Few knew that the Smiling Asura, a cultivator of over a hundred years with unfathomable strength, was also a trendsetter among the Immortal Alliance’s old monsters.
From everyday slang to electronic technology, Qin Tian always stayed at the forefront of the times. His Mandarin was impeccably fluent, and he had even served as a ‘Modern Vernacular Teacher’ for many other old monsters of his caliber.
The elder echelons of the Immortal Alliance and Shadow Guard affectionately called him the ‘Trendsetter.’
The primary reason the Smiling Asura was so ‘trendy’ was to find common ground with his great-granddaughter.
But that was merely the reason of the past.
****
One afternoon, Qin Tian, curious about what his great-granddaughter’s frequent talk of ‘live streaming’ actually meant, spent a good while tinkering with his phone.
Eventually, he managed to download a live streaming app from the app store.
The moment he clicked into a live stream, his gaze was captivated by a celestial maiden named Lingyun Shangxian.
Her spiritual energy and exquisite appearance were secondary. What truly mattered was her singing voice.
Within it, he discerned a profound truth of the Great Dao!
After hearing it just once, Qin Tian was utterly enthralled.
More importantly, as he listened to her songs, he discovered that the chronic ailment that had plagued him for years was finally showing signs of recovery!
He initially dismissed it as an illusion, but after watching two or three more live streams, he definitively confirmed his suspicion.
Despite his many doubts and conjectures, there was no denying it: from that day forward, he became Lingyun Shangxian’s most devoted, unwavering fan!
“Ah, there should be recorded videos, right?”
Qin Tian sighed deeply, having spent ages looking around, only to realize he had missed the live broadcast.
While the recorded versions wouldn’t possess the same astonishing efficacy as the live stream, some benefit was better than none at all.
What’s more…
His Heavenly Eye meticulously swept the surroundings once more, yet still found nothing, leaving Qin Tian feeling somewhat helpless.
It seemed he had stumbled upon something truly formidable.
As he pondered this, he instinctively tapped the recorded video on his phone, intending to listen to a bit of her song to soothe his inner unease.
However, the moment the sound began, Qin Tian froze in place.
Before him, the previously clear street instantly became shrouded in chaotic, swirling mist. This indescribable, chaotic fog, akin to the primordial qi from the dawn of creation, exuded a mysterious and terrifying aura.
“This isn’t good!”
Realizing something was gravely amiss, Qin Tian retreated a considerable distance without a second thought. Yet, even so, the chaotic mist had already almost enveloped his entire body.
In this predicament, he found his entire body’s magic power seemed to stagnate.
Even his limbs felt stiff, his joints rusted, preventing him from exhibiting his usual superhuman agility. A profound sense of alarm instantly blared within him.
Without hesitation, Qin Tian swiftly retrieved a high-grade consumable artifact from his storage ring. He channeled the last vestiges of his barely functioning magic power into it.
The disc-shaped artifact had only just appeared before its light began to dim at a visible rate. Fortunately, this was merely the edge of the mist, and Qin Tian had activated it just in time.
After a brief dimming, the artifact once again burst forth with brilliant light.
Then…
Pfft!
In Qin Tian’s wide, disbelieving eyes, the artifact that should have unleashed immense spatial tearing power emitted a soft sound, like a mere puff of air.
Then, it vanished completely into the mist before him.
Thankfully, although it failed to tear space, it generated a powerful thrust, pushing Qin Tian, who was already at the edge of the mist, clear of its grasp.
Thud!
A dull thud echoed from the alley’s concrete wall.
The Smiling Asura, a name that struck fear into countless hearts, leaned against the wall, cold sweat beading on his forehead, panting heavily.
He looked as if he had narrowly escaped death.
Observing the completely transformed street before him, a deep apprehension flashed in Qin Tian’s eyes.
Beyond the profound shock, a hint of worry now gnawed at him.
He knew that had he not reacted swiftly and grudgingly expended a life-saving artifact, he might have been eternally trapped within that mist.
“Such a place exists in H City?”
“Right here in the heartland of China, under the watchful eyes of the Human Emperor, the Shadow Guard, and the Immortal Alliance!”
“How could it possibly evade the Human Emperor’s perception?”
A Red Dust Immortal?
This thought, though it surfaced for a fleeting moment, was swiftly and thoroughly dismissed. The current Heavenly Dao made it impossible to achieve immortal status.
The so-called True Immortals were merely the Earth Immortals of ancient times, and the Human Emperor had long confirmed that the true deities of antiquity had perished alongside the ancient Heavenly Dao.
So, what exactly was the entity within this mist?
Qin Tian recalled the sight he had witnessed during his travels when he passed through the Antarctic continent, remembering the things that slumbered there.
A shiver ran down his spine.
It was highly probable that the so-called ‘flower shop owner’ was also an unknown ‘god-level’ entity currently in slumber.
“Regardless, I intend to find out what you truly are.”
Taking a deep breath, Qin Tian made up his mind. He placed a communication jade token within the void of this area.
He rearranged the slightly chaotic magic power within his body, his senses sweeping over the bustling streets a few blocks behind him. He sighed, then stepped back into the mist.
He couldn’t be certain if the owner of the flower shop within the mist was truly a ‘primordial demon’ in the process of awakening, nor did he know the extent of its recovery—whether it had just begun or was on the verge of full awakening.
However, he couldn’t afford to gamble!
Yet, the moment he stepped back into the mist,
In the next instant, the chaotic mist surged.
“Pah!”
With a muffled sound, Qin Tian, his face pale, stumbled backward out of the mist.
Before he could react, in the blink of an eye, the misty domain before him completely dissipated.
The familiar alley reappeared in his line of sight.
It was still the same dead end.
Qin Tian stood rooted, subconsciously glancing down at his phone, which was still playing the recorded video. As he listened to the music, his expression shifted erratically.
“Ow!”
Just then, from the other end of the alley, in the direction of the food city beyond the street, came the sound of something toppling over. Qin Tian, instantly alert, instinctively turned his head.
Under the moonlight, various spices and vegetables lay scattered across the ground. An elderly woman, appearing to be over seventy, sat half-way on the ground, rubbing her waist and sighing in distress.
Seeing this, Qin Tian instinctively walked forward.
With the aid of the moonlight and his exceptional eyesight, he clearly saw the old woman’s deeply wrinkled face. After repeatedly confirming with his Heavenly Eye and senses that there were no strange auras about her, he finally spoke.
“Grandma, do you need help?”
“Oh!”
To his surprise, the old woman sprang up from the ground in fright. Only after seeing that it was a young man of seventeen or eighteen did she let out a sigh of relief.
“You scared me to death! So late at night, I thought I’d seen a ghost!”
“Hahaha, my apologies, Grandma. I was just taking a walk nearby and wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Watching the old woman pat her chest and gasp for breath, Qin Tian naturally displayed the cheerful smile befitting a young man.
Regardless, there was definitely a major problem with this place!
It seemed he needed to return immediately and inform the Alliance Leader!
As he spoke, he helped her right her small cart. Many of the spice jars had shattered, but he helped place the remaining intact ones back in their original positions.
However, for some reason, looking at the small food cart, he felt a momentary sense of awkwardness…
A sudden thought flashed in his mind, and he casually asked,
“By the way, Grandma, do you live around here?”
The moment the words left his lips, Qin Tian focused all his attention on the old woman.
However, she merely slowly and laboriously stood up, leaning against the wall, and replied with a smile,
“Thank you, young man. Oh, around here at night, let alone people, there isn’t even a ghost…”
Boom!
An incomparably powerful surge of magic power instantly erupted from Qin Tian’s body. As his cultivation technique circulated, his entire being was dyed a dark crimson, like an Asura risen from hell.
However, all of it was swiftly brought to a halt.
His magic robe was sealed once more. In Qin Tian’s disbelieving gaze, the old woman’s hand had somehow come to rest on his shoulder.
“Young man, don’t be so impatient…”
The old woman smiled kindly, then her entire face suddenly split open without warning. Beneath it, countless indescribable, crawling chaotic tentacles writhed. In an instant, madness, chaos, and destruction poured into Qin Tian’s mind like a storm.
****
ヾ(✿ﾟ▽ﾟ)ノ