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Chunma didn't immediately return to the Jong pavilion. Instead, he wandered around the Mount Hua Sect, feeling inexplicably listless and disappointed. Xuanyin's reputation was so great that he'd inevitably developed some expectations. However, after sparring with her, he felt she would never be his match. An antelope would never best a lion, no matter how hard it trained. Their situation was the same.
'To put the final nail in the coffin, before I regained my memories, I only meditated. I never trained my martial arts or cultivation.'
It sounded ridiculous, but it was the truth. He'd whiled away his days playing chess, painting, writing poetry and listening to music. Jong Chunma was an undisputed silkpants.
The reason for this was his nature as a demon. His physiology was completely different from a human's. He didn't need to train martial arts, because he was born knowing how to fight. Did a fish need to taught how to swim or a bird be taught how to fly? Of course not. In the same vein, he knew how to kill without the need for any instruction.
Regarding cultivation, he couldn't do it even if he wanted to. He didn't have 'meridians' like humans did. Instead, his Ki was suffused throughout his body. On top of that, it was qualitatively different from that of a human. Trying to learn human cultivation methods was like a crab trying to learn yoga. It was impossible and pointless.
There was only one way for him to get stronger—killing and eating humans.
Unknowingly, he'd travelled to the edge of the mountain peak. While perching on a low wall, he stared at the clouds floating below. Mount Hua was roughly three miles tall. It was to the extent that the peak was almost always cold and covered in snow.
In the distance, like a collection of countless fireflies, he saw the lights of Plum Blossom City. It was located at the base of Mount Hua and was inextricably linked to the sect. Most of the resources and manpower needed for their functioning were drawn from it.
While sighing, Chunma perched his chin on his palm.
'My parents have only been feeding me mortals. I haven't eaten a single cultivator.'
The reason for this was because it was easier to cover up the disappearance of your average Joe than that of an important figure, like a cultivator. Practitioners weren't cabbages—they only constituted about zero-point-one-percent of the population.
Given The Great Tang's total population of around fifty-million, that only left around fifty-thousand cultivators. If they suddenly disappeared in droves, the imperial throne was bound to investigate. Given his parents' desire to keep his true nature concealed, they weren't willing to take the risk.
'However, I can't help but feel that it's hampering my evolution.'
His growth didn't just happen automatically, it was fueled by the people he ate. It only stood to reason that, if he had higher quality food, he would become that much more powerful.
This avenue of thought led him to a conclusion—he couldn't remain here, in the Mount Hua Sect. If he started hunting the local cultivators, exorcists would inevitably start appearing in the Hua prefecture. It was only a matter of time until they tracked him down.
'If I'm constantly on the move, it would be much more difficult to find me.'
Truthfully, he'd already made up his mind. The cultivation world was full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons, each more powerful than the last. Knowing that, it wasn't wise to rest on his laurels. He was bound to be exposed sooner or later and, if he didn't have the ability to defend himself, he'd be in big trouble.
'Fang Yuan is undoubtedly the biggest risk-factor.'
Chunma's thoughts turned to his 'competitor'.
The reason why he was able to immediately deduce the other person's status as a protagonist was because of his background. Going from prodigy to waste, having his family annihilated and his engagement broken off—they were all recognizable tropes. However, whether or not he was a regressor, reincarnator or transmigrator was still unknown.
'Should I just go kill him right now?'
The youth couldn't help but think such thoughts. After a few moments spent contemplating, he decided against it. If he dealt with Fang Yuan immediately, wouldn't that be admitting he was afraid of him?
'No, I'll let him live for a while longer. Besides, I'm curious as to what exactly he's going to do. Even if he knows what I am and exposes me, well... fighting the whole world—how fun is that?'
The idea alone was enough to produce a thrill of excitement in his chest.
Chunma continued to sit there, on that low wall, gazing at the rolling clouds and the twinkling lights below. There was much for him to consider, regarding his future. It was only after midnight that his figure suddenly disappeared, like a flashing shadow.
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Fang Yuan let out a turbid breath. After spending the day and night cultivating, he was exhausted. However, that didn't dampen his excitement.
'It really works!'
He was so happy that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In a single session, he'd entirely recovered his cultivation. He was no longer a waste!
'Thank you, senior! I'll never forget this act of kindness until the day I die!'
In his past life, he lived as a common foot-soldier of the Mount Hua Sect. When he was thirty-five-years-old, after a catastrophic battle with the Yanluo Sect, the fourth strongest evil sect, he'd been forced to flee. It was during that time, when he was being pursued by a group of evil cultivators, that he stumbled across a hidden cave.
At first, he was careful not to head too deep into it. He didn't want to get lost in the winding tunnels, but he had no choice. The Yanluo bastards were hot on his tail.
After fumbling around for hours, he accidentally discovered a hidden room. He remembered how strange it was—it was filled with foreign objects and indecipherable writings. He'd upended it, looking for anything that could aid his survival, when he found a silver mirror.
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The moment he touched it, an inhuman voice abruptly spoke inside his mind. At that time, he was so startled that he almost had a heart attack!
However, the entity wasn't some kind of evil spirit. Rather than that, it was the soul of an emperor who lived ten-thousand years ago! It promised him that, if he freed it from the mirror of samsara, it would impart a cultivation technique suitable for his four-elements-body.
At first, Fang Yuan was confused. He'd never heard of anything like a 'four-elements-body'. After conversing with the spirit for a few minutes, he discovered the truth—the reason why he suddenly became a waste twenty-five-years ago was because he possessed a special physique. It was extremely formidable, but if cultivated improperly, it would actually backfire and destroy his cultivation!
Wanting nothing more than to escape his powerlessness, he hurriedly agreed. In an instant, information flooded his mind—'The Record of Heaven and Earth' was imparted directly to him! However, before he could thank the senior, he suddenly felt an intense fatigue strike him as something was drawn out of his body and into the mirror. He passed out.
Fang Yuan sighed. When he awoke from his sudden stroke, he'd already returned to the past.
'This matter is very mysterious. Maybe, if I return to that cave, I'll be able to find some answers.'
The problem was that he had no clue where it was located. In the first place, he hadn't taken notice of his surroundings—he was too busy running for his life! He had no choice but to forget about it, for the time being. Only after he'd settled his business with that demon, Chunma, and prevented the destruction of the Mu clan, would he have time to investigate his regression.
His thoughts turned to Mu Xuanyin, his ex-fiancée.
'Even if you hate me, I won't let you marry that creature!'
Because of how close the Mu and Fang clans were, the two of them practically grew up together. Since he was young, he'd been enamored with the girl's beauty and strength. At the end of his previous life, his infatuation had been as strong as ever.
He unconsciously balled his fists at his sides. He couldn't bear the thought of another man laying his hands on her! Now that he'd been reborn and his cultivation had recovered, he would do everything within his power to ensure that didn't happen.
'The Mu clan should be visiting the Mount Hua sect right now. As long as I can meet Uncle and show him I've recovered my cultivation, he won't let Xuanyin's engagement to Chunma go through!'
The 'uncle' referred to was naturally Mu Sima, the Mu clan's patriarch! The man always treated him like he was his own son. Even after his fall from grace and his family's destruction, the man secretly helped him from the shadows.
He, Fang Yuan, wasn't someone who didn't know how to appreciate good intentions!
'Once Chunma reveals himself to the world, the Mu family will suffer terribly! No matter how much they plead their innocence, they'll forever be considered as traitors, consorting with demons!'
He knew this, because it'd happened in his past life—under the excuse of punishing 'demon sympathizers', the clan was practically wiped off the face of the earth! While some individuals did pursue justice, most were simply trying to get their hands on the Mu clan's wealth.
'Now that I've regressed, I'll won't let it happen!'
Fang Yuan breathed slowly in an effort to calm himself. He needed to decide how he was going to act. If his memory served him right, the engagement between Xuanyin and Chunma would be agreed on today.
The problem was that, since he was an outer disciple, he was located at the foot of Mount Hua—only inner disciples had the privilege of cultivating on the mountain peaks.
He nervously bit on his lower lip.
'I don't have time to slowly work my way through the ranks. I need to get up there today, or else it'll be too late!'
He didn't like the idea of acting rashly, but he didn't have any other options!
Without hesitating further, he stood and headed out of the door.
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Thousands of miles away, in the heart of The Great Tang, a magnificent city was located—it's name was Imperial Sun City and it was the capital of The Great Tang. In the middle of it, a beautiful castle rose into the sky. Its walls were covered in red lacquer and many golden symbols were scrawled across it. The roof-tiles were black and smooth, like charcoal.
It was the imperial palace, the seat of power for the Tang royal family.
At the very top of the palace, there was a grand room. Its furnishings alone were more expensive than what a wealthy clan could afford, even if they liquidated all their assets. It was the height of extravagance, opulent beyond imagining.
Inside that room, two individuals were resting. One of them was a country-toppling beauty, so gorgeous that she seemed like a fairy, descended onto the mortal world. Her long, black hair gleamed like oil and her pale, pink skin had a luster like the finest jade. She was currently laying on her side, revealing the slope of her exquisite back, where the satin sheets had slipped down.
The other individual was a man. His appearance didn't lose out to hers in the slightest. In fact, it could even be said that he was more beautiful than her. He had hair like molten gold, cascading down his back and his chest where he sat upright, cross-legged. His closed eyes revealed long eyelashes that touched his cheeks, like strands of sunlight. Every muscle was sculpted, like he was made out of marble. His shirtless figure was simply perfect.
He was the newly-crowned emperor of The Great Tang, Tang Yisu.
He was meditating and, on the inside his soul-space, a silver mirror was slowly rotating.
'Now that I've become the emperor, it's time to settle the Karma from the past.'
He opened his eyes, revealing their extraordinary color—amber, with an orange light shining from within.
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