A gust of mountain wind swept through, and the young man shivered, his whole body turning cold.
This was no place to linger!
The Beast tide was raging, and powerful Beasts could appear at any moment. Senior Sister was unconscious and unable to fight, while his cultivation was still shallow. He had no way to stand against high-level Beasts.
Chen Changming straightened his clothes, hoisted Senior Sister onto his back, and secured her with two vines. Then he sprinted toward the mountain's outskirts.
Dragon Glide Step flashed into motion, and he was as fast as a shooting star.
This was the first time Chen Changming had unleashed the full power of Dragon Glide Step in Cloud Mist Mountain. At a terrifying speed, he raced through battlefield after battlefield, passing one Beast after another.
"Hmm, is Luo Lan injured? How can that kid move so fast?"
Qin Changtian was fighting two Beasts when, in a fleeting glance, he spotted a figure speeding past in the distance. His heart jolted.
He recognized the figure.
It was the outer-sect disciple Chen Changming, carrying Luo Lan as he fled for his life.
"That kid really was hiding his strength..."
Qin Changtian gave a cold laugh, his gaze dark. A glint of icy light flashed in his eyes.
If he hadn't been entangled with two Beasts and struggling to defend himself, Qin Changtian might have taken advantage of the chaos to eliminate a potential threat to his future prospects.
"For now, I'll just make sure I survive. I can deal with it after I return to the sect..."
At that moment, this number one prodigy of Lingxiao Sect made his choice.
With Dragon Glide Step unleashed to its full power and Lingxiao Sword Technique at maximum strength, he even used his hidden trump card, Spirit Finger Flick, from time to time. The young man escaped the Beast tide in Cloud Mist Mountain with a few close calls but no real danger.
Once he reached the plains,
he didn't dare stop for a moment. He ran a thousand li, and only in the latter half of the night, when less than a fifth of his spiritual energy remained, did he find a dilapidated Mountain God Temple on a small hill. He darted inside.
Huff, huff...
The young man panted heavily, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving. Running a thousand li had taken a serious toll on his body. He also had some minor injuries, and even with spiritual energy to spare, he felt he could barely keep going.
He gathered some weeds and spread them out. Chen Changming laid Senior Sister down on them, then quickly built a fire to warm her.
The flames blazed, and some color returned to Senior Sister's pale face.
The young man let out a sigh of relief.
As long as Senior Sister was all right...
He sat cross-legged and began circulating Evergreen Art to restore his spiritual energy.
Whoosh... The spiritual energy around the ruined temple seemed to receive some unseen summons, surging toward him and pouring into his body like rivers flowing into the sea.
It was a startling sight.
Chen Changming also sensed that something was off. Looking closely, he realized most of the spiritual energy was flowing into the Silver Insect against his chest.
"What kind of spirit insect is this? It's only at the first level of Qi Refining, yet it absorbs spiritual energy at such an incredible rate..."
His expression shifted, but he still couldn't figure out what was going on.
Since he couldn't work it out, he decided not to bother guessing and continued cultivating Evergreen Art.
Two hours later,
Chen Changming opened his eyes, looking refreshed, and rose to his feet.
The spiritual energy in his dantian had recovered. Now he was a little hungry, so he decided to cook some Spirit Rice porridge.
He took a pot from his Storage Bag, went outside to scoop up some water from the river, added Spirit Rice, and set it over the fire. Before long, the fragrant aroma of rice filled the little temple.
Most of the Spirit Rice he had harvested last time was Mid-grade Spirit Rice. He had kept hundreds of thousands of jin in his Storage Bag without selling any.
It was his last strategic reserve.
He wouldn't part with it unless he had no other choice. Having extra rice always gave him peace of mind.
The sky remained dark. At some point, clouds had gathered, and as the wind began to howl, a bolt of lightning flashed outside, illuminating the land in a brilliant white. Flocks of birds in the forest were startled and scattered with a flurry of wings.
Chen Changming fed the fire, making the flames burn brighter.
In the dancing firelight, Luo Lan's face grew rosier. Her wound had scabbed over, and her breathing was steady and rhythmic.
"Senior Sister might wake up before long."
Chen Changming felt more at ease. He glanced at the pot of Spirit Rice porridge and smiled.
The porridge was ready.
Splatter, splatter...
Just then, a torrential downpour began.
"Cough, cough... That porridge smells delicious..."
Amid the rain, an old man's voice rang out clearly. There had been no footsteps, yet Chen Changming watched as two figures, one old and one young, slowly entered the ruined temple.
The old man wore plain cloth, dressed as simply as could be, like a farmer from the mortal world. Though the rain was pouring outside, not a drop touched him. Even the soles of his shoes were dry.
His expression was kind, and he gave off no trace of an aura. He seemed like an ordinary person.
"This is an expert."
Chen Changming's pupils contracted, and he grew tense.
The Cloth-Clad Elder gazed at the iron pot over the fire, twitched his nose, and wore an expression of rapture. He murmured, "I never thought we'd get to eat Mid-grade Spirit Rice here..."
"Grandpa, I'm tired of eating high-grade Spirit Rice."
The little girl holding her grandfather's hand wrinkled her delicate nose and turned toward the side with a pout.
She looked about six or seven years old. She was not only beautiful but adorable, with bright, lively eyes and small red lips that made her breathtakingly lovely.
She was already so pretty at such a young age. Once she grew up, she would likely become a beauty capable of bringing ruin to kingdoms.
The little girl was also at the third level of Qi Refining, the same cultivation level as Chen Changming.
High-grade Spirit Rice?
At the little girl's words, Chen Changming felt a chill crawl up his back. What sort of great figures were these, to be sick of even high-grade Spirit Rice?
"Xiu'er, we travel the world to endure hardship and temper our Dao hearts. You've been out here for so long, yet you haven't changed one bit. Grandpa is truly heartbroken..."
The Cloth-Clad Elder sighed.
The little girl panicked at once. She waved her hands and said pitifully, "Grandpa, I'll do as you say. I can eat this Mid-grade Spirit Rice too."
"Good."
The Cloth-Clad Elder smiled, took his granddaughter by the hand, and led her to the fire. Looking at the young man, he asked, "Young man, might you spare us a bowl of food?"
"Senior, of course."
Chen Changming smiled wryly and quickly took several porcelain bowls from his Storage Bag. He filled two of them and offered them with both hands.
The old man before him was unfathomable, and there was no way he could afford to offend him. Fortunately, the man didn't look like a bad person.
"Thank you, young man."
The Cloth-Clad Elder took the bowl, sipped gently, and smacked his lips, savoring the sweetness of the Spirit Rice.
The little girl began eating too, though her expression remained wooden.
Chen Changming filled a bowl as well and silently ate with his head lowered. In the presence of an unfathomable great figure, he didn't dare speak freely for fear of inviting trouble.
After drinking half his bowl, the Cloth-Clad Elder smiled and said, "Young man, you're a disciple of Lingxiao Sect in Yue Kingdom, aren't you?"
"Yes, Senior."
Chen Changming answered honestly.
"On my travels, I've heard that your sect's Lingxiao Sword Technique is quite powerful..."
The Cloth-Clad Elder spoke with his head lowered as he slurped his porridge.
Seeing the old man praise Lingxiao Sword Technique made Chen Changming even more wary. He gave a simple smile and kept his head down, continuing to drink his porridge. "You're too kind, Senior."
The Cloth-Clad Elder set down his empty bowl, rubbed his belly with satisfaction, and said with a hearty laugh, "My granddaughter also studies swordsmanship. Why don't you spar with her, young man? Don't worry, this old man has some pride. I won't drink your porridge for nothing, and I won't make you spar for nothing either."