In a small underground pavilion, several hundred meters below. An old man with ragged clothes sat cross-legged, his countenance pale without a trace of redness.
A faint blood-red ripple extended almost at the same time as Khan create the Emperor's Divide. This blood red ripple traveled underground and passed through the emaciated old man.
The old man reacted as his eyes snapped open. Within his pupils, a golden light briefly flashed. The old man gave a small smile, his countenance abruptly painted with redness, as if he returned back to his prime.
He looked towards the skies and murmured. "It's time..."
...
Looking at Lily who bowed towards the skies and thanked the senior who helped them. Khan gave a weak humorous smile. He walked towards Lily, but his body became as heavy as lead.
The world around him shifted as he plopped down the ground. The last thing he remembered was Lily shouting in anxiousness as his mind became blank.
...
After spending an unknown amount of time unconscious. Khan's eyes slowly opened, he could see the familiar ceiling which gave an archaic smell. He couldn't help, but smile.
Within his smile, a hint of determination could be seen.
'No matter what, even if that guy's clan members come knocking at this door, I will fight with them.' Or so, he thought.
But he soon shook his head. Looking at the barely recovered body of his, he thought to himself. I need to restart my cultivation soon, even if the Divine Emperor's Qi can help me, It's not unlimited, and using it is too heavy of a burden.'
Inside his mind, a small blob of blood-red Qi could be seen.
'I can only use this for about five times. It shall be one of my life-saving trump cards.' He decided in his heart.
The youth closed his eyes and concentrated. As expected, he couldn't detect Lily's aura. He frowned and walked towards the door.
He could see a vast land of greeneries and the smell of nature permeated his nose, giving him a sense of comfort and relief. However, his eyes had a glint of fierceness as he stared towards a mountain peak.
The Divine Pills Sect had eight peaks dedicated to Inner Disciples and Core Disciples. The first four peaks were for the Inner Disciples, while the other four were for the Core Disciples and the Elders.
He looked towards the fifth peak, in his memories, he could remember that on that peak was the Punishment Hall of the Elders. It co-existed with the Core Disciples as a deterrent for their arrogant attitudes.
The vast land he was standing on, belonged to the Outer Disciples. According to his memories. The Outer Disciples were actually Disciples-in name, meaning they were still not part of the sect, and could easily be discarded.
He remembered the robe that the boy who he blinded wore was colored blue, and had symmetrical designs with a small insignia of a fire on the left side, indicating his position as an Inner Disciple.
Although the distance between the Core and the Inner Disciples weren't so far. But if you compared the Inner Disciples against the Outer Disciples. The sect would, of course, choose the Outer Disciples.
Also, the Outer Disciples weren't even qualified to have their own robes, with the exception of the Outer Disciple Token that the sect gave them. They were left on their own.
The only time where the Elders would care for them was the time where they would take the examination to ascend to the Inner Disciples post. Other than that, the sect wouldn't give a damn.
Khan frowned. Lily's current predicament could be imagined, for the Punishment Hall would certainly be biased towards the boy.
However, he could remember the expression of reluctance that the boy exuded earlier. He thought about the words he said about someone called Elder Gabica.
'So Miss Lily has some connections after all.' The youth gave a small smile, as he thought. Without any connections, how could an Outer Disciple even take a step on the Inner Disciples' peak where the boy resided and steal a Tier 3 Healing Pill?
'But still...' The smile on his face vanished as he moved with swift and balanced steps. His pace looked weird to the spectators. For he would occasionally stutter, sometimes he would jump, sometimes he would slow down.
However, Khan didn't care for their opinions. Even though his footwork looked weird. It was actually one of the strongest footwork. Not only it was unpredictable, it would preserve a great deal of stamina, and uses only a small fraction of the muscles to move.
He soon arrived at the base of the fifth peak. As soon as he took a step forward. A whistle of air being ripped could be heard as a ray of light flashed three inches before his face.
"Stop! Show me your token!"
Khan turned towards the source of the voice and saw a teenager that looked like he was on his fifteens. His blue robes fluttered in the wind, a steeled expression on his face as he demanded Khan to show his token.
Khan had a thoughtful expression on his face. The teenager thought of it as a sign of disobedience and threw another wind blade towards Khan. The air whistled, and at the same time, Khan titled his head to the side.
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A small explosion reverberated behind him. A tree was struck and had a white mark on its body. It could be seen that the teenager used a considerable amount of force as a warning.
Khan gave a small smile without meaning. If not for the fact that the teenager didn't have any killing intent with his attacks. Khan would've retaliated.
Khan clasped his hands together and said.
"Greetings, Brother! I am one of the representatives of a small merchant organization. I have some business with the fifth peak's elders regarding a transaction and would like to ascend the peak to speak to them."
The teenager, upon hearing this, frowned and spoke in a heavy voice.
"A merchant?" He murmured as he scanned the youth before him, who looked like younger than him. He couldn't even be compared to the merchants that he had in mind. His outfit looked like it was worn to the point that the fibers that created it had turned yellowish, and the bandages covering his exposed skin were fresh that it still had crimson blood on it.
The teenager calmed his suspicions and asked.
"What's your name?"
"Reggis!" Khan replied.
"Reggis, if you're truly a merchant... Let me take a look at what you're selling!" The teenager gave a crafty smile as he spoke. Looking at Khan. He could see that he didn't have any backpack or anything that could carry items to sell, so there was a huge chance that he was faking his identity.
However, Khan remained unperturbed and casually waved his right hand. In the air before him, flashes of crimson light appeared as several rusted items materialized in the air before him.
These items were all kinds of swords, sabers, armors, and even accessories worn by ladies. The only problem with them was that they emanated an archaic air.
The teenager frowned upon seeing the items before him. He could see that these items were ancient to the point that he couldn't determine its age. However, he could see the runic engravings on the items, which made the teenager frown in confusion.
"Don't be so intrigued about it. I am a part of a merchant organization which deals with antiques and ancient items. If you're suspicious about my current outfit, unbefitting of a merchant. That's because I was robbed clean of my items." Khan smiled as he looked at the teenager's expression.
"Robbed?" The teenager murmured. Although the advances of modern technology were so extensive that robbing in daylight would be almost impossible. That was only possible if the incident happened in a huge city.
In the Divine Pills Sect which greatly despises the advancements of the modern technology. Robbing occurs as a daily occurrence since the sect wouldn't install any modern technologies capable of detecting such events.
The teenager thought for a second before smiling slyly and spoke.
"How about your car? If you came from a big city, you must've used a car, right? Was it also robbed?" The teenager made sure to emphasize the last part of his sentence as if to mock him.
The teenager thought. 'Hmmph! Let's see how you answer this!' The current phase of modern technology was as such that anything had great security behind it.
Even a small bike in the streets could require a fingerprint activation before it could be used. Much less, a car. The teenager had his right hand behind him as he gathered a surge of Qi. If Khan answered that his car was also stolen, he would immediately attack.
Of course, Khan, who was sealed underground for a hundred thousand years didn't know about these cars, so he became stumped. However, he maintained his current expression as he traveled back to the time where he stood on the huge skyscraper.
Judging from what the teenager had said, that he came from a big city using a car. He deduced that a car must be a transportation vehicle. With only this given information. Khan should not be able to deduce that a car would always have a fingerprint activation process much less a lock.
However, he remembered that the youth took his time to speak the last part of his sentence especially the part where he asked if it was also robbed.
'A trap, hmmph...' Khan snorted in his mind and decided to reject the idea of using a car.
"I didn't bring my car, for the situation was urgent. The head asked that I immediately go to the Divine Pills Sect's fifth peak and talk with a certain elder."
The teenager's sly smile disappeared. However, it was replaced with a mocking one as he spoke.
"I see... If you didn't use your car, then how did you get here? Without using a car, it would take you a month just to arrive here form the nearest city, Muspelheim. "
"How did I arrived here? Of course, I ran." Khan mysteriously smiled.
"Ran? Stop joking with me, brother Reggis. Running to here from Muspelheim would not only take a month, but you would also encounter all kinds of bloodthirsty beasts out there that could kill you a hundred times, so yeah... Tell me, how did you get here without a c-a-r?" The teenager dangerously smiled, his hand behind him had already concentrated a wind blade two times larger than the ones he used earlier.
His eyes exuded a dangerous light. It seems like he was not buying Khan's excuse. He also scanned Khan's body and found that he was only at the Middle Stage of the Flesh Tempering Stage.
Even the lowest mosquito beast could kill him. Much less, the beasts that resided on the border between the Divine Pills Sect and Muspelheim.
Khan shook his head side by side as he shrugged. He picked up a small rusted orb that was as small as a chicken egg. He willed as a grain of Divine Emperor Qi condensed on the tip of his finger.
The Divine Emperor Qi moved towards the small rusted orb, and it exploded with a blood red aura.
The teenager's eyes widened in shock, his knees couldn't help but tremble. The aura that appeared before him looked as humongous as the sun and as steady as a mountain.
At the same time, Khan who was before him disappeared like bubbles in the air, along with the suffocating aura of dominance. Before he could catch his breath. A hand patted his shoulder and said.
"With this." Khan gave a small smile towards the still trembling teenager's figure.
The teenager had beaded sweat running down his face. He fell on his butt as his knees trembled non-stop.
"Wh-what was that. Br-brother?" His tone and attitude turned several degrees, he became much more respectful as he asked.
Khan sighed. The world in the past and the world today was still the same. Only those who have power were respected.
Khan gave a small smile in response and said.
"It's a protective and movement artifact given to me by the head. Since I have low cultivation, I could just use this orb to arrive here."
The teenager gave a pained smile as he stood up and thought. 'So it was just the power of an artifact... I almost thought he was a disguised elder here when he exploded with such power!' Imagining that scenario. The teenager couldn't help but shiver inside.
If Reggis was some kind of an eccentric elder that liked to disguise himself as a person with lower cultivation. He would be doomed. Thankfully, he was just someone who was given an artifact.
He sighed in relief. He didn't dare to block Reggis' way anymore. Instead, he bowed and said. "You may pass now, brother." He had an embarrassed expression on his face as he gestured.
Khan replied with an indifferent smile and disappeared before the teenager's eyes.
'I hope he wouldn't mind, what happened.' The teenager thought. Even though Reggis had a lower cultivation. With that artifact of his, he would be defeated in a blink of an eye.