[System Prompt: Remaining simulation time is less than one year]
In the bustling noodle shop, Ye Feng looked at the suddenly popping up system prompt and smiled helplessly.
He had anticipated that he wouldn't live long, but receiving such a precise notification of his date of death was still a rather unpleasant feeling.
No one does not feel fear in the face of death, but for Ye Feng, death also meant a form of return.
"Ahem."
Ye Feng's throat suddenly felt itchy, and he skillfully pulled out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose.
His physical condition was poor. His cultivation base had long since dissipated, and his worsening body brought him much pain. Worse still, he found himself frequently in a state of exhaustion.
He couldn't even carry the noodles from the back kitchen to the customers, which was why he now only handled the cash register.
Sometimes Ye Feng would wonder if he hadn't volunteered to be some kind of hero back then, whether he could have been like those transmigrator seniors who kicked all directions, and after a burst of showing off, calmly said, "Holding the sun and moon to pluck the stars, there is no one like me in this world."
Seemingly thinking of such a scene, Ye Feng chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?"
A shadow suddenly loomed over him, and the voice sounded somewhat weathered and deep—it seemed to be someone he knew.
For a moment, Ye Feng couldn't figure out who it was. It was completely normal to run into regular customers at this noodle shop, so he lowered his head and replied softly.
"Master, if you're here for noodles, just find any seat."
The person in front of him didn't move, still standing quietly, and the entire noodle shop grew quiet at some point.
"What's going on?" Ye Feng felt a bit strange. He raised his eyes and realized that his casual address of "Master" was actually spot on.
No wonder he hadn't heard any commotion in the noodle shop since a moment ago; his master must have set up a soundproofing barrier.
"Master, why are you here?" Ye Feng asked as he hurriedly put away the handkerchief, but that streak of bright red had already been caught by Li Muyang's eyes.
Li Muyang, the peak master of Hengjian Peak of the Tianjian Sect, a Deity Transformation stage cultivator, just quietly looked at his beloved disciple—the disciple who had been the most prominent figure in the entire Tianjian Sect a few years ago, the rising star of the entire cultivation world... now practically looked like a noodle shop keeper.
"Master, have a seat." Ye Feng secretly exerted some strength, pulled the chair beside him out a bit, and gently pushed it toward Li Muyang.
Feeling that he had lacked courtesy, Ye Feng smiled apologetically.
Before coming, Li Muyang had been angry—for no known reason, inexplicably angry. He originally thought he was angry at Ye Feng for wasting his talent, but upon arriving here and seeing Ye Feng, he finally understood that he was actually angry at his own helplessness.
Li Muyang slumped down onto the wooden chair and curled his lips. "This chair of yours is no good, it's uncomfortable to sit on."
Ye Feng was somewhat amused. "It's a small business, our capital is limited."
Li Muyang didn't reply. He grabbed Ye Feng's hand, performed a round of healing, and then fed him a few pills that looked extremely expensive, only stopping when he was satisfied.
Ye Feng didn't decline either, quietly accepting it. He asked for a few inedible grain pills, and only after his master finished what he was doing did he calmly speak up.
"How is Ye Youning doing?"
The old man was silent for a moment. Even with all his experience, he didn't know what emotion to use in his reply. "Youning successfully formed her Golden Core a few days ago."
"Is that so?" A trace of surprise flashed in Ye Feng's eyes. Even though he had guessed it, her speed of cultivation was still somewhat frighteningly fast.
"Has she been famous lately?"
"She was born a cultivation genius to begin with, so it's normal for her to have some fame."
"What if word gets to the cults?" Ye Feng asked anxiously.
"Don't worry, Youning doesn't even step out of the sect all day long, cultivating from morning till night. Would the Tianmo Sect really dare to come looking for trouble?"
Ye Feng breathed a sigh of relief. "That's for the best then."
The setting sun sank in the west, and it was time for the noodle shop to close.
The old man stood outside the noodle shop, while Ye Feng bid a gentle farewell from inside.
A gust of wind rose, and the old man vanished, just like the year Ye Feng was taken in as a disciple.
"With things like this, I can finally return home to live in peace." Ye Feng leaned against the door frame, quietly watching the evening glow on the horizon.
...
[Simulation: 80 days remaining] Your legs are weak, and you can no longer walk normally. Fortunately, you were well-prepared and took out a previously purchased cane to assist your movement. You even joked to yourself, considering this as laying the foundation for your future old age.
[Simulation: 60 days remaining] Today, you encountered a thief attempting to steal. As an inconveniently crippled person, you were actually targeted by a thief, which filled you with burning anger.
In your intense fury, you used the last bit of spiritual energy in your body to teach those thieves a lesson. When you tore off the thieves' masks, you were surprised to find that these thieves were people you knew.
[Simulation: 30 days remaining] You clearly felt your body growing terribly heavy, drowsiness washed over you like a tidal wave, and you were utterly exhausted. For someone like you now, running the noodle shop—a task that used to be ordinary—had now become fraught with difficulty. You began planning to transfer the noodle shop to someone else.
[Simulation: 30 days remaining] You entrusted the noodle shop to your former assistant, and from then on you were completely alone, with no lingering attachments.
You took your remaining savings, bought the daily necessities you needed, and then returned to your residence, quietly awaiting the end of your life.
...
[Simulation: 3 days remaining] Your bodily functions have severely deteriorated, and you have completely lost your mobility. Fortunately, you took the inedible grain pills a few days ago, avoiding the fate of starving to death. Now you can only maintain a basic state of life while awaiting the arrangement of fate.
[Simulation: 30 days remaining] Wait, your consciousness gradually blurred, plunging you into a semi-comatose state, and past experiences flashed continuously before your eyes like a revolving lantern. As time passed, the physical pain also slowly diminished, and instead, you felt a sense of release.
In your muddled state, you still intermittently thought: Next simulation, I must definitely try my best to keep a low profile.
[Simulation: 1 day remaining] Today, your condition suddenly improved, and your whole body felt exceptionally light, as if you had returned to the days when your spiritual energy was abundant; you even felt inexplicably excited.
At this moment, sounds drifted from outside. You thought it was the sound of fireworks blooming, feeling as though they were celebrating for you.
Driven by this joy, you decided to go out and take a look.
...
"Wait." The moment Ye Feng stepped out of the door, an overwhelming wave of clamor violently drilled into his ears, instantly engulfing him like a rushing tide.
His footsteps halted abruptly, his heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of unease raced through his entire body like an electric current.
"This is definitely not the sound of fireworks!"
Ye Feng slowly raised his head. As far as his eyes could see, everything was already ignited by raging flames.
Ye Feng's pupils reflected that terrifying sight: blinding streaks of spell light intersected and crisscrossed like sharp blades falling from the sky, shattering the originally tranquil night sky into pieces; the sounds of battle cries and spell explosions intertwined into a single expanse.
"This is... the demonic path has attacked?!"
The next instant, Ye Feng's face turned as pale as paper, his eyes filled with panic and worry. Youning would definitely be affected, or... perhaps she was their primary target all along.