Departure

"Nicholas! What happened to you?" Seeing Liu Feng in such a state, Master Faraday's expression changed. He hurried over and helped Liu Feng up.

Barely suppressing the shock that had stabbed straight into the depths of his soul, Liu Feng gave a bitter smile and shook his head, indicating that he was fine.

Master Faraday did not notice that Liu Feng's abnormal reaction had been caused by the words Lost Island. He only thought that this young man, already weak in body, had suffered too many blows today and could not quite endure it. After comforting Liu Feng with a few words, Master Faraday immediately took his leave. After all, Count Derek was still waiting for news.

After seeing Master Faraday off, Liu Feng half-reclined alone in a chair in the parlor, but his mind once again became a complete mess, like a pot of porridge boiled with countless vegetables and fruits, so chaotic it gave a person the urge to go mad.

Liu Feng had never imagined that the so-called Lost Island he had been pondering all this time was actually the place where the Creation God had once lived. In that case, the heaven-defying technique Eight Realms of Divine Soul had to be connected to the Creation God, and connected in a major way at that. It might even be the terrifying technique the Creation God had created back then, one capable of achieving rapid success.

From a passage in the Divine Punishment Order, Liu Feng had already vaguely inferred that the lower half of the Eight Realms of Divine Soul technique was very likely on that Lost Island or whatever it was. And now, after hearing definite news about the Treasure of the Creation God today, Liu Feng could basically be certain that the lower half was undoubtedly on the Lost Island.

The Eight Realms of Divine Soul had originally been an extremely heaven-defying technique, and the tone of that phrase "when the art is mastered, slay gods" was even more grand. Add to that the unique cultivation method of the Eight Realms of Divine Soul, which could allow an ordinary person to rapidly possess strength—it could absolutely be called a shortcut. Following this line of thought, even if the Eight Realms of Divine Soul was not the Creation God's technique from back then, it absolutely could not be separated from the Creation God.

The result of this deduction left Liu Feng both pleasantly surprised and bewildered, but more than anything, shocked.

If the Eight Realms of Divine Soul had also been created by the Creation God, then that phrase "when the art is mastered, slay gods" was definitely not an empty line from a technique. The power of this technique had to be tremendous. But what Liu Feng could not understand was that when the Palister Family appeared, the Creation God had already vanished for a very long time. So how had this half of the technique appeared among the family's ancestral relics?

Could it be that the Palister Family and the Creation God had some relationship others did not know about? Or was the Divine Punishment Order simply not an heirloom passed down through the Palister Family?

After thinking it over and over, Liu Feng felt that the second guess made more sense. After all, several thousand years separated the era when the Creation God disappeared and the era when Haojue, the first family head of the Palister Family, was born. The first guess was clearly somewhat illogical.

But was the Eight Realms of Divine Soul truly the Treasure of the Creation God? Liu Feng still did not quite dare to be certain. What he could be certain of, however, was that he had to find this Lost Island. For nothing else—just for that lower half of the technique.

Even if Liu Feng cultivated the first four realms of the Eight Realms of Divine Soul to their peak, in the end he would only be able to enter high-level strength at most. Moreover, without the cultivation method for the fifth realm, Soul Refining, Liu Feng might only remain at around level seven for the rest of his life. For the current Liu Feng, that amount of strength was clearly already not enough.

So no matter what, he had to find the cultivation methods for the latter four realms, though this wish might be very difficult to realize. Because that legendary Lost Island was actually a moving island. This left Liu Feng confused all over again. Theoretically speaking, aside from icebergs, an island that could move was impossible to exist, and icebergs did not count as true islands either.

But regardless, at least he now knew the origin of the Eight Realms of Divine Soul, which was far better than being wrapped in a fog as before. And when he thought that the technique he cultivated was actually connected to the Creation God, that legendary figure from ten thousand years ago, Liu Feng discovered that his luck had stiffened up once more, and his displeasure at being forced by the Twelve Palaces to leave home for the Western Continent also lessened somewhat.

"Once I learn the latter four realms, I'll wipe out you Twelve Palaces!" Liu Feng muttered through gritted teeth, while a trace of ruthless madness once again appeared in his eyes.

Fiercely shaking his head, Liu Feng temporarily cast aside these distracting thoughts and quickly ran toward the cemetery. Since he was leaving tomorrow, no matter what, he had to see the old ancestor once.

"You don't have to leave!"

Everything in the manor indeed could not be hidden from this old ancestor whose strength was unfathomable. Before Liu Feng could even speak, a trace of anger flashed through the cabin owner's eyes, but his tone remained calm as he spoke.

Warmth filled Liu Feng's heart, but he gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "I was planning to go out once anyway, because I found the origin of the technique I cultivate. There are still things waiting for me to retrieve there!"

He knew the old ancestor would not believe this somewhat clumsy excuse, but he had no choice but to say it. Liu Feng did not want to hurt the old ancestor's pride.

"You're afraid I can't protect the family?" Ignoring Liu Feng's words, the old ancestor spoke calmly again, but a bleak grief and indignation welled up in those originally clear, deep eyes.

"Young people have to go out and make their way sooner or later. Isn't that our family tradition too? I'm not that young anymore either. It's about time!" Liu Feng still smiled, continuing to weave an excuse that anyone could see through the moment they heard it.

"It seems the family really has declined to a certain extent! Forget it. It's good to go out and walk around! Don't forget the matter I made you promise me!" The old ancestor no longer tried to keep him. He closed his eyes slightly, a trace of fatigue appearing on his face.

The matter he promised? Liu Feng was startled, but instantly reacted, and another bitter smile rose in him.

The old ancestor had also asked him to preserve the Palister Family when changes came to this continent, but right now he could not even protect himself! Still, Liu Feng nodded, a determined expression appearing in his eyes. "As long as I still have a breath left, I will definitely make the family regain its former glory!"

This was not empty boasting from Liu Feng, but the wish and ideal he had held ever since he saw Haojue's statue outside the Count's Mansion.

"Good! Take care of yourself out there. Go, make preparations early!" The old ancestor nodded lightly and said calmly.

Liu Feng knelt respectfully on the ground and kowtowed three times with ringing force to this old ancestor, who had treated him extremely well ever since they met. After that, he said nothing more and turned to leave.

Although his eyes were closed, the old ancestor could still sense Liu Feng's actions. That thin, weak body trembled fiercely, but he still did not speak.

After Liu Feng had gone far away, the old ancestor suddenly snapped his eyes open. A frightening cold light shot from them, and with a sudden fierce wave of one hand, an incomparably powerful surge of force instantly left his body.

With a thunderous boom, a tree several hundred meters away, as thick as a water bucket, instantly shattered into powder.

"Damn it! Do they really think I'm no good anymore? That I can't even protect a junior?"

The old ancestor's voice, filled with anger and desolation, echoed through the empty cemetery, sending back wave after wave of sound...

After returning to his own small courtyard, Liu Feng looked somewhat reluctantly at the group of children who had only just entered the threshold of cultivation. He sighed helplessly, then called Turner over and began giving instructions in a low voice.

Liu Feng only said he was going out to search for something. He did not mention that he was leaving because he had been forced into a corner. This big fool was good in every way, but he was far too loyal. If he knew his young master had been forced to travel far away to the Western Continent, he would insist on going with him no matter what. And here, in the future, they happened to be unable to do without Turner.

The big fool's mind was rather straightforward and he did not think too much. When Liu Feng firmly refused to let him go and then instructed him to lead this group of children in handling the Gold-Quenching Stone in the future, Turner immediately slapped his chest and agreed, telling the young master to rest assured about everything.

After carefully giving Turner a few more instructions about matters that needed attention, Liu Feng returned to his room, found a few sets of clothes along with that long spear, threw them all into his ring, then turned and went to Catherine's place.

Although Turner was loyal, his mind was too straightforward, and he knew absolutely nothing about business. Though Liu Feng had never wanted the family members to come into contact with the Gold-Quenching Stone business, at this point he had no other choice. He could only have Catherine help Turner manage it after he left.

When she saw Liu Feng, Catherine's expression once again became somewhat unnatural. But when she heard that Liu Feng was leaving this place tomorrow, Catherine's face clearly changed, and her expression grew somewhat dim.

Unlike Turner, though she did not know exactly what Master Faraday had come here and said to Liu Feng, that unique sensitivity belonging to a girl still allowed Catherine to guess that Liu Feng was absolutely not going outside to travel and gain experience as he claimed. She also vaguely guessed that all of this seemed related to the Zodiac Twelve Palaces.

If she had not clashed with that noble young master in the auction house back then, then none of the later trouble would have happened. This fact made Catherine feel extremely guilty. And when she thought again that this useless older cousin might have no choice but to leave home and travel far away because of her, the eyes of this originally willful girl could not help turning red. Her lips moved for a long while, but in the end she still said nothing.

Seeing this rarely seen little-girl demeanor from Catherine, Liu Feng could not help finding it somewhat amusing. In his heart, he did not blame Catherine at all. With this sort of thing, what was meant to happen would happen sooner or later. It was only a matter of temperament.

Deliberately putting on a carefree air again, Liu Feng struck a pose with his face raised at a forty-five-degree angle toward the sky. He said nothing more, merely instructed her to help Turner handle business matters in the future and to take good care of the little Gema Tribe girl Jennifer, then turned and drifted away.

After sleeping through the night in a muddle of excitement, anger, nervousness, and many other emotions, early the next morning, Liu Feng bid farewell to Steward Bard and headed toward the port of York County. In front of the manor gates stood Turner, his face full of reluctance, and Catherine, whose eyes were red, whose expression was somewhat haggard, and whose gaze was complicated...

Liu Feng needed a ship, and did not plan to take a merchant vessel over. Because whether he went to the Western Continent or not was now a matter of indifference to him. What he most wanted to do now was find that legendary Lost Island, and that lower half of the Eight Realms of Divine Soul cultivation technique...