Liu Mei nodded, understanding at once. She turned and returned to the courtyard to continue cultivating, determined to break through to the Late Foundation Establishment Realm within a year.
Luo Chuan swirled the teacup in his hand and glanced at Liu Mei, thinking to himself, I remember meeting a wild man in the Mist Forest all those years ago. Looking back now, that fellow had pretty decent talent.
Zhao Kingdom, Mist Forest.
Morning mist wound through the Mist Forest like a gauzy veil. The branches of towering ancient trees slanted up, piercing the clouds, while damp moss coated their dark brown bark.
Now and then, a dewdrop rolled off a broad fern leaf and struck the ground blanketed in rotting leaves, leaving a tiny wet mark.
The forest air carried the bitter, earthy scent of humus and plants. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the foliage, weaving a golden web of dappled light across the ground.
A brightly plumed bird of unknown species perched on a branch, its clear call brief as a flash. Then only the rustle of leaves in the wind remained.
In the depths of the forest, vines intertwined into a natural barrier, with pale purple, bell-shaped flowers dangling between them.
Morning dew clinging to their petals caught the light and glimmered. Now and then, a wild rabbit darted through the undergrowth, scattering a few dry leaves and bringing a touch of life to the quiet forest.
Luo Chuan sat atop the Blood Qilin, gazing at the scene before him. His handsome face showed not the slightest emotion.
After all, he had cultivated here years ago and knew the surroundings like the back of his hand. Even some of the demon beasts would act deferentially whenever they saw him.
"According to the original story, that fellow should be somewhere nearby."
Luo Chuan slowly rose to his feet. His Spirit Severing Realm divine sense surged outward, spreading through the surrounding forest and enveloping everything within a hundred li.
A short while later,
Luo Chuan's divine sense settled on a humanoid creature with blue skin, racing wildly through the forest.
The man was blue all over, every inch of his skin covered in strange symbols. On top of that, nine yellow talismans, each half a cun long, were stuck to various parts of his body.
"If I'm not mistaken, he should be the Immortal Remnant Clan's young patriarch, A-Dai."
A-Dai's true identity was the young patriarch of the Immortal Remnant Clan. His original name was Ta Shan.
The Immortal Remnant Clan had once been the Rune Clan from beyond the boundary, devoted to cultivating the power of runes. They had been left behind within the boundary after the war between those within and beyond it.
A-Dai had been exiled to the Immortal Locking Platform in his youth after committing an offense. With his memories incomplete and his power sealed, he appeared dazed in the early part of the story, with blue skin, a body covered in talismans, and muddled speech.
Later, with the help of powerful members of the Immortal Remnant Clan, A-Dai broke his seal and recovered some of his memories and strength.
A-Dai seemed to sense the unusual energy fluctuation and abruptly stopped. He was just about to search for its source when Luo Chuan suddenly appeared before him.
The moment A-Dai saw Luo Chuan, his eyes lit up. He hurried over, speaking in words no one could understand.
"A-Dai, it's been years. I didn't expect you'd still look the same. Your cultivation, though, has reached the Late Foundation Establishment Realm."
Luo Chuan could naturally sense the energy radiating from A-Dai's body. He nodded in satisfaction, one hand clasped behind his back.
A-Dai poked Luo Chuan in the chest and gestured rapidly with his hands. He clearly had no idea what Luo Chuan had said, but since they knew each other, he felt no wariness or apprehension toward him.
Luo Chuan's fingers moved swiftly, and a special pill appeared before him. "Swallow this, and you'll be able to speak."
A-Dai stepped forward and looked at the pill in Luo Chuan's hand. After pondering for a long while, he picked it up and put it in his mouth.
As soon as the pill went down, A-Dai felt no discomfort at all. Instead, he felt refreshed and clear-headed.
A-Dai cleared his throat and asked cautiously, "I mean, how did you come back?"
When he realized he could speak, A-Dai's eyes lit up, and he immediately laughed with delight. "Hahaha! I can finally talk! I can finally speak!"
"You're a good person. You really are a good person!"
Facing Luo Chuan, A-Dai imitated the mannerisms he had once learned from humans and bowed with surprising formality.
With one hand behind his back, Luo Chuan gave a slight nod and a faint smile. "A-Dai, I've returned to the Mist Forest today mainly to find you."
"Find me?" A-Dai looked confused and asked curiously, "I don't understand what you mean."
"I am the founding ancestor of the Hengyue Sect. I've come to take you as my disciple. Are you interested in becoming my student?"
Hearing that Luo Chuan wanted to take him as a disciple, A-Dai scratched his head and hesitated. "I know you're powerful, but I can't agree to that... There's someone I still have to look after."
Luo Chuan knew very well that the person A-Dai had to look after was Wu Yu, once a Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse of the Corpse Yin Sect and the junior brother of Ye Zizai.
Wu Yu was already at the end of his rope. His Nascent Soul had left his body, and unless he could possess someone else, it would be difficult for him to survive. In the end, his Nascent Soul would dissipate, vanishing from the world.
"Take me to him. I'll make sure he agrees to let you leave."
A-Dai didn't refuse. He nodded and immediately led Luo Chuan running off into the distance.
But they had barely gone far when the ground suddenly split open. A shriveled right hand tore through the opening, and an overwhelming wave of corpse energy poured out.
Once all the corpse energy had been absorbed, a middle-aged man wreathed in it appeared out of thin air. The trees on either side seemed unable to withstand the ghastly energy; one after another, they crumbled into dust and vanished.
With one hand behind his back, the middle-aged man swept his right hand forward. A dried-out corpse, neither quite human nor quite ghost, appeared before him.
"A hundred years gone, and I never expected the master's body would become a Corpse Charm. Since you've developed a mind of your own, you count as one of us. I can spare you, but you'll have to follow the faint connection between you and the master and help me find his Nascent Soul."
"If you dare try anything, I'll crush you to pieces and leave you without a place to be buried!"
The Corpse Charm nodded repeatedly, staring in terror at the man who looked like a dried corpse.
The middle-aged man waved his hand, and the cages around them vanished at once. He fixed the Corpse Charm with a sinister stare.
"Come on. Take me to find it. If you can find the master's Nascent Soul, then after I devour it and gain my freedom, I may consider helping you evolve into a Corpse Demon."
The Corpse Charm froze, then immediately nodded in delight. He got to his feet and ran toward the depths of the forest.
The middle-aged man followed without expression, intent only on killing Wu Yu as soon as possible. Only then could he truly regain his freedom.