"You know? That young woman, she was your Shiniang (Master's wife). She died, killed by Fang Zhentian. The irony is that I cannot avenge her. How absurd that I, who considered myself supreme under heaven, couldn't even protect the woman I loved most. What is the point of me continuing to live!" Dugu Ba-Chen suddenly wailed, like a helpless little boy, crying with such profound sorrow and utter despair...

Ye Jingyu simply sat there quietly. He didn't know what to say, nor did he know how to judge the situation. He just watched Dugu Ba-Chen—this man who had dominated the continent for three hundred years, the true foremost figure...

"A-Yu, promise your Master two things, will you?" At this moment, Dugu Ba-Chen, usually so domineering, spoke with a voice full of helplessness...

"Master, please speak..." Ye Jingyu quickly bowed in deference...

"The first thing: when you get the chance in the future, kill Fang Zhentian for me!"

"Master, rest assured. Even if you hadn't asked, I would grind him to dust and scatter his ashes..." Ye Jingyu affirmed resolutely. He understood this was Dugu Ba-Chen's final wish; no matter how powerful Fang Zhentian was, he absolutely had to avenge his Master...

"The second thing: Yueying took on a female apprentice named Zhuge Siyu. She is a good girl. The Zhuge family was almost wiped out this time. You must promise me to take good care of her. I didn't treat your Shiniang well enough; you must not fail her expectations. Do you understand?" Dugu Ba-Chen's voice was faint, barely a whisper...

"En..." Ye Jingyu nodded forcefully. At this moment, he didn't care if Zhuge Siyu would love him, nor whether he loved her. He did not want Dugu Ba-Chen to depart with any lingering regrets...

"Heh heh, I knew you were my good disciple. Cherish those who care for you. Don't wait until you lose them to realize their worth..." Dugu Ba-Chen lightly patted Ye Jingyu's shoulder and smiled faintly...

Ye Jingyu froze. The image of Jiu Feng flashed in his mind, along with those pair of amber eyes. Cherish those around you, cherish those who care for you. Had he truly done so all this time?

"I understand, Master!" Ye Jingyu nodded strongly again, tears welling up in his eyes once more. He sensed that Dugu Ba-Chen's life was rapidly fading...

In these final moments of life, he hadn't mentioned the Dou Hun Great War, hadn't demanded that Ye Jingyu save the entire Dou Hun Continent, hadn't placed such a heavy burden upon him. He had only requested two personal favors. Had he finally seen through everything?

Perhaps, in this world, the only things truly worth cherishing are the people by one's side?

"Alright, my time is short. The cultivation of this lifetime must be passed on. However, you have cultivated a mental art superior to the Jing Lei Saber Art. Sooner or later, you will reach my level, or even surpass it. Giving this entire reservoir of power to you would be a waste. Go call that fellow Lin Xiaoyi over!" Dugu Ba-Chen spoke softly, his expression already beginning to wither...

Hearing this, a wave of emotion washed over Ye Jingyu. So, he had known all along that Ye Jingyu was practicing a different mental art, and he knew Ye Jingyu had passed the Jing Lei Saber Art to Lin Xiaoyi, yet he never said a word, continuing to protect him fiercely and care for him...

The thought sent another sharp pang through Ye Jingyu's heart...

Obediently moving before Dugu Ba-Chen, he immediately knelt down, kowtowing deeply three times to his Master...

No further words were exchanged, because nothing needed to be said at this juncture...

A faint smile touched Dugu Ba-Chen's lips. He extended his withered hand and gently caressed Ye Jingyu's cheek. This was his apprentice; this was Dugu Ba-Chen's apprentice...

Even if this boy were to dominate the heavens later, even if he were to reign across the Six Paths of Reincarnation, he would still be his apprentice...

Ye Jingyu slowly rose, called out to Lin Xiaoyi, and then stood beside Dugu Ba-Chen...

In moments, Lin Xiaoyi arrived. Upon seeing the gaunt figure of Dugu Ba-Chen and sensing his colossal aura, Lin Xiaoyi's body trembled uncontrollably. Had his Young Master not been present, he might have collapsed instantly from sheer terror...

"Xiaoyi, this is my Master. The Jing Lei Saber Art I taught you was given to me by him. He is now your Master too. Kneel and kowtow," Ye Jingyu's voice was laced with sorrow...

" Thump..." With a sound, Lin Xiaoyi dropped to his knees, bowing deeply three times to Dugu Ba-Chen. Whether from excitement or some other emotion, his voice hitched slightly: "Disciple... Lin... Lin Xiaoyi, greets Master..."

"Heh heh..." Dugu Ba-Chen smiled faintly at the sight of the youth before him, then suddenly extended his right hand and pressed it directly onto Lin Xiaoyi's forehead...

A terrifying power surged into Lin Xiaoyi's body. Immense force continuously tore at his physical form even as it simultaneously repaired it... Dugu Ba-Chen's entire cultivation base and his profound martial understanding were poured, without reservation, into Lin Xiaoyi's core...

Lin Xiaoyi's strength skyrocketed as if on a rocket: Martial Saint, Early Martial Saint, Mid Martial Saint, Peak Martial Saint, Martial God First Heaven, Second Heaven, Third Heaven—the ascent stopped only at Martial God Fifth Heaven...

This was only because Lin Xiaoyi's soul could no longer endure the torment of his flesh fragmenting and reconstituting itself...

Otherwise, with Dugu Ba-Chen's level of attainment, he could easily have pushed Lin Xiaoyi to Martial God Ninth Heaven...

Yet even so, the vast majority of Dugu Ba-Chen's remaining power accumulated within Lin Xiaoyi's body. Once he fully absorbed this strength, it would be enough to propel him to Martial God Ninth Heaven. Combined with Dugu Ba-Chen's immense martial experience, once sufficient power was amassed, he would undoubtedly reach the Martial Venerable realm...

It could be said that an avenue paved with gold lay open before Lin Xiaoyi. He didn't need to comprehend it himself, nor truly experience the path, nor cultivate arduously. By simply following the memories and insights of Dugu Ba-Chen, he could effortlessly reach heights ordinary people could never attain in a lifetime...

By this time, Dugu Ba-Chen's body had wasted away to almost nothing...

His hair had entirely turned white, and his eyes slowly closed. Finally, not a trace of breath remained, just as he had seemed when Ye Jingyu first encountered him...

But this time, Ye Jingyu knew, he was truly gone...

Ye Jingyu stood there silently, watching it all unfold, tears blurring his vision and dampening the front of his robes...

"Master, travel well!" he murmured softly in his heart, then carefully lifted the unconscious Lin Xiaoyi and walked out of the cavern...

(I never expected so many brothers to still be supporting me. Over three hundred 'Gold Bricks' yesterday—Xingchen is truly moved. I'm releasing four chapters that were saved up, and there will be more updates later tonight! Let's all keep pushing forward!)

To the readers: To ensure you can read the next update sooner, I am uploading four chapters now at 0:19 AM, hoping the review process passes quickly tomorrow.