1 Pursuer
A drop of blood trickled down from the corner of his eye.
His eyelashes twitched as he opened his eyes dazedly.
It was night outside, the surroundings dim and silent. A gentle voice whispered, "Fellow Cultivator, your injury is severe. Bear with it, I'll call for aid."
The voice faded away.
Listening silently, dull eyes scanning the makeshift barracks where injured Cultivators wreathing in pain scattered across the place.
'Am I alive?'
'No, something's wrong.'
'The divination clearly predicted that saving Master will lead to my death.'
'Where is Master?'
'And why am I in this place?'
Tick, tick, tick.
Brows forrowing slightly, he followed the sound to the left.
Beside him was another stretcher, bearing a robust cultivator.
The Cultivator had his eyes closed tightly, his arms hanging weakly by the sides of the stretcher, blood flowed continuously along the snake-shaped tattoos on his arms, penetrating the wooden planks, and dripping onto the ground.
Judging from the injuries on his body, it is obvious that a beast had ripped his lungs open. the monster's destructive energy prevents him from healing, it truly looks hopeless for him.
Tick, tick, tick.
The blood continued to drip, and the Cultivator's breathing slowly and painfully faded.
He was lost.
Silence settled again.
In the darkness, thoughts raced.
'Is the war over? Who won?'
'didn't saving Master kill me? so how is it that I am alive?
He opened his eyes and looked at the dead cultivator again.
The cultivator lay there motionless.
Looking around.
The camp is full of wounded soldiers as well as many corpses littering the place.
He looked back and forth at everything around him.
'I...I can see?!!'
He seemed to remember something, quickly looking down, only to see that he had a pair of intact arms.
'WHAT!?'
Blind eyes and crippled arms are all due to incomplete meridians, no healing method had ever had any effect.
'Could this be....'
A whisper of wind, and two figures quietly appeared by his side.
"Sir, this cultivator is still alive."
"A miracle considering his injuries."
Divine sense swept over his body and quickly retracted.
"Quick there is still hope of survival for him, feed him the medicine!"
"Yes!"
Feeling of being lifted and a fragrant liquid touching his mouth.
Taking a few sips, a cool tingling sensation spread throughout his body as he was laid back down with care.
'this will help'.
This medicine is only used for the most crucially injured because though it is extremely effective, the cost of brewing it is not cheap.
"Let's go, there is much to do, it is all up to his fate now."
The man ordered, both of them walking away.
Slowly but surely the medicine started showing its results as wounds started to feel itching and numb as if thousands of insects were crawling around his body causing him to lose his focus and fall into a sleep-like state.
Laying there in the silent darkness, his left hand caged in his sleeve pulling out a rope with a tag attached to it.
His gaze shifted to a wooden tag tied to a rope.
"Name: Liu Ping."
"Cultivation Base: Qi Refining Peak Stage."
"Age: Nineteen."
"Sect: Baisheng."
"Note: Baisheng sect has been destroyed."
Qi Refining? My cultivation has dropped from the spirit illumination realm to the qi refining stage. How?.
Tucking the wooden tag back in gently, he thought to himself.
Since joining the sect from the mortal world, he had practiced for decades. How could he be nineteen?
The Ascetic Alliance wouldn't make a mistake about practitioners' identities.
So why am I nineteen and part of a destroyed sect?
A thought flashed through his mind.
'Yes'
'This explains the current situation'
'The Nine Turns Resurrection Pill'.
This medicinal pill is a divine pill that The Highest Heavens had bestowed upon master, it can shed one's mortal body and reshape one's bones, reconstruct spirit roots, and even reshape divine souls.
'Shedding the mortal body can only be done by reincarnating'.
Master must have given me the pill. Consuming his life force to change my fate.
He swept his body with his mind.
From limbs to facial features, internal organs to bones, pubic field to sea of soul...
A young body without defects, about nineteen years old.
'The shackles that once bound me vanished.'
'Master...'
He lay there whispering.
his fate has changed.
In other words...
Master is dead.
He clenched and released his fist.
'I calculated everything, I did everything to save Master, but I couldn't foresee masters choice'.
After a moment, he sighed, holding the wooden sign.
Liu Ping.
'My name is the same.'
Aren't you afraid of me being exposed?
Master is the best when it comes to the art of divination, foreseeing time and space, life, and death.
Liu Ping put the sign back, focusing on the space in front of him.
In his sight, a transparent window with texts written on it is floating.
Even with Master's full strength and the power of the divine pill, it's still here.
Liu Ping sighed, concentrating on what was written.
[Due to insufficient funds, this sequence cannot be activated.]
Never mind.
This thing is lazy and harmless.
Now reborn, as long as I'm not as foolish as before, it won't affect me.
He glanced again at the void, where another line of characters flickered:
[Current status: (hidden)]
A new line appeared .
Hidden...
'What does it mean?'
No answer came from the Sequence.
'No matter.'
'As long as it leaves me alone, I'm fine.'
Liu Ping comforted himself.
The tingling on his body faded, and upon inspection, most of his injuries had healed.
The medicinal liquid worked well.
Liuping rose slowly, peering out the window.
The night enveloped everything.
It was pitch black.
'I need to gather information'.
As he pondered, blazing texts suddenly flashed in the void:
[Notice.]
[This sequence must remind you:]
[Your awakening caused an unknown situation.]
[The processing mechanism for you is activating.]
[The pursuer is coming.]
[Repeat, the pursuer is coming.]
[Remaining time: three minutes.]
[The countdown begins.]
[03:00]
[02:59]
[02:58]
...
All the characters vanished, leaving only the countdown in the void in front of him.
Outside, footsteps approached.
"Young man!" a shout came from the middle-aged cultivator.
"you're awake?"
"Thanks to the care of fellow dao seeker, I'm feeling better" Liu Ping expressed gratitude.
The middle-aged cultivator observed the camp.
"at last, someone survived. That's good news" he sighed.
Liu Ping sensed the cultivator's spiritual power, comparable to his own.
Is this the pursuer?
No, this one treated me earlier.
Moreover, there is still 2 minutes left on the countdown before the Pursuer arrives.
Giving it some thought, Liu Ping clasped his fist and voiced:" Thank you fellow dao seeker for saving my life, my name is Liu Ping, I hail from the Baisheng sect."
"You are welcome, since you have survived and recovering you don't need to stay here, come, let me help you"
Nodding at him, the cultivator waved his hand and the stretcher started floating lightly.
As the cultivator was walking out, he muttered to himself.
"you are healing well, but the effect of the medication will disappear in half an hour, I will give you another medicine to consolidate it"
Liu Ping looked at the dark sky and asked the cultivator: "may I know what time it is? "
"It's Mao shi"
(TN:Mao shi is between 5 and 7 in the morning, if you don't like the time to be said in the chinese way please comment on it and I'll change it)
Raising his brows.
'This can't be right, the sky is still dark, how can it be that the sun has not risen at this time? '
Floating beside the cultivator, they crossed the door of the barracks, and stepping outside, the door behind them closed.
A dim campfire was the only thing lighting the dark, silent camp.
Looking to the side, coffins lay there one after another placed neat and tidily, and the remains of the dead cultivators were stacked on the other side.
The cultivator then added, " fellow daoist Liu, I won't hide anything from you. The people who are sent here are the seriously injured and the dead. Me and my uncle here are in charge of the graveyard".
'Uncle? Was he the one who fed him the medicine?'
Liu Ping gave him an understanding nod.
"Please don't take the situation to heart" the cultivator continued "Recently, the Frontline has sustained heavy casualties. The healing specialists are extremely busy, which is why many have been sent here just like you".
" Makes sense" Liu Ping added.
'master's arrangement is absolutely flawless'.
The situation in the Frontline is intense, with numerous practitioners getting injured or losing their lives every second.
'My injuries have undergone examination, and the cultivators here have provided me medicine to heal me. Every detail of the healing has been documented. This means that even if my case were to be investigated there wouldn't be any suspicion'.
Since he is injured and in need of time to recover, he won't be sent to the frontlines.
'Everything is perfect'
'Well....'
Liuping glanced at the timer in front of him.
[01:22]
[01:21]
[01;20]
"..."
The pursuer is coming.
Silently contemplating untill the cultivator waved his hand, the corpses of the cultivators were one by one put inside the coffins gently.
Each of those coffins where then barred in the graveyard.
"how many have been barred here?". Liu ping asked.
"Anywhere you look at is the tomb of our human race" the cultivator replied.
Wherever he looked, there were tombstones densely lined up without end.
An absurd thought came to his mind.
'this whole world is used as a graveyard for the dead and nothing more'.
The sound of footsteps where nearing them.
"Young Uncle master!" the cultivator shouted.
The cultivator who was nearing them in a simple daoist attire looked no more than forty years old, his foundation couldn't be seen through.
'based on my experience, he should be at least at the golden core realm'
'Is he the Pursuer? '
Looking at the countdown.
[00:59]
[00:58]
[00:57]
'Not here yet'
It's not him
"greetings"
Liuping clasped his fists, though a bit reluctant.
"no need to be polite, lie down young man, although your life is not at risk, you have yet to fully recover." said the newcomer.
Liu Ping thought for a bit before adding, "I would like to know our current situation first please"
The cultivator narrowed his eyes.
Seeing his expression Liu Ping asked "What is your suggestion Senior?".
The cultivator quickly made a decision.
"shangguan has something to discuss with us. Make haste Let's go see him."
"Yes," the younger cultivator replied.
Turning to Liu Ping speaking warmly "Wait here; I'll report your situation to higher authority. Arrangements will surely be made soon. Be patient and take care."
"Yes, thank you senior" replied Liu Ping.
The two nodded to him, swiftly leaving his side toward the corner of the camp a hundred meter away.
In that corner, there was a teleportation array circle.
The two stood upon the array circle, swiftly activating the formation.
With a few flashes of light circling around them, they turned into light and disappeared.
Silence was once again returning to the surroundings as Liuping was left in charge of the camp.
Looking at the void in front of him.
[00:04]
[00:03]
[00:02]
[00:01]
[The Pursuer has arrived.]
The small characters flashed and then dispersed into the void.
A wave of anxiety washed over him.
A spiritual consciousness weighed down on him.
Step... Step... Step...
Footsteps approached.
His hair stood on end as Liu Ping turned to see a burly cultivator emerging from the barracks.
While looking around he started cursing
"It turned out to be this kind of place? The guys in charge of the treatment are really irresponsible. I obviously passed out in a coma, so how come I was thrown into the mass grave?"
The two locked eyes.
"Friend, you were also thrown here?" the cultivator inquired.
"Indeed, I'm obviously still alive, and it's really unlucky to be sent to such a place!" Liu Ping said, spreading his hands.
The martial arts cultivator listened, a small smile on his face, and asked, "Why is there no one else? Where is the fellow Daoist in charge of the tomb?"
Liu Ping, lying on his back on the stretcher, hummed, "He has gone to see Shangguan, it seems there is something urgent."
The martial arts practitioner glanced at the coffins, then at the remains, and said gloomily, "It seems we have to wait here."
Liu Ping casually glanced at him.
He is exuding a spiritual power stronger than his own.
This is the foundation establishment realm.
Practitioners in the foundation establishment can use spiritual energy to cast natural runes and fly consistently, while those in the qi refining stage lack spiritual power, often limited to a few spells before weakening.
'I am not his opponent.'
—But that's not the main point.
The crucial detail is that the blood on the arms of the martial arts practitioner has been wiped away, revealing a hideous snake-shaped tattoo.
This tattoo...
Liu Ping silently retracted his gaze.
In the camp just now, I saw with my own eyes that this person had died.
This person died.
He should be dead!
Liu Ping smiled and said, "Don't worry, the cultivator in charge of the tomb is probably in the Golden Core Realm. He will probably be back soon."
The martial arts practitioner's expression paused slightly, and he looked up at the sky.
The dark night enveloped the sky.
The surroundings were quiet and silent.
On the flat ground near the barracks, corpses and coffins were neatly placed, but there was nothing else.
The Golden Core cultivator in charge will be back soon...
The martial arts practitioner hesitated for a moment and sighed, "Nothing can be done."
He sat down beside Liu Ping.
