Wang Zhi led ng Xing through a small alley.
Upon seeing them, Yuan Gang raised an eyebrow with a knowing smile. “Brother ng, only such a short ti apart, yet you seem much more haggard.”
Not a trace of the high-spirited deanor he’d shown upon entering the secret realm remained. ng Xing was bloodstained from head to toe, clearly worn down.
He remained impassive. “Yuan Gang, if you summoned just to have a go at , I bid you farewell.”
Chu Kuang slowly rose to his feet when he saw ng Xing was about to leave. “Brother ng, please wait a mont. Senior Brother ant no harm. Otherwise, why would I give you that True Origin Pill? We summoned you for a reason.”
“Speak!” barked ng Xing.
Instead of answering, Chu Kuang glanced at Wang Zhi. “Strange... Senior Brother, didn’t I ask you to invite everyone? Why is it only Brother ng alone?”
Wang Zhi hesitated, words stuck in his throat. “I—”
ng Xing said flatly, “I’m the only one left. The rest are all dead.”
Their hearts dropped. In such a short ti?!
Yuan Gang frowned deeply. “What about Yang Lin? Why isn’t he here either?”
ng Xing shot him a glance. “He’s probably dead too.”
Chu Kuang knitted his brows, realizing things had slipped beyond his control. “Sothing’s not right. Weren’t the two of you fighting together? Yang Lin had those beads too. You should’ve been more than capable of handling those monsters, much less Murong Yan and the rest. Why would he die? What exactly happened?”
ng Xing fell silent. What could he say? That ten of them had ganged up on one person, only to be slaughtered? That he only escaped through sheer luck? He simply couldn’t bring himself to say it.
A slight chill flickered across Yuan Gang’s face. “ng Xing, think about your current situation. You’re a dying man, and you’re still putting on airs?”
Chu Kuang waved a hand. “Let it be. Since Brother ng doesn’t wish to speak, I won’t force the issue.”
ng Xing glared at him. “Speak. Why did you have co, exactly?”
Chu Kuang smiled. “It’s simple. I have also heard of your treasure physique. Seeing it today, it is indeed extraordinary. How about pledging yourself to my service, working under ?”
ng Xing turned and started to leave. “Dream on!”
Chu Kuang didn’t stop him, casually taking out a jade bottle. “If you agree, the True Origin Pills inside are all yours!”
Hearing this, ng Xing whirled around, staring at the pill bottle with bloodshot eyes.
Chu Kuang’s voice was full of temptation. “Brother ng, you must have noticed that the red mist is only getting thicker. On your own, you can only hope for a miracle to survive until the secret realm opens. No one can save you besides . I have plenty more of such pills, enough to keep you safe, provided that you agree to my condition. To live or die depends on your own choice.”
ng Xing remained silent, but not because he doubted Chu Kuang’s words. Only soone with resources to spare could casually give away a True Origin Pill. His heart had long wavered, held back only by a final shred of pride.
Without any pressure, Chu Kuang simply watched ng Xing silently.
After a long while, ng Xing looked up with red eyes. “Give a reason! Convince !” Between life and self-respect, he chose the forr.
Yuan Gang thought for a mont, waved his hand, and shooed everyone else out. “ The reason is simple. Junior Brother Chu is the reincarnation of a Saint!”
What?! ng Xing was shocked.
He had heard of that term before. In this world, a rare few prodigies were born with mories of their past lives. Shockingly brilliant and extraordinary, they left others eating dust in both talent and cultivation speed.
Who would’ve expected one to be standing right before him? A Saint’s reincarnation, no less! Beyond the Transcendent realm lay sainthood. Those who reached it were called Saints, beings who could summon the power of heaven and earth with a single gesture.
Across the one sect, two institutes, and three great families, no one had reached the Transcendent realm since the Yuqing Sect’s ancestor a thousand years ago. As for Saints, they only existed within those long-hidden, reclusive great families, and holy lands.
ng Xing asked in a slightly trembling voice, “Is what you’re saying true?”
Chu Kuang grinned. “There’s no need to doubt. Proving my identity is not difficult, but we need to wait until after we get out. Of course, on the premise that you made the right choice.”
ng Xing no longer hesitated. “I agree!”
How could he refuse serving under a Saint’s reincarnation? For many, this was an imnse, once-in-a-lifeti opportunity they couldn’t even beg for. It wasn’t like he had any choice anyway.
Chu Kuang wasn’t surprised, as though he’d seen it coming. He said in a tone that bore a hint of a Saint’s imposing majesty, “Good! Then these pills are yours. Rest assured, as long as you serve well in the future, I will grant you a heaven-defying opportunity. Of course, provided you never betray . I revealed my identity because I have nothing to fear from Half-Step Transcendent experts.”
ng Xing’s heart dropped. “I’d never!”
He had indeed briefly entertained that small thought, but now that Chu Kuang had pointed it out, he didn’t dare dwell on it further.
Yuan Gang sighed. “Junior Brother, why didn’t you reveal your identity to Gu Han? He wouldn’t have given us so much trouble.”
Chu Kuang shook his head. “It’s useless. Did you forget he challenged Zheng Ning despite being only an Acupoint Unsealing cultivator? I imagine my status wouldn’t an anything to him either.”
Yuan Gang nodded. “That is true. I miscalculated, but I suppose he has long died at Yang Lin’s hands. Serves him right—”
ng Xing suddenly looked up. “No. He is not dead!”
“What?!”
“He isn’t dead,” ng Xing repeated. Since he had already pledged himself to Chu Kuang, he no longer hid anything, straightforwardly laying out everything that had transpired. At the end, his gaze grew fearful. “Gu Han’s progress is too fast, it’s terrifying! Moreover, he possesses an imnse number of pills, as if he ca prepared.”
Chu Kuang sighed. “Preposterous. Even those beads couldn’t do anything to him. I underestimated him until the end. He has boundless potential!”
Yuan Gang’s face also turned grave. “Junior Brother, that lad’s potential is absolutely not ordinary. Like you said, he’s arrogant and unruly. He’d absolutely refuse to submit to us. If allowed to grow, he will inevitably beco an obstacle. How about we use this opportunity to eliminate him?”
ng Xing hated Gu Han to death and wanted him gone as soon as possible. “Exactly! Such a threat must not be left alive!”
After a mont’s consideration, Chu Kuang nodded. “Rest assured. One so outstanding, yet unwilling to be used by , can only be destroyed.”
ng Xing’s spirits lifted. “Good! Let’s go now and—”
Chu Kuang shook his head. “It’s not urgent. There is still plenty of ti. Letting him live a few more days is harmless. We have a more important matter that absolutely can’t be delayed.”
A thought stirred in Yuan Gang’s mind. “Junior Brother, you want to—”
Chu Kuang didn’t hide it from him. “Correct. I must visit the secret realm’s center!”
ng Xing frowned deeply. “The secret realm has undergone such a mutation. Whether the liquid treasure still exists is still unknown...”
Chu Kuang smiled. “We’ll have to find out for ourselves.”
Now that he was leading a second life, he had his own ambitions. Every opportunity for growth, every stroke of fate—he wanted to grasp everything firmly. He wanted to build a flawless, perfect foundation. Reaching his forr level, Saint realm, was only a small goal. His fundantal goal was to break the chains and advance a step further. Only then would he have the chance to seek vengeance for the hatred of that year.
Yuan Gang thought for a mont. “Junior Brother, in that case, I will accompany you.”
Chu Kuang shook his head. “There’s no need for that. The closer to the center, the thicker this red mist becos. Even with your strength, you wouldn’t be able to reach the end.”
“Then you—”
Without waiting for Yuan Gang to finish, Chu Kuang started walking forward. “Rest easy, I have my ways. You all just have to conserve your strength and rest well here. The day I return is the day Gu Han ets his end.”
Yuan Gang watched his retreating back with deep admiration. “You truly are a man of extraordinary talent!”
***
At the sa ti, inside the cave...
Upon learning of Gu Han’s plan, Shen Xuan and Murong Yan expressed their strong opposition.
“No, no! This is too dangerous!”
“Right! With the secret realm in such a jeopardy, I doubt the liquid treasure is still intact!”
On the other hand, Yang Ying was pretty laidback. “Be careful on this trip.”
Murong Yan was furious. “Yang guy, what do you an?! Are you hoping for Brother Gu to die?”
Yang Ying glanced at her. “Do you think you can dissuade him?”
Murong Yan sputtered. Knowing Gu Han’s nature, once he decided sothing, no one could dissuade him.
Gu Han sighed. “Brother Yang, only you understand ! Earlier, while cultivating, I discovered that this red mist is significantly less beneficial than the liquid treasure. That thing is very important to us. I must go and see. Besides, you all know my abilities. This red mist poses little threat to . If I miss such a heaven-sent opportunity, I’d never forgive myself.”
Shen Xuan was full of worry. “But the red mist is getting denser...”
Gu Han nodded. “Exactly! That’s why I cannot delay any longer! If a few more days pass, it will likely beco even more difficult!”
In the end, Shen Xuan and Murong Yan could only reiterate their warnings.
“Then be careful!”
“If you can’t hold on, retreat imdiately!”
Gu Han waved his hand and left the cave. “Rest assured! I know my limits!”
After Gu Han left, Murong Yan couldn’t sit still either. “Alright! Let’s not sit around either. Senior Brother, you stay with Murong Chong. Yang guy, co with ! Let’s continue searching for spirit herbs!”
Shen Xuan was taken aback. “Why do I stay?”
“You’re fast at running!”
Shen Xuan was speechless, completely unable to refute.
As Murong Yan stepped outside, Murong Chong hurriedly ca forward. “Miss, we—”
“We’ll keep looking for spirit herbs! This ti we must—hmm?” Murong Yan waved a hand, before furrowing her brow. “Sothing’s off... I feel like soone’s missing?”
Murong Chong was confused. “No, you rember wrong. There are only four of us outside.”
Murong Yan turned to Yang Ying. “Is that so? Only four?”
Yang Ying thought for a mont. “Correct. From beginning to end, there were only the four of them. You must have rembered wrong.”
Without dwelling on it further, Murong Yan swung her hamr. “Forget it. Go, go, go, don’t waste ti!”
***
At this very mont, within the small pool at the center of the secret realm, Jiang Xuan sat cross-legged with closed eyes. Streams of spirit liquid were continuously being drawn into his body, slowly being refined.
Compared to before, his appearance had changed dramatically. His hair was jet-black, his back ramrod straight, and even his youthfulness had returned.
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