At some mass grave.
The Corpse Ghost brothers had just slaughtered a Jing Kingdom merchant caravan and were taking a brief rest here.
The two brothers worked in perfect harmony, dividing the spoils fairly. One took the corpses, the other the souls. Neither interfered with the other, and each was delighted.
Of course, given Lin Zhengren's nature, he was absolutely unwilling to provoke the people of Jing Kingdom. But Corpse Brother was simply too vicious; he had no choice but to offer this token of allegiance.
Wild grass tangled thickly, jagged rocks stood everywhere—the surroundings felt quite familiar.
The brothers each sat atop a grave mound, breathing and circulating their energy. Of course, neither dared cultivate with complete focus before his good brother. Their eyes were closed, but all their attention was fixed on each other.
Sure enough, Lin Zhengren had barely furrowed his brow when his good big brother's concern came over. "Worthy brother, what's wrong? Feeling unwell?"
Lin Zhengren had merely been struck by an inexplicable feeling, as though his fortune had been stolen away and the road ahead had suddenly darkened.
It was not the first time he had felt this way.
He had felt it back when he saw Zhu Weiwu at the State Daoist Academy. Only after taking the opportunity to drive Zhu Weiwu away did he dispel the gloom in his heart and win himself a patch of sky in tiny Zhuang Kingdom.
Later, when he saw Jiang Wang on River Viewing Terrace, the sensation of dark clouds bearing down overhead had been even stronger. Only after he had "died" before the Life Monument in Maple Forest Territory and returned to the world as Lin Guangming had he finally seen a vast heaven and earth.
Yet today, for reasons unknown, he had been sitting