Time passed slowly, almost imperceptibly. In the blink of an eye, nearly two months had gone by.
On this day, a thunderous wave suddenly exploded across the long-forgotten Pill Immortal Pool.
A figure burst out of the water. At once, a powerful, surging aura erupted from him like a hurricane, sweeping through the surrounding woods and sending countless demonic beasts cowering and trembling on the ground.
Fortunately, the aura came and went just as quickly. In almost an instant, it vanished without a trace.
If not for the water still raining back down and the man suddenly hovering in midair, anyone would have thought the whole thing had been an illusion.
The man was tall and slender, dressed in a well-fitting black robe that lent him an air of mystery and elegance. The intricate patterns on his robe and his shoulder-length hair added a touch of nobility and carefree charm. Yet when his eyes opened and closed, they held a hint of domineering authority, as if he looked down upon the whole world.
He was a man of remarkable presence and charm—and utterly captivating.
Cang Wu hovered in midair and greedily breathed in the fresh air of the woods. A smile spread across his face as he said to himself,
"I'm back! I'm back!"
His voice grew louder, and by the time he finished, it boomed through the woods and lingered for a long while.
After venting his joy at being alive again, Cang Wu's face once more settled into its usual calm.
He lowered his head and gently clenched his hand, sensing the Primal Energy within him, now at the Form Creation Realm. Rather than showing any delight, he let out a complicated sigh.
"The Form Creation Realm. A familiar yet unfamiliar level. Who would've thought that after all these years, I'd become a mere cultivator in the Form Creation Realm?"
As he spoke, Cang Wu couldn't help but laugh. He, the mighty Lord of Devourment, was now a weak cultivator in the Three Realms of Creation.
He'd even have to cultivate diligently like everyone else and raise his strength. Perhaps he'd have to compete for resources, too. The thought alone was amusing.
Of course, he could choose not to cultivate. He could wait until the Devouring Divine Hall emerged, then let his other half of a remnant soul take control of his body and come find him. The two remnant souls could then merge, and he could slowly recover his strength.
"Never mind. I'm only cultivating from scratch. It'll be a good chance to review my insights into every realm. Perhaps that'll help me break through to the Ancestor Realm someday."
Cang Wu murmured to himself. He clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it and gazed into the distance.
That was the direction of the Tianyan Mountain Range. Cang Wu remembered that beyond the mountains, an ancient tomb would appear before long. Well, to the cultivators of this place, it counted as an ancient tomb.
He remembered that the tomb of a Nirvana Realm cultivator would soon appear there, and that it contained a Nirvana Heart.
Cang Wu wasn't interested in or concerned about anything else in the tomb. Talisman Puppets and the like were things he'd long since outgrown. But he was determined to get that Nirvana Heart.
After all, the Great Yan Dynasty was a poor, remote backwater. Without that Nirvana Heart, who knew how long it would take Cang Wu to break through to the Nirvana Realm?
Unless he waited for the Great Desolation Ancient Tablet to open, then went inside and seized the Nirvana Pills left behind by the Great Desolation Sect.
But the Great Desolation King was not only his junior, he was practically half his disciple. For Cang Wu to seize the Nirvana Pills the man had left behind would be beneath him. At the very least, they should be offered to him willingly.
Then again, he was the mighty Lord of Devourment. If he took something from a junior, he couldn't just do nothing in return, could he? He'd have to give that damn Ninth Prince's Palace a good beating, just to show his appreciation.
However, with Cang Wu's current strength, even if he got his hands on the Devouring Ancestral Talisman, he might not be able to make good on that promise.
That was why Cang Wu was determined to obtain the Nirvana Heart.
"Let's head back to Yan City first and see if that kid's still alive. He's the only half-disciple I've got. If he died right under my nose, those demon brats would laugh themselves to death."
Cang Wu murmured, got his bearings, and flew toward Yan City.
Yan City, at the city gate.
Two soldiers from the City Lord's manor were guarding the entrance. Their vision blurred for a moment, and they frowned. Then they spotted a black-robed man not far away and looked at him in confusion.
One of them scratched his head and stared at the man in black, muttering,
"Hmm, did I charge him an entrance fee? Never mind. He's already inside, so he must've paid."
The soldier let it go and turned to his companion. Together, they urged the people lining up to enter the city to pay up.
Cang Wu raised a hand to his mouth and coughed awkwardly. He blinked, then followed the crowd into the city.
He'd only taken a few steps when he heard someone in the crowd shout,
"Get to the arena! I heard the Lin Family and the Song Family are fighting to the death!"
As soon as the shout rang out, many people in the crowd surged toward the arena in the north of the city.
Cang Wu raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling that this fight to the death was probably something that kid Lin Dong had started.
He immediately stopped a pretty young woman and asked with a smile,
"Miss, could you tell me what this fight to the death is about?"
The young woman had been hurrying to the arena and was annoyed at being stopped. But when she saw Cang Wu, she froze. It wasn't until he called out to her again that she snapped back to her senses.
Her face flushed. She lowered her head shyly and replied softly,
"Young master, you may not know, but this fight is between two of Yan City's great families: the old-established Song Family and the rising Lin Family."
"I heard the one who signed a life-and-death agreement with the Song Family's head was just a boy. His name is Lin Dong, and they say he's incredibly strong."
A smile appeared on Cang Wu's face. That kid really was like him—a restless sort. He smiled at the young woman and said,
"I see you're heading there, too. How about we go together? I'd like to learn more about that young man named Lin Dong."
The young woman brightened at once. She modestly fell into step beside Cang Wu and continued her gentle explanation.
"Of course, young master. That Lin Dong is supposed to be quite remarkable. Two or three months ago, a powerful senior gave him some pointers, and then he suddenly had an epiphany. His strength improved by leaps and bounds."
"I heard that two months ago, Wei Tong, the head of the Blood Robe Sect and a Lesser Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm expert, died at Lin Dong's hands. At the time, Lin Dong was only a Heavenly Yuan Realm expert."
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