Chapter 64 Final Preparations

After quickly leaving the Tower of Flames and saying goodbye to Huo Fei for the time being, Xuan headed straight for the gates of Inferno Cuisine City. There was no time to dawdle—as he passed through the crowd, he could already see all the other natives of this world exploring their newfound System and its features. It was only a matter of time before they came hunting him down.

Even though his appearance had not been publicized, he still used Ruo Xi's Brooch to change his looks. It most likely wouldn't be able to fool masters above the Origin Monarchs stage, but should pass for anyone below. This was just in case—it may help him become less conspicuous, given how overly handsome his usual appearance was (no, really).

Upon reaching the gates, however, he was surprised to find Qing Lili there, leaning against the side of the wall as if waiting for someone. Zhi Ruo was nowhere to be found, so perhaps she had been waiting for her. His thoughts, however, were quickly interrupted as she suddenly turned in his direction, and narrowed her eyes before beckoning him closer with her hand.

'Oh…? I'm using an appearance changing artifact, and she was still able to tell who I was instantly? The clothes I'm wearing are not the same as last night's either…'

Half intrigued and half cautious, Xuan decided to see what she wanted and walked in her direction. Once they were close enough to speak, Qing Lili looked around, before grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him to an isolated corner where few people could see them—and even if they did, wouldn't pay much attention.

"… What's this about?" Xuan asked, feigning ignorance. "As you saw last night, I already have a wife. Multiple, actually. If you want to charm me, it'll be quite a feat."

"Don't pretend to be stupid," Qing Lili cut in remorselessly. "You know full well what this is about. You're… Zero, right?"

"Ah. I see you've awakened your System too, then. What, going to kill me now for the Credits? Fair warning, my cultivation may be low, but… I'm not the average cultivator, either."

"Credits? No, no, I don't care about any of that, and nor do I need them," Qing Lili sighed. "I was just going to tell you to be careful. The reason I dragged you here was for something else."

"Oh?"

Lifting an eyebrow, Xuan prompted her to continue.

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"It's about… the Chao-"

"Oh, Lili, here you are!" A voice suddenly interrupted, and both Qing Lili and Xuan turned to look at the newcomer—Zhi Ruo. "And… junior brother as well?"

"… Good morning, senior sister," Xuan replied politely. "You awakened your System as well, correct?"

She nodded. "I was going to look for you together with Lili, but it seems she's found you first. But to think the legendary figure Zero is calling me senior sister… heheh, it's not a bad feeling."

"Right… well, we should leave this place as soon as possible," Xuan said. "I'd like to return to Cloud Catcher City—do you have teleport talismans to send us back, by any chance?"

Qing Lili nodded. "That's another reason why I was going to look for you. Zhi Ruo here wasn't sure whether or not you still wanted to go back, but with this, that's clear. Take these."

Saying that, she handed the two a paper talisman each—which, upon activation, would teleport them straight back into Cloud Catcher City.

"Thanks," Zhi Ruo said, accepting hers gratefully. "But really… even if they do come after you, wouldn't you be able to kill them all with a swipe of your hand, junior broth- er… can I still call you that?"

Xuan chuckled. "Yes. I am no longer Zero—for the time being, at least. Just Xuan is fine. Due to certain… reasons, my strength is a mere fraction of what it once was, so don't expect me to be able to do anything crazy powerful."

"Huh… I see…"

Zhi Ruo was confused, but she didn't question it. If anything, she seemed happy she could continue addressing Xuan the way she has been thus far, and that was evident by the warm smile on her face.

"Now then, you'd better get going," Qing Lilli said, looking around. "Even if you've changed your outer appearance, you still have your long white hair. It's not one of a kind, but an eye-attracting sight nonetheless. You should leave while you can."

Xuan and Zhi Ruo both nodded in return, and after the girls shared a hug, the two exchanged glances before activating their teleportation talismans.

*****

- Cloud Catcher City, Some Distance Outside the Gates -

With a bright flash, Xuan and Zhi Ruo materialized in place, and found themselves surrounded by trees. Zhi Ruo pulled up her newfound System and navigated to the Map tab, discovering that the two were in a part of Hefeng Forest right now—a place right next to the city they were heading to. Xuan, noticing her actions, couldn't help but mentally remark how easily she accepted this new tool, and how proficient she already was with using it. Was it just Zhi Ruo or all natives of this world? He couldn't tell.

"Whew… alright. Looks like Cloud Catcher City is… that way," Zhi Ruo said, pointing to the right while staring down at her Map. "Mm, this new tool really is convenient. Let's go, junior brother."

Closing up her System, she turned around and began heading in the direction of the city, but after a few steps, she realized Xuan wasn't following, and turned back to look at him.

"Junior brother…?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry."

Snapping back to reality, Xuan quickly followed after her, as the used teleportation paper talisman fluttered to the floor, backside-up. There, a line of text was written, which Xuan had been reading moments before.

'Chaos and Order. Find me at the Grand Heavenly Temple in Elysium.'

Seconds after, the paper faded away to ashes, nothing remaining of what once was.

*****

- Meanwhile, Somewhere in Lower Asphodel -

"Heh… to think you lost to that brat."

An old man who looked like a beggar let out a dry chuckle as he soared in the air on his seemingly broken blade, accompanied by another cultivator dressed like a refined poet. The two's attire were starking in their contrast, much like their personalities. One was akin to a graceful swan, while the other was a wild bear.

"He was not a normal Core Formation stage cultivator, Senior True Death," the poet replied. "I assure you of that much."

The beggar gave a crooked smile. "Like you, you mean?"

"No, no. He was not hiding his true cultivation. He was a real, legitimate Core Formation stage cultivator—but both his composure and combat experience rivaled that of a Heavenly Transcendent."

"Oho… reincarnation, perhaps?" The beggar stroked his beard.

"Maybe. Do you want to know what he told me, senior?"

"Let's hear it."

The poet smiled. "When you've experienced pain enough, it becomes less of a hindrance, and more of a motivation."

"… Heh." The beggar let out a chuckle yet again, and turned to look at the horizon in the distance. "Not bad, not bad at all. I like this kid. If fate ever allows it, I would like to have a match with him… but there are more important things we have to do after this failure. Isn't that right, Celestial Foggy Mountain?"

"Yes… that's right. The Sealed World Pearl will have to be ours sooner or later, but for now, it is best we focus on the other True Gods first… after all, 'those' people are quite the impatient type, and if we do not show any progress soon, we may end up being 'removed'."

"Hah… just wait until I get my hands on Myriad Sword's legacy. Once that happens… even those old bastards won't stand a chance against me."

With resolve in his eyes that matched his sword's steel, the old beggar continued flying in the air, while the poet turned to admire the clouds.

'Brother Xuan… I wonder if you are the bounty target that just appeared? Your unparalleled skill would live up to it, and the location matches as well… heh. How interesting.'