Chapter 639 - Storm of the Abyss (XII) (Patreon)

My mind rattled like a marble in a jar.

It was just one word, 'Yes', a word I'd heard a billion times before, but its weight far surpassed either its length or depth. A gentle, aged, and occasionally crinkled face of an old man stormed from the recesses of my mind to the very front, loudly and boldly. I'd always kept it with me, somewhere deep, as he was the reason I was alive.

Beyond just ushering us out of the sect and clearing the way there, even before that. He'd helped me in ways nobody else was willing to.

I'd never thought too deeply about either his or Hua's death after we had left. The reason was simple: I was still very much a greenhorn back then, and sinking back into the waters of grief... I had a feeling it would have drowned me utterly and completely. I had a group of kids with me, most of whom were looking at me to make the choices, to guide them, and if I had let myself feel the grief of loss, I'd have been incapable.

So, I let them slip and drift, slowly digging deeper and deeper into the memories. It's almost been five years now, and though I hadn't forgotten... I wasn't remembering, either. Like someone had put on a lid on them, tightly at that. The memories were there, for sure, as were the accompanying songs of emotions, but they couldn't leak.

And now... now she's telling me that he's alive?

It's impossible.

He was at the epicenter of that explosion, and though I didn't truly grasp the sheer breadth of it back then, I have more of an inkling now. Even as I am right now, I would have died even at the edges of it. Hell, I have a feeling that even as I was at my absolute peak--when I inherited all of the kids' knowledge and strength and fought that Sage in the realm--I still would have died. And, best I can remember, Elder Qin was even weaker back then than I am now, as I'm fairly sure he'd been at the peak of the Revolving Core Realm.

He could not have survived that blast, just like nobody else had.

So, was she lying to me? No, that was also impossible. How the hell would she have even known of that man? He was an Elder of some backwater sect that wasn't even sketched out on the vast majority of the maps that I've come across. Maybe she can read minds?

... that's possible. In the haze of everything and our rush to make sense of the attack, I had never actually used my Dao Sight on her. Well, now's a good a time as any, I suppose.

[--Dao Sight used][Target: Jin Hua][Age: 449][Talent: mid-Jade][Cultivation Realm: Peak Inner World Realm][Cultivation Method: Lunar Convergence Method (peak-Heaven)][Cultivation Arts: Moonlight Slash (peak-Sky), Lunar Steps (low-Heaven), Silver Crescent (low-Sky)...][...][Traits][Keen-Eyed (Epic) -- can notice details others miss with a greater ease. Has a higher chance of gaining an insight into an art or a method][Heartbroken (Legendary) -- experienced a heartbreak that had fundamentally changed her, altering her nature][Vengeful (Epic) -- thoughts of revenge had rooted themselves in her heart; though making her forget it isn't impossible, it'd be difficult][Silver Child (Ancient) -- born under the auspicious sigil of the moonlight itself, having been baptized by it. Has extreme affinity to Lunar Qi and Dao of Silverlight][Sword Heart (Rare) -- contains embryonic traces of a Sword Heart, though talent with the sword itself is not enough to properly manifest it][...][Assessing suitability...][...][Special Physique and Bloodline have been discovered][...][Lunar Blood (Ancient) -- bloodline tracing its roots to some of the first clans of humanity who studied the moon and managed to alter Qi's nature to create a new form. Those with Lunar Blood in them are extremely empowered while fighting in direct moonlight. Additionally, their blood vessels--for a brief period of time--can hold Lunar Qi as well as their meridians][...][Thin Meridians Physique (Epic) -- while she has normally-sized meridians, their outer lining is quite a bit thinner than on average. This makes them quite a bit more fragile and prone to tears but also means that most toxins that come through the way of cultivation have no means of sticking to anything and thus clogging the meridian passages][...][Recommendation: it is unlikely that she will ever break through into the Demigod Realm so long as her heart and mind aren't cleansed of stray thoughts. If the host can resolve her struggles, she has very minimal potential of eventually reaching Imperial Realm][...][Final Assessment: an above average talent with an incompatible mixture of Physique and Bloodline; Lunar Blood and, in extension, Lunar Qi require durable meridians with interwoven connections to blood vessels, while Thin Meridian Physique often pairs best with water-based methods due to their gentleness. While steps can be made to bridge the gap, this incompatibility ensures that she can never become and Empress]

Alright then.

Based on the breakdown, I'm pretty sure she ain't lying, at least. Though her window is quite impressive, honestly, it's kind of a breath of fresh air. This is talented--but it's not mind-bending.

"Are you alright?" she asked as I'd stayed silent for a full minute.

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Just... processing. Are you sure it's him?"

"Pretty sure."

"Where is he?"

"Somewhere outside," she said. "I really don't know precisely where."

"How'd you two even meet?" I asked, genuinely curious. Even if he did survive by some miracle, he would have been crippled, at the very least, and stuck in the distant corner of the world.

"I tracked him down," she said. "He'd been killing Elders of the Holy Lands who participated in the annihilation of your sect and, as I had a grudge against someone and no means of killing them, asked him to help me. In turn, I helped him track down others."

"... wait, back up--what do you mean he's been killing elders of the holy lands?" I asked, a deep frown etched on my face, no doubt. "That shouldn't be possible."

"Why?" she asked, seeming genuinely confused.

"Did he tell you everything that happened?"

"... not in detail," she said. "Just that your rival sect made arrangements with outsiders which led to a mass invasion, and that he just barely managed to escape."

Alright. So, either the man she met wasn't Elder Qin but someone cosplaying as him--potentially to lure me--or he didn't trust her enough to disclose the information. Regardless, curiosity was beating like a drum inside of me, and the note was rising and rising. I'd have to meet the man, but I'm also not really sure when.

The moment we get out of this predicament--hopefully with some Spirit Stones in a two--I'm beelining toward some hidden bit along the shore to test out the Living Mountain, and after that we'll have to figure out a way to get to the Island.

"Hm." I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Well, that sure was one way to find that out. Anyway, we need to get out of this place, first and foremost. Are you going to join us?"

"Yes," she nodded. "One way or another, my fate is now tied to yours."

"..." people here really believe in karmic bonds, it seems. I'm still kind of unconvinced of their totality, at least. But if they all believe it, there must be a reason. "Encouraging. Alright, everyone," I called out. "Let's move out. Lots of things to do, and we have to do them as quickly as possible. Standard formation."

"What if the fight between those two breaks containment?" Jin Hua asked as we started leaving the hall toward the opposite exit from the one we walked through.

"... we'll figure something out," I truly, deeply hoped that wouldn't be the case. "Let's just hope they tire each other out, and we'll sort through the rest, eh?"