Behind Heavenly Hero Peak, a courtyard was hidden deep within the pine forest, from which came intermittent coughing sounds.
The cold night was damp and chilly. Song Zhi'ang, with a pale and thin face, sat under the porch reading a book, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward the direction of Heavenly Cry Peak, with no attention to the content of the book.
Ever since the brush with death during his Core Formation, he had lived here in seclusion, imprisoning himself within a small courtyard, almost thirty years without stepping beyond its bounds.
He feared seeing others' pitying looks, and the concern in his mentor True Monarch Cang Huo's eyes whenever he visited made him uncomfortable.
He wanted to say he wasn't useless but couldn't bring himself to utter it, because the truth... was that he was.
Over the years, he stayed here reading and cultivating, nurturing his character. When he felt strong enough, he would continue artifact refining.
