Chapter 8: Returning to the Present

Leave the rest to me. Second Uncle, you have done a very good job! Liang Xi smiled with a chuckle.

Anyone could come to save Liang Chen, but never in his wildest dreams did he expect Liang Xi to be the one. This young man should theoretically be the person in the entire world who wanted him dead the most. Yet, here he was. What on earth was wrong with him? Was he here specifically to pity him? If so, then he was sorry, but he did not need it. And if he truly died here today, it would only mean he got what he deserved!

Are you here to watch me make a fool of myself? Seeing me in this state must make you endlessly happy, right?

Even in his current disheveled and miserable state, Liang Chen retained his pride. Although, looking at it now, that pride was somewhat laughable, Liang Chen simply refused to surrender or admit defeat in front of his nephew!

This Second Uncle of his could be so amusing at times. Mother was right; Second Uncle was essentially just a childish kid, and after all these years, that had never changed.

Second Uncle, you really are too smart. That is correct, I am here to watch you make a fool of yourself. Someone like you can only ever be defeated by my hands. If anyone else dares to bully you, I will not allow it. As long as you bear the Liang surname, that fact will never change!

Xi'er, if your Second Uncle were to fall into danger, would you go to help him?

Three days ago, his mother Jun Cailin had asked him this very question.

No! Absolutely not! Mother, why would you ask such a thing?

Jun Cailin would never ask a question like that without reason, yet Liang Xi truly could not understand.

From the perspective of their relationship, Second Uncle and he were practically mortal enemies. Could someone who constantly plotted to seize the Liang family be anything good? If someone like that fell into his hands, he would definitely make him pay!

However, upon hearing this answer, mother Jun Cailin did not get angry at all. Liang Xi's reaction was entirely within her expectations.

For you to say that shows you hold the Liang family in high regard, and that you are a young man with a clear sense of gratitude and resentment. As your mother, I am very pleased. However, this is still not the answer I am looking for. As for what the real answer is, you can take your time and think it over carefully. You are so smart, I believe you will eventually figure it out.

Liang Xi did not understand. Did he have to say that rushing to Second Uncle's aid when he was in danger was the right thing to do? But that was something he truly could not bring himself to do!

Mother, I still don't understand why you want me to save Second Uncle. A man like him should have died long ago. If it weren't for his flaws, the Liang family would surely be much better off than it is now!

What? Do you think the Liang family is doing poorly? My boy, you should know that the Liang family foundation was built by your father and your Second Uncle working together. As a member of the younger generation, you have no qualification to find fault with your Second Uncle. Very well, you want to know why I am unsatisfied with your answer? I will tell you right now: because you fundamentally do not understand what the Liang family relies on to become the number one prestigious clan in the world. Powerful strength is only a part of it. While important, it is not the most important part!

The most important thing is that the people of the Liang family are incomparably united at all times. You have actually known this for a long time, but you simply refuse to believe it!

Child, you must know that everyone right now wants to knock our Liang family off its pedestal. Your father and your Second Uncle have resolved many such crises in the past!

Tell me, can you really not offer a helping hand to someone like that? Your Second Uncle's personality is selfish and ruthless, but think about it: in the past, many people wanted to push the Liang family to their deaths. He lived every single day in a state of extreme tension, and he kept this up for many years without relaxing for even a single day!

When you were little, he treated you quite well, didn't he? Do you remember the apple tree by the front gate? When you were small, you loved to eat apples, but you were too short to reach them. Your Second Uncle would hold you in his arms every day to pick them for you. Back then, you always wondered why Second Uncle always looked so battered and bruised every time he came to see you!

That was because, during that period, your Second Uncle was constantly fighting formidable enemies. Every single battle was a life-and-death struggle; if he had been even a split second slower, he would have died!

I am not telling you this to show off how impressive your Second Uncle is or anything of the sort. I am simply telling you that the people of the Liang family will not be bullied by outsiders, and this is something you must firmly engrave in your mind, young man!

I know that saying this now makes it impossible for you to understand. Fine, if you cannot understand right now, then you must think it through until you do. You are clever, so I know you will figure it out! Spend these next three days recovering and resting well. In three days, I foresee your Second Uncle encountering danger!

As for what you will ultimately choose to do, that depends entirely on your own decision!

The empty and desolate secret chamber was now left with only Liang Xi. He would spend the next three days living here without taking a single step away. The spiritual energy in this secret chamber was extremely dense, making it the most suitable place for healing injuries!

Do you think this kid can figure it out in three days? And if he can't, what will happen?

Liang Yunsi naturally trusted Liang Xi's strength, but this boy was sometimes too rigid in distinguishing between gratitude and resentment. In reality, the boundaries of such matters were not always clear-cut, so what choice he would make at this juncture depended entirely on himself.

For three days, Liang Xi actually did nothing; he remained in deep meditation. At this moment, within his spiritual world, another version of himself slowly emerged—this was his inner demon.

Liang Xi, do not let your Second Uncle's surface appearance deceive you. For all these years, you should know that the Liang family could have been much better off, but because of your Second Uncle, the family has suffered attacks from numerous powerful enemies. While it hasn't completely shaken their foundations, recovering from this is no easy task!

What are you even doing right now? Do you really intend to go and help your Second Uncle? No matter how well others treat him, your Second Uncle can never remember it, but if anyone wrongs him, he will remember it for a lifetime!

Listen to me, what you should be doing right now is enhancing your own cultivation and staying securely within the Liang family. Only by protecting the Liang family will you have a future. If even the Liang family ceases to exist, tell me, what meaning would all your years of hard work have?

The inner demon's words made a lot of sense, and Liang Xi fell into deep contemplation. Yes, what on earth should he do now? He couldn't figure it out. Since he couldn't figure it out at the moment, he decided to stop thinking about it for now. Why waste so much brainpower?

At this moment, the secret chamber had completely transformed into a realm of illusions. The illusion was formed by two parts: one part consisted of his childhood experiences, where the Second Uncle he saw was a remarkably kind person; the other part depicted a ruthless and merciless Second Uncle!

These two contrasting parts were constantly tearing at each other, leaving Liang Xi caught right in the middle, truly finding himself in a terribly difficult predicament. Could these two aspects not maintain a balance? From the current situation, that seemed utterly impossible!

This situation was genuinely headache-inducing. He couldn't leave the secret chamber either. Over three days, aside from cultivation, he always needed to find something interesting to do; otherwise, wouldn't he die of sheer boredom?

Yet this place was so small, a space where everything could be taken in at a single glance. What could possibly be fun here? Liang Xi's hand gently patted the stone wall on his left, and it unexpectedly emitted a hollow sound.

Hm? How could this stone sound hollow? It seemed there was something strange about this rock!

Liang Xi had never carefully examined the details of this secret chamber before. Now, as he closely inspected the stone beneath his hand, he finally discovered something interesting: this rock featured crisscrossing patterns that were not natural, but rather deliberately carved by human hands later on, bearing heavy chisel marks.

Ahead of it was even a palm-shaped protrusion, as if this piece of stone needed to be embedded somewhere to trigger a secondary discovery! How interesting!

Sure enough, after circling the room once, Liang Xi actually found a recess on the wall that matched the palm-shaped protrusion with absolute precision.

Clack-clack!

When the stone block was placed into the recess, it instantly formed a completely flat surface and a single integrated whole, as if it was always meant to be this way. A crack suddenly appeared on the smooth wall, revealing a large gateway just wide enough for a single person to pass through. Though it had remained unopened for many years, the mechanism still operated with absolute smoothness.

Liang Xi possessed a strong sense of curiosity. Such an interesting place had appeared right before his eyes; not going in to take a look would truly be inexcusable.

The moment Liang Xi stepped inside with his front foot, the smooth wall instantly sealed itself back up as good as new!

Liang Xi glanced back, feeling nothing amiss. Initially, he thought there might be some fun things in here, but upon entering, he felt rather disappointed. The place was completely empty, with nothing at all, and a musty smell permeated the air. Still, since he had already come, turning right back around seemed improper. There was only a narrow, winding path stretching ahead. He might as well walk forward and see what lay at the end of this road.

The dust on the ground was already thick, clearly preserving Liang Xi's footprints!

This path was truly long. By now, he must have walked for the time it takes to burn two incense sticks, yet he still hadn't seen the glowing light that usually marked the end of such tunnels. Who said there had to be a light at the end anyway?

Fortunately, Liang Xi had a calm and steady temperament. With nothing else to do for the moment, a gentle breeze was blowing through the surroundings of the path, feeling quite comfortable. After an unknown amount of time, the terrain actually began to slope downwards, and moisture started appearing on the walls on both sides. Walking further in, patches of green moss sprouted along the stone, and the humidity grew intense!

The sound of flowing water crashing against the stone walls echoed in his ears. Hearing this crisp sound, Liang Xi could even imagine that the stream must be exceptionally clear. This naturally brought a hint of joy to Liang Xi, who had been walking for a long time—that's right, he was suddenly thirsty.

The inner demon seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber once again, yet it remained fully aware of all these experiences of Liang Xi. With a place this bizarre, he definitely had to remain cautious.

After walking for roughly another half-incense stick of time, Liang Xi finally caught sight of the source of the rushing water. Unfolding before his eyes was a broad and magnificent river!

"Kid, your luck is truly not bad. Judging by your expression, you probably didn't know that this river is the very lifeline of the Liang family—the Spirit River. I always thought the Spirit River was merely a legend; to think it actually exists! Boy, with this Spirit River here, your cultivation speed will surely recover even faster. This must be the outcome you wanted to see, right?"

"Since you've found this treasure, you might as well cultivate properly. As for other matters, in the face of absolute strength, they are truly useless. Once you become powerful enough, you can do whatever you desire!"

"However, do you even know how to cultivate right now? The power of the Spirit River is extremely violent and turbulent; therefore, the only thing you can do right now is conquer its will!"

"Hahaha, conquer my will? Just by relying on this brat? Many people have wanted to obtain my power, but in the end, all of them failed! This kid will be no different!"

"I will definitely break free from the shackles of the Liang family! You've known for so many years that I've been waiting for this destined person, and now that this destined person has appeared, there is no way I'm letting him go!"

Boom!

The waves churned, and a terrifying giant wave instantly condensed into a hill-like iron fist, smashing heavily toward the youth! The power of water was the softest force in the world, yet at the same time, it was the most formidable power in existence. Ordinary people could never hope to master it!

"Clear Water Fist!"

"Water Shield!"

Boom!

The astonishing impact naturally stirred up a terrifying tidal wave. After all, Liang Xi had suffered severe injuries, and he probably couldn't even unleash fifty percent of his full cultivation power. Even so, it was more than enough to shock the Spirit River.

As countless water droplets and mist dissipated, a remarkably handsome man emerged. "Oh? Is this the extent of your strength? That is quite impressive. For all these years, you are the first person capable of withstanding my full power. Just for that alone, you have the qualifications to fight me. Kid, what do you say? Are you willing to have a match with me now?"

"I know you have suffered extremely severe internal injuries. However, you don't need to worry at all; as long as you fight me fifty times, I guarantee that all your internal injuries will fully recover."

"Are you the Spirit God of the River? But you should also know that your strength is your own affair and has nothing to do with me. My coming here was purely a coincidence. Let me out, and I can naturally pretend that nothing happened before. Otherwise, you can just die right here!"

"How free I used to be! But look at what has become of me now? Because of the Liang family, I have been chained here for many years. It is high time I got out!"

"Linlin, are you really sure there's no problem with doing this? That is the spirit of the Spirit River! If Xi'er runs into trouble or danger, won't you regret it?"

Facing her husband's skepticism, Jun Cailin's captivating eyes gleamed with an unusual brilliance. "You, you've always liked to worry blindly since the past. If I didn't have absolute certainty, how could I have done this? Rest assured, I know Xi'er's capabilities best. Only by pushing this boy to his absolute limit can he burst forth with his strongest power!"

"Jun Cailin, what do you call this? Making a teenager my opponent? Hmph, do you think you can control me this way? Back then, if it weren't for you, how could I have ended up like this? You are living comfortably now, yet you completely disregard whether I live or die! Fine, it doesn't matter. Things have turned out this way, and all of this is my own fault. But I hope that, for the sake of our past, you can let me go. As long as you let me go, I am willing to do whatever you want me to do!"

"Spirit River, so many years have passed, why are you still unwilling to accept reality? You should know by now that you can no longer leave the Liang family. I believe you know yourself that you were able to attain such formidable cultivation solely because of the Liang family. What? Now that you have acquired great power, you wish to ignore all this kindness?"

"Why did I never know you were such a person? I am now handing my son over to you. As for how you want to train him, that is your business. I have only ever had one demand for you: I just want him to stay alive, that is all!"

"Son, I know you must find it hard to understand why you are in this state right now. But what I want to tell you is that your current cultivation is insufficient. Didn't I say before? If you want to go and help your Second Uncle, you must endure this tempering!"

"Second Uncle? Could your Second Uncle be Liang Chen? Hahaha, heaven truly helps me! To think I would actually get to see Liang Chen's nephew today. Kid, your Second Uncle is no good person; I ended up like this precisely because of him. Every day I wish I could kill him, but I know that if I really did that, it would let this man off way too easily!"

"Your mother just said your Second Uncle is in danger, right? Hahaha, wonderful! This man deserves such retribution. It's just a pity I won't get to witness it with my own eyes, which is somewhat regrettable. But I suppose as long as I can defeat you, that will be quite satisfying, isn't it?"

"I want to drive that man completely insane. What? He's injured now? Or has he encountered a powerful enemy? Never mind, I don't really care about those details right now. In short, I have only one sentence: as long as I can watch that man suffer, I will be immensely happy!"

"Little Liang Xi, since you've fallen into my hands, I will treat you well and show you what true terror is. The terror I speak of is ten times greater than anything you have ever witnessed!"

"Kid, if you really die by my hands, don't blame me, because I have no choice either—this was your mother's choice. If you harbor hatred in your heart, direct it at your mother; it has nothing to do with me!"

The Spirit River actually held exceptionally deep affection for the Liang family. It was simply that it didn't know how to express this affection, and even if it spoke of it, others wouldn't believe it.

Having been in the Liang family for so many years and having guarded them for all this time, what had it ultimately received in return? Nothing at all. Could this be considered a tragedy? It probably was. Yet if time could be turned back, it would likely make the exact same choice again!

"Come, unleash your true abilities. Today, if you cannot defeat me, don't even think about leaving alive! I heard you want freedom? Very well, as long as you defeat me, you can naturally leave whenever you please!"

"However, you won't get that chance!"

One day later, Liang Xi was covered in scars! It seemed that this training was truly grueling and harsh!

"What's wrong? Is this all the cultivation you have? I would think your capabilities wouldn't be limited to just this. You've been purely defending since the start. What? Do you look down on me? Do you think your strength is so great that you refuse to unleash your true power? Hmph, doing this is truly of no use to yourself. I know you don't have much time left either!"

"Think carefully, why did you come here in the first place? Your mother is extremely smart, but why would someone like her give birth to a child like you?"

"Liang Yunsi, do you see this now? This is the end result of your child opposing me. Of course, since we've known each other for many years, I really don't want to push things to this extent, but I truly have no alternative. Tell me, what should I do now? How about I just kill your child right here?"

"I've always looked for things that would make you suffer, but for all these years, I found myself truly failing. Yet when this kid arrived, I knew I had succeeded!"

"Spirit River, I know you've harbored resentment for all these years. But it doesn't matter—you've worked hard all this time. I've wanted to say sorry to you for years, but you've never been willing to give me the opportunity!"

"Hmph, so you still remember we used to be brothers. But all these years have passed, have you ever come to see me even once? No! I once held such deep expectations for you, yet in the end, you let me down, didn't you?"

"What? Seeing that I'm about to harm your son, you know fear now? Very well, if you admit your mistake right now, I'll let him go. Otherwise, I will personally destroy your Liang family! You all know I am capable of doing this, aren't I?"

The Spirit River spirit had exhausted all its mental energy for the Liang family over the years, but what of it? One could say the Liang family owed its present existence largely to its efforts!

"Father, do not bow your head to this man! Hmph, what does he want to see most? Us admitting defeat. But as long as we refuse to surrender, even this man will ultimately be helpless against us, won't he?"

"Spirit River, you should know that I possess incomparably formidable strength. What? Are these few tricks your final abilities? If so, you truly disappoint me. After all your boasting about how powerful you are, when I look at you now, you really are useless!"

"You claimed before that you always wanted to surpass my Second Uncle. However, I can tell you right now: you will never have the possibility of surpassing my Second Uncle at any time!"

"You don't even have the qualifications to carry his shoes! What? Am I wrong? Or do you genuinely believe that you now possess the qualifications to fight my Second Uncle?"

"I know what you're thinking in your heart. You also want to seize the Liang family, right? But after trying so many times, you finally realized you lacked the capability, so you tried to place all your hopes on someone else. Hmph, how utterly laughable!"

"As long as I have not fallen, you cannot defeat anyone in the Liang family!"

"Yet despite your brave words, you must have run out of extra energy by now. Look at yourself—both your hands are completely ruined! How can you still fight me in this state?"

Liang Xi's expression was truly unsightly. His cultivation power was currently leaking away bit by bit—what on earth was the cause of this?

"Kid, your heart must be filled with curiosity and shock right now. Your entire cultivation base has been crippled by me. Tell me, what should be done now?"

"Go to hell! This is the last thing I can do for you. Bursting Killing Formation!"

Space distorted dramatically, and streaks of terrifying lightning and raging fire erupted directly from spatial rifts!

Boom!

Such astonishing momentum instantly formed a terrifying shockwave. In the face of such a shockwave, no one could possibly resist! And this immensely powerful force smashed directly into Liang Xi!

Puff!

Liang Xi spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. It appeared he had indeed suffered severe internal injuries; right now, even moving a muscle was impossible! Yet even now, this boy still refused to give up. What drove him to this extent? Quite simply, it was his incomparable love for the Liang family!

"Spirit River, whatever abilities you have, direct them at me. Bullying my child, what kind of ability is that? I know you've been looking for me all these years. Now that I am right here, why don't you dare come forward? I know that deep down, you've been afraid of me all these years, haven't you?"

"Indeed, I have feared you greatly all these years. But so what? You want to strike now, but you also know you lack the opportunity. You can only watch helplessly, can't you?"

"Right now, Liang Xi's entire cultivation base has been crippled by me. Do you know what the feeling of holding someone else's life in your hands is like? I finally understand your feeling now!"

"Liang Xi, this is my domain. You probably didn't know that the moment you set foot here, your vitality began to be absorbed by me. I know your cultivation is formidable, but what a pity you can't unleash it now; otherwise, I really would have been helpless against you!"

Puff!

Liang Xi spat out another mouthful of blood. He truly couldn't continue fighting; if he kept going, the ultimate outcome would be disastrous. So that was it! No wonder he felt something was off ever since entering this place. Now the mystery in his heart had finally been unraveled!

"I must fight until the very last moment!"

Liang Xi's movement technique reached an extreme limit, his body surrounded by crackling lightning. This must have been his very last ounce of strength!

"Forget it. Even if I killed a kid like you, you wouldn't accept it, and frankly, I've lost all interest in the current you. Get out of here!"

"Leave? Go where?"

"Naturally, leave this place. What? Do you really want to keep keeping me company? Your cultivation has already recovered—kid, I cannot kill you; that is the agreement between me and the Liang family. My sole purpose here is to help restore your cultivation, and look, your power has fully returned!"

"You foolish boy, don't you understand yet? Your coming here was entirely the intention of your father and mother. If they hadn't permitted it, no matter how strong your cultivation was, you would never have been able to cross over to this place!"

"Very well, I know you have many questions in your mind. However, you don't need to worry; the problems troubling you will eventually be resolved by me!"

"Go. This place is no longer suitable for you. If you continue lingering here, what kind of outcome do you think awaits you? You might actually die! And that is an outcome I truly do not wish to see. Do you understand my thoughts over all these years?"

"Jun Cailin, I have fulfilled the promise I made to you. Now you can tell me: when can I leave? I lost all emotional attachment to this place ages ago. Why must you still make me stay? You clearly know how much I despise this, yet you refuse to let me go!"

"If you truly wish to leave, I naturally won't stop you. My son recovering his cultivation is entirely thanks to you. I know that no matter what I say, it cannot fully express my gratitude!"

"How about this: if you ever genuinely need my help in the future, I will definitely assist you. I swear I am not lying to you. You've had a truly hard time all these years! I want to say I'm sorry."

The Liang family owed its current status largely to the Spirit River, yet for many past years, not a single member of the Liang family had ever uttered a simple thank-you to this entity!

"Never mind, you've already said that thank-you. You always say the Liang family owes its existence to me, but I know very well that I didn't actually do much. It's just good to be a disciple of the Liang family; everyone knows these things deep down, they just choose never to say them aloud!"

"Your son possesses an exceptionally deep foundation. I believe that if we truly fought, I might not be his match. Given the chance, I'd really love to see just how far this boy's cultivation can go!"

"However, it seems we won't have that opportunity now. Liang Xi, you did well. Think carefully about what you must do next!"

"In other words, just how far are you willing to go for the Liang family?"

Just how far was he willing to go for the Liang family? Did that even need asking? He would do anything, as long as it truly protected the Liang family. After all, for Liang Xi, the Liang family was his root; without his roots, he would truly have nothing left, and Liang Xi refused to become such a person!

"Mother, earlier you asked whether I would save Second Uncle if he fell into danger. Now I finally understand what that question meant, and I will definitely go!"

"That's right. You are my son, and furthermore, the future of the Liang family. How the family develops from now on depends entirely on you. I know that telling you this now makes it hard for you to grasp, and you might even think it's a distant concern. But I want to tell you: this matter is not distant at all!"

"Now, tell me what you intend to do?"

"Do you remember what I said earlier? I said your Second Uncle would encounter danger in three days. Today is the third day. Tell me, what will you do now?"

"Mother, no need to say any more. I'm going right now!"

"Respected seniors, your kindness to this junior is something I can never repay in this lifetime. However, you can all rest easy: as long as I have a single breath left, I will protect the Liang family. From this moment on, the Liang family is my everything. For the Liang family, I can achieve anything. That is a promise!"

Wonderful! Since you've said as much, what are you waiting for? Your Second Uncle is currently in grave danger. If you arrive even a step late, the outcome might be something you cannot accept. Why aren't you setting off immediately?

Liang Xi no longer lingered. His body instantly transformed into a streak of light, hurtling toward Dark Moon!

He hadn't visited the place known as Dark Moon in a long time. Rumored to harbor countless supreme experts, he had strangely never laid eyes upon them himself. Such matters remained a mystery to him!

He was a warrior, and as a warrior, he needed to make some changes. Liang Xi knew very well that everyone feared him now, and no one dared to cross blades with him. He had grown thoroughly tired of such isolation! Since that was the case, he would simply take the initiative and strike!

The exact location of Dark Moon had puzzled many for years; no one knew its coordinates except its disciples, while outsiders had to expend considerable effort just to reach it!

The more troublesome something was, the more Liang Xi enjoyed doing it. This man loved tasks that provided a profound sense of achievement—nothing else could compare to that feeling!

Liang Xi slowly reined in his thoughts, casting a cold gaze at the crowd surrounding him. His expression turned icy. "Weren't you acting quite arrogant just now? Spouting nonsense about wiping out the Liang family—hmph, you certainly have a lot of nerve!"

"Your Excellency must be Senior Earth Dragon, right? Hmph, strictly speaking, this shouldn't be my place to lecture you, but an old fogey like you should know that our Liang family is fiercely protective of its own. How I treat Liang Chen is my business, but if anyone outside the Liang family dares to bully a member of the Liang family, they are courting death!"

"Oh, and who might this be? Isn't it the young master of the Liang family? What? Tired of being the young master and wishing to be a prisoner instead? However, you should know that is absolute impossibility. Do you truly believe that after practicing cultivation for a few years, you are a match for me? You know very well that I won't give you that chance, and no matter what skills you possess, it's all useless!"

"Death is your ultimate destination!"

"Liang Chen, you really are utter trash. Back then, you were just like this—whenever any trouble arose, you always sought help from others, never once considering what you yourself could do. Am I wrong?"

"This battle was originally your own fight. If you don't fight now, how can you prove your own strength? How about this: since you're so eager for a fight, I'll grant you a chance. Right now, all you have to do is kneel and admit you were wrong, and I will spare you. My condition has never changed; I simply want you to apologize to Liu Shuyu. What? Is that really so difficult for you?"

"Yet you weren't always like this in the past. Did you ever think you'd end up in such a state back then? Probably not. Well, since you never imagined it, it doesn't matter—I can fulfill your wish right now!"

"Hmph, do you think I would ever do such a thing? You should know by now that I am a person who never apologizes to anyone, no matter who they are!"

Liang Chen stared at Earth Dragon as he spoke.