The sky was dark, the land was desolate, and it was lonely.

When Zang Jian heard Ou Yangming's answer, he let out a sigh of relief in his heart. He thought to himself, 'That attack against the Venerable One was worth it.' Just as he thought this, his eyes showed a hint of gloom. He had used all his life-saving methods, but he still had no clue about the spiritual item that could prolong one's life. The Ultimate Sword Peak's peak master, who was his teacher, did not have much time left.

A light flashed in Jiang Liuche's eyes as he looked deeply at Zang Jian.

He cupped his hands and introduced himself, "I'm Jiang Liuche, the patriarch of the Jiang family. Greetings, Brother Zang." The fact that he spoke to Zang Jian as an equal proved that he was showing Ou Yangming his respect.

Zang Jian knew that this was because of Ou Yangming, so he quickly returned the bow.

As for the other elders of the Jiang family, they all looked at Ou Yangming. After seeing him, they could not help but sigh. 'His reputation is well-deserved.'

They even thought, "How could a gifted person be mediocre?" This kind of evaluation was extremely high. Anyone who had seen Ou Yangming could see that he had the ambition of a roc. It was only a matter of time before he turned into a dragon.

Of course, this was also because everyone knew of his deeds. If not, even if he was a dragon among men, it would be impossible for him to gain the recognition of so many people at the same time.

Fame was illusory, but it could still play an unexpected role in some special situations. If Jiang Yunkai had known of Ou Yangming's strength, he would not have treated the young fellow with such an attitude.

Jiang Liuche waved his sleeves and shifted his gaze to Ou Yangming. His voice was calm as he said, "I met Jiang Yunkai on the way."

Ou Yangming's eyes narrowed imperceptibly, and he remained silent. Both of them were smart people. Some things were enough to be brought up but not talked about for long.

Of course, he understood what Jiang Liuche meant. He also gained a better understanding of the Jiang family's way of doing things.

As for the Venerable One of the Blood Horned Dragon Clan, they also had a tacit understanding and did not bring it up.

Jiang Liuche knew since He Jian had already broken through to become a Venerable One, the Blood Horned Dragons must have been killed by his swords, and that Ou Yangming really did not take it to heart.

After chatting for a while, the dozen or so powerhouses flashed and went far away.

※※※※

In the Jiang Residence, everything was as before. Pavilions stood in a forest, suppressing all directions as they stood on the earth.

On this day, thousands of disciples stood under the totem. They raised their heads to look at something from time to time, their eyes filled with anticipation. This was especially true for some women. They were dressed beautifully and competed with each other for beauty. They gathered in twos and threes and whispered to each other. Their faces were crimson or pink like peach blossoms, and they were very alluring.

"Oh? The patriarch and the others are really coming back today?" A white-robed young man retracted his gaze and asked in a low voice.

"Of course. I heard that Master Yu will come to the Jiang Residence as a guest," someone noted.

"Hmph, of course, we know about this. Otherwise, why would we gather here? Isn't it so that we can take a look at Master Yu and see if we can get a bit of his celestial aura?" An old man with a scar on his face snorted coldly.

As soon as he finished, a man in white slowly walked over under the escort of the elders of the Jiang family.

He was handsome, and his long hair fluttered behind his back. He exuded a strong self-confidence, and his aura was powerful. Who was it if it was not Ou Yangming?

The square, which was supposed to be noisy, unexpectedly quieted down. Everyone stared at Ou Yangming, and they looked at him wherever he went.

At this moment, Ou Yangming became the only focus of attention in the square. He was a God-favored one, and he was also a Daoist disciple.

It was not until he entered the Jiang Residence's main gate and disappeared that someone took in 2 deep breaths of cold air and expressed in a deep voice, "My god, his aura is so oppressive that I could hardly breathe. He feels even more imposing than the Jiang family's Daoist disciple?"

"Nonsense? Can our Daoist disciple force The Venerable Blood Horned Dragon to defend with all his might? So much so that the Venerable One's hand would be cracked??"These words immediately gained the approval of most people. In the Big Ruins, the strong were revered, and the habit of worshipping the strong had already fused into the bloodline.

This was especially true for some of the Jiang family's women. The scorching lights in their eyes looked like they could melt solid ice.

...

In the depths of the Jiang Residence's backyard, there was a small lake. The lake water was blue.

Jiang Qingcheng sat by the side of the small lake. Her smooth and fair feet were soaked in the water, and her beautiful face was reflected on the surface. She put on a flirtatious smile, giggled, and said, "This little girl's really beautiful! Look at her beautiful eyebrows that are as light as willow leaves, her bright eyes, her dimples that smile, and her thin lips. Tsk tsk, she looks just like a little fairy. She's amazing!" She was not stingy with her words as she praised herself.

After looking at the reflection in the water for a while, she looked at Lil' Man beside her.

She smiled before asking, "Lil' Man, do you think I'm pretty?"

Lil' Man ignored her and focused on carving a wooden sculpture.

The little girl did not get angry. She teased, "We, you're still young, Lil' Man, so what do you know about beauty? Ah, life feels as lonely as snow!" She deliberately put on an aged expression and sighed.

As she spoke, her feet swayed, and her reflection in the water rippled with the waves. With a flip of her wrist, she took out from her sleeve a cucumber that she had not eaten before.

Seeing that Lil' Man refused to answer, her eyes lit up. As she chewed the cucumber, she muttered, "Uncle Yu's coming back today. Why don't you go outside and wait for him?"

Hearing this, Lil' Man's eyes finally wavered. He carefully put away the carving knife in his hand and asked in return, "Why don't you go?"

Jiang Qingcheng covered her mouth and mumbled, "I want to know why you're not going. Otherwise, I would've gone long ago."

A rare look of confusion flashed across Lil' Man's eyes. He was silent for a moment. After a moment, he found a flaw in Jiang Qingcheng's words and commented softly, "I call him Big Brother Yu. If you call him an uncle, you're a generation younger than me."

When Jiang Qingcheng heard this, her attention was successfully diverted by Lil' Man. Her face also revealed a look of embarrassment.

After thinking for a while, she opened her mouth slightly and glared at Lil' Man in an imposing manner. She said, "Hmph, I like it that way. It's none of your business!"

"I don't want to care either!" Lil' Man's expression was calm, and he talked neither fast nor slow. Nevertheless, the confusion in the depths of his eyes could not be dispelled no matter what.

Jiang Qingcheng was anxious. She was a few years older than Lil' Man, but she could not beat him in a quarrel. She finished the cucumber in her hand in 2 or 3 bites, shook her feet, and slowly stood up. She patted the dust on her body and said, "Hmph, if you don't want to go, I'll go alone!" As she said that, she stepped on the sandalwood path and ran away.

Lil' Man looked at the rippling green waves in the water and asked in a low voice, "Big Brother, after you come back this time, you have to leave, right?"

After sitting for a while, he returned to the small courtyard and began to refine his spiritual Qi. He was already a Spiritualist, and his strength was astonishing. Each time he struck out with his palm, the air in front of him would be compressed, turning into a white dot that was condensed to the extreme, exploding with a bang. Even the air would produce a sonic explosion, which was fast and ruthless. It was rare for someone at such an age to be able to do this. His punches and his kicks were smooth. Lil' Man did not stop until every pore of his body was covered in sweat.

He looked into the distance and muttered to himself, "If Big Brother Yu wants to leave the Big Ruins, should I leave too?"

This was the reason he was at a loss. He was very distressed. If it was before, he would have left without hesitation. Now that his foundation was slowly being replenished, he could see that the Jiang family was trying to rope him in. As long as he stayed, the Jiang family's cultivation resources would surely lean toward him. If nothing happened to He Jian, the elder would also stand on his side. This way, he would be able to grow quickly.

He knew that all of this was because of Ou Yangming, but this did not stop him from taking advantage of the situation.

Of course, the most important point was that he did not want to leave.

This was because his grandfather's aura was in the Big Ruins and not outside.

Just as he was thinking, Ou Yangming pushed open the door to the courtyard.

The complicated thoughts in Lil' Man's mind dispersed. His face lit up with joy. Without any hesitation, he stepped on the ground and rushed out like a cannonball, crashing into Ou Yangming's embrace. His strength was extraordinary.

Ou Yangming's body swayed. He squatted down and gently flicked the child's forehead. He teased, "You're always like this. If my cultivation's a little weaker, I would've been crushed by you."

Lil' Man smiled. His throat moved slightly, and he wanted to say something but stopped.

"Is there something on your mind?" Ou Yangming saw his expression and asked softly.

"Brother, I don't want to leave the Big Ruins." Lil' Man gritted her teeth and said.

"Have you thought it through?" Ou Yangming asked.

"I have." Lil' Man nodded and continued, "I've lived on this land for 6 years. There's the smell of my grandfather here, so I can't bear to leave. Besides, I want to take back what belongs to me."

Ou Yangming looked at Lil' Man with a profound look and said coldly, "If the hatred in your heart doesn't dissipate, and your heart for the path is still entangled with the devil's will, you won't be able to take back what belongs to you no matter what. Instead, you'll lose your way and eventually drift further away."

"I know!" Lil' Man was very stubborn and nodded.

Ou Yangming secretly sighed and shook his head. "You're too young. You shouldn't be carrying such a burden on your shoulders."

Lil' Man's expression dimmed. He lowered her head and uttered softly, "I'm sorry." There was only one person in the world who could make him apologize, and that person was Ou Yangming. As for He Jian, he could only make the child feel guilty but could not say it in front of him no matter what.

"You didn't do anything that you should be sorry for. A person should be like a pine tree. You should be straight and upright so don't say those words in the future."

Lil' Man's face was filled with stubbornness, and he refused to speak.

He knew clearly that if he had not met Ou Yangming, he would not have been able to live until now. Likely, he would have become food to the foreign races long ago. Even his bones would not be left behind. How should he put it? The child was young, but he had a clear distinction between love and hate. He had always been the same.

Seeing Lil' Man like this, Ou Yangming let out a breath of cold air and said leisurely, "Forget it. Since you've already made your decision, what I can do is paving the way for you. The road will be very, very difficult. Are you sure you want to continue?"

"Yes..." Hearing this, Lil' Man's eyes flashed, and he nodded lightly.

Ou Yangming did not try to persuade him any further. Everyone had the right to choose the path they would take in the future. Since Lil' Man had made his choice, it was unnecessary for him to say anything more. The only thing he could do was to pave the way for the child so that he would face fewer dangers in the future. As for the rest, the child would still have to rely on himself.

"Let's go in first. It's cold outside." Ou Yangming shook his head and said softly.

The two of them slowly walked into the house one after the other.