However... this truth made it even harder for Duan Jidao to accept. He had not only mistakenly killed his entire clan, but his own despair and self-destruction had driven the person he loved most to take her own life for his sake.
If only he had not disappeared back then, perhaps one day, after Duan Qirou had let go of her grudge, she would have come looking for him. And when that time came, he could have reunited with her.
But sadly, there was no such "if." Because of his impulsiveness, because of his despair, he had ended up in this state — his family destroyed and his loved ones dead. The thought of it cut through his heart like a knife, filling him with unbearable agony.
Still, grief was grief, but Duan Jidao quickly composed himself. In front of Chu Feng and the others, he personally constructed a tomb for Duan Qirou and laid her to rest deep within it.
"Elder Duan, this was also one of Senior Duan Qirou's belongings."
At that moment, Chu Feng produced the tombstone that Duan Qirou had carved for herself and handed it to Duan Jidao.
"Qirou took these from me all those years ago. She said... even in death, we should be buried together, and when that time came, we would use this coffin and this tomb." Looking at the tombstone, Duan Qirou's memories of their beautiful days together flooded back.
"Qirou, let the past be the past. I won't leave you alone anymore. I'll be joining you soon." Duan Jidao spoke to the tombstone. As he said these words, the guilt on his face was gone, replaced by something like happiness, and his eyes held a deep, fervent longing.
Most people feared death, but for Duan Jidao, death had become a form of release.
"My lord, the dead cannot return to life. You must try to see past this." Yin Gongfu panicked, thinking that Duan Jidao was about to take his own life to be with Duan Qirou.
"Gongfu, from the very day Qirou died, I no longer wanted to live. Do you understand?" Duan Jidao glanced at Yin Gongfu, then turned to look at the formation. "The only reason I've kept on living like a walking corpse is because I didn't want to let down His Majesty's expectations. I had to ensure that his power would continue to be passed on."
With that, Duan Jidao turned to Jiang Wushuang and said, "Wushuang, enter the formation."
Hearing these words, Jiang Wushuang's body trembled. He was so overwhelmed with excitement that he didn't know what to do with himself — this fortune had come far too suddenly.
"Wushuang, what are you spacing out for? Elder Duan is telling you to enter the formation and receive the bloodline inheritance," Yin Gongfu said with a smile.
"Y-yes! Thank you, my lord! Thank you, my lord!" In his excitement, Jiang Wushuang could barely string words together. He quickly lay down inside the inheritance formation, but as he did so, he kept turning back to look at Chu Feng, his eyes filled with gratitude. He knew that this opportunity was entirely thanks to Chu Feng.
Back in those days, he had possessed only an Emperor-level bloodline. It was Chu Feng who had helped him obtain a Great Emperor-level bloodline. And now... he was about to receive an inheritance of the Martial Emperor's bloodline. And that, too, was all because of Chu Feng.
Once Jiang Wushuang was in the formation, Duan Jidao sat cross-legged at the formation's core and began to pass his power on to Jiang Wushuang.
This inheritance was entirely different from the process by which Duan Jidao had helped other Emperor-level bloodline holders ascend to Great Emperor level.
He was transferring his own bloodline power directly into Jiang Wushuang's body. So the moment the inheritance began, it meant that his own strength would diminish.
As a result, Chu Feng could now sense Duan Jidao's cultivation.
Seventh level Martial Emperor — that unprecedented, overwhelming power. It was the aura of a seventh level Martial Emperor. Duan Jidao's cultivation was that of a seventh level Martial Emperor.
"So powerful. No wonder they say that even the Three Palaces had to fear Duan Jidao in his day, and the four Great Emperor Clans couldn't do a thing against him." Even after sensing Duan Jidao's cultivation, Chu Feng couldn't help but marvel.