Chapter 594: Mysterious
Gradually, the bonfire burned down, and fewer people remained. In the end, only Chen Lan and the Witch were left sitting in silence.
"Why aren’t those two talking?" Gu Changge asked, puzzled.
It was almost dawn, and they had been sitting there all night without saying a word. One was focused on roasting meat, while the other was nearly full from eating.
They just sat there in silence, not saying a single word.
"You don’t understand, neither of them knows how to start a conversation. One discovered he had a daughter after all these years and feels he owes her, but doesn’t know what to say since he lacks the experience. The other one just met her father after so long and always felt abandoned by him, so she too is at a loss for words," Yang Tian said with a helpless shake of his head, having seen through everything.
"But you, why are you meddling in others’ business? Let’s go," Yang Tian glanced at Gu Changge before disappearing.
"Alright, alright, you made your point," Gu Changge said dismissively, but he also left.
This left Chen Lan with some space to be alone with his daughter.
The Witch looked at the silent man before her, unsure of what he intended to do. She felt a bit sleepy; being just a mortal with no cultivation power, she naturally grew tired.
"Would you like to hear my story?" Chen Lan turned to the Witch with a gentle smile.
Looking at his daughter, who had washed her face clean and appeared exquisitely beautiful like a fairy descended to earth, Chen Lan couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride—she definitely inherited my genes.
The Witch was startled by his words. After a moment of thought, she nodded slightly, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz: "I would."
"Once upon a time, I was born in the Celestial Domain, just like you—I was fleeing right from birth..."
Chen Lan began recounting his experiences from his first life. Upon hearing that her father also started life by fleeing, the Witch was taken aback, as though struck by lightning, a hint of pity crossing her eyes. So this man had also experienced a life of escape.
She didn’t think it was a lie because Chen Lan spoke so earnestly, with no need to concoct stories to win her empathy. Moreover, as he recounted his experiences, the fire in his eyes seemed to burn even stronger, tinged with a flicker of anger!
Thus, it wasn’t a lie; these were the man’s personal experiences. The Witch listened intently, as she had always been curious about what kind of person her father was.
All she had ever heard was that her father was the Demon Emperor, instilling fear within the Evil Race, each of whom wished to kill him, utterly detesting him.
Unconsciously, the Witch was captivated by the story. She began to understand Chen Lan on a surface level. This person lived a burdensome, very exhausting life, one that could be summarized in two words: revenge!
...
As dawn broke, Chen Lan stopped, feeling a bit parched. It had taken him two full hours to recount his life, even though he had condensed a lot, focusing on the crucial points.
He turned to look at his daughter, his eyes filled with pain and guilt: "I’m sorry to you and your mother. I will find a way to make it up to you. The Evil Race destroyed your Root Bone Meridian when you were young; I will help you recover and assess your constitution. After all these years, you might not be suitable for cultivation."
Chen Lan sighed inwardly, overwhelmed with anger. If not for the Evil Race, his daughter might not be a mere mortal now. Because of them, she missed her prime time for cultivation.
After a million years, although the Evil Race had used various Divine Elixirs to keep her alive, preventing her death, her Root Bone Meridian was long deteriorated.
Although recovery is possible, the hope for cultivation is slim, unless she possesses a Divine Body.
Thinking of this, he held a glimmer of hope—after all, she was his daughter; her constitution shouldn’t be too bad.
The Witch nodded, saying nothing.
"Alright, go rest now. I’ll help you once you wake up."
The Witch nodded, stood up, and walked toward her room.
Chen Lan’s smile gradually stiffened, a chill passing through his eyes.
Evil Race must not remain; his heart could find no peace!
"Father."
Suddenly, the Witch turned back and called out.
Chen Lan’s body jolted; his eyes gleamed with joy, excitement, and emotion. What did she just call him?
Father?!
Though he had heard these two words from other children, hearing them from the Witch felt entirely different!
He got up abruptly, feigning calm: "What is it?"
"Avenge Mother."
With that, the Witch turned and left, not saying anything further.
Leaving Chen Lan to clench his fists alone.
"I will; the Evil Race must perish. I will lead the Demon Race to flatten the heavens."
...
Chen Lan entered the wooden house, where Yang Tian and Gu Changge sat cross-legged, opening their eyes simultaneously.
"You’re back. How’s the relationship between you and your daughter?" Yang Tian asked with a smile.
After talking the whole night, surely the bond between them should have been restored somewhat.
"She called me father," Chen Lan replied with a smile, clearly unable to hide his excitement.
"Congratulations! It shows she has made a big decision. If my father had abandoned me for a million years, I’d be furious too. It means she’s changed her view of you a lot. Spend more time with her, and you’ll surely make amends," Gu Changge said with a smile, a hint of envy in his eyes.
"Gu Changge is right. This period is just the right time for you to spend more time with her," Yang Tian nodded, smiling.
Chen Lan nodded slightly. He had already decided to spend time each day during his cultivation to help his daughter restore her constitution and converse with her, hoping to eventually soothe her anger.
"Next, it’s time to begin the challenge."
With those words, Chen Lan immediately sat cross-legged, his soul entering the Taoist Sect as he began the challenge of the Great Dao of Power!
Seeing Chen Lan’s determination, both Yang Tian and Gu Changge swiftly entered to challenge the Dao.
...
That night.
Chen Lan awoke, grinning: "Successfully challenged the Great Dao of Power. Feels like my strength has increased again."
"Your speed is terrifying," Gu Changge said, astonished.
In just one day, he succeeded?
The Great Dao of Power wasn’t supposed to be that easy to conquer; it took him years to do it before.
"Are you comparing yourself to him? Can you beat him?" Yang Tian said disdainfully.
Among the three of them, Chen Lan was undoubtedly the strongest. They had sparred before and were not his match.
All along, they had been overshadowed by Chen Lan, but they were wholeheartedly convinced.
There was no choice but to acknowledge Chen Lan’s strength—it was the consequence of being beaten hundreds of times, leaving no room for denial.
Initially, it became their Heart Demon, but once they faced reality, they never thought about challenging Chen Lan to win again.
"You guys continue; I’m going to help my daughter restore her constitution."
With those words, Chen Lan hurriedly left.
"Doting father," Gu Changge said with a faint smile.
"Heh, be careful he hears you, beats you up. Do you still think you can take him?"
Hearing this, Gu Changge’s face turned dark, and he entered to challenge the Dao again.
Yang Tian sneered and also entered to challenge the Dao.
Despite having advanced significantly over the past million years, they still couldn’t fathom Chen Lan’s strength.
To them, there were only two words to describe Chen Lan: mysterious!