Chương 70: Chapter 69 – Nice! To See You Again

To See You Again Ren eyed Bao Hua out of the corner of his eye. His friend looked exhausted and worn down. At the same time, he was on alert and on edge, twitching at every small noise or movement. No doubt it came from surviving the dangers of the expedition, but it hurt Ren to see him in this state. Like a wounded animal, ready to lash out. Through his own experiences, Ren recognized the signs of mental wounds. Only Hua's were far deeper than his own had been. So Ren didn't question or probe Hua.

They ate in silence.

Hua had already scarfed down most of the food Ren had made for his dinner and showed no signs of slowing down, so Ren fished out some of the carp from the spirit spring and prepared them. In the silence as the sun set, the fire crisped the skin of the fish, releasing an enticing aroma.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize how hungry I was." Hua said, looking contrite for finishing off Ren's food.

"It's nothing much. Had I known you were coming, I would have prepared a feast in welcome!" Ren said and pulled out some wine as the next course cooked. Hua relaxed infinitesimally after a few cups. Then he slowly started to speak.

"The expedition was mostly a disaster. We achieved our aim but at great cost. Only a handful of us made it back home. I only kept surviving through luck and coincidence, and in the end, I progressed tremendously. But while I gained a lot, so many of my companions fell." Though he had many questions, Ren let him speak uninterrupted. He could hear the weary tone hiding much pain as Hua started to describe a fantastic and deadly journey. Only the crackle of the fire and the rustle of leaves broke the silence.

Ren activated his wards because his formation had started to work at peak efficiency as night fell. The qi in the air was swiftly rising, bringing a pervading cold with it. Absentmindedly, Hua scooped up a passing tortoise as he spoke of the mysterious forest of lightning, which had chipped away at their numbers as they made their way deeper inside. His understanding of the sword continued to increase through battle each night as he meditated and digested the information about sword cultivators Ren had given him.

All those battles hovering at the edge of death had let the lessons sink in deeper.

"That was when the old geezer first took an interest in me." He paused his tale as Ren served the perfectly cooked fish.

"What old geezer?" Ren said around a mouthful of delectable fish.

"It was this old man accompanying Cheng Lei, the expedition leader. We all thought he was just an attendant. We were blind fools who failed to recognize Mount Tai." Ren raised an eyebrow, curious to know who this old man was because although he called him 'geezer', Hua's voice actually sounded warm.

"That damn young master led us deeper into that forest until we could no longer retreat on our own. When we finally realized it, we had no choice but to follow him and rely on his mercy. We fought from dawn till dusk every day. Without his protective treasures, we would all have been killed by the lightning." Said Hua. He continued his story.

The expedition finally approached the cause of the unusual lightning storm that was plaguing the forest, but the treasure was being guarded by a beast tyrant, a core formation realm spirit beast that usually claimed vast territories. But it was hiding in the relatively small forest, coveting the hunk of metal that fell from the heavens.

"Cheng Lei led us into battle, but we were poorly prepared. He was the only core formation realm cultivator, but he led us against a beast tyrant! Normally it would take 3 core formation realm cultivators to slay one, and that fool left us no choice! Not to mention the lightning that rained down all around us!" There was a blazing anger in Hua's eyes as he spoke, but it slowly ebbed until it was replaced by something else.

"That was when I finally grasped something about the sword. I felt as though everything around me slowed and stilled. I could see with clarity the path my blade had to take and exactly how to strike. Even though I was not close to it, my strike reached it somehow. Unfortunately, my blade couldn't withstand the blow, and it shattered. But my attack distracted it enough that the beast came after me after injuring Cheng Lei." At that, Hua pulled out the shattered remains of the Tortoise Defender.

Only the hilt was in one piece. His expression was forlorn as he looked at the shards. When Ren poked them, he detected a strange impression. The remains of the blade made him feel a connection. It felt positive, as though the blade was filled with all the love and care Hua had put into it. And as the blade's creator, some part of it was from him too.

'How odd. I'll ask him for the remains and examine them more thoroughly later,' Ren thought to himself. More importantly, Ren couldn't understand how Hua was sitting here if the battle went as it did. He couldn't imagine facing a core formation realm beast and having the smallest chance of surviving. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Hua continued, "I would be dead but for that old fart finally drawing his sword. And then it was over."

Ren finally identified the look on Hua's face. It was awe mixed with tremendous respect.

"I thought I was the last one still standing by then. But he beheaded it in a single strike. That one slash… Brother, it was sublime perfection!" He fell silent, his gaze faraway as though he were picturing it again. They had finished eating by then and were sipping their wine. Hua was balancing 3 tortoises on his lap as he brought his story to a close.

"While we recovered, Cheng Lei performed the tests the sect required of us. Then some device was tested that tried to absorb all the lightning, but it exploded after a day. I think they were trying to make something that could defend against a powerful lightning storm but failed quite spectacularly! As for the old geezer, it turns out he was no mere attendant but a dao guardian." Ren had pieced together that much. Dao guardians were powerful protectors to talented young prospects of powerful sects and families.

They allowed their charges to gain experience in life-or-death battles but stepped in before any permanent harm was done.

"We secured that metal treasure that was causing the lightning and escaped the forest in the ensuing chaos. When we made it out, the old geezer offered to make me his disciple. I accepted." At that Ren jumped up and clapped him on his back, congratulating him. Hua had found a powerful master who could guide him on his path, and that was worth celebrating! He came up with an idea.

"Come, brother, I have something to show you." Ren put out the fire and fetched a snoozing Yu Ran. When Hua got up, 7 tortoises were dislodged from their resting places with squeaking protests. Ren didn't spot the one tortoise that was yet smuggled out in Hua's sleeve when they started down the mountain. Outside the wards, Hua finally noticed the unusually dense quantity of qi and said, "You have built something incredible here, brother, but I worry you may attract unwanted attention.

Treasuring a jade ring is a crime."

"I have done my best to contain the flows of qi, but even if someone sees it, the sect rules don't allow a mountain to be stolen. They would lose all their talented seedlings if they kept getting trampled by others."

"If there's one thing I've learned from my journey outside, it is that nothing is certain and power determines all. If someone acted against you in the dark, would the sect still risk offending a great power for someone already crippled or dead?" Those words disturbed Ren. For all his caution, he had developed a blind spot around the sect.

Because he respected how they treated everyone and their rules that allowed disciples to rise or fall on their own merit, somewhere along the line, Ren had started to view them as infallible. His brother was right to warn him. He nodded to show the words had been taken seriously, but he buried it to consider later. It would only put a damper on the celebration. They quickly reached the base of the mountain, and Ren peeled apart the arrays hiding the cave entrance.

He had Hua climb onto his flying sword and shot down the narrow but straight tunnel. Ren laughed as Hua clung to him, but it sputtered to a stop when the iron grip started to squeeze the breath from his lungs! He shouted over the reverberating wind, "How are you this strong?! Did you also make progress in body cultivation along the way?" Hua had just started to shout back a reply when Ren came to a stop at the opening of the enormous cavern.

"MY MASTER GAVE ME A…." Hua's shouted words echoed. He stopped and spoke in an accusing but normal tone.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you!" Ren laughed as he started opening the arrays warding the cavern. Hua continued, "My master gave me a technique and used a smelly paste made from the beast tyrant's remains to smear while I cultivated, which allowed me to make some progress. He said, 'Even sword cultivators need a strong foundation'. I think he intends for me to participate in the Golden Dharma Trial as well."

"The sect will hold the selection trials soon, so hurry up and train well. It would be nice not to go alone." said Ren.

"Oho? That's some confidence you have there, Brother! You're that certain you'll pass the selections?" Hua asked.

"You can see for yourself when we spar tomorrow." Ren smirked. He saw some of Hua's old energy return as he eagerly accepted. The arrays opened and revealed an extremely humid space. The temperature was more than warm, and thick mists covered their sights. The energy density was also very high. Not nearly as much as on the mountain peak but still rather significant. Ren didn't show off the whole cavern, including the warded spaces to the left and right. Instead, he led them to the far wall, toward the hot springs.

He had worked on the cavern for 4 months since Yu Ran hatched but only recently did he feel ready to come here for relaxation. Only once the wounds from the killing intent healed did he stop feeling uncomfortable every time he stepped inside. Yu Ran had no such compunctions and eagerly slithered into the hot spring, expressing joy and comfort across their link.

"And while we soak, I have this wine I received from a senior as a bonus for growing her herbs well. So wash away your worries, brother, and welcome back!" He pretended not to see Hua's shimmering eyes. Yes, it was just the haze from all the heat.

PoV Change: Jian Feng noticed another drop in the levels of qi on his mountain when he returned from his month-long mission tracking a murderous cultivator. He frowned as he checked his arrays, but they had all recorded the same thing. A gradual decline in quantity and quality of qi over the past 4 months. He hadn't taken much notice of it then, but if it continued, then soon his mountain wouldn't be half the cultivation haven it was when he first claimed it.

Not to mention all the additional wealth and resources he had spent to improve it. The timing couldn't have been worse either, as he was about to make a push to break into the late stage of the foundation realm. He would have to go and make a trip to his family. Jian Feng didn't look forward to that, but they deserved to know. Despite his reluctance, he would visit his uncle.

As Jian Feng bowed his head before the sect's leadership at the impromptu meeting between The Sect and the Clans, he wondered how he came to be involved in such momentous matters.