Chapter Six: The End of the World

The room instantly fell into silence, the sound of leaves gently caressed by the wind—shhh, shhh—lingered endlessly in their ears.

After a few seconds of quiet, Lin Feng broke the silence with a soft sigh.

"Over a thousand years ago, that person sought to protect the entire world!" Lin Feng raised his voice, clear and piercing within the house, yet to Xiao Shan it sounded like thunder in broad daylight. One by one, meteors fell from the sky, unleashing waves of earthquakes. Even the most advanced skyscrapers stood no chance against the tremors, countless people lost their homes, and the ground was strewn with corpses. The earth bared its claws, swallowing up the helpless.

The surface of the meteors began to split, like honey leaving the hive, countless smaller meteors shot out in all directions. With terrifying speed and hardened shells, they rained down from the sky, where a mere glance upward revealed a barrage as dense as bullets. Protective shields proved useless; the meteors passed through them without hindrance.

Where the meteors struck, not a patch of ground remained untouched. Towers were destroyed, raging flames engulfed the land. People ran in panic, flames licking their bodies as screams echoed through the air.

His face twisted in fury, veins bulging on his arms as he tried to shield himself from the falling meteors. He couldn't stop this one, yet he stood firm, determined to protect everyone. In the end, the meteor was blocked, but its companions crashed against it, generating a violent shockwave. That person managed a smile, never stepping back as the meteor slowly descended.

He saved the world, yet the impact burned the flesh where the meteor grazed him, his arm shattered, his waist broken, blood streaming from the corners of his mouth. Though he blocked most of them, not a single patch of earth remained untouched. The planet's core fractured, mountains collapsed, cliffs and wastelands stretched everywhere. Volcanoes erupted, lava swept through cities, destroying them and forever changing Earth's environment.

Lin Feng looked up at the sky; a beam of sunlight pierced through the roof. Xiao Shan glanced up, seeing a small hole had opened in the house at some unknown moment, the sunlight dazzlingly bright.

Lin Feng smiled at the sky, and in Xiao Shan's eyes, he seemed so forlorn. No matter how Xiao Shan imagined such misery, he could not fathom it.

"If even that person couldn't protect himself, what hope do you have?" Lin Feng paused, then questioned Lin Shan.

"Natural disasters and human tragedies, fate is not mine to decide," Lin Shan sighed.

"Do you know? Right now, you're just like those people of old, manipulated by fate. Like the survivors then, you curse the heavens and blame the earth, until death claims you," Lin Feng said, his gaze strange as he looked at Lin Shan.

Back then, people watched their homes destroyed, their loved ones lost. Unwilling to face the reality, they insisted the end had come, that demons had come to punish them, or claimed those who died before perished unnaturally, and now it was their turn.

"This is the act of cowards. If you think this way, you're no different from those who died with their homes destroyed and their loved ones gone." Xiao Shan heard this, pursed his lips, his eyes darting as if lost in thought.

"In this world, only the strong survive. Strength is everything here!"

"To the south, wolves and tigers prowl; to the north, bandits and thieves; to the east, a boundless forest; to the west, the layered Kilimanjaro mountains. And in the center, this small town. So many people, all vying for martial arts techniques, fighting fiercely."

This is an era of martial arts, a world of the Jianghu, and a time where only the strong matter!

"For instance, the set of techniques in the west wing—many desire it, but even if they obtain it, it's useless," Lin Feng said calmly to Lin Shan.

"Because they can't master it!"

Lin Shan tilted his head, disbelief written across his face.

"But you have learned it. Tell me, what should I do with you?" Lin Feng's expression turned fierce and ominous.

Should he be flayed, have his tendons severed, bones broken and thrown to the beasts, or simply executed?

A myriad of gruesome ways to die flashed through Xiao Shan's mind, his face cycling through countless expressions.

"Didn't you teach me?" Lin Shan asked Lin Feng innocently.

Lin Feng was taken aback, expecting Lin Shan to show fear, but instead saw pure, childlike innocence.

Ruoxi burst out laughing at Lin Feng's expression, as if watching a comedy.

"Senior, wasn't it you who told me to stay in that room and learn? After mastering it, you wanted me to be your sparring partner, right? Isn't that so?" Xiao Shan asked, puzzled.

Lin Feng smiled, shook his head, lowered his gaze, and took a bite of meat, his deep eyes lost in thought.

Lin Shan scratched his head in confusion, imitating Lin Feng by taking a bite of vegetables.

"So delicious! Aunt Mei's cooking is extraordinary!" Lin Ruoxi praised Aunt Mei while piling food into her mouth, as if their conversation had not affected her in the slightest.

Lin Feng glanced at Ruoxi, causing her expression to change. She quickly added, "It's mainly thanks to Father earning money. Otherwise, how could we eat such good food? Isn't that right, Lin Shan?"

Lin Shan quickly agreed, oblivious to the hidden meaning. He hadn't eaten since the previous night, and seeing the food, his stomach growled in hunger.

Xiao Shan felt he would starve if he didn't eat soon, so he lowered his head and wolfed down his meal.

"Yes, Aunt Mei's cooking is truly delicious!"

Lin Feng shook his head and smiled, thinking to himself what a bunch of gluttons—so childish.

Aunt Mei stood by, smiling quietly, saying nothing.

Under Ruoxi and Lin Shan's ravenous assault, the large table of food disappeared into their stomachs, finished off with a burp to prove they were full.

"Senior, why is there that strange tree in the Kilimanjaro forest?" Xiao Shan asked after eating his fill. He remembered encountering troublesome trees while wandering near the forbidden grounds, ones that easily trapped him.

"The Kilimanjaro forest is said to have formed after the meteors fell. Legend has it that during the Cancer Century, desertification was severe—sand filled the air, and without masks, people dared not leave their homes. Only in large cities was the wind and sand absent.

After the meteors, Earth's forests expanded greatly. After that disaster, people began to doubt whether Earth's destruction was part of a natural cycle, like the extinction of dinosaurs in prehistoric times."

Those strange trees—we call them man-eating trees. Mature ones stand eight or nine meters tall, with many long branches trailing along the ground. If someone brushes against them, all the branches reach out like demonic claws, wrapping the person tighter and tighter, making escape impossible. Soon, the branches secrete a highly adhesive resin that digests the captured "food." Animals caught in the sap are slowly digested, becoming nourishment for the tree.

Anyone without martial arts training is doomed if caught by these trees.

"Mm..." Lin Shan lowered his head, indicating he understood, though his heart was already in turmoil.

"Father, can we go out to play after we finish eating?" Ruoxi looked at Lin Feng expectantly, her big eyes full of hope—so adorable!

"No."

"Practice the Frightening Soul Sword technique to a competent level first. Then we'll talk about going out. I'll be watching you; don't even think about sneaking out alone!" Lin Feng stood, hands behind his back, looking stern.

Ruoxi pouted and huffed in annoyance.

"Right!" Lin Feng turned at the doorway and spoke to Xiao Shan.

"Yes?"

"Xiao Shan, don't practice the martial arts set in your bedroom for now. Focus on the techniques in the main hall.

That method squeezes your body, and if your nutrition can't keep up, you must stop training!"