“Ah!” At the moment the bushes parted, a startled cry escaped the young man’s lips as he stumbled backward several steps, nearly falling to the ground. The youth named Tumeng wore an expression of sheer terror.
“What happened?” The members of the Heron Tribe, who had been intently watching the scene, were taken aback. Several of the younger warriors immediately drew their swords, preparing for any unforeseen danger.
“Hold your ground. Tumeng, what’s wrong?” Yinglu, the tribe leader, remained composed, quickly noticing that the young man was unharmed but merely frightened.
“Chief, there’s a Transcendent inside, but his appearance—”
“Hmph! What about my appearance?” Before Tumeng could finish, a flash of cyan light erupted from the bushes before vanishing abruptly. A cold snort followed, and a figure strode out from within.
Everyone, including the elder, froze momentarily before turning their gazes toward the newcomer.
Before them stood a man clad in a white robe, the attire unmistakably marking him as a Transcendent. His build was unremarkable, but his face was obscured by an oddly styled cyan hood. Several bulging pouches hung at his waist, and a wooden box about a foot long was strapped to his back.
“I am Yinglu, leader of the Heron Tribe. Greetings, Venerable Transcendent! May I inquire as to your esteemed name?” Yinglu immediately dismounted and bowed deeply from a distance, careful not to offend. The rest of the tribe followed suit.
“Heron Tribe? Never heard of it. My surname is Han. I was cultivating inside earlier. What brings you here?” The white-robed man cast a cold glance over Yinglu and his companions before replying.
“So it’s Venerable Han. We truly had no idea you were cultivating here earlier. Our deepest apologies! Might I ask which tribe you serve as an honored guest? Perhaps our tribes are acquainted.” Seeing that the Transcendent showed no hostile intent, the elder relaxed slightly.
“I’ve only recently left my master’s tutelage and have yet to accept any tribe’s patronage,” the white-robed man replied indifferently, his eyes flickering briefly.
“Ah! So you’re unaffiliated. Given your presence here alone, Venerable Han must also be heading to the Sacred Hall. Surely you wouldn’t miss the once-in-twenty-years Spirit Awakening Ceremony?” Yinglu’s tone grew even more respectful upon learning the man was unattached.
“Indeed, I am bound for the Sacred Hall. Are you delivering tribute? Though, I see no Transcendent accompanying you.” The white-robed man glanced at their wagons, seeming mildly intrigued.
“Our Heron Tribe is but a small one, and we’ve yet to secure a Transcendent’s patronage. That’s why…” The elder explained deferentially, gauging the man’s reaction. His earlier suspicion that the Transcendent was indeed newly independent grew stronger.
“Since your intrusion was unintentional, I’ll let it pass. You may go.” After a brief hesitation, the white-robed man waved dismissively, signaling for them to leave.
Rather than departing, Yinglu took a deep breath and smiled. “Venerable, since you’re also headed to the Sacred Hall, might we engage your services temporarily? If you accompany us, I’m willing to offer twenty Spirit Stones for your assistance.”
“Hire me?” The white-robed man seemed genuinely surprised.
“Indeed. Since your destination aligns with ours, why not travel together? Without a Transcendent’s protection, I fear we may not reach the Sacred Hall safely, given the dangers along the way.” The elder spoke earnestly.
“Traveling with mortals would slow me down. And twenty Spirit Stones…” The white-robed man neither refused outright nor agreed immediately, appearing hesitant.
“If you accept, I can raise the offer to twenty-five. To be frank, our tribe is small, and this is our limit,” the elder admitted with a wry smile.
“Twenty-five is no small sum. But shouldn’t you first ask my cultivation level? For all you know, I might only be at the second or third layer of Qi Refining, incapable of protecting your convoy.” The white-robed man chuckled lightly.
“Haha! You jest, Venerable. Though I lack a Spiritual Root, I once fought in the Holy War. The spiritual light you emitted during cultivation was far beyond that of a novice.” Yinglu forced a dry laugh.
“Very well. Since you’re sincere, I’ll accompany you. But I’ll take half the payment now, the rest upon arrival.” After brief consideration, the white-robed man agreed.
“Naturally.” The elder beamed, retrieving a small leather pouch from his robes. He counted out over a dozen Spirit Stones and handed them over without hesitation.
The white-robed man accepted the stones, which vanished with a flash of light, eliciting gasps from the tribe’s youths.
“What, have you never seen a storage pouch before?” The Transcendent sounded amused.
“Forgive them, Venerable. These youngsters have had little contact with Transcendents,” Yinglu explained awkwardly.
“I see.” The white-robed man nodded in understanding before glancing at the wagons, hesitating once more.
The elder, familiar with Transcendents’ ways, quickly turned and barked orders: “Prepare the finest wagon for Venerable Han to meditate in. Hurry!”
The youths, thrilled to have a Transcendent joining them, sprang into action, unloading goods from one wagon and redistributing them.
The white-robed man wasted no time. Once the wagon was ready, he addressed the elder solemnly: “I appreciate your efforts. I’ll rest here. Call if needed. I’ve achieved fasting—no need to disturb me otherwise.”
“Understood. I’m aware of your customs.” Yinglu bowed slightly with a deferential smile.
The white-robed man nodded and strode toward the wagon. Pausing mid-step, he turned to Tumeng, who still looked dazed: “You saw my face earlier. I’d prefer it didn’t become common knowledge. Consider yourself warned.” With that cryptic remark, he entered the wagon and drew the curtain shut.
Tumeng paled instantly, shaking his head vehemently even after the wagon’s curtain closed.
“Now that we have a Transcendent with us, we can proceed without worry. Mount up and move out! Yingshan, attend to the Venerable’s wagon. See to his every need!” Yinglu ordered before adding meaningfully to a young woman beside him.
Understanding his intent, she brightened and rode toward the rear wagon.
As the convoy set off, the youths whispered excitedly among themselves. Though their tribe had hired Transcendents before, none had stayed long enough for close interaction.
Inside the curtained wagon, the white-robed man sat cross-legged, motionless.
“Han boy, it seems your cultivation display gave that youngster quite the scare! I wonder if he’ll have nightmares for days. Heh…” A mocking, aged voice echoed in the white-robed man’s mind.
“Elder, is this Five Ghost Sealing Technique truly effective? I’d rather not become a mindless killing beast before finding a way to dispel the baleful energy,” the white-robed man replied tersely, ignoring the taunt.
“Rest assured. Though I created this art to control deviations in the Great Development Art, it works equally well on baleful energy. But remember—since you’ve invoked the Five Ghosts using the baleful energy as a medium, not only is the energy sealed, but eighty to ninety percent of your cultivation is too. At best, you’re now at mid-Foundation Establishment level. Don’t forget that!” The voice sounded lazily admonishing.
“I’m well aware. I didn’t expect the baleful backlash to come so soon—or so violently—compared to your predictions,” the white-robed man said grimly.
“Hmph! My predictions weren’t wrong. You’re the one who fought other cultivators before purging the energy, nearly dying in the process! Of course it backlashed early. As for its intensity—just look at how much baleful energy you’ve accumulated! Naturally, its backlash would be extraordinary. If not for needing you to craft puppets, I wouldn’t bother with you!” The voice snorted before fading.
The two speakers were none other than Han Li and the Great Development Sage.
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