"Don't worry, Master, I'm not that foolish," Ning Beichen replied.
"You brat, you've grown up. As long as you know what you're doing, I won't nag," Chen Xingyun told him.
"I know, Master. I need to enter the Zhou Tian Lu. Please guard me for a while," Ning Beichen said, pressed for time.
"Alright, be careful." Chen Xingyun almost patted Ning Beichen's shoulder, but his hand never landed.
Soon, Ning Beichen entered the Zhou Tian Lu, sprinting straight towards the Sea of Bitterness. Upon reaching the Sea of Bitterness, Ning Beichen immediately transformed into a lotus boat and headed to his previous cultivation spot.
What Ning Beichen didn't know was that at the bottom of the Sea of Bitterness, two giant eyes were watching him with curiosity.
Ning Beichen quickly arrived at his previous cultivation spot and began cultivating. However, he tried for a long time without success, leaving him anxious. The more anxious he became, the less sensation he felt, creating a vicious cycle.
"Calm down, calm down..." Ning Beichen repeatedly tried to hypnotize himself, but he remained agitated and unable to enter that state. As time passed, Ning Beichen grew more worried about the situation outside, and his mind became even more restless, beating more fiercely than a startled deer.
At this moment, the two giant eyes in the Sea of Bitterness revealed themselves. They belonged to a colossal Tai Whale, a species long vanished from the world. Seeing the Tai Whale, it exhaled a puff of white mist towards Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen, who had been feeling agitated, immediately calmed down, as if everything had ceased to exist, and time itself had stopped. In reality, Ning Beichen was in a profound state where time moved thousands of times slower for him. Ten years inside would likely be only a second outside.
After an unknown period, Ning Beichen's body began to emit a faint red glow, and his soul was slowly merging with his body. A powerful force filled Ning Beichen, making him feel unprecedentedly strong, which excited and thrilled him.
However, this surge of power quickly began to dissipate, like a leaky pot. The strength within his body was pouring out, causing Ning Beichen immense distress. He was like a crewman frantically plugging leaks, yet unable to stop the power loss. His soul also gradually began to separate from his body, preventing completion of the fusion.
The reason was simple: Ning Beichen's soul was too weak, while his body was too powerful. If it were that simple, Chen Xingyun would have become a Heavenly Venerate long ago and wouldn't have been trapped in his current realm for decades.
Moreover, Ning Beichen was in a perilous situation. If he failed, his soul would be severely injured, potentially leading to him becoming a fool or a vegetable—his fate was undeniably grim.
Just as Ning Beichen was about to fail, the Tai Whale in the Sea of Bitterness breathed on him again. The soul, which was on the verge of instability, seemed to inflate and instantly returned to Ning Beichen's body, completing the fusion process.
When Ning Beichen excitedly opened his eyes, the Tai Whale in the Sea of Bitterness had vanished. Though Ning Beichen didn't understand what had happened, he vaguely felt that something had helped him when he was on the brink of failure. Yet, upon opening his eyes, he saw nothing.
"Thank you for the fulfillment," Ning Beichen bowed towards the Sea of Bitterness. He didn't know if his helper was a mystical creature or a human, and his understanding of the Sea of Bitterness was merely the tip of the iceberg. However, it at least proved that whoever or whatever helped him did so with good intentions.
Ning Beichen could not linger further, as the situation outside was not optimistic. After expressing his gratitude, he immediately left the Sea of Bitterness and returned to the outside world through the Zhou Tian Lu. By then, more than ten hours had passed in the outside world since he entered the Zhou Tian Lu.
"Master..."
"Ah Pang..."
However, upon emerging, Ning Beichen did not see his Master or Ah Pang. He was also no longer in his original location but in an unfamiliar cave. Ning Beichen shouted several times with no response, filling him with anxiety. He must have come out too late; his Master must have placed him in the cave for protection. This thought made Ning Beichen incredibly worried. Seeing no sign of his Master nearby, he immediately left the cave.
Outside, it was still dark, but he couldn't see his Master or Ah Pang. He didn't know where they were. Ning Beichen began searching everywhere for any trace of them, filled with regret. If he hadn't acted recklessly, this wouldn't have happened. If anything happened to his Master, he would never forgive himself.
Ning Beichen's speed was incredible; the darkness couldn't impede him. Although he wasn't a Heavenly Venerate or a Venerate yet, his soul and body were now unified, placing his strength roughly between a Venerate and a Heavenly Venerate. He might even be able to contend with a Heavenly Venerate, though his power wouldn't last.
"Master, where are you?" Ning Beichen moved with intense killing intent, leaving dazzling afterimages in the night.
Soon, Ning Beichen didn't find his Master but encountered some demon souls. Thinking of his Master, Ning Beichen became frenzied, attacking the demon souls. Previously, he couldn't see demon souls unless he used his spiritual body. But now, he could see them directly.
Upon seeing Ning Beichen, the demon souls mistook him for prey that had delivered itself to their doorstep and excitedly pounced at him. However, their intended prey suddenly became the hunter. Ning Beichen, without even using his Bronze Ancient Sword, brutally smashed the demon souls to pieces with his bare hands.
Ning Beichen, however, spared a few demon souls and interrogated them about the whereabouts of his Master, Chen Xingyun.
"Are you sure my Master was captured by the Demon Soul King and not killed?" Ning Beichen asked, gripping a demon soul fiercely. The demon soul nodded fearfully, unable to comprehend why this human had become so terrifying, even more so than the Demon Soul King.
"Take me to the Demon Soul King!" Ning Beichen commanded, holding the demon soul. The demon soul nodded frantically in terror, knowing that if it refused, this terrifying human would crush it to death.