Chapter 416: Who Gave You That Confidence?

"No need to be nervous!"

Seeming to see through Shen Yu's vigilance, Mu Zishan gave him a gentle smile, then relaxed his body slightly and exhaled a breath of stale air.

After doing this, he turned his face to carefully size up the Shen Yu opposite him; he could tell the true age of this young man.

To possess such strength at this age was something even he himself had never achieved in the past.

"To be able to break through the limits of the world at such a young age, you are truly remarkable!"

Looking at Shen Yu with eyes full of admiration, Mu Zishan nodded with satisfaction; it was the appreciation of a senior for a junior. Each generation produces its own talents, and the jianghu would remain just as brilliant without him.

For a moment, Shen Yu felt somewhat unaccustomed to such a gaze. To be honest, he hadn't encountered this kind of look in a very long time.

He didn't know when it started, but everywhere he went, he was met with awe and trepidation; there was no one left who would look at him like this.

Now, seeing such a gaze again gave him a feeling as if he were in a dream.

"Mu Zishan!" Giving a slight bow to Shen Yu, Mu Zishan showed none of the arrogance of a senior, but instead treated him with an attitude of equality.

"By the way, I must thank you. If not for you, it would likely have taken some time for me to awaken."

"Junior Shen Yu, it is my good fortune to be able to help you, Senior." Having regained his composure, Shen Yu also bowed to the other party and replied.

"For you to disregard your own safety to guard the Forbidden Land for a century, Senior—your character is truly worthy of respect!"

"Heh, it was merely doing my humble part; in the end, I could not change this World."

Sighing softly, Mu Zishan looked up at the void, his eyes seeming to pierce through the firmament to see the other shore of the World. At the same time, a faint sorrow appeared on his face.

The dignified Mu Zishan—why did he seem so sentimental?

It was just that his aura was truly profound and powerful, like an unfathomable abyss, making it impossible to see its boundaries or know its end.

In the blink of an eye just now, it seemed as if Mu Zishan's perception had covered the entire World, taking everything in at a glance.

Standing before him, Shen Yu felt like an ant, as if the other could kill him with a casual wave of his hand.

He knew Mu Zishan might be powerful, but he had never imagined he would be this powerful, leaving one feeling very insecure.

He had found Mu Zishan and awakened him; there shouldn't be any problems, right?

Shen Yu was also very clear that Mu Zishan had merely fallen into a deep sleep. Even without him, Mu Zishan would have awakened one day, and that day would not have been far off.

Withdrawing his aura, Mu Zishan sighed again, "A century of vicissitudes; the old friends from back then are mostly gone. This World has become so strange even to me."

"Shen Yu, is it? I also did not expect this World to give birth to a genius like you. Given time, you will surely stand at the peak. But sometimes, standing at the peak is not a good thing."

"You can see scenery that others cannot, but you can also see dangers that others cannot!"

Standing before Shen Yu, Mu Zishan spoke to himself, not knowing if he was speaking for his own ears or for someone else's.

Perhaps it was the loneliness of a century that made him want to talk a while longer after finally seeing a person.

"I sat in the Forbidden Land for a century, enduring the impact of Spirit Qi for a century, and enjoying that increasingly violent Spirit Qi for a century."

"Enjoying the Spirit Qi of the Forbidden Land for a century?" Hearing Mu Zishan's words, Shen Yu's heart couldn't help but skip a beat. Wouldn't that mean all that dense Spirit Qi for a hundred years had been enjoyed by one person alone!

With Mu Zishan's natural talent, he was already like someone using a cheat, and to have exclusive access to such Spirit Qi for a century—what would that even be like?

No wonder he felt so insecure; anyone who ran into him would surely end up battered and broken.

Gu Kun

Although he didn't know what realm Mu Zishan had reached, Shen Yu had some vague guesses; it was very likely that Mu Zishan had reached a level that everyone else could only look up to.

Even those old monsters in their prime would likely have few who could rival him, and the possibility of them being crushed was much greater.

In the past, those old monsters would have drooled at the sight of Mu Zishan; now, they probably wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps in his teeth.

A hundred years ago he could suppress the Forbidden Land alone; a hundred years later he could suppress those old monsters alone. Looking at it this way, being in the same era as Mu Zishan was truly a tragedy.

Eh? Thinking about it this way, does that mean there's no need to worry about those old monsters causing trouble?

"Are you thinking about those old monsters who are gradually awakening?" Mu Zishan's eyes seemed to pierce his heart, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

Just as Shen Yu was gloating over those old monsters, Mu Zishan poured a bucket of cold water on him.

"Those old monsters are nothing but a group of Chess Pieces; perhaps even they don't know that they are actually nothing at all."

"I fear the burden of this World will fall to you in the future, because I cannot stay for long. I am leaving, to do what I believe is right!"

"Ah? Senior is leaving?"

"Yes, if I do not leave, some people will not be at ease. Moreover, there are some things that if I do not do, none of this will end."

"I am going to end all of this. If I am fortunate enough to succeed, then we shall have a day to meet again. If I fail, then this will likely be our final meeting."

A faint sense of battle intent appeared, and Mu Zishan's face revealed a touch of determination.

A hundred years ago he had resolutely gone to suppress the Forbidden Land, and a hundred years later, having just awakened, he was going to challenge some powerful and terrifying thing again. In his heart, it seemed he did not know what fear was.

Removing the jade pendant he carried, Mu Zishan placed it into Shen Yu's hands.

"Take this. This jade pendant has been with me for a century, nourished by me day and night; it has gained some power and can, to some extent, protect your safety."

"Strive to become stronger. I have recorded everything you want to know on it. When one day you can read what is inside, it will prove that you have the ability to face all of this."

"Before then, you need to become stronger, constantly become stronger. You are still too weak now, so weak that you don't even have the qualifications to stand beside them!"

"The Great Contention Era, heh, the so-called Great Contention Era is nothing more than a game; in the eyes of some, the people of the world are of no consequence."

"I want to tear apart the rules they have set, I want to challenge the impossible. Tell me, am I a madman? Sometimes I even doubt if I am crazy myself!"

"But one must go crazy at least once, otherwise wouldn't life be full of regrets!"

While speaking, Mu Zishan patted Shen Yu on the shoulder, and a stream of Spirit Qi surged into his body, immediately forming a vortex within Shen Yu's body that began to whale-swallow the surrounding Spirit Qi.

Endless Spirit Qi gathered, condensing into liquid within Shen Yu's body, forming streams that flowed rapidly to create a perfect cycle.

The dense Spirit Qi continuously nourished his entire body; these Spirit Qi clung to him rather than forcibly merging with his power all at once, which would have been like pulling up seedlings to help them grow.

This allowed Shen Yu to be bathed in dense Spirit Qi at all times; although it could not make him become very strong immediately, it created an environment far superior to the outside world, allowing him to be nourished constantly.

The benefits of this were continuous, far better than suddenly helping him raise his realm.

"Thank you, Senior!"

"No need to thank me. Actually, I should thank you; if not for your help, I might have had to sleep for a while longer."

"Now I am awake, even earlier than I had anticipated; this time difference is my opportunity."

"Shen Yu, strive to grow, I will be waiting for you!"