Though Xu Yang was somewhat surprised, he didn't speak to Lei Dong and the others. They had abandoned him without hesitation that day, proving they hadn't cared about him at all. So why should he associate with them now? Besides, he had already entered the world of cultivation; he was no longer on the same level as they were.
Still, he wasn't going to let Yin Shihong and the others get away. Xu Yang had always believed in repaying kindness and avenging grudges. With that thought, he immediately headed toward Yin Shihong and his men.
When Yin Shihong saw Xu Yang approaching, he immediately watched him warily. "Kid, I didn't expect you to still be alive. You sure are lucky. I should've hit you with my palm back then and finished you off for good."
Xu Yang's expression darkened. "You're on the verge of death, yet you still haven't learned your lesson. You even dare to spout such nonsense to me. You really don't know when you're beaten. I'll send you on your way." As he spoke, Xu Yang raised a finger. A golden Flying Sword shot out, streaking toward Yin Shihong.
Hearing Xu Yang's words, Yin Shihong had looked disdainful and was just about to sneer when he saw a Flying Sword thrust toward him. His expression changed dramatically. He tried to dodge, but the sword pierced straight through him. He fell to the ground, dead.
Yin Shihong's men erupted into chaos. Some attacked Xu Yang, some turned and fled, and others dropped to their knees to beg for mercy. In that instant, all manner of human behavior was on display. Xu Yang watched, stunned, and seemed to grasp something. The killing intent that had been surging through him slowly ebbed away.
When he came back to himself, he was delighted to discover that his state of mind had improved. Raising one's cultivation was easy, but improving one's state of mind was far more difficult. Those with an insufficient state of mind could not only become trapped at a bottleneck, unable to advance, but could also suffer cultivation deviation, lose their humanity, and kill indiscriminately.
Xu Yang's state of mind had improved. It was an unexpected delight, and no wonder he was so pleased. He looked up at Yin Shihong's men and waved them away. "You can leave. I only have a grudge against Yin Shihong; I won't drag you into it."
At Xu Yang's words, Yin Shihong's men immediately scattered in all directions. Only two remained where they stood. Xu Yang looked at them and asked, "Why aren't you leaving? Do you want revenge?"
The two exchanged a glance. Bracing themselves, they replied, "We wouldn't dare attack an immortal master. We only wish to take Hall Master Yin's body with us. Will you allow it?"
Xu Yang was taken aback, then looked at them with approval. "I didn't expect Yin Shihong to have such loyal subordinates. He wasn't a complete failure as a person, after all. You two have my respect. Take his body with you."
The two bowed to Xu Yang, picked up Yin Shihong's body, and quickly left. Only after all of Yin Shihong's men had fled did Xu Yang turn to look at Lei Dong and the others.
Lei Dong and the others had witnessed Xu Yang's astonishing display with their own eyes: he had killed Yin Shihong with a single sword strike. They were all shocked. They had never imagined that in the little more than a year since they had last seen him, Xu Yang's strength would have soared so dramatically that he had become an immortal master.
Now that Xu Yang was looking their way, their feelings were tangled, and their faces grew bitter. Zhao Qiankun knew Xu Yang best among them. After Lei Dong gestured to him, he braced himself and walked over, forcing a smile. "I never imagined that after we parted that day, you'd become a true immortal master, Nephew Xu. We can only envy you!"
Xu Yang smiled. "It was only luck. Master Li saved a cultivator's life before he died. He told me that if I ever broke through to the Innate realm, I should go and become that cultivator's disciple."
Zhao Qiankun was filled with regret. If he had known about this sooner, he would have snatched the opportunity for himself. But it was too late now; all he could do was try to dispel Xu Yang's resentment toward him.
With that in mind, Zhao Qiankun immediately put on a smile. "I see. Now that you've embarked on the path of immortality, your future is surely limitless. Congratulations, Nephew Xu." As he spoke, he clasped his hands and bowed to Xu Yang.
Then Zhao Qiankun continued, "May I ask why you've come here, Nephew Xu? Is there anything we can do to help?" Xu Yang waved a hand. "I'm only passing through. I'm on my way to Haicheng Prefecture."
Zhao Qiankun was delighted. He hurriedly said to Xu Yang, "What a coincidence! We're also heading to Haicheng Prefecture. If you don't mind our slow pace, you can travel with us."
Xu Yang asked Zhao Qiankun, "May I ask what business you have in Haicheng Prefecture? I'm in a hurry to return to my sect. If you have nothing urgent to attend to, I won't travel with you."
"Alas, I'm afraid you'll laugh at us, Nephew Xu, but we're fleeing for our lives. A few days ago, the rebel Prince Fu killed the emperor. By imperial command, we're escorting the emperor's only heir to Haicheng Prefecture. The emperor said there's an immortal sect there that can protect us." Zhao Qiankun spoke with a deeply troubled expression.
Xu Yang was delighted to hear this. He hadn't expected such a turn of events. Their mission had already failed, and he had been worrying about how to explain himself to Qing Yuanzi. Of course, it wasn't his fault; the enemy had two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.
But if he could bring Wu Ming's heir back to the sect, Qing Yuanzi would surely be very pleased with him! With that thought, Xu Yang immediately asked Zhao Qiankun, "Where is Wu Ming's heir now? Take me to him at once!"
Zhao Qiankun looked at Xu Yang in surprise, but didn't dare refuse. He could only lead Xu Yang toward Lei Dong and the others. Xu Yang exchanged a quick greeting with Lei Dong and the rest, then urged them to take him to Wu Ming's heir.
Lei Dong and the others were puzzled and confused, but they could only take Xu Yang to see the prince, not daring to defy him in the slightest. In a secluded hollow, Xu Yang found the five- or six-year-old prince asleep. His brows were tightly furrowed, making it clear that the young prince wasn't sleeping peacefully.
Xu Yang glanced at the young prince, then walked out of the tent and said to Lei Dong, Zhao Qiankun, and the others, "You're lucky you ran into me. This place is no longer safe. We'll leave immediately. On the way, I'll tell you everything."
At Xu Yang's urging, Lei Dong and the others quickly got moving, and the group hurried away. Not long after they had left, a streak of sword light shot over. It searched the area but found nothing, then departed looking frustrated.
After Lei Dong, Zhao Qiankun, and the others had left, Xu Yang had used a few low-level spells to erase their tracks and signs of their passing. Then he flew after them on his sword and explained the whole situation to them.
When Lei Dong, Zhao Qiankun, and the others heard the details, their faces turned deathly pale, and cold sweat rolled down their brows. They were terrified in retrospect and thanked Xu Yang repeatedly.
Xu Yang waved a hand at the two men. "This young prince is a burden to you now. Without him, you could escape this turmoil and get away safely. After all, cultivators won't go out of their way to hunt you down."
Lei Dong and Zhao Qiankun nodded repeatedly. They wanted to abandon the young prince but found it hard to say so. After all, they were still somewhat loyal to Wu Ming; otherwise, he wouldn't have entrusted the matter to them.
Seeing their expressions, Xu Yang understood at once. He said to them, "This young prince is Wu Ming's only heir. Although my mission failed through no fault of my own, it won't be easy to explain. Why don't you hand the young prince over to me? I'll protect him and take him to my master."
"That way, you'll have fulfilled Wu Ming's trust in you. What do you think?" Lei Dong and Zhao Qiankun were immediately delighted. "Then we'll trouble you, Nephew Xu. At least we won't have failed the emperor's trust in us."
Seeing that they agreed, Xu Yang was pleased. He said, "We've known each other for a while, after all. I wouldn't have found the young prince this time without your efforts. I have some martial arts manuals here; I'll give them to you. After all, once we part, who knows how many years will pass before we meet again?" He couldn't help feeling a little wistful as he spoke.
With a wave of Xu Yang's hand, a pile of martial arts manuals landed before them. Lei Dong and Zhao Qiankun excitedly picked them up. Seeing the titles made them even more thrilled: these were all legendary arts that had been lost to the martial world for ages. They were about to strike it rich!
Seeing how entranced the two were, Xu Yang cleared his throat to bring them back to their senses. He raised his left hand. "These three manuals are the most important. They're secret arts created by Old Man Tianjue, including a technique for breaking through to the Innate realm. Keep them safe."
Lei Dong and Zhao Qiankun hurried forward to take them, brimming with excitement. Zhao Qiankun received the Tianjue Finger and Zhentian Palm, while Lei Dong received the secret method for breaking through to the Innate realm.
Once the two had recovered from their excitement, Xu Yang went into the young prince's tent and gently picked him up. Then he nodded to Lei Dong and Zhao Qiankun, who stood behind him, and leaped into the air with his lightness skill, quickly leaving the area.
As Xu Yang departed, Lei Dong and Zhao Qiankun exchanged a glance, wariness flashing in both their eyes. They each took two steps back, putting a wide distance between themselves.
Seeing this, the two let out awkward laughs and stayed on their guard as they divided the legendary martial arts manuals Xu Yang had left behind into two piles, each taking his share. Then they called for their trusted men to gather their belongings and went their separate ways.
Xu Yang traveled by day and hid by night, carrying the young prince and proceeding with great caution. Three days later, he finally made it safely out of Wu Prefecture. It wasn't that he didn't want to fly on his sword; his cultivation was simply too low to carry another person. He needed to reach Foundation Establishment before he could fly with someone else.
Fortunately, nothing happened along the way, and Xu Yang safely entered Haicheng Prefecture. After all, a small child posed no threat, so the Demonic Path cultivators of the Blood Refining Sect didn't pay him any mind. Only the rebel Prince Fu was paying close attention.
Before you continue