This person is truly strange. Ye Tiancheng suddenly felt a peculiar urge to befriend him, even though the man seemed unwilling to connect with the outside world. He lived entirely to himself, never seeking communication or contact with others. This reclusive individual had a past he didn't want anyone to know, a past he deeply understood and longed to uncover, to understand what had happened to make him this way.
"Nene... I say, why have you become like this? Don't you want to communicate and understand me?"
"I'll keep these words in my heart."
Clearly, this fellow didn't want to tell anyone about his past.
"There must be a name, right? I can't just call you 'Hey'!"
"A name, yes, I have one. I am called Zhou Laoda."
The man clearly showed a sly smile when he said this.
Seeing him, Ye Tiancheng became very angry, wanting to rush forward and punch him on the head. This guy was truly frustrating and infuriating. Regardless, as someone who wanted to be friends, he should at least tell his name. If he didn't want to say it, fine, but he should at least show some respect and not be so dismissive.
"You don't want to recall your past, so using a pseudonym for a name is enough, don't you think?"
A person who doesn't even want to admit his past lives a truly tragic life. Regardless, it's fine to just make do for now. One cannot force others, otherwise, one becomes a detestable person.
Living a strange life in this strange place, the future always feels unsettling. Many things will happen one after another. Those who are not prepared will always be swallowed by the times. Ye Tiancheng has experienced too much of this; he doesn't know how to face it. Leaving might be the best way, but it would mean escaping and leaving a mess for others.
This is clearly irresponsible, but what if he was willing to be responsible? He always handled matters with too much edge, causing many people to be hurt, and those people still resented him. As someone who held the fate of others, one should always consider the bigger picture when doing things. But he didn't have much time to do these things, so he could only tragically accept this reality he didn't want to accept. Time always slips away quickly, and there's no time to make choices. Escaping is the best way. Perhaps when he returns to that place later, no one will recognize him, and he can start anew.
Zhou Laoda led Ye Tiancheng to set up camp in this place.
"This place is quite good. It's a pity it's sparsely populated." Ye Tiancheng had been living here for over ten days.
Every day, besides hunting, he would chat with Zhou Laoda like this.
The cultivation technique Zhou Laoda practiced was very strange, making him feel like a peculiar fellow.
His name was strange, and his cultivation method was also strange.
"I've always wanted to know what cultivation technique you're practicing?" Ye Tiancheng asked Zhou Laoda, but Zhou Laoda wouldn't tell him why, as it was his secret.
"Would you entrust your life and death to someone else?"
Zhou Laoda asked with a smile. Undeniably, matters involving one's life and death would never be easily told to others. When asked this question, Ye Tiancheng fell silent.
There were always many people and things he didn't want to see.
"Of course not, absolutely not, never." Ye Tiancheng was silent for half a day before finally saying what he wanted to say. He wouldn't easily trust others before, and now he trusts them even less. He had lived this way for so many years.
"Since that's the case, then don't waste words."
With that, Zhou Laoda picked up a wineskin made of animal hide and disappeared before his eyes...
Seeing the direction he disappeared, Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but laugh. In his eyes, this guy had finally admitted himself.
"This can't go on like this..." the system advised Ye Tiancheng.
Ye Tiancheng knew, but he didn't want to complicate things. He had to seize the time to complete what he wanted to accomplish, how to break through the isolation wall and reach the cultivation continent. Zhou Laoda would help him; he had this feeling in his heart.
Although that guy had disappeared and he couldn't see him for a moment.
But in Ye Tiancheng's view, as long as a suitable opportunity could be found, they could cooperate. Regardless, these matters concerned interests. Anything that concerned interests must be carefully considered, as his mood was exceptionally complex. At this juncture, he didn't want others to think he was a scheming person. This person's past was very unbearable, making him sensitive to everything.
Therefore, proceeding step by step was the only way to handle everything. Ye Tiancheng walked over and looked at the tracks on the ground. They were clearly left by Zhou Laoda. The reason he left clues was that he was about to do something he hadn't done in over a decade. If Ye Tiancheng was willing to go, he would definitely look for the traces. And these traces were meant to tell Ye Tiancheng, "I've left you clues. Whether you come depends on your courage."
Ye Tiancheng quickly found his target.
He saw a towering tree reaching into the sky. Its massive canopy was like a giant umbrella blocking out the sun. Standing beneath such a tree, it felt as if there was no sky. What met his eyes was a dome made of dense, lush leaves.
"You've finally arrived. I've been waiting for you here for half a day."
An ancient voice entered Ye Tiancheng's ears. An ancient figure appeared before him. It was Zhou Laoda. In the short time they were apart, he had aged into a decrepit old man. Such a transformation greatly surprised Ye Tiancheng.
"Zhou Laoda, why have you become this ghastly appearance?"
"Don't you always want to know my secret? In fact, I'm over fifty, and my cultivation has been stagnant. What face do I, such a waste, have to stand in the human world? When I was as young as you, I always believed that one day I could ascend the cultivation rankings and become an outstanding person. The truth is, I'm truly incapable."
As he said this, Zhou Laoda's expression became extremely tragic.
Ye Tiancheng wanted to comfort him, telling him not to overthink. This world only favors the few; most people will live their lives in obscurity, unremarkable.
Don't believe those encouraging articles; they are all superficial. In fact, once you understand these things, you will be at peace.
"Actually, it's enough to just try your best while living; you don't need to care about the outcome, because the outcome is unpredictable. Once upon a time, I was a big shot, but now you see me beaten back to my original form and cultivating again. Heaven is always unfair. What can you do? Complaining to the world leads nowhere. The only thing you can do is survive according to the various ways heaven has given you."
"Therefore, you will become a winner in life, and I will always be a failure. As a failure, I can only rely on this Tree of Life to prolong my power. If I lose this tree, I will disappear immediately. This is why I am unwilling to leave here."
Ye Tiancheng was greatly shocked to hear Zhou Laoda's words. So, this towering tree was called the Tree of Life.
"If you could shrink this tree into a space, then you could take it with you on your travels," Ye Tiancheng said. But Zhou Laoda thought this was pure fantasy and the talk of a madman. What kind of space could contain such a giant tree? What method could shrink this tree? He hadn't thought of these methods, but had thought of them and experimented with them. It was simply impossible.
"Shall we try?"
"Of course, does this need further consideration?"
Ye Tiancheng retorted.
"The method you mentioned, I've already used it and experimented with it. It's impossible. Don't waste your energy anymore. I'm going to absorb the Tree of Life's power."
For him, day after day, year after year, doing the same tedious things. These things had worn away too much of his ambition, to the point that the ravages of time were firmly etched on his aged face.