270 I Have Returned (1/2)
Time passed, seemingly fast and slow at the same time. Wang Baole didn't know how much time had gone by, but when he came to, Little Missy had vanished. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the ceiling of the cavern.
Wang Baole seemed lost for a moment before his pupils contracted, and he sat up suddenly and inspected his surroundings cautiously. He widened his eyes at the sight before him, shock flooding his mind.
This is… Wang Baole was stunned. His breathing stilled as he observed the majestic scene before him. The sight of the tens of thousands of ancient cultivators' corpses and the three-tiered altar they had been worshiping sent a flood of emotions surging through him.
The altar, especially, and the items placed on the altar, inspired in him an indistinct feeling of surreality. He had immediately recognized the altar. It was the one which had appeared in the scenes that flashed across his mind during his fusion with the small tripod cauldron.
How did I end up here… There was confusion in Wang Baole's eyes. He couldn't recall anything that happened after he entered the restricted zone to escape from his pursuers. He remembered distinctly that he had been at the end of his rope then. His vitality had been a faint, weak flame that had been on the verge of being extinguished any moment.
He had felt death looming close over him. It had felt inevitable. His small tripod cauldron had been robbed from him, the foundations of his Dao destroyed, and he had been injured grievously. He had then been forced to flee from the countless Foundation Establishment realm cultivators after his life. It didn't matter how many he had taken down. His death had seemed inevitable.
His memories halted at the point when he entered the restricted zone. Then, he seemed to have fallen into a long, deep slumber. After he had woken up, he found himself here.
In his loss and confusion, Wang Baole took in a deep breath and looked down at his chest and the black mask that had appeared there without his knowledge. As he fell silent, he could feel the changes. His injuries had been healed, and there was a certain strength brimming within him that hadn't been there before.
Upon that discovery, Wang Baole started shivering, and his eyes shone with incredulity. He started inspecting his body and soon fell into a dazed shock; it was as if he had just been struck by lightning.
He saw, within himself, the ruined foundations of his cultivation completely rebuilt. His meridians were completely healed, and where his dantian lay, in the emptiness that had formed after the small tripod cauldron had been ripped out by the old woman, was… a green lotus!
The green lotus was the size of his palm. As it swayed, it radiated tremendous vitality and Spirit Qi which flooded Wang Baole's entire body. Wang Baole's breath froze instantly. At that moment, he was caught in an illusion of utter invincibility, as if he had the power to pluck the sun, the moon, and the stars from the heavens!
He knew what he was feeling wasn't real, but he could still clearly and distinctly feel that the Spirit Qi in his body surpassed his earlier small-tripod-grade Foundation Establishment realm cultivation by more than tenfold!
It was like a miracle. Wang Baole felt as if he was in a dream. He found the green lotus familiar… it seemed to be the same lotus that was being worshiped by the small tripod cauldron and other beings in the scenes that had flashed within his mind during his fusion with the small tripod cauldron!
There was no need, and no basis, for a comparison. He knew that if the green lotus within his body was indeed the lotus he had seen in his mind, then… the lotus and the small tripod cauldron were clearly in different leagues.
How did it appear inside me… Wang Baole was brimming with excitement and agitation. He hadn't simply regained what had been lost to him. He had, after losing something precious, found something even more valuable and priceless. That feeling was beyond what words could describe.
His heart started beating fiercely. He inspected his body and surveyed his surroundings. Finally, his eyes landed on the black mask. Somehow, Wang Baole felt that he had perhaps found his answer.
”You're the one who saved me, right, Little Missy?” Wang Baole asked softly. He picked the black mask up, but it didn't respond. After a long while, Wang Baole stood up, placed the mask before him, and with great gravity, gave it a deep bow!
”Little Missy, you saved my life. I, Wang Baole, will never forget this!”
The black mask glimmered faintly, like a reply to Wang Baole's deep bow of gratitude. Wang Baole stared at the black mask's response until it faded away and silence reigned again. He carefully kept the mask, then lifted his head. He could feel the immense vitality and Spirit Qi emanating from the green lotus that had melded with the devouring seed in his dantian. He could feel the Spirit Qi of a Foundation Establishment realm, and the waves of spirit energy that were much more powerful and terrifying than before.