Chapter 1270: Longevity: My Farming-Style Cultivation Is Too Steady Chapter 1270: A Life of Hardship!

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Protagonist:

Xu Zhangqing

Xu Zhangqing fell silent.

He wasn't unable to answer; he just couldn't be bothered.

In terms of aptitude, he indeed wasn't as good as the other party.

In terms of comprehension, he indeed wasn't as good as Pei Mo.

In terms of talent, he indeed wasn't as good as Chu Qiu.

In terms of steadiness, he indeed wasn't as good as Qin Baili, who had been hibernating for a hundred years.

But so what?

Cultivation isn't just about these things!

Having the best aptitude doesn't guarantee surviving to the end.

Having the highest comprehension doesn't guarantee surviving to the end.

Having the strongest talent doesn't guarantee surviving to the end.

Being the steadiest doesn't guarantee surviving to the end.

The gap between them was no longer a matter of cultivation level.

It was like an ant asking an elephant, why can you flatten a mountain with one step?

But the elephant couldn't answer, because even if it explained, the ant wouldn't understand!

So Xu Zhangqing chose silence.

Not responding was the best response.

"You..."

Li Lingbi looked at the other's expressionless face, his agitated emotions gradually calming down.

He wasn't a fool.

The questioning just now was less about asking Xu Zhangqing and more about asking the heavens, asking fate, even asking himself.

Thousands of years of unwillingness had piled up in his heart; today he had simply found an outlet to vent.

Everyone knew clearly that Xu Zhangqing had reached today never by relying on luck.

Back when he was at Dongting Immortal Sect, he had already been able to cultivate top-grade spirit rice.

You have to know, back then fewer than ten people in the entire sect had such skill.

Not to mention, later step by step from Spirit Field Grain Master, to Farming Overseer, to Peak Master, and finally becoming Zong Zhu of a sect.

"Hah~"

Li Lingbi suddenly laughed, laughing at his own incompetence and furious rage.

The two of them just stood silently before Li Sancai's grave.

The mountain wind blew with a "shasha" sound, as if filling this wordless blank.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Lingbi spoke again, his aged voice carrying a few more points of calm and relief: "This time you're back, how long do you plan to stay?"

This question instead made Xu Zhangqing slightly surprised; he thought carefully, then finally shook his head: "I don't know."

The people he knew in the Tianyuan Realm were truly few now.

Han Su was dead.

Zhang Su was dead.

Pei Mo was dead.

Chu Qiu had gone missing.

Qin Baili's whereabouts were unknown.

Li Sancai, Zhou Yan, Qin Ye, Gu Qiao—several senior brothers had all died.

The only one still alive, Li Lingbi was old and feeble, while Mo Qiu Shui had nothing to say.

He hadn't come back this time to reminisce.

It was just to let Frost Sister take one more look at her former home.

Once matters here were settled, it seemed there was no longer any reason for him to keep staying.

Li Lingbi lowered his eyelids, speaking in a deep voice: "The current Tianyuan Realm is no longer like before."

Yao Yue Immortal Sect had split into two factions; one faction guarded the old Yao Yue grounds, sticking to their old ways and accepting no one, while the other faction went far to Xiyu to start anew.

Longhu Immortal Sect, under Lei Yuan's leadership, had become the top power in the Tianyuan Realm.

As for your Qingmu Immortal Sect, though not as grand and radiant as Longhu Immortal Sect, holding fast in Dongyu was still considered stable."

Hearing this, Xu Zhangqing's heart stirred.

Back then, Immortal Maiden Qingyue had used her own laws and Dao rhymes to create her Third Disciple Qingyao.

Originally she had planned to absorb her at the critical stage of undergoing the calamity, thereby making up for her own deficiencies.

Later, Qingyao was forcibly taken away by her eldest son Xu Ping'an, escaping Qingyue Immortal Maiden's control.

Who knew how this former "madam" was faring now?

Therefore Xu Zhangqing couldn't help but ask: "Immortal Maiden Qingyue..."

Li Lingbi shook his head, his voice carrying a trace of emotion: "Speaking of which, the split of Yao Yue Immortal Sect and Immortal Maiden Qingyue's failure in undergoing the calamity, ultimately perishing body and soul, had a great connection."

Xu Zhangqing was stunned: "She perished?"

Li Lingbi gave a slight nod: "Correct, the tribulation crossing failed."

Xu Zhangqing listened to the end, his emotions hardly fluctuating.

Everything has already happened; to sigh or regret now is actually meaningless.

After another stretch of silence, Li Lingbi took a deep breath: "How is Yueyao?"

Li Yueyao, his eldest daughter.

Ever since she followed Xu Ping'an to the Beidou Xianfu, she never returned.

Not merely a few years, a few decades, or a few hundred years, but several thousand years!

Xu Zhangqing shook his head: "The situation is not too good; you also know her aptitude. For a Nascent Soul stage cultivator to live until now, she has already prolonged her lifespan through various methods.

It's just... methods always have a time when they are used up."

Now there are only two choices.

Either attempt to cross the tribulation before her lifespan is exhausted, gambling on life and death.

Or maintain the status quo, peacefully exhausting her remaining lifespan.

But whichever road is chosen, the endpoint will not be too far.

Li Lingbi's face froze for a moment.

In his mind, scenes of his eldest daughter from childhood to adulthood involuntarily surfaced.

As he recalled, recalled, old tears flowed down.

Clearly he had enjoyed boundless glory all his life.

When Eastern Region cultivators mentioned him, none failed to address him as "Senior, Great Power."

Yet in the end, he was mired in hardship all his life, and his daughter was also mired in hardship all her life.

Xu Zhangqing took in the other's reaction, and said seriously: "If you need help, I will do what I can."

After the other party cast secret techniques consuming lifespan many times, the vitality inside his body was already as thin as a layer of window paper that could be poked through at any moment.

Although he owed Li Lingbi nothing, using Creation Power to repair part of his meridian damage and slightly extend his lifespan by a few years was also possible.

"No need!"

Li Lingbi waved his hand.

His hand was so emaciated only a layer of wrinkled skin wrapped the bones.

The brown spots on the back of his hand were dense like mold spots on withered autumn leaves.

His own body's condition, of course he knew best.

The secret techniques overdrew not merely lifespan, but also his Dao foundation.

Repairing it now is more like patching a tree stump hollowed out by insects.

On the surface it seems it can still stand for a while, but in reality a puff would topple it.

Although everything is far from what it once was.

Li Lingbi is still that Li Lingbi.

He does not need pity, even less does he need charity.

"Good."

Xu Zhangqing no longer insisted.

Li Lingbi stood before Li Sancai's tombstone, his withered hand reached out, lightly patted the rough stele surface twice, wiping away dust and dew, then turned and left while tossing out a sentence in a hoarse voice: "Take good care of Yueyao for me!"

Xu Zhangqing did not answer, merely watched the other and nodded.

Li Lingbi's stooped figure receded bit by bit with his steps.

The former him, tall and straight, full of vigor, like an unfalling flag.

Back then he was not only the Li Family's hope, the Rain Water Pavilion's hope, but even the Immortal Sect's hope.

Now, his whole body is shrouded in a layer of heavy twilight aura, even his back view carries a scent of decay.

Xu Zhangqing did not leave; he stood before Li Sancai's tomb, silent for a moment, then suddenly called: "An'an, come out!"

As his words fell, with space rippling, a tall figure appeared out of thin air.

Xu Ping'an's posture was respectful, his eyes full of shock and doubt: "Father, you knew I was following?"

His concealment art was deeply inherited from Zhen Yuanzi's true transmission.

His whole person entered into time, leaving absolutely no trace.

Yet unexpectedly...

Xu Zhangqing not only did not explain, but instead turned around to size him up, his gaze sweeping from top to bottom, then counter-questioned: "Was it Eldest Senior Brother who had you follow me?"

Xu Ping'an subconsciously averted his gaze, answered: "No, it was I..."

Halfway through his words, he was directly cut off by Xu Zhangqing, who said fiercely: "You are my own son, and I raised you from childhood; you cannot deceive me!

Xu Ping'an said helplessly: "Master... is just a bit worried about you, that's all!"