The boat swayed in the water.
A pot of liquor was quickly finished. Even with Ou Yangming’s cultivation, after drinking the pot of immortal brew, his dimples were a little red, and his head was a little heavy.
Nonetheless, his eyes were bright like the stars.
After drinking the liquor, he could start talking.
The old man pulled the bamboo pole and said first, “May I know how to address you, young friend?”
“Just call me b*stard,” Ou Yangming said with a smile.
The old man’s eyes were full of the vicissitudes of life as he praised, “Young friend, you’re truly a wonderful person. I’ve been ferrying on the Tianlan River for so many years and have met all kinds of people, but there are very few people like you. In fact, you’re considered one in a million.”
“Old man, you are flattering me…” Ou Yangming responded humbly.
After a proper exchange of greetings, the atmosphere became more cordial.
The old man changed his posture and asked, “Young friend, have you heard of the Dragon Bloodlines?”
“Of course, I have.” Ou Yangming nodded.
After thinking for a while, the old man continued, “In common terms, the Dragon Bloodlines were the initial appearance of rules. When the universe evolved, the remaining clear Qi and turbid Qi merged. After a long time of nurturing, a spiritual item appeared, which was excluded from the 6 paths of the 3 realms.”
The old man nodded and looked at the little girl with a gentle gaze.
He continued, “Yes, but the Dragon Bloodlines can be strong or weak, noble or lowly. The greater the potential of the world, the stronger the Dragon Bloodlines, and the more it’ll benefit.”
When Ou Yangming heard this, his expression did not change. He let out a light exclamation and asked, “What do you think of the Spiritual Realm’s potential then?” This was a test. If the old man was too reliant on the Spiritual Realm and was unwilling to leave, it would be an extravagant hope for him to take this Dragon Bloodline into the poisonous pill’s world. Of course, the young fellow could also use force as the Wutong Tree suggested, but the old man had helped him attain his path. If he were to do that, he would be returning kindness with enmity.
The old man’s aged fingers rubbed the corners of his eyes as he replied to the young fellow, “The Spiritual Realm is vast. There aren’t many Dragon Bloodlines, but there aren’t too few either.”
Afterward, he paused for a moment.
Ou Yangming did not urge him and quietly waited.
After a long while, the old man continued, “But compared to the Great Wide World, this is only a small plot of land.”
Ou Yangming’s heart beat wildly. After the old man finished, he asked, “Would you…” Before he could finish, he was interrupted.
The old man waved his hand, shook his head, and sighed. “I can feel the aura of a new world on your body. I understand what you mean, but I’ve stayed here for hundreds of thousands of years, so I’m reluctant to leave. People are particular about returning to their roots, and I’m not an exception. I’m old, and I don’t want to move anymore.”
A regretful look flashed across Ou Yangming’s face. He nodded, indicating that he understood.
It was at this moment that the old man pointed at the little girl and said again, “I can’t leave, but Lil’ Shuang can go with you.”
“Lil’ Shuang?” Ou Yangming asked.
“Yes!” The old man said.
He walked to the girl’s side and rubbed her little face, his eyes full of pity.
After an hour, with a flash of thought from Ou Yangming, Lil’ Shuang turned into a streak of golden light and entered the poisonous pill’s world.
A large river appeared out of thin air and meandered away. The spiritual Qi in the poisonous pill’s world immediately became much richer, and the world seemed to be full of vitality.
After this day, there was a girl crossing the river in the poisonous pill’s world. She was young, and her eyes were full of grace.
Ou Yangming was finally relieved. He bowed heavily to the old man and walked away.
After Ou Yangming left, the old man stood on the deck of the boat and smoked a cigarette. He said softly, “Lil’ Shuang, Grandpa hopes that one day, you’ll have the chance to break through the shackles and no longer be bound by the rules. The young friend is your hope so make good use of this opportunity…”
※※※※
Spiritual Qi had gotten denser in the Beast King Sect, so much so that they almost condensed into substance. The place was a complete paradise.
As compared to the commotion caused by the appearance of King Kong and the other Venerable Ones, Ou Yangming’s arrival seemed quiet as though no ripples were stirred up even after a stone was thrown into the sea.
In the room, Bai Shixue, Wu Hanning, and Ni Yinghong sat side by side. Their faces were solemn.
Bai Shixue was dressed in white. She was capable and charming, noble but also imposing. After being tempered in the Spiritual Realm for a period of time, her aura was powerful, making people feel ashamed of their inferiority. She was like a peony flower, blooming magnificently and well.
Ni Yinghong, on the other hand, was a jade-like girl from a small family. Her gentleness was indescribable. Her light blue dress fluttered, and her face was like the morning glow reflecting the snow. There was a wooden hairpin stuck upside down on her head. She smiled and just one look at her gave people a good impression.
Wu Hanning’s temperament was the most outstanding one. She had been born noble since she was young, and she knew everything about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She created a sense of nobility that others could not imitate. She was like a lotus flower at the peak of a snowy mountain, not tainted by dirt and was not from the mortal world.
Ou Yangming sat upright and looked at the 3 of them.
After a long while, Ni Yinghong asked first, “When do you plan to leave?”
“In half a month at most,” Ou Yangming answered softly after some thought.
“Will you come back?” Ni Yinghong asked again.
“I don’t know but as long as my foundation’s solid, I’ll think of a way to bring you up,” the young fellow responded.
“Us? Who will you bring first?” Ni Yinghong smiled like a flower and asked casually without any anger.
“I’ll bring all of you together.” Ou Yangming’s heart jumped to his throat. He felt that the temperature in the room had plunged as if a gust of chilly wind was blowing over his body.
“What if you can only bring one of us?” Ni Yinghong asked again. She secretly exchanged a look with the 2 ladies, with a hint of undetectable playfulness hidden in her eyes. The 3 girls had a tacit understanding. They stared at Ou Yangming at the same time and tucked their black hair behind their ears, revealing their delicate and beautiful collarbones. Their smiles were gentle and harmless.
Nevertheless, Ou Yangming only felt a piercing cold light on his back. He sighed internally and thought, ‘It’s not easy to enjoy the blessing of being together.’
Just when Ou Yangming was feeling bitter, and the 3 ladies were smiling more gently than before, there was a gentle knock on the door.
Ou Yangming felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He turned to look and quickly got up. “I’ll go and open the door.”
The 3 ladies stamped their feet at the same time and thought to themselves, ‘It’s a pity that he ran away again.’ The 3 of them had a very good relationship where they would not deliberately compete for the favor but sometimes, not competing would be the same as having a big fight.
Soon, the door opened. It was Old Craftsman who knocked on the door.
His footsteps were steady. He slowly walked toward the 3 ladies and sat. He was full of energy as he asked, “Are you going to leave?”
Ou Yangming nodded lightly.
Old Craftsman glared at Ou Yangming and said softly, “B*stard, a person should know when to be content! Knowing when to be content will make you happy. Right now, there aren’t many people in the Spiritual Realm who can withstand 10 moves from you, right? Why are you still working so hard like this? Some things need to be done quickly. Yesterday, I dreamt that a pomegranate tree grew in my small courtyard, and the pomegranates that grew out of it were big and round. I really want to hold a grandson!”
His voice was not loud, but the 3 ladies were sitting beside him, so how could they not hear him?
They blushed but deep down, they felt so sweet as if they were eating honey.
At this moment, Ou Yangming felt troubled. This was countless times more tiring than fighting against Li Xin.
He smiled bitterly and said, “I understand.”
Old Craftsman glared at Ou Yangming again, causing the young fellow to quiver. In the Spiritual Realm, only the old man dared to treat him like this.
Ou Yangming looked around and expressed softly, “The world of martial artists is the law of the jungle. If you’re weak, someone else is strong; if you’re strong, someone else is weak. For the sake of all of you, I can only keep moving forward and strive to reach the peak as soon as possible. If I don’t have enough strength as a guarantee, everything that I have now will be illusory. As if a stone is thrown into the water, everything will be gone. This is why I can’t stop.” He was sincere when he spoke.
Old Craftsman nodded slightly. He had been at the bottom for his whole life, so of course, he knew that people were sinister and the world was cold.
His old fingers knocked on the table as he asked, “That’s not bad, but you’re already one of the strongest people in the Spiritual Realm, right?”
Ou Yangming shook his head and noted, “The Spiritual Realm… Is too small!”
The Spiritual Realm was not small, but Ou Yangming’s vision was too high.
At night, a gentle breeze blew.
Yuqi the Venerable One and the old macaque sat in the courtyard. The moonlight was like water, shining down on their bodies.
“Elder Macaque, you really had a sharp eye back then for being able to see Master Ou’s potential at a glance. Otherwise, the Beast King Sect wouldn’t be as strong as it is now. I admire your vision,” Yuqi the Venerable One praised.
The old macaque moved its shoulders and said, “Back then, I only felt that Master Ou’s future was limitless, but I never thought that he would reach such a stage in such a short period. Look at the few spirit beasts around him, they’ve all become Venerable Ones—Venerable Ones!”
Yuqi the Venerable One took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, “Has Master Ou taken that step already?”
The old macaque shook its head slightly and said, “He hasn’t taken that step, but it’s only a matter of time. It’s too easy for him to take that step after comprehending the laws.” It was also very envious.
Even the greatest powerhouse in Danzhou had only found the threshold and was far from taking that step.
Yuqi the Venerable One’s pupils constricted abruptly. “Seeking the path is like looking at the full moon. When I was young, I looked at the moon through a crack in the door and saw a white silk; when I was middle-aged, I looked at the full moon from a pavilion and saw a round disc; when I became old, I seemed to be lifting the moon in my hand. Whether it’s round or square, it all depended on my thoughts. Master Ou’s probably at the stage of lifting the moon in his hand, right?”
The old macaque grinned and sighed. “Who knows? Those who try to play tricks will still suffer in the end.”
Subsequently, the courtyard fell silent. The gentle moonlight was the only thing that could be seen.
After a while, the old macaque focused on the center. The spiritual Qi in its Dantian Lake burst out as it gathered Qi and breathed. When it blew hard, the moonlight in the pavilion shattered into countless silver fragments. It rubbed its cheeks, and its eyes were shining brightly as it said, “In a few days, Master Ou will have to leave the Spiritual Realm. Old Craftsman and the 3 ladies must be well taken care of. This time, the Beast King Sect’s really lucky. With the help of Master Ou, we might have a chance to enter the Great Wide World and experience the customs of the ten thousand races.”
“Yes, the Great Wide World. Just thinking about it makes one excited!” Yuqi the Venerable One nodded.
“You can handle this matter; I’d be worried if someone else were to do it.” the old macaque said what was hidden deep in its heart after a moment of hesitation.
Yuqi the Venerable One nodded solemnly. Not only was there no unwillingness in his eyes, but there was also joy.
If others were to see this, they would probably be shocked beyond words. Yuqi the Venerable One was a Venerable One, after all, so how could he personally take care of humans who were not even Spiritualists?
