“Huh…”
Chen Xun’s eyes glead with amusent as he spotted a familiar figure in the distance. “Hey, Old Ox, check out that guy over there on the edge.”
“Moo?” Brother Ox followed his gaze and then gave a start. “Moo!”
At that mont, the man at the edge of the camp suddenly felt two intense stares drilling into his back. He snapped his eyes open, whipped around, and froze as soon as he saw the man and his ox. His whole body went rigid, like a rock tied to the bottom of a cold, endless ocean.
He went pale, rooted in place, his back drenched in a cold sweat. Wh-what…what was this? Those two again? How was this even possible?! This was Da Li, not Qian Country! How could he have bumped into them here of all places?
And this wasn’t just anywhere in Da Li. This was the hidden heart of the Bai Li Clan! Surely it wasn’t a place they could wander freely.
This familiar face was none other than ng Sheng, the sa ng Sheng that Chen Xun had crossed paths with twice back in the cultivation realm of Qian Country. Now at the early Nascent Soul stage, he’d co a long way by sheer luck and fate.
ng Sheng had been in seclusion when Chen Xun left Qian Country and hadn’t even been aware of his departure. All he knew was that the strongest cultivator in Qian Country had left the realm.
“Hehe, hey, kid, it’s you,” Chen Xun’s voice reached ng Sheng’s ears, warm and familiar, not disrupting anyone around. “Co over, let’s catch up. It’s been ages since I’ve run into soone I know.”
“P-Pr-Predecessor…” ng Sheng stamred, no choice but to rise and walk over, giving a quick glance to the burly man in black armor who led this camp. The commander gave ng Sheng a respectful nod, aware that the person outside was a guest of the Bai Li Clan.
ng Sheng took a deep breath, feeling a cloud of doom hovering overhead. This predecessor’s power was always, sohow, leagues beyond his own, like so unreachable mountain summit.
Before long, they were strolling through the mountains, accompanied by the occasional scampering spirit beast, none of which seed particularly fearful of humans—or hostile.
ng Sheng trailed half a step behind Chen Xun, looking tense and ntally unraveling as two spirit beasts tagged along, both watching him intently and both significantly stronger than he was.
In the ruthless world of cultivation, he’d fought his way to the Nascent Soul stage through countless life-and-death encounters, his Dao heart as solid as stone. But one simple “hey, kid” from this man and all his hard-won calmness was out the window.
ng Sheng started rehearsing excuses in his mind. While the Bai Li Clan might not know his backstory, this senior certainly did—after all, they’d t when ng Sheng was still in the Qi Refinent stage!
“Settling in alright here in Da Li?” Chen Xun asked.
“Senior?”
ng Sheng blinked, thrown off by the casual question before quickly answering, “It’s fine, actually. The Bai Li Clan isn’t too caught up in the usual power plays.”
Chen Xun chuckled at ng Sheng’s nervous expression. “Relax, I have no interest in any of your little adventures.”
“Of course!” ng Sheng halted, offering a deep bow. “My apologies for acting improperly before you, Senior.”
If this senior had any nefarious plans, there’d be no escaping him. Better to relax and see what he wanted. His whole deanor shifted to that of a Bai Li soldier, calm and steady, his eyes reflecting a new determination.
“Hey, Old Ox, looks like the kid’s grown up a bit since back then,” Chen Xun mused, glancing at Brother Ox. “It can’t have been easy, climbing the cultivation ladder from Qian Country.”
“Yes, Senior.” ng Sheng replied respectfully, that unique sense of awe from their first eting still lingering in his heart. “But I’ve gotten used to it.”
They continued walking, Xiao Chi tagging along, curious about this Qian Country that everyone kept ntioning. He’d never even heard of it before.
“Moo~” Brother Ox kept nibbling on grass here and there, treating it as a light snack.
“ng Sheng, how are things in Qian Country’s cultivation realm these days?”
“Reporting to Senior, it’s fairly peaceful. I had to flee the Northern Territory back then…”
“Oh? Soone was hunting you?”
“Yes. When I was exploring a southern secret realm, I crossed paths with a few great cultivators and made enemies. They chased all the way north, where I discovered an ancient teleportation array.”
ng Sheng’s gaze grew intense as he looked over at Chen Xun. “After arriving near the edge of the Ten Thousand Mountains, I was imdiately captured…”
“Hahaha…”
Chen Xun burst out laughing and clapped ng Sheng on the shoulder. “Well, all things considered, you got pretty lucky! The Bai Li Clan is reasonable, not like most cultivators.”
Brother Ox chuckled as well. This kid’s journey through the cultivation world had been rough!
Xiao Chi was snickering at his side too, his expression mischievous. That’s what happens when you go wandering around without a plan—better to stick with Brother Xun for safety!
ng Sheng flushed with embarrassnt as all three seniors laughed at him, but strangely, he liked the atmosphere.
Chen Xun gave ng Sheng a once-over, noting the years of hardship etched onto his face, a far cry from the bright-eyed youth he’d first t.
“Say, ng Sheng, any chance you know where that teleportation array is? We may need to use it to visit Qian Country at so point.”
He spoke with a warm, gentle tone, like a spring breeze. “Of course, if it’s inconvenient, no need to worry. We can always take a flying ship back.”
“Senior, I wouldn’t dare,” ng Sheng responded quickly, pulling a silver-white token from his storage ring. “This is the key to the large teleportation array. With this, you’ll be able to activate it.”
The intricate patterns on the token were old and worn, so ancient script barely legible—a relic of the past.
Brother Ox’s interest was piqued, and he imdiately trotted up to examine the token with his divine sense. “Moo? Moo moo!”
Chen Xun nodded, smiling at ng Sheng. “This token looks like it won’t last many more transfers, huh? The teleportation array’s stability must be a bit shaky.”
“Yes, Senior. Qian Country lacks the resources to fully restore the array. I only managed a minor repair.”
ng Sheng glanced warily at Brother Ox, realizing the spirit beast had a deeper understanding of formations than he’d expected. “But the Bai Li Clan’s array is in much better shape.”
Brother Ox nodded slightly. Technically, a large teleportation array didn’t require an activation token; this token served as a protection against potential spatial disruptions. The incomplete materials left the teleportation unstable and prone to space storms or misalignnt, but with this token, they could avoid much of that hassle.
“Alright, we’ll hold onto it for now. I’ll return it when we’re done.”
“Se-Senior…”
“No need to worry. Consider this a trade,” Chen Xun interrupted, retrieving a few items from his storage ring. “Here’s a bottle of top-grade ancient cleansing pills, free of pill poison—very beneficial for a Nascent Soul cultivator.”
ng Sheng’s eyes widened in disbelief. Pills without toxicity? He’d never even heard of such a thing…
He’d intended to give the token as a gift to build goodwill with the senior, not expecting anything in return.
“Kid, you know how to make pills?”
“Yes, Senior.”
“Here, take this little notebook. It has a few of my own notes. They’re rough, so feel free to use them however you like.”
Chen Xun handed over a white notebook, which had been well-preserved with spiritual energy, a ripe orange resting on top. “This orange is pretty good too—give it a try.”
ng Sheng accepted the items with both hands, eyes wide in astonishnt. The scene left a profound impact on him, shaking his understanding of the cultivation world.
“Old Ox, Xiao Chi, let’s go.” Chen Xun turned, hands clasped behind his back, strolling deeper into the mountains. His figure grew fainter, leaving ng Sheng standing in awe.
As he realized they were gone, ng Sheng gathered his courage and called out, “I didn’t get your na, Senior!”
“Cultivate diligently, kid, and our paths will surely cross again. Chen Xun, rember it.”
A hearty laugh echoed from afar, carried by the breeze. Flowers and plants swayed around ng Sheng, the figure’s hand raised in farewell before vanishing into the forest.
ng Sheng stood in respectful silence, deeply bowing, etching that figure into his mory forever.
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