Thirty years on this side of the river, thirty years on that side

Back in the day, though Xiong Fen held the prestigious position of an elder in the Moon God Pavilion, he spent his days meekly bowing and scraping, forced to grovel for mere pills.

Just thinking about those experiences filled him with rage—what kind of life was that?

Only when hard work bore fruit could it truly be called living!

As for the so-called title of Moon God Pavilion elder? Xiong Fen had long cast it beyond the clouds.

After a quick wash by the construction site to rid themselves of dust, father and son emerged radiant, as if reborn into a new chapter of their lives.

In just a few days, they had undergone a miraculous transformation—a dreamlike stroke of fortune.

Dressed in plain robes, the two strode briskly down the road, their faces brimming with triumph.

Now wielding immense treasures and having greatly advanced their cultivation, they couldn’t help but reflect deeply.

The young Xiong Zhong was bursting with vigor, his spirit aflame with determination!

"Father! We must seize this opportunity, gather enough demon corpses to fulfill our mission, and never let our captain lose face! I swear I’ll never return to the Moon God Pavilion in this lifetime!"

Xiong Fen nodded with a smile, his eyes brimming with pride.

"My son, you’ve grown so much!"

Yet, at the mention of the Moon God Pavilion, a shadow of displeasure crossed his face.

"Indeed, we should give our all. But with ten days still left, there’s time. And as for the Moon God Pavilion… we must return there once more!"

"The Moon God Pavilion’s master always looked down on me, treating me with contempt. The entire sect ignored us, and we endured endless humiliation. Now that we’re no longer the same men, can you swallow this resentment?"

"Even if you dismiss those mediocrities, have you forgotten Qing Yin Xianyun’s arrogance? Don’t you want to go back and make those blind fools see what they’ve underestimated?"

As the saying goes, no one knows a son like his father—these words struck right at Xiong Zhong’s heart.

All these days, he had toiled tirelessly at the construction site, driven by his father’s expectations and his own burning desire to seize this chance and one day stand tall with pride!

A true man must settle his grudges!

If resentment festered for years, it could even become a demonic obstacle, severely hindering one’s cultivation!

Yet, recalling the Moon God Pavilion master’s profound strength, a trace of lingering fear surfaced in Xiong Zhong’s expression.

"Father, you’re right."

"But the Moon God Pavilion master was already a Heaven-tier expert years ago. Even with our progress, can we truly defeat him? Losing face would be one thing, but if we fail in our mission at the construction site, the losses would be too great!"

Xiong Fen chuckled, confidence gleaming in his weathered eyes.

"Hah! What’s the Moon God Pavilion master to us?"

"Have you forgotten the gloves bestowed upon us by our captain? Even ordinary Heaven-tier treasures pale in comparison. What fear should we have of some measly Moon God Pavilion?"

"We, father and son, can now dominate the entire Lanxing region!"

Hearing this, Xiong Zhong slapped his thigh in realization!

"Right! Father, you’re truly wise! Let’s go back and wash away the shame of those years. We’ll show those frogs at the bottom of the well what ‘thirty years east of the river’ really means!"

Their spirits soaring, the two soon departed Dark Shadow Island.

Upon returning to the Cloudstar Continent, they transformed into streaks of light, entering the Corridor of Return!

Passing through the corridor, they arrived back in the Lanxing Continent.

As they strode through the skies, Xiong Fen recalled their departure from the island, his face tinged with lingering awe.

"Father! That gatekeeper was terrifying—his aura was so oppressive, we’re like ants compared to him!"

Xiong Fen nodded solemnly, his eyes equally reverent.

"Indeed."

"That gatekeeper’s power is unfathomable—perhaps even stronger than our captain. Dark Shadow Island is teeming with experts; a single misstep could offend an unimaginable existence."

"From now on, we must remain humble on the island. No matter our achievements, we must never grow arrogant!"

Xiong Zhong nodded gravely, his eyes filled with humility.

"I will remember your teachings, Father!"

Soaring through the skies, they traversed thousands of miles in an instant.

After half an hour, they had crossed a small region, encountering only cultivators of pitiful strength—utterly incomparable to those on Dark Shadow Island. The familiar surroundings now seemed beneath their notice.

Father and son’s confidence grew. Times had changed.

Their gaze held no arrogance, only an unshakable self-assurance, their eyes calm as still water, their demeanor unassuming yet radiating extraordinary composure.

Anyone who saw them would be struck by their presence.

Finally, they emerged from the void, arriving once more at the foot of the towering mountain where the Moon God Pavilion stood.

Gazing up at the massive jade plaque inscribed with "Moon God Pavilion," the two felt a surge of emotion.

No trace of their former reverence remained—only indifference, as if they were looking at some mundane mortal place.

Exchanging a smile, their eyes brimmed with confidence.

Xiong Fen clasped his hands behind his back and took a step forward.

Every movement exuded the lonely, untouchable grace of a peerless expert.

Just as he was about to enter the mountain gate—

A blue barrier suddenly materialized before them, enveloping the entire sacred mountain in an aura of sanctity, inviolable and divine!

"The Mountain Protection Array?"

Xiong Zhong’s eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn’t help but murmur.

"This array is incredibly powerful but consumes vast resources. It’s only activated in dire emergencies. Has the Moon God Pavilion encountered some formidable enemy?"

"Or… are they guarding against us?"

"That can’t be. Even if we’ve been gone for a while, news of our Heaven-tier weapons couldn’t have leaked. As for our fortune, no outsiders could know. Why would the Moon God Pavilion take such precautions…?"

Xiong Fen frowned slightly, then confidently raised his hand and struck out with a palm!

Crack!

The massive blue barrier rippled violently under the impact!

His terrifying cultivation was laid bare as he declared with domineering authority:

"Hmph!"

"Before absolute strength, this so-called Mountain Protection Array is worthless!"

"Even if the Moon God Pavilion has heard rumors of our triumphant return, all their preparations are now too late! They will pay for their past scorn and humiliation!"

Witnessing his father’s overwhelming might, Xiong Zhong’s eyes shone with excitement.

As the barrier trembled under their assault, several figures finally rushed out from the mountain gate, their faces tense with hostility as they shouted—

"Audacious! Who dares—"

Mid-sentence, the leading elder’s eyes bulged in shock.

"Elder Xiong?! It’s you?!"

The Moon God Pavilion’s elders and hundreds of experts were stunned. Never could they have imagined that the ones shaking their sacred barrier would be the long-absent father and son.

Instantly, the crowd erupted in shock and disbelief!

Yet, strangely, their eyes also flickered with an odd mix of excitement and delight. The leading elder swiftly deactivated the array, preparing to welcome them.

Faced with this sudden enthusiasm, Xiong Fen remained composed, hands behind his back, the very image of an invincible master.

"Elder Lü, why are you the only one here?"

"Where is the Moon God Pavilion master? Where are the other elders?"

His tone carried unmistakable hostility and coldness, leaving the hundreds of onlookers stunned.

The leading elder’s face stiffened.

Damn you, Xiong Fen…

You’ve barely grown stronger, and now you’re putting on airs? Demanding the master’s presence? How quickly you’ve forgotten your place!

Unable to contain his anger, the elder snapped, "Elder Xiong, what do you mean by this? Just because the master and elders aren’t here, you think you can act high and mighty?"

The master and elders aren’t here?

Ignoring the rebuke, Xiong Fen frowned in thought.

Why would they all be absent?

Yet upon closer thought, it seemed plausible. With the mountain-protecting array activated, the sect must have encountered some major incident. It was only natural that the Pavilion Master and elders were absent.

Skeptical, Xiong Fen released his divine sense.

A terrifying aura erupted, startling the surroundings as his consciousness instantly enveloped the entire Moon God Pavilion.

After this sweep, the truth became clear.

He couldn’t sense any powerful auras at all. Most of the elite forces seemed to be gone, leaving only a handful of disciples and weaker elders guarding the sect behind the protective array.

Withdrawing his divine sense, Xiong Fen wore a look of shock and confusion.

"What in the world happened?"

The leading elder sighed heavily, his expression grave.

"Elder Xiong, after you and your son departed that day, no one in the Moon God Pavilion knew your whereabouts. But your life talismans trembled violently, leading everyone to believe you had encountered grave danger or fallen to a powerful enemy. Thus, the Pavilion Master dispatched many elders to search for you..."

The Xiong father and son froze at these words!

They had indeed been severely injured by Xiao Zhan and others due to a misunderstanding. Yet they never expected the Moon God Pavilion Master to care so deeply, even sending people to scour the land for them...

The same Pavilion Master who had repeatedly reprimanded them—had he truly valued them this much?

Xiong Fen, stunned, quickly interrupted.

"And then? Why is even the Pavilion Master missing now?"

At this question, the leading elder and the surrounding disciples all wore helpless expressions.

"Alas..."

"After days of searching with no trace of you, and your life talismans flickering unpredictably, we suspected our old rivals, the Heavenly Dao Sect, had captured you. That’s why you vanished without a trace."

"Elder Xiong, you know the Heavenly Dao Sect’s nature. For centuries, they’ve clashed with us, scheming openly and covertly. When the Pavilion Master personally demanded your return and was refused—even resulting in Qing Yin Xianyun being wounded—the conflict escalated into all-out war."

"By now, the war has raged for ten days... and there’s been no word since!"

Recalling the events, the elder’s expression darkened further. Logically, with the sect master leading the charge, they shouldn’t have gone silent for over ten days...

A suffocating atmosphere spread silently across the cold mountain gate.

Witnessing and hearing all this, the Xiong father and son were struck speechless.

Shock, disbelief, guilt, gratitude—

A storm of emotions surged in their hearts, overwhelming them!

Exchanging a glance, their eyes brimmed with remorse and awe.

They never imagined...

That the Moon God Pavilion would go to war with their mortal enemies—all because of their disappearance!

This truth left their hearts aching. They had always assumed they were unwanted, treated as lesser.

Yet the opposite was true!

For their sake, the Pavilion Master had led the sect into bloody battle. Their worth far exceeded their own expectations, shattering their past beliefs.

From the very beginning, the Moon God Pavilion had never treated them as outsiders.

And yet, they had returned seeking vengeance, even attempting to break the mountain-protecting array...

The contrast filled them with shame.

Locking eyes, their gazes burned with fervent resolve.

"Father! This disaster began because of us. We must aid the Pavilion Master!"

"You’re right, son. A true man repays kindness and settles grudges!"

In unison, they tore through the void and vanished.

The elder barely had time to shout a warning before they disappeared.

"Elder Xiong, wait! The Heavenly Dao Sect is filled with experts—!"

The lingering aura of the father and son was even more terrifying than when they had shattered the array.

The elder’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"This... This can’t be Elder Xiong?!"

Behind him, hundreds of disciples stood frozen, their jaws slack in shock.