Chapter 00177: Rest Easy as the Sixth
# Rest Easy as the Sixth
Chapter 177
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 177: Rest Easy as the Sixth
After finishing his words, Ding Huan clasped his fists towards Elder Gu and Elder Liu, saying, "Elder Gu, Elder Liu, thank you both for taking care of me on the journey. I shall take my leave now."
Neither Gu Youchang nor Liu Yingzhu regarded Ding Huan as a true chef.
Now that he was about to depart, both of them hastily exchanged pleasantries.
Han Weicheng originally wanted to step forward to bid farewell to Ding Huan, but then he remembered that Ding Huan did not have much time left.
He decided against it, knowing that if he approached Ding Huan, he might also offend Steward Qiong.
Ding Huan quickly took a different direction and left rapidly with the Sixth.
“Brother Ding, let me go with you,” Yan Mei hurriedly followed behind.
Yan Mei was a new disciple of the Twin Souls Sect, and at the moment, the sect had no one else around.
Since he and Ding Huan had developed a good rapport, nobody took note of him seeking out Ding Huan.
A group of newly admitted disciples boarded Elder Gu’s flying ship, and at that moment, Elder Liu summoned her own flying vessel.
Dong Qiong did not board Elder Gu’s ship but chose to deploy his own.
“Master, I saw that Steward Qiong didn’t get on Elder Gu’s ship. He wouldn’t be chasing after Ding Huan, would he?” Mo Huaping couldn’t help but ask.
Liu Yingzhu snorted, “Dong Qiong is definitely going to hunt Ding Huan down. Ha, what an insensible steward from the Yan Yue Sect.”
Mo Huaping sighed, “Alas, although Ding Huan has a bit of a bad temper, he does have some skill. He understands the situation and knows how to behave. I never expected he would risk his life for a single Nurturing Star Bamboo. For someone with poor aptitude like him, he can never cultivate to the Energy Transformation stage in this lifetime, so why risk his life for a spiritual herb?”
Liu Yingzhu casually replied, “Do you think Ding Huan would really get killed by Dong Qiong?”
Mo Huaping nodded with certainty, “Yes, Ding Huan has just entered the initial stage of Energy Refinement, and his strength is unlikely to withstand a single breath before Dong Qiong.”
Liu Yingzhu chuckled, “If even Dong Qiong can kill Ding Huan, then I must be blind.”
“Ah, Master, why do you say that? Dong Qiong’s strength can easily crush Ding Huan,” Mo Huaping retorted.
Liu Yingzhu shook her head, “Do you think having strength means you can do as you please? Do you know how the strongest in the Ascension Realm, Ji Xinting, the leader of the Divine Wilderness Sect, met his demise? He was killed by someone else too. I don’t know how Ding Huan will escape, but I am sure that a mere Dong Qiong cannot kill him.”
If Ding Huan wasn’t so terrifying, she would have already sought to recommend him to join the Zixia Valley.
How could someone like him fail to survive Dong Qiong’s attempts?
If Dong Qiong could really kill Ding Huan, then Qiyue Mountain would have done so long ago.
“Brother Ding, where are we going now? We don’t know anything about the Dao cultivating world,” Yan Mei couldn't help but ask behind Ding Huan.
Ding Huan quickened his pace, “We’ll cross the Lost Marsh first.”
“Ah…” Yan Mei was alarmed and quickly responded, “Brother Ding, we just braved death to cross the Lost Marsh. If we go further, isn’t that throwing our lives away?”
Ding Huan sighed, “What can I do when my strength is too low? That jerk Dong Qiong won’t let me go. He will definitely come back to hunt me down for the Nurturing Star Bamboo.”
Yan Mei paused for a moment, confused, “Brother, since you know Dong Qiong will come back to seek you for the bamboo, why do you still want it?”
Ding Huan sneered, “Why should I give my belongings to an ingrate? Does he have a fairer face?”
Having said this, Ding Huan arrived at the edge of the Lost Marsh and stepped into it without hesitation.
The Sixth naturally followed without a moment's doubt; wherever Ding Huan went, it had to follow.
Yan Mei did not hesitate either, fully aware that he had no way out.
The moment he killed someone from Qiyue Mountain, there was no turning back for him.
The Lost Marsh quickly concealed Ding Huan and his companions as the vast land returned to its previous desolate stillness.
Almost at the moment Ding Huan’s figure vanished into the Lost Marsh, a flying magic treasure rushed in from afar and landed where everyone had previously departed.
A man stepped out from the ship, and it was none other than Steward Qiong, who had left not long ago.
Steward Qiong stored his ship away and began to survey the area carefully but saw nothing after looking around for a long time.
This made Steward Qiong furrow his brows in confusion—this was impossible, right?
No matter how capable Ding Huan was, he couldn’t have gotten far in such a short time.
After all, his flying ship had just made a round around the perimeter.
If Ding Huan had been nearby, he would have seen him long ago.
Though Ding Huan had not formed his foundation, his spiritual sense had been honed over the years and refined in the vast cosmic sky for a year or two.
Thus, when it came to the substance of spiritual sense, he was likely stronger than even Steward Qiong.
At this moment, he sensed Steward Qiong coming to search for him.
This steward was not only an ingrate but also a beast that repaid kindness with malice.
For the sake of a Nurturing Star Bamboo, had this guy’s conscience been eaten by dogs? Someday he would indeed come back to deal with this nuisance.
Ding Huan did not bring a large group this time, nor did he intentionally slow down.
In just half a day, he led Yan Mei and the Sixth out of the Lost Marsh.
“Brother Ding, have we come back in such a short time?” Yan Mei exclaimed after stepping out of the Lost Marsh.
Ding Huan could only explain, “I’ve figured out a pattern. No matter how we go back, we won’t fall into the Marsh’s dark hole again.”
Yan Mei was elated since that meant if they could evade Steward Qiong’s pursuit, they would still have a chance to return.
Ding Huan assessed their current location.
They were in the area between the Great Rift Canyon and the Lost Marsh, a kind of safe zone.
This area stretched infinitely long, and its boundaries were unknown.
The width of this middle zone varied, with the widest part spanning dozens of miles, and the narrowest only a few zhang.
“Let’s go. We’ll head up for now. If we walk for ten days or half a month, even if Steward Qiong searches for us, he won’t find us,” Ding Huan decided to follow this middle pathway upstream.
Ding Huan moved quickly, and the Sixth, having a similar cultivation level, naturally kept pace.
In comparison, Yan Mei was much slower.
Although his aptitude was decent, he had just been accepted as a new disciple and had yet to begin practicing in the sect.
Previously, he had pieced together his training techniques haphazardly.
One day later, before night fell, Ding Huan found a spacious place to set up camp.
Having worried for several days about getting lost in the Lost Marsh, Yan Mei, as soon as he dropped his burden, collapsed onto the ground and fell asleep.
For the first time, Ding Huan tried to set up a defensive formation outside his tent.
However, laying down a defensive formation was different from carving seals; it required formation flags.
At least, Ding Huan did not yet know how to use array patterns to set formations.
Two hours later, Ding Huan had managed to set up a nearly level-one defensive formation.
Strictly speaking, it was a defense formation without a rank.
The array flags were crafted by Ding Huan using materials he had bought in Four Directions City.
His crafted array flags could not qualify as magic tools.
With his current level, not being able to set up a level-one defensive formation was rather normal.
“Old Six, come in.” Once the formation was set, Ding Huan immediately called the Sixth inside.
The Sixth looked at Ding Huan with some confusion.
Initially, Ding Huan had never allowed him to attempt foundation-building.
Now that they had finally escaped from the main group, he planned to start his breakthrough.
“Old Six, this is the Dao cultivating world. I feel my strength cannot protect you. Moreover, just across is the Great Rift Canyon, a paradise for beasts.”
Ding Huan pointed toward the Great Rift Canyon and continued, “If you don’t wish to wander with me, I think it’s fine for you to go into the Great Rift Canyon. I believe with your intelligence, you’ll succeed in establishing your foundation sooner or later. Since we are acquainted, I should normally release our master-servant contract, but unfortunately, my power is limited, and I cannot dissolve it.”
The idea of breaking the master-servant contract was merely polite conversation; Ding Huan genuinely could not do so.
Even if he could, he would not break the contract with the Sixth.
This creature was not to be underestimated.
It knew Ding Huan had obtained many Spirit Crystals, and this was still without mentioning the star house matter.
Who knows what it might do if freed from the contract?
Hearing this, the Sixth’s eyes darted around.
When it came to loyalty, it had barely any.
It understood its situation well; now, aside from following Ding Huan, it had no way out.
After all, it was a gene spirit root.
After multiple attempts at foundation-building, it had never succeeded.
Who knew if this time would be any different?
Thinking of this, the Sixth hurriedly took out pen and paper.
“Brother Huan, I swear my loyalty to you. Even if there are ten thousand Great Rift Canyons, I will not leave!”
Ding Huan didn’t believe a word coming from the Sixth.
Since the Sixth was unwilling to head out, he didn’t bother to say more.
He took out a Spirit Blue Fruit and handed it over to the Sixth.
Before the Sixth could even grab the fruit, an overwhelming desire surged within it.
It dropped the pen and paper, stepping forward to grab the Spirit Blue Fruit in its hands.
“Brother Huan, what kind of spiritual fruit is this?” the Sixth eagerly picked up the pen again to write.
“You’ll know once you eat it,” Ding Huan replied.
He too was curious if this fruit was indeed as magical as he remembered, capable of allowing beasts to speak.
Having been waiting for Ding Huan’s words, the Sixth swallowed the Spirit Blue Fruit without hesitation.
A tearing sensation erupted in its throat, and the Sixth was startled.
It thought this was a toxic fruit, wondering if Brother Huan wanted to get rid of it.
Soon after, it realized if Ding Huan wanted to deal with it, he wouldn’t waste a fruit; a single thought could accomplish that.
In a brief moment, the Sixth felt a tremendous change sweeping over its body, as though it had been washed clean.
“Brother Huan…” the Sixth called out, before suddenly remembering to grab the pen again.
Then the Sixth was astonished by its own voice; it had regained its ability to speak.
“Brother Huan, is this a magical fruit that allows beasts to express human speech?” The Sixth’s excited voice trembled.
Ding Huan chuckled, “What do you think?”
“Thank you, Brother Huan! I, Old Six, guarantee that in the future, if you tell me to go left, I won’t go right; if you tell me to go forward, I won’t go back!”
The Sixth couldn’t contain its joy anymore.
Then it thought to itself that Brother Huan was quite cunning.
If it had truly gone to the Great Rift Canyon, Brother Huan would definitely not have given it such a fruit.
Human hearts are treacherous; I will just keep following Brother Huan, happy to be Old Six.
(End of chapter)