Back in his vertebra, Hui paused. In the distance, a few disciples flew off on their swords, racing away at top speed. He closed his eyes and focused his qi, listening in.
broke the barrier! Hes getting away!
Who is it in his arms? Jing Aii?
Dont be stupid. Jing Aii doesnt have purple hair!
Quickly, catch him before any of the elders have to move!
Hui snorted. So Bai Xue really did up and leave. Im not surprised. Shes always been a bit impetuous.
Shaking his head, he stepped into the vertebra. He sealed the entrance and settled into a ditation pose. Quietly, he reached out toward Zhubi. That sixth level technique can I sense it inside the snake he swallowed?
Zhubi yawned and looked up at him. He nudged Huis fingertip with his nose, then settled back to sleep.
Hui sighed. Nothing. Not even a hint of a magical technique. Its a good thing Zhubi is so cute. He pet Zhubi for a mont, then flicked his hand. The snake scale materialized in his hand. Pressing it to his forehead, he sent his ntal energy inside and allowed himself to be imrsed in the technique written on the scale.
A snake wriggled, shedding old, ragged skin. It hurried off, sliding away at top speed, new scales glittering in the sunlight.
He blinked. That thats all? Closing his eyes, he pressed the scale to his forehead again.
The sa image. This ti, however, Hui faintly sensed sothing behind the image. The sound of the wind in the background distilled into a droning voice. Hui furrowed his brows. I cant understand the voice, but if I keep listening, keep watching I feel like Ill understand!
Settling his breathing, he entered a ditative state, the snake scale pressed against his forehead. Over and over, he watched the image, letting the voice wash over him. The two beat into his mind, becoming almost a song.
Hui opened his eyes. He held out his hand and operated the technique, circulating his qi and repeating the voices chant in his head. The skin on his hand sloughed off, revealing a tough, burly hand. He furrowed his brows and repeated it again. Back to his normal hand, a second layer of skin on the floor.
Hui flexed his hand. He turned it over. Unlike my cruder skin shed technique, this doesnt hurt afterward. My skin isnt red or tender. Actually it feels better than before.
His eyes widened. The snake! It slithered off with fresh scales. Then can I use this technique to heal, too?
He drew Gu Tians sword and held out his hand. He hesitated, then clenched his teeth. Just a shallow cut. I have to know! If this is true, it can take my faking death to the next level! Sure, I have the technique of holding a pill in my mouth or suppressing it in my stomach, but itll be much more convenient if I can do it even when I dont have pills, or when Im in a situation where I cant take a pill.
Decisively, Hui slit his palm. Blood welled up. He closed his eyes and operated the skin shed technique. The pain faded away. Opening his eyes, he flexed his hand. A pristine palm greeted him, no hint of blood or cut on his hand at all. Crimson colored the hand-skin that fluttered to the floor.
I used more qi to recover from the injury than I had to just shed my skin, but thats a reasonable price to pay for regeneration of that level! I wonder how much it can handle? Can I regrow limbs?
Hui hesitated. Probably not at that level. But I think this technique can handle most flesh wounds. Ill have to test it out more thoroughly or, or, seek further enlightennt to understand! Yes, like Master would say, everything can be comprehended as long as one has a high enough comprehension! Theres no need to subject myself to more pain.
He sat back down and imrsed himself in his studies again.
As he sat there, ti passed. Day and night passed him by. Weeks, then months piled up. Hui swapped between ditating and drawing new talismans to replace the ones hed burned in the inheritance realm, including two with the technique from Zhu Diyu. The others he redrew at the fourth realm, though so couldnt be pushed any further. The fire talisman couldnt be empowered beyond the third realm, nor could the wood talisman. Whenever a block ca up in his ditation on the snake shed technique, he ditated on improving those, instead, but made no significant breakthroughs during the ti.
At last, a knock sounded at Huis cave.
He opened his eyes and found a pouch sitting just inside his cave. A little note attached to the top read, From Hong Xue.
Hui furrowed his brows. When did he have the ti to leave that? Shaking his head, he tucked the pouch into his robes. I hope its nothing too audacious. I didnt ask him to steal anything, so hopefully its just so stray resources he didnt have a use for.
The bag tucked away, Hui straightened his robes and adjusted his hair, fixing it after the ti hed spent in ditation. Sowhat tentative, he asked, Yes? I hope its not soone coming to challenge for the vertebra. Ill have to go down to Master Jing again
Xie Hao, its Gu Tian. I was sent to ask if you want to go to Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect.
Gu Tian! The one with the wrong soul. The one connected to Yunxu, who might be a righteous cultivator. Hui stepped to the door and peeked out. Gu Tian smiled at him, his flute at his hip.
An awkward mont passed, the two of them smiling at each other.
Abruptly, Hui coughed. Realizing he still held the snake scale, he quickly sent it into his storage ring and nodded. Right. Im not going to figure out anything by just staring at him. Im not Master, after all. Of course. Im ready at any mont.
Gu Tian nodded. He turned, leading the way. Were gathering down below. Once everyone arrives, well all head out together.
Hui followed. Who else is going? And, ah what kind of eting is it? I imrsed myself in cultivation recently and havent paid much attention to the sect. He laughed and scratched the back of his head.
Oh? How much so? Did you hear about the ruckus with Hong Xue, then? Gu Tian asked.
Er no. I missed that, as well, Hui excused himself.
Gu Tian laughed. He ran off with so captured righteous cultivator slave that caught his fancy, but raided the treasury on the way out! He ran all over the sect, chased by half of all of our disciples, I think. Most of what he took got returnedeverything important, anyways. Still, theres a few odds and ends that went missing. He nodded down below.
Hui looked down. Master Jings ghoul platoon stood there as solidly as ever, but now, a good chunk of the ghouls were missing, obviously cut out from the larger formation.
He swallowed and touched the bag. Bai Xue, you wouldnt.
She would! She would, dammit! Im not opening this bag until Im firmly back on righteous territory! No, Starbound territory!
But wait, if its what Im thinking
Ah! Bai Xue, why?
As for Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect well, youll see when we get there, Gu Tian said mysteriously.
Hui glanced at Gu Tian. Does Elder Brother know sothing we dont?
Gu Tian laughed and rubbed his hair, embarrassed. Theres no need to call Elder Brother. Youre fourth stage now, arent you?
But Elder Brother is the direct disciple of the Sect Master, no? Hui asked, tilting his head. I think Im not being polite enough, honestly.
Gu Tian shook his head. Theres no need for that. Im a disciple in na only. No one else treats with respect, and Im quite fine with being addressed informally.
Hui shook his head. Elder Brother, I wouldnt dare impinge a senior cultivator such as yourself.
Gu Tian looked at him for a mont, then snorted. Youre an odd duck, arent you?
A quiet quack sounded from Huis dantian.
Eeh? Gu Tian asked, gaping.
Hui coughed. A bit of a cold, thats all.
We cultivators cant get colds. And that didnt sound like a cough Gu Tian said.
Of all people, Gu Tian cant know about the ducks! Hes one of the few cultivators here whos almost certainly seen use the ducks in battle! Hui coughed again. Must have been a hiccup.
Er right, Gu Tian said, frowning.
Gu Tian, have you already been to the Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect? Hui asked, abruptly changing the subject.
Mmm, I have. Ah, although I say Im a disciple in na only, theres tis when the Sect Master suddenly rembers and drags along places. Im not sure if hes trying to help or remind of Gu Tian fell silent. He twisted his lips.
Of Hui prompted.
Oh, Ive already told you, havent I? I was once a righteous sects disciple, Gu Tian said, smiling.
If you dont mind asking, senior which sect? Hui asked, tipping his head.
Gu Tian hesitated, then shook his head. Starbound Sect. Back then, I had the surna Lan
Oh? Huis eyebrows shot up. Lan? So was he a disciple of Lan Taijian? Ah! That odd conversation between Master and the Sect Master back during the inter-sect tournant, about a disciple whod gone wrong and sought the demonic path instead! Is thatcould that be Gu Tian? Or should I say, Lan Tian?
Hmm, but that conversation made it sound like the stray disciple was a disciple of Sect Master Lan directly. Was Gu Tian that heaven-defying back in the day before his injury, that he could be the disciple of not one but two separate Sect Masters?
But wait, injury. Is it really an injury, or is that simply a quiet way to refer to the fact that his soul is in the wrong body? And, wait, how did his soul end up in this body? Theres the Blood Mist Valley spell formation that can swap souls, but that requires a third party, as far as I could tell. Maybe a higher realm cultivator could do it to themselves, but no, that doesnt feel right. If Gu Tian was that heaven-defying, I feel like he wouldnt be stuck at the second realm after all these years.
And co to think of it, Li Xiang isnt Lan Xiang. Lan Taijians disciples dont take his surna, and Lan Taijian is Sect Master Lans blood-related son, so its not as if Sect Master Lan necessarily hands out his surna, either, unlike a certain Master of mine. Was there another Master Lan on Starbound Sect? Its a common na, after all. Mmm Im still missing sothing.
Gu Tian waved his hand, dismissing Huis thoughts. It was a long ti ago. Ive co to accept my fate. Its better to live on than to lie dead in so cave sowhere, after all.
Hui nodded firmly. Indeed. Better to live than die, thats the principle I live by.
Gu Tian paused at that, then chuckled. You are an odd duck.
Hui coughed just as a second quack emanated from his dantian. Gu Tian frowned at him.
Ah, a cold, a cold, Hui excused himself, rubbing his abdon. Hey! Quiet down in there!
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