Chapter 991 - Celestial Astral Platform

Han Feizi's father, a man in his forties, wore a pale and weary expression and kept a small goatee on his chin.

His pallor revealed lingering injuries that his body still hadn't fully healed.

"You're back. That's all that matters," Han Shanzi said.

No reprimand or punishment. Now that his son had returned, that was enough. Such was the simplicity of fatherly love in its purest form.

"Father, I have made you worried..." Han Feizi muttered, his heart aching with pain.

The sight of his wounded father, coupled with the death of his friend, dealt a heavy blow to his heart.

"Tell me. Why do you want to activate the Celestial Astral Stage?" Han Shanzi looked at his son. He no longer saw his son as a mere child. Han Feizi had grown and matured. He now had a will of his own, and Han Shanzi was ready to respect every word and decision he made.

"I want to know if he's truly dead. If he's not dead, I hope he can find his way back," Han Feizi replied.

Han Shanzi had already learned of Liu Wuxie's situation from Han Long, who had secretly sent a message back when Han Feizi had left the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy. He already knew his son's intentions before his arrival.

"Do you know what activating the Celestial Astral Stage means?" Han Shanzi asked. He made no attempt to dissuade his son, only hoping Han Feizi would think it through.

Han Frizi gave a firm nod and after a brief pause replied, "I do." Of course, he knew the weight behind activating the Celestial Astral Stage.

"I'll give you three days to think it over. I hope you can cool your head before making a final choice. But if you're still determined to activate the Celestial Astral Stage after three days, I'll allow it," Han Shanzi said before leaving the room to Han Feizi.

Three days were good enough for a person to calm down and reconsider. He couldn't bear the thought of something happening to his son after years of waiting for his return.

"Thank you, father!" Han Feizi whispered as he watched his father leave.

Everyone left Han Feizi alone in the room, and no one dared to disturb him.

......

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Han Shanzi returned as he had promised to hear his son's decision.

"What have you decided?" he asked.

Han Feizi looked noticeably more haggard than he had three days ago, and Han Shanzi felt an ache at the sight of his son.

Han Feizi was no longer the same person he had been before witnessing Liu Wuxie's death. He hadn't spoken a word in the past three days. It felt as if grief had killed the boy within him that day. In just a few days, he had grown from an unruly and reckless youth to a man, forged by grief.

"Activate it!" Han Feizi said.

He raised his head with clear eyes and unwavering resolve as he looked at his father.

"Very well. But let me be the one to open it," Han Shanzi replied with a smile. He didn't blame his son for his stubbornness. In fact, there was a hint of admiration in his eyes when he spoke.

The resolve to remain true to one's heart was rare and precious.

"No. I want to activate it myself!" Han Feizi stood up, his hands clenched with determination to activate the Celestial Astral Stage himself.

"Absurd!" Han Shanzi bellowed, his face darkening with fury.

Though he had agreed to activate the Celestial Astral Stage, he didn't agree to let Han Feizi do it himself.

"Father, forgive how unfilial I have been. I have never asked you for anything throughout my life. But today, I beg you to grant me this wish just once!" Han Feizi dropped to his knees, pleading earnestly.

Han Shanzi looked at his son, his eyes filled with both sorrow and pride.

It felt as if a knife had pierced straight into his heart.

"So be it..." He let out a string of weak sighs.

He knew his son's temperament well. Once Han Feizi made up his mind, nothing could sway him.

After all, Han Feizi had left home for five long years because of some harsh words. He did not want to repeat the same mistake or have any regrets.

"Thank you, Father!" A smile finally broke across Han Feizi's face, like a heavy weight had been lifted off his chest.

Han Shanzi understood what lay ahead when he stepped out from the courtyard.

He was torn between his son's wishes and his clan. The choice weighed heavily on him.

......

Han Shanzi sat among the other elders in the Han Clan's highest council.

"Patriarch, that must not be allowed! Han Feizi is the hope of our clan! We can't allow him to activate the Celestial Astral Stage!" An elder shot to his feet in protest.

"The Grand Elder is right. Han Feizi is too young. Patriarch, how can you agree to mess around with him?" The other elders joined in, siding with the Grand Elder.

Dozens of elders had risen in unison, objecting to Han Feizi activating the Celestial Astral Stage.

"I have already given him my word," Han Shanzi replied wryly.

He had seen this outcome from the very beginning.

All the elders were filled with anguish when they heard that the Patriarch had agreed to Han Feizi's demand.

"Patriarch, have you lost your senses?!" The Grand Elder struck his chest in frustration.

"Patriarch, what will be of the Han Clan's future if anything happens to Han Feizi? What about our sacred mission?!" the Second Elder questioned.

Unlike the other clans, the Han Clan bore a special mission bound to them.

"Have you ever thought... that our mission might have already begun?" Han Shanzi asked.

His words struck everyone like a thunderbolt, leaving everyone stunned with disbelief.

"You're trying to say that...?" The Grand Elder's pupils contracted.

Han Shanzi nodded and signaled the Grand Elder not to continue further.

"But Patriarch, what if he's not that person? Won't it ruin everything? We can't afford to take that risk!" another elder interjected.

The news came from Han Feizi, and its credibility remained uncertain. Perhaps Han Feizi had deceived them or acted impulsively based on his friendship with Liu Wuxie.

"I know Fei'er's personality," Han Shanzi replied, shaking his head. "Though it's undeniable that he is eager to save Liu Wuxie, I believe he also understands the burden the Han Clan carries."

"Han Shanzi! If you dare let my son activate the Celestial Astral Stage, I'll fight you with everything I've got!" a woman warned, storming into the main hall. She bore a striking resemblance to Han Feizi.

She was Han Feizi's mother. She had rushed over immediately upon hearing that her son planned to activate the Celestial Astral Stage.

"Everyone, give us a moment," Han Shanzi said, dismissing the elders as what followed was a family matter.

The hall fell silent, leaving only Han Shanzi and his wife inside.

"He's never asked us for anything before, and I can't refuse his request now," Han Feizi said with a bitter smile.

"I don't care! If you let him activate the Celestial Astral Stage, I'll fight you with everything I've got!" Han Feizi's mother shouted and lunged toward Han Shanzi.

"Mother, please don't blame father. I have already decided," Han Feizi's voice came from the entrance.

He had rushed over after learning about his mother's outburst.

"You foolish child! Don't you know there's no turning back once you step on the Celestial Astral Stage? Do you want me to see you die?"

Han Feizi's mother let go of Han Shanzi and gently caressed Han Feizi's head, her voice thick with emotion to dissuade her son.

"Don't worry, mother. I won't die so easily!" Han Feizi replied with a reassuring smile.

"You're both mad! Completely mad! I won't live either if anything happens to Fei'er!" Han Feizi's mother sobbed.

She knew better than anyone that her son would act rashly if she tried to stop him now. He might even leave home again or build his own Celestial Astral Stage, which would be a disaster.

Han Feizi's mother wept as tears streamed down her face. It was evident that Han Feizi's stubborn personality came from his mother.

......

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie continued to drift through the void.

As the Corpse Devouring Beast slowed down, Liu Wuxie matched its speed. They passed through dense fog until towering structures in the distance caught his eye.

"What's going on? Why are there buildings in the Void Realm?" Liu Wuxie blinked, thinking his eyes were deceiving him.

He rubbed them hard and looked again. But he wasn't mistaken; there really was a structure up ahead.

However, upon closer inspection, they didn't seem like buildings but a towering peak that pierced into the heavens. Even so, no matter what it was, it was good news to see any anomaly in the void realm.

The Corpse Devouring Beast stopped and began circling in place before undoing their fusion.

Liu Wuxie stopped as well and focused his eyes into the distance. He saw a colossal stone pillar, seemingly bottomless, roughly five thousand meters ahead. The pillar rose so high that he couldn't see its top.

He didn't know where this pillar came from or where it led.

The Corpse Devouring Beasts swarmed the stone pillar like maggots, clinging to its surface before dissolving into wisps of deathly energy.

They would likely reappear in a new world since nothing in existence preyed on the Corpse Devouring Beasts. Deathly energy made up their bodies, and they would awaken again when a new world emerged.

Liu Wuxie approached the pillar cautiously, doing everything he could to avoid waking the Corpse Devouring Beasts. Even so, the closer he got, the denser the deathly energy became.

"Could this pillar rise from the Netherworld?" A bold thought formed in Liu Wuxie's mind.

This pillar likely connected the three realms.

As he approached, the deathly energy thickened. He felt it erode his body and drain his lifespan. The sensation was dreadful, but Liu Wuxie had no other options.

Scanning the surroundings, Liu Wuxie spotted several more stone pillars far away. Those didn't match the height of the one before him, and the tops of the pillars resembled platforms.

At last, Liu Wuxie found a place to land and gently descended, settling atop one of the towering pillars. Beneath him, the pillar pulsed with deathly energy and sent its streams endlessly seeping into the vast Void Realm.

Silence cloaked the entire Void Realm. His heartbeat echoed like drums, and his breath roared like thunder. In such silence, even the falling of a hair made a sound.

From the top of the pillar, Liu Wuxie surveyed his surroundings. He could see more pillars around him, perhaps tens of thousands of them, each pillar rose from the abyss beneath. No matter how hard he looked down, he couldn't glimpse the bottom of the pillar.