Chapter 80: I'm Your Creditor
Vale left quickly because Aura had arrived.
In terms of strength, Vale was not scared of Aura, but he had hesitated because of her identity and background.
The others lifted Perrin from the ground and hurriedly followed Vale.
“Why did you make such a promise to him?” asked Aura as she leaped from the flying chariot and walked toward Zen.
Zen was obstinate when it came to matters pertaining to Yan. Hearing Aura's question, he thought for a moment before replying, “I don't want someone like Vale to get close to Yan.”
“Vale is not only Cloud Sect's outstanding disciple, valued by the entire sect, but also the only son of the Master of the noble Wang family. Is he very bad?” asked Aura, puzzled.
“Yes, very bad!” Zen concluded without hesitating.
Aura smiled and said, “Maybe you're the only one who thinks he's bad. Vale is a desirable potential husband for all the unmarried girls in the Imperial Capital...”
“He is too good for my sister. He can marry anyone he wants, but he shouldn't come near Yan!” stated Zen coldly.
Aura's heart skipped a beat when she looked at the serious expression on Zen's face. She had misunderstood Zen. She had no idea that Zen was Yan's brother, and that Zen had worked so hard to earn points to save Yan from Hell Mountain.
Zen's idea was naive, but Aura still sighed. It was rare to see such love and devotion between siblings in a family. In her opinion, Zen was too innocent and trustworthy when it came to matters about Yan.
“Master Su, I'm going up the mountain top to see Yan,” Zen said as he turned toward the path that would take him to the top.
Aura quickly shook her head and said, “You can't see her.”
“Why?” Zen's eyebrows bristled like sharp swords. He had been told that he needed points to see someone imprisoned on Hell Mountain. And yet, Vale had said that Zen was not eligible to visit Yan. And now, Master Su was stopping him.
'Why? Why? Now that I have entered Hell Mountain, why am I not allowed to see Yan?' he roared in his heart.
“The people imprisoned on the top of torture Mountain are not ordinary people. How can you be allowed to see her when you are only an outer disciple? A great array called the six-pointed star array has been set up on the top of the mountain to prevent the prisoners from escaping. You can't get past this great array using your strength. You need permission,” Aura explained to him slowly.
Zen's face turned sour at the news shared by Aura.
Everything Zen had done, from escaping the Luo Clan to entering Cloud Sect to hunting blade locusts, had been because he was driven to visit Yan. After the effort he had made and the challenges he had overcome, Zen found it unacceptable that he couldn't see Yan.
Determined, Zen began walking up the mountain. But he had forgotten that his body was covered in wounds. Although the terrible gashes on his body had stopped bleeding, his movements tore some of them open. The sudden pain was so unbearable that Zen turned pale and almost passed out.
He fell to the ground with a thump.
“Why do you have to do that?” Aura said helplessly. Apparently, Zen would not listen to her at all.
Zen lay on the ground and focused on his breathing before struggling to get back on his feet. He was desperate to reach the top of torture Mountain. After his struggle, wounds that had not reopened began to ooze blood as well.
Seeing this, Aura shook her head and sighed. She stretched her hand, and three streaks of life vitality rolled over Zen. Magically, he was transported onto the flying chariot. Then, Aura jumped into the chariot. Before Zen could protest, the flying chariot began its ascension toward the top of torture Mountain.
About a thousand feet from the mountaintop, a bright blue light suddenly lit up and enveloped the whole summit.
“This is the six-pointed star array. We can't get past it,” stated Aura.
Zen struggled to his feet and began searching the summit with the hopes of catching a glimpse of his sister.
Zen's hearing had become much sharper and his vision much wider since he entered the marrow refining level. However, the distance was too far to find Yan.
As Zen was absorbed in searching for Yan, a brilliant light suddenly appeared on the right side of his line of sight.
Zen then fixed his eyes upon it.
He saw a girl standing gracefully on the edge of a stone platform in the distance. She was burning her life vitality. The extremely dazzling light rose from her and formed a purple light column, which was even brighter than Vale's.
Zen narrowed his eyes as he tried to focus his vision on the young girl. From this considerable distance, he could make out her silhouette, but he couldn't see her features. Once his sight focused, even though the girl looked blurry, Zen recognized her!
She was Yan. His sister.
They looked at each other for a long while. Even though they were too far apart, Zen and Yan were at peace at the moment.
Suddenly Zen leaned forward and gestured to Yan.
Aura and the elder beside Yan were puzzled by the gesture. They didn't understand its meaning.
But Yan smiled at it.
She knew the meaning of his gesture and what he was trying to say to her.
Zen had communicated that he would always protect her.
Yan had seen this gesture many times when she was a child.
She was more powerful than Zen now.
The girl, who had been delicate and fragile in the past, didn't need Zen's protection any longer.
However, the gesture still filled her heart with warmth as it had done before. Now she felt safe...
“We can go back now... ” said Zen. He seemed more relaxed than when Aura had met him.
“Don't you want to stay a little longer?” Aura whispered.
Zen shook his head. “No,” he said.
With a smile, Aura turned the direction of the flying chariot and flew down Hell Mountain.
It wasn't until they had left Hell Mountain and Yan couldn't see him that Zen collapsed on the chariot.
The effort to stand and seek out his sister had used up all his strength.
'What a tough guy!' Aura thought. She curled her lips and said, “You're badly hurt.”
“It's not enough to kill me,” said Zen as he stared blankly at the star-filled sky. The sky was cloudless and surprisingly bright. Scattered stars formed a delicate Milky Way.
“Fa-thud!”
A blood-red pill fell on Zen's side and rolled down the deck to Zen's ear.
Zen reached over and picked up the pill. Then he took a deep breath when he realized what kind of pill it was. “Red all over, with five cloud stripes. If I'm reading this right, it's a five-grade pill, the Red Cloud Pill.”
“I thought you were blind,” Aura chuckled at Zen's remark. “Unexpectedly, you recognize it,” teased Aura, who was steering the flying chariot.
“The five-grade Red Cloud Pill, after being swallowed, will immediately activate blood and build muscle. As long as the user is not dead, the wound, no matter how serious, will recover within an hour. It is also known as the holy potion. For a refiner, a Red Cloud Pill is equal to an extra life. It's invaluable! It costs about a thousand points in market prices. I can't afford it,” Zen said.
“Take it. You can pay me for it later,” Aura laughed.
Zen shook his head and said, “I'm poor, and I have to collect many points... I'm afraid I can't pay you back.”
As Zen spoke, Aura suddenly turned around. Quick as lightning, she grabbed the Red Cloud Pill from Zen's hand and poked Zen's jaw with her finger. As Zen opened his mouth reflexively, Aura pushed the pill into his mouth.
“Don't worry. My investment in you will pay off sooner or later. It will come back to me with a price more than the points for the pill. So, as your creditor, you had better listen to me!” stated Aura in a severe tone of voice. A slight smile danced on her face, however. After that, she turned and continued to drive the flying chariot.
Having consumed the Red Cloud Pill, Zen felt as if there were a raging fire burning inside his stomach. Then a pleasant tingling sensation seeped from the gashes on his body.
The five-grade pill was indeed exceedingly magical. Zen's severe injuries were now recovering at a remarkable rate.
The intense effects quickly spread through Zen's entire body. Gradually, Zen became drowsy, and sleep overcame him. Finally, he passed out.
This was probably the best sleep Zen had ever had in years.
While imprisoned in the cellar of the Luo family, Zen always woke up every morning before dawn to read.
But today, when he woke up, he saw that the sun was already high in the sky.
“What a long rest!”
Zen said in surprise as he stretched and examined his body. The wounds from his battle with Vale on Hell Mountain the day before had healed now. The effect of Red Cloud Pill was truly extraordinary.
He sprang to his feet. Feeling refreshed, Zen found no reason to waste his time. He sat cross-legged and began to work his power according to the Heavenly Ogre Fist.
When Zen had first left the library with the book, he had been determined to learn this cultivation method. However, no matter how much he practiced, Zen had never succeeded. To his surprise, he practiced the cultivation method when he was forced by Vale yesterday.
When Zen opened his eyes today, all he cared about was whether he could still refine the demonic life energy as he had done the previous day.