When I returned to my quarters after meeting Sima Ming, someone was waiting for me in the courtyard.
The one who had planted a great blade in the courtyard and sat leaning against it, drinking, was none other than the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
I had suddenly thought on my way back that he might come. It seemed we had reached the point where such hunches came true.
“Have a drink.”
“Gladly.”
I accepted the drink from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and drained it in one cool gulp.
“It’s wonderful to drink with you, Elder, after so long.”
“Didn’t you drink your fill with that drunkard?”
“I could barely drink. He was abstaining until he cut down the masterminds behind it all.”
“Is that so?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon wore an expression of surprise.
“The incomprehensible world of a drunkard, isn’t it?”
At my jest, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon smiled faintly and drank.
After happily pouring for each other and sharing a few drinks, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon finally spoke what was on his mind.
“The Cult Leader will grant your request.”
“Why do you think so?”
Looking down at his cup, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon answered.
“Because if I were the Cult Leader, I would grant it.”
Was that the only reason? The Blood Heaven Blade Demon had a unique intuition for my father. He had also been the first to notice that Father had moved to unify the martial world this time.
“I just met with the Strategist. As you said, Elder, it seems Father will grant permission.”
Even though his hunch was correct, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon neither rejoiced nor acted smug. He seemed both pleased and worried about this departure from the cult.
“Are you happy to go out with the Cult Leader?”
“Yes, I am.”
Just thinking about leaving the cult with Father lifted my spirits. But I must not forget.
No matter that I was with Father, I must not forget our enemy was Hua Wuqi.
After sealing the Heavenly Demon Cult, the Martial Alliance, and the Heretical Path Alliance, Hua Wuqi had walked toward the pinnacle of martial arts through endless training.
Even though the Twelve Zodiac Kings who followed him committed all manner of outrages, he never officially appeared in the martial world.
In other words, he was not one to harbor worldly desires.
Why on earth had he killed the three leaders of the martial world? What kind of life had he led before, and what kind of life did he lead after?
I had been so focused on gathering materials for the grand ritual that I failed to learn more about him, which I now deeply regretted.
At the time, I had been afraid that approaching him unnecessarily would ruin everything. Instead, I tried to distance myself from him. I thought I could set everything right as long as I regressed.
Anyway, the certain fact was that he was by no means an ordinary person.
Therefore, he might not appear until all the Twelve Zodiac Kings were dead, or he might suddenly pop up out of nowhere.
Perhaps it was because of such a Hua Wuqi that my way of life had been decided as it was now.
Without minding him, I did my best to live my life.
Even if I had wanted to respond by matching him, I could not.
So, Hua Wuqi, you match yourself to my life!
Just as the me from before regression did, it would not be easy for you to respond by matching me either. Because I, too, was someone who defied common sense and expectations.
While I was lost in thought, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon abruptly said something unexpected.
“A Cult Leader with a son like you is truly blessed.”
It was the first time he had said such a thing since forming a bond with me. I had been about to joke that of course, Father would surely rank high on the list of fathers blessed with good fortune, but I asked seriously instead. Because it was the first time the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had ever said something like this.
“Do you truly think so?”
“Throughout the main cult, how many people would be this happy to go out with the Cult Leader?”
“Well, the same would hold true across the entire martial world.”
“That said, don’t act too cheeky toward the Cult Leader when you are out.”
“Are you worried about me?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon shook his head, then nodded, then shook his head again.
“You do everything better than I do, so one would think who is worrying about whom, but...”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at me.
“Seen this way, you are just a greenhorn, are you not?”
How could I not know his heart? To the elderly, the reason the young seemed so uneasy must be because of this experience. Because at that age, one was sure to make nonsensical mistakes.
That was why he worried. That I might make some mistake while out with Father. He worried that the reason I had not made a mistake until now was because I had been saving them all up for this moment.
“I am not a child.”
“In my eyes, you are a child.”
“And yet you wish you could return to my age.”
I often sensed that he longed for his youth. Though he always denied it.
“I wouldn’t go even if I could.”
“Why?”
“Because I do not want to live this life again.”
His longing for youth was sincere, but these words also rang true.
“You could live differently.”
“A person is the same; can they live differently?”
“You will. Because you have lived this life well.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at me silently, then emptied his last cup and rose. Pulling out the Heaven-Annihilating Great Blade planted in the ground, he bade farewell.
“Go and return safely.”
“Yes, Elder.”
I called out to him as he turned and walked away.
“This time, I will go out with Father and return having seen many things. So please, Elder, live on watching many of the sights you wish to see as well.”
Then the Blood Heaven Blade Demon turned back and said resolutely,
“I already live that way.”
In his gaze, I felt it. That I stood within that scenery.
* * *
After the Blood Heaven Blade Demon left, I entered my room and immediately unleashed the Space-Time Shift Technique.
Even for someone like me, the twelve-star grand perfection of the Nine Transformations Demonic Art could not be achieved in just five years. It required absolute time dedicated to martial training.
Yet the reason I had promised five years was because I believed in the Heavenly Time Secret Art.
The Heavenly Time Secret Art, which had previously granted three times as much time, had now increased to four times as much through steady training while cutting back on sleep. Meaning, while others trained for one shichen, I could train for four.
Moreover, my internal energy had grown greatly during my trip to the Northern Sea, making training even smoother.
I had to somehow increase the time gained from the Heavenly Time Secret Art to tenfold. But the higher the realm, the more difficult the training became and the slower the progress. Only effort was the path to survival.
I performed the Nine Transformations Demonic Art once, from the First Form, Annihilation Form, to the Fourth Form, Dark Flash.
Then I circulated my internal cultivation method to replenish my internal energy and composed my mind.
Now, for the first time, I would attempt the Fifth Form of the Nine Transformations Demonic Art.
If I went out with Father, there would surely come an opportunity to learn the essence of the Nine Transformations Demonic Art from him. I was preparing to leave having mastered up to the Fifth Form for that very moment.
The Fifth Form of the Nine Transformations Demonic Art, the Soul-Severing Demonic Strike.
The Fifth Form was dangerous from the training stage alone. It was a technique known to inflict fatal wounds or kill the practitioner if performed even slightly incorrectly. Therefore, I focused my mind more intensely than when performing any other technique.
I had to perform it with the mindset that a single mistake meant death.
I chanted the formula of the Fifth Form and slowly drew my sword.
At that moment,
the surroundings changed. The sky and the area around me darkened and grew dreary, as if a typhoon were about to strike.
A silence followed.
It was no ordinary silence. It was an absolute silence that swallowed all noise in the world. Even if one stood in the middle of a clamorous battlefield, all sounds would vanish.
The moment I swung my sword!
Swishswishswishswishswishswishswishswishswishswish!
Ten streaks of sword qi poured down vertically from the sky.
Thudthudthudthudthudthudthudthudthudthud!
Sword qi striking down around me!
The sword qi created thin yet deep holes in the ground. They were so deep the bottoms could not be seen.
It was truly an attack that struck down like lightning upon the crown of an enemy’s head.
Because it was my first time performing it, the sword qi did not land where I wanted. Two streaks even fell right beside me. I had nearly struck myself.
The crown of the head—the most difficult vital point on the human body to defend.
Even protective astral qi is hardest to maintain at the crown of the head. Imagine sword qi striking down there with lightning speed.
Moreover, this was no ordinary sword qi. The sword qi imbued with the essence of the Nine Transformations Demonic Art was a powerful attack that tore through the opponent’s protective astral qi and vertically split their head in two. Of course, the internal energy consumption was equally immense, making it a technique that could not be used carelessly.
Finally, the essence of the Soul-Severing Demonic Strike was that it was a technique for facing multiple enemies. Right now there were ten streaks, but as the realm of the Nine Transformations Demonic Art rose, the power of the descending sword qi would grow stronger and their numbers would gradually increase.
Imagine it.
Dozens of streaks of sword qi descending simultaneously like heavenly punishment, piercing through the heads of dozens of enemies.
Just how many enemies could Father strike with the Soul-Severing Demonic Strike at once?
Twenty? Fifty? A hundred?
I could not know what the Nine Transformations Demonic Art looked like at grand perfection, as I had never experienced it.
Once more, the second Soul-Severing Demonic Strike was performed.
Swishswishswishswishswishswishswishswishswishswish!
Again, sword qi lightning poured down vertically.
Thudthudthudthudthudthudthudthudthudthud!
The sword qi still deviated from my will. Overall, they landed a bit farther from me, but one streak fell even closer than before. It was truly a perilous technique.
I took a deep breath and composed my mind.
They will never fall on me. Believe in myself!
A deadly technique that could never be mastered without this belief.
I performed the Fifth Form again and again.
The sword qi still deviated from my will and threatened my life, but it was fine. Repeated training would keep me safer than any protective astral qi.
Because my nights were long.
* * *
Three days later, Sima Ming came to my quarters.
“Strategist, welcome!”
“Have you rested well during this time?”
“I’ve rested quite well.”
In truth, this was the response I ought to have given.
For a martial artist, is martial arts training not a form of rest?
Because up until just moments ago, I had been immersed in training within the Space-Time Shift Technique.
For the past three days, I had refined the Soul-Severing Demonic Strike, and now I could finally strike down more or less where I wanted. My accuracy was still lacking, but I had at least escaped the stage where my heart pounded with anxiety.
The reason Sima Ming had come was to deliver news.
“The Cult Leader has formally granted permission.”
As expected, Sima Ming’s prediction had been accurate.
“Thank you! It is all thanks to your efforts, Strategist.”
If he had opposed it vehemently, I would not have been able to go out this time. Even if Father wished it, he could not easily ignore strong opposition from the Chief Strategist. It was certainly thanks to Sima Ming’s compromise.
“During your departure, the Cult Leader will be officially recorded as being in closed-door training. We also deliberated on whether to inform the Martial Alliance and the Heretical Path Alliance, but concluded it best not to, considering the risk of information leaking.”
For someone who put Father’s safety above all else, it was a natural decision.
His caution added one more measure.
“And the Heavenly Demon Guard will secretly follow behind.”
They were led by Hwi. The greatest guards in the martial world, who always accompanied Father wherever he went.
I truly wanted to leave the cult with Father alone just this once, but I could not insist on that now. Since Sima Ming had compromised, I too had to compromise. Instead, I proposed a middle ground.
“Then let us have only Uncle Hwi follow us.”
I could guess why Sima Ming wanted to send them.
Protecting Father was important, but more than that, it was to maintain periodic contact with the main cult. They needed to know when, where, and how he was moving so that the main cult could prepare for any contingencies.
But if that was the case, Hwi alone was more than capable of handling it.
“Anyway, the guards will follow secretly from a distance, so you need not concern yourself with them.”
“That is not why. If those bastards are watching us, they will pay close attention to Father’s closed-door training. It is not yet the right time for such training. If they suspect it may be a ruse, they will undoubtedly observe the Heavenly Demon Guard. If they notice the Guard’s absence, they will realize that the Cult Leader has left the cult.”
Of course, I did not believe their spies had infiltrated as far as the Heavenly Demon Hall. I was simply trying to depart with as few people as possible.
I had expected to need more persuasion, but Sima Ming readily agreed.
“Very well. Let us have only Captain Hwi go.”
I put on a deliberately startled expression.
“Strategist, you intended to send only Uncle Hwi from the very beginning.”
“If I had said only Captain Hwi was going, the Young Cult Leader would have found some other reason to go out with just the Cult Leader, would you not?”
“Ah! You have read me completely, Strategist.”
Sima Ming smiled at my sigh and said,
“The destination is Shaanxi.”
Since Shaanxi was quite a distance from here, I would be able to spend ample time with Father.
“It is not an urgent matter, so you may travel slowly.”
He did not speak of the mission, as if implying I would learn of it upon arrival.
It was his consideration. Meaning, do not think about the mission until you arrive, and spend this time with Father.
“How do you wish to travel?”
“By carriage at times, walking at others. I wish to go as my heart leads me at each moment.”
“I shall prepare it so.”
Finally, he informed me of the time for this historic first departure.
“We depart tomorrow. You will leave mingled among the transport carriages heading out at dawn.”
* * *
After meeting with Sima Ming, I went to Father’s quarters.
“Father, I’m here.”
Then Father’s voice came from inside.
“What is it?”
“I came because I have something to tell you.”
A moment later, Father opened the door and came outside. He somehow seemed slightly flustered, unlike his usual self.
“Is this not the first time you have left the cult for such an extended period since becoming the Cult Leader? Let me help you pack. Am I not an expert at traveling?”
“Enough.”
Father refused with a sullen expression and turned his back. I felt he was treating me differently today than usual, but then through the gap of the closing door, I saw the inside of the room.
Clothes were spread out on the bed, and a large leather bag was visible too. Various other items were scattered about.
Father was packing!
I had thought he sent Sima Ming to my quarters instead of summoning me to the Heavenly Demon Hall to proceed in secret, but it turned out he had been busy preparing for the trip.
Father was looking forward to this journey as well.
I smiled brightly and said loudly from outside the door,
“Father, don’t forget to pack your sleepwear too!”
Absolute Regression, Episode 447.