"Impossible... Just who is he?" Greatsword trembled as he lifted himself up. His shaking hands grabbed onto the big blade as he placed himself in between Veil and the child.

Veil also gulped and, beneath her hood, her two red eyes shone with shock. She stepped back and her shoulders trembled "Eaten... They all got eaten!" Now she was truly terrified: she knew that child was not normal, but this way above her expectations!

Cheng Hao's eyes gleamed and he turned to face the two remaining members of the Shadow Legion "Mh? You want something?" He twirled a strand of his hair around his finger and then shook his head "I thought we were done here?"

Greatsword's eyes widened in shock and then he sighed. He sheathed the massive weapon in his hands and then commented "You simply do not put us in your eyes, do you?"

Veil looked at Cheng Hao surprised "You mean... You will let us go?" Her eyes shone with hope.

Cheng Hao shook his head "As if! You have a lot of work to do... With starters" He pointed behind him "Look how much of a mess you and your companions have created! You expect this arena to rebuild itself?"

Greatsword trembled once and then broke out into laughter "Geez, I knew you were powerful and eccentric, but this is just too much! Do you not fear that the heavens might be angered by all your sloppiness?"

Cheng Hao shook his head as his eyes shone "Too late for that!"

The child laughed out loud for a long while before he could recover "Sorry" he apologised as he wiped away some tears "It just came out so well!"

Greatsword sighed once more as he once again failed to see through the mind of the child in front of him. Then, he grabbed the sides of his helmet and removed it: a white haired, red eyed man in his late twenties breathed in as his tensed face relaxed. 

Although he was actually not that old, the battles and worries made him look older than his twenty-nine years old self.

In the middle of his forehead was a single mark, resembling a Circle with seven triangles on its circumference.

Veil gaped and then yelled "What are you doing, eldest brother! Quick, cover your face!"

The man smiled bitterly and shook his head "Don't worry, it won't change anything wether we show or hide our appearance right now anyways. Take off your mask and hood as well, sister..." 

Veil shook once but then she also sighed. She removed her hood and her mask, revealing the features of a beautiful girl in her middle twenties: she had ginger hair and red eyes, her skin was pale and her purple lips were currently trembling. She also had the same mark as the man did below her left eye.

Cheng Hao smiled and nodded "So this is what you really look like... You are quite the beauty!" the child chuckled as the girl's pink cheeks flushed red and then turned towards the smiling Greatsword "Old man, are you two Ancients?"

The young man trembled and his face tensed up but then he calmed down as he sighed "Don't call me an old man, I'm still young... Well? What gave us away? I guess that the red eyes might and the mark may have hinted that something, but..." He shook his head in amazement. 

"That was nowhere enough! What's more, few people would connect this mark or the red eyes to the ancients nowadays... Everyone in the Legion had them. Most would simply think of them as some special trait..." he lingered off.

Cheng Hao grinned as he looked into the man's eyes "This is how!" His eyes suddenly shone once with a bizarre glint that made the older man uncomfortable.

Greatsword looked confused for a moment but then his expression twisted as he clenched his head and banged it on the ground "Get out! Get out this instant!" His red eyes glowed with fear, anger and humiliation. Cheng Hao blinked his eyes innocently once, and then went back to staring at him smiling.

Veil looked even more confuse as she asked "Brother... What-"

"His eyes!" The man interrupted "Don't look into them! He can enter your consciousness!" 

Cheng Hao acted shocked then turned towards the girl and stared in her pupils for the fraction of a breath. The glint appeared once again and he then innocently shook his head "What are you saying, old man? Iris, do not believe him! I am doing no such thing!" 

The girl flinched and paled when she heard name being called just like that. Her mouth opened in shock but then she recovered and then looked away from the child's eyes "Don't! Don't enter my mind!"

Greatsword gritted his teeth as he looked down "But how? Humans don't have the knowledge to enter a person's consciousness! This technique has been regarded as the greatest secret of our race! Only an Ancient would be able to know that!"

Cheng Hao smiled "The answer is pretty easy if you think about it, Aster. It is exactly because an Ancient taught me that I can do this!"

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Greatsword flinched and his expression shifted from anger to shock "An Ancient... Taught you? But how? Ancients are supposed to be extinct! We two are the last of our species! How could a dead person possibly have taught you?"

Cheng Hao smiled "Once again, the answer is pretty easy to guess. Ancients are in no way extinct: as far as i know, their Main Clan Members are living comfortable lives in the Sixth Level of the Nine Heavens!"

He touched his temples "Also, I cannot enter your mind as I please. I can only find out what you are thinking that moment, not delve deep into your memories... After all, I am still only a Superior stage cultivator, in no way on the same level of the cultivation monsters that are the Ancients!"

Aster wanted to say something but then he felt great pain in his head. Talking with Cheng Hao meant getting a great headache, especially from how he seemed to talk about major problems and mysteries so casually!

Iris also looked uncertain when, suddenly, an incredibly high-pitched shriek interrupted them: they looked up to see Yin Hei was missing an arm and a leg. The monster wailed in pain as Lao Jianghu slashed one more, taking away the beast's left eye.

"Shadow Dragon, Long Yin Hei... This is the end!" Lao Jianghu's robes fluttered as he lifted the glowing golden sword way above his head and slashed down with all his might!

The beast didn't even have the time to scream as the slash cut its body into two halves and it fell down, spraying black blood on its surroundings.

The golden-eyed, white-haired old man panted and then lifted his blade into the air "Victory... Is ours!"

His figure was extremely heroic, he looked like a war god that had just defeated his most formidable foe... Which was, in a way, true.

The crowd stood silent for a moment due to shock and confusion, but then the whole Sect reverberated with yells of celebration and shouts of victory. 

Cheng Hao looked at this situation smiling and then he turned to look at the two people standing in front of him. He seemed to ponder for a while and then a large smile appeared on his face.

'I will count this as repaying your favor, Master! Wait, I will definitely meet you again in this life and I will finish my training this time!'

He waved his hands and two robes appeared from his dimensional pouch: they were plain white robes with a few golden decorations on the sleeves.

He then threw them at the two stunned Aster and Iris "Put these on. In this confusion, nobody would have seen your real appearance nor would they know your identities as members of the Shadow Legion... Or even if they did, they would probably FORGET ABOUT IT!" He glared at the crowd of people behind him.

The child's eyes gleamed with murderous intent and the group of people felt chills going down their spines as they nodded nonstop and hurried away whistling, commenting on how beautiful the weather was despite all the black clouds...

Cheng Hao glanced back at the duo and smiled cheerfully "I am sorry if I didn't introduce you two to my friends earlier, Aster and Iris! You and I go way back and even helped me during the fight, didn't you?" He smiled, free of all concern.

Aster's red eyes were wide with shock and his long white hair fluttered in the breeze as he shook his head in amazement "I think I might have never seen a person as carefree, vicious yet forgiving as you..."

Cheng Hao grinned but then shook his head "It is not that I am free... It is just that nobody can hold me down!"

His eyes gleamed "And I wouldn't mind having a few badass big brothers and sisters! Especially if they act as bodyguards!"

Aster stayed silent for a while and then smiled "How much are you willing to pay us?"

Cheng Hao acted as if he were pondering and then asked "How about your lives?"

Greatsword's brow twitched once but then he sighed "Fair enough..."

Iris glanced back and forth from her companion's to the child's face, however she still couldn't help but feel even more confused the longer she tried to understand what was going on.

Still, she was alive. And if she could become a companion of that mysterious child... Who knows, it might even benefit them! Seeing how, if they were to refuse, they would probably be killed, she had no other choice but to...

"... agree..." She muttered.

Cheng Hao looked at her and tilted his head "Mh? What did you say?" He smiled knowingly.

Iris felt a chill going down her spine, but she had already decided "I said that I agree" She turned around and took off her black robe, leaving her wearing only in her underwear, and then wore the white robes.

Cheng Hao stared at Aster, who had bright, red cheeks and was looking at Iris sighing, and smiled knowingly. He patted him on the back "Aren't you a little bit too old, old man?"

Aster winced and glared at the young boy "What are you talking about! And I am still in my late twenties!"

Cheng Hao shrugged as he rolled his eyes "Still not old enough to be called an old man uh?" He chuckled.

Then his expression changed and it became ruthless as he murmured, loud enough that Aster could hear it, yet still so low Iris couldn't:

"Remember this. While I may look forgiving towards my allies, I never forgive an enemy. I am not narrow-minded though: you are Ancients, thus I feel obligated to help you due to personal circumstances, but it won't be for free..."

He looked at Iris: she was examining her new clothes.

He smiled warmly once but then his expression turned cold again "You do not abandon a brother nor a sister, never. You may not be blood siblings, but I saw that your feelings are even more than simple brotherly love. Just know that I am as vicious as few can be when it comes to my enemies and I will consider you as one if you play with her feelings. Protect her: if you betray her I will never forgive you! That is the price I am going to set for your life!"

As Aster felt cold shivers running down his spine, Cheng Hao's eyes brightened up again "Oh well, guess I will have to settle with teasing Goldy... By the way, where is he?"

The boy looked around and then saw the figure of the golden dragon flying towards him at great speeds. Cheng Hao smiled and he waved "Hey Goldy, look! I got two new serva-ahem... New brothers! Their names are Ast-"

Suddenly the boy's pupils shrunk and his expression twisted from his usual carefree and superior attitude, to one of... Surprise? Fear? No, it was something even more than that... It was pure Shock...

And even purer Terror!

"AHAHAHAHAH! Foolish Tiger! You really thought you beat me? The time you left me alone, the fact that you went as far as weakening the seal to be able to take that weapon from your true body, the number of souls and essences that I absorbed during the battle as they died... It was more than enough for me to finally awaken!" 

Yin Hei's voice rang out and silenced every other sound in comparison.

Lao Jianghu's eyes widened as he looked up. His face fell and fear could be seen everywhere on his figure "No way, could Yin Hei be still alive!?!"