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Su Yi rose, brushed off his clothes, and left.
It was already bright out. Rosy clouds drifted throughout Floating Immortal Ridge, and the light of dawn illuminated every living thing in the vast mountain wilderness. The grasses and trees were vibrant and flourishing.
The Mountain God’s temple built halfway up the mountain was now nothing but a pile of rubble.
Su Yi stood amidst the wreckage, holding a talisman. He looked around, his heart calm as he sensed his surroundings.
This was a spiritual tethering talisman.
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Yuan Heng had one just like it. No matter where he went, the talisman would leave a trace of its unique presence behind.
So long as Su Yi had the matching talisman, he could locate its energy.
Before long, Su Yi turned toward the east and shot forward.
…..
A depression in the mountainside.
The ground had collapsed, the nearby boulders had been overturned, and the vegetation had been burnt to ash.
This was the aftermath of a battle.
“Master, his yao qi is dense, but it’s not at all vicious or explosive. Even if he’s a yao, he’s probably a kindhearted one, right?” chirped Qing Ya.
The young woman looked about sixteen or seventeen. Her hair was tied up, and she wore Daoist robes, with an ancient sword strapped to her back. She had a graceful silhouette and charming bearing, and she looked delicate, pretty, and adorable.
“Kindhearted? Hardly. After all, he’s a yao cultivator,” said Ling Yunhe. “Although he explained that he and his master released those children from confinement, there’s still something fishy about all this. Perhaps, when we meet that master he mentioned, we’ll understand the full truth.”
He, too, wore Daoist robes, and his hair was tied up in a topknot. His body was slender and upright, and he wore a willowy beard. He looked confident and handsome, as if he were above worldly concerns.
Qing Ya blinked her big, bright eyes. “A yao cultivator who broke into the Origin Dao accepted someone as his master. His master must be amazing, right?”
“Girl, you sure ask a lot of questions.” Ling Yunhe laughed, but his gaze was utterly doting. “We’ll know whether he’s amazing or not after we meet him.”
Qing Ya nodded, then turned and looked into the distance. “Friend, my master and I have no desire to make things difficult for you. We just want to meet your master and confirm your innocence. Then, we’ll naturally let you go.”
Four shining Dao swords hovered in the distant skies, forming a Four Beasts Formation. Shocking, austere killing intent permeated their surroundings.
A sincere-looking youth in simple cloth, Yuan Heng, was trapped within the formation. All of his escape routes had been sealed off; he was like a captive beast.
“If my master shows up, I’m afraid you two are in for trouble,” sighed Yuan Heng.
Speaking of trouble, he was unfortunate enough to bump into this master-and-apprentice duo while sending the children home. They took him as a malevolent fiend and attacked before he could get a word in edgewise.
Yuan Heng repeatedly explained, and although they half-believed him, they were unwilling to just let him go.
But then, neither master nor apprentice were rude or unreasonable. They imprisoned him, but they had no intention of hurting him.
This left Yuan Heng unable to be mad at them.
For one thing, he was weaker than them, and he couldn’t defeat them. He had no one to blame for that but himself.
For another, this was all just a misunderstanding, and they’d demonstrated good intentions. They were even willing to wait for Su Yi to show up and resolve this misunderstanding.
Yuan Heng could only consider himself unlucky.
“For you to say that, your master must be really strong, huh?” Qing Ya asked curiously. “Then tell us, how high is his cultivation?”
The girl was lively, innocent, and unaffected. It seemed everything could pique her curiosity.
Yuan Heng thought for a moment, and his face filled with awe and reverence. “My master…. Is most likely an immortal from the heavens! Someone like him can’t possibly be of this world, as its cultivators cannot possibly compare with him in terms of wisdom or cultivation. If I had to describe his strength, all I could say is, his power is deep and inscrutable….”
Qing Ya’s beautiful eyes widened, and she exclaimed, “An immortal from the heavens? That’s incredible!”
Ling Yunhe listened in from not far away, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “How could celestial immortals exist in this world? Qing Ya, don’t listen to him. He’s just saying that to flatter his master.”
“Oh?” Qing Ya exclaimed, then giggled, “That’s right. If there were really immortals in this world, wouldn’t that mean I had a chance of becoming an immortal fairy too?”
When Yuan Heng saw this, he shook his head.
They obviously didn’t believe him. Saying more wouldn’t do him any good.
But Qing Ya was still curious. “Friend, if your master is that awesome, why can’t you beat my master?”
“.....” Yuan Heng didn’t quite know what to say to that. He glanced at the distant Ling Yunhe and thought to himself, I only just reached the Grain Avoidance Realm. How could I possibly be a match for an established Gathering Stars Realm expert?
Yuan Heng said seriously, “Miss, I might be a bit weak, but that’s due to my poor aptitude. It has nothing to do with my master. Besides, it’s been less than a month since I started following him.”
“So that’s how it is.” Qing Ya nodded, then gently comforted him. “Friend, you needn’t underestimate yourself. My master said it earlier: you might be a yao cultivator, but your foundations in the Grand Dao are quite firm. Ordinary Grain Avoidance cultivators can’t compare with you. Furthermore, it seems you cultivate a lofty and profound legacy. Your future accomplishments are inestimable!”
Ling Yunhe didn’t deny it.
During their earlier clash, he sensed that Yuan Heng’s strength and cultivation were both exceptional; he was incomparable with ordinary yao cultivators.
When someone like Yuan Heng called himself another’s servant, Ling Yunhe dared not be careless. In the end, although they fought, he merely imprisoned Yuan Heng without harming him.
“That so? Agh, if Master saw me like this, I’m afraid he’d be disappointed in me….” Yuan Heng sighed.
Qing Ya looked sympathetic. “I used to fear nothing more than disappointing my master too. I understand how you’re feeling. It’s hard, isn’t it?”
Yuan Heng was stunned, but before he could respond, Qing Ya turned to Ling Yunhe. “Master, can we let him go? If his master sees him like this, he’ll definitely chastise him.”
Yuan Heng grimaced. Since when did I need a little girl’s pity?
“Alright.” Ling Yunhe nodded, then waved.
The formation of four Dao swords shot toward him and disappeared into his sleeves, like swallows returning to their nest.
During their conversation just now, Ling Yunhe observed Yuan Heng’s temperament and behavior. He most likely wasn’t an evildoer. In other words, their earlier conflict was most likely just one big misunderstanding.
“Fellow Daoist, please pardon us if we offended you earlier,” said Ling Yunhe. He gently clasped his fist.
Yuan Heng said gravely, “You didn’t offend me, but in the future, when I’ve made further progress in my cultivation, I’ll come looking for you for a rematch. We’ll see who’s stronger then!”
Qing Ya’s eyes lit up, and she stuck up her thumb. “You’ve got guts, my friend!”
Ling Yunhe laughed, “You want to discuss the Dao with me? I welcome that, of course, but by the time you’ve reached the Gathering Stars Realm, I’m afraid I won’t be a Gathering Stars Realm cultivator any longer.”
The Origin Dao was divided into three realms: Grain Avoidance, Origin Palace, and Gathering Stars. Reading between the lines, Ling Yunhe was saying, “You won’t be a match for me until you become a Gathering Stars Realm cultivator too, but by then, I’m afraid I’ll already be a Spirit Dao cultivator! When that time comes, it’s obvious who’ll come out on top.”
Yuan Heng naturally picked up on this, but before he could respond, a calm voice emanated from afar. “There’s no need to wait until the Gathering Stars Realm. So long as Yuan Heng enters the Origin Palace Realm, he’ll effortlessly defeat you.”
As this voice rang out, a tall, lean figure streaked over beneath the light of dawn.
He was dressed in blue, and he looked solitary and detached.
This was none other than Su Yi.
Yuan Heng quivered, and his face filled with shame. He lowered his head in greeting. “Master! I….”
Su Yi waved. “No need to explain. I saw everything that just happened.”
QIng Ya’s big eyes immediately landed on Su Yi, and she exclaimed, “Friend, is that your master? He’s so young!”
Ling Yunhe was surprised too, and light flickered within his eyes as he looked at Su Yi. “Fellow Daoist, were you here this whole time?”
“If you hadn’t dispersed that sword formation of your own accord, I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to stand there and talk to me now,” said Su Yi calmly.
Ling Yunhe’s pupils constricted, and he looked bewildered.
He could tell at a glance that Su Yi was only in the Grain Avoidance Realm, and furthermore, that he was quite young. This was no old monster maintaining a youthful façade.
Yet earlier, despite his Gathering Stars Realm cultivation, his divine sense couldn’t pick up on Su Yi’s presence. On the contrary, Su Yi had observed everything that had happened just now. This was far too shocking!
Thus, although Su Yi’s words were rather unpleasant to the ear, Ling Yunhe wasn’t angry.
This was especially true in light of the fact that he was responsible for their earlier misunderstanding. Facing Su Yi now, he felt someone guilty. Even though Su Yi’s tone wasn’t at all polite, Ling Yunhe could only hold his nose and bear it.
“Master, what happened earlier was just a misunderstanding.” Yuan Heng approached, then nervously recounted everything that had happened.
When he heard the full story, Su Yi glanced at Ling Yunhe and said, “Forget it. I won’t pursue what happened earlier. Let’s end this here.”
Ling Yunhe smiled. “Still, it was I who misunderstood you. If you don’t object, how about we travel to the nearby Cloudcliff City together? I’ll host you to a banquet and use wine to apologize for my mistakes. How about it?”
Qing Ya seemed thrilled. “Right right right! My master and I are from the Great Qi, and it wasn’t easy to encounter two fellow Daoists. What could be better than sharing drinks and a conversation?
Su Yi glanced at Qing Ya. Despite himself, he was stunned, and he even seemed a bit dazed.
Looking at her from up close, the girl’s appearance and temperament were both somewhat similar to his youngest disciple in his past life, Qing Tang!
Both were delicate, pretty, and adorable, and both were lively and spirited.
Especially those eyes. They were pure and clear and full of curiosity toward heaven, earth, and everything in between.
Then, Su Yi silently shook his head. Sure, they looked similar, but they weren’t the same person.
Su Yi directly refused. “No need. We’d best hurry on our way.”
Qing Ya was instantly disappointed, but Ling Yunhe asked, “You two… Might you be headed to the Great Xia?”
“That’s right.” Su Yi nodded.
Qing Ya had been somewhat disappointed, but she instantly lit up when she heard him, and she exclaimed, “What a coincidence! My master and I are headed to the Great Xia too. We can totally travel together!”