Weird Master

The two bid farewell to the Divine Vine. The moment they opened the door, they saw an old man with a broken sword sticking out of his head, floating upside down in the air like a ghost. His enormous head faced Shi Hao's, and he muttered at him, "Give me back my sword!"

Shi Hao was terrified by the sight. "A ghost!"

Whichever way he went, Ghost Master floated in front of him. Sometimes he even threw an arm around Shi Hao's shoulders and hugged him, saying, "Give me back my sword! Give me back my sword!"

Shi Hao said in terror, "Isn't that sword right there in your head?"

Ghost Master rotated his head a full 360 degrees. His sinister appearance was enough to scare someone to death.

Jun Moxiao knew that if this continued, Shi Hao wouldn't get any sleep tonight. Still, he had to let Shi Hao enjoy a few days of being pestered by Weird Master and give him a good scare.

"Ah...! A ghost! Hao Tian, run!"

So Jun Moxiao pretended to be frightened too and took to his heels.

Shi Hao was already terrified of ghosts. Seeing Jun Moxiao run, he followed, yelling at the top of his lungs.

Weird Master was baffled too. Seeing Jun Moxiao run, he thought, I wasn't even trying to scare you. What are you running for?

But after finally finding Shi Hao, Weird Master wasn't going to leave easily. Over the next few days, he pestered Shi Hao constantly. Wherever Shi Hao went, the eerie figure floated behind him. Sometimes he even draped an arm around Shi Hao's shoulders like a close buddy, endlessly repeating, "Give me back my sword."

Weird Master nearly drove Shi Hao to a breakdown. Every so often, he would start screaming all by himself.

To let Shi Hao savor the feeling of being scared by a ghost, Jun Moxiao deliberately avoided him. He stayed away from the Genius Camp dormitory and holed up in the Scripture Pavilion instead. But Shi Hao still came looking for him every day, asking him to think of a way to shake off Weird Master.

It left Jun Moxiao unable to sleep either. Sometimes Shi Hao woke in the middle of the night, saw Weird Master's enormous head looming above his own, and started screaming in terror.

Jun Moxiao decided that was enough and said directly to the ghost, "Senior Ghost, don't worry. Hao Tian will help you recover your treasured sword. Please rest for now."

"Hao Tian, agree to Ghost Master's request. This is a tremendous opportunity."

Shi Hao hurriedly nodded. "Senior, I promise to help you find your treasured sword. Please rest for now and stop scaring me."

Once Ghost Master heard Shi Hao agree, he vanished instantly.

After being frightened for three days, Shi Hao said to Jun Moxiao, "Xiaoxiao, this is the tremendous opportunity you mentioned? It doesn't seem very reliable! I've nearly been scared to death these past three days."

Jun Moxiao said, "Stay calm, stay calm. I didn't lie to you. Trust me. You'll understand later."

Shi Hao could only steel himself and accept it. He believed his brother wouldn't harm him.

On the fourth day, Elder Xiong Fei came to the Genius Camp to take the two to see the pavilion master, saying there was an important matter.

The three arrived at the main hall and saw several senior members there, along with Senior Sister Xia Youyu.

Shi Hao was bewildered. Had they discovered that he'd sneaked into the Divine Vine's little courtyard a few nights ago? Would he be punished?

Yun Fei and the other elders hurriedly cupped their fists in greeting to the two, saying excitedly, "Thank you, Hao Tian and Xiaoxiao. You've saved the Heaven Mending Pavilion. Everyone in the pavilion owes you an immense karmic debt. From now on, Hao Tian, whatever you need, everyone in the Heaven Mending Pavilion will come at your call."

Shi Hao and Jun Moxiao exchanged a glance, thinking that they had forgotten to ask the Sacrificial Spirit to keep it secret.

Jun Moxiao asked, "Pavilion Master, did Senior Sacrificial Spirit tell you?"

"Indeed. The Sacrificial Spirit Ancestor told us about accepting the tremendous opportunity you bestowed. Not only will our ancestor survive, but our ancestor's strength will advance another step."

After speaking, Yun Fei waved his hand and activated a Teleportation Formation, transporting everyone before the vine.

Jun Moxiao saw that the Divine Vine had grown two tender branches. Even the old vine, previously withered and yellow, now bore shades of green and gold. The vine had come back to life.

Jun Moxiao said, "Senior Sacrificial Spirit, have you recovered?"

The old vine said, "Thank you for bestowing such a tremendous opportunity, young friend. I will survive, and I am recovering now."

Jun Moxiao said, "There's no need to be so courteous, Senior Sacrificial Spirit."

The old vine said to Shi Hao, "I've already spoken with my master, Weird Master. He won't frighten you anymore."

Shi Hao said, "Sacrificial Spirit Ancestor, it's all right. I promised Weird Master that I would help him recover his treasured sword. I'll keep my word."

"How strange. By all rights, Ghost Master should have sought out Xiaoxiao. He's stronger!"

Elder Xiong Fei spoke in puzzlement. The other senior members were baffled too. Why hadn't the eerie figure sought out the handsome boy?

Shi Hao said, "Elder, I think Weird Master and I must share a destined connection."

Weird Master had wanted to choose Jun Moxiao too. After all, that little fellow was stronger. But just as he tried to place a curse mark on Jun Moxiao, a stunning figure appeared and warned him directly through a soul transmission, Leave him alone, or I will annihilate your soul.

That terrifying aura had scared Weird Master senseless. This little fellow was an ancestor he couldn't afford to provoke.

Jun Moxiao asked the system, Meng Die! Were you the one who scared Weird Master away?

Meng Die replied, No, Master! Your Sister Willow Deity left a soul mark on you. If anyone tries to harm you, she will appear immediately to save you.

Jun Moxiao asked, Sister Willow Deity treats me that well? Then can she keep tabs on me at any time? Does she know how strong I am too?

Meng Die replied, Don't worry. Willow Deity's soul mark only activates when you're in danger. It won't activate normally. Besides, your trump cards, divine artifacts, and such all came from the system, so she can't probe them. Even if she knew, she wouldn't harm you.

Meng Die thought mischievously, How could she not treat you well? When she was divining your future, this system set you up as her future husband. Essentially, Willow Deity is raising you now.

The system had actually been stunned by Willow Deity's actions too. She was now giving the little fellow close personal protection!

But Meng Die didn't let Jun Moxiao know any of this. It was a huge surprise she had prepared for him.

Ah! That's just how this system plays.

The Hundred Broken Mountains would soon open, and Weird Master had sought out Shi Hao again, so the matter of the Hundred Broken Mountains was explained to everyone.

"The Hundred Broken Mountains will open in a year. Originally, we planned to have you search for the Immortality Spring and Ghost Master's sword. Now that the Sacrificial Spirit Ancestor has come back to life, Hao Tian only needs to search for Ghost Master's treasured sword! Hao Tian, spend this year doing everything you can to improve your strength. Elder Mu Yan will oversee your cultivation."

Yun Fei continued, "The Sacrificial Spirit Ancestor has instructed us not to reveal the news of our ancestor's revival. The Heaven Mending Pavilion will face many enemies in the future."

Jun Moxiao knew that the old Sacrificial Spirit intended to lure the enemy deep into their territory. The same thing had happened in the original storyline.

Thinking of the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow and Qiongqi, Jun Moxiao warned everyone. He also wanted the Divine Vine to kill the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow and Qiongqi and collect their precious blood and bodies for future barbecues.

"Pavilion Master, I think those enemies will definitely include the two Venerable Beasts, Qiongqi and the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow. I've beaten those two Fierce Beasts before. They're vicious, leaving every living thing plunged into misery wherever they go."

Everyone was dumbfounded. "You can beat up those two Venerable Beasts? They're at the peak of the Venerable realm!"

Jun Moxiao froze. Oh, damn! I let that slip! But then he thought, I've got cheats. What's there to fear?

Shi Hao asked, "Xiaoxiao! Was it that time?"

Jun Moxiao said, "That's right! I encountered those two Fierce Beasts attacking a Vermilion Bird. That Vermilion Bird should have been the Fire Kingdom Sacrificial Spirit."

Everyone asked, "How could you beat them?"

Jun Moxiao said, "I have a divine ability called Summon Future Self! It summons my future self to fight. When I beat those two beasts, I was only at the extreme realm of the Blood Moving Realm, but I could summon a future self in the Divine Fire Realm. Now that I'm in the cave heaven extreme realm, I should be able to summon a future self in the Heavenly God Realm."

This was a trump card Jun Moxiao had deliberately revealed. The message was that if anyone entertained any crooked intentions toward him, he would throw reason aside, activate his cheats, and wipe them out.

The Heaven Mending Pavilion's elders were stunned. The voice of the Sacrificial Spirit, the Divine Vine, rang out. "Your divine ability transcends all rules, young friend, and your cultivation breaks those rules as well. You are the Only One in Ten Thousand Ages. Thirteen cave heavens are unprecedented, with none before you and none to follow."

Hmm! I didn't ask the system to conceal my strength, so the old vine saw through it. Still, it's no big problem.

Everyone was dumbfounded. "Thirteen cave heavens?"

Jun Moxiao could only summon his thirteen cave heavens. Each one left the others in disbelief.

Shi Hao cried, "Holy shit! Xiaoxiao, do you have any sense of fairness? You only had twelve cave heavens yesterday, and today you have Thirteen Cave Heavens! Are you going to leave the rest of us any room to live?"

Jun Moxiao switched into his smooth-talking mode. "Hao Tian, there's no need to compare yourself to me. You only need to surpass yourself. I told you before that I can cultivate in my dreams. Maybe I've already cultivated for several years in a dream. Besides, these thirteen cave heavens are my limit. They're barely passable! If you want to catch up to me, let's talk after you've opened ten cave heavens!"

Shi Hao was utterly speechless at Jun Moxiao's casual attitude, so he said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Thirteen cave heavens! And in your eyes, they're barely passable! I think you're showing off. Careful, or lightning will strike you!"

Yun Fei sighed in amazement. "We ordinary people can't understand the world of monsters. In that case, we'll be even safer when we enter the Hundred Broken Mountains. Now that everyone knows Xiaoxiao's strength, I hope everyone here will keep it secret. I propose giving Xiaoxiao an elder's position. Does anyone object?"

Elder Xiong Fei joked, "Xiaoxiao can Summon Future Self. Who would dare touch him? He could simply wipe them out."

"There are always greater people beyond us, and higher heavens beyond the sky. If we attract the attention of those mighty figures in the Upper Realm, what could we use to protect him? Better to keep it secret for now."

The other senior members of the Heaven Mending Pavilion agreed that they couldn't expose the little fellow's strength. Once people with ulterior motives learned of such a monster, all sorts of trouble would follow.

Jun Moxiao had no interest in power or anything of the sort, so he outright refused the pavilion master's proposal to make him an elder.

"Pavilion Master! There's no need to make me an elder or anything. I don't like those things. Besides, I'm only eight. If people outside found out about this, imagine the uproar!"

Yun Fei thought it over. "That's right! You're only eight, and Hao Tian is only ten. You're still at the age for cultivation and play. Yet your achievements are already beyond the reach of geniuses throughout the world."

Jun Moxiao considered himself: eight years old and 1.65 meters tall. Shi Hao was ten and 1.7 meters tall.

He remembered a line from the movie Let the Bullets Fly: This is fucking eight years old?

Over the following year, Shi Hao entered a frenzied cultivation mode to catch up to Jun Moxiao. Every day, he practiced the Lightning Art with Ancestor Mu Yan, using lightning to temper his body. Agonized howls rang out from the mountain behind the pavilion every day. After eight months, he opened his ninth cave heaven, then continued his grueling cultivation.

Jun Moxiao instructed Shi Hao to build a solid foundation first. He would definitely be able to open his Ten Cave Heavens in the Hundred Broken Mountains.

Shi Hao became even more enthusiastic and kept increasing the intensity. From then on, the Heaven Mending Pavilion became known for having a cultivation maniac who was also a self-torture maniac.

Huo Ling'er also came to find the two, and they became good friends. She and Shi Hao became a pair of bickering sweethearts. Jun Moxiao told Huo Ling'er to cultivate diligently, not to rush into the Spirit Transformation Realm, and to strive to reach ten cave heavens first.

Jun Moxiao remembered how, in the original storyline, Huo Ling'er had lacked the talent to keep up with Shi Hao. She had waited alone for him beneath the Fire Mulberry Tree in Sin Continent until An Lan, the King of Dirty Talk, seized her along with Sin Continent and took them to the Foreign Realm. She became the Dark Phoenix, and only two million years later did Shi Hao rescue her primordial spirit! Now that I'm here, I won't let that tragedy repeat itself.

Jun Moxiao asked the system, Meng Die! Can we hold off on removing the seal? I still have to enter the Hundred Broken Mountains!

Meng Die replied, No problem. Don't worry. You can collect the reward after you come out. Besides, with this system here, the rules governing the Hundred Broken Mountains won't detect you, Master. Otherwise, with your thirteen cave heavens, the Heavenly Dao would have sent down a lightning tribulation long ago.

Jun Moxiao said, System! You're the GOAT!