A fairy
Overnight, the news that shocked the Sacred Grounds spread through the entire continent...The demon being sealed in Heaven's Might Soul Suppressing Formation escaped! Those who were aware of Heavenly Sword Villa's demon were just as shocked but none of them went their way to try to find him lest they wanted to die. Not to mention, no matter how much Heavenly Sword Villa tried to suppress the information from leaking out, there were still rumors of the masked man capable of reanimating dead. Every version was somehow different but the most popular one was that the masked man hasn't shown any profound strength, instead a literal death was surrounding him. However, many were also confused as if he was so "evil" why would there be only 1 casualty on the Heavenly Sword Villa's side.
----Mighty Heavenly Sword Region----
"9th elder, that's all that happened at the Heavenly Sword Villa" A male disciple was reporting the most recent news to Xuanyuan Jue.
"Incompetent...Did Sword Master mention anything? Is he planning to look for that demon or person who helped him escape?" Xuanyuan Jue asked in a slightly sour mood but it wasn't enough to bother him too much after he finally broke through recently.
"Uh...Sword Master didn't say anything regarding that, actually, it almost seems like he doesn't care at all." The disciple replied.
"I see...you can go back" Xuanyuan Jue shooed him away and the disciple bowed before leaving him alone.
'Hmph! Doesn't care at all? If he doesn't do anything at all on the outside, it can only mean that he is taking it more seriously. That new person who appeared out of nowhere must have greatly intrigued him. After all, reanimating dead and ominous gray energy around that person...' Xuanyuan Jue thought.
"Wait, Gray energy?!" Xuanyuan Jue exclaimed with a shocked expression before he quickly calmed down.
'T-That boy... every time I injured him, a hint of gray energy appeared around his wound before it healed in no time. It can't be, right? No matter...I must keep it secret for now since it could also inflict my daughter. Not to mention he helped me to breakthrough... He will have more than enough problems if the Sword Master is serious about finding him, no need to make it even harder for him.' Xuanyuan Jue thought with furrowed brows.
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"Here we are" Meng said to Yun Canghai when they arrived at their destination.
"This is... quite a remote place, I agree with that but isn't this place too close to that small city? Anyway, you want me to hide inside this...hut?" Yun Canghai was quite confused since this hardly looked like a hiding place to him.
"What, do you have any problem with the place where I grew up?" Meng asked as the eye sockets of his mask started to glow blue.
"?! You...in this place?" Yun Canghai was caught completely off-guard and turned speechless upon hearing Meng's words.
"...Pff, haha. Don't worry, it indeed is a small hut, nothing grand but it will serve well as a hiding spot nonetheless." Meng laughed at Yun Canghai's expense.
"...Then is it abandoned?" Yun Canghai asked with a hidden meaning inside his words.
"Mm, yeah, ever since I left this place so it might be a bit messy but I believe someone like you don't care about such small stuff. Also, if you have something to ask, just ask, stop beating around the bush." Meng replied as he saw through what Yun Canghai wanted to know.
"*sigh* Alright, then I will be blunt. Where are your parents or any relatives? You don't seem that old to me." Yun Canghai sighed and asked straight away.
"It's just as your suspicions, I have no idea whether they are still alive or dead so feel free to use this small hut." Meng shrugged his shoulders.
"I see..."
"Let me set up a few more formations around to help you blend more with nature, after that is finished, I will be on my way." Meng said before taking several herbs, profound beast cores, and some jades out of his inventory.
Meng quickly set up some formations that should help this place and Yun Canghai to hide and blend with nature. Then he went his way back the same way they arrived just to erase any possible traces of Yun Canghai's profound energy.
"Just before you leave...What is your name or how do I call you? I can't return the favor without even knowing my benefactor's name." Yun Canghai asked as Meng was preparing to leave.
"...You may call me just simply Ren or..." Meng replied but as he was about to say something, he stopped.
"Or?"
"...Number ten" Meng finished with a nostalgic smile under his mask.
"...Alright, Ren" Yun Canghai nodded his head while being slightly confused and why wouldn't he be after all, he asked for Meng's name but Meng gave him his old codename.
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'What now? Maybe I should already go to the Divine Phoenix Empire. After all, there are only a few months before the tournament starts. Although maybe I should go back to the princess since I am pretty sure I was meant as Yun Che's replacement but now that he will return, I might not be needed.' Meng thought as he was walking down the streets of Floating Cloud City in his usual outfit without a mask.
The problem was that the rumors about Young Spear Saint participating in the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament were already quite widely spread which also prompted a few individuals of four major sects to consider participating too. Meng also knew that princess Cang Yue wouldn't just say that he doesn't need to participate.
'She is too kind to just write me off...Well, I did plan on visiting the Divine Phoenix Empire so I think it's the right time to do that!' Meng thought before he suddenly ascended into the sky which caused a little commotion beneath him as most people in that remote place has yet to even see Profound Floating Technique.
Meng decided to travel to the Divine Phoenix City.
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"Eh...what is this place?" Meng muttered with a bit embarrassed expression as he himself knew that he slightly lost his way. He decided to travel through the mountains since it was much shorter but along the way, he lost his way and now he was surrounded by the hills and trees.
'This place is much richer with energy than other places' Meng thought about cultivating in this place but he first wanted to find out where he was.
*snap*
"?! Who is there?" When Meng heard the sound of twig breaking turned to his right and also extended his right arm while holding his spear.
"Eh?! I am sorry, I didn't mean to..." A female voice came out in response but before the sentence was finished, a very beautiful and elegant girl came out in the open for Meng to see.
'Hm?' Meng's narrowed eyes eased up a bit when he saw a young girl wearing a luxurious red garment with patterns of phoenix. In such surroundings filled with the green and peaceful chirping of birds , she truly looked like a fairy. When compared to Xia Qingyue, both had strong and weak spots, however, in Meng's preference, this gentle-looking girl in front of him looked much more beautiful than Xia Qingyue who was "cold beauty".
"Um, that spear...it's beautiful" The girl said with a gentle smile but it was evident from her clear eyes that she was feeling nervous.
"...Are you-?" Meng knew that his crimson spear has completely ordinary looks aside from being crimson therefore he suspected that she could feel what resides within it.
'I know that this person doesn't have Phoenix's bloodline but if that's the case, why would he have a spear with remnants of Divine Phoenix's soul? There are also traces of Phoenix on his body, it's as if he was living with the phoenix for years without having its bloodline.' The girl thought and nodded her head gently as she understood what Meng wanted to ask.
"I see...I guess I am at the place where I shouldn't be at all considering how pure spiritual energy here is. I take it you know this place, right?" Meng retracted his spear and no longer was pointing it at the girl.
"...You are near a place called Phoenix Perching Valley" The girl replied with her voice more at ease. Although she was clearly nervous since Meng wasn't even someone with Phoenix's bloodline, she found it interesting and amusing that Meng didn't recognize her.
"I see, I apologize for intruding if I am trespassing, however, may I ask whether this place is close to the Divine Phoenix City?" Meng slightly bowed his head and apologized.
"Oh? You actually want to go to the Divine Phoenix City...? So you just got lost...hehe" The girl laughed a bit with her beautiful smile before she apologized for laughing.
"In that case, you should probably quickly leave this place, I wouldn't want my roy- my father to find you here. He would have killed you.
"Sure, may I ask for the directions?" Meng nodded his head without a problem which greatly surprised the girl.
"Eh?" The girl was probably testing whether he was truly lost but she didn't expect him to agree to leave so quickly without even getting each other's names.