As it turned out, Liu Tian had overestimated how fast he could travel on foot and underestimated how quickly the weather could change. By the time he reached Tian Dao's home, a fine drizzle was already falling from the sky.
The drizzle was like needles, like silk, like ox hair, seeping through people's thin clothes and chilling them to the bone.
Of course, none of this mattered to Liu Tian, who had already reached the Martial Artist realm and had been driven to run at full speed along this path by Tian Dao's relentless urging.
His strong body and surging qi and blood were more than enough to let him ignore the light drizzle that might leave an ordinary person mildly ill. In fact, the chill of the rain made his senses even sharper than usual.
And so his instincts picked up on something—something he normally wouldn't have noticed.
That feeling alone made him stop outside Tian Dao's door.
It was a rather strange feeling, as if he were being told that what lay before him wasn't Tian Dao's familiar courtyard, but the lair of a vicious tiger, one that could never be satisfied, resting for the moment.
Along with that instinct, Liu Tian's heartbeat quickened ever so slightly. Adrenaline began flooding his body of its own accord, and his rapidly circulating blood carried the hormone to every part of him.
Before his brain had even given the order, his body had instinctively prepared for battle.
A subtle sense of pleasure welled up inside Liu Tian, so much so that he even felt the urge to raise his flag.
Just as he was still deciding what to do next, Tian Dao's gate opened, and a man he had never seen before appeared before him.
The man stood eight feet tall, taller and more powerfully built than Liu Tian. Three blood-red stripes, symbols of his wild nature, were clearly visible on his forehead, their edges as sharp as knives.
The stranger's strong physique, steel left arm, and contemptuous gaze, along with the inexplicable feeling he gave others, all told them one thing: he was strong!
Stronger than Tian Dao!
Stronger than anyone could imagine!
Strong enough to make Liu Tian's hair stand on end and excite him so much he wanted to raise his flag!
But Liu Tian's reason told him that he was still nowhere near a match for this man. If he fought him now, he would be cut down by this unprecedentedly powerful foe in fewer than three moves.
"May I ask if you're Senior Brother Cinan, the one Master often mentions?" Liu Tian wasn't panicked. He peered through the gap between the man and the doorway, and the moment he saw Tian Dao sitting unharmed in the courtyard, sipping tea in the rain, he found the likeliest person and asked tentatively.
"This is our first time meeting, isn't it?" Bai Cinan grinned, baring his teeth like a tiger shark, and greeted his junior brother, whom he had never formally met. His right fist shot out like lightning, stopping at Liu Tian's brow before Liu Tian could react, then slowly opened.
A gemstone appeared before Liu Tian—a red gemstone as large as a cat's eye, and obviously worth a fortune.
"I heard you've recently taken an interest in relics from the Lost Empire." Pleased to see that Liu Tian hadn't stepped back and had even readied himself to counterattack the instant he realized he was under attack, Bai Cinan reined in his imposing aura. "Your senior brother didn't have much to prepare, so I brought you a local specialty from the Dawn Alliance."
"I appreciate it, Senior Brother."
The instant Liu Tian took the gemstone, a tremendous warm current surged into his body. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before—even greater than the warm current he'd felt when he first came into contact with the Prism Pillar.
This unexpected boon brought a smile to Liu Tian's face. He took a small step back, bowed repeatedly, and clasped Bai Cinan's enormous hand in both of his. "Thank you so much. Thank you so much for the welcoming gift, Senior Brother."
"My family isn't particularly well-off, and I don't have anything decent to offer as a gift." As he spoke, Liu Tian seemed to have forgotten all about his earlier nervousness. He released Bai Cinan's hand and headed inside. "But I'm pretty good at making tea. Master once said that if my martial arts had improved as much as my tea-making, I wouldn't be in this state now."
"I don't have much to offer you, either, so I'll return your kindness and brew you a cup of tea..."
Because Bai Cinan had arrived, that day's martial arts practice was canceled outright. Tian Dao also seemed unwilling to let Liu Tian spend much time with Bai Cinan. After having Liu Tian brew a pot of tea and chat for a little while, he impatiently sent him home.
The look on Tian Dao's face made Liu Tian wonder whether, if this world had phones, he would have received a text on the way over saying that today's activities were canceled.
Liu Tian didn't really understand why Tian Dao didn't want him to spend more time with a senior brother who was clearly flaunting his wealth. But he had never liked being around someone unfamiliar who might pose a threat to his life at any moment.
And so, when Tian Dao casually gave him an opening, Liu Tian took it and promptly beat a retreat.
Bai Cinan seemed to have something on his mind, and though he clearly had some plan, he didn't try to stop Liu Tian. He merely sipped his tea and watched Liu Tian's back disappear into the night before murmuring, "That junior brother of mine is an interesting fellow."
"Do you know, Master?" Bai Cinan asked with a smile. "In recent years, you've lost all your domineering presence, sharpness, and killing intent. Even your battle markings have gradually faded. Now you're just an ordinary, sturdy old man."
"If the enemies you had ten years ago saw you as you are now, would they be happy, or furious?"
"Tian Dao, who once ranged across the battlefield like the Great White Shark ruling the open sea, has now fallen to the level of a little Goldfish, confining himself to a fishbowl. It's enough to make anyone feel sad."
"Cinan..." Tian Dao fell silent. After a long while, he let out a sigh. "I wronged you, my disciple. But this is no longer our era."
"No, Master. You never wronged me. I've never forgotten that you rescued me from that living hell, treated me like your own son, and taught me the Heavenly Martial Killing Dao."
Cinan smiled as he gently contradicted Tian Dao, then poured another cup of tea for him and one for himself.
"I was simply foolish, simply stupid. I couldn't resist provocation or see through traps. Everything that happened afterward was my own fault."
"But it's all in the past. I'm doing well now, and I don't care about any of it anymore. You don't need to keep dwelling on it, Master." Bai Cinan paused. "It's all in the past..."
"But I thought you wouldn't teach the Heavenly Martial Killing Dao to anyone else. I didn't expect you to make an exception after all. Can you tell me what you were thinking, Master?"
"Were you preparing bait for me?"
"After all, slaughtering one another, devouring one another, and casting aside all emotion and desire in pursuit of the pinnacle of martial arts—that's the essence of the Heavenly Martial Killing Dao, isn't it?"
"Those who practice the Heavenly Martial Killing Dao will sooner or later have to fight one another if they want to take that final step." Bai Cinan was still smiling, but his gaze grew colder by the moment. "I thought I had only one choice, and I'd been hesitating. It seems you've found me a second choice, Master?"
"Cinan..." Tian Dao started to say something, but before he could continue, Bai Cinan interrupted him—
"Still, if Junior Brother is to become suitable bait for me, he's nowhere near ready yet. He'll need plenty more practice. But there's no need for me to rush; we still have time." Bai Cinan cut Tian Dao off without the slightest courtesy and rose to his feet.
Bai Cinan's taller-than-Liu-Tian, stronger-than-Tian-Dao frame cast a shadow in the lamplight—a shadow that covered Tian Dao completely. "Besides, Master, you've been wrong about one thing from the very beginning."
"Our era has never passed."
As he spoke, Bai Cinan raised his hand, slowly spreading his fingers one by one before clenching them into a fist again. "And the future is in my hands now."
Before you continue