2772 Return of a "cripple"

After several decades, Ling Han and company finally returned to the Realm Battlefield.

However, when they came to the barrier, it wasn't the same one.

…In the past epoch, Hysteria's army had launched countless attacks, which caused the barriers to fall one by one, and the defense line had retreated a lot.

This was a newly built barrier, and behind it, a new barrier was currently being built, with only one-third of construction being completed; it was still a long way from completion.

Ling Han and the Empress first went to cancel their leave. Of course, the Heavenly Venerate who was overseeing here had already been replaced. He was surprised when he heard that Ling Han and the Empress said that they wanted to cancel their leave. What was going on? They wanted to cancel their leave?

He then recognized that the person standing in front of him was Ling Han.

"Ling Han!" he called out, feeling rueful. "It's been more than an epoch, I didn't expect that you would come back."

He was Zhou Yan, who had fought against Ling Han when he had been competing for the Seven Deaths Seven Explosions Pill. After an epoch, he had also successfully stepped into the position of Heavenly Venerate.

This kind of breaking through the levels couldn't be compared to a freak such as Wu Haoyang, but no matter where, this could still be considered fast.

…See, Ling Han himself was still a Pseudo-Heavenly Venerate.

Ling Han nodded. "We finally came back."

Zhou Yan couldn't help shaking his head. How majestic and domineering Ling Han was back then? He wasn't inferior compared to Wu Haoyang, and even had a slight upper hand. But now, Wu Haoyang had already reached the Fourth Tier, while Ling Han had become a cripple.

What a turn of fate; the heaven's will was unpredictable.

"Brother Ling, what are your plans?" Considering Ling Han's freakishness back then, Zhou Yan was very polite. Besides, he had already become a Heavenly Venerate, so he had naturally long forgotten about his defeat to Ling Han.

They should focus on the future, not the past.

Ling Han smiled. "I plan to live here for a while, get to know the situation of my old friends, and then make further plans."

At that time, he would break through to the Heavenly Venerable Tier and proceed to the second spatial level.

Zhou Yan nodded. "Okay, you can stay here. Do come to me if you need anything."

"Thank you." Ling Han smiled.

Truly, this was what "friends in need are friends indeed" meant. Zhou Yan did not have much of a relationship with Ling Han, but he was willing to say such words; it really wasn't easy.

When the news of Ling Han's return came out, it immediately caused quite a commotion.

"Who is Ling Han?"

"Sigh, you are a newcomer who came only seven trillion years ago, it's no wonder that you don't know."

"What, I've been here for seven trillion years, yet I'm still considered a newcomer?"

"Of course, this Ling Han was a fierce man one epoch ago! Go and check out the general leaderboard at Celestial Administration; who is the person ranked 34th?"

"Gasp, he is that Ling Han?"

"Nonsense, who else if not him?"

"But, he was already so fierce one epoch ago, so why is he still here now?"

"Sigh, this is the fall from the pinnacle of one's power! Before, Ling Han spent an epoch of hard training, and he was able to defeat a Second Tier Heavenly Venerate as a Pseudo-Heavenly Venerate. His reputation had reached its peak. However, he failed to break through into Heavenly Venerable Tier. Now, he has become a cripple."

"Ah!"

The newcomers slowly learned about Ling Han's formidable strength and freakishness from the lips of the veterans, and they all felt it was such a pity that a freak would fall to such a bleak state.

Of course, there were many newcomers who were not convinced. Could a Pseudo-Heavenly Venerate defeat a Second Tier Heavenly Venerate? Why not exaggerate it even further and say that he could even defeat a Seventh Tier Heavenly Venerate?

But no matter what, the current Ling Han was merely a cripple, who had come here to spend his retirement peacefully. Due to the fact that he had previously offended too many people, he might not be safe even in the World's Paramount Martial Academy.

It would be different here, where internal strife was strictly prohibited, or those involved would face execution. Hence, it could be said that it would be absolutely safe here.

"He's nothing but a coward." For some newcomers, there was a very long generational gap between them and Ling Han's domineering era, and they couldn't help mocking him.

"This is the Realm Battlefield, not a place for retirement!"

"What's the point of living for such a person?"

Internal strife was not allowed here, so these people would hang around Ling Han's front door every day, saying some sarcastic words, and hoping that Ling Han would have the self-consciousness to quickly leave on his own.

Ling Han just pretended not to hear. He wanted to fish around to see how many people would harbor ill intentions for him and who applied under "a friend in need is a friend indeed." How many people would still come to visit Ling Han upon hearing the news that he had been "crippled"?

Before, when Ling Han was in the Martial Academy, the people in the Realm Battlefield couldn't simply take their leave to visit him. However, things were different now as they were only separated by levels, so traveling to and fro was very convenient.

Not long after, Ling Han's old friends came over one after another.

There were many people, such as the Rain Emperor, Yi, Can Yue, A'mu, Du Shiyi, Ji Wuming, Huo Furong, and, of course, the large black dog and Karmic Life Heavenly Venerable. Now, all of them have become Heavenly Venerates.

Of course, there were also the father and son duo of Ling Jianxue and Ling Feifan. Ling Jianxue had already become a First Tier Heavenly Venerate, while Ling Feifan had also achieved the position Pseudo-Heavenly Venerate. At the moment, he was still on the first spatial level.

"Where's Yan Xianlu?" Ling Han asked.

"He was killed," Yi said. As early as 11 trillion years ago, not long after Yan Xianlu came to the first spatial level, he died in battle in a siege of Hysteria's army.

Ling Han couldn't help but feel regret. He and Yan Xianlu had a very long friendship; he didn't expect to suddenly hear the news of the latter's death.

However, there were more people who would thrive and become stronger in such bloody wars. Peerless freaks like A'mu had become a Second Tier Heavenly Venerate, while the Rain Emperor and Karmic Life Heavenly Venerable were not far away from becoming Second Tier Heavenly Venerates themselves. Only Yi and the large black dog were way too inferior, and being a First Tier Heavenly Venerate might be as far as they could go.

This was because they were in the Flaming Frost Realm. Otherwise, had they been in the Celestial Realm, even being a First Tier Heavenly Venerate would have been an extravagant hope.

Everyone chatted and caught up with one another for several days. However, they couldn't leave their posts for too long, so they left behind some treasures for Ling Han as they departed one by one. It was unknown if the goods would be of any use to Ling Han, but even a little bit of use would be good. They hoped that Ling Han could get better soon.

"I really miss the time when I competed with you," Ji Wuming said.

Ling Han laughed heartily. "I only hope that you can always maintain such confidence."

Everyone left one by one, and Ling Han's residence became quiet again.

In fact, many people had died during this period. Besides Yan Xianlu, most of the prodigies who had come from the Celestial Realm were buried in places away from their native land, such as An Ran, Meng Feicheng, the Thousand Words Celestial King, the Cloud Void Celestial King, and so on.

This place was a meat grinder. Although it could make people experience rapid growth, it was also full of dangers. In the end, most people would die miserably and rot away.

Ling Han was feeling sorrowful, and came to mourn in front of the Monument of Heroes.

This monument was used to commemorate all the warriors who died here. After such a long time, the number of heroes who died in battle was astonishingly high. It took some time even for Ling Han's divine sense to sweep across the monument once.

He paid homage to the deceased here. He poured a cup of wine, spilled it onto the ground, and paid respects to those compatriots from the Celestial Realm who had passed away.

"Yo, who's putting up an act?" someone said from behind.

"Isn't that the cripple who is afraid of death?" someone continued smilingly.

"Those heroes have all died in battle, but a cripple is still living an ignoble existence."

"It doesn't matter, let him fend for himself the next time when Hysteria's army strikes."

There were a total of seven people here, and they continued their conversation in an extremely mocking manner.

They indeed couldn't bear to see Ling Han, a cripple who hid here in order to survive.

This was a place where warriors fought, a temple for heroes. How could it accommodate a coward?

The Empress became furious, and wanted to make a move.

Ling Han stretched out his arms to hold her back. There were merely a few "little brats," so there was no need to bother with them.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" At this moment, a heart-piercing cry was heard.