Volume 7 Chapter 45 - Chapter Forty-Five: Thousand Graves (1/2)
“Of course, I will welcome you.”
Ding Ning observed this youth closely and said, “While I do not know how you knew just now that that person was our enemy, but without you, maybe we would have to expend some effect. However, you have never met me before, so how come you are confident in me? You should know, this is a formation that only allows entry not exit. Do you have a way to get out?”
“I do not.” This youth clearly was not good at talking, and his words were very accented. He even had a hard time listening to Ding Ning’s words and he spoke slowly. “I have confidence in Yuanwu, and also, I do not have confidence in myself.”
Ding Ning stilled. Even he had no way of understanding this youth’s words.
“What do you mean?” Zhangsun Qianxue frowned and asked directly.
“I have never met someone stronger than my master but Yuanwu killed my master, so he is stronger than my master. Since he came here in person, and wanted to kill you at any cost, you are, of course, the person who poses the strongest threat to him.”
The youth’s head was still leaning against his knees. He did not look up. At this time, his figure seemed very sad. “Also, I know that I cannot surpass my master, and I cannot use my own strength in the future to kill Yuanwu.”
Tantai Guanjian stilled. He felt that the first words of the youth were very reasonable. This meant that this youth was very smart. And he was able to reach here traveling across a long distance. He had extraordinary bravery and state of mind. So he could not help but frown and say, “How come you know that you cannot surpass your master in the future? You should be the youngest realm seven in the world. Perhaps more accurately, you may be the youngest realm seven in history. Also, your sect is extraordinary. Your master was one of the strongest people in the world. You are so young right now. There must not be many realm sevens who would be a match for you right now.”
At those sincere words, the youth in black robes buried his head deeper and said slowly, “You do not know. I was able to reach realm seven so quickly because, in a certain point of view, I am my master’s lifebond item.”
Tantai Guanjian was stunned. Zhangsun Qianxue had not expected such a reason, and stilled as well.
Ding Ning thought for a moment, his head bowed. He seemed to figure out why.
Some of the strongest sects in the Qi Dynasty cultivated the path of ghosts, and were different from the other sects in the world. Yan Ying had made his own path and cultivated in the thousand graves. From some previous rumors and the actions of the black-robed youth, the cultivators of the other dynasties thought that the top grandmaster of the Qi Dynasty, Yan Ying, had forged the thousand graves into his lifebond item. And upon his death, the graves naturally were passed to his student, this black-robed youth in front of him.
This black-robed youth had previously moved this mountain into the imperial palace during the rebellion of the Qi Dynasty, using it against the enemy. In the view of outsiders, this was akin to Yan Ying giving his lifebond item made from his energy to his student, and his student used secret sect methods to perfectly control Yan Ying’s lifebond item.
But the true reason was, Yan Ying merged a lot of his lifebond energy into his student during his cultivation. In the many years of cultivation among the graves, he was nurturing his student and not the mountains or the graves.
“I heard that the Qi Emperor returned your master’s remains to the mountain of graves.” Ding Ning looked up at the black-robed youth.
“Our sect has a secret art. I used my master’s power to reach realm seven.” The black-robed youth nodded. He felt very bad inside. “But cultivation is a gradual thing, and I went directly to realm seven. I did not walk the paths of the other realms, so how can I reach realm eight? If I cannot reach realm eight, no matter how long I am a realm seven, I cannot win against Yuanwu.”
“I have no other choice. I am not as talented as my master. If I did not choose like this, maybe cultivating slowly, I may not catch up to Yuanwu when he dies of old age.” The black-robed youth slowly said, “I can just rely on others to kill Yuanwu.”
Everyone fell silent.
Ding Ning saw the shoulders of the youth were moving slightly. He knew that while this youth was not sobbing out loud, he was crying very hard.
While this black-robed youth was a grandmaster that the cultivators in the world feared, he was too young, and from his age, he was just a child. There had only been him and his master in the sect. After Yan Ying died, this black-robed youth was alone.