"I never thought that I would experience this today," Chen An thought as he walked on the road.
His appearance had once again changed, now looking extremely elderly.
As time passed, he had aged significantly, looking frail and fragile, as if even walking required great care to avoid falling, giving the impression that his life was coming to an end.
And indeed, it was true.
His life was nearing its end.
Originally, if there were no unexpected events, Chen An would have been comfortably settled in his mansion, living as a happy old man.
However, the world had different plans for him.
Life was full of unexpected twists and turns.
Having lived for so long, Chen An had learned a few things.
While short periods of seclusion were possible, long-term seclusion was not realistic.
As long as one lived long enough, they would inevitably encounter various unexpected events, preventing them from continuing to live in seclusion.
The last unexpected event was the invasion of Da Hua by Song Kingdom, where he was forcefully pulled out by Cheng Zheng to lead the army.
And now, it was an invitation to battle from the King of Jin Kingdom.
Of course, considering Chen An's situation, he could have avoided it.
In a world as vast as this one, with his innate abilities, he could have easily evaded Jin Kingdom.
Being of the same innate level, as long as he hid somewhere, would the King of Jin Kingdom really be able to find him?
Unfortunately, if Chen An were younger, he might have chosen this route.
But at his age, it seemed unnecessary to avoid it.
After all, with the way things were going, regardless of the outcome, he would not live for many more years.
So, what was the point?
Chen An sighed silently, reaching the designated battleground where both sides would face each other.
It was on top of a mountain.
The mountain was located to the north of Da Hua, with a treacherous terrain.
Surrounded by high mountains, it was sparsely populated.
Looking at it, even ordinary people would find it difficult to climb.
The King of Jin Kingdom was currently waiting on top of the mountain for Chen An to arrive.
As Chen An arrived at the location as planned, he saw the King of Jin Kingdom.
As expected, the King of Jin Kingdom was very young, just as Chen An had anticipated.
He was dressed in a robe similar to the previous King of the Desert, with a bald head, exuding a peaceful aura that had a calming effect on people.
This did not resemble a king known for his ferocity; instead, he seemed more like a wise monk.
When Chen An saw the King, he was also surprised.
What's going on?
The disciple and the master look completely different.
The previous King probably had a similar appearance, but his personality was completely different, fierce and aggressive.
On the other hand, the current King looked peaceful and resembled a high monk.
"Greetings, King Chen."
Upon seeing Chen An's arrival, the King greeted him respectfully and peacefully, "I have heard of King Chen's reputation for a long time, and today I finally have the opportunity to meet you."
"Are you the disciple of the previous King?"
Chen An looked at the King with astonishment and asked.
"Yes."
The King nodded, "I am the disciple my master took before he passed away."
"Before he passed away."
Chen An fell silent for a moment before speaking, "I remember, I seem to have wounded him back then."
"When Master was defeated by King Chen, he retreated to the desert to recuperate and found me after three years."
The King's hands were clasped in devotion, with a hint of nostalgia on his face, "In the second year of my apprenticeship, Master passed away."
Wow.
Chen An couldn't help but feel envious.
Look at his luck.
After being defeated by Chen An, the previous King only had three years left to live.
Despite this situation, he managed to find such a disciple and pass on his teachings.
Even more absurdly, the disciple he took before his death actually surpassed him and ascended to the innate level a hundred years after his demise.
Is there any justice in this world?
Chen An thought about his own students over the years, realizing that none of them had reached the innate level, let alone possessed any spirit qi.
Could it be that my teaching skills are really that bad?
No, it must be the students' problem!
Chen An quickly shifted the blame onto his students, thinking it made sense.
He had taught several individuals over the years, including Cheng Qi, his two children, and others, but their talents were mediocre at best.
Compared to true geniuses or even ordinary talented individuals, they were far inferior.
The only potentially talented one, Cheng Qi, had become consumed by political matters and had no time for cultivation.
How could they possibly compare to the King before him?
There was simply no comparison!
However, despite these thoughts, the difference was just too significant, causing Chen An to have doubts.
"My master left a message for me to pass on to you."
The King continued, "He wanted to express his gratitude to you for the benefits he gained from the battle we had. He owed you a great debt of gratitude."
"Are you sure that's what he said?"
Chen An's expression was strange.
If he remembered correctly, he hadn't done much back then, and the previous King's swift demise had its reasons.
Although even without him, the King would not have lived much longer.
But he didn't see any reason for gratitude.
"Indeed."
The King smiled and nodded, "Along with his gratitude, he also felt regret. Therefore, he instructed me that if I were to challenge you again in the future, it would continue the battle from that day."
"That sounds nice."
Chen An fell silent for a moment before feeling somewhat speechless, "But your master probably didn't mention for you to come here and bully an old man, did he?"
"If you wanted to challenge me, couldn't you have come earlier instead of waiting for me to be close to death?"
Bringing this up, the King seemed a bit embarrassed, "I also wished to come earlier, but I only recently stabilized my innate realm in recent years. Considering King Chen's notorious reputation, I dare not stand in front of you too early."
"Otherwise, wouldn't it be a loss if you killed me?"
You actually said it outright!
Chen An was dumbfounded.
Even if you were afraid, most people would come up with some excuse to cover it up.
But there you are, stating your thoughts directly?
"A monk should not lie."
Seemingly aware of Chen An's thoughts, the King spoke seriously, "My master only instructed me to challenge you in the future but did not specify when. So, this does not violate my promise to him."
Wow.
This was how you fulfilled your master's instructions.
I wonder if the previous King would come back to life after knowing what his disciple had done.
Chen An silently grumbled to himself.
"I never thought that I would experience this today," Chen An thought as he walked on the road.
His appearance had once again changed, now looking extremely elderly.
As time passed, he had aged significantly, looking frail and fragile, as if even walking required great care to avoid falling, giving the impression that his life was coming to an end.
And indeed, it was true.
His life was nearing its end.
Originally, if there were no unexpected events, Chen An would have been comfortably settled in his mansion, living as a happy old man.
However, the world had different plans for him.
Life was full of unexpected twists and turns.
Having lived for so long, Chen An had learned a few things.
While short periods of seclusion were possible, long-term seclusion was not realistic.
As long as one lived long enough, they would inevitably encounter various unexpected events, preventing them from continuing to live in seclusion.
The last unexpected event was the invasion of Da Hua by Song Kingdom, where he was forcefully pulled out by Cheng Zheng to lead the army.
And now, it was an invitation to battle from the King of Jin Kingdom.
Of course, considering Chen An's situation, he could have avoided it.
In a world as vast as this one, with his innate abilities, he could have easily evaded Jin Kingdom.
Being of the same innate level, as long as he hid somewhere, would the King of Jin Kingdom really be able to find him?
Unfortunately, if Chen An were younger, he might have chosen this route.
But at his age, it seemed unnecessary to avoid it.
After all, with the way things were going, regardless of the outcome, he would not live for many more years.
So, what was the point?
Chen An sighed silently, reaching the designated battleground where both sides would face each other.
It was on top of a mountain.
The mountain was located to the north of Da Hua, with a treacherous terrain.
Surrounded by high mountains, it was sparsely populated.
Looking at it, even ordinary people would find it difficult to climb.
The King of Jin Kingdom was currently waiting on top of the mountain for Chen An to arrive.
As Chen An arrived at the location as planned, he saw the King of Jin Kingdom.
As expected, the King of Jin Kingdom was very young, just as Chen An had anticipated.
He was dressed in a robe similar to the previous King of the Desert, with a bald head, exuding a peaceful aura that had a calming effect on people.
This did not resemble a king known for his ferocity; instead, he seemed more like a wise monk.
When Chen An saw the King, he was also surprised.
What's going on?
The disciple and the master look completely different.
The previous King probably had a similar appearance, but his personality was completely different, fierce and aggressive.
On the other hand, the current King looked peaceful and resembled a high monk.
"Greetings, King Chen."
Upon seeing Chen An's arrival, the King greeted him respectfully and peacefully, "I have heard of King Chen's reputation for a long time, and today I finally have the opportunity to meet you."
"Are you the disciple of the previous King?"
Chen An looked at the King with astonishment and asked.
"Yes."
The King nodded, "I am the disciple my master took before he passed away."
"Before he passed away."
Chen An fell silent for a moment before speaking, "I remember, I seem to have wounded him back then."
"When Master was defeated by King Chen, he retreated to the desert to recuperate and found me after three years."
The King's hands were clasped in devotion, with a hint of nostalgia on his face, "In the second year of my apprenticeship, Master passed away."
Wow.
Chen An couldn't help but feel envious.
Look at his luck.
After being defeated by Chen An, the previous King only had three years left to live.
Despite this situation, he managed to find such a disciple and pass on his teachings.
Even more absurdly, the disciple he took before his death actually surpassed him and ascended to the innate level a hundred years after his demise.
Is there any justice in this world?
Chen An thought about his own students over the years, realizing that none of them had reached the innate level, let alone possessed any spirit qi.
Could it be that my teaching skills are really that bad?
No, it must be the students' problem!
Chen An quickly shifted the blame onto his students, thinking it made sense.
He had taught several individuals over the years, including Cheng Qi, his two children, and others, but their talents were mediocre at best.
Compared to true geniuses or even ordinary talented individuals, they were far inferior.
The only potentially talented one, Cheng Qi, had become consumed by political matters and had no time for cultivation.
How could they possibly compare to the King before him?
There was simply no comparison!
However, despite these thoughts, the difference was just too significant, causing Chen An to have doubts.
"My master left a message for me to pass on to you."
The King continued, "He wanted to express his gratitude to you for the benefits he gained from the battle we had. He owed you a great debt of gratitude."
"Are you sure that's what he said?"
Chen An's expression was strange.
If he remembered correctly, he hadn't done much back then, and the previous King's swift demise had its reasons.
Although even without him, the King would not have lived much longer.
But he didn't see any reason for gratitude.
"Indeed."
The King smiled and nodded, "Along with his gratitude, he also felt regret. Therefore, he instructed me that if I were to challenge you again in the future, it would continue the battle from that day."
"That sounds nice."
Chen An fell silent for a moment before feeling somewhat speechless, "But your master probably didn't mention for you to come here and bully an old man, did he?"
"If you wanted to challenge me, couldn't you have come earlier instead of waiting for me to be close to death?"
Bringing this up, the King seemed a bit embarrassed, "I also wished to come earlier, but I only recently stabilized my innate realm in recent years. Considering King Chen's notorious reputation, I dare not stand in front of you too early."
"Otherwise, wouldn't it be a loss if you killed me?"
You actually said it outright!
Chen An was dumbfounded.
Even if you were afraid, most people would come up with some excuse to cover it up.
But there you are, stating your thoughts directly?
"A monk should not lie."
Seemingly aware of Chen An's thoughts, the King spoke seriously, "My master only instructed me to challenge you in the future but did not specify when. So, this does not violate my promise to him."
Wow.
This was how you fulfilled your master's instructions.
I wonder if the previous King would come back to life after knowing what his disciple had done.
Chen An silently grumbled to himself.
