Chapter 671 Not Bad, Right?

"Yu Jingnian, you piece of trash, you should leave the sect right now!""Our Yu Sect is a gathering place for the pride of heaven. You're almost eighteen, and you haven't even touched the threshold of the Feather Transformation Technique. You're a disgrace to our sect! And you even have the surname Yu! If someone calls your name at next year's Daoist Inquiry Conference, who can you beat? With your juggling tricks and fireballs?""Our Yu Sect will lose all face because of you!"Trash, disgrace to the Yu Sect.These labels were his past.Alone and silent in the corner of the dojo, he saw the contemptuous looks of his fellow disciples every day. Only a fat guy who laughed all day long was willing to play with him and comfort his useless pride.Why did Haha use Haha as his Daoist name?Because whenever someone came up to mock Yu Jingnian, that fat guy would continuously let out that goose-like "Hahaha" laughter.I wasn't embarrassed; it was the other person who was. Their boisterous, unrestrained laughter sounded like that of a country bumpkin, a scoundrel resorting to shameless pranks, leaving everyone speechless.That year, Yu Jingnian, probably only 1.6 meters tall, stood beside him with his head down, feeling inferior and helpless.Fifty years passed like this.He didn't have a sudden epiphany on a quiet night, nor did he achieve instant fame. He lived an ordinary life, rising from an outer disciple to a menial servant, yet still harboring a yearning for the Dao, steadfastly remaining in this sect teeming with geniuses, slowly growing old, from a youthful face to a white-haired old man.Those geniuses his age who once mocked him, some became renowned powerhouses, some even ascending to eldership, reaching the Divine Realm, while he alone lingered pitifully in the second realm.He was no longer ridiculed, because they were truly from a different world.On the contrary, those who once mocked Yu Jingnian now held him in some respect.Despite being bullied for so many years, he never uttered a complaint, remaining positive and optimistic. Even in his old age, he would still attend lectures, seemingly never giving up on cultivation.The old man's sincere yearning for the Dao touched everyone he knew.He didn't become stronger, but he earned everyone's respect. Even the Scripture Pavilion, accessible only to inner disciples, was opened to him for free.No one objected, and no one felt it was unfair, because to everyone, this old man was merely a spiritual symbol. Reading countless books in the Scripture Pavilion wouldn't make him stronger.Because his talent was simply too poor.At seventy, his ultimate skill was still that pitiful fireball technique.Even reaching the second realm couldn't extend his lifespan.But because of his pure heart, frugal lifestyle, and lack of vices, he lived past one hundred.But that was about it.At 109, Yu Jingnian knew his time was running out, that his life was about to end.But he was still unwilling to accept this, and begged the sect leader to allow him into the Yu Sect's forbidden area.It was a place rife with killing intent; even Yu Jingnian, at the second realm, would likely die after taking only two steps if he entered.But he hoped to die on the path of seeking the Dao.The sect leader agreed and said to the old man, "The future of the Yu Sect is entrusted to you." The old man, struggling to walk, was somewhat confused.He only remembered that when he was twelve years old, the Grand Elder of the Yu Sect appeared before him, a cowherd, bestowing upon him the name Yu Jingnian and taking him into the sect.Later, he was targeted by the sect's geniuses for this very reason.Many people knew how Yu Jingnian, this seemingly talentless fellow, came to be.The Grand Elder personally brought him back.But since that day, the Grand Elder and the sect leader had become two unattainable titles for Yu Jingnian; he had almost never seen them again, and they hadn't cared for him, leaving him to fend for himself for a hundred years.Until today.The sect leader told him that the future of the Yu Sect was entrusted to him.Even though he was powerless to act, he still paid homage to the sect leader and finally stepped alone into the forbidden land, a place of certain death.Unexpectedly, the forbidden land was not as terrifying as the legends said. He moved freely within it, snow-white feathers falling onto his shoulders, bringing him a sense of liberation.“The Ascension Method is not a magic technique, nor a method of killing, but a Daoist method!”“The Ascension Method seeks freedom and longevity. Those who strive for fleeting moments, no matter how high their talent, are not suitable for cultivating this method.”“Realm is unrelated to the Dao.”“Only the heart is related to the Dao.”This lowly servant of the Feather Sect, lacking any real cultivation level, was actually the person in the sect closest to the Dao of Ascension.A miracle occurred.Yu Jingnian sat within the array at the deepest part of the forbidden land.That day, he felt the heavenly feathers falling like snowflakes, tears streaming from his eyes. He saw the physical manifestation of the Dao of Ascension, and his feet firmly landed upon it.However, each ascension required an extremely long time.Years had passed since his first ascension.His cultivation level, even his talent, had greatly improved, filling him with immense joy.This method not only prolongs life but can even amplify talent; each ascension strengthens it further.Therefore, it is a Daoist practice that completely disregards talent, focusing solely on one's character and temperament!The path to heaven lay before him; Yu Jingnian felt the world was vast and his future bright.He had been reborn!Filled with joy, Yu Jingnian stepped out of the forbidden area, ready to unleash his full potential!But he did not see the former glory. The Yu Sect was desolate and decaying, like a forgotten ruin. Passersby believed something must have happened here, but it no longer mattered. Before the power of time, all things turn to dust and vanish.The sect was gone.Disoriented, Yu Jingnian ran frantically through the ruins, refusing to believe it was real.Suddenly, he saw a familiar fat man on the back mountain, weeping as he offered sacrifices at the graves of the sect's elders and disciples. He rushed forward to ask what had happened.The answer was only four words:"The Celestial Realm has arrived."They've come to reap the fortunes of the mortal world.The entire Yu Sect perished in battle; apart from Yu Jingnian and Haha, who escaped quickly, no one survived.Only then did Yu Jingnian understand the sect leader's words:"The future of the Yu Sect is entrusted to you."It turned out that everything had been calculated by the sect leader and elders.Yu Jingnian fell alone among the desolate graves, wailing bitterly.From then on, the words "Celestial Realm" became his inescapable nightmare.It turned out that after ascension, everyone faced not a higher-dimensional world, more powerful Dao techniques, but death.Later, Yu Jingnian, harboring the will to resist the Celestial Realm, traversed the mountains and rivers of the Immortal Realm, his cultivation level constantly rising.The Feather Sect was one of the three great sects of the Immortal Realm in its heyday, so Yu Jingnian, its sole descendant, became a target of the Heavenly Realm.Until the Heavenly Realm returned, poised for another round of exploitation.He, Yu Jingnian, became their number one target.But he was prepared.No magic was effective against these monsters of the Heavenly Realm; only the Great Dao could grind him down.However, his Dao Fruit realm was still insufficient back then, so he had to use the unorthodox method of severing the seven emotions and six desires to forcefully raise his Dao Fruit realm. Only after reaching the required level could he grind down the Heavenly Enlightener, but this also left behind evil immortals to wreak havoc on the world.This left Yu Jingnian feeling deeply frustrated.It seemed he had never accomplished anything truly remarkable in his life. Even now, revered as the Feather Heavenly Emperor, he couldn't shake off the image of the useless boy he once was.No matter how hard he tried, he was always just a little short, a step too late. Even now, having reached the thirteenth level of Feather Ascension, he was still looked down upon by the younger generation, Shen Ji.Because he had failed to protect Shen Ji's master.Now that the Immortal Ancestor has returned, this revered legend sought out Shen Ji, Shuang Xue, and Di Xian.Yet, he paid little attention to himself, a so-called Thirteenth Heaven.The King of Zhenbei also told him that only the Immortal Ancestor's defeat of the Heng Clan's avatar in the Beginning Era could be considered a victory for humanity. His battle against the Awakener was hardly worthy of being recorded in history, because the Heavenly Realm was merely raising pigs.He had traveled many paths, lived for many years, and seen his companions come and go, his position constantly rising, yet he seemed to remain that same useless fellow, standing in the corner of the training ground, merely auditing classes."I am not strong enough, my talent is not good enough, and I lack the power to slay the heavens and destroy the earth. I cannot easily defeat my enemies."A nameless white feather slipped from Yu Jingnian's aged eyes.Suddenly, his heart was at peace, the resentment in his eyes transforming into relief.Because he had completely accepted himself, from a different perspective.If that ordinary cowherd from back then stood before me now, would he be filled with admiration?"Look, this is what you'll look like years from now.""Not bad, right?"