Chen Ming glanced over and smiled faintly. With a gentle wave of his right hand, the Azure Glow Sword appeared beside his feet. He stepped lightly onto it and rode his sword eastward.
A blue light flashed, and with a bang, a figure fell from above the city wall.
"Who's that? Doesn't he know there's a barrier? Doesn't he know flying is forbidden in Forgotten Seclusion City?"
"No need to guess. Another cultivator from out of town."
Hearing the noise, people rushed out of the streets and alleys to look. When they saw someone falling after crashing into the barrier, they all began talking.
The collision had left Chen Ming unharmed; it had not done much damage. Seeing himself falling, he hurriedly activated the Skywalking Technique, pushed off the Azure Glow Sword, and landed on the city wall.
In the end, Chen Ming walked outside the city before taking flight on his sword.
Not long after leaving Forgotten Seclusion City, he encountered a familiar figure flying toward him on a sword.
Yu Weiwei, an Inner Sect disciple of the Soaring Immortal Sect, stood around 1.6 meters tall, making her rather short in the cultivation world. She had a round face, an exceptionally fine figure, and large, limpid eyes, and wore a plain long dress.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, what a coincidence! What brings you here?"
Yu Weiwei came closer and stopped, looking at Chen Ming curiously as she asked.
"Fellow Daoist Yu, what a coincidence indeed! I came here on some business. What brings you here?"
Chen Ming pondered for a moment before replying.
"Business? Do you know that beyond Forgotten Serenity lies the Beiliang Kingdom? My home is just outside Forgotten Seclusion City. I'm going home!"
Yu Weiwei sounded somewhat doubtful before answering Chen Ming's question.
After chatting for a while, Yu Weiwei headed toward the Soaring Immortal Sect, leaving Chen Ming standing there in a daze.
The Beiliang Kingdom-the place where the Zhao State's seven schools and six sects had fled. Chen Ming began to ponder.
After some thought, Chen Ming ultimately decided to proceed. No one from the seven schools and six sects should know me. Staying here in the Righteous Dao Alliance's territory is still too dangerous. With that thought, he flew off on his sword.
After passing through a dense forest and crossing a low hillside, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a sea of emerald bamboo before him.
Thousands upon thousands of green bamboo stalks swayed gently in the morning breeze, rustling like a green ocean.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the bamboo leaves, casting scattered flecks of light and shadow onto the ground. The beauty was breathtaking.
At the center of the bamboo sea, someone sat atop a blue-gray stone.
He wore a moon-white robe, his long hair draped casually over his shoulders. Holding a short jade flute, he played with leisurely contentment.
The morning breeze stirred his sleeves and hair. Paired with the expanse of green bamboo and the lilting flute music, it truly formed a picture that delighted the eye and soothed the heart.
Chen Ming could not help stopping, unwilling for a moment to break that tranquility.
The man seemed to sense his arrival, and the flute music gradually stopped.
The moment Chen Ming saw his face clearly, he froze.
He was a youth who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen, with handsome features, gentle brows and eyes, and a faint smile on his lips.
Yet his eyes were nothing like those a youth should have. From his clothing, Chen Ming recognized him as a disciple of Yellow Maple Valley.
Chen Ming had never imagined that he would encounter someone from Yellow Maple Valley so soon after entering the Beiliang Kingdom.
"Fellow Daoist, look over there!"
Chen Ming pointed in a direction as he spoke to the youth before him. The Azure Glow Sword instantly appeared in his hand, and even as he spoke, he slashed at the youth.
The youth looked in the direction Chen Ming had indicated. Just as Chen Ming thought he was about to succeed, the Azure Glow Sword struck the youth's neck-but things did not go as he had expected!
With a clang, Chen Ming's Azure Glow Sword was blocked, and the recoil numbed the web of his hand.
Chen Ming hurriedly leaped back, turned, and fled, cold sweat pouring from his forehead. He cursed inwardly, Why are there so many sneaky bastards here? This guy was actually pretending to be in the Qi Refining Realm! He mounted the Azure Glow Sword and flew straight away.
"Young friend, where might you be going?"
The youth suddenly appeared before Chen Ming, blocking his path.
Chen Ming stopped abruptly. Looking at the youth hovering in the air before him, he groaned inwardly. Instead of being the mighty expert you are, you just had to pretend to be some Qi Refining Realm small fry. Fine, pretend all you like, but you even have a precious treasure on you!
"Senior, this lowly one..."
Chen Ming first bowed, then found himself at a loss for how to explain. Am I supposed to say that you looked like a Qi Refining Realm cultivator, and the system told me you had a precious treasure? Who could have guessed you were playing the pig to devour the tiger? Now he truly had a mouth but no words to speak.
"Oh! I thought you would offer all sorts of excuses or beg for mercy in every possible way."
His interest piqued, the youth studied Chen Ming and spoke with some surprise.
"May I ask which esteemed senior of Yellow Maple Valley you are?"
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Chen Ming hurriedly asked respectfully.
"Ha ha ha! I am Xiang Zhili!"
Xiang Zhili suddenly burst out laughing, then adopted a formal air and declared his name solemnly.
Upon hearing this, Chen Ming nearly lost his balance and fell from the sky. His face went from red to green, then white, and his hands and feet began to tremble.
Chen Ming thought, Wasn't Xiang Zhili supposed to be an old man? Why doesn't he look like he did in the original novel?
Was there still any chance of escape? He had already revealed his identity and cultivation. Under such circumstances, what sneaky bastard would let someone leave? Chen Ming should never have asked who he was.
"Hmm! From the look of you, you seem to recognize me!"
Seeing how Chen Ming, who had looked composed just moments earlier, became so frightened upon hearing his name, Xiang Zhili spoke with some surprise.
"You jest, Senior Xiang. This lowly one is merely a junior at the Foundation Establishment Stage. How could I possibly know you? If I did, how could I have done such a thing?"
Chen Ming hurriedly bowed as he spoke. If I'd known who you were, how would I have dared attack? Now Chen Ming was meat on the chopping block, ready to be butchered at another's whim. It all depended on the other man's mood, or when he chose to act.
"From what you say, even if you don't know me, you've heard my name. Speak. Who exactly are you? Perhaps I will leave you a path to survival."
Xiang Zhili's expression darkened as he looked at Chen Ming. He gently laid his right hand on Chen Ming's shoulder and spoke sternly.
Yet at that very moment, just as Xiang Zhili touched Chen Ming's shoulder, a pale blue light surged from within Chen Ming's body toward Xiang Zhili's hand.
At the same time, a mechanical voice sounded in Chen Ming's mind: "The system has detected a suitable Host. Transfer will now begin. Transfer initiated."
Chen Ming froze in surprise, then glanced at the pale blue light on his shoulder, a jumble of emotions stirring within him.
Before long, Xiang Zhili suddenly clutched his head and screamed in agony, his body falling uncontrollably toward the ground.
Seeing this, Chen Ming thought it was the perfect opportunity. He hurriedly mounted the Azure Glow Sword and fled as fast as he could.
Chen Ming flew on his sword for three days and three nights, not daring to stop for even a moment. Only when his magical power was nearing exhaustion did he finally stop and land on a mountaintop.