by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
Chapter 335: Reunion of Brothers
"Congratulations for getting well, young master," said Duo Ji with a salute.
Xiang Shaoyun quickly stopped the salute and said, "Don't act like that, old drunkard. If you guys had not arrived, I would have died."
"That is our duty as subordinates," said Duo Ji earnestly.
He was gratified to see that Xiang Shaoyun had reached the Transformation Realm. He still remembered back when he fled with Xiang Shaoyun that he was only a third-stage Basic Realm cultivator. It had only been two years, yet he had already reached this level. This was quite a shocking growth.
Prior to this, Xiang Shaoyun was an early ninth-stage Transformation Realm cultivator. But after half a month of transformation when he was unconscious, his strength had grown, and he had reached peak Transformation Realm. In truth, it wasn't a large increase, considering the fact that all the medicinal power had been squeezed out of his body. He could no longer grow the same way in the future. Most of the medicinal power had worked to cleanse his body, which was much more beneficial than pushing up his cultivation level.
"Young master, where is the young lady?" asked First Eagle.
"She was too tired. Just let her have a good sleep," said Xiang Shaoyun. He could see the disdain First Eagle had toward him, but he did not resent it at all. He had matured much and naturally understood the reason for the disdain.
This was a world where strength mattered above everything else. Only by becoming strong would one gain respect.
He scanned his surroundings and asked, "Where is this? What has happened in recent days? Old drunkard, update me."
Duo Ji nodded and gave a simplified version of everything that had happened.
"Little White is here too? Where are they?" Xiang Shaoyun asked, a look of pleasant surprise on his face.
Right after he asked that, Little White rushed out from a different direction while shouting in surprise, "Boss, you're finally awake!"
Looking at the humanoid Little White, Xiang Shaoyun spoke in excitement, "Haha, finally, us brothers meet again."
Xiang Shaoyun ran forward and gave Little White a big hug. He had heard from the old drunkard that Little White had arrived and saved them all during their moment of crisis. If he had not appeared then, all of them would have died.
Xiang Shaoyun was filled with gratitude. Because he had tasted betrayal before, he appreciated true friendship even more.
"Boss, come to the Hundred Beast Mountain Range with me! With the tiger clan protecting you, nobody will dare to harm you!" offered Little White earnestly.
Xiang Shaoyun replied, "I know you are offering that to help, but I can't go with you. Some things we just have to face, and some weight we just have to carry."
"But you can leave after you have grown even stronger! We have more than enough resources for you to cultivate there!" said Little White.
"Thank you for the offer, but I can't do that," said Xiang Shaoyun firmly.
Although Little White's suggestion was good, he did not want to continue hiding himself. Perhaps he had to take more initiative to gain more room of growth and opportunities for himself. He did not want to rely on his sister to regain his family estate. No big brother with any self respect would want that.
When Little White saw how resolute Xiang Shaoyun was, he gave a different suggestion instead, "I will leave Jin Wo behind to protect you instead. He is now a Demon Emperor."
Xiang Shaoyun wanted to reject that as well, but Little White quickly added, "He can be your temporary mount, boss. That will save you a lot of unnecessary trouble. When I'm done with my cultivation, I will rejoin you, and together, we will battle the world!"
"Fine, let him stay. I won't treat him unfairly," Xiang Shaoyun agreed after giving it some thought.
He did not want to disappoint Little White too much by rejecting all his suggestions, and he also needed a mount anyway. With Jin Wo, a Demon Emperor, acting as his temporary mount, he could avoid a lot of needless trouble. Moreover, Jin Wo could also serve as his guard. So having Jin Wo around would serve two purposes.
Little White smiled joyfully when Xiang Shaoyun agreed. They spent some time reminiscing on the past when the old demon's voice rang out, "Prince, it is time to leave."
Little White was unwilling, but he still nodded and said, "I know." He looked at Xiang Shaoyun reluctantly. "Boss, I'm going back. When I become a Demon Emperor, I will come look for you!"
"Um, go back. Maybe your boss can go visit you someday if you can't leave," said Xiang Shaoyun.
Little White then called Jin Wo over and said, "In the future, you will stay by my boss's side. Be as loyal to him as you have been to me."
Jin Wo did not dare to disobey as he said, "Yes, prince."
"Um. I won't forget your contributions," promised Little White.
Just as Little White was about to leave with the old demon, a green-eyed wild woman charged out and cried out to him, "Meow! Prince, take care!"
Little White merely nodded indifferently and left without saying anything. A sense of loss covered the green-eyed beauty's eyes. It was obvious she cared a lot for Little White.
"Who is she?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"She's a cat, a sister of the young lady," said Duo Ji.
"Oh? Interesting," said Xiang Shaoyun with a faint smile on his face.
The cat clan had always been very close to the tiger clan, and thus, it was understandable that this demonic tiger would find herself smitten with Little White, a real white tiger king.
One ought to know that for demonic beasts, bloodline was the most important. The higher the purity and quality of the bloodline, the further one could progress in the path of cultivation, and the higher one's status would be.
Little White had the bloodline of a pure white tiger, and with a snap of his finger, countless female tigers would jump into his arms. At this time, Chen Jiayan arrived outside the residence and requested an audience.
The Eagles kept him outside and reported to First Eagle, and First Eagle asked for instructions from Xiang Shaoyun. No matter what, Xiang Shaoyun was still their young master. Although they looked down on him, they still had to act appropriately.
"Let him in," said Xiang Shaoyun.
He also headed toward the entrance, and when he saw Chen Jiayan, he cupped his fists and thanked politely, "Thank you for offering us shelter, Senior Chen."
When the Thirteen Eagles saw how humble Xiang Shaoyun was, they felt incredibly unhappy. In their eyes, the tiny Chen Clan was nothing, and there was no need to be so polite to them.
Chen Jiayan quickly said, "You are being too polite, Young Master Xiang. It is our honor to be able to host you here."
In recent days, he had sensed clearly how cold and lofty the Thirteen Eagles were, and thus, Xiang Shaoyun's politeness horrified him.
"Well, we have been bothering you. Just wait until my sister wakes up from her sleep. We will leave immediately," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Why are you in such a rush to leave, Young Master Xiang? Please allow us a chance to give you a proper welcome first," said Chen Jiayan.
Chapter 336: Brand New Devouring Ghost
"Senior Chen, there is no need for that. I believe you have seen for yourself the situation we are in. Staying here any longer will only bring you trouble. I won't forget what you have done for us," said Xiang Shaoyun seriously.
The Chen Clan had offered them shelter despite knowing they were being pursued by powerful enemies. Regardless of their motive, this was a promise Xiang Shaoyun felt he needed to give. No matter what, someone willing to provide help when one was down was worth thanking.
When Chen Jiayan saw that Xiang Shaoyun was firm in his decision to leave, he changed the topic and probed, "I heard Young Master Xiang knows Du Xuanhao the Saber Emperor and is friends with Zilong from my clan?"
Xiang Shaoyun nodded. "Yes, I did meet the Saber Emperor once before. As for Chen Zilong, I guess we are considered friends."
"I see. T
hey will definitely be overjoyed to hear that you are fine now," said Chen Jiayan. "Have some lords left earlier?"
In truth, he had sensed Little White and the old demon leaving, which was why he had decided to come over.
Xiang Shaoyun spoke the truth, "Yes, my friend has something he needs to do so he's leaving first. I will need to trouble you to pass on a message to the Saber Emperor. I will pay him a visit after I'm done handling my affairs. Please tell him to wait for me."
"Yes, I'll pass on the message," said Chen Jiayan. After a short chat, he left.
Looking at Chen Jiayan's departing back, Xiang Shaoyun thought to himself, Looks like I need to start taking the initiative and do something.
After this crisis, he had a new recognition of how weak he still was. Moreover, he did not have an army of his own, making it hard to contend against those traitors. Fortunately, he had encountered Devouring Ghost, who was a great addition to his forces, and with his help, he would be able to grow more quickly.
After all, few could compare with Devouring Ghost's experience and knowledge, not even Duo Ji. That was an expert who was one at the very top of existence. Also, Xiang Shaoyun kept having a feeling that there seemed to be some sort of connection between him and Devouring Ghost. It caused him to have absolute trust in Devouring Ghost.
At the thought of Devouring Ghost, he called Duo Ji over and asked, "Old drunkard, where is Linggu Haonan?"
Xiang Shaoyun still remembered that before he had fallen unconscious, Devouring Ghost had charged into Linggu Haonan's head. He was most likely trying to take over Linggu Haonan's body, and Xiang Shaoyun was worried that Linggu Haonan's body had been destroyed by Duo Ji and the others. If that did happen, would Devouring Ghost survive?
"Don't worry, young master. We locked him somewhere and have been keeping him safe," said Duo Ji. "Young master, who is the evil spirit in Linggu Haonan's body?"
Duo Ji was a Soul Foundation Realm expert. Thus, he was clear that to seize the body with one's soul to undergo rebirth, one had to be at least a peak Soul Foundation Realm expert. This was a feat regular Soul Foundation Realm experts wouldn't be able to accomplish.
Because of that, he was curious how Xiang Shaoyun had met an indestructible evil soul like that. He was also worried that Xiang Shaoyun would attract some needless trouble.
Xiang Shaoyun did not answer Duo Ji's curiosity. Rather, he said eagerly, "Bring him over immediately!"
Duo Ji did not do anything and repeated himself, "Young master, that is an old monster capable of taking over one's body. If..."
Duo Ji was afraid that Xiang Shaoyun was acting rashly due to his youthful ignorance and offered more advice.
Xiang Shaoyun waved his hand. "Don't worry. I know what I’m doing. Just bring him here."
When Duo Ji saw the calm and confidence in Xiang Shaoyun's eyes, he praised inwardly, The young master's temperament is growing to resemble the ever confident sect master.
Duo Ji did not keep Xiang Shaoyun waiting and went to a room not far away before bringing Linggu Haonan over. Only the physical body of the original Linggu Haonan was left. The space within his head had been completely taken over by Devouring Ghost, and his body had completely fused with Devouring Ghost's soul. It would be more apt to call the current him Devouring Ghost instead.
Presently, Devouring Ghost was completely shackled by Duo Ji, but from his expression, he did not seem to care. After all, he was one who had been trapped for over 10,000 years. Just a few days of being shackled was nothing for him. He had taken the opportunity to perfect the fusion between him and the body during recent days and was very satisfied with his current state.
"Young master!" Devouring Ghost called out when he saw Xiang Shaoyun.
"It has been hard on you," said Xiang Shaoyun before telling Duo Ji, "Free him."
"Yes, young master." Duo Ji did not question the decision and did as told.
After he was freed, Devouring Ghost stretched his arms before smiling and saying, "Haha, this is a decent body. Too bad the element he cultivated is incompatible with me. Otherwise, it would have been even better."
"Do you want a different body, then?" asked Xiang Shaoyun.
Devouring Ghost shook his head. "No. I only need to gradually replace the astral energy in this body. But that might result in a temporary drop of strength."
"Just do what you think is right," said Xiang Shaoyun with a nod. He then made the introductions, "This is Duo Ji, the guardian elder of my family. Get to know each other."
"Haha, yes, yes, I won't remember how I was shackled by a tiny Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. When I recover my strength in the future, I will take my time getting to know him."
Duo Ji frowned. "Sure, but that will have to wait until you have recovered."
"Hehe, it won't take me that long," said Devouring Ghost.
Duo Ji did not bother to continue bickering with Devouring Ghost. Instead, he looked at Xiang Shaoyun and said, "Young master, there is one more person. Come take a look."
Xiang Shaoyun blanked out for a bit before he followed Duo Ji to a room. When he entered the room, he saw Elder Zhen Peng barely breathing on a bed. His face fell as he quickly ran toward Elder Zhen Peng and said, "This is all my fault."
Since even Elder Zhen Peng was in such bad shape, it went without saying that the entire Martial Hall Palace had ceased to exist. Xiang Shaoyun bit his own lips in guilt, causing them to bleed. The thought of implicating all those innocent people flooded him with guilt.
"My condolences, young master," said Duo Ji.
"Is there a way to save him?" asked Xiang Shaoyun.
Duo Ji sighed, "I have checked his injuries. He was soul-searched by someone, which was extremely harsh for his body. Furthermore, all his meridians have been severed, and only a tiny bit of his soul was left intact within this body. His current state is worse than death, and saving him is almost impossible."
"Damn it!" Xiang Shaoyun cursed and slammed down his palm in anger, instantly crushing a table not far away.
"These injuries are nothing. Young master, you can save him," Devouring Ghost suddenly said.
Chapter 337: You Are Incomparable to Your Sister
"Devouring Ghost, you know of a way to save him?" asked the anxious Xiang Shaoyun.
"It's very simple. Just feed him with some of your soul spring water and allow him to recover his soul. Then use a king medicine capable of reconnecting his meridians, and he will be as good as new," said Devouring Ghost.
"True! My soul spring can heal souls. It will definitely be helpful for Elder Zhen Peng," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Young master, you have soul spring water on you?" asked Duo Ji in astonishment.
The soul spring was classified as a king spring. Not only could it help one enter the Skysoar Realm, it could also increase the soul power of one in the Skysoar Realm. Naturally, it could also restore an injured soul. Very few items were effective in healing souls, and soul spring was one of them. Duo Ji was unaware that Xiang Shaoyun had such a treasure on him.
"Yes. I'll first restore Elder Zhen Peng's consciousness," said Xiang Shaoyun, and he started feeding Elder Zhen Peng the soul spring.
At this time, Duo Ji offered, "I have a millennia king spring here. Using two king springs together will be very beneficial for him."
Xiang Shaoyun accepted the millennia king spring with no hesitation and fed it to Elder Zhen Peng as well. Even after consuming the two king springs, it was impossible for Elder Zhen Peng to wake up immediately. His injuries were too severe, and he would only wake up after the two spring waters had some time to work on him.
"Let's leave for now," said Xiang Shaoyun after sensing that the two spring waters were working on healing Elder Zhen Peng.
"Guardian Duo Ji, do you have any king medicines capable of restoring meridians?" asked Xiang Shaoyun after they left the room.
Duo Ji answered, "I have a snakering vine, but I'm afraid it will only be slightly useful for restoring meridians."
Xiang Shaoyun was disappointed. He looked at Devouring Ghost and asked, "Does Linggu Haonan have anything useful?"
"He did, but I had used them all up when fusing with this body," said Devouring Ghost with a shrug, leaving Xiang Shaoyun speechless.
"The best king medicine for restoring meridians is the clearmoon vine. It isn't even a rare medicine, but I don't know if you can find one here in this tiny city," said Devouring Ghost.
"No matter what, we have to find one," said Xiang Shaoyun.
Thus, he asked the Thirteen Eagles if they had any. Unfortunately, none of them had one. He also asked Chen Jiayan, but the Chen Clan only had a less effective king medicine that was only slightly useful for restoring meridians. Xiang Shaoyun did not accept the medicine as it wouldn't be very helpful anyway.
"Young Master Xiang, in truth, the Cloud Margin Pavilion has a stalk of clearmoon vine. Do you want me to request it on your behalf? I believe they would be willing to hand it over out of respect for me," said Chen Jiayan.
"Oh? They have one?" Xiang Shaoyun was overjoyed.
"Yes, it's in Yue Yuze's possession. He's the current pavilion master of Cloud Margin Pavilion," said Chen Jiayan.
"Good, I'll go get it myself, then," said Xiang Shaoyun in excitement.
"There is no rush, Young Master Xiang. Do you want me to go with you?" offered Chen Jiayan.
Xiang Shaoyun waved his hand. "It's fine. I know the Cloud Margin Pavilion quite well myself."
"Sure. Anyway, Zilong is returning to the Cloud Margin Pavilion as well. Maybe the two of you can go together? Oh, Du Xuanhao the Saber Emperor is also at the Cloud Margin Pavilion," said Chen Jiayan.
Xiang Shaoyun agreed without any hesitation, "Sure, Zilong can come with me."
Chen Jiayan was overjoyed. "Ok. I'll call him over right now!"
Soon, Chen Zilong arrived with Chen Jiayan. There was a complicated expression on his face when he saw Xiang Shaoyun. He used to always have a sense of superiority over Xiang Shaoyun, but now, that feeling was long gone.