Chapter 165: Dirge of the Worldeater.
Liang Chen handed Lan Yun to Yan Ling and then had Yumao return to his dantian. Both Yumao and Lan Yun had to remain hidden as long as they were in the tower, partly to protect them and partly to keep them as trump cards should they ever be needed. Liang Chen swept the room around them with one last glance before shrugging his shoulders, glancing at the door.
"No real point in trying to hide while we're trying to leave the tower, we'll be discovered the moment we leave the house or when we enter or leave one of the houses that'll bring us to the other floors."
Everyone on this floor knew that the two of them lived in this house, so even if they put on a disguise, everyone would know it was them the moment they left this house. Yan Ling had also realized the same so she simply gave a short nod of her head and had a clearly unwilling and somewhat pouting Lan Yun enter her dantian again. The two then left the house and casually headed for the building that would take them down to the lower floor.
Considering their status in the tower, especially their status as humans, their every move would quickly be noticed and spread around. Up to this point, the two of them had always caused quite a scene whenever they left their house so there were quite a few people wondering just what they would do now.
But contrary to what the others on the floor were expecting, the two simply entered the iron house and quietly left the floor. Some were a bit curious what they were planning, but a few others had already received news that last time the two of them left they tower they had been gone for several months, and come back quite a bit stronger than when they left. Those that knew were either eager or worried, wondering if the same would happen this time.
Liang Chen and Yan Ling quickly reached the first floor and started heading for the exit, the people walking on the roads making sure to give them wide berth. Everyone knew about the massacre that had taken place on the third floor back then, and none of the people here were interested in becoming part of the ever-growing number of people that the two of them had killed. As such, the two managed to leave the tower without incidents, Yan Ling's gaze turning towards the sky above them as a slightly surprised mutter escaped her lips.
"Oh, it's already that time of the year? Come to think of it, the end of the year celebration should be right around the corner back home as well. Do you think Big Brother and Father are okay? It has been quite a while since we left so I'm certain that they are quite worried."
Delicate petals of snow were currently falling from the twilight sky, the city spreading out around them already covered by a layer that was a few centimeters thick, the orange glow of the setting sun reflecting off the white snow. A year here was quite a bit longer than on their own home planet, but Yan Ling had done her best to somewhat keep track of how much time had passed since they arrived here so she was fairly confident that the year would end in one or two weeks on their home planet, it would still take about four months for the year to end on this planet however.
Liang Chen crouched down and picked up a handful of snow, giving it a quick inspection to make sure that it was in fact just normal snow. Once he was certain that the snow wasn't harmful, he smashed the entire handful of snow onto the top of Yan Ling's head, rubbing it in while responding.
"Your brother's smart and your father is ridiculously powerful, they're probably off just as well, if not better, than we are right now. And yeah, they're probably worried, but that's normal for family. They worry and we prove to them that they had nothing to worry about, only to worry about them just the same when they leave."
Yan Ling's hair became wet and ruffled almost immediately thanks to the snow so she quickly did her best to shake off Liang Chen's hand, but it only resulted in her hand getting even more ruffled. The scene was rather shocking to the people watching them, it made for quite the contrast when compared to how cold-blooded and sometimes downright vicious they had been in the tower. Liang Chen grinned at the now pouting and glaring Yan Ling, grabbing onto her hand and nodding towards the distance.
"Let's find a more secluded place."
Liang Chen took a step forward before Yan Ling had the chance to say anything, the snow around them being blown away as the two were accompanied by a thunderous rumble and then vanished from the area. With Liang Chen taking the lead, the two of them ran through the streets, which were starting to become somewhat deserted thanks to the fact that night was approaching. They ran through several small back alleys and rather well-hidden gaps between houses, abruptly stopping in a narrow alley that formed a small maze between several stone houses.
The two of them closely observed and scanned their surroundings, nodding at each other once they were certain that no one was around them. They quickly put on their Heaven Altering Masks and disguised themselves as people from the White Orchid Race. But when it came time to strip and put on new robes, Yan Ling used her chin to indicate that Liang Chen should turn around, prompting him to comment.
"Come on, what haven't I seen already?"
With how intimate the two of them had been, there wasn't a single centimeter on her body that he hadn't explored in close detail, was there really a need for him to turn around? His comment earned him a quick chop on the head, Yan Ling pushing his shoulder and forcing him to turn around.
"The last thing I need right now is for you to turn into an insatiable beast out in public, who knows what you'd do then!"
Liang Chen could only shrug his shoulders after hearing her comment, she really had no faith in him, did she? He quickly stripped and put on a new robe that he hadn't worn before in the tower, waiting for Yan Ling to tap him on the shoulder so that he knew that he could turn around. She had also switched into a new robe, a rather tightfitting pink one that ended just above her knees. Liang Chen stretched out his right arm and gave a slight nod upon seeing that Yan Ling had finished changing.
"Alright, let's complete the disguise."
The shadow cast by Liang Chen's sleeve started to wriggle slightly, Yumao crawling out of the darkness and slithering up Liang Chen's arm, coiling himself around the entirety of Liang Chen's arm. Yan Ling also allowed Lan Yun to come out from her dantian, wrapping a yellow scarf around her neck to hide the fact that she didn't have the second mouth that was characteristic for people from the White Orchid race.
With her throat covered up, there was no way to tell that Lan Yun wasn't someone from the White Orchid race, as they were one of the races on this planet that most closely resembled humans. Liang Chen had never shown that they had anything close to Yumao or Lan Yun so they became the finishing touches on their disguises. After all, what sort of idiot would not use a strong Demonic beast companion in the tower if they had one? Yan Ling held Lan Yun close to her chest, pointing at one of the many side-paths of the alleyway they were currently in.
"Alright, now we have to take this path and a few other detours so that we can head back to a shop we ran past on the way here, I need to pick up a few more things if I want to make sure that the clothing I make is proper, it should be cheaper here than in the tower."
Liang Chen was just about to comment on what the point of that was when he quickly decided to remain silent, he had a feeling that Yan Ling would go off on a long tirade if he were to actually say it out loud. He simply gave a nod of his head and beckoned for Yan Ling to lead the way, the two walking side by side and taking the chance to teach Lan Yun a few new words.
They reached the shop that Yan Ling had seen after a few minutes of walking, a one-story wooden building with a sign that was engraved with the words 'Ah Feng's All-Purpose Fabric and Tailoring.' It was already rather late so the shop seemed like it was in the process of closing up, Yan Ling swiftly pushing open the door and dragging Liang Chen after her.
The inside of the shop was stuffed nearly to the brim with racks filled with clothing or samples of cloth, an open door behind a rectangular counter on the left of the room leading into what seemed to be a storage area. There was currently an old woman from the Fiendgod race walking along the racks, making sure that everything was in order as she inspected some of the cloth. Yan Ling handed Lan Yun to Liang Chen, using her chin to point at the woman.
"You keep an eye on her, I'll go have a quick talk with her."
Liang Chen nodded his head and embraced Lan Yun, pointing at a few things in the room and teaching both her and Yumao what they were. Yan Ling walked over to the old woman, who seemed to be Ah Feng, and started chatting with her, the two walking along some of the racks while the old woman seemed to recommend Yan Ling some of the fabrics. Liang Chen thought that it would be a quick trip in and out, but Yan Ling showed no signs of stopping even after ten minutes had passed. She and Ah Feng would even turn towards him occasionally, Ah Feng leaning down to whisper a few things to Yan Ling.
Yan Ling simply ignored them and continued to talk with Lan Yun and Yumao, moving over to teaching them about some of the things he had read about when he ran out of things in the room to talk about. Only after a further 15 minutes passed did Yan Ling seem to have finished her talk with Ah Feng, carrying a rather large paper bag as she came over.
"Alright, I'm done, we can leave."
Liang Chen looked at the paper bag that Yan Ling was carrying, it was practically filled to the point of bursting. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow while they left the store, nodding at the bag.
"We had enough funds left to buy all that?"
They had been practically broke when they left the tower, mainly due to the fact that they had gone shopping mere hours before leaving it. Things might be cheaper here, but they shouldn't be that much cheaper, right? Yan Ling smirked slightly, chuckling while winking at Liang Chen and storing the bag into her interspatial ring.
"Not really, but I taught Old Lady Feng a few tricks about sewing that she didn't know yet so she gave me a discount."
Liang Chen could only believe her words and nod his head, allowing Yan Ling to take the lead as the two walked through the snow-covered streets. Yan Ling led them through several streets and back alleys, the two getting closer and closer to the exit of the town. But then Yan Ling stopped when they were a few kilometers away from the exit, stopping underneath a large tree that was currently blooming with rather beautiful purple blossoms.
"You know, they have a legend on this planet that states that there was once a cultivator countless years ago who was supposedly married to the most beautiful woman on the planet. But the cultivator was a bit arrogant due to this status, and although he loved the woman dearly, he ended up neglecting her for a while in favor of his fame. The woman was obviously quite angry at this so she decided to play a prank on him and run away for a bit, just to make him realize how important she was too him. The prank sadly backfired when she ran too far away, she ended up getting kidnapped, taken away to a castle hiding in the clouds and locked away. The cultivator was furious when he learned this, he stormed the castle to retrieve his loved one, but it was already too late, the woman had been abused and killed."
Liang Chen didn't know where Yan Ling had heard this story, but considering the timing, he could guess that she had likely heard about it from Ah Feng while they were talking. He was curious just what sort of point this story had so he quietly listened as she continued to tell him about the ancient legend.
"In his rage, the cultivator turned the entire castle to ash, ash which rained down on the planet in the form of snow. The cultivator supposedly killed himself shortly after, turning both his own body and the body of his wife to ash that then also rained down on the planet. Some people believe that the snow that falls every year is a reminder from that cultivator that one shouldn't take what they have for granted, one should cherish those close to you and show it whenever you can. So the people on this planet turned the supposed day that the cultivator died into a holiday where couples give each other gifts and show their love. If you ask me, they narrowed the scope quite a bit, but hey."
Such legends weren't uncommon even on their home planet, even they had turned some of them into holidays. At this point, Liang Chen would have to be an idiot to not understand what Yan Ling was planning, but he still allowed her to continue talking.
"The holiday is still about a month away, but I can't really give up such a chance, can I?"
Yan Ling took the back out of her interspatial ring and opened it, taking out a dark golden scarf that seemed to be made from a type of silk. She stepped closer to Liang Chen and wrapped the scarf around his neck, using it to pull him closer and give him a kiss, smiling brightly at him when she pulled back.
"I love you, Little Freak."
--
A bright light flashed in front of Yan Ying's eyes as the spatial array brought him away, a strong sense of nausea assaulting him. Using a spatial array without having access to one's own Qi was like riding a carriage at full speed on a bumpy and twisty road, most people would find it very uncomfortable. Yan Ying found himself in a somewhat small and dark cave once the light faded from his vision, the strong smell of seawater present in the cave.
There was a deep pit of water located at the end of the cave, the water so dark and murky that it was impossible to see how deep it went. Yan Ying quickly took several deep breaths before walking over to a stone spike that stuck up from the ground, giving the tip a soft push that caused the top half of the spike to bend back and reveal that the spike was hollow. Hidden away within the spike were several Spirit Stones, provisions, multiple robes and bags, as well as a simple silk mask, the fourth and final Heaven Altering Mask that the Storm Wolf sect owned. Liang Chen and Yan Ling had the first two, and Yan Ying guessed that the third one was destroyed when his father activated the final defensive measure of the sect.
Yan Ying put on the mask and then removed some of the Spirit Stones from the rock, drawing out the Qi within them to activate the mask and change his appearance. Without being able to use his own Qi to activate it, he could only rely on these Spirit Stones. He switched into a new robe, a normal brown one, and then stuffed the provisions and Spirit Stones into a bag that he slung over his back.
He then walked over to the pit of water and jumped into it, following the somewhat narrow stone tunnel a few meters down and then several meters to the side before it spread out and revealed that the cave was actually dug into a rather large underwater mountain. He swam directly up after leaving the tunnel, breaching the surface of the water after only half a minute. His gaze landed on an island that was a short distance away, the Floating Rose nation, one of the nations under the control of the Storm Wolf sect.
Yan Ying swam over to the island, stepping ashore on a beach located directly beside the capital, and one of only two cities that the nation had, Rose King city. Yan Ying sensed that things weren't quite right the moment he stepped onto the beach, the city was far too quiet, in fact, the entire island was far too quiet. The faint scent of smoke reached his nose, Yan Ying's expression turning somewhat grim when he realized what might be happening.
What if it wasn't just the Storm Wolf sect that had been attacked? What if they attacked multiple places at once? Without access to their Qi, just who would be able to stop the attackers? Yan Ying's guess was quickly proven correct, a youth clad in the golden robes embroidered with the emblem of the Dawn's Blade Alliance, a sword stabbed into a shining sun, came walking down the beach, seemingly on patrol.
The youth stopped in his tracks when he saw Yan Ying, his head tilting slightly. He quickly took out an eye-shaped pendant from his interspatial ring, holding it towards Yan Ying. The pendant lit up with a cyan light when the eye fell on Yan Ying, the youth's eyes lighting up as a smile spread on his face.
"A survivor? Since you're all the way out here you must have managed to escape using a spatial array. I don't know your position in the Storm Wolf sect but they've promised rather handsome rewards for any disciples we bring in so I'll have you follow me."
Yan Ying could feel his entire body turning cold, they had a way of identifying them? In that case, hiding would become extremely difficult, not just for him but also for the other disciples that escaped. Yan Ying knew that he stood no chance of winning this fight so he quickly turned around and started running, heading for the docks that served as the entrance of the city, he could only hope that he would be able to reach the docks and jump onto a boat that he could use to escape. The youth had only reached the early stage of the Heaven's Gate realm, he would normally be far weaker than Yan Ying, but now he almost seemed like an insurmountable wall. The youth let out an exasperated sigh when he saw Yan Ying's actions, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh come on, running? Really? Do you not understand the difference in speed between someone who can use Qi and one who cannot?"
The youth took a single step forward and then turned into a blur that almost immediately arrived behind Yan Ying, his fist already swinging out. The youth's fist collided with Yan Ying's back and caused him to fly forward for a bit. As he flew forward, he saw that the punch had hit the two bottles that his father had given him, the cork on both bottles coming undone.
Yan Ying quickly stretched out his arms and grabbed onto the crystal bottle that seemed to be filled with emerald wind, corking it up again before anything could escape it. But he wasn't able to stop the blue jade bottle from spilling two ocean-blue drops of its content before he managed to cork it up again, one hitting the youth and the other hitting the sand.
The youth quickly wiped off the drop that had landed on his hand, his gaze remaining on Yan Ying. He took another step forward and once again arrived directly in front of Yan Ying, raising his hand high. But even after he raised his hand, nothing happened. The youth couldn't help but look at his hand, tilting his head somewhat confusedly.
"Huh, my Qi?"
The youth lowered his arm and pointed at Yan Ying, as if he was trying to do something, but once again nothing happened. And then, the veins on the youth's arm started to bulge and twist, a blue light coursing through them. The youth's arm started to spasm. the bulging of his veins growing worse and worse. Yan Ying could actually feel the Qi within the youth vanish now, it was as if it was eaten away by an unseen force.
The youth's hand started to lose its color, turning a faded and lifeless gray. Small holes suddenly started to open in the youth's hand, his now wrinkly and gray veins simply sliding out of the holes and falling to the ground. The youth looked at his arm in shock, tightly grasping his wrist as he looked at Yan Ying in horror.
"Wha... What!? What have you done to me?!"
The youth shouted for an answer, but Yan Ying was just as shocked as the youth was. The blue light in the youth's veins continued to travel further up his arm and spread through his body, more and more of his skin losing its color. His hair turned white and his cheeks started to sink in, his eyes becoming flooded with a blue light. More and more holes opened up in the youth's body, allowing more and more of his veins to simply slide out and fall to the ground. The first veins that had fallen out had become even wrinklier, becoming so dry that they almost fell apart and became a part of the sand.
As more and more veins started to slide out of the holes, entire chunks of the youth's flesh started to simply slide off his bones, which had now become dry and cracked. The youth stretched his arms towards Yan Ying, his eyes now completely dry and blue, his speech slurred as his body simply slid apart.
"What...did... youphu...splsahjjff....meyyyggg...whitghghhh..."
Yan Ying looked on in shock and horror as the body of the youth completely fell apart, the chunks of flesh and bone becoming dryer and dryer. He quickly cast his eyes onto the sand where the second drop had fallen, his eyes opening wide in horror when he saw the scene. The sand itself had started to lose its color, becoming gray and lifeless. And what's worse, the gray area was slowly spreading, as if the lifeforce of the land itself was being eaten away at.
It was at this moment that Yan Ying understood what the final gift his father had prepared for Liang Chen was. But even though he realized it, he couldn't believe it, because this thing was not something that should still exist on this planet, it shouldn't even exist within the entire solar system.
"It can't be, Dirge of the Worldeater?!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
ShiranuiShukumei
ShiranuiShukumei I swear, at this point I almost feel like im playing a game 'how long can I drag this out?'
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