“I didn’t mean for this to happen! I did it out of goodwill!”
“See, isn’t that little monk fine now?”
“There’s no need for you to come personally for a small matter as such, right?”
“Your cultivation techniques are truly incredible, able to twist heaven and earth and reverse life and death… eh?”
As the burly man cried, he noticed that something was amiss.
The blood-colored butterfly in midair did not move at all.
There was no lifeforce within it as well.
After glaring at the blood-colored butterfly for a while, the burly man realized that it was an illusion conjured from Su Zimo’s exhalation and did not possess any killing power at all!
The burly man’s expression darkened and he wanted to slap himself.
He had lived for countless years and even if he met with the top existence of Tianhuang Mainland, he wouldn’t show any bit of fear, let alone lose his composure as such.
However, that woman who appeared eight years ago was way too domineering that she left a trauma in his heart.
The moment the blood-colored butterfly appeared earlier on, he thought for a moment that the woman had returned.
The burly man felt guilty to begin with after nearly causing Su Zimo’s death.
His first reaction when he saw the blood-colored butterfly was that she was here to make him pay for it. Instantly, he was scared out of his wits and lost strength in his knees, kneeling onto the ground with a thud…
The old monk was much calmer.
The burly man stood up embarrassedly and coughed gently to hide his awkwardness.
Thankfully, that little monk was unconscious and did not witness everything. Otherwise, he would have to hide his head in a hole.
A mocking look flashed through the old monk’s hazy eyes as he said idly, “To think that the great…”
“Old monk!”
The burly man interrupted the old monk in a huff before that sentence could be completed.
He pointed at the old monk and nearly thrust his finger on the latter’s face, snarling with widened eyes, “Shut up!”
The old monk smirked coldly. He looked at Su Zimo and was comforted with the fact that the latter was already out of danger and his breathing had stabilized. With that, he turned to leave.
Halfway through, the old monk suddenly stopped in his tracks and murmured expressionlessly, “Red-headed ghost? Hmms… that’s a good name.”
The burly man froze for a moment before returning to his senses. By then, the old monk was already gone from the backyard of the grand hall.
He gripped his fists so tightly that they cracked as he snarled through grit teeth, “Damn it, stupid old monk! Making fun of me instead of spending your time practicing your Buddhism…”
…
A long time later, Su Zimo stirred awake.
His eyes were dazed as he struggled to sit up. Rubbing his head, he sat for a long while before slowly remembering what happened before he fainted.
The massive face of the red-headed ghost flashed through Su Zimo’s mind repeatedly and his ears seemed to buzz.
Shuddering, Su Zimo leaped up and sprinted towards the grand hall with all his might, almost without thinking at all.
“Hmm?”
After running for a while, Su Zimo’s expression changed and he gradually noticed something unusual.
His body seemed to be stronger than before!
Some luster had also returned to his Inner Core and one of the tears was already repaired!
“This…”
Suddenly, Su Zimo recalled that bowl of water he last consumed.
The only thing that had a problem was that bowl of water!
“Little monk, from today onwards, come over here and drink a bowl of water once every month.”
Right then, a familiar voice sounded.
This was the voice that had tormented Su Zimo and nearly turned him insane!
Repressing the urge to run away with all his might, Su Zimo turned around.
In the depths of the cemetery, a burly man who was locked up with chains laid down on the floor with his hands behind his head. He did not look at Su Zimo at all and seemed like he was resting with his eyes closed.
Su Zimo could not help but ask, “Red-headed ghost, what’s in that water?”
At the mention of ‘red-headed ghost’, the burly man’s mouth cramped up and he remarked impatiently, “Just drink if I ask you to drink! What’s with all that nonsense!”
Although Su Zimo was snubbed, he was not angry.
He could vaguely sense that the attitude of the burly man towards him had changed slightly after he woke up.
He could not pinpoint the exact reason.
Something must have happened while he was unconscious!
That bowl of water was far from simple as well!
Previously, when Su Zimo consumed the 10,000 Year Vermilion Fruit and his body received that immense boost from the tremendous amount of lifeforce, his Inner Core did not show any signs of recovery at all.
Yet, after drinking that bowl of water, his body turned stronger and one of the tears on his Inner Core had even recovered!
That was not all.
Su Zimo could clearly feel that there was still a tremendous amount of lifeforce essence remaining in his body.
Even if he cultivated the Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness every single night, that amount of energy could suffice him for an entire month!
The amazing regeneration capability and the tremendous amount of lifeforce essence… just what was in the water for it to possess such mysterious power?
Su Zimo recounted through the ancient books he had seen before but he could not compare any universal treasure to that spirit water.
However, there was one thing he was clear about.
With enough of the spirit water, his Inner Core should be able to recover to its original state within a few years!
If he continued cultivating, he could even attain greater mastery or a perfected Inner Core!
This was a cultivation speed that he wouldn’t be able to get outside of the Dragon Burial Valley even if he had sufficient flesh to consume!
With the latent danger of his Inner Core resolved, Su Zimo was delighted.
Even if he was oblivious, he could tell at this moment that the burly man was helping him.
At that thought, Su Zimo turned towards the burly man and bowed deeply, saying with sincerity, “Thank you very much, red-headed ghost. There are good and bad ghosts as well and it seems like you’re definitely one of the kind ones… except that you’re way too talkative.”
“Get lost!”
The burly man hollered.
Su Zimo ran away.
Gazing at Su Zimo’s back view, the burly man revealed a set of sharp pearly whites and ground them till they cracked, saying spitefully with a hateful expression, “You’re the ghost! Your whole family are ghosts!”
…
By the time Su Zimo arrived at the courtyard in front of the grand hall, it was already noon.
Ming Zhen was chanting scriptures in the courtyard. When he saw Su Zimo return completely fine, his eyes widened and he headed over, asking confusedly, “Junior Brother Ming Xin, are you alright?”
Ming Zhen understood the terror of the burly man in the backyard.
If he was the one that was tormented for the entire night, he would have been exhausted and dispirited, unlike Su Zimo who was invigorated and chirpy.
“I’m fine,”
Su Zimo patted Ming Zhen on the shoulders with a relaxed expression, saying with a fake smile, “I’m going to return there a month later. Do you want to join me?”
“N-No!”
Ming Zhen shook his head left and right like a drum and replied firmly.
Su Zimo smiled.
Right then, the old monk opened his doors and came forth, saying in a casual manner, “A woman arrived at the top of the Dragon Burial Valley this morning and has been crying for ten minutes… sigh, in the blink of an eye, a year has already passed.”
“Woman? Crying?”
Su Zimo froze for a moment.
Immediately after, as though he recalled something, he turned and headed out of the old temple.
Ming Zhen turned around with a worried expression. “Master, lend me your Dharmic weapon again. I’ll go protect Ming Xin.”
“There’s no need.”
The old monk shook his head. “Let him go alone. He has the Mingwang Prayer Beads with him, those evil ghosts out there won’t be able to get close to him.”
