Fengyun Wuyi had already regained some consciousness. In his dazed state, he could hear Yōu Wúxié's voice calling "Mòyuè, Mòyuè," mixed with murmurs of past events. Only then did he realize that Mòyuè was Yōu Wúxié's disciple and beloved son.
As he fully woke up, he noticed Yōu Wúxié shaking his shoulders violently, shouting Mòyuè's name in a frantic, almost delirious tone. It dawned on him that Yōu Wúxié had mistaken him for his son.
"Yōu Wúxié, wake up. I'm Fengyun Wuyi, not Mòyuè," Fengyun Wuyi said, trying to push him away. But Yōu Wúxié immediately rushed back, holding his head, sobbing, "Mòyuè, don't leave me! You're my only son! What will I do if you go? That demon is too strong—you can't defeat him! Don't go!"
Fengyun Wuyi extended his hand, intending to push him away again, but he hesitated. During his semi-conscious state, Yōu Wúxié's rambling monologue had revealed his pain. Despite everything, he could tell Yōu Wúxié was a tragic figure.
With a sigh, Fengyun Wuyi withdrew his hand and said, "Look clearly, I am not Mòyuè. I am Fengyun Wuyi."
Yōu Wúxié lifted his head in shock, staring intently at Fengyun Wuyi. Just when Fengyun Wuyi thought he was finally awake, Yōu Wúxié held his shoulders tightly, his voice trembling with urgency. "How can this be? How could your complexion be so deathly pale? Have you been poisoned by that demon? Don't worry—I'll heal you."
Yōu Wúxié didn't wait for an answer. He pushed Fengyun Wuyi so that he was facing away, then sat cross-legged, placing one palm on Fengyun Wuyi's back and the other on his head. Fengyun Wuyi tried to resist, but despite the tenfold increase in power from his Nine Rebirths of Life and Death technique, he was no match for Yōu Wúxié in his current state. The immense power of Yōu Wúxié's millions of years of cultivation overwhelmed him—no amount of skill could compare.
A torrent of icy true qi surged into Fengyun Wuyi's body, violently sweeping through and unlocking hidden channels. Normally, the second stage of the Nine Rebirths of Life and Death—"Life Worse Than Death"—would leave Fengyun Wuyi with a deathly pallor for an extended period, but under the impact of Yōu Wúxié's cultivated energy, Fengyun Wuyi's technique broke through the second layer and entered the third—"Death Leading to Life"—then onto the fourth stage, the realm of "Neither Life Nor Death."
At thirty-three, Fengyun Wuyi had ascended, and his face still resembled someone in their thirties. But with the effects of this technique, his hair grew longer, darker, and shinier. His skin became pale and smooth, his features softened, and his appearance regressed to that of a youthful seventeen- or eighteen-year-old.
There was a thud behind him. Fengyun Wuyi turned to see Yōu Wúxié collapse to the ground, a bitter smile on his face.
"All the power I cultivated for millions of years... and now it's yours," Yōu Wúxié coughed up blood, his face growing rosier. His eyes, once red, turned back to black, sparkling like stars. "I suppose this is karma, huh? You wanted revenge—now is your chance."
Fengyun Wuyi remained silent. No matter what, he couldn't bring himself to strike Yōu Wúxié. From the look on his face, it was clear he had regained full consciousness.
The true qi surged through his body, a deep and unimaginable energy, like a vast, endless starry sky.
Seeing Yōu Wúxié continue to cough up blood, Fengyun Wuyi reached out and took his hand, pouring his own true qi into Yōu Wúxié's body.
Yōu Wúxié wheezed and gave a grim smile. "No need... I know my injuries are beyond healing. Even though I transferred all my power to you in a daze, I knew I was doomed. The Destroyer Path Master's power is unparalleled. Even with my millions of years of cultivation, I couldn't stand against his attack. That one strike from his divine sense has shattered my mind. This was always going to be my fate."
Yōu Wúxié paused, his voice filled with bitterness. "I spent millions of years cultivating. My skills might not be considered extraordinary by the great masters, but they shouldn't have gone to waste. Your only weakness when you entered this ancient world was power. Now that you have mine, you stand on equal footing with many others. With this power, your strange martial arts should reach their full potential."
Fengyun Wuyi remained silent, his expression unreadable. Yōu Wúxié forced a laugh, struggling to stand. He swayed unsteadily before heading towards the exit. "Fine. I initially brought you here, but now I regret it... Go on, Fengyun Wuyi. I, Yōu Wúxié, may be at the end of my road, but I won't let anyone laugh at me."
"Do you have any last wishes?" Fengyun Wuyi stood calmly, facing the wind.
Yōu Wúxié laughed heartily. "Hahaha... Good, you're truly my disciple. Don't feel obligated to thank me for the power I gave you. Just promise me this: kill a high-ranking demon named Lucifer for me."
"I will. Go ahead..." Fengyun Wuyi said quietly.
"One last piece of advice," Yōu Wúxié added with a faint grin. "Never provoke the Destroyer Path Master. Never seek revenge for me... Don't deny it—you're cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Remember this: the Destroyer is not someone you can fight. Think about it—how could he survive among the rulers of the Knife Domain and the Snow Domain without them daring to touch him?"
Fengyun Wuyi snorted coldly and replied, "Even if it's not for you, the humiliation he caused me will not go unpunished. I, Fengyun Wuyi, always keep my word..."
Behind him, it was silent. Fengyun Wuyi turned around just in time to see Yōu Wúxié's final moment:
His towering figure, once filled with immense power, slowly turned to ash in the wind, scattering into the air without leaving a trace.
Sighing deeply, Fengyun Wuyi looked up at the sky. The dark clouds rolled in, heavy and sorrowful. For a moment, he felt lost. After Yōu Wúxié's death, he no longer knew where to go. In the distance, he thought he saw Yōu Wúxié's silhouette, watching him from the heavens. Fengyun Wuyi's mind was clouded with uncertainty—he couldn't tell whether he felt more hatred or gratitude toward the man who had been his teacher and ally.