Nearly ten days had passed since the morning Ye Xingya leaped from the large ship.
At that time, Yang Nuo was greatly startled. When he held Ye Xingya's hand, he was still worried that people from the Azure Thunder Sword Sect might come down to cause trouble, but as it turned out, the ascending large ship didn't stop at all, and no one chased after them.
It seemed they didn't care about such a small loose cultivator outer disciple at all.
This made him heave a sigh of relief, and he quickly pulled Ye Xingya's hand and ran off amidst the cheers of the surrounding crowd.
After he sent his junior martial brothers and sisters back to Mysterious Sword City by flying boat and settled them properly, he then left and began his own journey.
He clearly remembered that the atmosphere was just right at the time, and when he asked Ye Xingya if she wanted to travel together, Ye Xingya learned it was to escort Chen Ling back to her hometown for burial and said, "Senior Martial Brother should escort Senior Martial Sister Chen on her final journey alone."
Thinking of this, Yang Nuo wanted to slap himself.
But at that time, he had carefully observed Ye Xingya's expression, and she didn't seem like she was jealous, nor was this girl prone to jealousy. Did she really have the same thoughts as what she said?
At that time, he had asked again:
'I remember you said your hometown is also within the Azure Thunder Sword Sect's territory. Do you want to go back and see it?'
But Ye Xingya still struggled for a moment before saying it was best not to, and she would go back when she achieved great success in her cultivation in the future.
Yang Nuo didn't know what "great success in cultivation" Ye Xingya was referring to in terms of realm, but since she didn't want to go back, he naturally couldn't force her.
After instructing her to wait for him in Mysterious Sword City with peace of mind, he embarked on the journey to Chen Ling's hometown alone.
.
.
There was a full half-year, so there was plenty of time.
After accidentally buying two skeletons at a loose cultivator market, he stopped rushing on his flying boat.
These two skeletons were not particularly useful, only barely reaching the Qi Refining Realm 1. Yang Nuo bought them mainly because the skeletons reminded him of his past experience of fishing with skeletons.
Yes, it was also outside such a market back then. He still remembered that book "Talisman True Explanation" which he couldn't obtain until the market was destroyed in the end.
These two skeletons were clean and white, a world of difference in appearance compared to his own skeleton, which was full of mottled bloodstains back then.
They were as likable as the summoned skeletons of the Daoist profession in a certain game from his previous life.
And at this moment, Yang Nuo was walking through the mountains and fields with the two skeletons. In a playful mood, he even deliberately found a gray Taoist robe to wear, and he had cut a particularly straight stick, peeled off the bark, and held it in his hand.
He felt like a legendary young Daoist who had just learned to summon skeletons.
He controlled the skeletons to walk in the mountain forest for a whole day, always wanting to find something to chop. However, any larger beasts could sense from afar that these two white, bony things were not to be trifled with, and they all hid far away.
Yang Nuo was lazy and didn't want to chase them. So, he just ambled along, controlling the skeletons to wander around him haphazardly.
Just as he thought he wouldn't find any targets, a bloody and powerful aura appeared in his spiritual sense perception.
"Huh?"
He uttered a sound of doubt, then let out a light laugh and walked in that direction.
At the same time,
On the other side,
Ding Erhu, a hunter whose home was in a village at the foot of the nearby mountain, was currently facing the greatest crisis of his life—his fake tiger had encountered a real tiger.
He had only exchanged a glance with the striped big worm lying on the rocks across the mountain stream, and it had been chasing him for two mountains.
Now, he was cornered by the big tiger in this small mountain hollow. Three sides were vertical rock walls, and the big tiger was sitting at the entrance, nonchalantly licking its paw, which was larger than his face, with a look of playful intent.
Ding Erhu felt like he was about to cry, and he could barely hold the mountain-splitting knife in his hand steady.
"It was just because I looked at you in the mountains, do you have to chase me so relentlessly?"
He had already looked around. This pocket-shaped mountain hollow only had one exit in the front. The three cliff faces were too steep, and his climbing speed was too slow. He estimated that he would be pounced on and slapped to the ground by the big tiger after just two steps.
Just as he was filled with despair, the big tiger in front of him suddenly stood up alertly, hesitated for a moment, and then rushed out. However, halfway through, it turned back and ran towards him.
"Ahhhhh—!"
Ding Erhu screamed in panic, crying and retreating. With his back against the rock wall, he raised his knife for a final struggle, only to find that the big tiger was lunging straight towards a corner beside him.
It even looked terrified, digging its claws into the rock wall, constantly trying to climb up. But the rock wall was steep, and it couldn't climb at all. Gravel kept falling, yet its body didn't move an inch on the ground.
Seeing that he was temporarily safe, Ding Erhu didn't care about the reason and quickly rushed out through the passage the big tiger had cleared.
However, after only a few steps, he saw the bushes at the mouth of the passage ahead shake, and with two rustling sounds, two terrifyingly pale skeletons darted out.
"Ahhhhh—!"
He screamed again in fright. Now he finally knew what the tiger was afraid of.
"It's over, it's over. I just encountered a tiger, and now I've encountered monsters. It seems I'm destined to die here today."
His despair had reached its peak. He collapsed onto the ground, losing the will to resist.
Just as he thought he would be chopped into mince by the iron axes in the hands of the two skeletons.
The two skeletons walked straight past him and charged towards the big tiger.
"Roar roar roar—!"
Accompanied by the tiger's shrill screams, a tiger corpse soon lay there.
Ding Erhu watched the entire scene with trembling fear, so scared that his legs went weak. Even if he were to escape now, he couldn't move.
At this moment, the bushes behind him rustled again.
A young Daoist, dressed in a gray Taoist robe and holding a long staff, appeared before him.
This young Daoist had a gentle expression. He walked up to Ding Erhu with a smile and asked,
"My guest of the mountain, are you unharmed? My two little ones didn't scare you, did they?"
Ding Erhu was shocked.
"Little ones? You call these evil and terrifying things 'little ones'?!"
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