Chapter 58: The Carefree Lao Bai (1)
The horse started to gallop on the road, but Miao Yi did not dislike its terribly slow pace, because he needed it to recover the transcendence energy that was spent.
Holding out a grain-sized Orb of Will that was already depleted by more than half, he rubbed it gently on his clothes. He felt reluctant to eat it, so he eventually chose to swallow it in, and began channeling his transcendence energy.
There were not many things that were more useful than an Orb of Will in restoring transcendence energy. It was much better than the pellets that those cultivator sects refined from the scrap materials they collected.
Especially the rate at which it recovers transcendence energy. It was not something pellets could compare to, which is why many cultivators tended to keep an Orb of Will by their side, in case they ever needed to recover transcendence energy.
But those cultivators that were capable of using an Orb of Will to recover transcendence energy were not normal cultivators. To many low-leveled cultivators, such as Miao Yi, using an Orb of Will to replenish transcendence energy was too extravagant, and it was much better to use it to raise his cultivation.
However, Miao Yi had reaped a great harvest today, and decided to be luxurious, so at the very least he had to try what it feels like to use an Orb of Will to restore transcendence energy. One could say it was another way of accumulating field experience.
Two hours later, Miao Yi spat out the Orb of Will and held it in his hand as he tossed a glance, a look of surprise on his face. Unexpectedly, the speed at which the Orb of Will restored his transcendence energy was quite fast—only two hours had passed and the transcendence energy that he’d used up was almost fully replenished. Normally, even meditation needed a few days.
After experiencing the benefits of the Orb, Miao Yi craved it even more. Having experienced something so good, who would choose to use lesser methods?
He decided that he needed to keep an Orb by his side, in case he ever needed it, since an Orb the size of a rice grain was something he could use multiple times, given his current cultivation level.
Carefully tucking away the miniscule Orb of Will, Miao Yi looked at his surroundings and found his bearings. He halted the horse and jumped down, stoutly smacking its rear end.
The horse neighed in pain, and galloped away under the moonlight.
He no longer wanted the horse, because with its weak legs it was virtually useless to him and so he let it go. Whoever found it could keep it.
Miao Yi then quickly flew towards the forest, leaping from treetop to treetop as he rushed towards Changfeng Cave.
His way of dashing was already at the level of flying to a mortal’s eyes, but only cultivators understood it themselves. It barely counted as flying. At most, it counted as floating forwards to increase his movement speed. Previously, when the Lady Boss and her gang moved across the night sky in the blink of an eye, now that could be called truly flying.
He came to a stop somewhere not far from Changfeng Cave and didn’t move another step further. Changfeng Cave still had a few cultivators standing guard.
Miao Yi stood on top of the tree branch, and held his hand over his mouth to make a hooting sound, like the cry of a night owl.
After a while, a black silhouette dashed as fast as lightning towards him from the mountain forest, it ran to the bottom of the tree and ‘neighed’ as it looked up—clearly it was Charcoal who came after hearing his call.
Miao Yi chuckled, realizing that this creature was rather intelligent indeed, being able to know that he was summoning him, and leapt down, descending onto its body.
“Your fat body still makes for a comfortable ride.” Miao Yi snickered as he patted it.
The two fleshy feelers flew out from Charcoal’s mane, and attached itself to Miao Yi’s thigh. Acknowledging Miao Yi’s will, it immediately adjusted its position and dashed across the mountains.
His goal this time was not South Edict Manor, but Changfeng City. Miao Yi had a tendency to remember his grudges.
Since he’d come all the way here, he had no intention of sparing the lives of Head Guard Huang and Zhao Xingwu, who had nearly killed him all those years ago. Especially the Huang family, who had not only come close to killing him, but more importantly, had bullied his siblings for so many years. He was prepared to end this grudge, otherwise he would always have a shadow in his heart, which would in turn affect his cultivation.
To him, men who did not return grudges were not men, and those who cannot take revenge had no capability.
As he cantered on the road, just when he was about to reach Changfeng City, he crossed paths with another rider.
Miao Yi, who was dashing at full speed, was momentarily stunned. He urged Charcoal to stop, and turned around on his path.
Upon looking at the rider’s face, both of them stopped their steeds, and looked at each other.
A man dressed like a scholar was saddled on top of the horse in front him, decked out in white robes, with two locks of white hair drooping down his chest, and a plain cloak lightly floating behind his back. Even under the moonlight, that appearance which was unmatched in his generation and his presence couldn’t be concealed.
Miao Yi exclaimed in shock, “Lao Bai!”
This man was indeed Lao Bai. Holding his reins as he sat on his horse, he smiled at Miao Yi, “So, it was you?”
Miao Yi leapt down, stabbing his spear at the ground.
With nimbleness, Lao Bai also alighted from his horse. Miao Yi held his hands out and immediately gave him a bear hug, hugging and turning him for a couple rounds before stopping. He excitedly asked, “Why are you here?”
As always, Lao Bai had that calm and collected expression on his face regardless of the situation. He smiled and said, “I am heading to the Boundless Secular World to settle some matters.”
“To the Boundless Secular World?” Miao Yi’s mouth was agape, and he asked curiously, “What matters?”
Lao Bai replied, “A long time ago, the Great Immortal left a few strange arts, so I wish to head to the Boundless Secular World to study it, and to see if I have any luck.”
So it was that Great Immortal again—Miao Yi probed further, “What is the situation, maybe I can be of some help?”
Lao Bai casually said, “I am going to try to lure out the Hell Mantis, and borrow something from it for a little experiment.”
“........” Miao Yi was stunned, the things that normal people avoided at all costs, he actually wanted to lure it out, and borrow something from it?
He really envied how Lao Bai could be so calm all the time, with such an unshakeable demeanor. He was just a mortal man, yet he treated something so horrific as though it was just a game.
Miao Yi was a bit dumbfounded, and asked, “What are you intending to borrow from the Hell Mantis?”Lao Bai replied relaxedly, “The egg of the Hell Mantis.”
“I…….” Miao Yi almost fainted, then slapped his forehead and said, “I must say Lao Bai, it’s not a problem of wanting to borrow, but do you think the Hell Mantis would be willing to lend it to you? How do you intend to borrow it?”
“The Great Immortal once told me of a method when he was alive.” Lao Bai pointed to a cloth bag that was strapped on the horse, “I also don’t know if it will work, so I am just going to try and see.”
Miao Yi inadvertently cast a glance at it, and was surprised to see that the horse looked very familiar, much like the one he released back into the wild not too long ago. But all horses tended to look the same, so it should not be surprising to find one that looks familiar.
He had been together with Lao Bai for ten years, there was no need to stand on ceremony, so he immediately took the bag from the horse, and opened it up, only to realize that it turned out to be a mirror.
Whereas Lao Bai had curiously circled around Charcoal twice, he even held out his hand to pull Charcoal’s chin, and looked at its teeth.
Charcoal was surprisingly meek, it just obediently stood there and let Lao Bai touch it. It even closed its eyes, a look of compliance on its face.
After examining Charcoal, Lao Bai shook his head and smiled, “Those without luck have no prosperity, but you brat, are actually someone with great luck, being able to find such a good steed.”
“Other people find it unworthy, so I just make do with it,” Miao Yi casually replied, he did not pay any heed to what Lao Bai said, he was still focused on the mirror.
He held the mirror in his hand and gave it a look all around, but could not find anything special about it. His fingers tapped on the mirror surface a couple times, then hugged it and asked dubiously, “I’m not seeing wrong, am I? You’re going to use this to lure it?”
Lao Bai pointed a finger at the bright moon in the sky, “The Great Immortal once said, if one uses the mirror to reflect the light of the moon into the Boundless Secular World, one will be able to attract the Hell Mantis out.”