent for quite some time. It seems you have seen him."
"No, no, no!" The old man’s face paled, and he hastily waved his hands. "My Lord, please don’t misunderstand! I was simply stunned. To think he would commit such treasonous acts! That little bastard truly has no regard for the law!"
Evidently, he ultimately chose to help Qin Feiyang.
"Isn’t that the truth?" The Great Commander sighed deeply, apparently convinced by the old man’s words. "Because of him, the Imperial Capital is now plunged into chaos. Since you don’t know, I won’t waste any more time."
Then, he turned to the ten guards standing in the front rank behind him and ordered, "You ten will remain here. If you spot Qin Feiyang, kill him on sight!"
"Yes!" the ten replied respectfully.
Thereafter, the Great Commander departed with the other guards.
The old man wiped away a bead of cold sweat, feeling extremely indignant as he muttered, "Damn kid, you better be right about this, or I won’t let you off!"
「Meanwhile.」
「Land of Oblivion, Glacier Forest!」
Qin Feiyang once again plunged into the frozen lake. The water was bone-chillingly cold. But today was different; with his current cultivation, this level of cold posed no threat to him.
At the same time, the moment Qin Feiyang entered the lake, the beasts lurking within immediately opened their cavernous maws and rushed towards him.
BOOM!
However, Qin Feiyang merely released his oppressive aura, and the beasts instantly scattered. But they didn’t leave; they retreated to a safer distance, warily watching him.
Qin Feiyang stood in the lake, a thoughtful glint in his eyes, and then dived towards the bottom.
Very quickly, he once again saw the Snow Python. It was dozens of meters long, its entire body as white as jade. Just as when he had last seen it, it was currently asleep.
Yet, Qin Feiyang still couldn’t discern the Snow Python’s cultivation level.
Just how strong is it? Staring at the Snow Python, suspicion flickered in Qin Feiyang’s eyes.
After a moment, he decisively turned and shot up towards the surface. It was best not to provoke such a terrifying existence.
THUMP!
A few seconds later, the lake surface erupted as Qin Feiyang burst out. He stood in the air above the glacial lake, scanning his surroundings.
Snowflakes danced in the sky. A cold current howled through the air. The land was a blanket of white. After all these years, this glacier hadn’t changed much.
"I’m back," he murmured to himself. Then, Qin Feiyang retracted his gaze, transformed into a streak of light, and sped off into the distance.
