Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 1043: Chapter 722: Worlds Apart

"Alas, it’s a pity that he’s not me, nor am I him. He is in the heavens, and I am on the earth, the disparity truly vast!"

Yang Zhenshan’s emotions were complex and hard to describe.

In the Ten Thousand Miles Sea Domain, he was a figure who held the world in contempt, but here in the Ancient County, his status and position fell drastically. He stood among the crowd as insignificant as an ant, unnoticed by anyone, let alone looked up to.

Since stepping into this Ancient County, everywhere he went, he saw the stark contrasts, as if a rural villager had mistakenly entered a bustling imperial capital.

"Haha, Lu Fusheng, I thought you were going to be a turtle hiding in its shell!"

"Stop making trouble without reason! I have no time to entangle with you right now!"

"Oh? If so, why not exchange a few moves first?"

"Are you aware of the consequences?"

"What? Are you scared?"

Sun Qingrui seemed to be persistently provoking Lu Fusheng.

Sun Qingrui’s provocations were like a persistent sore. Lu Fusheng’s face was as cold as water, but he could no longer hold back and charged at Sun Qingrui like a rainbow. The latter laughed out loud, a heavy sword resounding as it swept through the air behind him.

Amidst the clashing sounds of metal, crimson spear lights collided with gilded Sword Qi. Sun Qingrui’s heavy sword, a whole six inches wide, gleamed gold at this moment, its sharp edge pointed skyward with an aura piercing the sky.

Yang Zhenshan stood a hundred meters away, yet he still felt the heat wave on his face, and the sharp energy like a blade cutting into his face. The heat could be endured, but the sharpness penetrated straight to his bones like a sharp knife.

"Family Head!" Li Chang’s voice suddenly rang out beside him. Yang Zhenshan turned his head to see Li Chang’s face pale, his body trembling like a sieve.

"What’s wrong?"

"I... can’t hold on any longer." Sweat was already forming in fine beads on Li Chang’s forehead.

Only then did Yang Zhenshan realize that the martial artists who had been watching the excitement on the street had long since scattered and sought shelter in the shops along the street. Where the burning sharpness passed, cracks appeared on the ground of green stone.

"Quickly move aside!"

Yang Zhenshan took a deep breath, feeling as if a thousand catties were pressing on his chest. Such a majesty, could it be the Heavenly Gang Realm? Merely the leaked energy forced even Innate Martial Artists to flee in panic!

He managed to stand, yet he knew that if he directly faced these two, he would only have one spear’s chance. If the spear strike of Thunder couldn’t achieve success, defeat was certain. Cultivation Techniques, weapons, armor, mounts—all differences as stark as the earth and the sky. The most crucial was the art of airborne movement—his opponents soared the nine heavens, while he was confined to the earth.

"Is it only by drawing Qi into the body that one can fly?"

Yang Zhenshan gazed at the sky, where golden brilliance and crimson flames intertwined and roiled, with cloud vapors faintly visible between them. Not to mention people, even that Cloud Tiger Cub might be stronger than himself.

Martial Arts here differed entirely from those west of the Stormy Sea Area, where Innate Martial Artists merely donned gaseous armor, yet here they possessed the capability to burn the skies and boil the sea, with Sword Qi piercing the sky.

The two battled higher and higher, straight into the clouds. The Cloud Sea churned, sometimes dyed fiery red against the sky, sometimes golden brilliance broke through the heaven, stirring the winds and clouds for over ten miles.

After about an hour, the anomalies in the sky gradually ceased. Once the clouds dispersed, Yang Zhenshan finally released a heavy breath of turbid air.

"Family Head!" Li Chang’s face still showed traces of lingering fear.

"How do you feel?"

"Like heavenly power!" Li Chang said bitterly.

The impact on him was significant as well, and now he felt a mix of emotions.

Yang Zhenshan, however, laughed, patted his shoulder, and said, "This is a good thing. It means we have a lot of room to improve!"

In the past, they were like frogs at the bottom of a well, thinking the sky of Martial Arts was only as big as they could see. Only now they realized the sky of Martial Arts was vast beyond measure, the path of Martial Arts unreachable.

Perhaps this made them appear small, pulling them down from their superior positions, but it also offered them more opportunities, more possibilities.

Breaking free from despondency, it was replaced with a long-lost passion.

Suddenly, Yang Zhenshan felt younger, filled with passion for Martial Arts once again.

Indeed!

When did I lose my passion for Martial Arts?

Yang Zhenshan mused to himself as he headed towards the tavern.

It seemed like many years!

Since he comprehended the Dao Intent of Thunder, his passion for Martial Arts seemed to have gradually diminished.

Although he still practiced every day, his cultivation had become routine rather than wholehearted devotion.

Perhaps because his cultivation stagnated for too long, or perhaps due to complacency, he had lost his passion for Martial Arts for many years.

He began relying on Spiritual Springs, Spirit Fruits, and the Daoist Intent Sacred Lotus to enhance his cultivation, forgetting that the foundation of Martial Arts lies in perseverance.

As he pondered, he unknowingly returned to the Drunken Immortal Tower.

The front of the Drunken Immortal Tower was a tavern, the back its guest rooms. Yang Zhenshan had rented a small courtyard here as a temporary place to stay.

"Senior!" Yang Zhenshan had just returned when Tian Hu greeted him, alongside the young Wei Qianye.

Initially, Wei Qianye was still fearful of Yang Zhenshan and others, but after three months of interaction, the child had become familiar with Yang Zhenshan and the others and was no longer so afraid of them.

"Hmm, do as you please, don’t mind me!"

Yang Zhenshan entered his bedroom and, with a shift of thought, arrived at the Spirit Source Land. On the plain of Spiritual Spring Mountain, Yu Qingyi was taming a Flying Slave Eagle. After several months, the young eagle had a wingspan of over ten feet, faintly showing the characteristics of a Mutant Beast.

"How is it?" Qingyi didn’t raise her eyes, gently stroking the eagle’s feathers.

"Troublesome, yet interesting." Yang Zhenshan sat down with a sigh.

Yu Qingyi looked up at him, then smiled and said, "I think it’s quite good! Didn’t you say there are many divine and wondrous places? Isn’t that a good thing?"

Yang Zhenshan also looked at her. Their gazes met, and feeling the gentleness in her eyes, Yang Zhenshan’s chaotic thoughts instantly calmed considerably.