This is how people are; it’s one thing if they have never seen or hoped for anything.
The worst feeling is having hope and then falling into complete despair.
At that time, Fu Dongjun was deeply trapped in such depression.
And to eliminate distractions and focus solely on advancing, he even left his delicate wife and weak child behind, coming to Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain to excavate a secret passage for himself and locked himself inside, just to pursue enlightenment.
This was the final desperate move, either success or martyrdom.
Fu Dongjun understood that there were only two possible outcomes: either successfully advance and break free.
Or be trapped to death in this stone chamber.
To avoid dying in obscurity, he specially left a map for his young son at the time, instructing his wife that if he did not return, to let their son follow the map to find him once he grows up.
In the end, Fu Dongjun indeed failed to advance, but for unknown reasons, his son never came.
Thus, Fu Dongjun remained in this stone chamber for three hundred years until Zhao Ya’s arrival today.
After reading, Zhao Ya couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional.
Even though it was just a brief page, Zhao Ya could still sense the ambition of the past Fu Dongjun, and the frustration and despair after failing to advance.
Finally, Zhao Ya unraveled a mystery in his heart, which was how Fu Tingyuan obtained this treasure map.
It must be that Fu Tingyuan is a descendant of this Fu Dongjun.
Just from this single page, Zhao Ya gained much.
At the very least, his perspective broadened, knowing that there is a realm beyond the Meridian Opening Realm, the Primordial Sea Realm.
And when he turned over the page of self-narration, the following densely recorded were Fu Dongjun’s insights on cultivation.
And finally appearing was the true power cultivation technique that Zhao Ya was most concerned about and urgently lacking.
"Star-devouring True Power..." Zhao Ya softly murmured, his eyes shimmering.
Even with just the sparse words at the beginning, Zhao Ya’s heart was greatly shaken.
This Star-devouring True Power, with its rigor and immense power after cultivation, far exceeded Zhao Ya’s imagination.
However, it was not the time to study the technique.
Zhao Ya securely placed the technique on his person and respectfully gave a fist salute towards the bones on the stone bed.
"Although I am not your descendant, Eastern King, since I have come here, it’s fate. I accept this Star Devouring Technique, thank you greatly!"
After speaking, Zhao Ya turned and exited the stone chamber, quickly reaching the crossroad.
At this point, Zhao Ya already knew that taking another branch would lead to an underground river, and not far from there, he could reach the surface, which should be the shortcut to the outside world that Xiao Yan told him about.
However, Zhao Ya did not plan to go that way.
He quickly returned to the surface, reset the stone slab, refilled the soil, and then started setting fires all around.
Soon, the entire manor was engulfed in flames.
This was to erase the traces he left behind.
After finishing everything, the eastern sky was faintly whitening, and Zhao Ya hurried towards the small river.
Following Xiao Yan’s description, upon successfully arriving at this riverbank, Zhao Ya did not choose to take a boat but instead followed the river downstream, quickly disappearing into the vast forest of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain.
Just an hour after he left, a large group of people arrived at the manor.
At the forefront was an old man with peculiar features.
He looked solemnly at the blazing manor before him.
No one dared to speak.
After a long time, he coldly said, "Bring that woman here."
Someone dragged Xiao Yan, battered and bruised, over like a dead dog.
The old man looked down at her, "Now that Wan Zhen is dead, everyone in this manor is dead too, and even the houses were burned, leaving only you alive. Should I believe you, or should I kill you?"
Xiao Yan gave a bitter smile, "Everything is up to the Fifth Elder. Whether to live or die, I dare not have any opinions, but I only ask the Fifth Elder to grant me a swift end in view of my years of service to the sect."
"Very well, then close your eyes." the old man coldly replied.
Xiao Yan obediently closed her eyes, ready for death.
The old man raised his hand for a strike.
This strike came with a biting wind, heading straight for Xiao Yan’s face.
If it landed, not even ten Xiao Yans could survive.
Xiao Yan did not move, seemingly resigned to her fate.
Finally, as the palm was about to touch Xiao Yan’s facial hairs, the palm wind blowing her hair to and fro.
The old man suddenly stopped, giving Xiao Yan a deep look.
"Very well, it seems you were telling the truth."