Chapter 437: Wood Old Man

Chapter 437: Wood Old Man

Fei Yinghao's Mental World.

"Dong!"

The sound of a spoon knocking against Fei Yinghao's head echoed once more.

Just as Fei Yinghao let out a sigh of relief, his body trembled as he turned stiffly, only to see Lu Wu Zai, whose flesh and blood were blurred but constantly regenerating, attacking him.

By the time Fei Yinghao turned around, Lu Wu Zai had already healed completely.

At that moment, Fei Yinghao's eyes turned red.

"Die!"

He roared and pounced again, throwing Lu Wu Zai to the ground once more, unleashing an even more frenzied attack.

Fei Yinghao utilized every means at his disposal—the spoon, stones, his hands, and even his teeth—to swiftly kill Lu Wu Zai repeatedly.

His attacks were swift and efficient.

But Lu Wu Zai's regeneration was even more impressive.

As soon as Fei Yinghao killed him, Lu Wu Zai's wounds healed instantly, and he began striking Fei Yinghao with the spoon again.

This drove Fei Yinghao into further frenzy, and he unleashed another wave of attacks, even dismembering Lu Wu Zai to prevent his resurrection. However, it was all in vain, as Lu Wu Zai still revived within a short time.

Fei Yinghao felt himself losing control. He began to attack, slaughter, and vent his frustration uncontrollably.

No matter how he attacked or how much he slaughtered, the outcome remained the same—Lu Wu Zai always came back to life.

Lu Wu Zai was simply unkillable! Moreover, Fei Yinghao realized that after the initial few kills, the subsequent slaughter no longer provided him with any sense of satisfaction.

On the contrary, each time he killed Lu Wu Zai, a sense of fear and despair accumulated within him. These emotions continued to build up, eventually pushing Fei Yinghao over the edge.

No matter what the Wood Old Man said from outside, Fei Yinghao stopped attacking and slaughtering Lu Wu Zai.

He began to give up and flee.

Everything returned to the starting point, but he couldn't escape.

Lu Wu Zai was always right behind him, like a shadow.

No matter where Fei Yinghao ran, he couldn't shake Lu Wu Zai off.

He tried to completely surrender and let Lu Wu Zai attack him, but each of Lu Wu Zai's attacks, though weak, were unwavering, and each blow caused him unbearable pain.

Unable to endure it, Fei Yinghao pounced on Lu Wu Zai once more.

This time, instead of choosing to kill Lu Wu Zai, he opted to restrain him.

Knowing that Lu Wu Zai was immortal, Fei Yinghao decided to hold him, as he was exhausted and needed a moment of rest.

Holding Lu Wu Zai and restraining his hands did bring Fei Yinghao a brief moment of peace. However, he soon discovered that the attacks were falling on him again.

Fei Yinghao was startled and looked down, only to see that Lu Wu Zai had broken his own arm and was striking him with it in an eerie and unbelievable manner.

At that moment, Fei Yinghao's peace was shattered once more.

In his despair, Fei Yinghao exploded with determination, realizing that in this mental world, he would never find peace.

Slaughter, only slaughter, was the right way.

He was determined to tear through this endless torment.

One Lu Wu Zai, two Lu Wu Zais...

Fei Yinghao had no idea how long he had been killing or how many Lu Wu Zais he had slain.

The mechanized slaughter had numbed Fei Yinghao's entire being.

This numbness would continue, and for an unknown duration.

A year, two years, three years...

In Fei Yinghao's mental world, he had lost track of how many years had passed.

The endless slaughter, fear, and despair had driven Fei Yinghao to the brink of insanity on numerous occasions.

Fortunately, the Wood Old Man was still there.

Over the years, Fei Yinghao could occasionally hear the Wood Old Man's voice.

Although Fei Yinghao and the Wood Old Man hadn't been on good terms before, in recent times, the Wood Old Man's voice had become the only thing keeping Fei Yinghao going.

Fei Yinghao felt that without the Wood Old Man's voice, he wouldn't have lasted even a year.

But even with the Wood Old Man's voice, Fei Yinghao felt he was reaching his limit.

This was something that those outside Fei Yinghao's mental world, like the Wood Old Man, could best attest to.

Fei Yinghao's mental world had passed through an unknown number of years, but in the real world, outside his mental world, only a few hours had elapsed in the eyes of the Wood Old Man and the others.

Within those few hours, the fragment in Fei Yinghao's hand was being refined at an unbelievable speed.

Previously, the Zeroer had spent decades plotting to obtain a refined fragment, subjecting Ryuichiro Ryukawa to various trials before finally producing one.

On the Elder Mountain, it had only taken a few hours to almost produce a refined fragment.

This speed and achievement had made the group on Elder Mountain incredibly proud for a while.

But this pride did not last long, as they watched Fei Yinghao stall at the final crucial point.

In the first three hours, Fei Yinghao had already refined the fragment to ninety-nine percent.

However, the final one percent proved to be a challenge. Despite spending another two to three hours, Fei Yinghao failed to refine it successfully.

Worse still, Fei Yinghao's body began to show signs of distress. Even under the protection of Wood Old Man's energy, his vitality continued to wane.

If this continued, Fei Yinghao's refinement attempt would likely fail.

This news left the elders on Elder Mountain deeply disappointed, yet they had no solution.

After a few moments of silence, Zhang Mingrui spoke up, "Should we wake him up and make him stop the refinement?"

He suggested this not out of concern for Fei Yinghao, but to maximize the gains from this refinement attempt. By stopping Fei Yinghao, they could still extract valuable details about the refinement process, making his efforts more worthwhile.

Zhang Mingrui's suggestion was quickly approved.

However, just as they decided to stop Fei Yinghao's refinement, Wood Old Man objected.

"No, we're so close. We can't give up now. I have an idea, let me try it!"

Without waiting for Zhang Mingrui's approval, Wood Old Man began his work, much to the dissatisfaction of Zhang Mingrui and the others.

When did this old ghost become so assertive?

But with Wood Old Man already in action, they had no choice. Moreover, his first words left them utterly bewildered.

"Fei Old Man, I have a secret to tell you. I'm not Wood Old Man; I'm actually Lu Wu!"

What?

Upon hearing this, the elders on Elder Mountain were taken aback. Zhao Xuen and Zhang Mingrui simultaneously burst into action, their auras locking onto Wood Old Man as they demanded, "Wood Old Man, you better explain yourself! Or don't blame us for being ruthless."

Wood Old Man waved them off and pointed at Fei Yinghao.

Only then did they notice a significant change in Fei Yinghao's aura. The fragment in his hand began to glow.

This revelation made Zhao Xuen immediately understand Wood Old Man's plan. However, he was still tense and cautiously inspected Wood Old Man several times, finding no issues.

After exchanging glances with Zhang Mingrui and confirming that he saw no problems, Zhao Xuen relaxed.

They then realized they might have been overly anxious.

How could Wood Old Man be Lu Wu?

If Wood Old Man were Lu Wu, Lin Jianying's appearance on Elder Mountain would be meaningless.

If he could disguise himself so well, why would he need Lin Jianying to distract them?

Furthermore, they doubted Lu Wu would be that reckless.

After all, Lu Wu was not Pang Dudu; he didn't have any fragments. Entering Elder Mountain would be like walking into a trap.

Could he really be confident enough to face the centuries-old legacy of Elder Mountain?

Despite their thoughts, Zhao Xuen and Zhang Mingrui decided to verify this after the event, refusing to let their guard down. For now, they would watch Wood Old Man's performance.

Fei Yinghao's success now depended on Wood Old Man's efforts.

And Wood Old Man did not disappoint. After 'revealing' his identity as Lu Wu, he began to explain in detail how he had switched places, his words convincing and detailed.

As Wood Old Man continued his narrative, the fragment in Fei Yinghao's hand glowed more intensely.

From outside Fei Yinghao's mental realm, they could only judge his emotional and physical state by the fragment's glow. What was happening inside his mental realm remained a mystery.

In his mental realm, after enduring countless years of suffering, Fei Yinghao was on the verge of giving up when Wood Old Man's voice rang out again.

At first, Fei Yinghao's face showed a glimmer of hope, but it quickly faded as he realized what Wood Old Man was saying.

"Fei, you're about to die, so I'll be honest with you. I'm not Wood Old Man; I'm actually Lu Wu!"

"I know you think this is impossible, a lie, but I'm sorry to say it's the truth. When you went to the Holy Church Alliance, I left a clone of myself there and quickly went to find Wood Old Man."

"On him, there is the bait I set, marked with a seal. I must find him, and I will make sure to do so."

After finding him, the next step is simple. An Epic Rank 2 Elder, with the power to kill him as easily as slaughtering a chicken, will swiftly end his life.

Then, using an artifact, I will transform into his appearance and approach the Holy Church Alliance as him."

"Do you know why I've returned?"

"Of course, it's all for you! Although I've made you kill your own family with your hands, taking away ninety-nine percent of your vitality, leaving you to live the rest of your life as a helpless, dying old dog in agony..."

"But how could I possibly be satisfied with just that?"

"You're one of the sinners who killed Dudu. I must make you suffer more."

"So, I've returned. I've come back when you're in despair, wanting death. I've saved you, given you a new hope in your desperation—a hope named Mengfei."

"Do you know why I agreed to your experiment?"

"I wanted to witness your pain and despair up close. It's like a spectacular visual feast."

"Well, seeing you so pathetic and pitiful, the evil in my heart has finally subsided a little."

"Also, thank you for your cooperation. You've provided me with invaluable experience in refining Mengfei."

"What's next? Aren't you tired? Aren't you at your limit?"

"Yes, you can go now. Have a good journey, or rather, your body and soul will be annihilated!"

Wood Old Man's words shocked Fee Yinghao.

In an instant, his mental pillar was completely shattered.

At the same time, his already drained will to live was reignited.

An overwhelming killing intent surged forth.

As this intent erupted, Fee Yinghao struggled to discern whether it was directed at Li Wu or Wood Old Man, who had kept him alive for so long.

He couldn't, and refused to, differentiate.

All he wanted was to break free from this endless torment.

He needed to successfully refine the shard.

He had to question Wood Old Man, to find out if what he said was true or false.

He had to find Li Wu and return all the suffering he endured in this endless hell.

"Ah!"

With a hysterical roar, Fee Yinghao stood up once more, turning to face Li Wu.

But as he turned, he saw Li Wu shattering inch by inch.

"What?"

Before Fee Yinghao could react to what was happening, another shattering sound filled the air. Startled, he turned his head and saw his mental world, which had trapped him for countless years, finally crumbling. A new mental world appeared before him.

Along with this new mental world, a mysterious gate, shimmering with divine light, emerged.

The moment Fee Yinghao laid eyes on the gate, infinite power surged through his entire being.

In the real world, the elders of the Elder Mountain witnessed the shard in Fee Yinghao's hand glowing intensely, slowly merging into his heart. Simultaneously, power flooded into his body, and his skeletal form rapidly regenerated at a terrifying speed.

In the blink of an eye, Fee Yinghao not only recovered to his prime but also reverted to his youthful state.

As Fee Yinghao opened his eyes, fully refined, he heard the elders' exclamations.

"Well done, Wood Old Man. Your method is indeed effective."

"We all thought Fee Old Man was as good as dead, but you brought him back from the brink with just a few words. Impressive!"

"This success is all thanks to you, Wood Old Man!"

...

Hearing these words, Fee Yinghao was stunned.

Then, a relieved smile appeared on his face.

It turned out that Wood Old Man's words were meant to save him, which was undoubtedly good news for Fee Yinghao.

No one could understand how crucial Wood Old Man was to Fee Yinghao after enduring such a hellish experience.

If Fee Yinghao had opened his eyes and confirmed that Wood Old Man was Li Wu, he feared he might have broken down.

Fortunately, it was all a ruse.

Fee Yinghao heaved a sigh of relief and reached out to pat Wood Old Man's shoulder.

"Old Wood, thanks!"

Wood Old Man smiled brightly at Fee Yinghao, "No, it's I who should thank you!"

The next moment, Fee Yinghao's heart was ripped out by Wood Old Man, or rather, Li Wu...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end