Chapter 959: The Zhao Siblings' Past

At the same time, in a valley deep within the Central Region far from the southern Central Plains, the surrounding peaks were graceful and towering, the grass a fresh green, and a slow‑flowing brook ran straight through its middle.

Between mountains and water, trees grew thick and luxuriant, a vivid, thriving natural tableau.

Between the brook's banks and the peaks lay a flat meadow hundreds of meters wide.

Upon that meadow stood several wooden manor houses.

And from the traces around the manors, it seemed humans had long inhabited the place.

"Buzz~"

Just then, the previously tranquil valley was shattered by a pitch‑black vortex that suddenly rose into the sky.

"Whoosh~ whoosh~ whoosh~"

Immediately, three figures swooped out of the slowly rotating vortex and abruptly appeared in the sky.

"This is where I usually reside, Lin Feng, my young friend—follow me."

After the spatial portal opened, Zhao Yuan's hoarse old voice rang across the realm.

As soon as the words fell, the former's steps lightened, and the next moment he was at the gate of a manor below, then walked straight into the wooden house inside.

"The scenery here is quite nice."

Lin Feng looked around, let out a silent sigh, then lunged forward and vanished into the void.

In the next instant, a faint ripple stirred the space at the manor's gate below.

Immediately, Lin Feng flew out and fell in step behind Zhao Yuan, who was walking slowly with a cane.

"This kid's spatial control is stronger than mine."

Seeing Lin Feng's movement, Zhao Ran, hovering in the sky, furrowed his dark brows, a hint of puzzlement flashing in his eyes.

But as Zhao Yuan and the other entered the wooden house, she had no choice but to set aside her doubt, dart forward, and follow right behind them.

Inside the house, Lin Feng glanced around the room and found the décor extremely simple.

Aside from a wooden table, four wooden stools, and some common furniture, there were few other items.

Then, curious, he turned to Zhao Yuan and asked, "Senior, what exactly is the thing you mentioned?"

Zhao Ran had mentioned it repeatedly before, so now his curiosity about that mysterious item was through the roof.

Hearing that, Zhao Yuan gestured to the table, then sat down himself, placing his cane aside.

Lin Feng, seeing this, took no courtesy and casually sat on a stool.

Meanwhile, behind the two, Zhao Ran was holding a tea tray, stepped out of the adjacent room, and approached the table.

He then placed a cup of tea before each of them.

Zhao Yuan casually set the tea aside, and his hoarse voice drifted out slowly.

"When I was young, my cultivation talent across the Dou Qi Continent was only middle‑to‑upper level; after a hundred‑plus years of diligent practice, I was merely a High‑Stage Dou Zong at the pinnacle."

Hearing this, Lin Feng analyzed in his mind: "Over a hundred years old, a Dou Zong pinnacle talent is barely enough to reach the level of a candidate for a sect leader under Your Excellency of the Four Directions. For an ordinary faction, that would already be an outstanding genius. Yet, considering that the Zhao family could summon three Half‑Saint‑rank alchemists to forge Eighth Grade Pill for Zhao Yuan, being born into such a clan, the former's talent truly cannot be called exceptional."

After a brief pause, Zhao Yuan continued: "However, I was extremely lucky; at that time, an ancient Dou Emperor relic—a Light‑Shadow Space—suddenly manifested."

"Light‑Shadow Space?!"

Hearing that, Lin Feng's expression instantly turned to surprise.

He knew that Light‑Shadow Space, where the Yao Chen Burning Secret and the Black Demon Cauldron were obtained.

However, that relic requires at least five hundred, up to a thousand years, before it can emerge from the void.

The Light‑Shadow Space last manifested less than two hundred years ago, so Lin Feng could only lament having missed it.

As for Zhao Yuan, when he spoke of the Light‑Shadow Space, his tone clearly grew excited.

"Back then, my sibling and I, upon encountering that once‑in‑centuries Dou Emperor relic, deliberated briefly, and the four of us entered together to seek opportunity."

"Four people?"

Hearing this, Lin Feng's heart stirred briefly, and he muttered silently.

While pondering, Lin Feng's gaze also swept the interior of the wooden house.

When he arrived, though he hadn't deliberately sensed, his powerful soul force revealed that aside from the three of them, no one else was present.

Of course, if the remaining two were immensely powerful and could shield his perception, he truly would not sense them.

However, from Zhao Ran's earlier description, the Zhao family likely has no one else of Zhao Yuan's rank or stronger.

At that moment, Zhao Yuan continued: "Within that Light‑Shadow Space, because among the four of us there was a Seventh Grade High-level and a Seventh Grade Pinnacle Alchemist, and everyone's strength was at least High‑Stage Dou Zong, this expedition gave us a huge advantage over the many other exploration parties. After countless battles inside, we obtained a massive haul of treasures rarely seen in the world for hundreds, even thousands of years."

When the former was halfway through his speech, whether it was an illusion or not, Lin Feng felt Zhao Ran beside him tremble slightly upon hearing "Seventh Grade Pinnacle Alchemist."

A pair of jade‑white hands clenched tightly.

However, the former seemed to realize his lapse, so he opened his pale, tender fingers again and lifted the tea in front of him to drink.

"Alas~"

Before Lin Feng could ask Zhao Ran, the other side's Zhao Yuan let out a sigh, his voice drifting out slowly again.

"Among all those items, the materials for forging Eighth Grade Pill were the cheapest. The thing that allowed me to defy fate was, within the Light‑Shadow Space, after I once encountered a Bright Sacrificial Tower, the Holy Radiance Cauldron I obtained from it, and the vast treasures inside the Medicine Cauldron."

"Holy Radiance Cauldron? Could it be the seventh entry on the Celestial Cauldron Ranking?"

Hearing the words "Holy Radiance Cauldron," Lin Feng's face instantly showed astonishment, and he exclaimed in surprise.

Since the original work's side story never detailed who ultimately possessed the Holy Radiance Cauldron, which ranks one level above the Black Demon Cauldron.

Therefore, even he had previously been unaware of the cauldron's whereabouts.

He never expected that thing would be fortuitously taken by Zhao Yuan, a cultivator who is not an alchemist.

From his words, Zhao Yuan's current achievements are inseparably linked to the resources within that cauldron.

"Indeed, my older brother was lucky back then, stumbling upon that treasured cauldron praised as the world's Light Origin split‑off treasure, the Holy Radiance Cauldron!"

Seeing his astonished expression, Zhao Ran took a sip of tea and then smiled, explaining.

However, for some reason, her smile seemed to reveal an indescribable emotion.

Having said that, she added, "It's just that my brother lacks the talent to become a pill refiner, so he lent that Holy Radiance Cauldron to my half‑brother, the second older brother, who is the Seventh Grade High-level alchemist my brother mentioned earlier."

"Second older brother?"

Hearing that, Lin Feng felt slightly surprised.

Of course, what surprised him wasn't that the other party had a half‑brother; after all, on this strength‑driven Dou Qi Continent, it is quite common in somewhat larger families for people to have half‑siblings.

After all, among those regional overlords, unless they are uninterested in such matters, who doesn't have a hundred or eighty concubines or favorites?

What truly puzzled him was that since he met Zhao Ran, within Xiao Dan Tower he had never heard that she even had a second older brother.

However, Zhao Ran seemed to know what he was thinking.

After seeing her expression, she immediately lowered her tone: "It's normal that you haven't heard of my second older brother; after all, he was ambushed and killed long ago. This isn't really a secret within Xiao Dan Tower. The assassin who attacked my second older brother was my husband—or rather, my ex‑husband."

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng felt even more surprised.

He couldn't understand why Zhao Ran's husband would ambush his wife's second older brother.

"Could it be for the Holy Radiance Cauldron?"

After pondering for a moment, he could only fix his gaze on the Seventh‑ranked Celestial Cauldron.

Although he felt Zhao Ran's husband had no need to act that way, beyond that he could not think of any other reason.

After Zhao Ran finished speaking, Zhao Yuan continued: "The massive resources obtained from Light‑Shadow Space have helped me refine my cultivation talent, and I also traded them for a great amount of precious cultivation resources, but after a thousand years of consumption, they are now almost exhausted."

At that point, the former abruptly changed tone, a hint of solemnity flashing across his weathered, root‑like face: "However, I still possess one final item in my hands."

"I've toiled with this thing for over a thousand years, but unfortunately, no matter what method I use, I cannot damage it in the slightest. Even prolonged contact won't work."

As he spoke, a trace of anguish flashed in Zhao Yuan's murky eyes.

Given the hardness of that object, whatever is hidden inside must be an extraordinary treasure.

He had once considered breaking it open to see if its contents could help him break through to Dou Saint and thus solve his short lifespan.

But unfortunately, no matter what method he employed, even as a high‑level half‑saint strongman using the Heavenly Tier Battle Technique to strike with full force, he could not damage it at all.

While speaking, Zhao Yuan lightly brushed his ring, and a faint glimmer flashed; in an instant, a very heavy, flat metal box appeared on the small wooden table before them.