Chapter 478: Mysterious Old Man
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The first light penetrated the treetops and dispersed the darkness. The sun was not out yet, but the visibility was already very good.
Chen Zi looked into the distance. “There’s a village over there.” This land was an inauspicious place, yet there was a village here. Exactly what kind of village would survive in such a dangerous and inauspicious land? Normally, there would be a village only in those very safe forests without monstrous beasts. How did a normal village like this survive in such a dangerous place?
“Let’s go over and take a look,” Mo Wen said curiously.
“You are not worried about the dangers?” Chen Zi asked cautiously.
Mo Wen was quite curious about the village as, without some abilities, it would be impossible to survive in this patch of forest. “Those villagers are not even afraid of monstrous beasts, could they be afraid of humans? Moreover, the directions here are so difficult to decipher. We’ll go to one of the families in the village to ask for directions. That will reduce the distance we will need to travel.”
Chen Zi pondered for a moment. She knew what Mo Wen had said was quite true. For them to carry on wandering in the deep mountains and virgin forests was no solution. “Go on over and ask for directions then,” she said.
The two of them went through the patch of forest and came to the front of the village very quickly. Five or six young children were playing at the entrance to the village. Each child was very agile, and playing along with them were a large, brightly colored tiger and a python, which was tens of meters long.
Two children were sitting on the python and were happily playing with lots of laughter. On the back of the big python there was actually a pair of wings.
There was a bamboo basket on the mighty tiger’s neck. In it was a fair and delicate infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. His little hands were constantly waving in the air. When the big tiger looked at the baby, the tiger’s eyes had some gentleness.
If the video clip of this scene was uploaded to the internet, it would be viewed a few hundred million times!
“Multi-colored Demonic Tiger and Austere Flying Python?” Shock flashed in Chen Zi’s eyes as she watched those two monstrous beasts. They were seemingly harmless to the children, but the scene made her heart tremble.
Multi-colored Demonic Tiger and Austere Flying Python were Sixth level monstrous beasts which were equivalent to the martial arts pract.i.tioners in the Embryonic Breathing realm. Yet here, both adult monstrous beasts had actually become children’s playthings.
Although it was possible for the monstrous beasts to be tamed by humans, the higher level these monstrous beasts were, the harder it was to tame them. Hence, the Sixth level monstrous beasts would be too difficult to tame. Normally, it was as difficult as going to heaven for a martial arts pract.i.tioner to tame a Sixth level monstrous beast. Even in the Intentionless Sect, there weren’t any Sixth level monstrous beasts.
The Phantom Wolf Cat which had been sound asleep on Mo Wen’s shoulder awoke with a shriek. Its fur stood up on end as its azure eyes fixed cautiously on the Multi-colored Demonic Tiger and Austere Flying Python, as if it was facing its greatest enemies.
The Multi-colored Demonic Tiger and Austere Flying Python also discovered Mo Wen and company at the same time. Two pairs of glowing eyes stared at the new arrivals. The beasts snarled warningly and gnashed their teeth, but unusually they didn’t attack.
Mo Wen paid no attention to the two monstrous beasts. His eyes looked instead towards a bamboo house at a corner in front of the village. “I’m Mo Wen. I am merely pa.s.sing by this place and am here to ask for directions.”
Suddenly, an old voice resounded from the bamboo house. “Whoever comes to our village is a guest. Both of you please come in.” Although it was coming from quite far away, the voice sounded as if it was right next to them.
After the Multi-colored Demonic Tiger and Austere Flying Python heard the words, they immediately moved to the side, looking like they were making way for Mo Wen and Chen Zi.
Mo Wen smiled at the two monstrous beasts as he nodded his head before walking in the direction of the bamboo house. Chen Zi followed behind Mo Wen curiously. She didn’t understand how Mo Wen had immediately known that there was someone in the bamboo house when she had only just realized.
In the bamboo house, an old man in a sackcloth was sitting on a bamboo bed. His eyes were deeply sunken and he looked as though he had one foot in the grave.
“Youngster, you are such an outstanding young man. I have not seen one like you for a very long time.” The eyes of the old man were as calm as a deep pond as they looked at Mo Wen. Although the old man appeared weak and normal, Mo Wen didn’t dare be complacent.
“Elder, can there be another young person who is as outstanding as me?” Mo Wen asked with a smile.
The old man was bemused for a moment before saying with a smile, “You are a little conceited.”
“We disturb you this time not for any purpose other than asking for directions to the Intentionless City,” Mo Wen explained. This old fellow was not simple. Mo Wen didn’t intend to spend too much time with this kind of person. He would leave as soon as he got the directions.
“Intentionless City?” The old man raised his head with doubts in his eyes, as if he had never heard of the place.
“Elder, Intentionless City is the main city of the Qingzhen District,” Chen Zi explained. Intentionless City was one of the eight big cities in the Green Ancient Mystery Dimension. It was the symbolic city for the people who lived in the Green Ancient Mystery Dimension. Chen Zi was surprised that this old man didn’t even seem to know the eight big main cities.
“So the main city of the Qingzhen District has now become the Intentionless City? I thought the main city of the Qingzhen District was still the Daoyuan City.” An expression of grief flashed in the eyes of the old man. It dismayed him that the main city of Qingzhen District could have changed its owner. It showed how everything was unpredictable and how, regardless of how strong an influence was, it would eventually disappear in the long river of time.
“What!” Chen Zi gasped as she looked at the old man in disbelief like she had seen a ghost. Daoyuan City hadn’t been the main city of Qingzhen District for a hundred and fifty years. When Daoyuan Sect had waned, the Intentionless Sect had taken over Daoyuan Sect’s position to take charge of the Qingzhen District. The old man before them actually thought that the Qingzhen District was still under the rule of the Daoyuan Sect. “Elder, how old exactly are you?” Chen Zi asked in shock.
“How old? I seem to have forgotten,” the old man said. He laughed as he shook his head with a sense of reminiscence flas.h.i.+ng in his eyes. “If you intend to go to the main city of the Qingzhen District, it is not too far. Go towards the north from here for about 2.5 kilometers to get to the outskirts of the Intentionless City.”
Chen Zi smiled bitterly as she heard his words. So, they had been walking the entire night in the wrong direction. By going south, they were traveling further and further away from the Intentionless Sect.
There were eight big cities in the Green Ancient Mystery Dimension. The Intentionless Sect was located to the south. Their present location should be at the edge of the southern part, so walking northwards would get them to the Intentionless City.
It was fortunate that they had seen this village or else they would still be walking on foolishly, with no idea of how long it would take to reach the Intentionless City.
“Thank you for your guidance, Elder. We will disturb your quiet cultivation no longer.” Mo Wen didn’t seem to wish to linger so he took Chen Zi’s hand, ready to leave the bamboo house.
“Young man, please stay put.” The old man glanced at Mo Wen with some surprise before laughing as a quiet radiance flashed in his eyes.
As the old man’s voice resounded, Mo Wen’s body trembled violently and he was frozen on the spot momentarily. His eyes went blank for a moment. However, almost the next moment, Mo Wen regained his composure as shock and fear surged deep in his eyes.
“Mo Wen, what happened?” Chen Zi looked at Mo Wen curiously as she didn’t understand why he had suddenly frozen.
“Chen Zi, you go out first. I have to speak to this elder,” Mo Wen said.
Doubts flashed in Chen Zi’s eyes. Mo Wen and this old man didn’t know each other. What could they possibly have to speak about? However, she didn’t say anything. She nodded and walked out alone.
Mo Wen turned around to look towards the old man. Unusually for him, there was apprehension in his eyes.
“As I expected, young man, you are very outstanding. Among the young people that I have seen, disregarding the Cultivation and only looking at the Soul power, there is only one person who can be equivalent to you.”
The usually calm and serene face of the old man was filled with surprise as he looked at Mo Wen. It was clear that he was no ordinary young man. That’s why he had been able to discover the old man’s whereabouts from such a distance. The old man could tell that, although his Cultivation was not that outstanding, Mo Wen’s Soul power was simply exceptional. There were only a handful of people who had such great Soul power when in the Embryonic Breathing realm.
“Elder, you are not simple at all. Indeed you are an exceptional expert in this wilderness,” Mo Wen said calmly. The old man was very strong, so strong that Mo Wen was apprehensive of him. This old man should have at least the Cultivation of the Golden Elixir realm as his Soul power had already surpa.s.sed the normal existence of Golden Elixir realm and was twice that of Mo Wen. Moreover, his actual quality was very close to Primordial Soul level. If it was a compet.i.tion of Soul power, two Mo Wens might not be anything in the hands of the old man before him.
When encountered with this kind of person, if they had an evil intention, Mo Wen might not be able to escape.
“Young man, do you know why I asked you to stay behind?” the old man asked.
“Can it be that you intended to make me a meal?” Mo Wen curled his lips slightly.
The old man looked confused for a moment. Then, he said with a laugh, “I seem to have mystified things a little. I shall go straight to the point. I, an old fellow, have something that I’ve always wanted to do but I don’t have that ability, so I hope to find a partner with exceptional ability.”
“And you have selected me?” Mo Wen asked indifferently.
“Your present Cultivation is too low. You would be of no use even if I have selected you.” The old man shook his head.
“Since I can’t help you, I shall take my leave.” Mo Wen held his hand over his fist to show his respect before turning around to leave the bamboo house. He had absolutely no interest in the matter that the old man was talking about. Even if he had the ability, he wouldn’t agree to it.
“Hold on. Hold your horses, young people are indeed impatient.” A terrifying aura was released by the old man. It enveloped Mo Wen instantly, as if a mountain had descended from the heavens. Mo Wen’s body swayed from side to side before he froze to the same spot once again.
“Elder, are you going to bully me with your strength?” Mo Wen gradually turned around with his eyes closed slightly. His heart was filled with shock. The Cultivation of this old man was definitely beyond the normal martial arts pract.i.tioners in the Golden Elixir realm. He had already attained the legendary pinnacle among the martial arts pract.i.tioners, the realm of the Martial Arts Grandmaster.