The great hall was no longer occupied by Chu Feng alone.
Deep within the hall, in front of the seat, stood a figure.
It was an elderly man with snow-white hair and dignified features. His attire was impeccably neat.
He wore a spotless white robe, purer than fresh snow.
Coupled with his entire bearing, which held no trace of mortal dust, he seemed utterly detached from the secular world, like an immortal.
Just one look at his true appearance was enough to know he was no ordinary person.
Yet his whole being, both clothing and body, was semi-transparent. He was clearly not a complete living entity, most likely a spirit body.
But he was not a simple spirit body either. He was a form of existence that even Chu Feng could not identify.
Regardless of what kind of life form he was, Chu Feng sensed something else extraordinary about him.
It was his aura.
An aura of the Ancient Era emanated from him.
That ancient aura was so dense it could not belong to a mere descendant of ancient creatures.
He must be a being who had lived since the Ancient Era.
He had personally experienced that era.
“This junior, Chu Feng, pays respects to the senior.”
Although the person before him was shrouded in mystery and Chu Feng knew nothing about him, he did not dare show the slightest disrespect. He immediately performed a deep salute.
Because Chu Feng felt this person very likely knew something about his grandfather.
“No, no. This old one cannot accept such courtesy. Strictly speaking, you are this old one’s young master. How could you bow to me?”
Yet the moment Chu Feng bowed, the elder instantly appeared before him from the depths of the hall and gently helped him up.
Though only a spirit body, his strength was unfathomably deep.
“Senior, do you know my grandfather?”
Chu Feng asked.
The question sounded like an enquiry, but in truth it was confirmation.
He wanted to confirm whether this elder truly had any connection to his grandfather.
“Know him? It is far more than just knowing him.”
The elder gave a faint, meaningful smile.
He spoke those words very calmly.
Yet when they reached Chu Feng’s ears, he could no longer remain calm.
No matter what he had experienced before, he had never been certain.
But this elder’s reply gave him a definite answer.
This place was indeed connected to his grandfather. The Chu Hanxian on the map was without doubt his grandfather.
“Senior, do you know where my grandfather is?”
Chu Feng grasped the elder’s arms and pressed urgently.
“Calm yourself first.”
The elder looked at Chu Feng with a gentle smile.
He said this because Chu Feng’s body had begun to tremble, his eyes filled with desperate longing, his emotions on the verge of spiralling out of control.
Anyone familiar with Chu Feng would be shocked to see him like this.
Because Chu Feng was always composed and steady. Few things could ever affect him to this extent.
Hearing the elder’s words, Chu Feng realised he had lost his composure.
He quickly released his grip.
“Senior, this junior was impolite.”
“It is just that when it comes to my grandfather, this junior is simply too eager to know.”
“Senior, can you tell this junior: is my grandfather still here?”
Chu Feng asked again.
“Actually, when you asked that question, you already had the answer in your heart, didn’t you?”
The elder said.
“My grandfather… is no longer here?”
Chu Feng had indeed suspected as much. If his grandfather were still here, he would probably have appeared long ago instead of letting this elder receive him.
Since his grandfather had not appeared, he was most likely no longer in this place.
Although he had guessed it, a sliver of hope still lingered in Chu Feng’s heart.
That hope was like waiting for a miracle.
The miracle he wished for was that his grandfather was here.
He longed to meet his grandfather today.
But the elder’s words shattered even that last thread of hope.
His grandfather, Chu Hanxian, was truly no longer here.
“He left long ago. It has been nearly a thousand years since he departed this place.”
The elder said.
“Nearly a thousand years?”
“Senior, do you remember exactly how many years ago my grandfather left?”
Chu Feng pressed.
“I cannot recall precisely, but it should be less than a thousand years.”
The elder replied.
“Senior, you must know many things about my grandfather?”
“Could you please tell this junior about him?”
Chu Feng asked.
“You really do care deeply about your grandfather.”
“Truth be told, seeing you has surprised this old one as well. I never imagined he had already become a grandfather.”
“When I first sensed you approaching, I even thought you were his son.”
“Had you not said yourself that Chu Hanxian is your grandfather, I would never have guessed he had lived long enough to have grandchildren.”
“After all, when he came here back then, he was still just a junior.”
Instead of answering Chu Feng, the elder smiled and sighed with emotion.
“A junior?”
“You mean when my grandfather first met you, he was still just a junior?”
At those words, the disappointment in Chu Feng’s heart turned once more to excitement.
He knew a little about his father, but almost nothing about his grandfather.
Yet this senior before him said that when he first met his grandfather, his grandfather was still a junior.
And earlier, the elder had said his grandfather had left nearly a thousand years ago.
From what Chu Feng knew, his grandfather belonged to the same generation as the current Chu Heavenly Clan Patriarch and the Supreme Elder Chu Hanpeng.
His grandfather should now be over a thousand years old.
Even if this elder had not seen his grandfather since a thousand years ago, the fact remained that he had known him when he was still a junior.
That spanned nearly nine thousand years.
It was enough to prove that this elder shared an extraordinary bond with his grandfather.
Therefore, this elder must know a great deal about him.
Even if his grandfather was no longer here, learning about him from this elder would still be an immense gain for Chu Feng.
“Yes. The first time this old one saw him, he was indeed just a junior, not much older than you are now.”
“For a little fellow of that cultivation level to enter this secret ground, this old one was extremely surprised at the time.”
As the elder spoke, he looked upwards, stroking his beard.
He was clearly recalling the scene from those days.
But inside, Chu Feng was already trembling with excitement.
“Senior, could you please tell this junior about my grandfather?”
Chu Feng asked again.
This time his tone was one of earnest pleading.
He truly, desperately wanted to know about his grandfather.
“Why are you so curious about him?”
“Has your grandfather never spoken to you about his past?”
Seeing Chu Feng ask repeatedly, a trace of surprise appeared in the elder’s gaze.
“To be honest, senior, from the day this junior was born until now, I have never once met my grandfather.”
“My grandfather has been missing for many years. His whereabouts are unknown, and we do not even know if he is alive or dead.”
“This junior knows very little about him.”
Chu Feng said.
“Oh?”
“You have never met your grandfather?”
At those words, the elder who had kept a smile on his face until now suddenly lost it. His brows furrowed slightly.
No, it was more than just furrowed brows.
Complex emotions surged in his deep eyes.
There was sorrow, and there was worry.
It was as if something had occurred to him, triggering these feelings.
“Alas, I tried so hard to persuade him not to do that thing.”
“Could something really have happened to him?”
Suddenly, the elder sighed.
