Mortals cultivate immortality, I have a Chaos Tower

Lin Fan stood in front of Ouyang Hu, his words still echoing in his mind. Looking at this former boy, now a middle-aged man with traces of frost and frost on his face, he felt a complicated feeling in his heart. Ten years later, Ouyang Hu was no longer the naughty boy he was back then, and even his cultivation had far surpassed Lin Fan's imagination.

"Hu Zi, you... have actually reached the ninth level of Qi Refining?" Lin Fan frowned slightly, and there was a hint of confusion in his words. In the past, although there were villagers in Xueting Village who practiced every year, the highest level was only the third or fourth level of Qi Refining. Even the Lord of Yunzhou City was only at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining at that time, but now, Ouyang Hu in front of him has actually stood firmly at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Ouyang Hu seemed to see Lin Fan's doubts. He sighed softly and said in a deep voice, "Brother Fan, the situation has changed drastically in the past ten years. After the Yan Kingdom occupied Yunzhou City, it sent many masters to guard it, many of whom have reached the ninth level of foundation building. People like us..." Ouyang Hu paused, a trace of pain flashed in his eyes, "In front of such a strong man, we have no power to fight back."

"Ninth level of foundation building?" Lin Fan's face changed slightly, and he felt heavy in his heart. Ten years ago, cultivators at the foundation building level were already rare strong men in the entire Yunzhou, but now, Yan State has sent so many masters to suppress the people. No wonder Ouyang Hu, who is at the ninth level of Qi Refining, also suffered a miserable defeat in the confrontation.

Ouyang Hu smiled bitterly and pointed to his chest, where a trace of unhealed scars could be seen. "Back then, I took a few brothers from the village to resist the cultivators of Yan State, but I didn't expect that the other party only made a single move and I was seriously injured. If it weren't for the Great Huan Dan you left me at that time, I'm afraid I would have already..." His voice was low and full of a deep sense of powerlessness.

Lin Fan was shocked when he heard this. He suddenly realized that the Great Rejuvenation Pill that he had left for Ouyang Hu had saved his life at a critical moment. Memories of the past came flooding back, and his mind flashed back to the time when he and Ouyang Hu practiced together when they were young. At that time, they were carefree and yearned for the world of cultivating immortals, thinking that as long as they practiced properly, they could protect the village and their families. However, the cruel reality ruthlessly shattered their fantasies.

"Hu Zi, how many people are left in the village?" Lin Fan finally spoke, his voice low and deep, as if carrying a hint of a truth that he was unwilling to face.

Ouyang Hu was silent for a moment, his eyes dimmed. He gritted his teeth and said slowly: "Xueting Village... In that catastrophe, almost everyone was massacred. The old, weak, women and children in the village were all killed. Only I and a dozen young people escaped by chance. We all relied on the resources you left us that year to have the opportunity to survive and practice."

Lin Fan's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and it hurt so much that he could hardly breathe. The once bustling village seemed to appear before his eyes, but now it had turned into a dead ruin. The children, the elderly, and the companions who had grown up with him were all gone now.

He was silent for a long time, his eyes gradually becoming deep. His fingers gently stroked the Qiankun Axe at his waist, as if the weapon also felt the owner's grief and hummed slightly.

"I left in search of a more powerful force to protect the village...but I never expected that my departure would lead the village into such a situation." Lin Fan muttered to himself, his voice filled with deep self-blame and pain.

Jin Buke looked at Lin Fan from the side, frowning slightly. He said in a deep voice: "Brother Fan, the incident has already happened, and it is useless to continue to blame yourself. Now that we are back, we can avenge the village and Yunzhou City at the same time." His voice was as cold as ice, but it revealed an unquestionable determination.

Hearing this, Lin Fan raised his head, and a blazing flame ignited in his eyes. Yes, no matter what happened in the past, he is back now. The ruins before him are his responsibility, and he will also personally take back the hatred of those dead souls.

"Huzi, take me to the village." Lin Fan's voice was low and firm, and his eyes were full of complex emotions. He had to see with his own eyes what this place, which he had vowed to protect, had become.

Ouyang Hu nodded, turned around silently, and led Lin Fan and his group towards the ruins of the village.

As their footsteps sounded, the light in the woods gradually dimmed, and the setting sun cast its last rays of light on the ruined village in the distance. The scene before him seemed to pull Lin Fan back to his memory ten years ago in an instant.

Xueting Village used to be a small village nestled in the mountains and beside the river. Although the villagers were not rich, they lived a peaceful life and had harmonious relationships with each other. Lin Fan still remembers the clear stream in the village. Whenever it was hot in summer, the children in the village would play in the stream. He was one of them at that time.

However, what he stood in front of was a dilapidated ruin. The houses in the village had long since collapsed, and blood and burn marks were still left among the broken walls. The prosperity of the past was no longer there, replaced by endless desolation and dead silence.

Lin Fan stood at the entrance of the village, not taking a single step forward for a long time. His eyes lingered on every ruin, as if he wanted to find some trace of the past in this dead silence. However, the joy and laughter of the past had long gone with the wind, leaving only the afterimages in his memory lingering in his heart.

"Brother Fan..." Zhong Ling'er walked forward gently, holding Lin Fan's hand, trying to comfort him. There was also a trace of sadness in her eyes. She understood that this ruin carried too many memories of Lin Fan.

Lin Fan took a deep breath, his eyes gradually becoming firm. He slowly stepped forward and walked into the ruins. Every step seemed to be stepping on the wound in his heart, but he had to face it and endure it.

Ouyang Hu followed behind Lin Fan silently, his face also full of pain. Whenever he passed a collapsed house, familiar faces emerged in his mind. Those brothers and sisters who had grown up with him were no longer alive.

"Brother Fan, when we arrived at the village entrance, the village had already been engulfed in fire. The enemy...they were so cruel that they even spared the elderly, the weak, women and children." Ouyang Hu's voice was low, revealing deep hatred.

Lin Fan nodded silently, but his eyes remained firm. He walked to a relatively intact house in the village, where he lived in the past. Although the house was in ruins, he could still recognize some traces of its past.

He walked into the house, his eyes swept through the house, and finally stopped at a piece of ashes in the corner. There used to be a small shrine there, where the villagers would offer sacrifices every day, hoping that the gods would protect them.

"The gods... didn't protect this place after all." Lin Fan murmured in a low voice, the pain in his heart becoming more severe.