Wang Lin clenched his right fist, stepping forward as his body moved with the punch, unleashing a direct blow.

A thunderous roar echoed across the heavens as a colossal phantom of an ancient god’s arm materialized before Wang Lin. It was as if this single strike was the ancient deity’s furious attack! The earth-shattering sound eclipsed all other noises on Water Spirit Star, becoming a deafening eternity reverberating in the ears of all who bore witness.

Situ Nan, having channeled the very essence of Water Spirit Star’s mountain souls into a single, earth-shaking finger, met Wang Lin’s fist in a collision that birthed a tempestuous whirlwind. This gale thrashed across the planet, churning the vast oceans into a maelstrom of monstrous waves! Situ Nan, laughing heartily, retreated, his eyes brimming with admiration. “As the saying goes, a scholar gone for three days deserves a second look! Wang Lin, after all these centuries, you’ve given me quite a surprise!”

Wang Lin, likewise, was forced back a hundred paces. He responded with a laugh, “It seems these last centuries have seen you deep in seclusion yourself!”

They exchanged knowing glances, smiles lighting their faces. It had been far too long since Wang Lin had felt such joy. Reuniting with Situ Nan kindled the warmth of a friendship forged over millennia within his heart.

Situ Nan felt the same. He was a proud and solitary soul, with few true companions. Those he had were long lost to time. Wang Lin, however, held a special place. They had endured life and death together. To see Wang Lin’s cultivation had reached such heights filled him with genuine happiness.

At Wang Lin’s invitation, the two transformed into streaks of vibrant light, vanishing into the distance, leaving behind a sea of bewildered faces.

Particularly bewildered were the Three Sons of Dust Tao. The sudden turn of events left them speechless. After a long, thoughtful pause, they chuckled ruefully. Each had cultivated to the stage of Peering Nirvana, making them exceptionally clever. They now realized that Situ Nan’s earlier talk of seizing Zhao Xue and Ling’er for his ‘brother’ was most likely referring to Wang Lin himself.

Floating Wind, witnessing the scene, could only offer a wry smile. He glanced at the silver-clad woman, who had emerged from the ruins of the palace and shaken off Situ Nan’s spell, a flicker of bewilderment in his eyes.

While these onlookers dispersed, Wang Lin and Situ Nan found themselves seated atop the very peak where Wang Lin had once contemplated the cycle of day and night. The wind whipped at their robes as they recounted their experiences over the centuries, their words filled with emotion.

Between them rested a table of white jade, laden with wine jugs and cups brought by Situ Nan. He took a swig of wine, sighing, “To think you went through so much after arriving on Planet Tian Yun! Had I known, I’d have insisted you become a king with me, enjoying the easy life!”

Wang Lin picked up his own cup, taking a drink before shaking his head. “If not for the events that unfolded on Planet Tian Yun, I would not have achieved my current cultivation.”

“I heard tales of the battle between Luo Tian and the Alliance on Phoenix Luan Star,” Situ Nan chuckled, setting down his cup, his eyes twinkling. “I even heard the name of Xu Mu, the True Lightning Immortal of Luo Tian! It seems it was you all along!”

Wang Lin’s expression remained unchanged as he chuckled back, “Merely chance.”

“Your cultivation is peculiar, though,” Situ Nan observed. “You’re merely in the mid-stage of Peering Nirvana, but that punch of yours… even I felt a shudder as I blocked it.” Despite being in the initial stage of Cleansing Nirvana, Situ Nan’s talent was immense. He had diligently studied during his seclusion, allowing him to stand at the pinnacle of those at his cultivation level. If pushed to extremes, he could even contend with those in the mid-stage of Cleansing Nirvana, though at a terrible cost.

Their battle was a mere exchange, but Situ Nan had distinctly felt a shocking power hidden within Wang Lin, a power that made even his proud heart tremble.

The young boy of the past had shed his innocence after over a thousand years, becoming a true cultivator. Situ Nan fleetingly saw the naive child who had stumbled upon the bead after falling from the cliff… Then, the image morphed into the youth within Heng Yue Sect, still possessing a touch of innocence despite being ignorant of the cruelty of the cultivation world.

He recalled the young man he had rescued after the loss of his parents and his physical body, a youth who had spilled rivers of blood over the centuries like a demon…

He remembered the individual who had regained his true self after experiencing mortality, gaining insight into the Cycle of Rebirth. A man who had gradually risen to prominence on Vermillion Bird Star, ultimately reaching the peak and awakening Situ Nan himself.

Situ Nan sighed softly, gazing at Wang Lin. The scene of their parting under the starlit sky, when one went to Tian Yun to study and the other wandered Phoenix Luan, surfaced in his mind.

Centuries had passed in the blink of an eye. Today, they were reunited. While their friendship remained, everything else had changed beyond recognition.

Such was the unpredictable nature of life! Wang Lin also gazed at Situ Nan, memories flooding his mind. Though ancient, they were vivid and unforgettable. He could not forget the words he had once spoken to the heavens.

“In my life, Wang Lin will not bow to heaven and earth, nor revere ghosts and gods. I will only bow to my parents and revere Situ!”

Situ Nan’s help had been immense. Without Situ Nan, Wang Lin would have died in Zhao a long time ago and would not have achieved what he has achieved today.

Without Situ Nan, Wang Lin’s aptitude would have made it difficult for him to take the first step on the path of cultivation, including refining Qi, building foundation, forming dan, and the Nascent Soul! Without this foundation, he would never have reached where he is now.

If not for Situ Nan’s three fingers of Extinction, Demonization, and Yellow Springs, and his explanation of the interaction between magic weapons and divine abilities, Wang Lin would have struggled to gain a foothold on Planet Tian Yun back then.

If not for Situ Nan, Wang Lin’s vitality would have been completely extinguished in the Land of the Demon Spirit under the attack of the Scattered Demon. Without the Finger of Extinction, he would have vanished without a trace…

Even the Heaven Defying Bead! If Situ Nan had possessed the slightest selfishness, Wang Lin would never have obtained such a mystical treasure. Situ Nan had simply smiled and said with indifference, “It suits you!” because taking the bead from Wang Lin would be tantamount to killing him.

Memories surged to the surface, and the two men fell silent on the summit.

The mountain wind howled, unable to dispel the emotions of reunion. These feelings deepened, becoming a wisp of smoke, lingering within their hearts, transforming into an eternal bond.

They drank with the mountain wind as company, one cup after another. After a moment of silence, they exchanged hearty laughter. True friends need no flowery words. A cup of wine and a laugh could wash away all worries, leaving only joy behind.

A man may not need a lover, but he cannot live without true friends! Situ Nan did not inquire further about Wang Lin’s strange cultivation nor did he let Wang Lin continue his explanation. Raising his cup, Situ Nan drank deeply and laughed, “Why bother saying more between you and me! Just like how I suffered a loss on Phoenix Luan Star, you were the first person I thought of. You’ll help me take it back one day!”

Wang Lin smiled and nodded, asking nothing further. They reminisced over memories of the past while downing cup after cup of wine. Before they knew it, the night had deepened. The bright moon hung in the sky, its gentle light casting a glow over the land. Though the night was chilly, all was quiet around them. Conversing with a close friend on such a peaceful night brought Wang Lin’s heart to a tranquil state.

It had been a long time since he had felt such warmth, a warmth that arose spontaneously after meeting an old friend, as if he had returned to the time when he and Situ Nan were dependent on each other within the Heaven Defying Bead on Vermillion Bird Star.

“You’ve become famous in the Luo Tian Star Domain, and it can be said that you’ve had a good life. As for me, the Phoenix Luan Star was only fun for so long. Unexpectedly, I saw a few bitches of the Phoenix Luan acting like fake dragons and fake phoenixes. This was originally nothing big, and there are many things like this in the cultivation world. I don’t care, I just took a few more glances and used the jade slip to engrave all these scenes with my spiritual sense…” Situ Nan took a big gulp of wine, looking depressed.

“You say I only did this little thing, but they issued a chase order, chasing me day and night, so that I couldn’t be at peace as a king… In the end, I was forced to change my cultivation retreat from time to time. In the past few hundred years, I have lived like a rat, retreating on cultivation stars that have gone from being full of spiritual energy to abandoned stars without any spiritual energy.”

Speaking furiously, Situ Nan simply picked up the wine pot and took a mouthful, then put it down and said angrily: “After I came out of cultivation, I went straight to Phoenix Luan Star, but there were too many of these women and a few helpers they found, which made me suffer a big loss!” Situ Nan said here, his old face turned red.

Wang Lin was probably curious, looked him up and down carefully a few times, suddenly frowned, grabbed Situ Nan’s right hand, and his spiritual sense moved silently. After a long time, Wang Lin’s expression became even more strange.

Situ Nan smiled and took another drink, saying, “Can you see it?”

Wang Lin was silent for a moment, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and an overwhelming killing intent was ignited crazily. He nodded and said in a deep voice, “What kind of poison is so powerful that you can’t force it out with your cultivation?”

Situ Nan put down his wine glass and smiled wryly: “I don’t know where these seductive women from Phoenix Luan Star got the poison. After searching through many ancient books, I finally found out that this poison is called ‘Want to Live Want to Die’, three days of wanting to live and three days of wanting to die! Damn it, I have really been wanting to live and wanting to die these days!”

“This poison is something left over from the Immortal World. Before the Immortal World collapsed, this poison was refined by countless immortals for hundreds of years. This poison is invalid for mortals and is mainly aimed at immortals! Once you are poisoned, you can’t force it out at all, because once this poison enters the body, it will merge with the Yuanshen, becoming indistinguishable.

Its main toxicity is manifested in these four words: ‘Want to Live Want to Die’. Three days of wanting to live means that the poisoned person is in a state of illusion at all times within three days, exhausting the power of the mind. In the next three days, he is on the verge of death, until the seventh day, when his body and spirit are completely destroyed! Although it takes seven days for this poison to kill, from the moment of poisoning, all cultivation is lost. Eleven” “Then you…” Wang Lin looked at Situ Nan, obviously his cultivation had not been lost.