Chapter 035: Farewell

  "These people are so annoying, following me around every day," Qing Yuan muttered, glancing out the window before turning back with a grin and plopping down on a chair, his plump body jiggling.

  "Haha, I never expected the person I saved to be the Second Prince of the Qing Yang Empire," Yang Tian said with a smile, sitting across from Qing Yuan.

  "Second Prince?" Qing Yuan paused, then let out a bitter laugh. "Ah, Brother Yang, what's the use of power and status? I'd rather not have it. I'd prefer to live freely and happily."

  "Everyone envies power and status, yet in your eyes, it's worthless? How can one live freely without being able to protect what's theirs?" Yang Tian replied, noticing the sadness in Qing Yuan's eyes. A flicker of sorrow passed through Yang Tian's own gaze.

  Perhaps in Qing Yuan's eyes, Yang Tian seemed to live freely, but he didn't know the burdens Yang Tian carried or the hardships he had endured over the years. Vengeance had always been a whip driving him forward.

  "Sigh, perhaps you don't understand the internal situation of the empire. To be honest, the Qing Yang Empire is powerful across the eastern continent, but what good does that do me?"

  Qing Yuan took a sip of tea, a trace of bitterness in his eyes. "Now, I'm just an ordinary person. If it weren't for you, Brother Yang, I might have lost my life last time. I couldn't even protect a woman. What's the use of power and status? What use is it?"

  "It's strange. As the Second Prince of the Qing Yang Empire, you're just an ordinary person?" Yang Tian rubbed his nose, shaking his head slightly. The Qing Yang Empire had vast resources. Even a pig could achieve some level of cultivation with such backing, right?

  Qing Yuan seemed to sense Yang Tian's confusion. Since Yang Tian had saved his life, Qing Yuan felt he could confide in him.

  Qing Yuan suddenly smiled. "Actually, my talent for cultivation was quite good when I was young. I started cultivating at eight, reached the Martial Dao stage at eleven, and broke through to the Profound Realm at fifteen." He paused, looking at Yang Tian with a hint of pride.

  "Breaking through to the Profound Realm at fifteen? That's truly monstrous." Yang Tian swallowed hard, feeling a surge of awe. The most talented person he had ever known was Yang Ba, who had reached the Profound Realm at seventeen, but even he couldn't compare to Qing Yuan.

  "Big brother, if you were still alive, you'd probably have broken through to the War King Realm by now," Yang Tian muttered to himself, feeling a surge of anticipation for his journey across the continent. The vast and boundless world of cultivation was undeniably alluring to someone his age. Only through trials of blood and fire could one forge the path to ultimate strength.

  "And then what?" Yang Tian asked, noticing Qing Yuan's proud expression. He couldn't help but roll his eyes, marveling at Qing Yuan's resilient mindset.

  "And then?" Qing Yuan stood up, pulling out a bottle of wine from somewhere and taking a few large gulps. His face flushed red as he spoke bitterly, "My talent was high, and my strength wasn't bad either. When I was sixteen, my father allowed me to travel."

  He paused, a touch of sweetness appearing in his eyes as he smiled faintly. "During my travels, I met a woman. I fell deeply in love with her, and she loved me too. Her name was Xiao Qing—a beautiful name."

  At this point, Qing Yuan's plump face twisted with rage, a torrent of hatred flashing in his eyes.

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  "But she was the daughter of the Demon Lord of the Western Continent!" His fists clenched, cracking loudly.

  "A shape-shifting demon beast..." Yang Tian licked his dry lips. Demons that reached the sixth rank could transform into seventh-rank demon beasts. Such beings were terrifyingly powerful and often clashed with humans.

  "Tell me," Qing Yuan roared, pacing the room and gulping more wine. "Tell me, what was wrong with us being together? What was wrong?"

  Watching Qing Yuan's frenzied state, his face flushed from the alcohol, it was clear he had drunk a lot.

  "Well... it's not exactly normal," Yang Tian thought. Humans and demons didn't get along. While large-scale wars were rare, small conflicts were common. Marriages between humans and demons were almost unheard of unless one was a powerful figure. But the daughter of the Demon Lord? Even a peerless expert would think twice.

  "Xiao Qing and I ignored the Demon Lord's objections and ran away together. We even consummated our relationship." Qing Yuan threw his head back and laughed, a wild, almost mad laughter.

  "Bold move, running off with the Demon Lord's daughter and even consummating the relationship," Yang Tian thought, rolling his eyes at Qing Yuan's hysterical laughter.

  Qing Yuan suddenly sat down again. "Eventually, the Demon Lord found us. He destroyed my energy sea, turning me into a cripple."

  He slammed the table, his face red with anger. "But that old bastard imprisoned Xiao Qing! All these years, I haven't even been able to see her. He imprisoned his own daughter! Brother Yang, tell me, is he even human? No, he's a beast!"

  The hatred in Qing Yuan's eyes grew thicker. A once-proud genius reduced to a cripple—such punishment was far from light. The Qing Yang Empire, though powerful, was no match for the Demon Lord.

  Qing Yuan looked like a madman, his eyes filled with boundless hatred.

  "Brother Qing, the Qing Yang Empire has vast resources. Couldn't they find a treasure to repair your energy sea?" Yang Tian asked, puzzled. He suddenly recalled the rare treasures on the Qing Yang Continent that could repair energy seas.

  "Brother Yang, are you joking? Rare treasures that can repair energy seas are incredibly hard to find. Most have vanished. Even with money, it's nearly impossible. My father has been searching, but to no avail." Qing Yuan slumped in his chair, his face red as he gulped more wine. His legs trembled slightly, his eyes filled with bitterness.

  "Back then, I was the top talent in the empire. But now..." He clenched his fists and sneered. "The other princes used to look up to me. Now they mock me, calling me a waste behind my back. Only my elder brother truly cares for me."

  Tears streamed down Qing Yuan's face, his eyes filled with rage and resentment, but also a faint, deeply hidden determination.

  "A waste? I was a waste for seven years too. It's not an easy burden to bear—facing ridicule and humiliation every day." Yang Tian suddenly stood up, feeling a sense of camaraderie with Qing Yuan.

  Yang Tian turned back, watching Qing Yuan snoring loudly on the floor. He couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed Qing Yuan had been carrying a lot of pain, and Yang Tian had become his confidant.

  "Consider yourself lucky. This Fire Dragon Divine Fruit will repay the debt from yesterday. From now on, we're even. Whether you can heal your energy sea depends on your fate."

  Yang Tian placed a jade box on the table, extinguishing the reluctance in his eyes. Although the Fire Dragon Divine Fruit was precious, it was worth trading for a favor. He had offended the ancient Li family, and his foster father needed someone to look after him.

  "Qing Yuan's drunk and sleeping inside," Yang Tian said with a faint smile, blinking at the guards approaching.

  "Sleeping? At this hour?" The black-clad leader scratched his head, watching Yang Tian's retreating figure with a sigh. He glanced at the closed door, a trace of pity in his eyes.

  "Once the Second Prince who dominated the eastern continent, fearless and bold, now reduced to this..."

  In the main hall.

  Lin Yuan dismissed the crowd and patted Yang Tian's shoulder, smiling gently. "Xiao Tian, no matter what you do, your foster father supports you. This old bone of mine isn't afraid of death."

  Yang Tian's body stiffened. He looked at the smiling old man before him and suddenly knelt down.

  Thud! Thud! Thud!

  He kowtowed three times!

  Lin Yuan didn't stop him, for he deserved it.

  Yang Tian suppressed the lump in his throat and looked up at Lin Yuan. "Foster Father, Xiao Tian will return. Wait for me!"

  Silently watching Yang Tian's retreating figure, Lin Yuan's face filled with pride. He was certain that Kuangyun City could no longer contain this extraordinary young man.

  He had a premonition that Yang Tian's journey would stir the winds and clouds of the eastern continent.

  Only through trials of blood and fire could a young eagle grow strong wings, soaring through the skies and reaching the heavens above!