Chapter 199 - 198: I Have Another Friend
Chapter 199: Chapter 198: I Have Another Friend
Watching his master scold him, Wu Chen felt a warmth in his heart, knowing the old man was just worried about him.
Aside from a certain girl, there was now one more person in this world who worried about him. It was a wonderful feeling.
Unconsciously, he felt a greater sense of belonging in this unfamiliar world.
"Master, it wasn’t as dangerous as you think..."
Seeing his master getting worked up, Wu Chen recounted the events at Qingfeng Manor, carefully selecting the less serious details to share.
He attributed obtaining the five Soul-Storage Pearls to a stroke of luck.
"You brat, you really got damn lucky!"
After hearing Wu Chen describe a scene of overwhelming victory, the old man’s expression finally softened, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
It seemed he had been genuinely afraid that his disciple had recklessly tried to snatch something from a Dragon Transformation Realm Martial Artist. He worried Wu Chen had been hunted down and forced to teleport to the Celestial Star Sect ruins just to escape with his life.
Even though killing a Dragon Transformation Realm expert used to be no different from squashing an ant for him, now...
’My wisp of a remnant soul is hardly any different from being dead.’
’If my disciple were in danger out in the world, I wouldn’t be able to help him in the slightest.’
So, it was inevitable that he would have such worries.
But he quickly realized it wasn’t his disciple who got lucky—it was him.
After all, these Soul-Storage Pearls were ultimately for him to use.
"So, what do you want, you brat?"
He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch, not even from one’s own disciple. Even as a master, he couldn’t accept them with a clear conscience.
He asked frankly, then answered his own question:
"Same as last time? Looking for Martial Arts?"
"Though in my current state, Martial Arts are about the only thing I can give you..."
Wu Chen nodded eagerly. "Yes, Master. I want Martial Arts."
But a conflicted look flashed across his face.
’Because a month ago, right here, what I asked my master for was... an Organ Refining Realm Cultivation Technique!’
’And when I was removing the Blood Palace Seal from Hong Ling’s arm, Master could also tell I was at the Blood Coagulation Realm.’
’If I ask for Martial Arts now, asking for one that matches my realm would mean asking for a Leakless Realm technique.’
’Will... this expose something?’
Wu Chen was very worried.
So, Wu Chen said with a straight face:
"Master, I have a friend. We’re very close, practically one and the same person. He’s a Leakless Realm Martial Artist."
"So I’d like to ask for a Leakless Realm Martial Arts technique on his behalf!"
"Heh heh!"
The old man, who was only the size of an adult’s fist, floated four feet in front of Wu Chen. He stroked his beard and gave a sudden, cold laugh before saying nonchalantly:
"Spirit full and contained, Qi and Blood abundant. With every breath, your vitality surges, vast and unending."
"That Leakless Realm friend you mentioned... wouldn’t happen to be you, would it?"
"Hahaha, as expected of you, Master! What sharp eyes!"
Wu Chen gave an awkward laugh and a word of praise.
He knew there was a good chance he couldn’t hide his true realm from this mysterious master, not even with his Breath Concealment Skill.
"So, you were already at the Perfection stage of the Blood Coagulation Realm last time? Or... are you a Reincarnator?"
The old man ignored Wu Chen’s flattery. His expression turned serious as if he had noticed something. He began to float around Wu Chen in circles, sizing him up again and again with a curious look in his eyes.
He had been at the Blood Coagulation Realm last time, and now he was at the Leakless Realm. Other than those two possibilities, the master couldn’t think of any other explanation.
At least, in his current memories, those were the only two answers he could find.
Wu Chen’s smiling expression didn’t change, but he knew that admitting to being at the Perfection stage of the Blood Coagulation Realm last time was not an option.
’I’m at the Leakless Realm on this visit to the Celestial Star Sect ruins. Next time, I might be at the Armor Forging Realm.’
’My secret will get out eventually.’
But the "Reincarnator" answer sounded like it would reveal too much.
After all, the word was too similar to "Transmigrator." When Wu Chen heard it, his expression remained unchanged, but his heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.
He even started to wonder if there were other Transmigrators like him in this world, and if the powerful experts here knew of their existence.
But Wu Chen quickly dismissed this doubt.
If this world had experts like his master who could cheat death by existing as a Soul Body, then there were surely no shortage of beings who could divine the future.
The ability to deduce his identity from a million li away wouldn’t be difficult for them.
If that were the case, he would have likely been eliminated the moment he opened his eyes in this world, his ’Deep Red’ opportunity stolen from him.
Therefore, Wu Chen concluded that this "Reincarnator," much like the "Overlord Body" he’d learned about when he was in the Jade Bone Realm, was a rare phenomenon in this world that he had yet to encounter.
"Master, what is a Reincarnator?"
Instead of answering, Wu Chen asked about his own blind spot.
He genuinely didn’t know what a Reincarnator was, so he could ask the question and steer his master toward that conclusion.
’Anyway, I’ll just play dumb. Let the old man guess and decide for himself whether I’m a Reincarnator or not.’
’It’s just like what happened with Li Youtao and the other reserve guards at the Demon Suppression Bureau. When they learned my realm was far beyond theirs, they just made up some frightening, non-existent identity for me.’
"A Reincarnator is..."
The old man started to explain, but the words got stuck in his throat.
The term had just popped into his head because of Wu Chen’s situation. Now that he had to explain it, his thoughts were a jumbled mess, and he couldn’t articulate it clearly.
"Anyway, it’s a powerful method. Not something an ordinary family background can afford to dabble in."
"In any case, if you are a Reincarnator, you’ll naturally find out in the future!"
The old man rubbed his miniature head with both hands, his expression pained as he shook his head, unwilling to continue.
It seemed the five Soul-Storage Pearls hadn’t restored much of his memory. Even a little too much thinking caused his Soul Body to show signs of cracking.
He was afraid that forcing himself to remember and explain might lead to his demise.
Perhaps only after taking some time to completely refine the Soul Power from the Soul-Storage Pearls within him would he be able to recall the relevant memories.
"Sure enough."
Wu Chen nodded, thinking that it was just as he had expected.
Although his master hadn’t said anything substantial, he could still tell that "Reincarnator" and "Transmigrator" were two completely unrelated things.
However, Wu Chen also gleaned something even more crucial from that sentence.
’In this world, as long as a Martial Artist has a powerful enough background, they are fully capable of creating something like ’Deep Red’ to violently raise their realm.’
’Of course, the effect would surely be far inferior.’
’But what is the price for creating a ’Reincarnator’?’ Wu Chen frowned. ’Something like this can’t possibly come without a cost.’
’My price for getting Deep Red was being brutally trampled by Great Yun. There’s no way a Reincarnator could easily obtain a similar ability.’
Wu Chen didn’t dwell on the matter. For one, it was the first time he’d ever heard of "Reincarnators," so it wasn’t something he could figure out on his own.
And for another, his master was handing him Martial Arts.
Three of them, in fact!
Wu Chen’s face lit up with joy, far exceeding his expectations.
"These three Leakless Realm Martial Arts techniques are enough for you to temper your foundation and advance to the next realm."
The old man floating before Wu Chen waved his sleeve, and three jade slips flew out, hovering in front of Wu Chen.
Wu Chen’s heart sank at the mention of it.
’Three techniques are nowhere near enough! I need at least nine!’
But he still quickly cupped his fist and bowed to his master. "Thank you, Master!"
After speaking, he took the three jade slips in his hand. Then, as if he’d suddenly remembered something, Wu Chen continued with a straight face:
"Master, actually, I have another friend... one at the Dragon Transformation Realm."
"Yes, we’re also practically one and the same person... and he just so happens to need a Dragon Transformation Realm Martial Arts technique..."
The corner of the old man’s mouth twitched. "Are you that eager to advance...?"