Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 163 Loneliness in the Dark Night

The smile Gao Xingchen forced out was uglier than crying. He waved his hands randomly, saying in a weak but firm tone, "I'm really fine. You don't have to worry about me. Just let me be alone for a while."

He didn't dare look directly into Nan Li's eyes, which were filled with worry and concern, like a torch, illuminating his miserable state. He was afraid that if he wasn't careful, he would collapse under her gaze, revealing his fragile and helpless side.

He staggered to his feet and walked towards the mountains. Every step he took felt like he was walking on the tip of a knife. The pain spread from the wound to his whole body, but he was already numb.

"Xingchen!" Nan Li wanted to chase after him, but was stopped by Xiao Hei.

"Let him go, he needs to be alone to calm down now." Xiao Hei's voice was low and hoarse. He looked at Gao Xingchen's receding back, his eyes full of worry.

As night fell, the mountains turned as dark as ink. Gao Xingchen's figure gradually disappeared in the thick night, and only his heavy footsteps echoed in the silent valley.

He walked aimlessly, letting the night wind mess up his hair. The cold air stung his skin but could not dispel the chill in his heart.

He walked to the edge of a cliff and stopped.

There is a bottomless abyss below the cliff. Only the whistling sound of the wind echoes in the ears, like a call from hell.

Gao Xingchen looked into the dark abyss, feeling confused.

He thought of his ambitions at the beginning of his journey, the excitement of fighting side by side with Nan Li, and the tragic and tragic bloody battles of the monster army...

But all of this turned into nothing in the face of the powerful strength of Fire Cloud Evil God.

He was like a helpless child, watching his relatives and friends fall in a pool of blood one by one, but he was powerless to do anything.

He hated his weakness, hated his incompetence, and hated his powerlessness even more!

"Ah!" Gao Xingchen screamed to the sky, his voice filled with pain and despair.

The echo lingered in the valley for a long time, but no one responded.

Gao Xingchen sat down on the ground dejectedly, buried his head deeply between his arms, and let the tears flow freely.

He knew that he had to cheer up and become stronger in order to protect the people he wanted to protect and to fulfill his promise.

But how can we become stronger?

Gao Xingchen fell into confusion.

Just then, a light sound of footsteps came from behind. Gao Xingchen raised his head vigilantly, only to see an old man in a gray robe standing not far away, looking at him with a smile.

Gao Xingchen looked at the old man warily, his heart full of doubts. How could an old man suddenly appear in this remote mountain? And judging from his clothes, he didn't look like an ordinary person.

The old man seemed to see through his thoughts. He smiled and said, "Young man, you don't have to be afraid. I mean no harm to you. I just saw that you were worried and wandering here alone, so I wanted to come over and ask you something."

Gao Xingchen hesitated for a moment, but still confided his experiences and feelings. He thought the old man would be like everyone else, advising him to be more open-minded, or giving him some unrealistic encouragement.

However, after listening to his story, the old man just smiled and said: "Young man, the reason why you are suffering is that you are too obsessed with the past, too concerned about other people's opinions, and too concerned about winning or losing."

Gao Xingchen was stunned. He had never thought that this was his problem.

The old man went on to say, "In life, eight out of ten things are not what you want. You can't always be smooth sailing, and you can't always be recognized by everyone. The important thing is that you must understand what you really want, and then pursue it bravely. No matter what difficulties you encounter, don't give up."

The old man's voice was calm and powerful, like a ray of sunshine, shining into Gao Xingchen's heart and dispelling the haze in his heart.

"But I'm really weak. I can't even protect the people I want to protect. I..." Gao Xingchen's voice was a little choked.

The old man patted him on the shoulder and said, "Young man, strength is not just brute force. The real strength comes from your heart. You have a kind and brave heart, a heart that longs to protect. This is your greatest strength."

The old man paused and continued, "I have an ancient practice method here that can help you improve your inner strength. Are you willing to learn it?"

Gao Xingchen raised his head, a glimmer of hope ignited in his eyes, and he nodded solemnly.

In the following days, Gao Xingchen followed the old man to learn how to practice. He learned how to control his emotions, how to face his heart, and how to resolve the fear and anxiety in his heart.

He gradually realized that true strength lies not in defeating others, but in defeating oneself.

However, Gao Xingchen still couldn't get rid of the fear of Huoyun Evil God and the shadow of his failure in his heart. He was often awakened by nightmares at night, in which he saw his relatives and friends lying in a pool of blood, and the despair of being unable to stop it. He knew that he still had a long way to go.

Gao Xingchen has been practicing with the old man for several months. He has learned to control his emotions and has become much calmer. During the day, he follows the old man to learn the ancient practice method. At night, he meditates in the mountains and feels the breath of nature. However, every time when the night is quiet, Gao Xingchen still cannot get rid of the fear of Fire Cloud Evil God and the shadow of his failure in his heart.

He woke up from a nightmare again, his clothes soaked with cold sweat. In the dream, the hideous laughter of the Fire Cloud Evil God echoed in his ears, and the images of his relatives and friends lying in a pool of blood were like sharp blades, cutting his heart again and again. He curled up in a corner helplessly, despair and fear wrapped him tightly.

"Why? Why am I so weak? Why can't I even protect the people I want to protect?" Gao Xingchen held his head in pain and roared in a low voice.

At this moment, a furry body gently rubbed the back of his hand, bringing a hint of warmth. Gao Xingchen raised his head and saw Xiao Hei looking at him worriedly, his smart eyes full of concern and comfort.

Xiao Hei is Gao Xingchen's pet, a black beast with great strength and keen perception. Since Gao Xingchen came to the mountains, Xiao Hei has been with him, never leaving him.

"Xiao Hei..." Gao Xingchen gently stroked Xiao Hei's fur, and his cold heart seemed to warm up a little. He knew that no matter what happened, Xiao Hei would always be with him, which made him feel extremely comforted.

Xiao Hei seemed to sense Gao Xingchen's emotions. It nudged Gao Xingchen's palm with its head and whimpered softly, as if to say, "Master, don't be sad. I am here with you."

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and tried to calm his fluctuating emotions. He looked at Xiao Hei in front of him, his heart filled with gratitude and guilt. He knew that Xiao Hei had been worried about him, but he was immersed in his own sadness and ignored its feelings.

"I'm sorry, Xiao Hei, for making you worry." Gao Xingchen said softly, his tone full of apology.

Xiao Hei shook his head and gently rubbed Gao Xingchen's cheek with his wet nose, as if to say, "It's okay, I'll always be here."

Suddenly, Xiao Hei seemed to have thought of something, and he raised his head and looked into the distance, with a gleam in his eyes. He growled at Gao Xingchen a few times, then turned around anxiously, as if he wanted to tell him something.

Gao Xingchen noticed that Xiao Hei was acting strangely and asked, "What's wrong, Xiao Hei? Did you find something?"

Xiao Hei nodded, then turned and ran towards the depths of the forest. Seeing this, Gao Xingchen immediately stood up and followed him.

The man and the beast quickly shuttled through the forest. After running for an unknown amount of time, Xiao Hei finally stopped. He turned around and growled at Gao Xingchen, signaling him to look forward.

Gao Xingchen followed Xiao Hei's gaze and saw a familiar figure vaguely visible in the depths of the dense woods. It was a woman in black, with a slender figure and a cold and elegant temperament. Who else could it be but Nan Li?

Gao Xingchen was stunned, and his heart was filled with turmoil. He never expected that Nan Li would appear here, and it seemed that she had been looking for him.

Xiao Hei walked up to Gao Xingchen, rubbed his legs gently, and whimpered softly, as if to say: "Master, look, I told you that Miss Nanli has been looking for you, and she has never given up on you."

Gao Xingchen looked at Nan Li in the distance, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew that Nan Li had been looking for him and had never given up, which touched his heart a little, but he was still not sure if he had the courage to go back and face everything.

What will he choose? Will he return to Xingchen Peak or continue to escape?

Gao Xingchen was in a fierce struggle. On the one hand, he had an inseparable feeling for Nan Li, and her appearance rekindled a glimmer of hope for him; but on the other hand, the strength of the Fire Cloud Evil God and his own miserable defeat made him feel deeply powerless and fearful.

He was afraid that he would fail again, afraid that he would lose everything again.

Xiao Hei seemed to see through Gao Xingchen's hesitation. It walked to Gao Xingchen, rubbed his legs gently, and whimpered softly, as if to say: "Master, Miss Nanli has been looking for you. She has never given up on you, and you should not give up on yourself!"

Gao Xingchen looked down at Xiao Hei, with a trace of struggle in his eyes. He knew that Xiao Hei was right, he shouldn't just give up like that, he still had a lot of things to do, he still had to avenge those who died!

However, the Fire Cloud Evil God is too powerful. Does he really have the ability to defeat him?

"Xiao Hei," Gao Xingchen's voice was a little hoarse, "Tell me, can I still go back?"

Xiao Hei nodded vigorously, his eyes full of determination.

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew that now was not the time to hesitate, and he had to make a choice.

He raised his head and looked in the direction of Nan Li, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

He wants to go back!

Even if the road ahead is full of dangers, he will go back!

He must become stronger, strong enough to defeat the Fire Cloud Evil God and avenge those who died!

Gao Xingchen turned and left, with Xiao Hei following closely behind.

However, just as he was about to step into the depths of the jungle, his steps suddenly stopped.

What did he see?