Ninth In the World

Shen Ziyu walked across Di Jiu and sat down on a rock. Then, she looked at him and asked gently, “Was it you who brought the Red Xue Flower to the hospital and gave it to me to consume?”

Di Jiu nodded his head. “That’s right. It was me.”

Although the Red Xue Flower was not meant to be consumed orally, Di Jiu did not bother explaining that.

“I’m sorry. I only found out much later.” Shen Ziyu sighed. Even though she had already guessed that Di Jiu had saved her, she felt immense gratitude when he admitted it. Shen Ziyu would have died without Di Jiu.

After pausing for a while, she added, “Thank you. I would have died if it hadn’t been for you.”

Di Jiu smiled. “No worries. You have already paid me back.”

Di Jiu did not consider this matter important. Firstly, he had only liked Shen Ziyu in his past life. Secondly, he had not found the Red Xue Flower personally…

As he thought of that, Di Jiu suddenly wondered whether the body he had seen back then had truly belonged to his past life. If the Reincarnation Bridge had not appeared there, he would not have had this sudden feeling. However, the Reincarnation Bridge had appeared. Thus, it was possible that he had imagined this feeling due to the appearance of the bridge.

Could the Reincarnation Bridge have made him feel like he had seen his past life again and then left him with some memories?

Di Jiu’s Spiritual Force immediately scanned the place. When it landed on the spot where he had buried his past body, he was shocked. There was nothing there.

Shen Ziyu bowed her head. The money she had given Di Jiu was most likely insufficient to even purchase a root from the Red Xue Flower.

“Zimo, did you think that the distance between us was too big? Was that why you didn’t try to find me?” asked Shen Ziyu as she looked at Di Jiu guiltily.

The distance between them had been too big? Di Jiu was so stunned that his thoughts stopped running wild. He quickly understood what Shen Ziyu meant. She had to be a true Connate Expert by now, which was basically the equivalent of being a king on Earth. Her high-ranking position was made obvious by the way the few people who had alighted from the aircraft with her were standing a significant distance away from the ruins.

“That’s not it.” Di Jiu smiled and shook his head. “It’s because of our long geographical distance. Also, I’m now called Di Jiu. I remember telling you that.”

Di Jiu was telling the truth. Being able to come to Earth from the Small Central World was no small feat. It was a coincidence that he had been able to obtain two Plane Split Talismans. Besides, he did not like Shen Ziyu that way anymore.

Shen Ziyu sighed and looked Di Jiu in the eye before saying, “Yes, but that distance was created by you. I gave you an entrance ticket to the Institute of Martial Arts. Why did you not use it? You listened to Senior Red Dust and risked your life to help me search for a Red Xue Flower, so I don’t understand why you were unable to withstand the insignificant hardships of the Institute of Martial Arts.”

There was something else that Shen Ziyu did not mention. If Di Jiu had entered the Institute of Martial Arts, so long as he followed in her footsteps, the distance between them would have been reduced even if he could not reach her height. She did not love Di Jiu, yet if she had to choose someone to spend her life with, she would choose him.

When the entrance ticket was mentioned, Di Jiu felt guilty. This guilt was not directed at Shen Ziyu but at Fei Qi. If he had not given the ticket to You Huli, You Huli would not have changed and Fei Qi would most likely still have been alive.

Even though Shi Jinshan had fully recovered after Di Jiu’s treatment and had already started cultivating with Qi Xiang, Di Jiu still regretted giving the ticket to You Huli.

He suddenly stood up, feeling completely dispirited. “I’m leaving.”

He could not stay there. He intended to kill all demon beasts at or above level-two before leaving the Earth after all.

He would come back to the Wang Chuan Temple when he became even stronger in the future.

Shen Ziyu stood up as well. She stared at Di Jiu as she said, “I know I’ve said so before, but I will never marry anyone else in this lifetime, Thank you for saving my life. However, I currently have some other issues to deal with. When I’m done, I will come find you. Although I have yet to fall in love with you, I’m still willing to give you a child.”

Shen Ziyu looked serious as she said that. She had contemplated it for a long time. Di Jiu loved her like crazy, yet she truly felt nothing for him. However, he had risked his life to come here and find the Red Xue Flower so he could save her. That was why she wanted to give Di Jiu a child before leaving him. She would do so after she exterminated the few great demon beasts left.

The fact that a Connate Expert was willing to give a child to an ordinary mortal like Di Jiu was extremely big news.

Di Jiu looked at Shen Ziyu in surprise. “You just said that you don’t love me, yet you…”

“I know that you have not forgotten about me. I just wish that you would never come alone to the Forgetful River Mountain Range again. This place is simply too dangerous. My decision was not made on impulse. This is something I have pondered over for a long time. Consider this repayment for saving my life.” After cultivating to this degree, she was now even more desperate to find out what lay beyond the Connate Realm. This was also why she had discreetly questioned Di Jiu as to why he had not attended the Institute of Martial Arts.

It was not realistic for her to be with a mortal like Di Jiu forever. At least a child could keep Di Jiu some company. Perhaps when she grew old, she would return and reunite with them. Unfortunately, Di Jiu would no longer be alive by then, for her lifespan had reached 200 years after she’d attained the Connate Realm. Although she did not tell Di Jiu about this, this was one of the reasons she could not be with him.

Di Jiu lifted his hand hastily, halting Shen Ziyu’s words. “Shen Ziyu, there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding between us. A long time ago… Perhaps my past self… Actually, forget it. Let’s just say that this is all in the past. Perhaps I liked you in my past life, but I don’t anymore. I now have my own problems to deal with. I only happened to pass by… I know that I’ve saved your life, but you have already paid me back. We are even. Let sleeping dogs lie. We should be looking forward from now on.”

Di Jiu smiled and gave her a thumbs-up before he added, “I’m leaving… Yes, it will probably be hard for us to see each other again in the future. Take care of yourself.”

By the end of his speech, Di Jiu had already walked out of the ruins of the Wang Chuan Temple and walked away swiftly. By the time Shen Ziyu came out of her daze, he seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

Shen Ziyu anxiously ran forward, but she only saw overgrown weeds. There was no trace of Di Jiu.

Shen Ziyu stood still on the spot, looking in the direction where Di Jiu had disappeared. She had a strange feeling that she had missed an opportunity.

After a long while, she finally broke out of this stupor and told everyone to come along. “Bring your weapons. We will stand some distance away from one another to prevent the red tiger from sneaking an attack on us.”

If Di Jiu had known that Shen Ziyu had gone there to investigate the level-four red tiger, he would most likely have been speechless. If the level-four red tiger was not killed by him, given Shen Ziyu’s cultivation level, she would practically be committing suicide by attempting to find it.

“Leader Shen, I saw the carcass of a demon beast. It is a wolf demon, most likely a level-two beast based on the look of its mouth…” Shortly after venturing deep into the Wang Chuan Mountain Range, someone discovered the carcass of the demon beast Di Jiu had slaughtered.

“There are some carcasses on my side as well…” said a second voice from a distance away.

Shen Ziyu stopped walking. She seemed to not have heard anything as she looked down in shock at the headless body of the red tiger that lay by her feet. She was rendered speechless for a long moment.

She recalled hearing the previous night that the head of the level-three fox demon king that had been residing in the Limitless 1,000-Mile Mountain had been chopped off with one move. The red tiger had died in exactly the same way.

How could someone casually kill level-three and level-four demon beasts, and yet refuse to take these valuable demon beast materials? She suddenly felt a burning desire to take a look at the expert who had killed the red tiger.

“Leader Shen, this demon beast must not have been killed too long ago… Ah, the red tiger…” The man who had discovered the carcass of the level-two wolf demon did not receive a reply from Shen Ziyu. Hence, he walked over to her while she was dragging the body along. He suddenly saw the carcass of the red tiger.

Not too long ago? Shen Ziyu suddenly turned around and rushed out speedily. She had to chase Di Jiu down and ask him about this.

If Di Jiu had been able to find a Red Xue Flower, then he had to be very close to Monk Red Dust. In that case, maybe he had inherited a true immortal cultivation Dao technique from Monk Red Dust as well.

If Di Jiu had learned such a Dao technique, it would not be surprising if these demon beasts had been killed by him. The more Shen Ziyu thought about it, the more she thought that it was possible. Why would Di Jiu dare come alone to the Forgetful River Mountain Range and stay in the Wang Chuan Temple if he did not possess the capability to do so?

…

Di Jiu, who was currently in the deep recesses of the Amazon primitive forest, circled the forest and killed any demon beasts above level-two. Then, he stayed there to let his Spiritual Sea recover.

When his Spiritual Sea recovered completely a day later, he started getting ready to leave Earth.

As soon as he took out the Plane Split Talisman and activated it, a spatial rift appeared in front of him. Thanks to his prior experience, Di Jiu did not wait this time before dashing into the spatial rift. His Spiritual Force spread immediately.