Chapter 322: Lights at Dusk

Wudang Mountain, free of snow, was bathed in exceptionally bright morning sunshine. The light fell on the rocks and between the Taoist temples. Chu Feng had risen very early and was standing on the mountaintop.

On the cliff, wisps of purple energy coiled upwards, one after another. Since the world underwent another rapid transformation, the energy on famous mountains everywhere had become much denser.

He practiced his breathing technique, facing the morning glow, hoping to recover and re-enter the King-level domain. On this tenth day, he felt a slight tension, not wanting to remain ordinary any longer.

Golden light surged and appeared on his body, flowing inward, but quickly dissipated.

Inside his body, a small millstone, less than ten centimeters in diameter, slowly rotated. Its two halves were different colors—one silvery-white, the other jet-black. Together, they ground down all incoming energy, causing it to disperse and collapse.

Chu Feng sighed, deeply unwilling to accept this. It was already the tenth day; could he still not change this state?

Soon after, he switched to another breathing technique: the complete Great Thunderclap Scripture. It made his body resonate violently like thunder, his bones and organs vibrating in sync with the sound, making his physique even more resilient.

Unfortunately, the energy he had just drawn in was still crushed and dispersed by the black and white millstone, spilling out of his body.

"It's still not working. Am I to become a cripple?"

To say he wasn't disappointed would be impossible and unrealistic. Since embarking on the path of evolution, despite facing twists and turns and narrowly escaping death multiple times, he had always pushed through, earning a formidable reputation known throughout the world.

His great renown had once filled him with joy and confidence. Being young and true to himself, the sudden fall from his pinnacle to the dust was an immense shock.

Even more so, after barely surviving to obtain the ultimate Buddhist breathing technique, he had originally hoped to advance further, evolve again, and transform into a higher-level formidable expert.

Now, however, everything had been overturned. He couldn't evolve; there was no way for him to follow his original path.

That day, Chu Feng repeatedly attempted, but all his efforts failed. He felt a slight frustration, a sense of defeat he had never experienced before. He believed that this time, he wouldn't be able to get back up after falling, unlike previous times.

"The supreme technique of the Great Thunderclap Temple has lost its meaning just as I obtained it," Chu Feng felt a tightness in his chest.

The Buddhist race, known as one of the ten strongest races, occupied the Sumeru Star Realm among the ten strongest stellar worlds. The Great Thunderclap Temple was their highest sanctuary, containing supreme techniques.

From morning till night, Chu Feng stood on the mountaintop, bathed in sunlight and then moonlight. Yet, he consistently found it impossible to retain energy within his body.

The old Grandmaster visited several times, advising him not to rush, assuring him that a solution would always be found.

Late at night, Chu Feng returned to his room, contemplating his future and what he should do next.

The next morning, he rose early again and went to another peak. Here, white clouds swirled, and the mountain was steep, with a single Taoist temple perched, barely fitting on the summit.

Regrettably, it still didn't work. Even drawing in the dense energy here showed no sign of recovery for his strength.

In the days that followed, Chu Feng persistently tried, but each day ended in disappointment.

The Yellow Ox had said ten days should be enough for a result, but now twenty days had passed. Chu Feng sighed softly, deeply disappointed. This outcome was difficult for him to accept.

Although he had nonchalantly told Ouyang Qing and Ye Qingrou that even if he became a cripple, he could still live freely, his feelings were different when that day truly arrived.

During this period, many visitors came, but Chu Feng politely declined them, citing poor health. He knew, for example, that the people from the financial conglomerates wanted to ascertain his true condition.

He did meet some people, though. Xiong Kun and Hu Sheng, among other extraordinary beings, surprisingly didn't change their demeanor and still came to visit him after learning of his severe health issues.

Xiong Kun, in particular, was very grateful, thanking Chu Feng for rescuing his grandfather from the ancient temple in the Himalayas.

"Take care, we'll visit you again," Xiong Kun, Hu Sheng, Lu Qing, and others said as they finally departed.

During this time, Chu Feng also heard many rumors. For instance, the Bagua Sect, Xingyi Sect, and Bajiquan Sect had all emerged one after another, indicating that these ancient martial arts traditions had never truly died out.

Notably, these ancient martial arts sects contained not only old grandmasters but also talented young successors. In this era of evolution, they flourished and rose rapidly.

Even the old Grandmaster of Wudang sighed, marveling that his "old friends" were still alive, some even a generation older than him, reaching 120 or 130 years old!

They hadn't appeared before because they hadn't found their great opportunities or become top-tier kings. This time, after the world's rapid transformation, they had caught up.

Astonishing changes were occurring everywhere in the world: grains became spiritual sustenance, experts continuously emerged, and a group of new kings achieved rapid ascension.

Among the former four extraordinary beings—Vajra, White Tiger, Silver-Winged Heavenly God, and Fire Spirit King—some lived up to expectations, making rapid progress and greatly increasing their strength.

No one had expected that after a period of decline, they would shine brilliantly again, backed by both financial conglomerates and famous mountains.

Bodhi Gene occupied Mount Putuo, while Heavenly God Biology occupied Mount Laoshan… In the past two to three months, changes everywhere had been immense, with some famous mountains gradually finding new owners.

"Boss, don't be sad. I believe you'll get better someday," Ouyang Qing said. They, too, had come to visit Chu Feng.

"If it really comes to that, just marry me; I'll support you," Ye Qingrou said with a smile. She had naturally wavy long hair and alluring eyes. Her figure was curvaceous, with the hem of her T-shirt revealing a hint of her fair, slender waist, and her legs were long.

Chu Feng was happy in the company of these familiar faces. Much of the gloom in his heart dissipated as they met and talked for a long time.

During their conversation, the Jade Palace was also mentioned. Several people expressed a desire to leave, feeling disheartened by the Jade Palace Master's actions when Chu Feng departed.

"Boss, let's visit famous mountains everywhere to seek opportunities. What if we come across some miraculous medicine that could cure you?" Du Huaijin suggested.

It was reported that some people accidentally ingested unusual herbs that didn't aid evolution but cured late-stage cancer. People discovered that certain mutated medicinal herbs had unpredictable and astonishing miraculous effects.

Another morning, Chu Feng was practicing a slow, gentle form of boxing—Tai Chi. It was not only practical for combat but also beneficial for health. The old Grandmaster had told him to practice it every morning and had also taught him the Tai Chi breathing technique.

Chu Feng was deeply moved. The old Grandmaster had been incredibly kind to him, even confronting formidable experts multiple times on his behalf before his rise to prominence—something Chu Feng had never forgotten.

During this period, he also taught the old Grandmaster Xingyi Quan and the Twelve True Forms, hoping it would be beneficial.

It should be noted that this elder was no ordinary person; even before the dramatic changes to the world, he was a true Grandmaster of boxing, an expert among experts.

Without relying on evolution, he was already an extraordinary individual.

Now, by giving him a complete inheritance and a technique of immense power, Chu Feng believed he could grasp its essence in the shortest time possible.

Soon after, Chu Feng also passed on a portion of the Great Thunderclap Breathing Technique to the old Grandmaster—specifically, the technique contained within the bow.

He didn't dare transmit the complete text, fearing it would bring disaster to Wudang if the Buddhist race from beyond the domain appeared. He only taught the part of the technique that could circulate in the world.

The subsequent parts could be transmitted later, when it was sufficiently safe.

More than twenty days had passed, well beyond the ten days the Yellow Ox mentioned, but there was still no change within Chu Feng's body; no energy flowed.

He practiced boxing every day, particularly Tai Chi, mastering its essentials and finding his way with it. However, without energy infusion, it was difficult for it to demonstrate its true value.

The old Grandmaster was somewhat surprised, nodding in approval, feeling that Chu Feng was exceptionally suited for Tai Chi. He had already grasped the essence of the boxing form, practicing it to his very core.

He also felt regret for Chu Feng; if he could recover to the King-level domain, he could use Tai Chi to develop extraordinary divine abilities, much like the Xingyi Golden Bell Shield, which was a divine ability itself.

At this time, across the world—whether in the East, West, or the oceans—a multitude of talents emerged in a short period, with many experts appearing, each possessing unique strengths.

For example, in the West, a young man found the legendary Holy Grail of the Papal State. He now walked among people like a deity, as the sacred object could actually help him evolve.

In the ocean, a sea dweller discovered a true dragon's lair. After entering and exiting alive, gathering the legendary Dragon Blood Grass, his strength skyrocketed, and he became a titan of the deep.

The Grandmaster of the Bagua Sect discovered an ancient stele on the banks of the Yellow River, which bore a vague diagram of the River Chart. This allowed him to comprehend Baguazhang to a transcendent level, almost deifying it.

The successor of the Bajiquan Sect, a young top-tier King, ate eight lightning fruits near Mount Zhongnan, which made his power even more terrifying, and his Bajiquan almost reached a heavenly level.

Furthermore, recent rumors suggested that divine sons and saintesses from other domains might have arrived, having bravely traversed the star path to appear on Earth!

The outside world was bustling with activity, as many geniuses rose and numerous veteran evolutionaries made further progress, creating quite a stir.

Even various legends surfaced; some reportedly saw gods and devils, indicating the advent of a mythical era.

"Have the beings from beyond the domain finally arrived?"

Outside, everything was vibrant: various legends, and the rise of countless gifted beings, captivated everyone's attention.

Earlier, people still talked about Kunlun and mentioned Chu Feng. However, as time passed, other brilliant figures, and even suspected extraterrestrial beings, gradually became the focus, becoming the main topic of conversation.

Relatively speaking, Chu Feng seemed to fade into obscurity, no longer having his former brilliance. Few paid attention to him, as if he stood at the edge of fading lights.

Although the financial conglomerates weren't so shortsighted as to cause trouble for Chu Feng, they also showed no goodwill now, temporarily neglecting him.

Nearly a month had passed, and Chu Feng's heart gradually settled. He transitioned from despondency to tranquility, a bitter process of adjustment.

Before experiencing it, anyone could claim to be resilient, but only after going through it could one truly understand its taste.

Now he was calm. Although there was a slight lingering sense of regret in his heart, he had come to terms with it. Since things had come to this, the path ahead still needed to be walked, and he had to break free from the past!

He recalled a dream: under a Bodhi tree in a Himalayan pure land, he was engulfed by a vortex of Buddhist light. In that slumber, he was told that evolution was false, and his normal self had married, had children, and lived a peaceful life.

"Was the dream a premonition?"

At this moment, as he reflected, he realized that the wife in his dream was so blurry. Originally, she had seemed very real, as if he had lived that life, but now, when he tried to recall her, she had become indistinct.

Everything else remained vivid, still able to appear in his mind, but only that woman dissolved into points of flowing light and scattered.

Several days later, Lin Nuoyi arrived. Before this, she had contacted Chu Feng multiple times via communicator, inquiring about his health.

The mountaintop was bathed in golden light, with green pines and cypresses, towering rock formations, and wisps of purple energy. The Taoist temple was ancient yet grand, and white mist swirled around the mid-slopes.

On Wudang Mountain, beauty was everywhere.

Chu Feng and Lin Nuoyi walked together along the mountain path, speaking little.

After understanding his physical condition, Lin Nuoyi asked him about his plans, wondering if he intended to live permanently on Wudang Mountain.

Chu Feng told her that once he accustomed himself to a normal life, he might return to his old home, but only after everyone had gradually forgotten him.

Lin Nuoyi asked him if he had considered getting married and having children, living an ordinary life.

Chu Feng nodded, telling her that such a choice was likely.

Lin Nuoyi comforted him, saying that perhaps a simple life was more real, and he shouldn't overthink it; a peaceful, ordinary life was also very good.

She informed Chu Feng that before coming, she had met a few good young women and wanted to introduce them to him.

"We'll see," Chu Feng said, looking at the nearby sea of clouds and the rising red sun. The misty clouds and vibrant glow were truly beautiful.

They walked for a long time, speaking little, occasionally mentioning the past. With the passage of time, Chu Feng felt that perhaps their opportunities to meet again would be few.

Finally, Lin Nuoyi departed.

Chu Feng's heart grew calmer. Watching the undulating sea of clouds, the rising red sun, and the ancient pines and cypresses among the mountains, these beautiful sights imprinted themselves on his soul. He yearned to travel widely.