Ovid was not as introverted as Irene, though he was still someone who treasured words like gold. Thus, he straightforwardly said, “Is Cai Hua not here?”
Li Zhan fiddled with the cards strapped at her wrist, much like the gamblers at a particular casino Cai Hua had brought Ovid to, she answered slowly, “Your teacher is still searching for the everlasting flower. After sensing the spirit imprint he placed on your had weakened, he requested me to come in his place.”
“How come he couldn’t come by himself?”
Li Zhan said with a sigh, “His inner organs have been deteriorating for the past years. I did not expect your teacher to be still as hot-headed as his younger days, getting into fights with the experts of the southern continent.”
Ovid heard this and could not hide the shock appearing on his face. From what Cai Hua had told him, his state would only need a period of mediation to cover, yet from what Cai Hua’s wife had said, it was quite obvious that it was a fabrication.
Ovid looked at Li Zhan and said very seriously, “I did not expect him to be this good of a person.”
Li Zhan thought about it and said, “Cai Hua is a pervert no doubt. But a hundred years ago, he was a cultivating mad man and caused many broken hearts with his harsh rejections. Only after he established himself as an immortal did he marry me.”
Li Zhan took the deck of card and slowly placed with it for a while. She said, “Moreover, only after persuasion from me and two of his other wives did he agree to continue searching for the everlasting flower. I’m afraid that if I had not stood my ground, he would be here already.”
“Regardless, you have suffer pretty badly,” Li Zhan said, before adding in a gentle tone, “But since you already ate the pellets Cai Hua had gave you, you should not be in mortal danger.”
Li Zhan felt somewhat ashamed since Ovid was injured to such a state. Since she had been distracted with Ulrika and was nervous meeting Ovid, she had only now remembered to scan Ovid’s body for the reason why his spiritual imprint had been weakened. As Li Zhan was afraid Ovid would grow worried, she had fabricated the usefulness of Cai Hua’s pellet.
Sending a sizeable portion of her spiritual essence into Ovid’s body to seal up the torn veins, she said nonchalantly, “What did you encounter in this tomb.”
---
Perhaps the mana within Gael’s tomb had been disturbed too much during the fight, the strange and harsh wind was particularly strong. Still, as Ovid began to narrate his story, there was a sort of warm and calm feeling talking to Li Zhan. Perhaps it was because she had a more active social life than a person like Irene, a had lived a very long life, so the whole exchange was very pleasant.
Ovid didn’t view the matter regarding the freakishly sharp stone or inescapable basin with too much significance since he had concluded that Cai Hua was already aware of their existence. As such, he skimmed over most of the happenings in the few days he had separated from Cai Hua.
It appeared that Li Zhan was not too concerned with it either since she maintained the same expression throughout until Ovid mentioned encountering the Sage Glafx. Hearing how Ovid had over channelled mana from Tanin, she showed a change in her expression.
Li Zhan looked down to meet Ovid’s eyes and said apologetically, “Cai Hua probably didn’t know that such a weird person had existed. Even with his excellent preception prowess he probably cannot peek into a completely isolated section of space. If he knew this, he would have definitely not allowed you to come in here in order to improve your state. Ovid, both Cai Hua and I are really sorry.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Ovid was aware that Cai Hua had sent him down the tomb to face off against inorganic opponents. However, he had always subconsciously viewed Cai Hua as near-omnipotent, since not many people can challenge him. At least, he was not able to tell that this Sage Glafx, who had destroyed the whole of the Elven civilization, was hidden behind the large stone door.
Ovid thought of how he was nearly cannibalized in that dangerous encounter and could not help but shed a few tears. He said with rare indignation, “Cai Hua, how irresponsible are you.”
Unfortunately, Cai Hua was hundreds of miles away, and could not respond to Ovid. Rather, Li Zhan had lowered her head shamefully and said, “He was really sorry about the whole thing, and I likewise feel second hand guilt. Still, he can’t be blamed, his illness was acting up again.”
From her deck of cards, Li Zhan gave one to Ovid.
“Think of it as both an apology, and as a greeting gift.”
Ovid touched the fine little carvings on the card and tried to scan it with his preception. Unfortunately, since it was damaged when he channelled the mana, so Ovid could only reluctantly withdraw his sense, and look to Li Zhan for an explanation.
“These cards are ones my father-emperor gave me. Although Cai Hua has left a sword infused with his essence to protect you, protection has never been something he delved into. Each one of these cards can save your life once, though it cannot do much to heal you.” Li Zhan answered.
She was somewhat regretful as she added, “It’s a shame that it was left by an immortal who had ascended to the heavens. If I could understand the formation, I might be able to make it even better.”
Ovid was a very blunt person. He studied the card closely and said sincerely, “It’s not impossible to try and comprehend it… right?”
Li Zhan was startled but then said honestly, “That’s true, I have so many cards anyway. When we get out of Aeon forest, I can try.”
Ovid knew that Li Zhan obviously thought of such a thing already. But since he had the heart of a scientist, he could not help but ask such a question. Still, Ovid did not expect Li Zhan to agree to it, unexpected, he felt a little shy in front of such an honest answer.
“I had arrived later than needed, the quiet saint was not as bad as Cai Hua said.”
“Teacher’s wife, why mention this?”
“You should thank her.”
“Makes sense.”
Li Zhan waved her hands, causing the empty and solemn room to disappear, replaced with the sight of a frozen jungle in the process of trawling.
As the sacred grove had been accumulating mana for such a long time, it’s sudden disappearance caused the unusual condition of the cold weather to gradually disapparate. The faint glow of sunlight broke through the gloomy clouds and shone onto the frost-covered leaves, reflecting many threads of gold. Along the ground, clear streams began to run across the ground surface.
Li Zhan reattached the stack of cards along her belt before squatting down. She asked, “Have you inherited anything from Saint Gael or Sage Glafx?”
Ovid was aware that his harvest from the tomb amounted to nothing more than a broken body, and did not reply.
Li Zhan shook her head, starting a fire before her as she said, “When an expert dies, fragments of their soul would enter the body of their killer. Usually, the two parties would have an exchange of words, before the expert leaves behind his inheritance.”
Ovid answered, “After I killed Glafx, there was nothing else.”
Li Zhan thought about the matter for some time, before she answered, “That’s probably due to his special status as someone never officially canonised. If that’s the case, then you do not need to worry about what I said.”
“Still, it is a unique experience to have met such an ancient creature. Although you destroyed the channels in which mana can flow through your body, and weakened your mental state… It is at the same time a great opportunity. If you manage to rebuild your body, it would be difficult to find someone as talented as you.”
Li Zhan threw a twig into the fire and said, “Cai Hua had similarly gone through such a process. When he was at the age of fifty, his whole body was destroyed, it would be best for you to hold of cultivation until he returns.”
Ovid nodded and replied, “I am not in a hurry anyway.”
Li Zhan looked relieved and happy, she said with emotion, “That’s good. The more lucky chances and brushes with death you go through, the better it is. Although Cai Hua doesn’t believe fate acts spontaneously, I certainly do. Your encounter with the Sage Glafx was definitely an act of a lucky chance.”
Li Zhan said, “Your meeting with Cai Hua was a lucky chance. Julia placing the silver river within your body was a lucky chance. Your encounter with Glafx who had been sealed for who knows how many years was another lucky chance. There is no observable reason behind this other than that it just is. However, there is a cause and effect in karma gained through this. For example, your future would definitely be tied to Glafx in some form or another, though again, it is impossible to tell.”
Ovid looked at the stars that were so afar from human’s reach. Were he a superstitious individual, he would probably conclude that his untimely death had something to do with this. However, since he a man of science, he felt that there was certainly a reason behind this.
Still, he was both physically and mentally exhausted, with small ambers blowing on his face, Ovid did not speak for a long while, before collapsing onto the melting snow.