Ancient Fiend Dragon Emperor

Chapter 506: Chapter 503: A Hundred Years in a Blink, Everyone Mourns

Within the Light Barrier, Shen Li had been staring up into the sky, seemingly in the throes of Enlightenment.

Around him, figures had begun to appear when no one knew.

Among those figures were youths and children.

”That is... the Sect Master?!”

”And there are Qing’er and Yao’er!”

”The Sect Master’s two wives are there as well!”

At the moment they witnessed the phantasmal figures, everyone was startled because the youth bore the exact likeness of Su Han, the two women were unmistakably Xiao Yuran and Xiao Yuhui, and the children were clearly Su Qing and Su Yao!

Even Su Han and Xiao Yuhui were slightly taken aback upon beholding this scene, exchanging looks before revealing a wry smile.

”Shen Li joined the Phoenix Sect later, but he is older than us, and with the increase of his Cultivation Base, his temperament had also changed,” said Yuhui after a moment of silence, her voice soft. ”He has always regarded us as his own children in his heart.”

Su Han remained silent, without a word.

He truly wore a bitter smile. If one were to speak of age, Shen Li was in a category beyond any addressable relation, shifting through eons, spanning billions of years.

Even in the case of Su Yunming, Su Han addressed him as ”father” because of their blood connection and rebirth, and because Su Yunming was exceedingly good to Su Han.

However, Shen Li clearly did not know this.

He regarded himself as their progenitor, and Su Qing and Su Yao as his grandchildren.

In his entire life, Shen Li had no offspring of his own, and he had always felt a familial affection for Su Han, Su Qing, and Su Yao, yet he had never spoken of it.

Because Su Han was his Sect Master, his guiding light!

Without Su Han, there would be no Shen Li of today; this was a hurdle called family that Shen Li could never cross in his heart.

He longed for family ties and yearned for a perfect home, but his years were advanced. Though his Cultivation Base was high, it seemed he could never reach that goal in his lifetime.

”It’s not that he couldn’t achieve it, but rather... he didn’t want to,” sighed Su Han inwardly.

At this moment, he finally understood the world that Shen Li yearned for, the kind of familial bond he anticipated, the person he needed...

In the stillness, Su Han looked up.

Within the landscape, a pavilion had appeared.

In the pavilion, Shen Li sat in a chair, seemingly saying something.

To his left, Su Qing lay on his lap, shaking her little head from time to time, seemingly unable to absorb his words.

On his right, Su Yao’s large eyes were fixed on Shen Li. She would occasionally speak as if asking questions, her inquiries fueling Shen Li’s enthusiasm. The wrinkles on his face deepened with each smile.

He reached out his hand to pat the heads of Su Qing and Su Yao, and finally flicked Su Qing’s forehead gently, feigning a stern look as if upset by her lack of attention to his words.

But his light flick caused Su Qing to giggle merrily, breaking his attempted stern facade into an irresistible smile once more.

Then, Su Han approached the pavilion from the outside, clad in white garments, stripped of the aura of Cultivation Base and the authority of Sect Master, simply... like a son.

In his hands, he held an elegant tray with some pastries arranged on it. Seeing that Shen Li was engrossed in his lecture, he could not help but smile, setting the pastries down on the stone table.

Su Han tried to speak, but no sound came out, yet the Su Han on top of the city wall could clearly make out what was being said in the scene before him.

”Dad, you’ve been talking all morning, the two kids are probably sick of it by now.”

”What do you know?”

Shen Li glared, ”I think Qing’er takes after you, never listening to what I say from such a young age. You need to educate him properly. Look at Yao’er, she has inherited all the good traits from Yuhui, and I want to record everything for when they grow up, as a kind of memento.”

”Alright, alright, you’re the greatest. Just listening to your stories that could go on for ten lifetimes is enough, isn’t it?” Su Han said with a forced smile.

”Throughout my life, I’ve achieved much, but my greatest achievement is having these two lovely grandchildren, haha!” Shen Li laughed heartily.

At that moment, Xiao Yuhui and Xiao Yuran also walked in from outside.

Both wore smiles as they sat beside Shen Li.

”Yuhui, tell me, what do you want? You’ve given me two precious grandchildren, and I haven’t properly rewarded you yet.” Shen Li laughed, clearly feeling a strong sense of accomplishment.

Xiao Yuhui shook her head, ”Dad, you’re overthinking it. This is what Yuhui should do, no talk of rewards necessary. Have some water first, it’s been a whole morning, you must be thirsty.”

”Look at Yuhui and then look at you, always arguing with your dad.” Shen Li gave Su Han another glaring look, which made the Su Han in the scene smile wryly and shake his head repeatedly.

”Speaking of which.”

Shen Li turned to Xiao Yuran, ”Yuran, not to criticize you, but look how hardworking Yuhui is. When are you going to give me a couple of grandchildren too?”

Xiao Yuran’s cheeks turned red, ”Ah Dad, we already have Qing’er and Yao’er, why don’t you dote on them first? These things can’t be rushed.”

”How can they not be rushed? If you two don’t work hard, how can your dad not be anxious?”

Shen Li sighed helplessly and then, without paying them any more mind, continued to tell Su Qing and Su Yao about his past deeds, how he roamed freely under the heavens, and his adventures across the four seas.

At this point, the events unfolding in the scene began to accelerate.

It seemed like ten years had passed, or maybe twenty years, thirty years...

When the scene came to a stop, Shen Li was lying on the bed.

By his side stood Su Han, Xiao Yuhui, Xiao Yuran, and both Su Qing and Su Yao were standing as well.

Su Han had matured into middle age, his face filled with sorrow and reluctance. Xiao Yuhui and Xiao Yuran stood quietly beside him, tears glinting in their eyes.

Su Qing and Su Yao had grown up.

But like when they were younger, they seemed to understand nothing. At that moment, they were sobbing uncontrollably, clutching Shen Li’s hands tightly, as if wanting to hear, one more time, the stories of Shen Li’s life.

One more time, just one last time.

In the scene, Shen Li closed his eyes, a smile on his face. Within that smile was reluctance, affection, sighs...

And satisfaction.

Su Han froze, Xiao Yuhui froze, and all the disciples below froze at that moment.

The event in the scene, although only lasting a few breaths, felt to everyone as if decades had truly passed.

They felt like they had become Su Han, like they had become Xiao Yuhui and Xiao Yuran, or like they had become Su Qing and Su Yao.

As for Su Han and Xiao Yuhui themselves, they too stood there for a long time.