Chapter 1198: Chapter 1170: Doomed Souls
Seeing Chu Songlan and He Baigang’s death, Li Chen felt neither a sense of accomplishment nor the pleasure of revenge.
What he felt was just a faint loneliness and emptiness.
Is a martial artist’s entire life destined to be like this?
Through Chu Songlan’s words, Li Chen learned something about these foster brothers’ past.
They were also peerless talent level martial artists back then. Of course, if they weren’t Heaven’s Pride Level, they couldn’t have broken through to the Earth Level.
After all, how many martial artists, full of dreams, had been stuck at this Earth Level threshold.
But eventually, they encountered his father.
And then, they suffered a miserable defeat.
From that point on, they entered a dark life, their hatred spawning evil thoughts, and they began to stop at nothing to get what they wanted.
In the end, they died at his hands.
Regarding the two of them, Li Chen didn’t feel much hatred, mostly just sympathy.
Through their words, he also realized that they were merely pawns in someone else’s hands, acting only to follow orders this time.
But the people they were ordered to kill were actually his Third Grandpa and Fourth Grandfather.
Suddenly, an endless hatred surged in Li Chen’s heart. He hated this person pulling the strings in the shadows.
For the first time, Li Chen felt such intense hatred for someone.
Why? Why must they target him? Why attack Third Grandpa and Fourth Grandfather?
What is the true reason behind all this?
Looking at the trees around him, destroyed beyond recognition, Li Chen lightly shook his head, his eyes reflecting a faint loneliness.
With a wave of his hand, a powerful True Qi surged out.
The remaining aura around was instantly swept clean, leaving not a trace. No martial artist, no matter how mighty, could ever discover who had fought here.
Taking a deep look at the direction Chu Songlan and He Baigang’s remnants scattered, Li Chen silently picked up the medicine basket, gripping the turtle shell, and slowly walked towards the outside of the mountains.
Linchuan.
The King of the Netherworld has returned.
This news brought excitement to many at the Nether Army Base.
Although Catherine hadn’t disclosed Li Chen’s outing, many martial artists here had their channels for information.
From Zi Zhao’s side, they could vaguely catch some news.
Qin Lunhui and Li Xinglun’s reputations were well-established at the base.
One excelled in medicine techniques, nearly on par with the elders of the Pharmacist Clan, and even slightly superior.
The other specialized in setting up formations and divining, possessing abilities that seemed godly and ghostly. Many formations in the base were set up by Li Xinglun, granting even the newly joined loose cultivators at the Palace of the Nether King the formation-enhanced cultivation benefits that only disciples of major forces could previously enjoy.
All these benefits were thanks to these two elders.
It can be said that these two elders hold significant status in many people’s hearts within the Nether Army.
After learning that the elders were in danger, many were quite worried.
Upon hearing that Li Chen went in search of the two elders, even more people became expectant.
Seeing Li Chen return, some began to look around him, trying to spot the two elders. But after looking for a long time, they found no one around Li Chen at all.
"Boss, what’s going on?" Catherine was evidently more perceptive than others and noticed Li Chen’s odd expression immediately. She swiftly cleared irrelevant people from the room and led Li Chen into a quiet office.
Li Chen still said nothing, nor did he show any intention to give orders; he just quietly sat in the office chair, seemingly lost in thought.
Catherine glanced at Li Chen, sighed softly, and left the office without saying another word.
She was a smart woman, knowing what to say and when. Clearly, Li Chen didn’t need her comfort now; she didn’t even know what happened, let alone how to console him. So all she could do was leave some space for Li Chen to quietly reflect.
Indeed, Li Chen needed time to think.
He had a lot to ponder.
But more than anything, he was immersed in sorrow.
In his mind, suddenly and unexpectedly, flashed the words Old Daoist Wenxing said when he was about to leave the Mystic Star Sect.
"I think, you will never understand what roaring is."
Li Chen looked at his palm, "Is this what roaring means?"
Li Chen sighed softly. If he had to trade his relatives’ lives for this level of Roaring power, he truly didn’t want it.
Upon breaking through in strength, his heart felt not the slightest joy but only endless regret.
Li Chen’s silence didn’t last long before a figure walked in from outside.
"Second Grandfather?" Seeing the elder before him, Li Chen jumped up in surprise, finding himself at a loss for words with countless things to say stuck in his throat.
He truly didn’t know how to start.
"You don’t need to speak, I already know." Second Grandfather seemed very calm, gesturing to Li Chen as he spoke.
"You know?" Li Chen’s expression carried a hint of surprise.
"I might know even more than you do." Second Grandfather looked at Li Chen and suddenly broke into a faint smile.
"Both Third Grandpa and Fourth Grandfather are fine, just a little injured and recovering somewhere now." Second Grandfather laughed.
"Third Grandpa and Fourth Grandfather are okay?!" Li Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Second Grandfather.
"What, you don’t believe even me now?" Second Grandfather feigned displeasure.
"Actually, I knew about all this beforehand." Second Grandfather gazed at Li Chen and, somewhat emotionally, said: "We all agreed not to tell you after some discussion, just to push you a bit. To our surprise, it really worked."
Li Chen’s face brimmed with incredulity.
Third Grandpa and Fourth Grandfather did this just to push him?
But why?
Suddenly, Li Chen came to his senses, looking at his own hands.
"To help me break through?"
Second Grandfather nodded, "We could all see that you were on the verge of breaking through to the Roaring Level, but you were missing that little something. I’ve been through the Roaring Level myself, so I knew precisely what you needed to break through to it."
Li Chen’s gaze was complex.
He had thought his grandfathers merely left him to his own devices, indifferent and letting him cultivate on his own. Yet, unexpectedly, they had been silently watching over him, even going to great lengths to stage a bitter act for him.
"You met those two guys, didn’t you?" Second Grandfather suddenly asked.
"Yes." Li Chen nodded, "They’re dead."
Second Grandfather’s voice paused, and after a long time, he gazed quietly out of the window, "In truth, everyone has their troubled fate."