Chapter Seventy-Six: Still Alive

"This is the path of hope I have chosen, and I will not give it up," Chu Feng declared resolutely, without a trace of hesitation. In truth, ever since Xiao Yue had told him, he had already made up his mind; even if it meant staking his life, he would not abandon this road.

The Grand Elder nodded slightly, as if he had expected this answer, showing no sign of surprise. He only cautioned, "Keep this tome safe, and do not let it be lost. If it is, many lives will be forfeit."

Chu Feng glanced at the nameless tome and nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Grand Elder, for your guidance."

The Grand Elder sighed softly. "No need to thank me. I do not know whether giving you this tome will be your making or your undoing."

Holding the nameless tome, Chu Feng felt a weight settle upon his heart. Yet deep within, he harbored an unspoken trust in Yu Yang, and he also believed in himself.

"Grand Elder, who created this tome?" Chu Feng asked, his curiosity piqued.

The Grand Elder's expression grew complicated once more, with a hint of bewilderment on his face as he gazed into the distance and sighed, "Perhaps it was the strongest being under heaven and earth. The fact that this tome has been passed down may well be due to some unseen protection. Yet the supreme secret technique of the martial path, the Step to the Heavens, has ultimately been lost. A pity, truly a pity!"

Chu Feng could tell that the Grand Elder did not wish to reveal more, and sensed there were hidden truths within. Yet even this was enough to make Chu Feng's heart tremble—could there really be someone stronger than Yu Yang, the mightiest figure in the history of the human race?

Soon, Chu Feng's thoughts turned to ancient times; after all, this book hailed from antiquity. At this moment, Chu Feng realized that those ancient days were perhaps even more glorious than he had imagined.

The Grand Elder now looked at Chu Feng and reminded him, "The prescriptions in this tome are exceedingly fierce, in harmony with the eternal laws of mutual creation and destruction. Some of the spiritual herbs are terrifying poisons. Moreover, many of them are not kept in the Spirit Battle Pavilion, and at times, you must rely on fate."

"No matter what, I will press on," Chu Feng said steadfastly, then stowed the nameless tome in his storage ring.

"Good," the Grand Elder nodded. "I look forward to seeing your performance in the Trial of the Saint."

They sat facing each other. After a brief silence, the Grand Elder said, "Let us speak more of Yu Yang. Tell me about what happened between you."

Chu Feng took the small sword from his chest and told the Grand Elder in detail what had occurred: the sword's mournful cry, the light of hope he saw before losing consciousness, every conversation with Yu Yang in his dream, and even the discovery of the Spirit Battle Saint Token when he awoke.

Even now, Chu Feng found it all incredible and hard to comprehend, but he recounted everything in detail to provide the Grand Elder with the fullest picture—and he hoped to learn more about his small sword from the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder listened quietly, saying nothing, simply sitting there with the black sword in his hand. Still, the worry on his face could not be dispelled.

Chu Feng sat quietly as well, not disturbing the Grand Elder. He could sense that Yu Yang was likely in grave danger.

The Grand Elder gazed at the sword in his hand, and suddenly his eyes brightened, a hint of joy appearing on his face as he sighed, "So that's how it is."

Chu Feng found this puzzling, but his curiosity grew, sensing there might be good news.

The Grand Elder gathered his thoughts and looked at Chu Feng. "Perhaps your meeting with Yu Yang was not your first."

Chu Feng was bewildered; he clearly remembered meeting Yu Yang only once in a dream, so why did the Grand Elder say this?

"Yu Yang's methods are profound. Even I could barely sense the imprint of his spirit left upon this sword," the Grand Elder exclaimed, astonished by Yu Yang's cultivation. He continued, "But no matter how powerful, a spirit imprint cannot carry a Spirit Battle Saint Token. Yet you truly received the token then. Do you know why?"

Chu Feng shook his head. He had always attributed it to the strength of Yu Yang's spirit, but now, upon learning that a spirit imprint cannot carry objects, he was utterly confused.

The Grand Elder smiled slightly and explained, "He said his imprint was attached to this sword by fate. The imprint was indeed real, but whether it was truly by fate is debatable, for it only carried part of Yu Yang's memories—he may not have understood everything himself. The Saint Token was in fact hidden in this sword long ago."

Chu Feng was startled, but found the Grand Elder's words convincing. If it had not been concealed in the sword beforehand, how could Yu Yang's spirit imprint have handed him the Saint Token?

Chu Feng fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Grand Elder, are you saying this was not coincidence, but that Yu Yang deliberately arranged it?"

The Grand Elder nodded. "If it had not been planned in advance, things could not have unfolded so seamlessly. This was not something a mere spirit imprint could accomplish. He said he was waiting for the person he awaited; when you reached a certain pinnacle in body training, you would meet again. This fully proves what was said before. Clearly, when Yu Yang arranged all this, he was still alive, and his methods were so deep that even I could not detect them. This shows his strength far exceeded mine, even at my peak, and he was not in a state of mortal injury as we had assumed."

The Grand Elder's analysis sent waves through Chu Feng's heart. From such a lofty perspective, the truth was revealed, and the reasoning was flawless.

Chu Feng was deeply unsettled; this outcome was entirely unexpected. It meant Yu Yang was still alive, and since it had all been arranged in advance, it was possible that Chu Feng had met him before, though he had no memory of it.

"Yu Yang is very likely still alive," the Grand Elder concluded, echoing Chu Feng's own thoughts. If word of this got out, it would stir the whole world, causing immense upheaval among both humans and demons.

"Then why doesn't he return?" Chu Feng asked, perplexed. If Yu Yang was alive, why would he choose not to return, even at the cost of losing his own son?

"Even as fellow Saint Spirit Warriors, I can no longer understand someone like him. What is he striving for, what is he seeking, where has he gone—I have no idea," the Grand Elder sighed, then looked at Chu Feng. "Perhaps you will know the answer, for you are the only one who might truly come into contact with him."

Chu Feng shook his head helplessly and sighed. "Even so, before meeting him in the dream, I had no memory of Yu Yang at all. I am certain I never met him."

"And where did this sword come from?" asked the Grand Elder.

"It should be a keepsake from my parents. As far back as I can remember, it was already hanging around my neck," Chu Feng replied, his expression somewhat grave. He added, "This is only what those who cared for me as a child said. My parents died early, or so it's said."

"Do you remember your parents?" asked the Grand Elder.

Chu Feng shook his head, his expression tinged with sadness. "Not at all. In fact, when I first became aware, I was already living with Long Yue," he said.

"Long Yue? The Long Yue from the Sky Battalion?" asked the Grand Elder, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Yes." Mentioning Long Yue, Chu Feng recalled the scenes of their early life together, then frowned slightly. "Actually, in the earliest days with Long Yue, though I was happy, I always felt something was missing from my life. But that feeling faded over time."

"When did you first start living together?" asked the Grand Elder.

Chu Feng thought for a moment. "I think it was when I was just over two years old."

"So, before that, your memory is blank?" the Grand Elder said, sounding somewhat puzzled.

Chu Feng hesitated, perhaps finding it incredible himself. "You could say so."

The Grand Elder frowned slightly. "Yu Yang disappeared fifteen years ago. Any time in those fifteen years could have been when he arranged all this. If we trace it to the earliest point, fifteen years ago, you were just over two, so it may well have happened then."

Chu Feng nodded inwardly. With gaps in his memory, even if he had met Yu Yang then, he would not remember it.

"Why was it like this? Did Yu Yang not want me to know of his existence?" Chu Feng asked, a hint of shock in his heart. It seemed his early life was not as simple as he had thought.

"Unlikely," the Grand Elder shook his head. "I was able to deduce that he is alive, so he had no need to hide it from you. Perhaps something special happened to you then, affecting your memory."

Chu Feng was unsettled, feeling there were too many unanswered questions. After a moment's silence, he asked, "Such intricate arrangements—why did he choose me and entrust me with the Spirit Battle Saint Token?"

"I don't know the specifics. Perhaps he has high hopes for you, or maybe it is simply destiny," the Grand Elder sighed, gazing at the sword in his hand. "Fifteen years... I truly do not know where he is or what purpose he holds. There is still his imprint on this sword; I hope he knows something!"

In that instant, the Grand Elder's spirit awakened, revealing his Ice Spirit body. Waves of cold radiated outward.

Though the Grand Elder kept his power restrained, Chu Feng was still deeply awed. Facing this pinnacle figure of the human race, he felt an ineffable aura of command over the world.

With such methods, the Grand Elder clearly sought to awaken Yu Yang's slumbering imprint, for Yu Yang was far too important to the human race, and the Grand Elder was desperate to learn his whereabouts.