“The great sects are going to act soon and I want no part of it. The existences that are after him are beyond our imagination, so don’t worry about it and focus on the Shidashi Linghun and Savage Taitan. They are the hope of our Nether Immolation War Temple.”

The chief elder executed a sorry excuse for a bow before he responded. “As you wish, Temple Lord.”

****

“It’s because of you why we took that wrong turn at the third battle temple!”

“Why are you so high-strung? We got out of there, didn’t we?”

Yaomu Shou and Long Di were atop Lord Whiskers, finally leaving the Nether Immolation War Temple behind. Yaomu Shou was berating him for getting lost while he was in there.

Thankfully, Lord Whiskers remembered the way and brought them out of there safely, but not before they picked up Zi Yu, who was now curled up in the sleeping position behind Yaomu Shou.

Lord Whiskers was truly large and, as a result, there was a lot of space on his back for everyone.

“I never knew that one day I could ride on the back of a Shidashi Mao. It’s really comfortable up here!” Yaomu Shou let out a yell of excitement as she felt the wind rushing through her hair.

“I’m sorry. Am I not doing anything here?” Long Di shot her a back glance.

“Fine, thank you, brother Long Di,” she smiled.

She wasn’t wrong to thank him since it was because of Long Di spreading out a crudely built spiritual qi shield that the terrifying speed of Lord Whiskers didn’t fling her and Zi Yu far off into the distance.

“Hey Long Di, the cultivation technique you’re practising now, did you create it?” Yaomu Shou decided to ask.

Long Di looked back at her, “You figured that out, huh? Yeah, I did. What, do you want one?”

Yaomu Shou thought she was prepared for the answer, but it still gave her a shock to hear it confirmed.

“I-I, really, you’re just…”

“What?” Long Di knew that creating a cultivation technique was something that wasn’t easy from the cultivation novels he read in his old world, but Yaomu Shou’s reaction was a bit… weird.

“Don’t tell anyone you can create cultivation techniques. Especially one on the level that you’re practising right now, okay?”

Long Di stared at her for a while before responding, “I’ll listen to you, but may I ask why?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because the only ones able to do what you do so nonchalantly are the wise sages of time immemorial,” Yaomu Shou explained. “And even then, most cultivation techniques that are even remotely decent now were being constantly revised and altered to reach an acceptable level. The mere fact that you’re able to do it within one lifetime is nothing short of freaky and a more than basic miracle.”

“You don’t sound like you’re experiencing a miracle,” Long Di pointed out.

“Meh, to be honest, I’m getting used to being surprised. I may be shocked in the beginning, but that’ll be just about it. If I don’t adapt, I don’t think my heart could take it. In any case, don’t go around declaring it, please. You’ll draw attention to yourself and you’re already being-”

Yaomu Shou suddenly shut her mouth and went silent. Long Di didn’t turn around upon hearing the abrupt silence and Yaomu Shou let out a sigh of relief, thinking he didn’t notice.

“So, are we heading back to Emo Valley?” she finally asked after a while.

“Yep,” Long Di answered. “After we finish up there, we’re heading to the Earth Flame. It’ll be easier since he knows where it is,” answered Long Di.

“W-Wait, who knows where what is?” Yaomu Shou asked with a bit of surprise.

“Lord Whiskers, he told me where it is,” Long Di said matter-of-factly.

“When!? How!? Why!?” Yaomu Shou began firing off questions one after the other as this was news to her.

“He told me earlier when I agitated Feng Yu. He said he wishes I would suffer a burning hell like the one he suffered at the hands of that asshole-ish earth flame. It was the reason he was rocketing through the sky like a missile back then.”

“What!? Why didn’t you tell me!?” Yaomu Shou was over the moon about being able to find an actual earth flame!

Long Di shrugged, “you didn’t ask me and that was like, I dunno, thirty minutes ago or something. So I forgot.”

“You forgot!? How could you forget!?” Yaomu Shou felt like her head was gonna explode. How could he forget to mention something as important as the earth flame!? How did his brain work!?

“Why is it bothering you so much? You’re not the one who’s going to be taking it, right?” Long Di asked with a raised brow.

“I know you want it and all, but do you know how hard it is for someone to take in an earth flame?” Yaomu Shou questioned.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Long Di decided. He had an idea of how to make this work, which is why he never really put much thought into preparation.

“Sighs…”

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Long Di,” Yaomu Shou relented and decided to go along with the ride and see where this goes.

Before long, the outline of Thousand Emo Valley came into view. The twin towering peaks of the mountains pierced the sky, partly contributing to the darkness that perennially enveloped the valley.

“We got here fast!” Yaomu Shou was still surprised at the speed of Lord Whiskers. He was leagues above the Super Donkeys that they left back at the Nether Immolation War Temple.

Shing!

A gentle light enveloped Yaomu Shou the minute they stepped foot in the valley.

Long Di looked back at her and commented, “Protecting yourself from this aura?”

Yaomu Shou blushed in embarrassment when she heard Long Di’s comment and rushed to explain herself, “I-I travel a lot and sometimes the peculiar properties of some places escape me.”

Long Di nodded to indicate he understood, “Can you do the same for Zi Yu, who’s sleeping back there? I don’t wanna deal with an edgy cranky teen who just woke up. The only thing that’s worse is an edgy teen who found their spirit animal.”

Yaomu Shou didn’t refuse and touched the sleeping Zi Yu’s forehead and it didn’t take long until the same gentle lightly encased her as well.

“That Commander Da Jun and his annoying Captain Chang aren’t back yet, it seems,” Yaomu Shou made a passing remark upon seeing the unsettled men the minute they made their way into the Valley.

“I think they already came back but are just in their barracks doing something barracksy,” Long Di advised.

“I-I don’t think that’s a word,” Yaomu Shou replied.

“Weird… I wonder how I said it then,” Long Di countered.

“You jus-”

“Hold that thought forever. We’re here,” Long Di stopped Lord Whiskers outside the entrance of the shop they came to before.

“Everyone’s here?” Yaomu Shou asked in a puzzled tone.

“Apparently,” Long Di was a bit confused as well as he thought he would need to go to the cave of darkness to help Shen Ling and the others get the Shadow Silk.

“Amazing! To think you could get so much!”

Before they even went inside, they heard the excited voice of the shopkeeper.

Opening the door to the shop, Long Di and Yaomu Shou were greeted by the entirety of their group, an overw -excited and trembling shopkeeper, and a mountain of smoking darkness.