83: Chapter 83 Departure

"This isn't real. This is all fake. Hahaha, it must be fake! I'm already dead, and this is the Underworld! Right?"

The old man, Chu Jianghe, was extremely agitated.

Chu Xiao was quite speechless. His original plan was to secretly resurrect his grandfather without letting anyone, including the old man himself, know. After all, what he had done was indeed inconceivable.

"You old miser, you can't even tell if you're alive or dead? You've truly wasted decades of cultivation."

Old Taoist Xu Que couldn't help but curse.

Chu Jianghe gave a cold snort. "You old plague, are you looking for a beating? Don't think that just because you're at the Peak of Foundation Establishment now, I can't do anything to you! If you push me, I'll pluck every single one of your feathers."

"Crude! Vulgar! Unrefined!" Old Taoist Xu Que's eyebrows twitched. He took a swig of wine and stopped wasting his breath.

The surroundings fell silent.

The three of them stared at each other, none of them knowing what to say next.

Chu Jianghe looked at the dead Clone of Chu Xiao on the ground. Firmly believing this was his real grandson, he couldn't help but wail in grief.

He then looked at the familiar faces around him—his disciples who had long since passed away, and Uncle De, the housekeeper who had been with him his whole life.

The old man seemed to age significantly in an instant.

Seeing him like this...

Chu Xiao also felt uneasy. Being able to resurrect his grandfather was a blessing among misfortunes; as for the others, he didn't have the power to resurrect them all.

"Who exactly are you?"

The old man, Chu Jianghe, slowly raised his head and fixed his gaze on Chu Xiao. He looked him over carefully and found that although this young man looked exactly like his grandson, his aura was terrifying. Especially the vitality of his flesh and blood—it was as deep and frightening as an abyss.

The lineage of Spirit Catchers excelled most at Qi-observation, and their perception far exceeded that of ordinary Cultivators.

After all, they spent years exploring mountains and rivers in search of spiritual items. If their perception wasn't strong, they wouldn't be able to find world-class treasures like Heaven and Earth Spiritual Essence.

Chu Xiao couldn't help but press his hand to his forehead. "Grandfather, I really am your grandson. As for the one on the ground, it's just a Clone summoned by a secret technique I Cultivate!"

"Oh? Is that so? Then summon another one for me to see." Chu Jianghe narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced. He was, after all, an old Cultivator with quite a reputation in the Jianghu, possessing vast experience and a wide network.

Yet, he had never heard of any secret technique in this world that could summon a Clone.

If it were a cloning illusion, he might barely accept it.

But the one on the ground was no illusion; it was clearly made of flesh and blood.

"This technique is very taxing. I've already used it once today. If you really want to see it, I'll summon another one tomorrow, alright?"

Chu Xiao said with a smile.

Finally, Chu Jianghe was reluctantly convinced, but he still harbored great doubts in his heart.

Just then...

A terrifying surge of spiritual power erupted from nearby.

The Great Black King Snake had successfully evolved.

Its scales shimmered with a black luster, as if cast from metal. The single horn on its head had grown an inch, and thunder and fire were intertwined upon it, crackling as sparks and flames flew.

Strangely enough, its original body was dozens of meters long, but after evolving, it had actually shrunk to about ten meters.

However, its aura had become even more terrifying.

"Incredible, truly incredible! Spiritual Qi has only just begun to recover, yet it has already evolved into a High-grade Spirit Beast. Perhaps it might even transform from a Jiao into a Dragon in the future!"

"Disciple, your luck is truly Heaven-Defying!"

Old Taoist Xu Que stroked his beard and said with a face full of envy.

"Master, if you like it, I'll give this snake to you. How about it serves as your mount?" Chu Xiao said with a smile. He had already gained pleasure points anyway; he didn't need to care about a mere Spirit Rank snake.

With the System in hand, he could easily obtain even Divine Pets.

"Oh? You really want to give this spirit snake to your Master?" Old Taoist Xu Que's eyes lit up with excitement. Before the recovery of Spiritual Qi, he wouldn't have dared to dream of keeping a Spirit Beast as a mount.

But the world had changed!

No one could say for sure what the future world would be like!

Having a high-grade spirit snake as a mount would certainly be a great help, essentially providing a powerful enforcer.

A High-grade Spirit Beast!

Even in the late ancient era, this would have been an incredibly rare and exotic beast!

Chu Xiao nodded and looked at the Great Black King Snake. "I know you've gained sentience. From now on, follow my Master! He happens to have plenty of beast cultivation pills left, which will be enough to train you."

"Hiss~ hiss~~ hiss hiss hiss~~"

The Great Black King Snake hissed, its eyes revealing a human-like reluctance. However, it also knew it was just a small spirit snake and certainly wouldn't catch Chu Xiao's eye.

Finally, it compromised, obediently slithering to Old Taoist Xu Que's side and nuzzling him affectionately to show its submission.

This made Old Taoist Xu Que overjoyed.

Old Taoist Xu Que chuckled and bragged, "You old miser, learn from your grandson! Be a bit more generous! He gave me such a High-grade Spirit Beast! Are you envious?"

"Hmph!" Chu Jianghe snorted. He still hadn't fully processed everything and was still overthinking, trying to analyze the situation.

To be honest, he was dazed, confused, bewildered, and puzzled.

Next...

With tears in his eyes, Chu Jianghe buried the bodies of his 'grandson' Chu Xiao and his disciples, then erected a tombstone.

The old man sighed...

His back was hunched.

The three people and the snake left the Tomb of King Guigui. It was late at night outside, the starry sky was brilliant, a light breeze blew, and it was so quiet that not a single sound could be heard.

This was the Taklamakan Desert, a place where few people ever ventured.

"Disciple, how are we going to get back?"

Old Taoist Xu Que asked with a smile.

Chu Xiao stroked his chin, calculating in his mind. He couldn't exactly have them take a cosmic battleship back. What if they misunderstood and thought he was an alien?

His grandfather was far too suspicious.

"Let's go on foot!"

...

Walking out of the Taklamakan Desert would be a massive challenge for ordinary people.

However, it was no difficult task for the three of them.

The Great Black King Snake hissed, and its body visibly expanded. In an instant, it transformed into a giant snake dozens of meters long, its head held high with an imposing presence.

It lowered its head, gesturing for the three of them to jump on.

"It seems this mount is somewhat useful after all!" Chu Xiao thought to himself. With a light tap of his toes, he landed on the head of the Great Black King Snake and called out, "Grandfather, Master, you guys come up too!"

"Alright!" Old Taoist Xu Que jumped up in high spirits.

Chu Jianghe hesitated for a moment, but he also obediently jumped onto the snake's head.