Previously, in order to save Zhou Lao, he had no time to think about these things, but now that he has some time, he can't help but be curious.

Watching the contemplative look flicker in Su Tu's eyes, the black fog man spoke up, "If you have any questions, just ask."

Su Tu didn't hold back and directly voiced his doubts.

And the words of the black fog man made Su Tu even more curious about the Heavenly Communication Master, who stood at the pinnacle alone.

In the battle that shattered the Heaven-Reaching Dojo back then, Zhou Lao burned his Dao Plant, invoked his Lifebound Technique, and, as a Celestial Being, killed the Daoist Master, performing an act defying the heavens, but the cost was the collapse of his physical body and the withering of his heart and spirit.

No means could heal Zhou Wuliang, any great medicine would lose its efficacy upon touching him.

In such a situation, it was practically a death sentence.

Yet the Heavenly Communication Daoist, with unimaginable Divine Techniques, condensed Zhou Lao's shattered heart and spirit into a Heart Anchor and planted it on the Other Shore, ensuring Zhou Lao's life was unharmed as long as the Dao Lineage endured.

Subsequently, leveraging the foundation of the Dao Lineage, Zhou Lao was sealed and nourished with Secret Techniques, allowing him to survive.

However, after Zhou Lao awakened, the Heaven-Reaching Dao Lineage had already been destroyed, and the Daoist trace on the Other Shore was constantly being eroded, causing the Heart Anchor to weaken continuously, coupled with Zhou Lao's disappointment.

He felt that his master left him alone in the world, yet he could not restore the Dao Lineage, and he was shamed to face the ancestors, along with the affairs of the multitude, causing Zhou Lao's Life Fire to weaken continuously.

His Heart Anchor numbered seven, and upon encountering this number, he was granted gifts from heaven, but as the Heart Anchor wavered, Zhou Lao gradually became unable to control his Heart Anchor, even unable to touch the number seven.

Until....

"Until he met you, reestablished the Dao Lineage, and stabilized Zhou Lao's Heart Anchor once again."

"Only then could he truly live again."

After listening to the black fog man's explanation, Su Tu finally understood the reason behind it all.

Zhou Lao's current state is very special, his life is intertwined with the Dao Lineage. If the Dao Lineage flourishes, he will be robust and his old wounds will vanish, but if the Dao Lineage withers, he will begin to decline steadily.

Su Tu had originally promised Zhou Lao to once again suppress Heaven-Reaching upon all the heavens.

And now, there's yet another reason to do so...

"All these years, I've seen him gradually wither away, shrouded in twilight, yet I could do nothing."

"As a friend, I failed in my duty. I owe him a life, and now this life is owed to you."

The black fog man looked at Su Tu and spoke earnestly.

"I've thought it over, old Zhou said you are very interested in Ancient Skills. Once Zhou Lao comes out of seclusion and the situation stabilizes, I plan to take you to a place."

"If you have the opportunity, you might gain something."

The black fog man spoke, his eyes showing a bit of complexity, and before Su Tu could respond, his entire body dissolved into strands of black gas and diffused into the surroundings.

Listening to the black fog man's last words, Su Tu felt certain in his heart that this black fog elder must have an extraordinary origin.

From his earlier words, Su Tu could discern that this person must have some connection to the gods and the Immortals, and the fact that he knows a place of Ancient Skills further confirmed Su Tu's suspicions.

This mysterious demeanor only made Su Tu more curious because, in the presence of this black fog man, Su Tu sensed an extremely ancient and long-standing aura.

Could it be that this black fog elder is a disciple of a Dao Lineage related to the departed Immortals?

Or rather...

He himself is a remnant being from that era!

However, Su Tu quickly dismissed this thought.

After all, this idea was indeed somewhat too absurd.

Then, Su Tu stood up and walked towards the door, having received a message from Mu Wuyang and the others, saying they wanted to meet to discuss the trip to Douluo Palace in three days' time.

After Su Tu left, the black fog man's figure reappeared on the Master's Chair.

His eyes looked in the direction of Su Tu's departing figure, then towards the tightly closed inner room door.

The previously extremely calm eyes now showed a trace of terror, with his whole body slightly trembling.

"You..." Just as he was about to continue speaking in Su Tu's departing direction, he quickly corrected himself: "You.. what exactly is your identity..."

"In this era, to see the shadows of those three... am I damn crazy..."

The black fog man's voice trembled vehemently.

During the exchange with Su Tu, each time Su Tu called him elder, he felt his heart and spirit trembling anxiously.

At that time, he sensed something was amiss, but for the sake of face, he held on.

Later, when he mentioned taking Su Tu to a mysterious place, at that moment, the black fog man thought of that True Monarch, feeling a shared fate, and involuntarily looked towards Su Tu's palm.

What he saw made him almost kneel on the ground, as the aura emanating from there was too familiar to him. Not just him, even his True Monarch and the True Monarch's mentor would bow in reverence under that jade pendant.

And even more terrifying, on the boy, he sensed two presences no less significant than that aura, standing there with majesty.

In that instant, the black fog man couldn't bear it any longer, even directly dissipating.

"Old Zhou, old Zhou!! Could this one be your disciple??"

"Hell, isn't this your master ancestor!!"

The black fog man couldn't help but speak, then as if realizing something, a spark of joy flashed in his eyes.

"This kind of existence, if it touches the deity statue left by the True Monarch, who knows if the karma on him might spark back to life!!"

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Pong!!

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