Chapter 541: Giving and Taking (33 Today 1w)

The two elders, Ku Ming and Tui Ming, were dead.

They left very quickly, and very peacefully.

Things happened too fast, so fast that Chu Hairen hadn't even reacted.

According to Chu Hairen's original plan, he was prepared to continue stalling the two elders, pretending to be innocent to make them lower their guard.

Then, once they were careless, he would have Mangu strike fiercely to control one of them, severing the connection between them and denying them the chance to join forces.

However, all of this was just the original plan.

The change was too fast, and too sudden.

Ku Ming, who had just been questioning why he appeared in the restricted area of Liang Guo, suddenly began to shed tears without warning, weeping loudly regardless of his image.

Before Chu Hairen could react, the next instant, a fair palm appeared above the head of Tui Ming. With what looked like a light grab, that withered skull, which didn't have many dry hairs left, shattered directly.

Pop.

Tui Ming didn't even manage to escape with his Divine Soul; it was grabbed directly by that large hand and extinguished with a gentle squeeze.

In the critical moment, Ku Ming reacted. While his eyes were red and streaming with tears, he waved both palms, attempting to counterattack.

He succeeded.

Both palms slammed into the person's chest, and the power of withered decay spread into that person's body with the force, gnawing at his vitality... but that was the extent of his resistance.

The newcomer performed the same action: one hand moved like lightning to grab Ku Ming's throat, while the other hand pressed onto the old man's head with an air of effortlessness.

Pop.

Accompanied by a somewhat comical soft sound, the two elders, who had been renowned for their ferocity in the Eastern Wasteland, met their final end.

Until their Divine Souls were completely destroyed, they didn't even know whose hands they had died at, nor did they understand who exactly they had offended.

In truth, they hadn't offended anyone; it was just a coincidence that they happened to run into a certain passing Daoist who had anger in his Heart Star.

Thud.

Only then did the headless corpse of Tui Ming hit the ground.

Thud.

Ren Yidao tossed the corpse of Ku Ming aside as if it were trash, stepped forward, crossed over the two corpses overflowing with red and white matter, and stood before the Array of Xian Fa Lin.

He looked at the distraught Chu Hairen inside Xian Fa Lin with a calm expression and said indifferently, "Where is Zhang Mang?"

!!!

"You, you..."

Chu Hairen's expression was already out of control, and his heart was even more chaotic than his face, churning with stormy waves.

"Ren Yidao!!?" he couldn't help but exclaim.

He hadn't expected this.

He never would have imagined that after not seeing him for a period of time, Ren Yidao's strength would skyrocket to such a degree!!!

Those two elders were at the Wuxiang stage!

Although they were only at the Wuxiang early stage, the two had lived together for many years, possessed perfect tacit understanding, and when joining forces, could exert extraordinary strength, capable of fighting even those at the Wuxiang mid-stage.

But what was the result?

In no more than two breaths, one died instantly, and the other suffered heavy injuries, only to die miserably in the next second without any power to resist.

What on earth had happened?

What was wrong with this world!?

When they last met, he was only at the Spirit Transformation stage... yet meeting again, he could already easily kill those at the Wuxiang stage.

In this interval, what on earth happened!?

"You! How did you ever...!?" Chu Hairen recalled their last parting, when Ren Yidao charged into the depths of Death Valley, "What exactly is in that Death Valley!?"

Excitement.

Chu Hairen was incredibly eager to know the truth and also wanted to obtain such an improvement.

He had already made up his mind that later he must send people to explore the depths of Death Valley; there must be a secret inside!

Compared to the highly agitated Chu Hairen, Ren Yidao appeared exceptionally cold. His pitch-black eyes were as deep as an abyss, staring at him as he spoke again:

"I am asking you, where is Zhang Mang?"

"Who took him away? Where was he taken?"

"Speak."

The emotionless words were like a basin of ice water that extinguished Chu Hairen's excitement, causing him to instantly regain his reason.

That's right.

Damn it, he had come to ask for his disciple, but now... he couldn't produce him at all.

"Ren Yidao, calm down first, I..." Chu Hairen's eyes darted around, wanting to first control Ren Yidao and make him calm down.

What to do?

Rely on Mangu and the others?

But was their strength enough!?

"I am very calm."

And just as Chu Hairen was anxiously thinking, Ren Yidao lowered his eyes slightly, looking at his own hands which he had intentionally stained red to vent, and said softly, "The one who isn't calm is you."

"I can feel it; you are very uneasy, you are afraid, worried that I will kill you after I learn the truth."

"You are panicked, but you haven't completely lost your composure yet because you think you are still safe hiding inside the Array, thinking that I, like those two dead men, can do nothing to you and can only watch from the outside... but have you ever thought of one question?"

Ren Yidao placed his hand on the Array of Xian Fa Lin, looked up, stared into Chu Hairen's eyes, and asked softly, "They are not recognized by Xian Fa Lin, you don't think I am the same as them, do you?"

Hum—

Boom!

The very next second after Ren Yidao came into contact with the Array, the silent Xian Fa Lin suddenly emitted a massive roar.

The Stele Forest, which had originally only responded to three of Chu Hairen's steles, suddenly erupted with dazzling light.

The entire expanse of the Stele Forest lit up with a boom, proclaiming their call.

They were longing for Ren Yidao to become their successor, to commit them to memory, hoping to once again realize their value in his hands.

One, three, ten, thirty, ninety-nine!

In the eyes of an uncomprehending Chu Hairen, ninety-nine tall steles lit up, and the remaining steles were not unwilling to light up, but were unable to do so under the suppression of these ninety-nine!

Yes, they were not yet qualified.

"You... just what are you!?"

Chu Hairen completely lost his voice, looking around in confusion, only to find that the steles that had responded to him had not lit up at all.

Those that thought highly of him were not even qualified to be chosen by others.

Was the gap between himself and the other really this large?

A deep sense of powerlessness pierced through Chu Hairen, leaving him feeling a wave of exhaustion, feeling as if his years of effort were a joke.

Ren Yidao did not know how much of an impact his actions had caused to Chu Hairen's spirit.

He did not care.

He only wanted to know where this guy had taken his disciple.

"Chu Hairen, we have known each other for a time; this is your last chance."

Seeing that he was still dazed, Ren Yidao issued a final ultimatum to Chu Hairen:

"Either you come out and give me a proper explanation."

"Or I go in, and you won't need to give me an explanation anymore."

"My patience is limited."

This was indeed the final chance Ren Yidao was giving; if he did not seize it, Ren Yidao would truly kill.

Ren Yidao's attitude was very simple.

If something happened, say it straight.

If it was your fault, no matter how you stall, you cannot escape it.

But if it was not your fault... why are you stalling?

"... I'm coming out." After a moment of silence, Chu Hairen did not continue to resist stubbornly; he lowered his head and walked out, looking utterly dejected.

And when Chu Hairen passed through the Array and faced Ren Yidao directly, he truly realized the other's power.

Two Wuxiang corpses, even though they were already dead, still retained a terrifying aura.

The creator of all this was the calm-faced youth before him.

In his past impression, this youth was like an immortal, with profound strength.

But looking at it now... this was clearly a Demon god.

"Where is he?"

"... I don't know."

"Hmm?"

Before Ren Yidao could frown, Chu Hairen quickly recounted everything that had happened: "I took him to Liang Guo at the time, originally wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to fish in troubled waters, but an accident happened later, and I could only take him and flee..."

"In the end, he was taken away by Hu Yiyi, and at that time I..."

Chu Hairen paused, gritted his teeth, and confessed the truth in his heart without reservation: "I couldn't bear to let go of this opportunity, so I didn't pursue immediately, choosing to stay here to accept the inheritance."

"But I must also say, the appearance of Hu Yiyi was completely an accident; I did not have the strength to bring him back." Speaking to the end, Chu Hairen had recovered his usual calmness, facing Ren Yidao candidly.

"You might think I am selfish, but I don't think my actions at that time were wrong; I could not have sacrificed myself in vain for his sake."

This was everything Chu Hairen had to say.

He indeed felt guilty, but did not feel he was wrong.

"I shouldn't have brought him into danger, but it was you who handed him to me in the first place."

"Moreover, if I were replaced by you, you would likewise not have made any other choice."

After hearing these circumstances, Ren Yidao did not fly into a rage as Chu Hairen had expected, but instead, his brows twitched, and he repeated strangely: "Hu Yiyi?"

"Yes, the ancestor of the Hu Family, currently at least at the Asking Dao level of strength."

However, Chu Hairen thought wrong; Ren Yidao's focus was not on Hu Yiyi's strength, but on the name.

Eh?

Isn't this a coincidence?

There really is someone with this name!

What kind of naming-waste is your Hu Family?

He Shou, you didn't die in vain; there really is someone with that name.

May your spirit in Heaven rest in peace!

... No, wait, He Shou's remnant soul seems to still be in the hands of my sister Huang Huang; who knows what it has been tortured into, and who knows how many pieces it has been cut into.

Resting in peace is impossible.

Never mind resting in peace, it's shattered so badly it can't even be put back together.

"... What do you intend to do?" Seeing him silent for a long time, Chu Hairen finally couldn't help but ask.

Whether you want to kill or carve me up, at least give me a definite answer.

Ren Yidao raised his brows to look at him, nodded, and then turned around directly.

Chu Hairen:???

"Wait! Wait a moment! Where... where are you going?"

Ren Yidao replied casually without turning his head: "To save my disciple; it's fine if an outsider like you doesn't save him, but how could I, as his master, leave him be?"

That is not the issue!

"But these inheritances!" Chu Hairen pointed back at the stele inscriptions still flickering like wails within the Xian Fa Lin, shouting at his back in disbelief, "Do you not want any of them anymore!?"

"I don't want them, they're nothing rare." Ren Yidao waved his hand without turning back, saying lightly: "If you want them, they're yours; consider it payment for you taking care of Zhang Mang during this time."

"Immortal arts are indeed important, but they still don't compare to my disciple."

Ren Yidao stopped in his tracks, turned to look at the complex-looking Chu Hairen, and chuckled.

"Then, Your Highness Chu, we shall meet again."

……

……

"Have you considered it? You have considered it long enough, and my patience is also limited."

"Senior, I have already considered it."

Having thought for a long time, Zhang Mang raised his head, first bowing to the mysterious person with a long obeisance to the ground, then slowly rising and speaking:

"Many thanks for your great kindness, Senior; Zhang Mang is deeply grateful."

"But..."

He raised his head and revealed a calm smile toward the mysterious person.

"I am unwilling."