Ground Up

Of all the stories his late master had told Yu Ze, one stuck firmly in his mind.

After conquering hundreds of sects and clans, Shen Tian decided to retire and withdraw from the cultivation world. To ensure the Black Dragon Sect continued to exist, he established a pavilion as an academy to train new talents.

Shen Tian chose the location on Long Shan Mountain, in the eastern region, about 100 miles north of Dongyue Town. He wanted to make Long Shan Mountain his territory.

However, that desire was never realized. Just as the pavilion was completed, the Cultivator World War broke out. This forced Shen Tian to postpone his plan, and the rest was history.

And now, Yu Ze was exploring Long Shan Mountain, searching for the pavilion his late master had built.

The sun shone brightly above. White clouds drifted across the blue sky as if someone had splashed paint on a canvas. Below was a valley flanked by mountains, sheltering a dense forest through which a long green river flowed.

Despite the stunning natural beauty surrounding him, Yu Ze wore a tense expression on his face. There was a slight worry in his mind. He had very few clues about the pavilion's location. His late master had only mentioned that it was near a beautiful waterfall.

But Long Shan Mountain was vast. Finding a pavilion in the mountains with wilderness all around was like searching for a needle in a haystack. He worried he might never find the pavilion.

"I think I need to rest here for a while."

Hunger made Yu Ze pause his search for the sect's pavilion. He sat leaning against a large tree facing the green river. While enjoying the sight of cranes hunting fish, he ate the berries he had picked along the way.

Staring into empty space, Yu Ze got lost in thought, pondering what to do after finding the sect's pavilion. He wasn't sure how to recruit new members, considering the place was very remote and far from any hustle and bustle. Moreover, he didn't know how to train new recruits.

Yu Ze might have mastered all the techniques of the Black Dragon Sect, but he had no experience teaching anyone. Let alone teaching, his combat experience was still lacking.

"Huh, my head hurts just thinking about it," Yu Ze sighed deeply.

In the end, Yu Ze decided to ignore all his worries and face them later.

RUSTLE! RUSTLE! RUSTLE!

Suddenly, Yu Ze heard something moving in the bushes.

Seventeen years of living in the forest had made Yu Ze familiar with all kinds of animals. He could recognize them even from the slightest sound, and whatever was hiding in those bushes was not one of them.

It was a human.

"I know you're there. Stop hiding."

Still sitting calmly, Yu Ze showed no signs of alertness. He sensed no cultivation from the person.

"Come out, don't be shy. I won't do anything to you. I just want to talk."

Yu Ze spoke sincerely. He thought maybe this person knew the location of the pavilion and could show him the way there. It would save time, considering Long Shan Mountain was vast and had no signs of settlements around.

However, the one hiding in the bushes did not come out, even after Yu Ze said he had no hostile intentions. He coaxed that person several more times, but the result was the same.

Annoyed, Yu Ze threw a stone into the bushes.

"Ouch!"

Then, a bald-headed man emerged from the bushes. He was tall and muscular, but there was a red bump on his head. It seemed Yu Ze had thrown the stone right at his head, and the man didn't seem to like it.

"He he he, sorry, buddy. I didn't mean to hurt you. But if you hide like that, anyone would do the same."

However, the bald guy was already angry. He took a stance, head down like a bull ready to ram, and then charged at Yu Ze.

Yu Ze did not try to dodge. He stopped him with a palm instead. For a moment, Yu Ze was a little surprised. He didn't sense any qi from him, but this man was able to launch a powerful attack with sheer brute force.

"Wow, his physical strength is no joke," Yu Ze muttered.

He then flicked him away with his finger, and the bald guy was sent flying into the bushes.

"For someone without cultivation, you're quite something."

But the bald guy seemed uninterested in Yu Ze's praise. He got up with an even angrier expression.

"Hey, calm down. I don't want to fight you. Hurting ordinary people isn't my style."

Yu Ze tried to clear up the misunderstanding, but the bald guy didn't listen and charged at Yu Ze again. For the second time, Yu Ze stopped him and sent him flying into the air.

BAM!

This time, the bald guy crashed into a tree.

"Hey! I said calm down. Don't make me hurt you!"

The bald guy still didn't care and prepared to launch a third attack. Of course, Yu Ze had no plan to keep going easy on him.

Before the bald guy could take a stance, Yu Ze darted towards him and delivered a palm strike, sending him plunging into the river.

THUD!

Yu Ze used just a bit of his qi, but it was enough to create a 10-meter high splash and a small rain shower for a few seconds.

"That's what you get if I get a little serious..." Yu Ze snorted as he said this.

Although the bald guy got on his nerves, Yu Ze still didn't want to kill him. He didn't sense any malicious intentions. It felt more like fear and worry. Besides, he needed information about the pavilion.

But if this guy remained stubborn, Yu Ze would have no choice but to break his arms or legs.

"Do you still want to fight? Or talk?"

Squinting his eyes, Yu Ze watched the river closely. The water's surface seemed calm after the bald guy plunged in. He thought the bald guy was using another trick or preparing a surprise.

However, his suspicion was just a meaningless worry.

The bald guy surfaced and floundered in the water, struggling to stay afloat. It turned out he could not swim.

"Damn it!"

Yu Ze quickly jumped into the river and pulled him ashore, but the bald guy was unconscious from swallowing too much water. Yu Ze then performed first aid, pressing on the bald guy's diaphragm.

As water gushed out of his mouth, the bald guy regained consciousness.

"I thought you'd ram me again once you woke up."

The bald guy didn't respond, just lay on his back breathing heavily. He looked calmer than before and showed no signs of hostility anymore.

Yu Ze gave him time to catch his breath. After his breathing started to normalize, the bald guy suddenly sat in seiza style.

Naturally, it made Yu Ze raise an eyebrow.

"Hau hau ha. Hau hau huuuuuuu."

Then, the bald guy bowed his head to the ground as if apologizing in the most respectful way.

"Hau hau haa ha huh ha ha."

Yu Ze frowned in confusion as the bald guy babbled in an unfamiliar language. It took Yu Ze a moment to realize what was going on.

"Don't tell me you're mute?"

The bald guy didn't answer, only gave a wide smile. It was enough to confirm Yu Ze's suspicion.

And that wasn't the worst part.

Yu Ze tried several times to slow his lip movements and communicate through writing, but this bald guy didn't understand at all.

"Not only mute, but you're also deaf and illiterate. It seems the heavens really favor you," Yu Ze said sarcastically. "I should've just let you drown."

"Hau hau hau ha. Hauuuuuuuu!"

Yu Ze couldn't help but shake his head. His plan to extract information about the pavilion from this man had failed.

GRUMBLE GRUMBLE GRUMBLE!

Suddenly, a loud rumble was heard. It was so loud, like the roar of a lion. For a moment, Yu Ze was startled, wondering where the sound came from. It turned out to be from the bald guy.

"You're hungry, huh?" Yu Ze said, stroking his stomach.

"Hau hau hau," the bald man lowered his head, blushing with embarrassment.

Yu Ze laughed at his reaction. "Don't be shy! You've used your strength to charge at me. I guess it's only natural you're hungry."

"Hu ha ha ha, hu ha ha!"

"Alright. I guess I'm the same. I haven't eaten anything but berries. We need something better to fill us up!"

Yu Ze picked up small stones around him. He then warmed up by rotating his arms while his eyes focused on the river.

He leapt high and hovered in the air for a few seconds. At the same time, stones shot from his fingers with incredible speed, whistling through the air. As they hit the water, the surface churned like waves. Soon after, the river calmed, and dozens of fish with holes in their bodies floated to the surface.

The bald guy dropped his jaw watching this spectacle.

"Now, you understand my abilities, right? Don't mess with me if you don't want to end up like those fish."

"Hau hau hau hau!"

Of course, the bald guy didn't understand, but he nodded his head anyway.

Yu Ze gathered the fish and collected twigs around to build a small campfire. As he roasted the fish, the bald guy watched with an eager expression.

"You must be very hungry."

It didn't take long for the fish to cook. The delicious and smoky smell filled the air. The bald guy seemed impatient to devour the roasted fish as his mouth started to water. Seeing this, Yu Ze handed him one.

"Here, eat up."

"Hau!"

The bald guy devoured the roasted fish in seconds, and Yu Ze just smiled watching him.

Since the berries hadn't been very filling, Yu Ze decided to spend some time with the bald guy while they filled their stomachs. He chatted with him, even though he only got mumbled responses.

"Hau ha hauu haa hu!"

Of course, Yu Ze didn't understand every single word that escaped the bald guy's mouth. But at least he could read body language. He got the impression that this man was not as temperamental as he initially thought. In fact, the bald guy seemed a bit shy.

"Ha ha ha! Don't be shy, eat as much as you want."

"Hua haa haa huuu!"

Yu Ze wanted to get to know him better. He was really curious about him. There were many questions in his mind, like where this guy came from, what he was doing here, and how he ended up in this place. But those curiosities would never be answered due to his condition.

The roasted fish were now just bones. The bald guy looked full to the point where his belly was swollen.

Yu Ze felt it was the right time for them to part ways.

"Alright, whoever you are. I'd like to stay longer, but I have something I need to do. If fate brings us together again, may it be for a good reason."

Yu Ze clasped his hands together, giving a farewell salute.

As he was about to leave, the bald guy suddenly stopped him. Naturally, this made Yu Ze curious.

"What is it?" Yu Ze frowned.

"Haa huu hau haa ha!"

The bald guy gestured with his hands as if he wanted to show him something. Before Yu Ze could respond, the bald guy walked into the forest, waving his hand, urging Yu Ze to follow him.

Yu Ze shrugged and walked behind the bald guy. He thought there was no harm in following him. It wasn't like he was in a rush or something. He then followed wherever the bald guy led. They climbed steep terrains, passed through thick underbrush, and even scaled cliffs.

There was no suspicion or worry in his mind. Yu Ze was the disciple of the strongest cultivator on the continent. What did he have to fear?

Along the way, he heard the sound of water flowing. It was faint but grew clearer the further they went.

As Yu Ze reached the source of the sound, his eyes widened.

A waterfall with a rainbow lay before him. The sight was so mesmerizing that it made Yu Ze drop his jaw.

"This is so beautiful…."

"Hau haa huu haa haa!"

However, this waterfall wasn't what the bald guy wanted to show. He gestured with his hands, letting him know that their journey was not over yet. So, Yu Ze followed what the bald guy wanted.

And following him was the right choice.

After walking about 100 yards from the waterfall, they arrived at a magnificent pavilion.