After Gao Peng’s invitation, Han Feng had no choice but to follow.
The two of them left the area of the half-destroyed building, walking in the streets like normal mortals.
Although Gao Peng was the sect leader of one of the most influential sects, his appearance would suggest otherwise. He looked like an average elderly man who had spent most of his life in the countryside.
On the other hand, Han Feng, although wearing shabbier clothes than him, looked far more conspicuous. His long white hair and blue eyes, paired with a face that could only be called handsome, stood out like a sore thumb.
After walking for a few minutes, Gao Peng turned into a small alley, his eyes narrowing lightly at the sight in front of him.
“Say, little Han kid, have you ever gone to a brothel?”
Gao Peng asked, a small smile playing on his lips.
Han Feng’s face turned pale, and his eyes were also following Gao Peng’s direction. There, he saw one of the most infamous brothels in the region, the “Hunting Lily."
Han Feng had never liked the concept of places like this, so his first instinct was disgust. Glancing at the lewdly dressed young ladies outside the place, he couldn’t help but frown.
“No sir. Nor do I wish to do so at any time.”
He replied, his gaze falling on his sect master’s mischievous face.
“Well, too bad... I was planning on teasing a royal for quite a bit. Well, anyway, our destination ain’t the brothel, so don’t worry, it's the place above it.”
Said Gao Peng, while pointing at the pagoda-like building that was the brothel.
Han Feng couldn’t help but grimace at those words. He already knew that he was getting himself into some serious problems as soon as he joined the inner sect.
----------------------------------------
Rui had fallen unconscious for roughly three days.
His eyes drowsily opened, while he frowned in discomfort from the pain he was feeling as soon as he awoke. It was like countless small needles were piercing his bones constantly.
Jane, who had not left his side at all from the moment he passed out, was sleeping peacefully on the side of the bed.
Although Rui felt uncomfortable with the pain he was experiencing, he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her sleeping. He could tell that she was completely exhausted and unable to sleep properly due to anxiety.
Closing his eyes, Rui began circulating Runic energy around his body, trying to comprehend why he was feeling such discomfort even though he had passed his tribulation and successfully advanced. The pain was so intense that he ignored the countless system windows floating around him.
As soon as he began inspecting his body, he noticed the problem. Sparks of purple lightning seemed to be moving around his meridians, leaving him with a feeling of discomfort.
Rui’s frown deepened, not knowing how to proceed to remove the remaining tribulation lightning. He could tell that the lightning itself was harmless to him, but if left alone inside his body, there was a high chance it could somehow damage his meridians.
Opening his eyes, Rui glanced at the system windows, trying to ignore the pain for the time being.
Slowly, a smile couldn’t help but spread on his lips at the absurd number of windows floating all around him.
He did not expect his advancement to cause such a commotion, especially since he created a never-before-recorded phenomenon.
Rui could feel his runic core passively absorbing runic energy. Although he hadn’t really inspected it yet, he was sure its appearance didn’t change much from its previous egg shape.
What he was more interested in was the new system function.
“Rai, isn’t this function bad for us?”
He couldn’t help but ask, knowing that the federation wasn’t to be trifled with.
╓ Negative. The inter-dimensional database is independent from the federation and acts as a connection between the various systems. You can think of it as a hive mind that has formed a contract with the federation. ╖
Rui’s concerns didn’t decrease in the slightest, even with R.A.I.’s assurance. However, his curiosity won over him, so he ended up using the function.
“Data-base”
He whispered, a giant system window appearing before him, different from all the previous windows he had seen so far.
image [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/588429986499788851/1182117862438092881/THE_HIVE.png?ex=65f2460d&is=65dfd10d&hm=2e3f2464158a19be7072f83d1df0ded7c630d54c048320c54487cb162656ffc8&79c8c016e5228e54b88c30da&=&format=webp&quality=lossless&width=483&height=585]
Rui halted all his actions and stared blankly at the window.
After a few seconds of silence, he couldn’t help but mutter.
“Isn’t this just a web browser?"
Although he couldn’t read a single thing, he could instantly recognize what all the things in front of him were. It had such a familiar layout that he couldn’t help but be stunned.
Rui ignored the images below the search bar and clicked on the three lines on the top left. Surprisingly, he could interact with the window, and it felt tangible.
A few more options appeared as soon as he clicked.
image [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/588429986499788851/1182117862882672751/THE_HIVE_options.png?ex=65f2460d&is=65dfd10d&hm=af281d1c3edb1dcad795d7c68c3c143c6424c8f80897f30223c35b9cf4b60923&48320c54487cb162656ffc8&22d0e90241c7f7bca0405f9cfc1d53ab&=&format=webp&quality=lossless&width=483&height=585]
Sadly, he couldn’t understand a thing, except for the main name of the site, which was "Hive”.
“Rai, can you translate?”
╓ Positive. This is the main page of the hive network. The main page is mainly filled with advertisements for products of different dimensions and civilizations. As for the small menu you have opened, it showcases four different options. The first option is the 'Forums', the second is the ‘Home’ page, the third is the ‘About’ page, and the fourth option is the ‘Library’. ╖
Rui’s brows furrowed in discomfort, still experiencing pain. He randomly clicked on one of the pages, visiting them and having R.A.I. translate them for him. It was a surreal experience for him, browsing the alien equivalent of a web browser.
The U.I. was extremely simple, with the search function itself not showing many results. Plus, the loading time was abysmal.
Rui now understood what the system meant with the data being fragmented. Some of the words were readable to him, as if translated automatically, while other words were nothing but squiggles.
Like this, for around twenty minutes, he browsed the system window, only stopping due to other pressing matters.
Due to his constant hand movement, he had awoken Jane.
“Albert, how are you feeling?”
Asked Jane, clear worry in her eyes. Although she had asked the clan’s doctors for Rui’s state multiple times, she was still very anxious despite their words.
Rui smiled gently; however, before he could respond, he winced in discomfort.
“Albert!? I’m going to call the doctors!”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Exclaimed Jane, her figure ready to run outside. Rui extended his hand and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from leaving.
“It’s fine, just a remnant of the tribulation lightning. Although it's a bit hazardous, it can be solved when I meet my elders.”
Said Rui, his figure getting out of bed. Although he still seemed to be in discomfort, he walked just fine.
Rui took hold of Jane’s hand, and the two of them walked towards the central building.
----------------------------------------
Removing the remaining sparks of tribulation wasn’t an easy task, especially when the ranking of the lightning was higher than that of the percipient. Luckily, he had support from Rune masters of a much higher stage than his.
With the help of Guang Zhe, Rui was able to remove the remaining tribulation lightning from his body. Stretching his limbs, Rui exclaimed in delight, finally feeling free.
At the same time, he inspected his body thoroughly, wanting to see the changes his advancement had made. First, he inspected his runic core.
Just like he had expected, the core hadn’t changed much, the only difference being that the countless patterns surrounding the egg-shaped core were becoming denser. In fact, the patterns had gotten so dense that one couldn’t believe that the egg was white under the countless golden-colored patterns.
Rui had no idea what the patterns meant, nor could R.A.I. or his elders help him.
Sighing lightly, Rui conversed with his elders, finding out about the situation in the outside world.
Although Rui had spent a much longer time inside the realm, time outside still ticked on, and a lot of things had happened.
He also talked about Silas, Maverick, and Jane.
Jane had already told them that they had gotten married, explaining the world she had come from and other things she had asked. As for Silas and Maverick, after being questioned thoroughly, the two of them asked questions pertaining to cultivation.
Sadly for the two of them, although they would surely become stronger here, they were not compatible with the cultivation methods of rune masters due to not having a rune.
Rui was sure that they could use another way, since there obviously were other methods. For example, demons and runic beasts used a different method than rune masters.
As for Rui’s elders, they were pretty confused and amazed by what Rui had experienced. Rui didn’t hide a lot of things, except for one thing.
Both he and Jane didn’t tell anyone that he was reincarnated, and Rui had made sure that Silas and Maverick wouldn’t say anything through a contract.
“Rui, although I’m happy for you and Jane’s marriage, I think we will have to redo some things now that you are back.”
said Guang Zhe, with Gaung Tiang and the rest of the elders agreeing with her.
Rui and Jane looked at each other with confusion evident in their eyes.
“What do you mean by redo?”
I asked Rui, perplexed by the situation.
“Well, since the two of you got married in a different place with different customs and methods, we have to officially get the two of you married our way as well.”
responded Guang Zhe, making Rui recall something very important—something he had learned when he was told that there was a chance for an arranged marriage. Thankfully, he had already left that fate behind him.
The Guang Clan had strict rules when it came to matters of love and marriage. First, they required that all their family members didn’t have more than one partner. This meant that harems were not allowed, no matter what.
Each family member had a life partner whom they would swear a life oath to.
A life oath was something equivalent to the contract Rui had signed with his uncle Daito.
“I see… That makes sense. I’ll explain the situation to Jane, so you don’t have to worry. You can begin preparations for the ceremony as soon as possible.”
Rui was not affected by the sudden request. Rui respected both Earth’s previous culture and his current one. Although it would be a hassle for the two of them to go through another marriage ceremony, especially after Jane had separated from her parents, possibly forever.
He briefly explained the situation to Jane, who quickly agreed. She understood that things were done differently in this world, and she was understanding of their customs.
----------------------------------------
“Darling, please be quick; we are going to be late!”
A pleasant voice was heard, scolding her partner in displeasure. Although she sounded annoyed, her voice was still extremely nice to the ears.
“I’m almost done; just give me a second!”
said her partner, who was meditating on his sword.
As soon as he said so, not even a second later, his figure appeared next to her. His posture was relaxed, and he seemed to have succeeded in what he was doing, as a smile was plastered across his face.
The two people were the Rune Sword Immortal and his wife, the Lotus of Life.
For the past few weeks, they have been observing the situation of the clan, and today was the day that Rui and Jane would officially get married once again.
The two of them had been constantly snooping around, so they knew most of the situation, from the fact that Jane, Silas, and Maverick came from a different planet to the fact that Rui was reincarnated.
After all, it didn’t take much effort for the two of them to divine and see both his past and future, though it was an extremely hard process. Lianhua had already failed once when she tried to find the result of Rui’s tribulation, but that wasn’t because of Rui’s fate.
No, rather, the reason behind his failure was the intervention of a third party.
The one that intervened wasn’t an individual, but the heavenly rules themselves. Though there was still an individual who acted with the same force as the heavenly rules, the Rune Sword Immortal knew him well.
“That brat’s mental age was around 60, right?”
Asked Guang Fu Wen Jian and glanced at his wife.
“Yes, though his reincarnation seems to be a pure coincidence. It seems that his soul traveled from a different cycle and entered ours by pure coincidence. One thing I’m sure of is that his talent is probably one of the greatest of the past thousand years. He is compared to my older brother by just his physique alone.”
Responded Lianhua, a pondering look crossing her face.
“Tch, that boar isn’t anywhere close to this brat's talent. My bloodline resonance with him isn’t as strong as the rest of them, especially compared to his younger brother. From what I can tell, he has somehow purified and evolved his bloodline to a much higher stage. It feels like his bloodline is close to my level.”
commented the Rune Sword Immortal, his expression serious.
“It’s as if he was given all of the blessings possible, to the point where I’m so excited to teach him that I can’t wait any longer.”
He continued, his fists clenched.
He was known as the Rune Sword Immortal, the strongest swordsman. A peak ninth-rank rune master was close to achieving something more. Not to mention, he was very young compared to other 9th-rank rune masters. He is currently just a bit over 8,000 years old.
Yes, that number sounded abnormally large, especially compared to that of a normal human, but that was only when one compared it to the average human. Most 9th rank rune masters alive at the moment were at least 25000, with some even being 100000 years old.
For example, Lianhua was ten years older than him, but she was still only on the 8th rank, needing at least a few more thousand years till she reached the 9th rank.
The illusion emperor, Han Jiao Long, was also one of the exceptions. He was expected to reach the 9th rank by the end of this decade, which was an incredible feat.
“Anyway, let's go. I’m sure that little Zhe kid will take him to those ‘hidden’ elders of theirs. So adorable that they have the same mentality as the kids back home.”
----------------------------------------
Inside the Guang clan estate, the place was decorated with flowers and ornamental lanterns, ready to celebrate the marriage between Jane and Rui.
The only place that was left untouched was the training ground, due to how important it was to be empty. Since rune masters were powerful, if they didn’t have a space specifically made for training, then it would only cause problems.
Although that was the case, the training grounds were almost empty, as everyone was preparing for the marriage. The only figure still training here was Gui Xue.
Unlike what one may think when looking at his lonely figure, Gui Xue wasn’t outcast by anyone. He was here all alone, by his own volition, staying far away from the festivities.
Gui Xue knew that his presence alone was revolting and brought about bad luck, so he stayed as far away as possible, his lonely figure training silently.
Although his strength had increased slightly through some unique methods he had found, after Rui’s return, he felt like he was being left behind.
Grinding his teeth, Gui Xue grasped his wooden sword, pure black energy rushing out of his body and coating the sword.
The energy looked like a mass of black liquid, dripping and causing damage to the floor. Gui Xue’s mutated rune glowed in a colorful wave, portraying all colors possible.
Performing a sword strike against the target dummies on the field, Gui Xue inspected his damage.
The target dummies were unique, as they were able to display the strength level of the attacker. They were able to withstand attacks from a peak third-rank rune master, so they were pretty sturdy and important for training.
“Tch, it's just at the middle stage of the second rank."
Gui Xue couldn’t help but lament his weak attack. His strength when attacking was weaker than his physical resistance to attacks. However, despite his attack power being weaker than he wanted, it also had extra effects.
The target dummy that was hard enough to resist attacks from peak 3rd rank rune masters was corroded at the spot where he had attacked.
“You shouldn’t be discouraged; that was a great attack.”
Suddenly, a voice was heard from behind, prompting Gui Xue to turn.
'It's one of those new guys.'
He thought while inspecting the person's appearance.
A tall young man with messy medium-length black hair and pitch-black eyes with prominent black circles. He wore a clean black suit with unique ornaments, while intricately designed gloves covered his hands.
“Why do you say so?”
Gui Xue couldn’t help but ask, his expression desperate.
The young man couldn’t help but smile at his reaction.
“Well, both of us seem to have a similar issue. You see, I can’t really cultivate runic energy since I don’t have a rune.”
said the young man, while pointing at his forehead.
“So, I’ve decided to look for other ways to cultivate and reach a similar result. From the world I came from, we had a totally different power system, which was at a way lower level than the one here.”
The young man continued as he summoned a few mirror shards, making them float all around him.
Then he attacked one of the dummies, waiting for the dummy to show the damage level he had caused.
“Early second rank..."
Muttered Gui Xue, slightly taken aback by the force behind the attack. It was clearly not as powerful as his attack, but the sheer speed and quantity could easily overpower him.
However, the young man didn’t stop at one attack. As the mirror shards returned next to him, he muttered something.
“[Overgod]”
The pressure around the young man suddenly multiplied, and his shards launched at much greater speed. As soon as the shards landed on the dummy, the power level was displayed.
“Peak of the second rank!”
Gui Xue exclaimed in shock. Not only that, the attack also seemed to have caused some different kind of damage, a more spiritual kind.
The young man approached Gui Xue, extending his hand for a greeting.
“My name is Silas Hayes; what about you?”
The young man, Silas Hayes, said this, prompting Gui Xue to stare awkwardly at his hand.
“Um, my name is Gui Xue. Also, why did you extend your arm like that?”
said Gui Xue, confused by Silas’s actions.
Silas awkwardly retreated with his hand, not expecting such a reaction.
“It’s a way of greeting from where I’m from."
He couldn’t help but mutter, his face turning slightly red from embarrassment.