NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28: News of an Old Friend
"Ha ha, yes, that's indeed the Art of Transformation. By the way, do you know Yan Dan?" Lu Yu asked with a smile, as flashes of a boy he had encountered when his memories had first awakened passed through his mind. So many years had gone by, and he wondered how the boy was faring now. Should he see Lu Yu as he was today, he would probably be startled.
"You know our Ancestral Master Uncle Yan Dan?" Yang Wen had not yet replied when Mo Chou, who was next to him, interjected with a question.
"Eh, Ancestral Master Uncle? Is his seniority that high? We haven't seen each other for many years now. Back then, he was still a youth," Lu Yu said wistfully. Now, reflecting on it, he realized it had been many years since that time, which suddenly made him conscious of the passage of time.
Mo Chou looked at Lu Yu with astonishment. She remembered that Lu Yu appeared very young, yet her own Ancestral Master Uncle was already very old. This man had known the Ancestral Master Uncle in his youth; wouldn't that mean he was very old? She thought to herself.
"Does it not seem likely?" Lu Yu asked, puzzled.
"It's just that, sir, you look too young. I would have never imagined you to be a contemporary of Ancestral Master Uncle Yan Dan," Yang Wen said with a wry smile. By that point, he had realized that the Mr. Lu he had met might very well be one of those legendary Heavenly Immortals, for only such beings could maintain a youthful visage and eternal life.
Although one from their own Sect like the Ancestral Master Uncle could resist the ravages of time, there would still be signs on his body. After all, the Mount Shu Sect followed the path of the Human Immortal Dao, and their pursuit of the Sword Dao meant they were not skilled in maintaining their physical bodies.
Only after ascending and reconstructing their bodies with Immortal Spirit Qi could they truly preserve their youth.
"Is that so? I didn't expect that Yan Dan is now an Ancestral Master Uncle," Lu Yu sighed. He really couldn't imagine what the young man he had known would look like as an Ancestral Master Uncle.
"Do you know how Yan Dan is faring now?" Lu Yu inquired, since naturally, having encountered disciples from Mount Shu, he was keen to learn about the welfare of his old friend.
"The Ancestral Master Uncle has disappeared in the Southern Borderlands," Yang Wen replied, his expression darkening. He profoundly revered the Ancestral Master Uncle.
This time, when disciples from Mount Shu came to the Southern Borderlands for training, the Ancestral Master Uncle had accompanied them for protection in a moment of stirring tranquility, but unexpectedly, they had lost touch with him. His siblings and he had come to the Southern Borderlands to investigate the matter secretly.
"Disappeared?" Lu Yu murmured to himself, feeling a premonition that he might encounter his old friend during this journey to Curse Mountain.
So he asked the girl from the Southern Borderlands to point the way for him and then bid farewell to the group, saying, "I'll head to Curse Mountain to uncover the truth. This incident is deeply entangled. Avoid involvement if you can, and don't get caught up in it lightly."
Having said that, he walked away with leisurely strides toward Curse Mountain.
"I wonder where this expert comes from, why has Ancestral Master Uncle never mentioned him before?" Mo Chou mused as she watched the receding figure of Lu Yu. After all, she was quite close to Ancestral Master Uncle Yan Dan back in the Sect and often pestered the widely-experienced Ancestral Master Uncle for stories from below the mountain, yet she had never heard of such a distinguished person.
To this day, when she recalls how effortlessly Lu Yu executed the aged man, it sends a chill down her spine. The disparity in their realms was simply despairing. Her own brothers' might was within the realm of imagination, but Lu Yu's assorted techniques had surpassed what she could fathom, taking her into an entirely different world.
"It must be a friend from Uncle-Master's youth, such that Uncle-Master did not expect him to become so powerful," Yang Wen deduced from Lu Yu's words.
"Just what is Mr. Lu's level of strength? I feel he is much more powerful than those elders in our sect," Mo Chou was very curious about the level of Mr. Lu, who appeared so young.
"If I am not mistaken, Mr.
Lu is not following the same path as us; I guess it is the technique that was only cultivated by Ancient Immortals in legends, which is why he possesses such formidable divine skills," said Yang Wei, the current head senior brother of the Mount Shu Sect, who, when it came to the knowledge of cultivation, considered himself second to none, confident that none of his junior brothers and sisters would dare claim to be the first.
"Ah!" Mo Chou opened her small mouth in surprise; she had always thought that all cultivators in the world cultivated just like those from Mount Shu.
With a "thump," another chestnut struck her forehead, causing Mo Chou to cover her forehead in pain.
"That will teach you to be ignorant. All you do is fool around in the sect without ever going to the Scripture Pavilion to have a proper look. There are many records on the cultivation of the world within."
Yang Wen immediately took on the role of the senior brother, launching into a frenzied lecturing at Mo Chou, who only felt dizzy with the lecturing; what the junior brothers and sisters feared was not the senior brother's fists or Immortal Sword, but his endless preaching, which was considered the world's most painful punishment.
Some even said they would rather fight demons in the Demon-suppressing Tower than endure the senior brother's lecturing.
Even the girl from the Southern Borderlands started feeling a headache, the look of admiration in her eyes disappearing in an instant. Yang Wen's manner reminded her of the High Priest from her tribe, who also went on and on in a headache-inducing manner. At the thought, she shuddered; the mere idea was terrifying.
It was only then that Yang Wen and his sister remembered there was still an injured person. Thus, the senior brother from Mount Shu resumed his usual refined and courteous demeanor, and gently asked the Southern Borderlands girl, "Miss, are you able to make it home by yourself?"
The Southern Borderlands girl couldn't help but curl her lip. She looked like she could move on her own; she wondered if this person was doing it on purpose.
"Big brother, I would be grateful if you could take me to the Yi Tribe Village ahead. This young lady will surely reward you heavily." Knowing Yang Wen was a kind person, the Southern Borderlands girl quickly seized the opportunity to ask for help. In her current condition, traversing the Southern Borderlands made her a walking treasure trove.
She knew that anyone who saw her would not miss such an opportunity, given the kind of people who roamed the Southern Borderlands; trusting their moral character was difficult.
Seeing the Southern Borderlands girl who was no longer capable of moving freely, Yang Wen could not bear to watch such a young life perish, so he agreed to the girl's request and, following her directions, escorted her to her tribe.
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Meanwhile, Lu Yu was also making his way forward. After some adjustments, his mannerisms and tone of speech had become virtually indistinguishable from that of the deceased elder. However, he also reflected deeply within, realizing the Art of Transformation truly relied on innate talent.
Monkeys, with no one teaching them, could mimic others flawlessly as if practicing for many years. Lu Yu, who had seen countless movies and TV shows, felt he fell short compared to the monkey. He often secretly complained, no wonder people often speak of monkey performances – in the field of acting, monkeys indeed have a natural talent.