Is this still a person?
On the bed in front of him lay an elderly man, at deathâs door, without a single area on his body that looked like flesh. He seemed like a skeleton wrapped in a layer of gray skin.
If it werenât for the faint hint of life he could still feel from this âcorpse,â Yang Zhen almost drew out the Great Missing Sword to slay this monster.
âThisâ¦this is Elder Feng?â
Yang Zhen looked at the pitiful old man in disbelief. He had not expected his sword strike to break through the shackles of the heavens and earth and reduce an old man to such a miserable state.
Tears welled up in Feng Jingtuâs eyes. The strong, burly man was openly crying. Even the usually sarcastic cat kept its mouth shut, looking solemnly at Elder Feng, who lay silent on the bed.
âThis is my grandfather; he is only hanging on by a thread. If he doesnât receive treatment soon, the consequences are unimaginable.â
Wiping away a tear, Feng Jingtu forced a smile for Yang Zhen, his face full of fear and anticipation as he asked like a child. âCan he be saved?â
Yang Zhen took a deep breath, shook his head, and slowly sat down by the bed. He wanted to put his hand on Elder Fengâs body, but hesitated, not daring to do so.
Given the state of his body, it probably couldnât withstand even a bit of True Essence. If Yang Zhen were to rashly probe, he risked producing the opposite effect he was hoping for.
This left Yang Zhen feeling quite helpless.
âYang friend, youâre here!â
A deep voice suddenly rang in Yang Zhenâs mind, startling him. He looked with disbelief at the man lying in front of him, his face expressionless, his eyes barely open.
The old man seemed to smile without a sound, saying, âGiven my condition, itâs not surprising youâre startled. But I am well aware that my body is beyond salvation⦠howeverâ¦â
ââHoweverâ what?â Yang Zhen asked curiously.
The old man was able to communicate telepathically, a psychic ability that even Yang Zhen wasnât actively capable of. Of course, Yang Zhen could force his consciousness into someone elseâs mind by brute force, but he couldnât do it as effortlessly as Elder Feng.
Yang Zhen had only ever felt this from the Evil Shadow Black Glutton. It was something he could only do after refining the Great Missing Sword and transforming the Evil Shadow Black Glutton into the spirit of the sword.
Hearing Yang Zhenâs question, Elder Feng replied in a peculiar tone: âFor some reason, I sense an illusion of surviving beyond my natural lifespan recently, and itâs growing stronger.â
âMaybe itâs not an illusion!â Yang Zhen smiled, âI need to study the state of your body. Your body is severely damaged.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Seeing Yang Zhen talking to himself, the expressions on the faces of Feng Jingtu and the others changed constantly. Then, as if understanding something, they all stared at Yang Zhen in disbelief.
Feng Jingtu quickly grabbed Yang Zhen in excitement, âIs my grandfather, my grandfather communicating with you?â
Yang Zhen was startled. He initially thought Feng Jingtu was excitedly calling him âgrandfather.â After hearing Feng Jingtuâs words, he nodded. âHasnât Elder Feng been communicating with you recently?â
Given Elder Fengâs state, telepathic communication should have been exhausting. If he had not been communicating with Feng Jingtu and the others, then his condition was perhaps even more severe than Yang Zhen had imagined.
Feng Jingtu shook his head, but his face showed ever-increasing ecstasy. Although Yang Zhen didnât give a clear answer, they all knew the truthâElder Feng was indeed communicating with Yang Zhen.
âMy grandfather hasnât communicated with us for a long time. We already have an idea of his conditionâ¦so, is there any way to help him?â
Feng Jingtu looked at Yang Zhen with high hopes, his eyes brimming with expectation.
Yang Zhen shook his head once more. He had no clue at all and claimed to have confidence would be fooling himself.
âI need some time to observe. During this time, none of you should disturb me,â he said.
Upon hearing Yang Zhenâs words, Feng Jingtu didnât hesitate at all, he quickly responded, âNo problem at all, if you need anything, just let the cat tell me. No matter what it is, I will do everything in my power to get it for you.â
Yang Zhen nodded, âAlright, please leave for now.â
After Feng Jingtu and the others left, Elder Feng did not talk to Yang Zhen again. Likewise, Yang Zhen made no attempts to examine Elder Fengâs condition. He just calmly sat by the bed, silent all day.
That day, Elder Feng did not send any messages. Yang Zhen remained silent, as if he were in cultivation.
If one looked carefully, a layer of invisible threads surrounded Yang Zhen. Each one, thinner than a hair strand, formed from condensed runes. They circled around him, attempting to touch Elder Feng.
This touch was very dangerous. If not controlled properly, it could damage Elder Fengâs body.
Elder Fengâs body was already broken to such an extent that further damage would be irreparable. Even if Yang Zhen could cure his injuries, unless Elder Feng reached the Circulation Phase and could travel around the limitless universe effectively separated from his physical body, he would only be able to find a new body to reap to continue living. Otherwise, he could only inhabit this ruined body, or become a spirit cultivator.
This was not what Yang Zhen wanted, and certainly not what Elder Feng wanted.
Yang Zhenâs probing lasted for five days. During these days, he didnât eat or drink anything, as if he had simply vanished from the Feng familyâs residence.
Feng Jingtu had stood guard outside the room for five days; he almost couldnât bear the hunger anymore. He called for someone to bring food and, as he ate heartily, he mumbled words he had just learned from the cat.
âImpressive, really impressive. Five days without eating or drinking, what sort of monstrous talent is this kid,â he muttered to himself.
In five days, almost everyone in the Mountain and River City knew that Yang Zhen was trying to cure Elder Feng. Various practitioners visited the Fengâs household for news. After one group left, another arrived; it was like a flood, with countless practitioners coming to visit Elder Feng. Even quite a few Mahayana Phase powerhouses, over a dozen of them, came to visit. Furthermore, two of them even stayed with the Feng family.
The Feng family treated the two Mahayana Phase powerhouses with the utmost reverence and respect. They were Elder Fengâs close friends and naturally couldnât be neglected. Feng Jingtu also temporarily left his retreat to entertain the two Mahayana Phase powerhouses.
In the Feng familyâs hall, the two elderly men had an aura as profound and calm as the ocean. They were both among the most powerful existences in Northern Island. Their cultivation was incredibly high, even surpassing Master Tie.
One of them, a short and chubby elder exuding Earthly essence from head to toe, furrowed his brows. He seemed somewhat irritable and quickly stood up after slamming his hand on the table. âWhy havenât we heard anything? This Yang Zhen, is he as unreliable as the rumors suggest?â
Upon hearing this question, the members of Feng family couldnât hide their discomfort. Feng Jingtuâs eyes loomed with displeasure.
Regardless of Yang Zhenâs credibility, him staying beside Elder Feng without eating or drinking was already beyond what most members of the Feng family would do, and that included Feng Jingtu himself, Elder Fengâs favorite grandson.
The short, chubby elderâs doubtful remarks about Yang Zhen made some of the Feng family members feel upset, though they didnât dare to voice anything.
At that moment, another elderly man dressed in a purple robe chuckled, âOld Man Meng, calm down your volatile temper. Youâre already one foot in the grave but youâre still so impatient.â
âHmph!â The rotund elder sniffed. âIâm just worried about Elder Feng!â
Saying this, the short, chubby old man sighed. âBut, to be fair, is it really true that Yang Zhen hasnât eaten or drunk anything for five days and five nights? Hmm, this is certainly interesting. Regardless of whether he can save Elder Feng or not, Iâve taken a liking to this young friend. Who dares to speak ill of him, Iâll be the first to object!â