Li Qiye returned to the temple and told the old servant and Fan Bai: âWeâve been here long enough, time to move.â
âWhere do you wish to go, Young Master?â Fan Bai became curious.
âBlack Wood Cliff.â He replied.
âIs your destination Black Tides, Young Master?â The old servantâs eyes slightly shifted after hearing this.
Fan Bai had no reaction due to her little knowledge. This wasnât the case for the old servant who had traveled the world. He knew that there was nothing for Li Qiye to do at Black Wood Cliff. The only thing interesting there was Black Tides.
âIndeed.â Li Qiye responded.
The old man took a deep breath. While Li Qiye didnât make a big deal out of it, those in the know would find this a serious matter.
Black Tides was one of the seven forbidden zones. All were extremely dangerous, hence their classification.
Not to mention ordinary cultivators, even the powerful supremes would be wary when talking about these places, let alone actually going there. Only Li Qiye could make this decision without thinking twice.
âThe tides are receding.â The old servant murmured.
âYouâve heard about it?â Li Qiye glanced at him.
âItâs not like I donât care about external events. The girl from Black Wood told Vajra about the phenomena already.â The old servant responded.
âYes, it is receding.â Li Qiye nodded but this didnât matter to him. He would take a trip there either way.
The old servant became worried after the confirmation. Though this happened numerous times in history, they were not prepared for it this generation.
The previous time happened during Eight Stallion Dao Lordâs era, the most recent one. A new dao lord has yet to appear. [1]
It hasnât even been a full era since so no one believed Wei Qianqing. Normally, it would be a dozen eras or so.
Thus, the seniors of Vajra had a historical justification for doubting her report. This was the same for the old servant as well.
Unfortunately, Li Qiye had spoken and his words were absolute. The old servant thought that this was an ominous sign.
âLooks like you still care about the southern West King.â Li Qiye chuckled while looking at the old servantâs worried expression.
âIâm just a regular man who canât forget about the place where I was born, unable to escape the constraints of the five elements and emotions.â The old servant smiled wryly.
âTrue, everyone feels the same way.â Li Qiye chuckled and agreed.
The old servant sighed. Things were looking bad for the south. In fact, the holy ground might be facing an existential crisis.
Previously, Buddha Supreme risked his life to protect Black Wood and still failed. Fortunately, Righteous Supreme and Eight Stallion Dao Lord came in the nick of time.
The consequence would have been unimaginable if these two didnât come. The holy ground would be the first to go down.
In the present, Buddha Supreme was nowhere to be found. Righteous Supreme would have a hard time coming out. As for the dao lord? He hasnât been around for a long time now.
The stake was just as high this time. Black Wood needed defenders capable of holding back Black Tides.
He glanced at Li Qiye. Who else could it be but Li Qiye?
âYoung Master, are you intending on going straight in?â He asked.
âNot necessarily, Iâm not a savior who cares about the wellbeing of others.â Li Qiye shook his head.
âBut you still wish to go there.â He said.
Few in the world knew what awaited in the depths of Black Tides, only that intruders seldomly returned alive.
Nonetheless, he believed that Li Qiye could absolutely do so. But why did Li Qiye want to go there?
âJust going there to finish a trivial matter.â Li Qiye glanced at the horizon and said.
The old man thought that only Li Qiye would be able to say this in a nonchalant manner. Even dao lords didnât dare to do so.
âThat place is so bizarre.â He recalled.
âYouâve been there before?â Li Qiye smiled.
âNot quite, making that claim would be an exaggeration.â He became sentimental: âI was arrogant back then despite achieving nothing. I thought I was invincible and couldnât help wanting to enter.â
He paused for a moment and memories resurfaced. He swept through Eight Desolaces with his saber, completely dominating his peers.
Because of this, he felt confident enough to enter Black Tides. He eventually found that it was endless and perilous. Fortunately, he knew when to quit and managed to stay alive.
âItâs immensely vast. I was like a headless fly going everywhere. I didnât know how far I got at all.â He said.
âItâs nothing to be embarrassed about. Just the fact that you left that place alive is incredible enough.â Li Qiye replied.
âYouâre too kind.â He forced a smile.
Anyone entering that place would find themselves insignificant, akin to a drop of water in an ocean. Most would be lost right after.
To reach the deepest area was exceedingly difficult. Only mighty dao lords could do so. Of course, there was no guarantee of leaving it alive.
âSo what is that thing?â He asked a question that has been on his mind for a long time.
âWhat did you see?â Li Qiye replied.
âIs it a ghost?â He boldly speculated.
Of course, âghostâ for cultivators was different from âghostâ in the mind of mortals. The ghosts described by mortals were nothing more than remnant intents with grudges.
âThat depends on your definition.â Li Qiye smirked and said: âMost would consider them ghosts. As for me, I disagree and believe that they are things that shouldnât exist.â
âI see.â He fell into rumination.
In the past, he got far enough to see unprecedented things that left an indelible impression on him.
âGo get ready.â Li Qiye commanded, then returned to his room.
1. The character for stallion has too many meanings, this title can change