Supreme Sword Exalt

Everyone was stunned. Gu Chen?

They had vaguely heard Xiao Yang and Hua Xing mention Gu Chen. He seemed to be the one with the highest cultivation level in the Ancient Cang Realm.

Gu Chen asked again, “May I ask, do you know of the Alliance Master’s whereabouts? He has been missing for many years now.”

Yun Zhan shook his head. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in many years either.”

He had journeyed far and wide, even roaming the stars. Yet only recently had he learned of the Seven-Realm Alliance and come to appreciate Yun Qi's contributions and the deterrence he provided to the Seven Realms. Of course, he would not tell the truth. Dead or missing, they seemed not much different on the surface, but the meaning of the two was completely different.

Gu Chen did not doubt him and said with regret, “I see. The Alliance Master has not returned for ten thousand years, and the Seven-Realm Alliance has no one to preside over the overall situation. If this continues, chaos will surely arise.”

Qiu Qian explained to everyone.

The outer domain survivors returned safely to the Ancient Cang Realm. However, when the lord of Shuofang City learned that his beloved son Liang Le had died at Gu Han’s hands, he had wanted to come and demand an explanation immediately.

Gu Chen dealt with him, making it clear that since the alliance master’s descendant was here, no one from the Ancient Cang Realm was to cause trouble on this continent. Anyone who disobeyed would face his wrath.

Everyone suddenly understood. They had long been prepared for those from the outer domain to come looking for trouble, but no one had shown up. It turned out Gu Chen had stopped them.

Yun Zhan cupped his hands in thanks. “Thank you!”

If those from the outer domain really came knocking, they simply could not have held them off with just their own strength.

Gu Chen did not care at all. “It’s nothing. I detest those who bully the weak and abuse their power the most. Besides, you’re Alliance Master Yun’s descendant! My young disciple told me that this place had undergone a great change.

“Unfortunately, at that time, I happened to be settling some personal grudges with an old enemy, so I could not come here to witness that fellow Daoist’s splendor. It is truly a pity!”

Whether it was Pi Luo or Yun Jiansheng, both of their strength far surpassed his by an unknown margin. If he could have come to observe the battle that day, the benefits would have been considerable. After all, at his level of cultivation, advancing further was extremely difficult.

Qiu Qian chimed in, “Everyone, Master has come this time for another matter as well.”

“What is it?”

“To invite you to the Ancient Cang Realm so you can find another place for cultivation!”

Everyone fell into contemplation. The growth of spirit herbs, the formation of mineral veins, and even cultivators’ training—the foundation of all of this was spirit opportunity. Now that spirit opportunity had withered and the outlook was bleak, stubbornly staying here would only cut off their path of cultivation.

With Gu Chen’s protection, there was no better place to go than the Ancient Cang Realm. However, Gu Han had still not been found, and for now, they had no desire to go elsewhere.

Fatty sighed. “What a pity. We’ve searched everywhere but can’t find a trace of that old charlatan Tian Jizi. If he were here, he could definitely deduce where that bastard is!”

He found it strange. Most of the people from the outer ring of the Central Continent, including the Fu family, had escaped in time except for a few unlucky ones. And Tianji Valley was located at the very edge of the Central Continent, yet during this time, no one had reported seeing Tian Ji at all.

Fatty still had some affection for Tian Ji. “Could that old man have died?”

***

In the Eastern Wasteland, on the edge of the Great Qi, there was a dilapidated small city under the jurisdiction of the Yuqing Sect. This city was much older than Tianwu, where Gu Han had grown up. Cultivators were almost nowhere to be seen, as ninety-nine percent of those living there were mortals. Occasionally, one or two cultivators appeared, but they were only at the Qi Condensation realm.

These people cared little for the Gold List, the descent of the divine clan, or the world-shaking great war, as none of those had anything to do with them. It was that red rain that had brought them quite a bit of panic. However, after the rain passed, they could not sense any change or abnormality in spirit opportunity. Quickly, they returned to their usual peaceful lives.

On the street, a weary-looking old man with disheveled hair watched the passersby, sighing with emotion. This man was none other than Tian Ji, whom the Fatty missed so dearly. The blood rain was exceptionally deadly to cultivators, with its lethality increasing in proportion to a cultivator's strength.

Conversely, mortals were as fragile as ants. Yet they were almost entirely unaffected, because they did not know what spirit opportunity was. They had never required such a thing in their brief lives. Tian Ji set aside his sentiment. He had come here not to experience the fragility of mortals, but for something else.

After a moment of thought, he stopped a young man carrying firewood on his back. “Young brother, has anything unusual happened around here recently?”

Upon seeing his aged appearance and hearing his refined speech, the young man took him for a scholar. He quickly set down the firewood and said respectfully, “Sir, things rarely happen in such a shabby place! Though, some time ago, there was a terrifying blood rain. It frightened everyone so badly that they didn't dare leave their homes for a long time. My mother said the heavens were angry.”

Tian Ji pondered for a moment. “Aside from that, has there been anything else?”

The young man thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. “Anything else... There is, actually!”

“What is it?”

The young man said with great interest, “At the end of the west street, Miss Luo’s son woke up!”

Tian Ji became intrigued. “Oh? Tell me more.”

The young man invited Tian Ji to sit on the firewood and explained with animated gestures, “My mother said that the Luo family used to be quite well-off. Over ten years ago, they had a son who was born simple-minded. He never cried or laughed, as if he had lost his soul.

“To cure his strange illness, the Luo family sought out many doctors and drained their family fortune, but the illness was never cured. Later, an immortal passed by here and said their son was born without a soul or something.”

The young man scratched his head. “Anyway, it was hopeless. The family couldn’t bear to abandon him either, so they kept raising him all this time. Then, as if the heavens took pity on that family, he woke up after that blood rain fell! He could talk and laugh, and Miss Luo’s family was overjoyed!”

He excitedly looked at Tian Ji. “Sir, I’ve met Miss Luo. She’s a very kind person. Do you think this is good karma?”

Having studied the way of heavenly secrets deeply, Tian Ji understood that karma, good, and evil were not as simple as they appeared.

He slowly rose. “Young brother, where does that family live?”

The young man pointed in a direction. “Right there! At the edge of the city, in the most rundown house! That’s their home!”

Tian Ji patted his shoulder and drifted away. “Thank you.”

Unbeknownst to the young man, though the pat could not prolong his life, it would keep him free from illness and in good health for the rest of his days.

***

The corner of west street was extremely remote. Those who lived here were mostly poor and destitute.

In a particularly shabby little courtyard, stood a youth of fifteen or sixteen years old. He wore a coarse cloth robe with so many patches that they were almost uncountable. He was pale, thin, and weak, as though he had just recovered from a serious illness. Yet his eyes were exceptionally bright, and a gentle smile always lingered on his face.

He extended his right hand and said softly, “Is there one or two pebbles in my hand? Guess correctly, and this candy is yours.”

Across from him, there was a little girl who was about four or five years old. She had a small frame, with slightly darker skin. Her yellow and withered hair was casually tied into two little pigtails. She wiped her drool as her eyes darted back and forth between the youth’s left and right hands, looking uncertain.

After a long while, she guessed hesitantly, “One?”

The smile on the youth’s face grew wider as he handed her the candy in his left hand. “You guessed right. I keep promises, so the candy is yours.”