Chapter 52 - A Strand of Blue!

The fire essence, metal essence, and water essence streaked through the dark Void like meteors, racing towards Leng Yan’s sea of consciousness guided by his spiritual awareness.

No matter how fast they were, they couldn’t escape the grasp of the enormous hand behind them. The hand’s fingers curled, and an immense suction force immobilized Leng Yan’s spiritual awareness.

Without the propulsion of spiritual awareness, the three essences floated aimlessly in the Void.

“Destroy!”

A deep voice resonated in the Void as the giant hand bypassed Leng Yan’s spiritual awareness to strike at the three essences.

“No!” Leng Yan screamed internally, powerless to resist and watching helplessly as the essence power was about to be annihilated.

Suddenly, a black-robed figure appeared before the essences, standing in the path of the towering hand.

The black-robed person slowly raised their right hand, pointing with their index finger.

With that gentle point, the Void seemed to come to a standstill, even the towering hand appeared frozen. As the finger touched the hand, a booming “Bang!” resounded, and the towering hand disintegrated into ashes.

With the hand shattered, Leng Yan’s spiritual awareness was freed. He quickly gathered the essences and raced towards his sea of consciousness.

“Thank you for your assistance, Senior. Should we meet again, I will surely repay your kindness!” Leng Yan voiced his gratitude as he sped away!

The black-robed figure watched Leng Yan’s departure with a slight, yet emotionless smile.

Unsure of the stranger’s intentions, Leng Yan decided not to linger. His sole focus was escaping, uninterested in why the black-robed person had helped him.

Returning to his body unharmed, the three essences began to revolve within his sea of consciousness. As he opened his eyes, a lingering fear remained. If not for the intervention of the black-robed figure, Leng Yan feared his spiritual awareness would have been annihilated, leaving him a shell of his former self.

Calming himself, Leng Yan circulated his cultivation technique a few times, sensing significant growth in his strength. Now, even those in the Heavenly Realm would struggle to easily defeat him.

“Still half a year left to consolidate my cultivation level,” Leng Yan thought to himself, watching the runes dancing around him.

With a wave of his sleeve, he calmed himself as the Xuanwu Ice Heart Technique began to circulate. The true essence flowed through his meridians, solidifying his cultivation level.

Another half-year passed, and the essence power within the immortal land was depleted. The time within the immortal land began to realign with the outside world.

The immortal land spun slightly, falling into Leng Yan’s palm. With a thought, the land emitted a golden glow, gradually shrinking until it merged with his flesh like a tattoo.

This was part of the information he absorbed after infusing it with essence power, allowing him to conceal the immortal land within his body.

Standing up, Leng Yan exhaled a breath. The two years in the immortal land amounted to just two days in reality. He opened the door and walked to the main hall, where Shui Yunyao still sat on a meditation mat with her eyes closed in cultivation.

Sensing Leng Yan’s presence, Shui Yunyao ceased the cultivation technique, gracefully stood up, smoothed her sleeve, tidied her hair, and looked at him, saying, “You’re finally out!”

“Yes, I missed you!” Leng Yan replied with a smile.

“Such a smooth talker, but I like it!” Shui Yunyao smiled, her expression filled with the joy of a lover.

“Really? I have lots of sweet words I could share with you for a century!” Leng Yan’s heart stirred as he remembered Xuan Yi’s words, but he hid that momentary distraction behind a carefree grin.

“A century won’t be enough! We’re not ordinary humans; we can live for millennia!” Shui Yunyao walked gracefully to his side. At this moment, she wasn’t the master of a sect or a senior sister; she was simply a woman showing her endearing, playful side to her man.

“Not enough? Maybe I should practice more sweet talk with some mortal women, then share it all with you!” Leng Yan teased, gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, noticing a few new blue strands.

“You wouldn’t dare! Your sweet words are for my ears only!” Shui Yunyao playfully pinched his waist, feigning anger.

Just as a man feels possessive, so does a woman. No woman would want to share her man with another, just as no man would allow his wife to be with someone else.

What defines true love, steadfastness, or enduring affection? Having someone who cares so deeply for him made Leng Yan feel more than satisfied.

“What’s up with your hair?” Leng Yan asked, eyeing the blue strands with curiosity.

Shui Yunyao glanced at the blue strands, a hint of confusion and slight alarm in her eyes. “This… it might be related to the cultivation technique I’ve been practicing lately.”

Seeing the flicker in Shui Yunyao’s eyes, Leng Yan was certain she was hiding something from him. However, he didn’t blame her; perhaps her concealment was a lie meant to protect him.

Leng Yan felt an unease settling in his heart, uncertain of what had actually happened. Could Xuan Yi’s words be coming true? Was Shui Yunyao also a reincarnation of an important figure? No matter the reason, Leng Yan believed that everything depended on one’s strength.

So, he chose not to press further, instead opting for lighthearted banter with Shui Yunyao.

Even though he was joking, his heart reminded him to increase his strength, for only then would he have the power to influence events!

After spending a day chatting with Shui Yunyao in the master’s pavilion, he left the water element mountain gate the following day, armed with fifty thousand primordial spirit elixirs that Shui Yunyao had given him.

Heading to Yin Mountain, success meant a great boost in power, while failure meant near-certain death. Yet no matter how perilous, Leng Yan was resolute-not just for Shui Yunyao, but for himself as well.

Standing on Liuli Terrace, Leng Yan gazed at the sky, watching the clouds morph with the wind. He smiled slightly, thinking that the clouds were like life’s journey and the wind like fate. Life is always driven by fate. Cultivators strive to break free from fate’s shackles, but how many truly comprehend it?

If one cannot comprehend fate, how can one hope to break free from it?

“What are you thinking about, so deep in thought?” Chu Jianfeng, dressed in a white robe, gave off the appearance of someone from the Righteous Sect, though the scar on his face lent him a fearsome demeanor.

“Oh, nothing! Just a bit bored. So, you’re really coming with me to Yin Mountain? You know it’s dangerous; you can still leave if you want,” Leng Yan remarked with a smile.

“If I were scared, I’d have left already. I wouldn’t be waiting here,” Chu Jianfeng replied, touching his scar.

“Alright, let’s go! On this journey, you can play the role of a disciple from a Righteous Sect to avoid unnecessary trouble.” Leng Yan tossed a token from the Sun Moon Sword Sect to Chu Jianfeng and said with a grin.

“Alright, it’s your call. Let’s go!” Chu Jianfeng fastened the token to his waist and said.

With everything ready, the two of them stepped onto their flying swords and headed towards Yin Mountain.

Yin Mountain, located in the wilds of the Southern Frontier, was surrounded by countless towering peaks and ridges. Legend had it that Yin Mountain was hidden somewhere within this massive terrain.

The mountain was notoriously mysterious, with its entrance rarely visible and constantly shifting locations. Even many experts attempting to defy the heavens and change fate couldn’t find it. Rumor had it Yin Mountain was inhabited by countless ghost souls and was filled with dense Fiendish Qi, making it an ideal site for cultivating demonic techniques.

Leng Yan and Chu Jianfeng had been flying for three days and were still a million li from the Southern Frontier, so they decided not to rush. They stopped at a town for the night to get some well-deserved rest.

Having found a room at an inn, Chu Jianfeng, unable to sit idle, insisted on dragging Leng Yan out for a walk around the town.

Leng Yan, who had once made a living in the streets and alleys, found himself reminiscing about those days, as he strolled alongside Chu Jianfeng through the bustling streets. People moved about, each with their own destination.

At the end of the street, a few children crouched together, bright-eyed, watching the passersby.

Exchanging glances, the children suddenly stood up and ran towards a wealthy lady clad in silk ribbon.

The children surrounded her, calling out, “Please, help us, give us some food!”

They tugged at her clothes, pleading softly.

The lady shook her sleeves angrily, barking, “Get away, you filthy beggars! Don’t dirty my dress.”

In the midst of her scolding, one of the children managed to snatch away her money pouch and darted off. The rest quickly dispersed, leaving the lady yelling in confusion, unaware of what had just happened!

Watching the scene, Leng Yan chuckled. It reminded him of his past. Back then, to survive, he and Leng Yu used similar tricks, with Leng Yu creating distractions while Leng Yan would seize the chance to steal money.

By the time they were eight, the two of them had moved on from such petty acts. By then, they had turned to assassination, becoming killers who regarded human life as insignificant.