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Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Sun Yingyang!
"Grandfather, I’ve remembered it."
Luo Cheng nodded firmly.
Over the past few days, Luo Mingshan had conversed with him about cultivation matters, but most of their discussions revolved around Jianghu experience.
Luo Heng stuffed a brocade pouch into Luo Cheng’s bundle, saying, "Luo Cheng, in this pouch are eight hundred thousand Gold Notes. If it’s not enough, send word back."
"It’s more than enough. Thank you, Uncle."
Luo Cheng’s nose twitched with emotion as he glanced at Luo Mingshan and the others, saying, "I’m off. Take good care of yourselves!"
With those words, Luo Cheng tightened his grip on the horse’s flanks. The blue-maned horse galloped forward, with Luo Hong close behind.
The morning was still fresh, with few pedestrians along the streets. The blue-maned horse ran at full speed, swift as lightning, and in an instant, they were outside Qishan City.
Feeling the wind rushing toward him, Luo Cheng gazed at the blue sky and white clouds, and a surge of ambition welled up in his heart.
This was his first time leaving Qishan City. When he returned, he would ensure the name "Luo Cheng" reverberated throughout the Great Yue Dynasty—and even farther beyond!
Six days later, Luo Cheng and Luo Hong reached the edge of the Running Horse Plain, a thousand miles away from Qishan City.
The slightly moist wind carried a strong scent of blood.
Luo Cheng and Luo Hong found themselves surrounded by a pack of Blood Wolves, their corpses strewn across the ground numbering in the dozens.
Most of these corpses had been split in two, utterly obliterated, while a few others were pulverized into minced flesh, leaving a gruesome mess of blood and remnants.
Blood Wolves were extremely common One-star Demon Beasts in the Running Horse Plain. Individually, their strength was roughly equivalent to martial artists at the middle stage of the Body Tempering Realm, but their habit of forming packs made them exceptionally troublesome.
"Shaking Mountain!"
"Cloud Stabilization!"
Luo Cheng struck with his fist, obliterating two approaching Blood Wolves, while his sword flashed in his right hand, slicing through several leaping wolves mid-air, splitting them into fragments, causing a rain of blood to scatter!
Luo Hong, on the other hand, seemed rather nonchalant as he raised his hand. The nearby Blood Wolves were instantly crushed into pieces of flesh.
In just a few breaths, the remaining dozens of Blood Wolves were massacred cleanly.
"Cheng’er, did you just use the second stance of the Heavenly Fall Sword Technique?"
Luo Hong glanced at the Blood Wolf corpses on the ground and asked.
Luo Cheng nodded, "I mastered it just a few days ago."
Luo Hong seemed a bit surprised.
He realized he had underestimated Luo Cheng’s comprehension ability.
After a moment of contemplation, Luo Hong said, "Cheng’er, as your cultivation progresses, the role of your Martial Soul will become increasingly significant. Even though your comprehension is exceptional, your Martial Soul Grade is too low. If your cultivation stagnates in the future, don’t let it discourage you."
Luo Hong worried that Luo Cheng’s current smooth progression might leave him unable to handle the frustration of slowed advancement in the future.
"Father, actually, my Martial Soul isn’t just a simple Wasted Martial Soul."
Luo Cheng decided to share the truth with Luo Hong, at least to ease his father’s concerns.
"Not just a simple Wasted Martial Soul?"
Luo Hong froze.
Luo Cheng didn’t explain further. He summoned his Martial Soul directly, sitting cross-legged beside the Blood Wolf corpses, starting to devour them.
Buzz!
Nine-colored Mysterious Light glimmered as the Blood Wolf Beast Souls floated out from the corpses and merged into Luo Cheng’s body.
"This is—!"
Watching the corpses swiftly lose their Essence Qi, Luo Hong’s expression was visibly shaken.
One wolf, two wolves, three wolves...
Luo Cheng devoured all the Blood Wolf corpses before stopping, then said:
"Father, my Martial Soul can devour Beast Souls and even grow through Martial Soul absorption."
Luo Cheng focused the disclosure of his ability on the Martial Soul and didn’t mention the Nine-colored Scales.
"Devour Beast Souls and enable Martial Soul growth!"
Luo Hong repeatedly muttered these words.
He had heard of individuals with extraordinary talents whose Martial Souls awakened with unique abilities. But Luo Cheng’s Martial Soul had clearly been a Wasted Martial Soul at birth...
Without lingering on the matter for too long, Luo Hong suddenly became stern, saying, "Cheng’er, have you shared this with anyone else?"
Luo Cheng shook his head.
"Good! From now on, don’t tell anyone about this—not even me should you bring it up again. Additionally, never use this ability in front of others!"
Luo Hong issued a warning, then added, "People fear the unknown. If word spreads that your Martial Soul can devour other people’s Martial Souls for growth, it would undoubtedly bring immense disaster. Heaven and earth would offer you no safe haven!"
Luo Cheng nodded, "Father, I will remember this."
Upon learning that Luo Cheng’s awakening hadn’t resulted in a true Wasted Martial Soul, Luo Hong’s mood lifted. He laughed and said, "Let’s continue on our way."
A dozen days later, the two of them arrived at a small town called Lin Yang Town.
Looking at Lin Yang Town, Luo Hong’s expression showed traces of sadness. He said:
"Beyond Lin Yang Town, another two or three hundred miles ahead is Linjiang City. Linjiang City has boats from the Three Great Sects, which you’ll need to take to Xuanyuan Sect. I’ll see you off here."
"Alright."
Luo Cheng understood that his father and mother had met in Linjiang City and likely didn’t wish to be reminded of the past. He nodded in agreement.
"Let’s go in and rest for a bit."
Luo Hong dismounted, leading the blue-maned horse toward the small town.
Luo Cheng followed and asked, "Father, you were once a disciple of the Three Great Sects. Which sect were you in?"
Luo Hong smiled, "I was once under the Fierce Cloud Sect..."
Screech!
Before Luo Hong could finish his sentence, a sharp cry came from the sky, and the daylight abruptly dimmed.
"The Fierce Cloud Sect’s Fiery Fire Bird!"
Luo Hong was startled and looked toward the southern skies.
Luo Cheng followed his gaze, his pupils slightly constricting.
The southern sky looked as though it had been set ablaze, glowing crimson.
Within the fiery clouds was a gigantic bird.
The bird had feathers of radiant golden red, a robust and majestic frame, and its wings spanned a hundred meters wide, resembling a soaring inferno in the heavens!
Faintly visible were several figures standing on the back of the Fiery Fire Bird.
"Sun Yingyang!"
Fixing his gaze on the foremost figure atop the Fiery Fire Bird, Luo Hong’s expression turned sharp, gripping the reins tightly as his knuckles turned pale.
"Sun Yingyang..."
Luo Cheng noticed his father’s transformation and thought back carefully, his expression following suit.
The name Sun Yingyang was one he had heard before.
This man was once his father’s senior brother.
It was this very man who had gravely injured his father, destroying his meridians and halting his cultivation entirely! For the past decade or so, his father had lived an embittered life, drowning his sorrows in wine.
To Luo Cheng, this name was synonymous with the person he hated most!
The Fiery Fire Bird flew over Lin Yang Town, appearing to go farther away, but abruptly circled back and headed their way.
Whoosh!
A whirlwind erupted as the Fiery Fire Bird descended before Luo Cheng and Luo Hong, its wings creating fierce gusts of wind that forced the blue-maned horse to retreat continuously.
Four figures stepped down from the Fiery Fire Bird. Leading them was a middle-aged man with high cheekbones, sharp hawk-like shoulders, and a piercing gaze. He wore a Purple Gold Robe with Fierce Cloud Sect’s golden-red embroidered trim on the cuffs.
Beside him stood a youth of fifteen or sixteen years, whose features bore a seventy or eighty percent resemblance to the man. Dressed in white attire adorned with a Flame Cloud Pattern on the chest, he carried a long blade at his waist and exuded an exceptionally domineering and cold presence.
Behind them were a man and a woman of similar age, both dressed in attire marked with the Flame Cloud Pattern on the chest.
"Heh, I was wondering why it suddenly felt a bit chilly this afternoon. Turns out an old acquaintance is here."
The middle-aged man fixed his gaze on Luo Hong, narrowing his eyes with a smirk:
"Luo Hong, my dear junior brother, it’s been years. I trust you’ve been well."
