278: Chapter 276 Long Yin

Less than half a cup of tea's time after Yun Ming left with Ah Yuan, an aged figure appeared silently at the spot where they had just been standing.

There was no Escape Light, no spatial fluctuations, and no warning whatsoever. He simply appeared out of thin air, like a withered tree growing out of the Void Realm.

The old man's face was shrouded in a thin layer of mist, obscuring his features; one could only vaguely sense those eyes—cloudy, weary, as if they had endured far too many years.

He wore a greyish-white Daoist robe, devoid of any patterns, washed until it was pale, with several frayed edges. His hair was thin, a mix of grey and white, draped over his shoulders. His hands were as gaunt as withered wood, with bulging veins and yellowing nails.

The moment he stood there, his entire body emanated an indescribable aura.

It wasn't Spiritual Pressure, nor was it killing intent; it was age. It was the kind of aging that seeped from the marrow of his bones, impossible to conceal, sending a chill down one's spine.

The green grass beneath his feet withered, turned yellow, and crumbled into powder at a visible rate. Wildflowers in the crevices of the rocks wilted at the same instant, their petals falling to the ground and turning into ash. A flying insect perched on a rock had its wings frozen, its body beginning to shrivel from the inside as if all moisture had been drained in an instant, turning into a dried husk that rolled off the rock and shattered into dust. Every living being within a radius of dozens of feet had its life snatched away at this moment.

The old man looked down at the ashes beneath his feet, expressionless.

He raised his head and looked in the direction where Yun Ming and Ah Yuan had disappeared. There was no emotion in those cloudy eyes; he just watched calmly, as if looking at a cloud or a gust of wind.

"What an audacious boy," he spoke, his voice raspy as if he hadn't spoken for a long time, sounding like sandpaper grinding in his throat. "To dare detonate a sixth-rank Formation within Heaven Origin City. Fortunately, I acted in time, using a Great Divine Ability to compress the explosion's power to its minimum range and Seal the core spiritual essence of the illusion Formation. Otherwise, the entire Heaven Origin City would have been plunged into a never-ending illusion, with billions of souls sinking into it, never to be reborn."

His tone was very flat, without anger or reproach, as if stating something that had nothing to do with him. He paused, tilting his head slightly as if sensing something. After a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched—it seemed like a smile, yet it didn't.

"That kid's Cultivation Technique for concealing his aura is quite good. I actually couldn't catch even a trace of him. Interesting." He withdrew his gaze and shook his head. "May fate bring us together again."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot.

There was no sound of wind, no spiritual light; he just vanished into thin air as if he had never appeared. All that remained was a ground full of withered grass, dead flowers, insect corpses, and a faint, lingering scent of decay.

Yun Ming knew nothing of this.

He flew with Ah Yuan through the night at a steady pace.

A Golden Core self-detonation was not the first time for him; he was already very familiar with the feeling of death and Rebirth. The map of mountains and rivers was still there, the cauldron of all things mother qi was still there, and the golden crow feather was still there; everything was exactly as it had been before the self-detonation. He was now at his Peak state, with abundant spiritual power and a stable Divine Soul, showing no signs of having been injured.

Ah Yuan followed closely by his side, occasionally looking back at Heaven Origin City as it grew more distant. The pinkish-purple pillar of light in the distance was slowly dissipating, leaving only a faint afterglow in the night sky.

"Master, where is Sister Xue Ji?" Ah Yuan asked.

"I sent her to Paradise."

"Paradise?"

"Don't worry, Paradise is the Princess Royal's territory. No matter how bold Xuanming Hall and the Shanhai Society are, they wouldn't dare to act wild there. Xue Ji is safer with the Princess Royal than by my side."

Ah Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "Master, will the Princess Royal do anything to harm Sister Xue Ji? She wanted to take Sister Xue Ji away as a spiritual pet before..."

"She won't," Yun Ming's tone was calm. "The Princess Royal may have a sharp tongue, but she is truly good to her spiritual pets. She wanted Xue Ji because she wanted Xue Ji to follow her willingly, not by force. Besides, this time we took the initiative to send Xue Ji to her; she'll be more than happy and won't make things difficult for Xue Ji."

Ah Yuan nodded, the weight on her heart finally lifting.

The two flew for a while longer. The night gradually receded, and the horizon began to pale. The mountains and rivers below turned from grey shadows into clear features; fields, villages, and rivers appeared one by one. Cooking smoke rose from the roofs of farmhouses, and the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking drifted from afar. Occasionally, a few early-rising birds flew past them, chirping before quickly being left behind.

Yun Ming didn't fly fast, but he didn't intentionally slow down either. As he flew, he kept an eye on the terrain below, looking for a suitable place to settle. He didn't want to return to the Sect, nor did he want to enter any large cities. Sects were too complicated, and cities were too noisy, filled with Cultivators and informants everywhere. He needed a quiet place, a place where no one knew him, where he could Cultivate in peace and Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage.

The best choice was a Mortal kingdom.

Mortal kingdoms had no Cultivators, thin Spiritual Qi, and scarce resources. To those high-and-mighty immortal practitioners, such places were backwaters not worth a second glance. But it was precisely this "worthlessness" that provided Yun Ming with the best sanctuary. No one would expect a Golden Core Perfection Cultivator to hide among Mortals, let alone go through the trouble of searching for someone in such a place.

Ah Yuan didn't know what her Master was thinking; she only knew to follow him. Although her cultivation was already at Foundation Establishment, the long flight still left her somewhat exhausted. She gritted her teeth and didn't complain.

After flying for nearly another hour, the day had fully dawned. The sun rose from the eastern ridge, and golden sunlight spilled across the land, dispelling the last of the chill. Yun Ming suddenly slowed down, and Ah Yuan followed his gaze to see a city appearing ahead.

It was a purely Mortal city. The city walls were not high, built of green bricks with moss growing in some places. Soldiers guarded the city gate, wearing cloth armor, holding spears, and yawning. The buildings inside were low, with the tallest being only three stories. Cooking smoke rose from the roofs, and the sounds of roosters and dogs came from the alleys. Early-rising pedestrians were already on the streets: vendors carrying shoulder poles, farmers driving ox carts, and women carrying baskets. There was no spiritual light, no Flying Swords, and no aura of any Cultivator.

Yun Ming landed on a deserted hill, gazing at the city from afar. The wind blew over, carrying the scent of wheat straw and cooking smoke. Ah Yuan stood beside him, also looking at the city.

"Master, will we be living here from now on?" Ah Yuan asked softly.

Yun Ming nodded. "Yes. We'll find a place to stay, and I will enter seclusion to Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage. Once I emerge, we'll go back to get Xue Ji."

Ah Yuan nodded vigorously. "I'll work hard on my cultivation too. Next time, I want to be able to help."

Yun Ming glanced at her and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Alright. Once we've settled down, it'll be time for you to buckle down on your cultivation as well."

He stepped toward the city. Ah Yuan followed behind him with a light step. The morning light fell on them, casting long shadows. Heaven Origin City had long since vanished from view, and the pinkish-purple pillar of light had completely dissipated. A new day had begun.