It was a slightly creepy sight. If Yu Shangrong were not prepared for this and if he had not known this was coming, he thought he would have been slightly creeped out by this sight as well.
Yu Shangrong studied the arm. The fingers were straight, and the skin seemed young. It did not look like the arm of someone who was trained in saber.
Yu Shangrong shook his head. “Your luck isn’t the best.”
When Wuqians were reborn from the earth, those who were fortunate would reemerge as they were before. If they were unlucky, they would have to start over as a baby. If they did not have much life left, they would die before they could even drink a few mouthfuls of milk. It would end as a tragedy. However, judging from the appearance of the arm, the outcome was still acceptable even if it was not the best.
Swoosh!
The soil was pushed away. A clay man stood in the quagmire. His size was not very big.
Although Yu Shangrong looked calm, inwardly, he was still shocked when he witnessed a Wuqian emerging from the earth.
After drying, the soil, naturally, clung to the person’s body. Bit by bit, the blackened soil dropped off from his body. Since he was reborn, nothing else mattered.
Yu Shangrong studied Yu Zhenghai’s appearance. He discovered Yu Zhenghai’s stature was much smaller compared to before. Yu Zhenghai seemed more like a very young man. Since Y Zhenghai’s face, body, and hair were hidden by mud, he could not clearly see Yu Zhenghai’s appearance. Nevertheless, he saw Yu Zhenghai’s eyes shining with life; it was brimming with curiosity and a sense of… loss.
The seemingly young man did not move for a long time. He observed the mountains, the river, the Land of Buried Bones, and the forest before his eyes eventually landed on Yu Shangrong who was hovering in the air nearby.
Yu Shangrong smiled faintly. “Well, at least you’re not dead.”
“Not dead?” the young man wondered out loud.
“Eldest Senior Brother… You have to help yourself from now on,” Yu Shangrong said indifferently. ‘I’ve done many things for you throughout this journey. As my Eldest Senior Brother, it’s time for you to do your part, right?’
Yu Zhenghai, now a young man, asked in confusion, “Who are you? Who’s Eldest Senior Brother? How can you fly?”
“…” Yu Shangrong was stunned. He studied Yu Zhenghai’s dirt-covered body. He flipped his palm. A surge of energy lifted some clean water from a pool far away and flew toward Yu Zhenghai.
When Yu Zhenghai saw this, he jumped in shock. He turned around and ran. However, the water seemed to have locked onto him. It moved rapidly and splashed onto him. He was instantly cleaned, revealing a young man. His eyes were brimming with shock as he stared at Yu Shangrong who was hovering in the air.
Yu Shangrong was shocked as well. He looked at Yu Zhenghai. “You don’t remember?”
“Remember what?”
“Your name.”
The young man shook his head.
Yu Shangrong sighed softly. ‘This isn’t like what Old Seventh described. Why does he seem like a different person after he’s reborn?’ He waved his hand. The clothes he had prepared beforehand flew out of the forest to Yu Zhenghai. He said, “Wear these…”
Yu Zhenghai clothed himself. Naturally, the size was too big. He seemed comical in his oversized clothes.
However, Yu Shangrong did not make fun of him. He said, “Follow me.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why?”
“I’m not going.”
“?” Yu Shangrong dove and landed before Yu Zhenghai. He saw wariness in Yu Zhenghai’s eyes. He also sensed a familiar obstinance.
“Who are you?” Yu Zhenghai asked.
Yu Shangrong studied him again. Perhaps, 49 days of boredom had given him some inspiration, he said with a straight face, “I’m your senior brother.”
“Senior Brother?” The young man scratched his head, clearly still confused.
Yu Shangrong turned around and calmly said, “If you can’t remember, don’t force yourself. Time is running short. I’ll take you back.”
“Where to?”
“Great Yan.”
With Ji Liang, the journey from the quagmire to Heaven’s Moat would take about ten days. Without Ji Liang, it would at least take a month, and this was without considering the time they would need to rest in between.
Yu Shangrong was not sure if the young Yu Zhenghai could endure long periods of flight. He did not understand much about Wuqi, and he wondered if Yu Zhenghai’s cultivation base was still intact after being reborn as a young man. If he had to protect them from the wind with his energy all the way back, it would be very demanding on his Primal Qi, and the loss would outweigh the benefits. Then, he turned around to look at Yu Zhenghai.
At this moment, Yu Zhenghai gathered his robes up. Indeed, the robes were too big for him. He slowly made to follow after Yu Shangrong.
Swoosh!
Yu Shangrong swung his sword. An energy sword accurately drew across young Yu Zhenghai’s robes. The few inches of the hem that were cut off by the energy sword fell off immediately.
Young Yu Zhenghai was shocked. He looked at the sword in Yu Shangrong’s hand and said, “Your sword technique…”
“Is amazing?”
“Mhm.”
Yu Shangrong smiled in satisfaction. ‘You never admitted this before…’
“Can I be your disciple?” Yu Zhenghai followed Yu Shangrong.
“…”
‘I should be content with taking advantage of him. It’ll be too complicated if I become his master. Messing with the hierarchy might cost me a few years of life.’ Yu Shangrong shook his head, “You have a better master.”
“Where?” Yu Shangrong saw a passion for cultivation in Yu Zhenghai’s eyes… Those eyes were the same as his when he walked from Brackish Mountain for several months to meet his master. He suddenly understood. This resurrection seemed to have brought Yu Zhenghai back to the cycle of his first death. There were many strange occurrences in the big wide world; there were many things that could not be explained.
Yu Shangrong suppressed the shock he felt. He pointed in Great Yan’s direction and said, “Let’s go.”
A surge of energy lifted the two of them up. They flew toward the Land of Buried Bones.
Young Yu Zhenghai had a feverish look in his eyes… toward flying, cultivation, and the future. He asked curiously, “Senior Brother, how profound is your cultivation base?”
“What do you think?”
“The Brahman Sea realm?” Yu Zhenghai replied as admiration shone in his eyes, “I heard that Brahman Sea realm cultivators can fly.”
Yu Shangrong smiled faintly. “Higher than that.”
“Divine Court realm?” Young Yu Zhenghai’s eyes widened as though he just realized how amazing the person next to him was.
Divine Court realm cultivators were usually affiliated with a sect and had great supporters.
“Higher than that.” Yu Shangrong shook his head slightly.
“Senior brother… You’re… you’re in the Nascent Divinity realm?” Yu Zhenghai could barely string his words together. His voice was laced with excitement and reverence. He had forgotten about how he emerged from the quagmire, resurrected as a person, about his identity as the Evil Sky Pavilion’s first disciple, the Nether Sect Master whose name struck fear in those who heard it, and his status as an Eight-leaf cultivator. The conclusion of karma was a cycle of obsessions. Perhaps, his obsession began when he died for the first time in Lou Lan.
Yu Shangrong initially had the urge to show off. However, after thinking about it, he thought it was boring. In the end, he said, “You’ll become as powerful as I am.”
Young Yu Zhenghai was still feeling excited over Yu Shangrong’s words when purple mist rose from the forest ahead of them. It spread sideways and barred their way.
Yu Shangrong shook his head. “I knew it wouldn’t go so smoothly.” He brought Yu Zhenghai with him and flew northward!
The fatal weakness of Lou Lan’s witchcraft was this… Although witchcraft was powerful, time was needed to lay out the Formation and activate the spell. Their enemies would only need to avoid them to render their spells useless. Yu Shangrong knew this well so he flew northward.
Young Yu Zhenghai was not afraid of flying. In fact, he was enjoying it… After all, he liked the sensation of looking down from up high. It seemed like some traits were inherent, after all.
The two of them had flown for an entire day. The purple barrier that barred their way had disappeared.
Yu Shangrong shifted his direction and headed east.
“Territory of the Roulians.”
Yu Shangrong dove.
They landed.
“We’ll rest for a bit.”
Young Yu Zhenghai nodded. He looked around curiously.
Alas, shortly after they stopped to rest, Roulian cultivators swarmed around them from the surroundings. They wielded spears, bows, and blades as they tightened their circle around them.
Yu Shangrong appeared calm. He gripped his sword hilt with both hands. His eyes were slightly closed as he stood with a straight back.
A gust of breeze blew by. Leaves fell.
Young Yu Zhenghai saw the Other Tribesmen, but he was not afraid. Instead, he looked at them with eyes brimming with hostility as he retreated to Yu Shangrong’s side. Then, he picked up a stray branch and stood in a defensive stance.
Yu Shangrong said calmly, “Don’t stray too far away from me.”
“Mhm.”
At this moment, a person emerged from behind the trees with a staff in his hand. He said in a clear voice, “The Evil Sky Pavilion’s Mister Second? I’m afraid you won’t be able to leave.”
Yu Shangrong opened his eyes. His Longevity Sword shot out of its scabbard.
There was a flash of red light before countless energy swords materialized around him! They cut sideways. Every single energy sword skirted around Yu Zhenghai with perfect precision.
The trees around them fell!
Dozens of Roulians who were surrounding them were instantly killed!
Yu Zhenghai was in awe.
Yu Shangrong said tonelessly, “Since you want to die, I’ll fulfill your wish.”
“Move! Don’t give him a chance!”
The people around them swarmed forward.
Yu Shangrong raised his right hand. His arm was parallel to the ground. His Longevity Sword shot into his hand. Then, he faded out of focus!
Whizz!
Yu Shangrong’s avatar appeared!
The leader with the staff looked up and frowned. His voice trembled as he said, “This is bad! 100 feet?! Didn’t they say he’s only a Six-leaf cultivator? Retreat! The information is wrong. Retreat!”
“Impossible!”