Chapter 1319: Chapter 1317: Taking a Disciple
"Elder Yao has recovered his cultivation talent?"
Upon hearing this, the first reaction of those present was disbelief, followed by an astonished widening of their eyes.
Before their decline, they were all once supreme beings of Bear Pure World, second only to the Supreme Lord, with extremely discerning eyes. Gazing intently at Yao Caidie for a moment, they discerned the truth, and the scene instantly erupted into an uproar.
For martial artists, death was not the most painful experience; the worst torment was to lose all one’s cultivation—the immense sense of loss could make life worse than death.
Cursed be the Outer Heaven Demons, for they had used their loved ones as hostages, leaving them unable to die, only to be humiliated and bullied at will by the demons, struggling in darkness.
Therefore, seeing Yao Caidie’s talent restored, all eyes in the room turned to Shi Xiaole, filled with deep eagerness, expectation, and even pleading!
"Young Hero, could you please lend a hand and help me this once? I swear on my life, I will repay your great kindness, even if it means toiling like an ox or horse," said a burly man as he stepped forward with red-rimmed eyes and clasped fists.
The room fell silent, everyone watching Shi Xiaole’s reaction with anxious hearts. Even though the latter had just saved Yao Caidie, who knew if it was merely a whim?
Moreover, with so many people present, it was impossible for Shi Xiaole to grant his favor to everyone. For the sake of fairness, there was no guarantee he would agree.
Just as everyone was worried and nervously uncertain, Shi Xiaole smiled and said, "Working like an ox or horse won’t be necessary. I only have one request."
The burly man replied with determination, "Young Hero, please speak freely."
"Once your strength is restored, kill a few more of the invading Outer Heaven Demons."
No sooner had these words fallen than Shi Xiaole waved his hand. Between heaven and earth, strands of invisible life essence descended, enveloping everyone present.
They all felt an invigorating comfort throughout their bodies as if they were soaking in a hot spring, a mysterious strength pouring into them, visibly repairing their damaged meridians and dantians at a visible rate.
It was only a moment.
Even Elder Ye, who was the most severely injured among those present, clearly sensed that all his hidden deep injuries had vanished. He felt inexplicably light, as weak streams of spiritual energy began to move through his meridians.
He had regained his ability to cultivate!
"This, this... Young Hero, your magnanimity is profound, and this act of great virtue, I, Ye Jin, will never forget for as long as I live. Thank you, Young Hero!"
Elder Ye trembled, his face streaming with tears, to the point of incoherence. Knowing that Shi Xiaole would not allow him to kneel, he bowed deeply and remained so for a long time.
The others also noticed these changes to themselves, standing stunned in place, hardly believing that it was real.
It wasn’t until Yao Caidie reminded them that they woke up as if from a dream. One by one, they followed Elder Ye’s example and bowed deeply towards the young man in green, filled with indescribable gratitude.
Before their fall from grace, these people were the elite of Bear Pure World. While they might respect the Supreme Lord, it was more because of his power than his personality or kindness.
But this time, from the bottom of their hearts, they were grateful to this kind young man, grateful for giving them a second chance at life, a hope.
"Everyone, we’re all in the same trench now, there’s no need for such formalities. There isn’t much time; focus on your cultivation and strive to regain your powers as soon as possible," said Shi Xiaole, gesturing dismissively.
What he didn’t say was that under the nourishment of the Life and Death Path, not only had their talents been fully recovered, but they had also improved slightly compared to before. He believed that with diligent cultivation, they would become even stronger than in the past.
The people finally stood up, still filled with boundless gratitude.
Shi Xiaole’s gaze fell on the little boy named Xuan’er. Yao Caidie quickly brought Yao Yuxuan to his side and said lovingly, "Quickly thank this uncle."
Yao Yuxuan was young but sensible and sincerely said, "Uncle, you saved my grandmother, so you saved Xuan’er. I will definitely repay you."
Shi Xiaole asked, "So how do you plan to repay me?"
Yao Yuxuan stumbled over his words, unable to speak, his handsome and lean little face turning red with effort.
Shi Xiaole shook his head and said, "We are had a fateful encounter today. I will give you another boon." With a flick of his finger, a pulse of Sword Qi entered Yao Yuxuan’s body.
Amidst a crackling sound like frying beans, those watching in astonishment found that a sword intent burst forth from Yao Yuxuan’s body and vanished in an instant. Yet, that fleeting sharpness made one feel as if they had seen an invincible, unparalleled swordsman standing tall in the sky.
Even Yao Caidie was shocked, looking at her grandson with a complex expression.
"Elder Yao," said Shi Xiaole with a hint of sentiment, "your grandson was born with a fate-severing sword bone, which is a rare and unnoticeable condition that constantly drains his life force. Just now, I have dispersed the deadly roots from his sword bone. From this moment on, he will excel far beyond ordinary people."
Probably due to the influence of the rules of the heavens, the sixteen worlds rarely saw the emergence of fate-severing sword bones, and even the Supreme Lord could not detect the issue.
Shi Xiaole had only read about it when browsing through methods of breakthrough, in a classic recorded by someone named Yuanchu Sword Master, who hailed from another world in this universe and was a possessor of a fate-severing sword bone.
"Young Hero, Caidie has an impertinent request!"
Biting her lip, Yao Caidie was about to kneel again.
Shi Xiaole, with a touch of exasperation, said, "What is it?"
"Young Hero, if you don’t mind, I wish, I wish for Xuan’er to follow you. If it’s not convenient, then please forget I ever asked,"
Yao Caidie rushed to finish speaking, feeling herself too shameless for making such a request.
Shi Xiaole had saved her life, restored her constitution, saved Yao Yuxuan, and turned him into an extraordinary prodigy. Even if she followed him for lifetimes, she could not repay even a fraction of his kindness.
Now, she was even becoming greedier, but Yao Caidie could no longer hold back!
Her grandson had been plagued with serious illnesses since childhood. They had sought out all the renowned doctors of Bear Pure World, to no avail, and later, even the Ancestor had paid a great price to have a Supreme Lord take action, but all was in vain.
After that, everyone had lost hope for Yao Yuxuan, resigning themselves to the belief that this weakling would not live past twelve. But now, right before her eyes, Shi Xiaole had effortlessly cured Yao Yuxuan.
This kind of skill made Yao Caidie suspect that this youth before her, with a frighteningly young life force, was a Supreme Lord and not an ordinary one at that.
Their generation had almost no hope of avenging themselves, so she had pinned her hopes on her grandson, wishing for him to find a renowned teacher.
Of course, if Shi Xiaole refused, Yao Caidie wouldn’t insist or harbor the slightest bit of resentment in her heart, at most it would just be regret.
A pin drop silence prevailed on the scene, and Yao Caidie dared not lift her head, her heart thumping up to her throat. Then she heard a voice as refreshing as a spring breeze, "Child, are you willing?"
Yao Yuxuan looked at his trembling grandmother, then turned towards the celestial figure of a youth in green.
The hardships of the past few years flashed through his mind.
Since the death of his parents, aside from his grandmother, there had only been him offering him real warmth, a kind of indescribable familiarity that made Yao Yuxuan’s nose tingle, and he immediately knelt down on both knees: "Uncle’s kindness, Xuan’er cannot repay even if I die a thousand times. Blessed by uncle’s grace, please accept Xuan’er’s three kowtows."
He kowtowed three times with great force, then Yao Yuxuan raised his head and loudly said, "Master!"
With one call of "Master", an extraordinary and wonderful bond was formed, eventually making these two exceptional swordsmen the most famous master and disciple in the sixteen worlds.
Later on, after Yao Yuxuan took control of Bear Pure World, he even constructed grand statues of Shi Xiaole to commemorate this benefactor. The story of their meeting was widely told many, many years later.
From that day on, rows of people sat quietly cultivating in front of the Void Channel. Yao Yuxuan followed Shi Xiaole’s arrangements, systematically practicing internal skills and swordsmanship.
As someone endowed with a swordsman’s bone, Yao Yuxuan’s comprehension of swordsmanship reached an incredibly monstrous level. Among those Shi Xiaole had met, probably only Shi Wuyou could surpass him by a half step.
Shi Xiaole himself did not slacken his own efforts, spending most of his time delving into the "Immortal Gate Sword Technique." His swordsmanship grew by the day, improving at a breathtaking speed.
At the base of the mountain, Yao Caidie and the others occasionally felt waves of energy emanating from the mountain peak. Those waves didn’t seem intense, yet they created an uproar in the hearts of some.
"I’ve seen a top-tier Supreme Lord take action, and in terms of level, it seems inferior to these fluctuations," Elder Ye said in shock.
If it were not for Shi Xiaole’s various methods shown before, he would certainly doubt his own judgment, but even so, Elder Ye still found it hard to believe.
Shi Xiaole did not reveal his age, and with his strength, outsiders could not pin it down precisely, only roughly estimate it.
Nevertheless, in private discussions among everyone, it was unanimously determined that he could not be over five hundred years old. A top-tier Supreme Lord at five hundred years old was unheard of, unseen, and likely unimaginable!
"Do you think, those twelve Supreme Lords, could they have been slain by Young Hero Shi?" someone suddenly asked.
"That’s... rather unlikely, isn’t it?"
People instinctively felt it was ludicrous, but considering what they had seen and heard these days, the fact that Shi Xiaole was without companions made it suspicious.
Yao Caidie said, "Regardless, Young Hero Shi is the most extraordinary genius I have ever seen in my life. To say he is the number one genius of the sixteen worlds wouldn’t be an exaggeration."
This statement promptly led everyone to echo in agreement.
On the mountain peak.
Shi Xiaole sat cross-legged, and in front of him, three distinct types of Sword Qi appeared: one blended life and death, another was like a rampant storm, and the last was filled with the energy of Outer Heaven Demons.
After the spirit body had replaced mental force, Shi Xiaole could now use three martial paths simultaneously. A few days ago, he had the idea to replace the Yin-Yang repulsion in the "Immortal Gate Sword Technique" with these three martial paths to simulate the "Minor Triad."
Shi Xiaole pointed out, and the three martial forces, under the fusion of the sword technique, suddenly collided.
With a pop! An endless void appeared, and deep within, one could vaguely see a door with a blurred outline, exuding an aura that transcended this universe. But quickly, the void came back together.
Yao Yuxuan, who didn’t understand the importance, asked, "Master, was that a door? Where does it lead to?"
"To a very distant place. If there is a chance in the future, Xuan’er must go and see for yourself," Shi Xiaole said with a smile, as the Little Immortal Door flickered in and out of sight, indicating that his "Immortal Gate Sword Technique" had surpassed the minor achievement stage.
Hearing his master’s words, Yao Yuxuan hummed in acknowledgment, nodding firmly. Countless years later, when he recalled the events of today, Yao Yuxuan couldn’t help but laugh at his own naivety back then.
Days passed by, one after another.
Thereafter, batch after batch of slaves were brought over, all from the eleven conquered worlds. Shi Xiaole rescued and healed them one by one.
People were, of course, endlessly grateful.
The crowd by the exit of the Void Channel grew more substantial, with everyone earnestly cultivating in the hope of regaining their strength more quickly.
But no one expected that peace would be rapidly shattered.
One day, a top-level Supreme Lord, severely wounded, suddenly emerged from the Void Channel, bellowing, "Are all the people dead? Why are the defenses so lax?"
A terrifying aura enveloped the earth, preceding his words, causing Yao Caidie and the others to be taken aback with fear.
