The cavern was very quiet,
so quiet that the clear echo of Xu Yuan's footsteps in his black-gold soft cloud boots on the ground could be heard distinctly.
But the cavern was also very noisy,
as within the honeycomb-like dense network of formation pattern chambers on the walls of the cave, thousands of fierce ghosts were emitting shrill and pitiful wails at this moment.
Filtered through the formation, they blended into a continuous drone like that of mosquitoes or flies.
Sweeping his gaze over the scene, Xu Yuan slowly withdrew his gaze.
In the chambers, the mysterious formation patterns were continuously extracting something from the ethereal bodies of the fierce ghosts, and these trapped ghost bodies were fading at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Breeding…
In some worlds, ghosts represent a horror devoid of any hope to humans, but in this world where the human race can transcend, these fierce ghosts are bred like livestock.
When needed, the pure soul power contained in their ethereal bodies would be unceasingly extracted as a material for cultivation.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
The Saint's Remnant Soul suddenly let out a murmur of amazement.
Xu Yuan asked,
"Mr.
Luo?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul chuckled,
"Xu lad, you should have figured out the operational process of this Ghost Mist Feeding Field, right?"
Although the withered old man had not explained a single word since they entered the cavern, just by what Xu Yuan had seen so far, he was already able to roughly guess the workings, and he replied,
"Hmm, partly."
Upon hearing this, the Saint's Remnant Soul spoke in a deep voice that sounded somewhat excited,
"The outer array that prevents the spread of ghost beings, the formation that captures fierce ghosts from the mist, the formation inside those chambers that extracts the ghosts' soul power, the formation that condenses the extracted soul power into soul crystals…
"These formations interlock with each other and are perfectly compatible, not using a bit more or less Origin Qi than necessary.
The creator of this grand interlinked formation is truly peerless!"
The Saint's Remnant Soul did not skimp on the praise for the creator of the formation.
Though he transcended the common ranks, this was only in terms of cultivation.
There are many paths in this world, and the capable ones are all teachers.
The Saint's voice carried a hint of sincerity,
"Xu lad, when I protect you to the Imperial Capital, could you let this old man visit your 'Geometry Institute' at your residence?
I really want to…"
But he did not finish his sentence.
"Third Young Master…"
A voice rough as grinding old tree bark suddenly sounded ahead.
Upon hearing that, Xu Yuan no longer paid attention to the Saint's Remnant Soul in his heart and promptly concentrated his attention forward.
The floor of the cavern was flat, making the figure of the withered old man appear extremely frail under the vast cavern dome.
He slightly turned his body to the side, his cloudy eyes filled with a trace of hesitation.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan said with a cupped fist salute,
"Elder Ghost, please speak freely."
The withered old man gave the cavern around them a dark glance and, as he walked forward, said in a low voice,
"Third Young Master…
I have guarded this place for over thirty years.
Once this matter is settled, could you pass a message to the Prime Minister on behalf of this old servant?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan's spirit became focused, and he nodded in assent,
"Of course, that can be done."
At this, the withered old man's face, hidden in the shadows, cracked into a bizarre smile, but in the next moment, that smile suddenly disappeared.
A raspy voice slowly came out,
"This old servant thanks the Third Young Master…"
The withered old man did not immediately elaborate on the specifics, but Xu Yuan guessed that the other party probably wanted to leave this ghastly place.
Even though he had been inside for less than half an hour, the dense ghostly energy that permeated the surroundings had already made him feel greatly uncomfortable.
It seemed that only the withered old man was guarding amidst the ghostly fog.
No conversation, no entertainment, over thirty years like a single day—this Ghost Feeding Field was like a giant ancient grave.
Now, with the old man's body eroded by ghostly energy and his life nearing its end, it was natural for him to want to leave.
In silence, the huge formation patterns carved into the walls of the cavern gradually came to a stop.
To prevent the Saint from backfiring and to help his remnant soul regain strength, there had to be limits.
Presumably, the soul power that had just been extracted from the thousands of specters was already sufficient.
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And with the halt of the formation, everything in the cavern returned to the original darkness and silence.
But Xu Yuan did not feel it was quiet.
Because that Saint's Remnant Soul was still endlessly chattering away in his heart.
Talking about formations, about the ghost mist, about his old father, about his old brother, about the Big Ice Lump…
At this moment, Xu Yuan understood why the protagonist in Cang Yuan's stories from his past life always referred to this Saint as old man.
Words, there were far too many.
After walking in the darkness for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xu Yuan suddenly heard a rumbling sound coming from up ahead.
Xu Yuan channeled his Origin Qi into his eyes, and instantly, everything that was pitch-black became clearly visible.
The withered old guide seemed to have triggered some mechanism, revealing a passage leading deeper, now in front of the trio.
"Third Young Master…
please go down and wait, this old servant needs to prepare some things."
The withered old guide had no intention of leading the way any further, his deep and ghostly stare fixated on Xu Yuan in the darkness.
In such an environment, the old man's murky eyes, half-human and half-ghost-like, were somewhat unnerving.
"….."
After holding eye contact for a second, Xu Yuan gave a slight nod, "Okay."
Seeing this, the withered old guide turned and waved his hand.
Rustle rustle——
One by one, the torches hanging on both sides of the corridor lit up.
Seeing this,
Xu Yuan led Ran Qingmo, passing by the withered old guide and walking into the descending corridor.
However, after two seconds,
Xu Yuan paused his footsteps and asked the withered old guide standing at the entrance of the corridor with a slightly curious tone:
"By the way, Old Ghostly Sir, may I ask you a question?"
The withered old guide responded immediately with his raspy voice:
"This old servant shall withhold nothing."
Xu Yuan carefully chose his words and spoke softly:
"Previously, Xu Changge mentioned that an event had occurred here…
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What was this event?"
"…."
The withered old guide did not reply immediately, but his bark-like face began to twitch in the darkness as if recalling something utterly horrific.
Under the influence of the ghastly atmosphere, he began to lose control of his emotions!
But ultimately, the old guide regained his composure and hunched over, cupping his fist, said:
"Within this ghostly fog, a nearly Second Grade ghastly creature was born, and this old servant managed to hold it off with a formation until Young Master Chang arrived."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan felt slightly relieved and turned to walk down the corridor.
At the end of the corridor was an ancient stone chamber, with a noticeable stone pillar in the center, and carved above the pillar was a recess.
After a moment of hesitation, Xu Yuan projected his Will-spirit and swept it around the spacious stone chamber.
As expected, he discovered numerous intricate Formation Patterns within the chamber.
This place was probably designed to help restore the Soul Power of the Saint's Remnant Soul.
Xu Yuan glanced at Ran Qingmo.
Ran Qingmo also returned the glance, her expression still serene as ever.
Xu Yuan thought that only a woman with a temperament like Ran Qingmo could remain so composed in such a bizarre and unsettling demon-raising ground.
If it were Su Meimo…
heh heh~
The withered old guide was gone for quite a long time, and after patiently waiting for about an hour, his rough voice finally came from above the corridor:
"Third Young Master…
please give me your Soul Ring."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan took the Soul Ring off his finger.
The withered old guide walked over slowly from the darkness to take it, then went to the center of the stone chamber to place the Soul Ring in the recess on the pillar.
Watching the old guide's leisurely actions, Xu Yuan asked in a low voice, filled with curiosity:
"Old Ghostly Sir, what do you plan to use to assist the Saint in restoring Soul Power?"
"Use what?" asked the withered old guide.
"Isn't there a soul crystal that condenses Soul Power?" Xu Yuan didn't see any objects on the old guide.
"Soul crystal?
There is no soul crystal," spoke the withered old guide, his voice like sandpaper.
Xu Yuan's brows furrowed slightly:
"But without a soul crystal, how can Soul Power be infused?"
"No soul crystal…"
In the pitch darkness,
the withered old guide, with his back turned, twisted his head around, his murky, lifeless eyes fixating on Xu Yuan, his smile sinister:
"Naturally, it's by using this old servant himself."
//104///
The decrepit old man's voice had not yet faded,
"Ran Qingmo!
Attack!!!"
The Saint's Remnant Soul's loud exclamation reverberated throughout the entire stone room:
"This guy has long since turned completely into a ghost, this is his corpse!!"
As the voice sounded, the Saint's soul immediately emerged from the Soul Ring, black and red Soul Power surged out and transformed into a blade, slashing through the void.
There was a moment of silence in the space,
Xu Yuan then saw the old man's head fall from the body, but no blood gushed out, as if the blood inside had dried up long ago.
His breath hitched for a brief moment.
Second Grade demon ghost…..
The demon ghost nearing Second Grade that the decrepit man had mentioned was himself!
After the Saint's Remnant Soul decapitated the old man, it didn't stop its motion,
But as the head rolled away, a dense pitch-black ghostly aura emitted from the old man's body, converging from all directions towards the Saint's soul!
The intertwining clash of the black and red Soul Power with the jet-black ghostly aura caused the whole unique stone room to shake as if in an earthquake!
The shaking lasted for about ten seconds,
The Saint's Remnant Soul's anxious voice rang out again:
"This ghost wants to devour me!
Ran Qingmo, if you don't take action, once it swallows my Origin Soul, we're all dead for sure!"
"Saint's Remnant Soul…
Saint's soul body…
Saint's Origin Soul…."
The ground that held the decrepit old man's head resounded with a burst of mad laughter: "Hehehahaha!!
If I devour you, even the eldest prince…
ehehe…"
"…"
Ran Qingmo's grip on her sword tightened, yet she still did not move.
Because as soon as the decrepit old man had spoken those words, Xu Yuan had already reached out and grasped her wrist in advance.
"Xu Yuan…" Ran Qingmo called out softly.
Xu Yuan gently shook his head.
The battle between the Saint's soul body and the old man was only ten meters away from him, and the fact that he was still unharmed in such a high-level battle already explained a lot.
"Get me out of here."
Ran Qingmo, after a moment of thought, picked up Xu Yuan and bolted towards the exit along the corridor.
"…." Saint's Remnant Soul.
"Dammit!!!"
The Saint let out a loud exclamation, forcibly breaking halfway through the black mist, and hurled an intense blast of black and red Soul Power directly at Xu Yuan.
But at this moment, the Formation within the stone room had already been activated.
As the white light flickered, white chains shot out towards the Saint's soul body at the center of the stone room.
In an instant, the Saint's Remnant Soul was penetrated and pinned down by myriad chains.
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The old man let out a strange laugh, and the black fog emitting from his body incessantly began pouring into the Saint's soul body.
Seeing such a scene, the Saint's Remnant Soul already had a rough guess of what this pseudo Second Grade demon ghost intended to do, and shouted furiously:
"Dammit, how dare you!!!"
Merging of souls…
This Second Grade demon ghost actually dared to attempt merging souls with him!!
After the outburst, those chains shot from the Formation became slightly illusory, as if they were about to shatter any moment.
The Saint began to desperately burn his Origin Soul, but it was too late.
Before he could break free from the Formation's restraint, the black ghostly aura within the stone room had all drilled into the Saint's soul body.
The shaking within the stone room ceased, and everything within it plunged into darkness…
…
…
In the Imperial Capital,
At the Geometry Institute of the Tianan Society, Tianjia Garden.
Tianjia Garden was built on high ground, with an elegant pavilion enveloped by a small river within the courtyard, creating an elegant scene of flowing water below when viewed from the pavilion above.
At this moment, within the pavilion, two people sat opposite each other.
One had white temples and sharp eyes, appearing middle-aged.
The other had white hair and a youthful face, handsome, and it was clear that in his younger years he must have been a fine man.
"Prime Minister, your official duties are strenuous, yet you have time to visit our Geometry Institute?"
Seeing the powerful Prime Minister, the white-haired old man did not show much deference, "Speak, what brings you here?"
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Xu Yinhè looked at the other, did not speak immediately, poured tea with his own hands, pushed a cup of fragrant tea towards the other, and then finally said softly:
"I had some free time, just came to talk with you."
The old man with piercing eyes stared at Xu Yinhè for a couple of seconds, then suddenly displayed a disdainful smile:
"You have free time, but I'm busy, speak if you have something to say."
The gentle afternoon breeze caressed the pavilion,
Xu Yinhè was not offended, slowly sipping the fragrant tea in his cup:
"Decades have passed, you are still the same as you were back then, you haven't changed at all."
"…."
The old man shook his head, gathered his sleeves, and took up the tea cup:
"Are you here to push about the Tianxun Crystal Orb again?
The progress on that thing is less than halfway done.
Right now, the Liuxuan crystal can barely withstand the communication Formation Patterns, but it's too small, and we still have very much trouble compacting the Origin Qi into the interior of the crystal.
To completely finish, by a conservative estimate, we need at least…"
"Jiang He."
Xu Yinhè suddenly cut off the old man's words, his eyes calm.
"…."
The white-haired old man named Jiang He was briefly taken aback, fell silent for a moment, then touched his beard and let out a sneer:
"Heh, you actually have the time to come and chat to pass the time?"
Xu Yinhè didn't deny it, put down his tea cup, and gazed from the courtyard wall down towards the foot of the mountains in the Imperial Capital, softly saying:
"We've known each other for a cycle of sixty years, right?"
Jiang He furrowed his brows, pondered briefly, and spoke in a low voice:
"You came to Capital City in the thirty-second year of Yongqing, and now it is the forty-fourth year of Jiaying; a cycle of sixty years has indeed passed."
A hint of reminiscence appeared in Xu Yinhè's sharp eyes:
"It's already been so long, time flies so quickly."
Jiang He's aged eyes carried a trace of amusement, his voice not very respectful, more like that of an old friend.
////105///
The Prime Minister, who currently has no power beyond the Golden Throne Hall, is actually so sorrowful, hehe…."
Xu Yinhè did not take issue with the other's words but simply said softly:
"Not many of the friends from those days in the Imperial Capital are left alive today."
Jiang He sneered: "You and Li Yaoxuan killed them all, naturally, there wouldn't be many left."
"…." Xu Yinhè.
Li Yaoxuan, the current Emperor.
As Jiang He watched the other's graying temples, he said with a soft chuckle:
"After so many years, even if you didn't kill them, those people might not have lived to see this day.
I'm almost like dust now, yet you still look like this, I'm really curious how long you can live with your current cultivation level?"
Xu Yinhè cast a glance at the old man and after a brief contemplation, he said in a low voice:
"If I make no further progress in this lifetime, probably around one hundred and twenty years."
A look of envy appeared on Jiang He's aged face:
"That's really nice."
Xu Yinhè showed little emotional fluctuation and merely retorted:
"Is living a long life meaningful?"
"Of course, it is."
Jiang He snorted lightly: "If I could live a bit longer, have a little more time to penetrate the grand truths of the Formation Path, then this journey in the human world would not be in vain."
The corner of Xu Yinhè's mouth curled into a smile:
"What you seek is different from mine, but if you wanted to live longer, you should have listened to Prince Xiang back then."
Upon hearing this, Jiang He didn't immediately respond.
He leaned back against the chair and fell silent for a long time, finally he sighed deeply and muttered softly:
"Cultivation?"
Jiang He thought of his father, who had become a blur in his memory, and shook his head:
"If I had chosen to cultivate back then, that would have been putting the cart before the horse.
There's only so much time, and the more of it that's devoted to cultivation, the less there is for researching the Formation Path.
"Besides, I wasn't really interested in the path that old man laid out for me.
My current level of cultivation is only for the sake of the Formation Path."
Speaking of which,
Jiang He seemed to think of something, and his aged face suddenly took on a firm expression, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he said in a low voice:
"Right, Xu Yinhè, the grand formation I told you about four years ago is almost complete now.
It's at least twice as powerful as the protective formation in the Imperial Capital."
At this point, Jiang He coughed lightly:
"That Hua Hong old man won't provide the silver, what do you think about this…"
Xu Yinhè listened carefully, a hint of amusement in his eyes, but he didn't budge:
"Hua Hong will handle the accounts of the Tian'an Commerce Assembly himself.
I won't interfere."
The Geometry Institute was very expensive to maintain, especially since most of the investments yielded no visible returns.
Four years ago, Jiang He first mentioned this supremely powerful grand formation to him and Hua Hong.
The proposition back then was almost identical to now.
Just one more billion, with one more tiny bit of investment, their Geometry Institute would immediately be able to produce results.
And then Hua Hong invested,
And then four years passed.
Upon hearing this, Jiang He's face immediately tightened, and with a cold snort, he picked up his cup, ready to dismiss his guest.
Seeing his old friend's character was the same as ever, Xu Yinhè chuckled and shook his head, then suddenly said softly:
"Jiang He, there's a problem with the Soul-Sucking Grand Formation you created."
When Jiang He heard this, his stern face paused, gradually turning grave.
But he wasn't surprised that there was an issue with the formation.
A complete formation is naturally subject to thousands of calculations before being put into use, but that doesn't mean it's perfect.
Many things change with time, and the myriad variables of reality can cause discrepancies between the formation's performance and test results, so it needs to be perfected step by step in practice.
Just as the human race initially domesticated Demonic Beasts, the techniques and formations related to taming the Ghost Mist also had a long way to go.
After a brief thought, Jiang He shook his head and said:
"I knew you, Prime Minister, would not visit the Three Treasure Hall without a cause.
Tell me the specifics."
Xu Yinhè pondered for a moment and then said:
"Changge had to make another trip to Jingjiang Prefecture because of some matters."
Jiang He frowned slightly: "Jingjiang Prefecture…
the Ghost Mist near those mountains by Wuyuan City?"
"Yes." Xu Yinhè.
Jiang He paused slightly, hesitation on his worn face:
"I remember there are three Third Grade Great Masters guarding that Ghost Mist, right?"
"Yes."
Xu Yinhè nodded, and then calmly uttered three words:
"They're all dead."
"Impossible!"
Jiang He's hands, clasped in his white beard, clenched tightly, his tone lowered: "My formation couldn't possibly allow a Fourth Grade or higher Demonic Beast to emerge within the Ghost Mist."
Xu Yinhè calmly stared at his old friend for a few breaths, his voice very soft:
"The Demonic Beast wasn't born within the Ghost Mist."
"…."
Upon hearing this, Jiang He's aged face suddenly turned somewhat pale, his wrinkled hands trembling slightly, he asked with a hint of hesitation:
"Is it…
ghostification?"
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"Um," Xu Yinhè gave a positive reply.
Jiang He's breathing was slightly rapid.
To have such an oversight on the formation he created himself was something he couldn't tolerate.
He clenched his hand into a fist and thumped it hard against his brow.
After a long while,
Jiang He suddenly raised his eyes and asked,
"Not right…
not right!
If such an anomaly has occurred, under the control of the formation, Jiuyuan City should have been engulfed by that Ghost Mist by now, the court above…"
"Ghost Seven is there," Xu Yinhè interrupted, his voice very even.
"Ghost…
Ghost Seven?"
Jiang He was taken aback and asked in a slightly hesitant, low voice, "The guard who accompanied you when you entered the Imperial Capital?
He…
hasn't turned into a ghost?"
The warm sun of winter, a gentle breeze.
"He has turned into a ghost."
Xu Yinhè stared at Jiang He, his voice still without any fluctuation,
"Changge said,
'He has been guarding that formation all along.'"
….
….
Organs, accompanied by chunks of corpses and viscous blood, trailed down along the corridor as if there was no end.
"Drip…"
"Drip…"
"Drip…"
The sound of boots tapping against the ground echoed unhurried in the spiraling downward corridor.
All the way down, Xu Changge observed everything around him with a calm gaze that carried a hint of contemplation.
Lou Ji said that there seemed to be some problems with the Ghost Mist here.
Although the soul crystals in the Ghost Mist Formation had been delivered on time for nearly three months, the people who took turns entering every month had never come out again.
Now it seems that the anomaly in this space is not as simple as a few problems.
While thinking this, Xu Changge stepped out of the long tunnel.
Beyond the tunnel, his eyes met a hive-like cave full of dense stone chambers imprisoning thousands of ferocious ghosts.
Besides these, there were almost a floor full of human cadavers.
Among these people, he saw two acquaintances.
Two Third Grade Great Grandmasters, whom he had met once in the Imperial Capital.
अगर आप भी डायबिटीज से जूझ रहें है, तो यह देखना न भूलें
मधुमेह हमेशा के लिए ख़त्म हो जाएगा! सोने से पहले करें ये काम
But now, the life force of the two was long gone, and the incorruptible bodies of the Third Grade Great Grandmasters seemed exceptionally eerie at this moment.
After a glance, Xu Changge withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.
In the northeast direction of the cave, he spotted a "living person."
Lean and withered, the figure was silently kneeling in a corner, not saying a word.
The vast hive-like cave, the frail old man hidden in the darkness, was eerie and profound.
"Drip…"
"Drip…"
"Drip…"
In the midst of silence,
Xu Changge came to a stop three meters behind the withered old man, silently drew the Three-foot Green Blade from the Sumeru Ring, but did not immediately swing it.
Beside the withered old man was a whole box of neatly stacked "soul crystals."
This should be the soul crystals that were to be supplied to Tian'an Commerce Assembly this month.
Xu Changge's eyes flashed with confusion, but soon became complex, and he silently put the sword away.
He stood there in silence, his azure robes making him seem out of place, almost like a banished celestial amidst the hellish scenery around him.
In the pitch-black cave,
the withered old man kneeling in the northeast direction finally seemed to sense something, turned his head one-hundred-eighty degrees, and looked back at Xu Changge.
After staring blankly for a long time.
The withered old man's eyes seemed to regain some clarity:
"Chang…
Young Master…?"
Xu Changge stared at the old man, feeling the thick ghostly aura on him, almost tangible:
"You…
are Ghost Seven?"
"Ghost..
Seven?"
The withered old man murmured, then after a long pause, he nodded:
"Old…
servant…
has seen the Young Master…."
In the hellish cave, all was silent.
Who knows how much time passed,
the withered old man shakily pushed the box beside him forward:
"These…
these are this month's soul crystals…."
"The old servant…
has failed…
the Prime Minister."
"Please..
Chang..
Young Master, kill..
the old servant….."
///106//
Test Ran Qingmo probably really couldn't fly.
Being held and running away did not feel good, actually it was uncomfortable.
With every step on the ground, the powerful acceleration made Xu Yuan feel as if he were riding a drop tower from his previous life.
And after entering that dark and spiraling upward tunnel, Xu Yuan directly felt like he was spiraling towards heaven on a drop tower.
Upon reaching the ground,
Ran Qingmo then let Xu Yuan down from her embrace.
She let go, but Xu Yuan did not.
Already at Seventh Grade cultivation, Xu Yuan belonged to a superhuman class, but he was still far from the superhuman standard.
In less than one minute, being held by Ran Qingmo and spinning like a motor in that tunnel for hundreds of rounds, dizziness and nausea surged over him like a tidal wave.
"….."
Ran Qingmo stared at the man who was still holding on to her shoulder, her cold eyes slightly hesitant.
Her master had said that there should be a distinction between men and women.
A girl should not let a man touch her body easily.
Thinking about this, Ran Qingmo shook her head again.
Her master had also said that exceptions could be made in urgent circumstances.
And besides…
this seemingly wasn't the first time.
Without concerning herself with Xu Yuan's hands anymore, Ran Qingmo withdrew her gaze and began to sense the Origin Qi below, which had been contaminated by the ghostly fog.
The fight between the Saint's Remnant Soul and that fake Second Grade monster ghost seemed to have started…
A few moments later,
realizing that he had reached the ground, Xu Yuan, still woozy, let go of Ran Qingmo.
Ran Qingmo brought her thoughts back and looked at him:
"Xu Yuan…."
Xu Yuan, enduring the dizziness, gestured with his hand:
"Wait…
wait for me a moment."
Having said that, he immediately closed his eyes and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing through cultivation.
The Blood Essence Meteoring Art could also cure dizziness.
About half a cup of tea's time later, the dizziness subsided, and Xu Yuan reopened his eyes.
The grey-white land, the grey-white twisted tree trunks, the constantly rising ghostly fog, and the Formation preventing the fog from overflowing, everything was as still as when they had arrived.
Slowly standing up, Xu Yuan dusted the dirt off his robe and said softly:
"Ran Qingmo, we might as well wait here."
Ran Qingmo asked, "You…
don't want my help down there?"
Xu Yuan glanced at her and said:
"Help?
Whom do you want to help down there?"
Ran Qingmo probed, "Help…
the Saint's soul entity?"
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, asking with a hint of amusement:
"Why help him?"
Ran Qingmo tilted her head and countered:
"Isn't your family, the Prime Minister's Mansion, in some sort of agreement with him?"
Xu Yuan looked surprised.
He had never mentioned the agreement to Ran Qingmo, and Xu Changge had only given him the Soul Ring in front of her.
This Big Ice Lump had actually inferred this conclusion on her own?
Heh…
quite smart, isn't she?
"….."
Noticing his look, Ran Qingmo felt Xu Yuan was thinking of something impolite:
"What…
is it?"
"Nothing," Xu Yuan shook his head.
After two seconds of silence,
Ran Qingmo looked at him seriously:
"Xu Yuan, I'm not stupid."
"Pfft…."
Xu Yuan couldn't help but let out a laugh.
Ran Qingmo quietly held her sword hilt, staring at him without a word.
Xu Yuan looked at the sword hilt and for some reason thought of a thick and long stick.
Clearing his throat, Xu Yuan said with a serious face:
"Alright, I get it, you're not stupid."
"Mhm." Ran Qingmo nodded, satisfied.
Xu Yuan once again composed himself and brought the conversation back on track, saying:
"Ran Qingmo, you're right about what you said earlier, Xu Changge and my father indeed reached some kind of cooperation with this Saint's Remnant Soul, but that doesn't prevent us from taking action against him."
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Ran Qingmo thought for a moment and asked:
"Are you going to betray him?"
After a slightly awkward moment, Xu Yuan cleared his throat and said:
"It's not like that, we are just making the first move for self-protection.
It's called cooperation, but the Saint's Remnant Soul has his own schemes as well."
Ran Qingmo's eyes suddenly flickered twice; it seemed she believed him:
"Oh."
Seeing this, Xu Yuan smiled and said no more.
But Ran Qingmo still had something to say, and spoke in a low voice:
"What about the demon ghost?"
Xu Yuan fell silent upon hearing this.
Demon ghosts, scientifically known as Yin Ghosts.
No one knows why Yin Ghosts are born into the world, just as no one knows why there is Origin Qi between heaven and earth.
Their origin is unknown, but from ancient times to the present, there have been many texts related to Yin Ghosts, and many of their characteristics have been identified.
The corpses of all things give rise to ghostly fog, and from within the fog, Yin Ghosts emerge.
They possess spiritual intelligence and even fragments of memory from the various corpses they were part of.
But even with fragmented memories, it's almost impossible to communicate with Yin Ghosts.
Obsession, brutality, madness, flesh, slaughter.
These words, signifying destruction, seem to be the reason for the existence of Yin Ghosts in the world.
These were the pieces of information Xu Yuan had gleaned from texts.
Therefore, he actually didn't understand why that completely ghostified withered old man did what he did just now.
Ran Qingmo, seeing Xu Yuan silent for a long time, gently called out to him:
"Xu Yuan…"
Xu Yuan slowly came back to his senses and shook his head gently:
"Isn't the ghostly old man just Third Grade?
Aren't you his match?"
Although he wasn't sure if Ran Qingmo could beat his big brother when they were at the same level, given the earlier act of freezing the Saint's Remnant Soul and killing the main character of the plot with that earth-shattering sword stroke, she could at least be considered half unbeatable at her level, right?
Ran Qingmo shook her head and said very seriously:
"Originally, yes, I could have beaten him, but now he's almost Second Grade."
"Originally?
Almost Second Grade?"
Xu Yuan furrowed his brows and, after a moment's thought, asked, "Is it from the hour and more we were waiting?"
The withered old man had come down over an hour after they had entered the secret room; his power most likely surged during that time.
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"Yes, it seemed to have devoured all the Yin Ghosts in that cave." Ran Qingmo nodded; when she had fled earlier, she saw that the Yin Ghosts in the cave had all disappeared.
"…."
Xu Yuan's pupils shrank slightly.
In his mind, the scene of countless ghosts wailing as the Formation operated in the cave arose.
After pondering for a second, Xu Yuan shook his head gently.
He thought of something.
This place, Xu Changge had once visited.
He probably had some guesses about the whole situation.
The withered old man, who had not yet devoured the multitude of ghosts, was at most nearing Second Grade.
A true Second Grade expert had been beaten by Xu Changge to nothing but a head; let alone someone just nearing Second Grade.
Could such a cultivator really have survived under Xu Changge's hands?
Xu Yuan found it hard to believe.
Although he didn't know why Xu Changge spared the completely ghostified withered old man, the big brother must have been confident in sending him here.
Even,
Xu Yuan suspected that Xu Changge was currently lurking in some hidden corner nearby, spying.
After all,
It was only a day's journey from Jingjiang Prefecture to this place.
Having considered this, Xu Yuan said softly:
"No matter."
"No matter?"
Ran Qingmo's expression was puzzled: "But…
you staying here could be dangerous."
Xu Yuan smiled faintly and said in a low voice:
"Xu Changge had been here before, and since that ghostly senior is still alive, there should be no problem."
As he spoke, Xu Yuan paused, then suddenly looked around:
"Moreover, I suspect that he is hiding nearby."
"….." Xu Changge.
Ran Qingmo's eyebrows knitted slightly upon hearing this:
"But…why?"
Why would Xu Changge go through such an ordeal.
If he had decided to turn against us, why not come directly?
Xu Yuan shook his head, without answering.
The purpose was simple; this was most likely a test that the big brother had set up before his departure.
A test for both Ran Qingmo and his own abilities.
There were hints all over about the situation here, both overt and covert.
If Xu Yuan still directed Ran Qingmo to help that Saint's Remnant Soul under these circumstances, he could forget about traveling outside.
If he couldn't handle this, what's the point of having a bicycle?
Better to return obediently to the Prime Minister's Mansion and stay put.
///107///
Twilight had arrived, and the golden sunset scattered across the hauntingly grey-white forest.
As night fell, Xu Yuan, unaware of how long the battle between the two "soul bodies" below would last, took Ran Qingmo back to wait in the carriage.
However, upon returning to the previous shady path, the carriage was nowhere to be found.
After a thorough search, it was discovered that the flame-hoofed carriage had somehow been led into a stable in the forest.
Xu Yuan subconsciously thought it was Xu Changge's doing.
After all, apart from that specter calling itself the old ghost, there were no other living beings amidst the ghostly mist.
But upon seeing the horse feed in the manger, which was clearly well-prepared with dried fodder and fruits, he immediately dismissed the thought.
Driving horses might be something Xu Changge would do, but preparing horse feed was clearly not in his repertoire.
Grasping the mahogany handle to climb aboard, Xu Yuan shook his head:
"The horse feed is well prepared.
However, it seems the old ghost still has leisure for such refinement."
"Thank you…
Third Young Master for the praise.
This old servant has led horses and driven carriages for the Prime Minister all my life.
Other than killing, all I have left is this skill."
"…." Xu Yuan.
A voice as hoarse as grinding tree bark suddenly sounded, causing Xu Yuan's motion of holding the mahogany handrail to stiffen abruptly.
Silence for a moment,
The voice like grinding tree bark continued from behind, somber and strange:
"If I have frightened the Third Young Master, please forgive me."
Xu Yuan composed himself and slowly released the handrail, but the sight from the corner of his eye caused his heartbeat to skip slightly.
The stable was simple, just a few wooden posts supporting a wooden canopy, drafty and with an open view, allowing a clear view of the surrounding twisted grey-white woods.
But in this moment,
The woods, which had been relatively bright, were now visibly being devoured by an encroaching black fog at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In the span of a few breaths, everything around seemed to vanish into thin air, turning pitch black.
And Ran Qingmo, who had been standing one meter away from him just a moment ago, had also disappeared; besides the stable, only a spectral form stood quietly beside him.
But it was not the form of the Seventh Grade ghost, but that of the Saint's soul body, with the black Soul Ring still on its fingertip.
Seeing this scene, Xu Yuan's pupils shrank slightly.
All along, he didn't care about the welfare of the Saint's Remnant Soul.
Even though the Saint's Remnant Soul had lived for tens of thousands of years, the useful information it knew…
might not be more than what he knew.
What Xu Yuan really cared about was the Saint's Remnant Soul's strength that could protect him completely, from beginning to end.
After all, even if Ran Qingmo was strong, she couldn't fuse with him.
Should they truly encounter a formidable enemy, he would only become her vulnerability, as she would have to fight while worrying that the aftershocks of the battle wouldn't kill him.
As for the Saint's Remnant Soul, it could fight by possessing someone as a familial elder.
Fully AI-controlled with no worry about being killed by aftershocks.
The perfect bodyguard.
However, Xu Yuan had actually planned to bind the Saint's Remnant Soul through mutual benefits.
He very clearly understood what kind of person the Saint's Remnant Soul was, as well as what it desired.
But now it seemed like Xu Changge might have other plans, and while Xu Yuan was unsure of what exactly his elder brother intended to do, it looked like Xu Changge might want the old ghost to directly devour the Saint's Remnant Soul, and in doing so, take over its host to protect him.
But the problem was,
Can a Yin Ghost really be trusted?
While the Saint's Remnant Soul might be unreliable, at least it could be bound through the logic of benefits, but a Yin Ghost by its very nature exists for destruction.
The current situation left Xu Yuan somewhat caught off guard, as thoughts rapidly flickered through his mind.
Was this also plotted by his elder brother?
Surely not, right?
Having him, a mere Seventh Grade cultivator, face a Second Grade Yin Ghost right from the start — even intensity doesn't escalate like this, does it?
But if this wasn't orchestrated by his elder brother…
Hiss…
Xu Yuan quietly circulated his cultivation technique, choosing his words carefully:
"Are you…
the old ghost?"
The Saint's soul body, now completely devoid of sclera, had eyes filled with an intensely dark color, and its voice was still as dry:
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"Third Young Master need not worry, for now, it's still this old servant."
Xu Yuan silently dispersed his cultivation technique.
With this grade of spectral being, if it wanted to kill him, it really didn't need any reason.
But what did it mean by its words?
"Temporarily?"
"Yes."
"And this place is?"
"This is the Ghost Domain that the old servant created by borrowing the Saint's primal soul."
"Saint's primal soul…
What about Luo Daofan?"
"He's been temporarily suppressed by the old servant."
"You didn't consume him?"
"Of course not," replied Ghost Seven, without hesitation.
Xu Yuan paused, his words tinged with uncertainty, "So in the future, will you share one soul body?"
He knew that bodies in this world could be shared by two souls, but whether soul bodies could be shared was beyond the scope of his cultural understanding.
Ghost Seven remained silent for a moment, his voice flat and without fluctuation:
"No, the old servant will soon disperse."
Xu Yuan's pupils contracted, "Disperse?
Wasn't Xu Changge supposed to let you devour that Saint's soul body?"
The corners of Ghost Seven's cracked lips seemed to move, but in the end, he only shook his head slightly:
"The old servant, of course, wishes to protect the Third Young Master on his travels, wishes to continue to hold the reins for the Prime Minister, but the body of a ghoul may no longer allow it."
"Had it not been for the eldest son's timely arrival a month ago, the old servant might have already become a mindless ghost, and even with the soul locked by the secret technique, today's limits have been reached."
Silence.
In the darkened Ghost Domain, Xu Yuan quietly counted his breaths, then softly asked:
"If that's the case, what was the purpose of doing this?"
"To merge souls."
Speaking, Ghost Seven slowly turned his eyes and lifted his palm to point at his own soul body:
आप बहुत लकी हैं अगर आपका नाम इस अक्षर से शुरू होता है
क्या आप वज़न कम करना चाहते हैं? तो इन 7 व्यायामों को रोज़ करें
"If successful, this Saint would owe allegiance to our Prime Minister's Mansion."
The rough voice of the ghoully energy resounded deep and muffled, "But the old servant has failed, failed indeed, but rest assured, Third Young Master, although I cannot make him owe allegiance to the Prime Minister, I have already etched the thought of protecting you into his consciousness."
At these words, Xu Yuan's mind jolted.
To exchange one's life for…
a thought imprint?
As his thoughts flashed by, he finally understood what Xu Changge intended to do.
But as he looked at the utterly calm Ghost Seven, he fell silent once more.
Loyalty that does not waver, even after becoming a Yin Ghost.
After a long silence, Xu Yuan spoke softly:
"Mr.
Ghost, you have specifically sought me out, do you have a message you wish for me to convey to my father?"
He remembered the favor the other had asked of him back in the cave.
Ghost Seven nodded slightly:
"Yes."
Xu Yuan took a deep breath:
"Speak, I will relay it faithfully."
"Thank you…
Third Young Master."
Ghost Seven bowed deeply, his dry and withered voice trembling slightly:
"Ghost Seven is incompetent, unworthy of the Prime Minister."
Having spoken, Ghost Seven stood up straight.
Xu Yuan was silent for several breaths:
"Just…
that one sentence?"
"Having been tainted with the blood of my comrades, the old servant is too ashamed to say more."
Ghost Seven shook his head.
After speaking, the Soul Ring flew from his fingertip to hover in front of Xu Yuan.
And in the next moment,
the Ghost Domain dispersed,
a nearly dissipated stooped shadow separated from the nearly solid Saint's soul body, drifting towards the sky.
The setting sun was like blood, just as it was decades ago.
The stooped figure of the elder stood amidst the mountains and forests, kneeling for the last time in the direction of the Imperial Capital…..
////108///
The snowy night was moonless.
The cold wind howled like mountain spirits sobbing in the pitch-black mountain range.
The roof of the dilapidated house in the mountain village had a big hole through which snowflakes gently fell.
A bright pattern lamp on the wall illuminated the rundown room, accompanied by a crackling bonfire.
Xu Yuan was sitting on a blanket, draped in a dark brown mink fur, fiddling with a half-foot tall black porcelain jar in his hands.
Inside the jar was the supper he and Ran Qingmo would share tonight.
A White Fierce Bird, already chopped into pieces.
This bird was hunted by Ran Qingmo yesterday.
Though small in size, its strength was formidable.
With Xu Yuan's current strength, probably ten of him would not be a match for this less-than-half-a-foot-tall bird.
However, this did not affect its suitability as excellent ingredient.
With the clinking of jars, Xu Yuan took out various condiments from his Sumeru Ring and added them into the black jar in order.
After sealing it, he placed it on a frame set above the bonfire to braise over a fierce flame.
The flesh of the White Fierce Bird was firm and tight, and this method would infuse the meat with flavor, making it suitable for roasting over fire.
After finishing all this, Xu Yuan stood up to wash his hands with the white snow outside and immediately shrank back under the blanket.
The twelfth lunar month in winter was truly cold.
Though he had embarked on the path of cultivation, all below Fourth Grade were mere mortals.
He missed the Blaze Spirit Liquid a bit.
Even though it had a stimulating effect on desire, it was first-rate for driving out the cold.
Fortunately, he had the Sumeru Ring to store various items; apart from the bonfire, there was also a furnace patterned with a Gathering Flame Formation inside the broken house.
As the braising time was quite long, Xu Yuan gradually became distracted as he watched the abandoned mountain village covered in snow outside.
After taking care of the burial for the old man with the surname Gui, Xu Yuan traveled north with Ran Qingmo in search of the Secret Realm.
It took them a month and a half to finally reach the Guanyin mountain range where the Secret Realm was located.
Then a very serious problem presented itself before them.
They could not find the entrance to the Secret Realm.
The Guanyin mountain range is represented by only twelve small maps in Cang Yuan, but in reality, it stretches for thousands of miles from west to east, with its highest peaks reaching over three thousand zhang.
Xu Yuan had actually anticipated this.
The cave abode in the Wanxing Mountain Range had been easy to find because Tianmen Mountain and its Hanging Edge were very distinctive.
Those Secret Realms hidden in the mountains would naturally not be so easy to find.
With information from his past life, Xu Yuan could roughly confirm that the entrance to the Secret Realm was in the northwest direction of the Guanyin mountain range, next to a river flowing down from the top of the mountain.
The rest was intended to be found by Ran Qingmo, with her unreasonably high luck and powerful cultivation.
Following the river, Xu Yuan and Ran Qingmo arrived at this long-deserted village to take shelter.
And then…
Then half a month passed.
Ran Qingmo did indeed have harvests every day she went out.
Every night, this Big Ice Lump would bring back some "gifts".
Either a hundred-year-old spiritual herb, or some precious ores, or some exotic Demonic Beasts suitable for medicinal cuisine.
The royal luck of the European lineage was not in vain, but the problem was that all these things were available at the Prime Minister's Mansion.
What he wanted was the Secret Technique inside that Secret Realm.
With that Secret Technique, he could cultivate automatically twenty-four hours a day.
Thinking about it, Xu Yuan sighed and collected his thoughts.
As he calculated the time, she should be back soon…
Braising the White Fierce Bird while waiting for Ran Qingmo to return, time slipped by unnoticed.
About two quarters of an hour later, there was suddenly a rustling sound from outside.
"Creak—"
"Creak—"
It was the crisp creaking sound of boots on snow.
At the sound, Xu Yuan smiled slightly, but immediately frowned.
Because there was more than one set of footsteps in the snow.
This Big Ice Lump hadn't picked up a live person today, had she?
And just as he was thinking,
a strange young woman's voice arose, very young, even somewhat immature:
"Hey, Wooden-head, why have you stopped?
It's snowing so heavily tonight, let's hurry inside to take shelter from the snow."
Then a man's voice followed:
"There are people inside."
"So what if there are people?
This house in Li's village is still somewhat intact, most of our brothers from the sect stay here overnight." The young woman seemed unconcerned.
"If there are people, we need their permission first," the man said.
"…"
The woman fell silent for a moment, her voice tentative, "Well…
if he doesn't agree, where do you plan to stay tonight?"
The man pondered briefly before replying, "There's a cave ten miles ahead."
"Ten miles?!"
The woman's voice rose slightly, "If you want to go, you go.
I don't want to move anymore, in this heavy snow…"
As she spoke, the young woman's voice grew closer to the broken house.
After a second of silence,
the woman's voice, somewhat chagrined, carried, "Li Erzhu, why are you pulling me?"
Li Erzhu stubbornly insisted:
"We need his permission first."
After some tugging, the woman seemed unable to break free and, annoyed, yelled toward the house with flickering firelight:
"Hey, person inside, stop pretending to be dead.
Wooden-head was talking so loudly, you must have heard him, right?"
"….."
Well, probably not picked up by the Big Ice Lump.
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But Xu Yuan didn't respond right away.
In listening to their conversation, they seemed quite familiar with the place.
And being able to walk through the mountains in such a snowy night, they must be cultivators, and their cultivation wouldn't be weak.
After a moment of contemplation, Xu Yuan spoke in a gentle voice:
"Come in."
The voice carried through, and Li Erzhu immediately released the woman's wrist, replying:
"Thank you."
The crunching sound of footsteps on snow rose again, and two figures appeared outside the room.
Xu Yuan could also make out the faces of the two.
The man was clad in plain blue casual clothes, his back sporting a sword and a bulging cloth bag, appearing to be in his early twenties with average looks and a seemingly honest demeanor.
The woman wore a red dress akin to a cheongsam, draped in a bulky fur coat, also carrying a sword.
Her face looked very young and pure, but the dress on her was quite large.
After they entered the room and shook off the snow, an enticing sway ensued.
Xu Yuan watched the two, his will-spirit flickering slightly, and soon he felt slightly uneasy.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he didn't use his will-spirit to deeply probe their cultivation, but merely checked the nearby fluctuations of Origin Qi.
Randomly probing the cultivation of strangers in the wilderness is tantamount to telling them, "Get ready, I'm going to hit you."
However, this simple check yielded something abnormal.
The woman seemed normal enough, emitting bursts of qi from running a cultivation technique to ward off the cold; judging by the fluctuations, her cultivation level should be close to his own.
But the man was somewhat strange, wearing only a light garment in the freezing weather, without any fluctuation of Origin Qi from a cultivation technique to resist the cold.
Was he at the Integration Body stage?
Only those at the Integration Body stage could withstand severe cold or scorching heat, and Ran Qingmo was like that.
After beginning his journey, Xu Yuan had encountered many things.
Travelers needing shelter in the middle of the night, refugees in flight, and he even encountered highway robbers with Ran Qingmo at midnight.
But a high-level cultivator—this was the first time Xu Yuan had encountered one since leaving Jingjiang Prefecture.
A Fourth Grade Integration Body in his early twenties was likely to be a genius from one of the Sects, and, coincidentally, there happened to be a Myriad Manifestation Sect near the Wanxing Mountain Range.
While Xu Yuan was sizing up the two, they were also taking his measure.
The woman's eyes held a trace of astonishment.
Li Erzhu's eyes were filled with vigilance.
The scene before them was eerie.
Half of the room was dilapidated, and the other half was luxurious.
The heavy tiger skin rug that almost covered the floor, the incense that still emitted wisps of blue smoke, the Bright Pattern Lamp on the wall, the rosewood tea tray and the fine porcelain cup, as well as the two individuals sitting on meditation cushions.
It had been ten years since the Li Family Village was slaughtered,
Seeing such extravagant room furnishings in this deserted village was very suspicious.
Li Erzhu sidestepped to shield the woman behind him and his hand moved to the hilt of his sword on his back, his gaze on Xu Yuan silent for two seconds, then he spoke:
"Are you, human?"
"…."
A few moments of silence,
Xu Yuan lifted his hand, pointing at himself, his eyes somewhat bemused:
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"You suspect I'm a ghost?"
Even without Ran Qingmo around, Xu Yuan wasn't particularly panicky, as he still had his Grand Elder with him.
Though ever since their encounter with the ghostly fog, Grand Elder spent most of his time in self-isolation inside the Soul Ring, only sporadically appearing to utter a few words.
But he was indeed there.
Li Erzhu nodded: "Mhm."
Xu Yuan: "Why?"
"You couldn't possibly carry so much stuff on you," Li Erzhu said seriously, hand still on his sword hilt.
"High-level demonic ghosts create Illusionary Realms, hard to distinguish between real and fake."
"…" Xu Yuan.
"Li Erzhu, you're the ghost!"
The cheongsam-clad woman peered out from behind Li Erzhu, gave him a shove from behind, and reprimanded sweetly, "Put your sword away, he's got a Sumeru Ring!"
Li Erzhu glanced at the woman in the cheongsam, his expression perplexed:
"Sumeru Ring?"
"…"
The woman rolled her eyes, ignoring Li Erzhu, and walked a few meters in front of Xu Yuan before clasping her fist in a straightforward manner and saying:
"Myriad Manifestation Sect, Zhou Xiaohe.
"Apologies for the earlier rudeness, young master.
Please don't blame me; my senior brother here is naturally rather blunt."
Xu Yuan raised his eyebrows, recalling some information, then smiled and waved it off:
"No offense taken.
Being cautious is always wise when traveling."
After a pause, he added:
"Listening Wind Tower, Zhou Chen."
Aunt Lou Ji's Listening Wind Tower had a good reputation as an intelligence organization, and it was mysterious.
At these words, a hint of surprise flickered in Zhou Xiaohe's eyes, followed by a composed laugh:
"Young master, you're actually from the same family, what a coincidence."
Xu Yuan took out two meditation cushions from the Sumeru Ring and used Origin Qi to float them over to them, saying:
"Quite a coincidence indeed.
I'm just borrowing this place for shelter myself, so please, feel free to sit anywhere you like."
Zhou Xiaohe, seeing the cushions appear from nowhere, flicked her dark, beautiful eyes and thanked him:
"After a long journey, if not for you, my senior brother and I might not have found a place to sit.
Thank you, young master."
Xu Yuan had no intention of continuing the conversation.
The woman recognized the Sumeru Ring and shared the surname Zhou with the Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect.
Since he and Ran Qingmo were looking for a Secret Realm on their turf, it was not advisable to be too friendly at this time.
Zhou Xiaohe, noting his demeanor, didn't overstep with further words and instead clasped her fist:
"Then, for tonight, my senior brother and I shall be imposing on you and your younger sister."
"….."
Xu Yuan was momentarily taken aback.
Your younger sister?
Had Ran Qingmo just returned?
As he was contemplating,
Zhou Xiaohe's eyes curved, and she waved cheerfully towards someone behind him:
"Little sister, you're so cute~"
///109////
Tianyan After greeting, Zhou Xiaohe turned and sat down in another corner of the rundown house with two cushions, joined by Li Erzhu.
Li Erzhu silently began his cultivation.
Zhou Xiaohe took out a bound novel from her travel bag and started reading it.
For a while, the snowstorm continued unabated, and the only sound left in the world was the mournful howling of the mountain winds.
Honestly,
Xu Yuan didn't like listening to ghost stories, especially not in the current setting.
It was very cold, the stove was warm, but Xu Yuan felt his heart was chillingly cold.
After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan tentatively looked over his shoulder.
There was nothing else there,
he saw a pair of delicate, pale, bare feet.
They weren't Ran Qingmo's, and they were a bit too small.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan didn't continue to turn around but silently turned his head back.
He wasn't afraid, but he did feel like cursing someone.
Fighting monsters and leveling up should progressively get more difficult, right?
Why did he always encounter unbeatable super-strong bosses at his current level?
From the beginning with the Flame Spirit Serpent, to Ji Qingyue, then the story's main character and the old man, all the way to this little girl now.
Stronger backgrounds meant stronger bosses, wasn't it?
Couldn't he get a bit of a sense of participation?
In the midst of silence, wafts of meaty aroma gradually emerged from the black pot.
The White Fierce Bird meat was well-marinated.
Xu Yuan took a deep breath, removed the black pot from the campfire using a cloth to let it cool a moment, then took out a skewer made of purple bamboo and personally started to thread the marinated White Fierce Bird meat onto it.
Three pieces of meat on one skewer, he threaded about ten skewers.
He pulled out a grill and placed half of the meat skewers on it to smoke and roast, occasionally sprinkling a handful of cumin and pepper powder.
Soon, the rich aroma of the meat filled the entire broken house.
Xu Yuan took a well-roasted skewer and, for the first time, turned his head.
Consistent with what Zhou Xiaohe said,
there really was a very cute little girl behind him.
She was dressed in light red palace attire, hugging her legs, burying her cheeks between her knees, only her beautiful light golden eyes showing.
Those beautiful eyes were intently staring at him without blinking.
After a few seconds,
the little girl's gold eyes made Xu Yuan feel slightly uncomfortable.
It was somewhat similar to the sensation he felt when he was on Tianmen Mountain, practicing sword intent, but upon closer sensation, it was quite different.
It was as if some information had been forcefully inserted into his mind.
After a brief silence, Xu Yuan moved the skewer in his hand forward.
In the flickering firelight, the skewered meat looked charred and tender, still sizzling with its rendered fat.
The little girl glanced at Xu Yuan, then at the skewer in his hand, but she didn't move; she maintained her squatting posture, showing no intention of taking it.
This made Xu Yuan feel like some weirdo trying to bribe a little girl with food.
After a pause, Xu Yuan softly said,
"Eat first, then we'll talk about the rest,
"Tianyan."
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He speculated this girl was the Tianyan that Ran Qingmo had mentioned before, the golden pupils were too distinctive a feature.
"….."
Upon hearing him, the little girl's golden pupils shone briefly as she slowly raised her face from between her legs.
Her youthful face, yet as her golden eyes swirled, they vaguely cast a divine aura over her tiny frame.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan's heart sank a little.
It really was Tianyan.
Looking at that hint of divinity in her demeanor, Xu Yuan even thought she might be the GM of this world.
Of course, that thought was just a jest.
If she really was the GM, why didn't she appear in front of Xu Changge?
Is the GM also afraid of being too aggressive?
Thinking this, Xu Yuan shook his head slightly.
Old habits die hard.
At tense moments like these, if the situation allowed, he would always distract himself with random thoughts to alleviate the pressure.
"…"
Tianyan looked at Xu Yuan for several moments, then slightly nodded her head without speaking and reached out her small hand to take the skewer.
In Xu Yuan's eyes, she began to eat it bit by bit.
Watching Tianyan for a second, Xu Yuan slowly turned back, glanced sideways, and saw Zhou Xiaohe on the other side watching him eagerly.
Or rather, looking at the skewers on the grill in front of him.
Xu Yuan found it somewhat amusing.
The witticism of Sun Go-Kong was not wrong; humans indeed have different sorrows and joys.
While he was worrying about how to survive, this woman was still thinking about eating meat skewers.
If she knew that the little girl behind him might be a Second Grade Primordial, or even a First Grade Mortal Transcendence, would she still have the appetite for his skewers?
Letting out a steady breath, Xu Yuan said, "Let's eat together," and used Origin Qi to send two skewers over to Zhou Xiaohe and Li Erzhu.
Li Erzhu halted his cultivation technique, thanked him with a word, but didn't eat, and handed it to Zhou Xiaohe instead.
Zhou Xiaohe ate the skewers with relish, one in each hand, seizing the opportunity to strike up a conversation with Xu Yuan with a beaming smile.
Xu Yuan wasn't in the mood and answered indifferently without much enthusiasm.
However, this did not affect the enthusiasm of the big bear-like loli; his aloofness even heightened her eagerness.
From the start, Xu Yuan had noticed the way Zhou Xiaohe looked at him.
Like Ran Qingmo, who was an oblivious block of ice, was always a minority.
Men lust after women, and women lust after men; if women do not, it's probably because the man is not handsome enough.
His mind began to drift to random thoughts again….
Suddenly.
A voice from the depths of his heart, with a bass tone of a middle-aged man, came through:
"Xu lad, the girl behind you is no ordinary one."
"…." Xu Yuan.
Sir, are you being a sloth?
"Everyone's been here for so long, and you're just now reacting?"
Gathering his thoughts, Xu Yuan replied in his mind:
"I know, you didn't sense her just now?"
Luo Daofan, the Saint, said with a chuckle:
"I wasn't paying attention.
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I was studying the Heart Demon Knot that little devil planted in me, tsk tsk…
Planting restrictions is one thing, but to go to such lengths, didn't he consider what would happen if I undid it?
Does that kid Xu Changtian really think he could still be alive?"
Luo Daofan's voice was crisp and direct, not avoiding anything.
If you are inferior in skill and get caught in a tight spot, own up to it.
But if he could break this knot and the restriction, that Xu Changtian kid surely wouldn't think he could still live.
Xu Yuan wasn't the slightest bit bothered by the Saint's straightforwardness, and continued to ask in his mind:
"What grade is her cultivation?
Can you feel it?"
Luo Daofan chuckled again and replied, "I told you that girl is tricky.
She might be Second Grade, First Grade, or…
maybe even a Saint, who knows."
Xu Yuan pondered for a moment: "Any chance we could escape?"
The purpose of Tianyan seeking him out was all too easy to guess.
As someone who could foresee the future, if something unknown suddenly changed in the future, Xu Yuan would also personally go to investigate.
But whether the other party would eliminate this variable, Xu Yuan, he had no confidence at all.
"You're thinking of escaping?" Luo Daofan said.
"If we don't escape, can you and Ran Qingmo defeat her?"
"Maybe we can, maybe we can't."
"What are you getting at here?"
"Can't young people these days show some respect?
First Qin, now you…"
"Alright, alright, Elder, can you get me out of here?"
"Hmm…
Maybe we can escape, maybe we can't."
"….." Xu Yuan.
Luo Daofan let out a sigh:
"She's not showing any intention of harming you, why are you so nervous?"
Xu Yuan took a deep breath and said to himself:
"Old Luo, the Yantian Art, have you heard of it?"
Luo Daofan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked:
"Kid, are you saying…
this little girl is practicing the Yantian Art?"
"Her name is Tianyan, and she can foresee the future, so what do you think, is she cultivating the Yantian Art?" Xu Yuan said.
"….."
As soon as these words came out, Luo Daofan suddenly cut off the communication.
After a good while,
he finally uttered a long sigh:
"So it turns out that Heaven's Watchtower is still around."
Xu Yuan immediately asked, "Heaven's Watchtower?
Do you mean, Heaven's Watchtower is related to the Yantian Act?"
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Luo Daofan said with an inexplicable smile:
"Of course, it's related.
Hehe…
not just anyone can practice the Yantian Art.
In the past, only the Heaven's Watchtower Master and those destined to inherit the Master's position, the Saintess or the Saint Heir, could practice the Yantian Divine Art, even other Saints were not allowed to peruse it."
"…"
The weight of this statement was substantial, causing Xu Yuan's mind to instantly connect many dots, but for now, he forcefully suppressed these thoughts.
After Luo Daofan finished, he was silent for a moment and then asked:
"Hmm…
have you, young man, jumped out of that girl's foreseen future?"
Caught off guard, Xu Yuan hesitated, then replied in a low voice:
"Not sure, but probably."
"I see…
no wonder she came looking for you," Luo Daofan's voice carried a hint of schadenfreude.
Xu Yuan frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"It's simple, she came looking for you obviously because…"
Luo Daofan's voice suddenly stopped mid-sentence, with a teasing tone, he corrected himself and said:
"Hehe…
how so?
However you think it should be explained, figure it out yourself.
Xu kid, we're enemies now, do you expect an enemy to solve your puzzles?
I'm going back to studying that Heart Demon Knot, you handle your own affairs."
Having said that, the Saint's Remnant Soul didn't give Xu Yuan a chance to speak, and immediately left the chat.
"…."
Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched.
Riddle man, no good end for you.
But even though key information was spoken by the riddle man, Luo Daofan, the information he previously provided was indeed quite valuable to Xu Yuan.
Even though Heaven's Watchtower had fallen ten thousand years ago, its name still circulated in the world.
The mere act of governing the cultivation realms of the world already suggested its former glory.
And the Yantian Art was almost inextricably linked to Heaven's Watchtower.
A centipede dies but never falls; if the BUG-level Yantian Art is associated with them, does Tianyan's appearance confirm that the Heaven's Watchtower, which was destroyed ten thousand years ago, still has remnants in existence today?
Thinking this, Xu Yuan's mind suddenly froze.
He suddenly recalled a fleeting idea,
wondering if this world would fill in a vast force hidden in the shadows.
Heaven's Watchtower had never appeared in Cang Yuan, and, given the current information, it wasn't fully eradicated.
If that's the case,
in the plotlines of Cang Yuan,
would the tragic death of his father in those storylines be because of this mysterious Heaven's Watchtower?
Considering this, Xu Yuan stopped reflecting.
Because it was pointless.
If his father were here now, he could speculate all he wanted, then hand over this mess to him to deal with…
"Oh, right, kid,"
Luo Daofan, who had exited the chat room, seemed to remember something and suddenly spoke up again.
"What?" Xu Yuan frowned.
Luo Daofan reminded him with a chuckle:
"If it really is the Yantian Art, then everything we just talked about, she has probably heard it all~"