Chapter 119: The Unreliable Old Man (Part I)

A flash of spiritual light streaked across the sky, and a human body was cast out from the void. Anyone witnessing this scene would surely have assumed the person was doomed; however, a faint, misty cloud surrounded the body, allowing him to descend slowly and safely to the ground.

An elderly man with white hair, dressed in somewhat tattered clothes and carrying a bag made of an unidentifiable material, was strolling through these seemingly desolate mountains with immense leisure. Suddenly, he sensed a trace of human presence—more importantly, the aura carried the distinct signature of the Tiger King Clan. This piqued his curiosity.

The old man, who appeared as frail as one lacking the strength to truss a chicken, covered the distance to the source of the aura in just a few breaths. A man in green robes lay before him, currently lost in unconsciousness.

The white-haired old man crouched down and reached out to turn the man over, eager to see who he was.

To his surprise, he found a completely unfamiliar face. In all his memories, there was no such man among the Tiger King Clan. He channeled his internal spiritual energy to probe the man’s strength.

Mid-stage Void Master.

It was neither particularly powerful nor terribly weak. However, there was something about the spiritual energy within the man that stirred a desire in the old man to draw closer. The elder frowned; it was rare for the power of a mere disciple of the Tiger King Clan to evoke such a sense of affinity in him. He had never seen this young man before, yet that didn't seem right.

He had met every disciple in the clan who possessed such unique power. Could he have been kept in hiding? But that didn't make sense either; with the unique nature of his spiritual energy, there would be no fear of him failing to thrive within the clan. Why, then, had he never seen him?

There was only one possibility.

He was not a disciple from the Void Continent at all, but one returning from the Barren Continent.

But if a disciple had returned from the lower realm, how could he not have known? Could the old man guarding the spatial seal have deliberately kept the news from him? That would be terribly disloyal!

As it turned out, the guardian of the spatial seal was a close friend of this seemingly unreliable white-haired elder. It was quite unexpected, as it was hard to imagine someone as peculiar as the spatial guardian having any friends at all. Furthermore, the guardian could never leave the seal, so even if he had friends in the past, after so many years, those bonds might have faded.

Looking at the man lying on the grass, the white-haired elder suddenly chuckled. He reached out and funneled his own spiritual energy into the man’s body, eager to see the talent of this disciple returning from the Barren Continent.

The result made the old man leap up in joy, laughing toward the heavens!

"Cough, cough." The elder patted his chest, nearly choking on his own laughter. He had not expected the boy's talent to be so exceptional! It was many times greater than that of the so-called "top genius" currently in the clan. Although, having been born in the Barren Continent, his training environment naturally could not compare to the one here, but the elder was confident that under his tutelage, this disciple would soon surpass that so-called genius.

The elder straightened the man's face and, finding water from somewhere, washed the mud away, revealing his original features. As it turned out, not only was his talent extraordinary, but his appearance was also top-tier.

The old man’s smile stretched from ear to ear.

This man was none other than Gu Shenyu, who had come from the Barren Continent. As for the unreliable old man, he was a mysterious and powerful figure, though his true identity was not yet to be revealed.

The white-haired elder lifted Gu Shenyu with ease and swaggered away. Meanwhile, Gu Shenyu, still lost in unconsciousness, remained unaware that he had been "adopted" by a rather eccentric old man.

"Hahaha!"

The old man’s hearty laughter echoed across the sky, startling the birds from the trees.

***

Waking up in a completely unfamiliar place, Yin Su felt her mood improve thanks to the rich spiritual energy permeating the air. She stretched, took a deep breath, and exhaled the stale air from within.

From the information given to her by the guardian of the spatial seal, Yin Su knew she was in the territory of the Phoenix Clan, though she was unsure of her exact location.

The spiritual energy of the Void Continent was indeed far more refined than that of the Barren Continent! In just a few days since her arrival, Yin Su had successfully broken through the mid-stage of the Void Master realm and reached its peak. She believed that with the right opportunity, she could transcend to the Void Emperor realm.

For some reason, her progress here was terrifyingly fast. Yin Su also discovered that the toxins in her body had been purified, yet she could still wield the power of those toxins—and it felt even more fluid than it had in the Barren Continent.

In truth, Yin Su was a "medicine human." Having walked a dark path, she knew her lifespan was much shorter than that of Yin Yao and the others, as the toxins had been slowly consuming her vitality. Agreeing to come to the Void Continent with Yin Yao was not just to help her friend, but to do things that would leave her with no regrets before her limited time ran out.

The toxins had been devouring her life force, but unexpectedly, they had been purified while retaining their utility; now, they no longer harmed her body.

Recalling the obscure and shifting gaze of the spatial guardian, and the sudden, agonizing sensation she had felt, Yin Su realized that the toxins must have been purified at that very moment. The old man had truly done his best for her. With the toxins gone, her lifespan extended, and her current rate of growth, could she perhaps attain immortality?

Yin Su asked herself in the depths of her heart. She did not know if such a long life would be a blessing or a curse. Having done so many wrong things, was she even qualified to live so long in this world?

Sitting cross-legged in a mountain cave, Yin Su lost herself in thought, drifting into a semi-conscious state.

Of the five of them, everyone seemed to have a purpose for coming to the Void Continent. What was her own reason? A man’s face floated into her mind—the man who had accompanied her, never leaving her side. The man before whom she never wanted to bow her head.

Gu Shenyu!

Yin Su smiled; she had, in fact, fallen in love with Gu Shenyu, hadn't she? That was why she refused to admit defeat before him! She had been working hard, hoping to surpass him.

Perhaps it was strange, but in this moment, Yin Su finally faced her feelings for Gu Shenyu. It was the purification of the toxins and the growth of her strength that had allowed her to understand everything. Yes, that must be it.

Thinking of the matter concerning Yin Yao’s parents, Yin Su realized she, too, had a goal in the Void Continent. Although she didn't know much about the situation of Yin Yao’s vast family, she could guess that things were not going well. Her parents were missing, and rescuing those two seniors would surely require significant strength.

Why couldn't she strive to become a source of strength for Yin Yao, helping her achieve her wishes as a way of repaying her?

When Yin Su woke the next day, her entire aura had changed. She no longer carried any mental burdens; she had let go of the weight she had been bearing, becoming a lighter, more carefree person.

Yin Su decided to head to the territory of the Spirit Fox Clan to find Yin Yao. Without further hesitation, she took action, walking out of the forest where she had stayed for nearly half a month.

In truth, this forest was quite strange. Yin Su had stayed there for nearly two weeks without encountering a single other person. It was highly curious, so before setting off to find Yin Yao, she decided to circle the forest to see if there were any unexpected discoveries.

She was not currently at the deepest part of the forest, but usually, anything of value was hidden in the heart of such places. Without a second thought, Yin Su headed toward the interior. Since there was no one else around, she had nothing to fear.

The further she went, the richer the spiritual energy became. The purity of that energy left Yin Su slightly startled. After scanning with her spiritual sense to ensure no one else was present, she found a suitable spot, sat down, and began to absorb the surrounding energy, refining it into spiritual power. With this, reaching the Void Emperor realm surely wouldn't be a problem.

If the mid-range of the forest center already offered such excellent energy, wouldn't there be even greater benefits further in?

Another day passed, and Yin Su realized she had enough power to冲击 the Void Emperor realm. Yet, for some reason, she felt that something special in the deepest part of the forest was calling to her. After some thought, she decided to investigate before she proceeded with her breakthrough.

Rich spiritual energy swirled in white mist.

Deep within that mist, a pair of eyes suddenly opened, only to close just as quickly—so fast that Yin Su did not perceive it. She was acting entirely on instinct now. As she drew closer to the heart of the forest, something within her began to boil.

Casting aside all caution, Yin Su took flight, rushing toward the deepest part of the forest. She surmised that this forest might be a place specifically reserved for the Phoenix Clan to train; otherwise, why would the energy be so abundant and pure? She became increasingly convinced that this was a sacred site for cultivation.

Sensing the approach of that aura, the eyes within the white mist revealed a trace of a smile. She had sensed this person’s presence long ago, but the girl had never come near the forest’s core, and she herself was temporarily unable to leave her spot. She had no choice but to find a way to lure her in.

Suddenly, Yin Su sensed an ominous atmosphere and wanted to turn back, but an incredibly arrogant voice resounded through the air: "A junior of the clan, how can you run away without even greeting your ancestor?"

As the voice fell, Yin Su’s body lost control and was pulled deep into the forest.

There was a cave enveloped in white mist, where only the faint silhouette of a seated figure could be seen. Brought to the mouth of the cave, Yin Su hesitated, then decided to go in and see for herself. She wanted to know who was behind all this.

As soon as she poked her head into the cave entrance, her body was sucked inside.

"Hmm, good bone structure, and the strength isn't bad either! I didn't expect those descendants to finally get a clue and find a decent junior to keep me company." A somewhat raspy female voice rang out.

Yin Su looked up, but with one glance, she was struck by a violent force and sent flying! This was a woman of immense power! She had silver hair, yet her face looked remarkably young—eerily similar to how Yin Su herself had appeared when she had been on the verge of a cultivation deviation due to the toxins in her body.

She only wondered what the story behind this woman was.

***

*Author's Note:* Drinking coffee, typing furiously, I’ve finally managed to update! 〒_〒