“No. I am saying I wouldn’t be so sure about calling myself the higher realm cultivator between the two of us,” he said dryly.
“What are you saying, Senior Brother?” Senior Brother Qing An came forward. “We all felt it. He was in the Nascent Soul realm.”
Senior Brother Fan Xiao let out an enigmatic smile. “When I destroyed the statue, the energy burst it released…..” He looked directly into Senior Brother Qing An’s eyes intently. “Qing An, it was too intense for me.” His head tilted slightly questioningly. “Do you think you could have taken it on?”
“That isn’t exactly proof of him being in a higher realm than you.” Senior Brother Weilong interjected, gesturing towards Yang with his hand. “After all, no one will say Chen Yang is stronger than you. Yet he was the only one able to think clearly and even weaken the statue’s influence. Without him, even that man wouldn't have been able to do anything given the condition we found him in.”
Senior Brother Fan Xiao shook his head. “Chen Yang has his .... peculiarities," he said, choosing his word with care, “but he has never given me the feeling he was a danger or stronger than myself.”
Senior Brother Song Weilong still remained unconvinced, “I was able to hold him off. I am hardly the strongest cultivator even in my own realm.”
It was Senior Brother Qing An who cut in this time. “I don’t believe that had anything to do with your strength or his lack of. I have a feeling he was simply disinclined to hurt us or rather you.”
“Me?” Senior Brother Song Weilong raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“You did take very good care of him, playing the nursemaid,” offered Senior Brother Yuan Shen.
Senior Brother Weilong’s only response was a look so withering it could have stripped paint off a wall.
Senior Brother Fan Xiao raised a hand, putting a halt to the brewing debate. “There is no need to argue. If we are fortunate we will never have a chance to know the truth.” Senior Brother Fan Xiao continued. “We need to turn our attention to important matters.”
“Find a way back to our world?” Yang asked. It's about time they start working on the most important thing.
Senior Brother Fan Xiao inclined his head. “That is a part of it but more importantly we have to consider the possibility that we are likely standing in the remnants of a higher world.”
“That would explain all the trouble we have encountered.” Senior Brother Qing An nodded to himself as the others exchanged worried looks while Yang looked between them questioningly.
“And raises a thousand more questions,” muttered Senior Brother Zhen Hao.
“What exactly is a higher world?” Yang asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Junior Brother, there are an infinite number of worlds.” Senior Brother Weilong began. “In the most basic of terms, it means the quality and the quantity of energy, qi, as we call it in our world, decides the upper threshold of the cultivation path humans can achieve and how many cultivators such a world can support. Think of it as the difference between cultivating in a place like the cultivation chambers of the sect and a place with very little qi, but on a global scale.”
Yang hadn’t had time yet to use his won hours in the cultivation chamber but he got the gist.
“If and I repeat, if we are in the remnant of a higher level world,” Senior Brother Qing An took over from there. “That means we may come across more dangerous things than we can confidently deal with.” He let out a rueful smile. “Truth be told, we already have.”
“The blood chamber with that creature, while not too strong, had the advantage over us due to the restrictions on our senses.” Senior Brother Qing An explained. “If it weren't for you, Yang, it's inevitable that we may have suffered. Not to mention the most recent place we just got out of.”
Senior Brother Yuan Shen nodded. “In our own world there are seldom dangers that a Nascent Soul, not to mention someone at Soul Formation level like Senior Brother Fan Xiao can’t resolve.”
“Yuan Shen exaggerates,” Senior Brother Fan Xiao interrupted. “There is always someone or something stronger and smarter than you. Unless one is on the cusp of ascending from the world itself, there will always be those who are equal or stronger. But yes this increases the level of danger we may come across.”
“What exactly is worrying you?” Senior Brother Qing An turned his narrowed gaze to Senior Brother Fan Xiao. “I can see that you are holding something back.”
Senior Brother Fan Xiao looked pensive for a moment before opening up. “Only the most energy condensed areas of a world would survive its destruction to form a remnant world. Considering what we have encountered so far in this world...” He trailed off.
It was Senior Brother Song Weilong who voiced the thought. “You believe the whole world itself may be corrupted.”
“I believe it likely, yes,” stated Senior Brother Fan Xiao.
“It really doesn't make a difference to our plans.” Senior Brother Qing An shrugged, unconcerned. “We were already planning on finding a rift back to the secret realm and being careful.” He added, “This just means we have to be even more alert.” Before asking Senior Brother Fan Xiao. “Where do you want to go from here?”
“Let's take to the skies. This area looks more pleasant, and we will be able to better observe from the skies.”
They all took out their flying swords in unison. Senior Brother Zhen Hao tossed Yang’s carpet towards him. “Here Junior Brother, I placed it inside my storage ring when we left that place”
Yang smiled as he climbed on the flying carpet. “Thank you Senior Brother. I would have hated to lose it.”
“Senior Brother Yan Zheng will be pleased to know you are making good use of his gift.” Senior Brother Yuan Shen remarked before he was interrupted by Senior Brother Fan Xiao who turned to look at Yang while standing on his own levitating sword.
“Speaking of gifts. I noticed while healing you that you weren’t wearing the armour Senior Brother Luo Yun Xi had given you?”
Yang sheepishly looked at him as he rubbed the back of his head. “I kind of forgot about it.”
Senior Brother Fan Xiao’s normally cold gaze turned glacial. “Put it on. Now.”
Yang quickly scrambled and pulled the armour out of his storage ring and took off his outer robes to put on the thin armour given to him by Senior Brother Luo Yun Xi as they set off.
Like the previous time they took to flying above the clouds as they flew through the bright sky. It was then that Yang realised what he had failed to notice after waking up.
“How is it day time? Didn’t the connected world have bluish orange skies?”
“Remnant worlds are strange like that.” Senior Brother Qing An said as he zoomed closer to Yang.
From far ahead, Senior Brother Fan Xiao explained without looking back. “The light is likely coming from the star of another system close by. The remnant worlds aren’t necessarily shaped normally.”
Yang nodded back even though Senior Brother couldn’t see him.
They flew through the skies, watching the ground that seemed surprisingly normal, with greenery everywhere, small rolling hills and mountains with flourishing plant life. Maybe being able to take in sunlight has allowed this area to develop normally or perhaps simply remain normal. Yang couldn’t really know what this place looked like before the world was destroyed and became a remnant drifting in the void.
As they flew, Senior Brother Fan Xiao abruptly came to a halt, causing them all to stop behind him as well. Yang looked ahead and saw Senior Brother turning back to them with a small smile.
“Junior Brothers, we have company.”
Yang looked around wondering what he meant but noticed Senior Brothers Qing An and Song Weilong standing relaxed while Senior Brother Zhen Hao and Yuan Shen looked around carefully.
They barely had to wait a full minute before they found themselves encircled by a bunch of cultivators in identical blue robes on flying swords.
They didn’t have a chance to speak before the person who appeared to be the leader opened his mouth and spoke with the most derisive tone Yang ever had the displeasure of hearing
“How dare you spy on the disciple of Boundless Sword Sect?”
Yang almost trembled in excitement.
Is this my first encounter with a Young Master?
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