A Brief Journey Through Time (7)

"Clear Sky Nine Arts! Collapse Character Art!"

Just as Zhao Xiaotian was still puzzled by the name of the skill, the fifty-thousand-year Cave Spider was instantly blasted away and slammed into a tree.

At that moment, a blue-haired woman in a pale blue dress stepped out. Five soul rings in the optimal configuration circled her body, while she held a stalk of Blue Silver Grass with golden patterns in her hand.

Before Zhao Xiaotian could make sense of it, the woman's fourth soul ring lit up. The man who had unleashed the Clear Sky Nine Arts and another man who had suddenly appeared began brutally attacking the Cave Spider.

"Fourth Soul Skill! Blue Silver Sacred Light!"

Bathed in the gentle light, Zhao Xiaotian's injuries and Soul Power began to recover. Seeing this, Liu Erlong hurried forward, grabbed his arm, and asked anxiously, "Are you all right?"

Zhao Xiaotian nodded. "I'm fine!" He looked at the woman treating him and cupped his hands. "Thank you for healing me, miss!"

The woman smiled. "It's nothing! You can call me Ah Yin! The ones who saved you from that Cave Spider's killing move just now were my companions, Tang Hao and Tang Xiao."

Zhao Xiaotian was stunned. "People from the Clear Sky Sect!"

Ah Yin chuckled. "So you've heard of them. The two brothers have the greatest talent in the Clear Sky Sect, and they're also the youngest Soul Emperors on the Douluo Continent."

Zhao Xiaotian nodded, then called out to Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, who were still fighting. "Don't kill that soul beast, you two! We're only here to train, not to create needless slaughter!"

Tang Hao snorted and smashed the Cave Spider, which no longer had any ability to resist, to death with a single hammer blow. Zhao Xiaotian's expression turned ugly. He was deeply displeased with Tang Hao's actions.

Though Tang Hao was a complete stranger to him, Zhao Xiaotian's first impression of him had already hit rock bottom. Tang Xiao dragged the Cave Spider's corpse over with one hand and placed it before Zhao Xiaotian.

"Little brother, is this the soul ring you wanted to absorb?"

Zhao Xiaotian's face darkened even further. He had just said that he and Liu Erlong were here to train, not to commit needless slaughter, yet the two brothers seemed not to have heard him at all.

Zhao Xiaotian cupped his hands. "Thank you both for your help. However, Erlong and I came here to train, not to create innocent slaughter. Even though this Cave Spider attacked me first, I didn't want to kill it. I only wanted it to stay away from us."

"You brat! My brother and I helped you kill this soul beast, yet you keep blaming us!"

After hearing Zhao Xiaotian's words, killing intent uncontrollably spilled from Tang Hao's body. Tang Xiao reached out and slapped the back of Tang Hao's head. "Didn't I tell you before? Don't act so arrogantly when you're out in the world."

Tang Hao instantly looked like a child who had made a mistake. Zhao Xiaotian had no desire to argue with them any further, so he took Liu Erlong's hand and left.

A murderous glint flashed through Tang Hao's eyes at the sight, but Tang Xiao dispersed it with another slap. After Liu Erlong followed Zhao Xiaotian away from the Tang Hao and Tang Xiao brothers, she nodded to Ah Yin before leaving.

Night fell, and Zhao Xiaotian and Liu Erlong began their nighttime battles. They coordinated well in the dark. Zhao Xiaotian wielded his spear while Liu Erlong spewed blazing flames to scorch the soul beasts' bodies, and Zhao Xiaotian finished them off with a single strike.

After fighting for two hours, it was getting late. Zhao Xiaotian took a tent from his Soul Tool and set it up. The two of them could finally get a good night's sleep.

Because Zhao Xiaotian and Liu Erlong had already established a fearsome reputation in this central region, not a single soul beast within a dozen or so miles dared approach where they were.

Liu Erlong and Zhao Xiaotian each had their own tent. Light still shone from Zhao Xiaotian's tent, and judging by his silhouette, he seemed to be writing something.

Liu Erlong was already sound asleep. Zhao Xiaotian did not finish writing a cookbook until an hour later. Since he would be leaving this timeline tomorrow night, he wanted to leave the people in this timeline something so they would not forget him.

After placing the completed cookbook back into his Soul Tool, Zhao Xiaotian lay down and went to sleep. The forest was exceptionally quiet that night, all thanks to the reputation Zhao Xiaotian and Liu Erlong had built during the day.

The next morning, Liu Erlong woke Zhao Xiaotian and said that it was time to meet up with Flender and Yu Xiaogang. Zhao Xiaotian rubbed his bleary eyes and went to a nearby stream to wash his face.

But Zhao Xiaotian had not expected that, the moment he raised his head, he would see a string of numbers about to reach zero. The time on his forehead had become eight hours.

He did not know why time was passing so quickly. Zhao Xiaotian always felt as though someone was controlling the time being given to him. He stood beside the stream, pondering the matter over and over.

"Xiaotian! It's time to go!"

Liu Erlong's voice interrupted Zhao Xiaotian's thoughts. After answering her, he packed up his tent and handed the cookbook he had written the night before to Liu Erlong.

Liu Erlong was puzzled and asked, "What's this?"

Zhao Xiaotian smiled faintly. "This is a cookbook I wrote overnight yesterday. It contains the methods for making every dish I know. Take a good look at it. After I leave, you won't be making dark cuisine for people anymore!"

At first, Liu Erlong found it rather touching, but when she heard the final words, "dark cuisine," her face instantly darkened. She snatched the cookbook away and quickened her pace.

Zhao Xiaotian's body had already begun to turn slightly translucent, though it was not very obvious. The night before, Zhao Xiaotian had considered that he might forget to tell Liu Erlong, Flender, and the others that he was not from this timeline.

However, he had still written two letters and tucked them inside the cookbook. As long as Liu Erlong opened it, she would discover the letters.

After walking for a long time, they reached noon. The two had arrived at a small town outside the Star Dou Great Forest. As soon as they entered a tavern, they saw Flender and Yu Xiaogang sitting there.

Zhao Xiaotian led Liu Erlong over and sat down. Flender nudged Zhao Xiaotian with his elbow, raised his brows, and said, "Order whatever you want! It's on me today!"

Zhao Xiaotian smiled. "No need, Flender. I'll treat today! After all, there might not be another chance in the future."

Flender was puzzled by this, but he did not press the matter. Instead, he sat in his seat and eagerly chatted with Liu Erlong.

Yu Xiaogang was watching Zhao Xiaotian. He had noticed faint, almost imperceptible motes of light emerging from Zhao Xiaotian's body.

But Yu Xiaogang did not want to tell Flender or Liu Erlong, because he did not want Liu Erlong to care about Zhao Xiaotian. He wanted Liu Erlong to care about him, this useless man.

Soon, all their dishes arrived. The light motes on Zhao Xiaotian's body grew more numerous, and the pale blue pearl in his pocket began to emit a faint blue glow.

Liu Erlong and Flender were eating and had not noticed anything. Only Yu Xiaogang stared at Zhao Xiaotian without blinking.

Zhao Xiaotian knew Yu Xiaogang was watching him. He said nothing and simply asked Yu Xiaogang to come outside with him.

Soon, the two arrived outside the tavern. Zhao Xiaotian stood with his back to Yu Xiaogang, and Yu Xiaogang frowned. "Tell me. What's wrong with you?"

Zhao Xiaotian did not turn around. "I'm leaving! I know you don't want Liu Erlong to follow me, and neither do I!"

"You don't either?"

Yu Xiaogang asked in confusion.

Zhao Xiaotian smiled. "That's right! If she falls in love with me, she'll suffer greatly. Because I'm not from this timeline, and I don't have much time left here."

Yu Xiaogang said, "Then is there anything else you want to tell them? Flender and Erlong value you greatly."

Zhao Xiaotian turned around. "They'll learn what I want to say later. As for when they'll learn it, I don't know.

"And you! I hope you'll keep my identity as someone from the future timeline secret for now."

Yu Xiaogang was about to say something when a blinding blue light made it impossible for him to open his eyes. He raised his right hand to block the light before him, but he could not even speak.

Before leaving, Zhao Xiaotian took his mask from his Soul Tool. In an instant, Zhao Xiaotian vanished before Yu Xiaogang, leaving only a mask floating in the air.

When Zhao Xiaotian opened his eyes again, he found himself in his room at the White Shadow Sect. Dawn had broken outside. After getting out of bed, he discovered that his Soul Power had actually reached level thirty-eight.

At that moment, Liu Ming knocked on the door. "Xiaotian, are you awake? Today is the day you and that brat Liu Baibin return to Spirit Academy to study."

"I know, Grandfather!"