Chapter 64: Fortuitous Encounter
Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Fortuitous Encounter
Beneath the withered tree stood a figure cloaked entirely in black robes. The atmosphere was quiet and eerie.
Xie Yuan subconsciously tightened his grip on his axe.
He had never expected to run into someone here, let alone such a strange individual.
The tree’s bizarre transformation, the eerie black-robed figure—Xie Yuan instantly wanted to retreat.
He slowly began to back away, keeping his movements as small as possible to avoid provoking the figure.
However, Xie Yuan’s vision blurred. The black-robed figure seemed to just flicker for a moment before appearing in front of him. A hand reached out from under a wide sleeve and seized his arm.
’What kind of speed is this?’
Xie Yuan was shocked. He felt his arm seized by a palm with not an ounce of flesh on it, rendering him completely immobile.
It felt as if a withered branch from the great tree, or perhaps a desiccated chicken’s foot, had emerged from beneath the sleeve.
The hairs on his body stood on end. With no desire to find out what lay beneath the black robes, he instinctively drew his axe and swung forward.
BAM.
The black-robed figure waved their other sleeve. Xie Yuan felt an immense force wash over him, and he couldn’t maintain his grip on the axe. It was sent flying far away.
’So strong.’
’The gap in our strength is too vast.’
Xie Yuan’s heart sank. The person before him could neutralize his all-out strike with a wave of their hand. The two of them were simply not on the same level.
"Who are you?"
Xie Yuan asked in a low voice.
The black-robed figure seemed to stir, and a hoarse voice emanated from beneath the cowl, not answering but asking in return:
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"I’m a woodcutter from a nearby village. I came into the mountains to gather firewood."
Xie Yuan replied, his expression unchanged.
The black-robed figure snorted, their voice shrill.
"What kind of village woodcutter has the strength of a Martial Artist?"
"I may be just a woodcutter from the mountains, but I’ve always been drawn to the Martial Dao, so I went to a dojo to study under a master."
The black-robed figure was noncommittal. After a moment of silence, they suddenly asked:
"This Celestial Cyan Tree... when did it wither?"
’Celestial Cyan Tree?’
’So that’s what this tree is called? I’ve never heard that name before...’
Xie Yuan shook his head.
"I don’t know."
The black-robed figure sneered.
"Aren’t you a woodcutter?"
"I’ve been focused on my martial training lately, so I haven’t come into the mountains as often. I truly don’t know when it withered. But last month, this tree was still covered in lush, flourishing branches. It was a spectacular sight."
"Last month, last month..."
"Heh, heh heh..."
The black-robed figure muttered the words to themself, then suddenly broke into a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob. The noise was chilling, like the caw of an old crow, and it made Xie Yuan’s heart race with alarm.
He felt the grip on his left arm tighten, the fingers digging in so hard they nearly broke the skin. He slowly furrowed his brow.
The black-robed figure abruptly fell silent, then turned their head and said coldly:
"And the Celestial Cyan Fruit?"
Xie Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. He answered instinctively,
"I haven’t seen it."
The black-robed figure stared at him intently.
"Who else would come here besides you? It must have been you! Speak! Did you eat the Celestial Cyan Fruit? Did you?!
"How could you have picked the Celestial Cyan Fruit? Tell me!"
Although Xie Yuan couldn’t see the figure’s expression, he could tell from their tone that they were becoming harsh and increasingly frantic.
Pain shot through Xie Yuan’s left arm. He let out a muffled grunt and decided to throw caution to the wind.
"That’s right, I ate it! So what? Treasures belong to the virtuous. The fruit fell right on my head. Was I supposed to save it for a holiday?"
His eyes widened in defiance, and he prepared to fight for his life.
Even if he couldn’t win, Xie Yuan wasn’t willing to just sit back and wait for death. He’d take a chunk out of his opponent even if it was the last thing he did!
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the black-robed figure froze for a moment. Their grip actually loosened slightly.
"You’re saying... the Celestial Cyan Fruit fell on its own?"
"Yes."
Sensing a possible opening, Xie Yuan’s mind raced, and he answered in a low, muffled voice.
"How could that be? It’s not time yet... But you certainly couldn’t have picked it yourself...
"I see now..."
The black robes trembled violently, betraying the inner turmoil of the person within.
They looked at Xie Yuan, their tone strange.
"You... you actually managed to consume the Celestial Cyan Fruit... and it let you... What is your name? Where are you from?"
The figure suddenly asked.
Xie Yuan’s mind raced, flickering between the names Li Feiyu, Tang San, and Pei Qi, but in the end, he decided to say:
"Xie Yuan. I just live around here."
"Xie Yuan... Good."
The black-robed figure released his arm completely. Just as Xie Yuan thought the ordeal was over, a finger suddenly tapped him between the eyebrows.
A roar resounded in Xie Yuan’s mind, unleashing a tidal wave of chaos.
He seemed to see nine suns appear in the sky, all manner of divine beasts and exotic birds soaring through the heavens, floods and volcanoes ravaging the earth, and the Human Race struggling for survival.
Then, from between the nine suns, a golden light more brilliant than the suns themselves erupted. It was followed by the appearance of countless characters filling the sky, causing innumerable humans to fall to their knees in worship.
After that, the Human Race learned the heavenly characters and compiled them into books. They learned to control the floods, tame Spirit Beasts, and fight back against other races, gradually beginning their rise to power.
Then, on some unknown day, the golden book—the tome compiled from the heavenly characters by the great sages of the Human Race and revered as a Holy Artifact—suddenly dimmed. Its light faded, and it shattered into pieces that scattered across the world. With that, the mythical golden age of the Human Race came to an end.
Over the tens of millions of years that followed, people would occasionally find its scattered pages. But the golden light was gone. The pages were tattered and ruined, blackened as if scorched by fire, and they became the source of endless conflict.
Xie Yuan snapped awake with a jolt. He found the black-robed figure’s hidden face seemingly staring right at him. Seeing that he had returned to his senses, the figure asked in a raspy voice:
"What did you see?"
"I saw... I think I saw the history of the Human Race, but... I’ve forgotten it."
Xie Yuan was dazed, as if waking from a profound dream. He had a vague impression of it all, but he couldn’t remember a single thing.
"Just as I thought, a person of great fortune... In that case, we will meet again."
The black-robed figure’s tone was complex, a little strange.
"Do not speak of what happened here today to anyone. Remember that."
The black-robed figure instructed in a low voice, their form drifting away like an untethered ghost.
Witnessing this scene in the withered forest, Xie Yuan felt another chill run down his spine.
Once he was sure he was truly safe, he picked up his axe, changed direction, and sprinted down the mountain.
"What kind of ghostly nonsense was that..."
Xie Yuan sprinted all the way home, slammed the door shut, and cursed under his breath.
His heart was pounding like a drum and his legs felt weak, though he couldn’t tell if it was from running so fast or for some other reason.
He couldn’t begin to comprehend that person’s power and methods.
Xie Yuan had seen masters of the Qi Blood Third Transformation Realm. Shen Longteng’s Blood Qi was vigorous and his aura imposing; a single glance from him was enough to create a heavy sense of oppression.
But Shen Longteng would never have given Xie Yuan the same sense of eerie unpredictability that this black-robed figure did.
Aside from the Daoist who had taught him his cultivation technique, no one he had ever met could compare to this black-robed figure.
’Come to think of it, the Daoist went into these mountains too. What secrets do they hold to attract so many powerful figures?’
"This really isn’t a low-level martial world..."
Although Xie Yuan had his suspicions before, his own level was too low, he had too little information, and he had no way of confirming anything.
But thinking of the black-robed figure’s methods and the vague, mythical images from his memory, he understood that this world was not as simple as it appeared.
Xie Yuan let out a breath. After a moment’s thought, he went out to warn Wang Lei and Zhu Dongming to stay out of the forest for the time being.
Although he didn’t explain why, the others saw his solemn expression and heeded his advice. After all, that group of people generally looked to him for leadership, and Xie Yuan’s words now carried considerable weight in the village.
Back in his room, Xie Yuan sat on his bed and thought,
’I have no idea what that black-robed person did to me, or what any of that meant. They’re not a friend, but not an enemy either... Dammit. So cryptic. I hate people who speak in riddles.
’When you’re not strong enough, you’re at the mercy of others.’
He shook his head, his gaze filled with determination.
’No matter what, strength is the most important thing for survival in this world.’
’Without the Big Tree Spiritual Land, I’ll just have to train hard at home. It might take a few more days, but I can still achieve a breakthrough in my cultivation technique.’
He pulled up his status panel to check, but then he suddenly froze.
There, among the list of his cultivation techniques and skills, something new had appeared.
[Black Celestial Book: (???/???)]