From the dense forest, two figures stood side by side, an old man and a girl, whose beauty was as clear and pure as jade, unmatched by anyone.
Floating above the old man was a figure, his body was a bloody mess, his clothes torn and shredded, leaving him almost naked, only his lower half was covered. The girl stole a glance at him, and her face flushed red.
The old man moved quickly but made sure to keep himself steady for the sake of the girl. He was at mid foundation stage, while she was only at qi condensation.
"Young lady, are you sure it's safe to take him with us?" the old man asked.
She looked at him and nodded firmly. "You saw how he fought the retribution. I'm certain even you aren't his match. If we shelter him, he will surely help us." Her eyes gleamed with determination as she looked back at the old man.
The old man coughed and began to reply, but stopped suddenly when he noticed something. The girl also halted and looked in the direction he pointed. Her face went deathly pale, as if she had seen something beyond this world.
Above the sky, thunder rumbled and clouds thickened, filling the horizon. A massive tail appeared, several times larger than the mountains, looming with the aura of life and death itself.
Both were terrified and retreated as fast as they could, carrying Meng Meng with them. The old man grabbed the girl with his spiritual hand and pushed forward at full speed.
After an hour, they had moved about 8,000 kilometers, but the daunting tail was still visible in the distance. Exhausted, the old man felt a cold sweat on his forehead. He took a deep breath and cultivated to regain his lost energy.
The girl stood beside Meng Meng, glancing repeatedly at his half-naked form. She sighed, resuming her cultivation. Her mind was still restless; it was hard to believe that she saw a terrifying ninth-stage beast.
"This beast is a Three-Tailed Viper Dragon," she thought. "It can kill even a mid or high Nascent Soul cultivator."
Meanwhile, the old man pondered their escape strategy. Eventually, he no longer sensed the beast's energy. He sighed in relief and took out a compass glowing with radiant energy. The pointer spun and settled, pointing north.
The old man smiled. "Lady, I found the spot. Let's hurry!"
The girl nodded and glanced at the still-unconscious Meng Meng, whose face was pale and covered in bruises.
The old man stepped forward. As he moved, spiritual energy bathed his feet. Using this power, he took the lady with him and leaped like a rocket into the sky, sonic booms echoing behind them as he rushed north.
They leapt from cloud to cloud, covering vast distances quickly. The old man's face was pale, drained of spiritual energy, but the lady remained untouched.
Her hair flowed with the wind, adding to her charm. Any man's heart would skip at the sight. She let out a deep sigh.
Two days passed.
The old man's face grew paler, and he relied on multiple pills to restore his spiritual energy. He glanced back and said, "Lady, we're about to reach our destination!"
He shook his head, gathering his remaining strength.
The lady noticed but remained silent.
They had been high above the clouds for two whole days. During that time, the lady kept her eyes on Meng Meng, astonished by his rapid recovery. Almost all his injuries had healed, and the energy he released was comparable to that of an extreme foundation establishment, though in reality, he was only mid foundation.
"When I learned this, I was shocked," she thought. "And by the looks of it, he's the same age as me."
Her mind buzzed with thoughts as she practiced heavenly breathing, feeling an oppressive energy suffocating her. Even the old man was affected. This energy came from the forbidden land of calamity.
They hurried as fast as possible. Once safely out of danger, they sighed in relief.
The lady waved her hand, and multiple luminous stones appeared. She handed them all to the old man and ordered, "Break them quickly!"
Both wore serious expressions as the old man shattered the stones with a wave of spiritual energy. Pure energy erupted from the shards. The lady sat calmly on the clouds, absorbing the energy.
Meng Meng floated in the sky, unconscious, but both watchers were shocked to find no instability in his energy despite the influence of the calamity's energy.
The lady and the old man were in disbelief. No one under golden core stage could pass through that land unfazed and unaffected. The lady was astonished. This man had surprised her many times already.
After removing the unstable energy, they headed north.
Seven days passed.
The old man's face was pale but resolute; the lady remained unfazed. Meng Meng, however, was the center of attention. He had been unconscious for nearly a month, and the lady focused all her energy on stabilizing him as they floated over the clouds.
Ahead, a peaceful land appeared — grass blanketed the earth, and sheep grazed lazily.
The sheep looked up at the sky, chewing on the grass. The old man smiled at the sight and moved forward. The lady smiled as well, and they both stood upon the clouds, clasping their hands.
Among the sheep, a middle-aged man sat beneath a tree. Wearing a hat and holding a walking stick, he looked like a mortal, but the gentle energy he emitted said otherwise.
He looked up at the sky and smiled warmly. "It's an honor to meet Lady Shi Xu of the Shi family, and Elder Shi Chen."
The lady returned the gaze admiringly. "It is our honor as well to meet the senior lone sheep here."
Their eyes met, and silence fell between them.
A sheep broke the silence with a soft "Meahhh!"
The man chuckled. "It's admirable how the Shi family can control clouds and step upon them."
The lady replied lightly, "It's no big deal, but the real expert here is you, senior, a mid golden core master."
The man laughed and waved his hand. A large amount of energy gathered at the center of the peaceful land, forming a teleportation altar for long-distance travel.
The lady took out more luminous stones and asked the old man to break them. While he was busy, she chatted with the man.
Noticing Meng Meng, the man inquired about him, but Lady Xu kept silent.
The man sensed Meng Meng's energy and, based on his cultivation, knew the boy was mid-stage foundation but emitted energy comparable to extreme foundation.
He was astonished and curious, but before he could ask more, the old man finished breaking the stones.
Lady Xu smiled and ended the conversation. "I shall take my leave."
They clasped hands, and the old man did the same. Together, they moved toward the teleportation altar with Meng Meng.
The man watched them leave, a strange smile on his face. Lady Xu noticed but thought nothing of it.
As the altar activated and they disappeared, the man murmured, "Meng Meng, huh? Interesting."