Weird Grandpa

A gentle breeze drifted in, carrying the fragrant scent of flowers and medicinal herbs.

Tang Wulin lightly stroked the leaves of a precious medicinal herb and could not help sighing. "This world is truly vast. Nearly every major faction has its own cultivated herb gardens."

Huo Yuhao nodded in agreement. "If not for the Foreign Realm's interference and destruction, the ethereal Ancient Immortal Era would have been hundreds or thousands of times richer and more prosperous than this."

A group of people suddenly arrived at the entrance to the herb garden not far away. At the front was Yu Feng, who often bullied Shi Qingfeng. Walking beside him was Xiao Tian, who had failed to ambush someone only to be ambushed himself. Behind them followed a large crowd of Genius Camp disciples, all lackeys attached to Yu Feng.

Xiao Tian pointed at Huo Yuhao and said irritably, "You and your other friend were the ones who ambushed me from behind that day, weren't you?"

Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow. "This talented young genius with such a remarkable brow and bearing, don't make wild accusations without evidence."

Xiao Tian sneered. "Zhou Yuhao, whom I robbed at the scene that day, was tortured by me long ago and confessed the truth. Don't even think of denying it. Your other friend did it."

The Zhou Yuhao he mentioned had long since joined Yu Feng's ranks. At that moment, he stood among the group of lackeys behind Yu Feng.

Yu Feng pointed at Tang Wulin and sneered at Huo Yuhao. "What a small world. I never expected you to be in league with this guy too. Perfect, I can catch you all in one net."

Yu Feng naturally knew Tang Wulin well, since Tang Wulin had personally taught him several lessons that had sunk deep into his bones after protecting Shi Qingfeng.

Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. "You wouldn't happen to think that adding Xiao Tian means you can defeat Wulin, would you?"

Tang Wulin nodded in agreement. "No matter how many of you come at once, the result will still be the same as before. I'll beat you until you flee in panic."

The cultivators who had been touring the herb garden nearby heard the commotion and gathered around curiously to see what was happening.

"This is Heaven-Mending Pavilion's herb garden. Someone actually dares to fight here. If they damage the medicinal herbs, Heaven-Mending Pavilion definitely won't let them off." The surrounding people discussed it among themselves.

As though they had not heard the others' warnings, Yu Feng and Xiao Tian directly ordered their lackeys to attack together, launching a siege against Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin with their respective treasure techniques.

As a member of the Rain Clan, Yu Feng's treasure technique was naturally closely related to the water element, and it was completely restrained by the Suanni Treasure Technique containing Thunder Law.

Yet what puzzled everyone was that Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin, who were being besieged, did not make a single move. They neither attacked nor dodged, merely standing there calmly.

Seeing the two remain frozen in place without moving an inch, Yu Feng mocked, "Don't tell me you two were scared stupid?"

Tang Wulin made a face. "How ignorant. I just didn't want to accidentally damage the flowers and plants here, so I couldn't be bothered to fight you."

Huo Yuhao snapped his fingers. "Have you ever experienced the double delight of ice and fire? Today, I'll be merciful and let you experience it for free."

Everyone watched as Yu Feng's water-element treasure technique actively absorbed the treasure technique energy of everyone else. The technique Yu Feng had unleashed swelled further, becoming several times more powerful than before.

"What's going on? My treasure technique suddenly isn't under my control!" Yu Feng cried in panic.

The enormous technique scattered like flowers strewn by a heavenly maiden, transforming into drops of crystal-clear water. Each droplet floated around Yu Feng, Xiao Tian, and the lackey disciples behind them.

One of the lackeys curiously tried touching a water droplet, only to be scalded by its intense heat and let out a scream.

In truth, the water droplets in the inner ring were high-temperature boiling water element, while the outer ring consisted of ice element radiating cold air. The ice element in the outer ring gradually expanded, eventually forming an ice crystal barrier that firmly froze the enemies in the inner ring within ice sculptures.

Thus, a strange sight formed before them: boiling water droplets of extreme heat and ice sculptures condensed at low temperatures coexisted as one, creating a uniquely beautiful scene amid the vast herb garden.

Frozen into ice sculptures, Yu Feng and Xiao Tian were still helpless even when they exerted every ounce of strength to struggle against the ice seal. After all, the force binding them came from their combined power, bolstered by Huo Yuhao's strength as well.

Left with no choice, they could only let themselves be at others' mercy, painfully enduring the scorching steam and bone-piercing chill, deeply experiencing the taste of ice and fire.

Tang Wulin fanned the air before him with his hand. "The air here has become stale because of you people. What an annoying bunch of bugs."

"Then let's go somewhere else to have fun."

Huo Yuhao immediately took Tang Wulin's hand and pulled him toward the exit of the herb garden.

Among the nearby crowd, someone finally thought to report the matter to an elder. Yu Feng, Xiao Tian, and the others were only then rescued by the elder. With so much water element around them, they inevitably ended up looking like drenched, dejected rats.

Yu Feng wailed, "Elder, you have to seek justice for us!"

Elder Xiong Fei snorted coldly. "Even if you have personal grudges, you cannot fight in the herb garden. Those two clearly understand the rules better than you. It is already generous enough that you were not punished, so do not push your luck."

Elder Zhuo Yun added, "If you want to fight, go to the sparring arena for a fair duel. Do not act on impulse again."

In truth, if not for the fact that Xiao Tian was a talented youth blessed by heaven, how could the elders have indulged them so much?

There had been quite a few cultivators watching the crowd fight in the herb garden. The matter spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, becoming a somewhat famous piece of gossip.

However, its fame naturally could not compare to Shi Hao digging up Precious Bones and eating immortal grass in Heaven-Mending Pavilion. After all, Bear Child's reputation had long spread far and wide through the Void God Realm.

Late at night, all was silent, save for a terrified cry coming from somewhere, forming a stark contrast with the tranquil darkness.

A gray-haired old man with hollow eyes appeared before Shi Hao in an erratic, ghostly manner. An ancient sword was embedded in the head of the lifeless old man. His aged voice drifted toward Shi Hao, uttering four words:

"Return my sword—"

Shi Hao looked puzzled. "Old man, isn't the sword right on your head?"

The gray-haired old man seemed not to hear him and continued muttering, "Return my sword..."

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll help you pull the sword out."

Shi Hao looked helpless as he forcefully tried to pull the sword from the old man's head, but it did not budge at all. In the end, Shi Hao could only give up and turn to leave this eerie place.

However, in the next instant, the gray-haired old man vanished from where he stood and reappeared before Shi Hao in the blink of an eye, blocking his path.

Furball clung tightly to Shi Hao's neck and collar like a koala. The gray-haired old man's sudden appearance nearly scared it into foaming at the mouth.

"Please let me go!"

This bizarre movement technique finally shattered Shi Hao's composure. He rushed out of the courtyard, ran a hundred li without looking back, and fled in a flash to the wooden hut where he lived.

Shi Hao shook his head hard, then lay down on the bed, trying his best to forget the terrifying scene from before. He quickly closed his eyes and hugged Furball tightly as he fell asleep.

The gray-haired old man silently appeared beside Shi Hao's bed and quietly waited for him to awaken.

The next day.

When Shi Hao opened his eyes, he saw a huge face right before his own and could not help screaming aloud:

"Ah—"

Furball woke at Shi Hao's cry. Once it realized what had happened, it immediately hid inside Shi Hao's red scarf, trembling all over.

Shi Hao leaped off the bed and ran, darting outside in a flash. Without thinking, he rushed to the wooden hut next door and knocked frantically on its door.

"Yuhao, are you in there?"

When there was no response from inside for a long while, Shi Hao understood that Huo Yuhao had likely gone to the Genius Camp to find Tang Wulin. He immediately sprinted toward the Genius Camp as fast as he could.

Genius Camp, sparring arena.

Standing on the arena platform, Xiao Tian crooked a finger and arrogantly said to Huo Yuhao, who stood not far below, "The elders said that anyone wishing to test their martial skills can come here for a fair duel. Do you dare accept?"

Huo Yuhao looked calm and uninterested. "I don't want to beat the talented young genius the elders cherish into a mentally disabled cripple."

Tang Wulin refuted him. "No, there's no need to worry about beating him stupid, because he was already mentally disabled to begin with."

"You! You're courting death!" Xiao Tian glared furiously, beside himself with rage. Light flickered in his hand as he began gathering power for his prized treasure technique.

"Qingfeng... Hurry and help me..."

A broken plea for help suddenly came from the distance, immediately drawing the attention of the crowd. Xiao Tian also withdrew the treasure technique in his hand.

"Big brother, what's wrong with you?" Shi Qingfeng hurried forward and grabbed Shi Hao's hand.

Shi Hao looked as though someone were gripping his throat. He could barely speak and could only helplessly claw at his neck.

"There's a ghost..." Shi Hao said with difficulty.

Shi Qingfeng looked confused. "Where? I don't see anything."

At that moment, Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin rushed over as well. Huo Yuhao stood before Shi Hao and helped pry apart the gray-haired old man's ten fingers from Shi Hao's neck. Tang Wulin stood behind Shi Hao, wrapped both arms around the gray-haired old man's waist, and pulled him hard, forcing him away from Shi Hao.

"Ah—finally saved." Shi Hao let out a long breath and desperately gulped down the fresh air around him.

To everyone else, including Shi Qingfeng, Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin had just been tugging at empty air and had not touched Shi Hao at all. The three men's strange actions left everyone present baffled.

The gray-haired old man continued repeating the same words. "Return my sword!"

Shi Hao helplessly compromised. "Fine, fine, fine, old man. I promise I'll help you find your sword. Stop haunting me already, all right?"

A rune flashed past with Shi Hao's promise, and the gray-haired old man stopped muttering, immediately falling silent.

Among the crowd, someone who had seen Bear Child in the Void God Realm instantly recognized Shi Hao as Loves Drinking Beast Milk. That person hurried off to report it to Elder Xiong Fei.

Before long, after hearing the disciple's report, Elder Xiong Fei swiftly arrived. He directly grabbed Shi Hao and brought him to Heaven-Mending Pavilion's main hall to meet the Pavilion Master. Since Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin could see the gray-haired old man, Elder Xiong Fei summoned them along as well.

Heaven-Mending Pavilion, main hall.

Elder Xiong Fei gloated, "You little Bear Child, after doing so many outrageous things that anger both man and god, you've finally been punished by Weird Grandpa."

So the old man is called Weird Grandpa.

"All right, there is no need to hold such a minor matter against a child." The Pavilion Master turned to Shi Hao. "Weird Grandpa, who has been clinging to you, was the patriarch who founded Heaven-Mending Pavilion."

Shi Hao looked utterly confused. "Isn't the sword on his head? Why is he pestering me to help him find it?"

Xiong Fei explained, "The sword in his head belonged to an enemy from long ago. His own sword was left behind in Hundred-Segment Mountain."

The Pavilion Master continued, "Since you have already promised Weird Grandpa, you must go to Hundred-Segment Mountain and help him search for his sword. Hundred-Segment Mountain contains both opportunities and dangers, and prodigies like Shi Yi will certainly enter it to train and seek opportunities as well."

The moment Shi Hao heard the name Shi Yi, he seemed charged with excitement and answered firmly, "All right, I'll go."

Xiong Fei pushed Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin forward, looking at the Pavilion Master in confusion. "Those two can also see Weird Grandpa. Should they go to Hundred-Segment Mountain too?"

Tang Wulin volunteered eagerly, "The three of us are good brothers. We can look after one another, so let Brother Yuhao and me help too."

The Pavilion Master nodded upon hearing this. "All right. More people mean more strength, so we shall do as you say."

Shi Hao suddenly looked at Xiong Fei with a sinister expression. "Elder Xiong Fei, Weird Grandpa is standing behind you and watching you right now~"

Elder Xiong Fei jolted in fright, but still put on an air of composure. "You little Bear Child, you think such a petty trick can scare me?"

The Pavilion Master reminded Shi Hao, "Although you have already opened six Cave Heavens, you still need time to accumulate experience, solidify your foundation, and strengthen yourself before entering Hundred-Segment Mountain. Therefore, I have decided to entrust you to Elder Mu Yan, who will guide and reinforce your cultivation."

"As for you two..."

The Pavilion Master glanced at Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin, then hesitated. He immediately had Elder Xiong Fei bring Shi Hao to Elder Mu Yan's herb garden. Only after Xiong Fei and Shi Hao had left did the Pavilion Master slowly speak.

"You two seem to be very strong. Even I cannot see through your cultivation realms. Therefore, I cannot determine which elder you should specifically cultivate under."

Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. "Pavilion Master, you have considered everything thoroughly. Heaven-Mending Pavilion will surely flourish under your leadership. As for cultivation, we can simply go to Elder Mu Yan's herb garden and seek his guidance."

The Pavilion Master seemed to catch a trace of hope in those words, his face full of anticipation. "May your words come true. Come, I'll take you both to the herb garden now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Pavilion Master led Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin toward Elder Mu Yan's herb garden with light steps.