Free Web NovelChapter 74: Chapter 73: Zhengyang Sect, Words of the Mountain Villagers, Returning Home
Within a lush, dense forest.
The spring day was perfect. Gentle rays of sunlight scattered down from the horizon, draping over the vast woods like a golden veil.
Deep in the forest, a golden figure flashed past and vanished.
Its speed was incredible.
To the naked eye, only a blurry silhouette was visible, making it impossible to discern the person’s features.
A moment later, the figure came to a sudden halt.
A young man in a simple white robe stood on a thick, dark branch, his eyes gazing into the distance.
’Red Gold Speed! As expected of a Fifth-Grade Divine Technique. When I use it, my speed increases several times over. Even Martial Artists with weaker Divine Thoughts would have trouble tracking me!’
Su Bai murmured to himself.
After asking Chen Tianfeng for a few days off, Su Bai had been using his Body Technique to wander outside the city.
Today was the first day. This place was about eighty li from the Great Xia Imperial City, a vast, nameless forest.
’It’s said that after a Martial Artist breaks through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, the True Qi in their body undergoes a qualitative change.’
’At that point, they can simply activate their True Qi to perform Qi Manipulation Flight, reaching incredible speeds far beyond ordinary Cultivation Techniques.’
’However, practicing some high-grade Cultivation Methods or speed-type Divine Techniques will definitely increase one’s speed even more.’
’It’s incredibly useful, whether for confronting enemies, tracking criminals, or escaping!’
Su Bai mused.
Take Red Gold Speed, for example. Once he activated this special Fifth-Grade Divine Technique, his speed would increase explosively.
An ordinary Spirit Transformation cultivator wouldn’t be able to catch him at all; they could only watch his retreating back and sigh in defeat.
And ever since last night, when his Divine Thought Incarnation was violently destroyed by a terrifying giant eye...
Su Bai had gained a profound understanding of the importance of defense and speed.
He planned to put more effort into speed and defense-type Cultivation Techniques and Divine Techniques from now on.
After all, preservation was the better part of valor.
Before killing enemies, one first had to learn how to survive.
SWOOSH!
With this in mind, Su Bai flashed forward again.
He arrived on a small path lined with blooming flowers, intentionally slowing his pace to enjoy the scenery along the way.
At a certain moment, a massive, striped tiger suddenly leaped out from a large patch of grass in front of Su Bai!
It blocked his path!
This giant tiger was nearly four meters long and two meters tall, and its body radiated a faint Demon Qi.
Sensing Su Bai’s powerful aura, it lowered its head, growling and baring its teeth at him.
But it didn’t dare to act rashly.
’A Level 3 Tiger Demon?’
Su Bai showed a hint of surprise upon seeing the Demon Tiger.
Then, with a thought,
BZZZT!
In an instant, a brilliant Celestial Eye bloomed between Su Bai’s eyebrows!
As terror filled the giant tiger’s eyes, a beam of silver light landed on its body.
Strangely, the giant tiger didn’t die. Instead, it became like a walking corpse, its consciousness gone.
In that moment, Su Bai had used the Celestial Eye Divine Technique to turn it into a puppet.
Under the control of Su Bai’s consciousness, the giant tiger began to make very strange movements.
It slowly stood up and used its gray-and-white back to nudge a large rock beside it.
’This Celestial Eye Divine Technique, truly worthy of being a Celestial Divine Technique, is just amazing!’
Su Bai was astonished to see that the giant tiger, under the control of his consciousness, almost completely obeyed his commands.
Following that, Su Bai continued to control the giant tiger, its figure flashing as it plunged deep into the forest.
Along the way, the giant tiger encountered several gray-and-white Demon Wolves. Just a moment later, the tiger let out a series of roars!
It brandished its sharp claws and tore the Demon Wolves to shreds. Its strength hadn’t diminished much compared to before.
Su Bai estimated that the giant tiger, now a puppet of the Celestial Eye Divine Technique, retained about seventy percent of its original strength.
That was already quite impressive!
’The Celestial Eye Divine Technique is as powerful as I thought!’
After some experimentation, a look of delight appeared on Su Bai’s face.
He then recalled that once the Celestial Eye Divine Technique broke through to the highest 9th Layer, it could forcibly alter memories!
Didn’t that mean that as long as he used the Celestial Eye Divine Technique, he could gain loyal servants whose strength was almost completely intact?
’The applications for that are immense!’
After releasing the Tiger Demon back into the mountains, Su Bai continued to walk forward.
His mind, however, was preoccupied with whether he should use his accumulated Experience Points on his Cultivation Techniques and Divine Techniques, or on his Realm.
Right now, his two grown Demon Pets, Hei Wushuang and the Black Nether Wolf, were hunting numerous Demon Fiends in the Demon Cave, devouring their Demon Qi.
Every day, they brought him close to two hundred thousand Cultivation Experience Points.
Therefore, it seemed a bit of a "waste" to throw his accumulated Experience Points at his Realm again.
Lost in his indecision, Su Bai walked out of the dense forest before he even realized it. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
On the wide road ahead, he looked up and saw a middle-aged man holding a young child’s hand. They were walking forward, talking and laughing.
The two of them, one big and one small, left a set of deep and shallow footprints in the dirt.
"Shan’er! When you get to the Zhengyang Sect, you must practice the Martial Dao diligently. Don’t you dare slack off!"
"I know, Father!"
"Haha! When you’ve achieved something in your cultivation, don’t ever forget!"
"To achieve great things, you must establish your own destiny!"
"Look after the greater good, but also look after your own family!"
"When you go to the Zhengyang Sect, you will see the world, but you must also stay true to your heart!"
The young child looked up at his father and nodded, only half-understanding.
Listening to their conversation, Su Bai understood that they were mountain folk from nearby, and their destination was the Zhengyang Sect to practice the Martial Dao.
’The Zhengyang Sect...’
Su Bai gazed into the distance at the grand halls standing atop the mountain, lost in thought.
He seemed to recall the top disciple from the Zhengyang Sect in the prison—the bald man.
He had died a tragic death during the prison riot, killed by the villain Wang Lingxiao from the Soul-devouring Demon Sect.
’Oh, well. I might as well go and have a look.’
Since he was already at the Zhengyang Sect, it could be considered fate.
So, Su Bai’s figure flickered, and he set off for the Zhengyang Sect. ƒrēewebnovel.com
To ascend to the Zhengyang Sect, one had to climb a long flight of stairs.
When Su Bai set foot on the stairs, he saw some poor young men in shabby clothes. Though their bodies trembled, their eyes were resolute as they climbed relentlessly upward.
After all, the Zhengyang Sect was a first-rate power within Great Xia, and also a major power that placed the least importance on birth and background.
As long as one could enter the Zhengyang Sect, it meant achieving a great leap in life.
Many of the poor, refugees, and common folk saw the Zhengyang Sect as their chance to turn their lives around.
Those at the bottom of the valley naturally yearn for the view from the summit.
After a quiet sigh, Su Bai’s figure flickered, and he swiftly ascended to the summit of the Zhengyang Sect.
Now at the summit, Su Bai strolled through the main hall.
Before long, he came to a place called the Hall of Human Merits.
Rows of memorial tablets stood here, each engraved with a rough likeness of the deceased and their name.
Su Bai casually swept his gaze across them.
He soon spotted a familiar face. To its right was the person’s name...
Zhengxin!
And this was the very same top disciple from the Zhengyang Sect who had died at the hands of Wang Lingxiao.
A moment later, a bald, middle-aged monk holding a string of purple Buddha Beads came to receive Su Bai.
"Senior Brother Zhengxin fought bravely against the demon in the prison but unfortunately lost his life," the monk explained to Su Bai, his gaze on Zhengxin’s memorial tablet. "He performed countless good deeds in his lifetime. His merit is immeasurable."
Su Bai was moved by what he heard.
He tossed a few silver notes for incense money into the Merit Box at the side.
The monk glanced at the silver notes, inwardly delighted. He was just about to say something,
but when he looked up, the space before him was empty.
There wasn’t a trace of Su Bai to be seen.
"Benefactor, your act is one of immeasurable merit..."
the monk murmured, looking down the mountain.
With this incense money, their Zhengyang Sect would be able to help more poor refugees this year.
...
「After leaving the Zhengyang Sect.」
Su Bai followed the route from his memory, his figure flashing continuously.
Finally, he arrived in a small county town.
’I’m back...’
Walking along the town’s small paths, he looked at the familiar sights around him.
Su Bai sighed with emotion.
This was the county town where the Su Bai from his memories once lived.
