The conversation between Master Tie and the she-demon puzzled the crowd around them. Only Luoluo seemed to have some thoughts, glancing in the direction where Yang Zhen disappeared, making her way to Master Tieâs side.
âGrandpa, can Yang Zhen really comprehend the secrets of the universe?â she asked.
Master Tie glanced at Luoluo. Instead of reprimanding her as usual, he shook his head and sighed, saying, âIn the face of the universe, any act of any creature is futile.â
âWhy?â Luoluo clearly didnât understand, just like the others around them, who could unravel the mysteries and legends of the universe?
The she-demon chuckled, swaying her waist as she walked away, murmuring to herself, âNo matter how things change, as long as you remain true to yourself, thatâs all that matters. Master Tie, whether we can take that step remains a mystery. Itâs better to live well without meddling in too many things.â
Master Tie was taken aback, shaking his head and saying, âThere are some things this old man must do. If not, let alone taking that step, I wouldnât be able to face my ancestors even in death.â
The shе-demon laughed and glanced at Master Tie with profound meaning, her words just as much for him as they were for herself. âOld fellow, weâre not getting any younger. I donât have much time left to wait for you. Just donât rob me of that little time I have left, it would be too cruel.â
An odd look crossed Master Tieâs face; then he took Luoluoâs hand and they left, not stopping until he finally reassured her, âYouâ¦donât worry, I wonât die.â
As the figures of Master Tie and Luoluo receded, a fleeting shadow of desolation darkened the she-demonâs eyes. She took a deep breath, looking at the blacksmithâs stove and the anvil Yang Zhen left behind, wondering to herself, âThe Chaotic Cyclone Hammer Technique, the Heavenly Realm, had crossed the Tribulation Period, killed a warrior of the Divine Transformation Stage, possessed Heaven and Earth True Patterns and Companion Heavenly Fire, owned the Heavenly Bookâ¦how much potential did a person like that have?â
â¦
Yang Zhen himself didnât know how much potential he had, only that it was immense. As he sped along, his mind was replete with strange thoughts.
An ominous feeling emanated from the treacherous catâs mark, which startled Yang Zhen.
Considering the extraordinary physique of that bastard cat, how could it possibly be in danger?
With a flick of his fingers, Yang Zhen conjured a small black dot in mid-air, resembling a fast-moving insect, dragging a lengthy ink tail behind as it sprinted towards the horizon.
Yang Zhen did not restrain himself during the journey, speeding along like a bolt of lightning. He quickly reached the place where the fluctuation was coming from, only to find himself shocked again.
âWhat the fuck, why would that bastard cat come to a place like this?â
Yang Zhen looked at the landscape before him with a strange expression, feeling a rush of strangeness in his heart.
This was a dilapidated ancient site, and it didnât seem like the heritage of any major power. Countless people had rummaged through it countless times before.
The strange thing that bothered Yang Zhen was that this place didnât appear to be the site of any cultivation sect or ancestral heritage. It looked more like a school.
When Yang Zhen arrived, he saw a group of people wandering around the ancient site. Three men and two women, a typical treasure-hunting team.
âSenior Brother Guo, this place has already been searched countless times. Is it really possible that Black Sand exists here?â A female in white robes asked a young man standing next to her, her face showing signs of hesitation.
The young man known as Senior Brother Guo replied with a soft chuckle, âDonât worry, Junior Sister Feng. Rumor has it that Black Sandappeared in this area a few days ago. Once word gets around, this place will surely experience another round of intense treasure hunting.â
A woman standing beside them also chimed in, âJunior Sister Feng, since Senior Brother Guo mentioned it, it must be true. Didnât you forget? This place is not as simple as it seems. Even many seniors suspect there might be forbidden treasure caches that we have yet to discover.â
The other two men offered comforting words, which somewhat eased the worries on Feng Junior Sisterâs face.
Having not heard any useful information from their conversation and considering the highest cultivation among this group â only Senior Brother Guo has managed to reach the peak of the Tribulation Crossing Period, while the others have barely crossed the Tribulation Period, that Feng Junior Sister hasnât even crossed her second Heavenly TribulationâYang Zhen was puzzled.
Oddly enough, once he entered the area, he couldnât sense the treacherous catâs aura anymore, suggesting that the bastard had entered a place that blocked signals.
A stranger in a strange land indeed. With ruins everywhere, trying to locate the treacherous cat in such a vast area was like finding a needle in a haystack.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
So Yang Zhen simply approached the group of five. Seeing the guarded look in their eyes, Yang Zhen broadened his smile to appear friendly before asking, âExcuse me, could you tell me where we are?â
âWhere we are?â Senior Brother Guo looked at Yang Zhen in confusion. Instead of answering Yang Zhenâs question, he responded with another question, âYou really donât know where this is?â
Yang Zhen was taken aback and shook his head, âIâm new here. Is this place famous?â
The group exchanged glances then burst into laughter, with one saying, âSo, you really are new here. This place is not just famous, everyone in Northern Island knows about the existence of the Mountain River Academy.â
âWhat is the Mountain River Academy?â Yang Zhen asked.
âYouâ¦â Guo Senior Brother looked taken aback, and then shook his head saying, âAlright, it seems youâre truly new here. Weâre going to stay here for a while, you might as well stick with us, and weâll explain everything to you along the way.â
Yang Zhenâs face brightened up, he hastily confirmed, and cheerfully followed behind Guo Senior Brother.
Pffft!
A light laughter came, the woman standing next to Feng Junior Sister seemed to be amused by Yang Zhen and couldnât help but laugh out loud.
âYouâre really an interesting person, daring to come to this place alone without knowing what it is. I wonder how you came up with that.â
Yang Zhen laughed heartily, looking far off into the distance with a melancholic expression, âUnbeknownst to the young lady, I have dreamed of roaming the world with a sword since I was a boy. However, work always got in the way. Now that I finally have some free time, I must seize the opportunity to live freely. To me, the world is just the world. Thereâs no place I canât go, and it doesnât really matter where I am.â
The group of five paused in surprise and glanced at Yang Zhen, their eyes full of astonishment.
These werenât boasts Yang Zhen was making. On the Blue Planet, which boy hasnât dreamt of journeying through the world with a sword in hand, living a carefree life of resolving disputes and romantic adventures? If it werenât for the fact that if they didnât work, they couldnât eat, perhaps some people would really do so. It appeared that television dramas were false after all.
For those heroes who spent all their time resolving disputes and comforting the weak in the dramas, if they didnât rob others, Yang Zhen couldnât figure out where they made their living. Moreover, much of the stuff inside Yang Zhenâs storage ring was stolen.
The world of cultivation, in fact, wasnât that different from the Blue Planet. There were people who worked their asses off, and there were people who scammed, deceived, and mugged others.
Itâs just that people here relied on their superior cultivation, robbing each other senseless. In a way, itâs not much different from business on the Blue Planet where one tries to outdo and out-earn the other.
Guo Senior Brother looked at Yang Zhen intently, admiringly saying, âI didnât expect you to be a person of such high principles. I am Guo Jing. Might I have the pleasure to know your name?â
âGuo Jing?â Yang Zhen paused for a moment, âWhat a coincidence, my nameâs Yang Zhaxin!â