"Actually, there's nothing I can't tell you."
"Zhan Haichuan's story is already legend throughout the Bailian Mortal Realm — you've probably heard it, kid. But the fact that he had such talent? That was all thanks to me."
"Back then, I was gravely injured. I don't even know why, or who exactly inflicted it."
"But when those beasts of the Battle Clan acted with such utter ingratitude and threw away all conscience, I truly had no power to resist."
"I had no choice but to play dead, preserving the last wisp of my soul, and then spent many years using a secret technique to extract my soul from that ruined body."
"But at the time, I didn't even have a physical form. There was only so much I could do."
"If I wanted to restore my power, I first needed to repair the remnant body, then awaken the power within it, and finally merge with it. But that was an incredibly difficult thing to accomplish."
"Fortunately, I later got an opportunity. The Battle Clan wanted to use my power to forge a treasure that could enhance bloodlines."
"Though my abilities were limited, that treasure was ultimately forged using my own power. So I continuously tried to infiltrate it, making that treasure serve my purposes."
"Finally, the treasure hatched fifty thousand years ago, and I gained control over it."
"But that bloodline could only be used by members of the Battle Clan. I couldn't use it myself."
"So within that treasure, I bound a contract to myself, attempting to subtly alter the mind of whoever obtained it, ultimately making them serve me."
"However, those fools of the Battle Clan caused an accident when activating the treasure, and it ended up leaving this place."
Hearing this, Chu Feng suddenly understood everything.
Fifty thousand years ago, the skies above the Bailian Mortal Realm had been engulfed in dazzling silver light.
Deep within that silver radiance, a silver spear had materialized. It was enormous — its size impossible to describe.
It was as though it wasn't a mere spear at all, but rather a divine weapon capable of destroying heaven and earth, carrying supreme divine might as it appeared across the sky.
Yet such a terrifying weapon had descended from the heavens, ultimately transforming into a streak of silver light that plunged into the body of a young child.
That boy was Zhan Haichuan.
So Zhan Haichuan's extraordinary talent had been the Old Cat's doing all along.
Chu Feng then asked, "So that treasure flew to the Zuwu Tianhe and happened to land inside the newborn Zhan Haichuan?"
"Exactly. I thought it had failed, until many years later when Zhan Haichuan came to the Battle Clan."
"Initially, everything went smoothly. Under my guidance, Zhan Haichuan successfully returned to the Battle Clan, and he helped me obtain the materials I needed."
"The plan was to secretly repair my remnant body, help me transition from a soul back into a physical form, and then merge with the remnant body."
"Of course, that's simple to say but incredibly difficult to do."
"We prepared for many years, and fortunately, we finally succeeded."
"But right at the moment of fusion, Zhan Haichuan — fearing I would destroy the Battle Clan — suddenly turned against me."
"That was the only chance I had, because those powers and that treasure were originally derived from me. Once they were exhausted, there was nowhere else to find them. Trying to awaken the remnant body's power again would be nearly impossible."
"So when I went to the Bailian Mortal Realm to find Zhan Haichuan, it wasn't for his treasure. I wanted to kill him for revenge. But when I arrived, he had already died from the wounds the Battle Clan's Patriarch had left him."
"He deserved to die, but I still hadn't gotten my anger out."
"So I wanted to dig up his grave to vent my frustration. But who would have thought — that Zhan Haichuan was truly despicable. Before dying, he had set up a formation that trapped me."
"After that, it was only when I ran into you that I finally escaped."
Even as the Old Cat recounted these events, he was still gritting his teeth with fury.
"Why didn't you tell me the truth back then?" Chu Feng asked.
"Hmph."
The Old Cat curled his lip, then said: "I'd already been screwed over by the Battle Clan and Zhan Haichuan enough. Was I supposed to tell you the truth too? Get beaten and not learn my lesson?"
Chu Feng actually thought the Old Cat made a very good point this time.
Anyone who had experienced something like this would never trust others so easily again.
"Originally, I had already given up..."