Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
June 12, Year 1232 of the Ziyun Era.
After conducting a thorough investigation of the disappearance of the Divine Light Sect’s tenth elder, Lin Hantian, for the past two years, the fifth elder of the Divine Light Sect, Tuo Bei, along with the other two late Primal Core adepts, finally returned to the Divine Light Sect.
“My lord.”
After Tuo Bei and the other two with him returned to the Divine Light Sect, they immediately went to find the head of the Divine Light Sect, Lord Tuo Jin.
Tuo Jin was a middle-aged monk wearing a white kasaya. His complexion was clear as jade, as clear as the ornamental jade on a cap. His eyes were bright as stars. When one looked at him, he appeared extremely benevolent, and he gave one a feeling much like that of being caressed by a spring breeze.
However, after his eyes focused on Tuo Bei and the two with him, there was a great severity in his gaze.
“How did the investigation go?”
Tuo Jin’s voice was quiet and stable as if he lacked any feeling whatsoever.
“My Lord”
Tuo Bei answered profusely, “In the course of the last six months, we finally confirmed… that the last place the tenth elder Lin Hantian was seen was a remote area located outside the Shenguang Empire called the Sixteen Countries of the East Valley.
“He was last seen in a small village in Yunyang country called ‘Qingshan town,’” Tuo Bei said.
“Why would he have gone to such an out of the way place?” Tuo Jin asked further.
Tuo Bei gave a wry smile. “Master, weren’t you the one who ordered us of the Eagle Eye Intelligence Corps to investigate those two strange, suspicious people who showed up at the Black Market before?
“The youth?”
Tuo Jin’s eyes lit up. “You mean to say… the one who originally came here twice and sold the qi-gathering core formula to us of the Divine Light Sect and also sold us a spirit weapon, that youth called Zhou Donghuang, showed up in that remote Sixteen Countries of the East Valley?”
Originally, when Zhou Donghuang fought Tuo Ku at the Black Market, and after he had outdone Tuo Ku, he himself had reported back Zhou Donghuang’s full name.
Furthermore, he reported the matter back to the Divine Light Sect in full detail.
Tuo Jin, the head of the Divine Light Sect and the head of the Eagle Eye, Tuo Bei, had already known Zhou Donghuang’s name long before this.
“Correct.” Tuo Bei nodded. “I specifically confirmed that… that Zhou Donghuang is definitely from the Sixteen Countries of the East Valley. What’s more, he only originates from a small village in the Sixteen Countries of the East Valley. Five years ago, he was nothing more than a locally born villager generally recognized as useless in the martial way.”
After he spoke, Tuo Bei unconsciously glanced at Tuo Jin and saw, just as he had expected, that Tuo Jin’s expression was incredulous.
At first, when he had just learned all of this information, he also felt it was unbelievable.
After all, before going to the Sixteen Countries of the East Valley, he already knew that Zhou Donghuang’s the true power was that of an outstanding late Primal Core adept. In fact, it had appeared he could even create a spirit weapon…
This kind of person, one who could be considered as defying the natural order and limits of the Ziyun planet had really come from such a small, remote place?
Any person, regardless of who it was, would never dare to believe it.
“My lord.”
At that moment the other Divine Light Sect elders at Tuo Bei’s side also spoke and reported, “We have also uncovered the identity of Zhou Donghuang’s middle-aged companion… he is the Valley Head of the small sect, the Valley of the Medicine Masters, located in the Sixteen Countries of the East Valley. He is called Su Mo. Two years ago, he was still but a late Connate stage adept.
“He could be considered as an immensely powerful force in the Sixteen Countries of the East Valley… however, he is actually satisfied with deferring to Zhou Donghuang, a man of lowly origin, considering him his master.”
This time, Tuo Bei and the others had discovered a great deal while in the Sixteen Countries of the East Valley.
“Two years ago, he was only a late Connate stage adept?”
Tuo Jin’s eyes widened; even in the history of the Divine Light Sect, there had never been anyone who had jumped from a late Connate stage adept to an early Primal Core adept in the extremely short space of a year.
If he remembered correctly, according to the information brought back from the Black Market, a year ago, Zhou Donghuang’s middle-aged companion had already been a Primal Core adept.
“It seems… that Zhou Donghuang possesses more than a few secrets.”
As the head of the Divine Light Sect, this was the first instance in which Tuo Jin was unable to see through a person like this. That youth Zhou Donghuang was just as mysterious as any of the elders who were Golden Essence adepts of any of the four clans or sects. It was unfathomable, beyond comprehension.
“My lord.”
The Divine Light Sect elder who had not spoken the entire time finally spoke and reported, “Based on our findings… not long after the tenth elder went to Qingshan town, Zhou Donghuang went back to Qingshan town and brought his mother along with some other people to the Valley of the Medicine Masters.
“We suspect… that the tenth elder was very likely killed by him.”
After the Divine Light elder spoke, the entire courtyard suddenly became still.
Finally, It was Tuo Jin, the head of the Divine Light Sect, who finally broke the silence and spoke, “It is enough that you all know of this situation, we can’t let it get out. I will go right now to find my teacher and report these matters to see whether or not we should, in light of the circumstances, report these things to Lord Taishang.”
Tuo Jin’s master was one of the three Divine Light Sect’s Golden Essence elders, the Right Shield of the Dharma, Ci Xuan.
The Lord Taishang he spoke of was another Golden Essence elder, the grandfather of Lin Hantian, who they of the Divine Light Sect were almost positive was dead.
“That young Lin Hantian… is it possible he may have died at Zhou Donghuang’s hand?”
At that time that Tuo Jin relayed the news to his master, the Right Shield of the Dharma, Ci Xuan, furrowed his eyebrows. “Although I only met that Zhou Donghuang once… still, based on young Tuo Ku’s description of him, Zhou Donghuang doesn’t seem like the kind to kill indiscriminately.”
“Master.”
Tuo Jin laughed bitterly. “I believe that. But, we have no choice but to consider the other option… perhaps it was the tenth elder who stirred up trouble and drove him to murder.
“This could definitely be possible.” Ci Xuan nodded.
“Master, there’ll be no keeping this under wraps… I still think we had better tell Lord Taishang about this matter,” Tuo Jin said.
“You need not worry about this matter… I will call my fellow disciples; afterwards we will go together and speak to Master Lin,” Ci Xuan’s eyes flashed as he spoke gravely.
…
Time Passed.
Within the Valley of the Medicine Masters, it had been peaceful all the while.
“I’ve finally broken through!”
At the periphery of the Valley in the Land of Peach Blossoms, the old woman who sat cross-legged on atop an outshoot of rock suddenly opened her eyes, and the cloudiness in her eyes disappeared and was replaced with a resplendent spark.
The young woman was the head elder of the Valley of Medicine Masters, Yu Meiqin.
Sitting on this mountain gathering qi and producing a weapon after two years was not simply a matter of the Head of the Valley of the Medicine Masters Su Mo’s coming there to practice, it was only with the special permission of the two chief dharma shields and that of the Valley of the Medicine Masters’ chief elders that he could practice in the periphery of the Valley of the Medicine Masters.
More than a year ago, Yu Meiqin easily entered into the late Connate stage.
But today, she had easily entered into the ultimate Connate stage, she had become an ultimate Connate stage adept!
The two chief Shields of the Dharma of the Valley of the Medicine Masters, in terms of martial skill, were stronger than Yu Meiqin. They had already entered the ultimate Connate stage and had broken into the Ultimate Primal Core stage.”
“Head Elder!”
Yu Mei had hardly opened her eyes when a pleasant sound entered her ears at that very moment and made her thoroughly excited.
In the next moment, the figure of a young girl about eight or nine years old swept past with a ten-meter, blue-green ray of light. She looked to Yu Meiqin’s side, and both eyes gleamed as she said, “You’ve finally entered the ultimate Connate stage… come! Let’s learn from one another!”
“Miss Yun Lu.”
Seeing the young girl, Yu Meiqin’s features took on a simultaneously doting and aged appearance, full of wry humor. “Don’t you come trying to mess with an old woman like me… I am not your adversary. If you want to find someone to learn a thing or two from, you had better go find the two Shields of the Dharma. After all, they were first successful at becoming ultimate Connate stage adepts.
After she spoke, Yu Meiqin immediately looked toward the nearby, atop another outcropping of rock, where two old people, one fat and one thin, currently sat training with their eyes closed.
The two old people were the Valley of the Medicine Masters’ two chief Shields of the Dharma, Wang Tao and Yu Wei.
“They are not my opponents; fighting with them would be boring.” Yun Lu pouted and shook her head. “Right now, I only want to fight with you.”
Yu Meiqin pursed her lips.
Three months ago, the girl before her had just entered the ultimate Connate stage and had trampled on the Valley of the Medicine Masters’ elders in every situation. This was clear in her memory.
She definitely wanted to follow in their footsteps.
Just then, as Yu Meiqin racked her brains to come up with any way to fool the girl before her into leaving, a figure of a person walking out of a log cabin in the valley, toward where they were now, caught her attention. Her eyes brightened.
She knew she was saved.
“Young Master Donghuang, you’ve returned from the mountain?”
Yu Meiqin suddenly lifted herself up and respectfully greeted the person approaching.
She had not seen the youth in two years. He came now with a measured gait, steady and serious, and it looked like his feet were planted firmly on the ground… However, looking closely, one would notice that he was skipping steps, but it still looked like he stepped on the ground. However, in reality he had not yet touched the grass at all.
“Hehe, Head Elder, you don’t want to trick me.”
Yun Lu had not turned her head, she was looking at Yu Meiqin and said with a laugh, “You of course want me to trick me into turning my head and when I turn around, you will flee, right? Chief Elder, the Shield of the Dharma, Wang Tao, fooled me with this method. I’ve already been fooled once, so there’s no chance of fooling me twice.”
“Can Little Lu be fooled again?”
After nodding at Yu Meiqin, Zhou Donghuang made a doting face and looked toward the girl’s back and asked indifferently with a laugh.
“Ah?”
When she heard the voice coming from behind her, it made Yun Lu’s entire body waver, and in the next second, Yun Lu’s face became frenzied with delight. She abandoned Yu Meiqin and hurriedly flew over to the youth in the snow white robe and embraced him. “Brother, you’ve returned?”
“Yeah.”
Zhou Donghuang hugged Yun Lu with one arm and ruffled her head with the other. Smiling slightly, he said, “Little Lu, Big brother is ready to go to the Shenguang Empire’s capital, maybe I will even go to the Divine Light Sect… Would you like to come along?
“Yes! Yes!”
Yun Lu’s two eyes shined brightly. She nodded her head eagerly, as if deeply worried that Zhou Donghuang might go back on his word.
