Chapter 350: Are You Responsible?

~~~

As they near the temple, Su Daji grows progressively tense for reasons Liu Jin fully understands. He already shared with her what happened to him the first time he was exposed to the temple’s barrier. That thing is not friendly to those of demonic disposition, but that’s precisely why they must visit the temple first. Better to ascertain what will happen to them under controlled circumstances than wait until they are in desperate need of shelter.

A flash of pink appears in the corner of his eyes.

Liu Jin turns, blinks, and immediately has to rub his eyes to make sure he is not imagining things. Over the course of their journey, they flew over vast plains, lush valleys, deep canyons, and dense forests. However, all of that faded away when they reached the Dead Plains. Such is the nature of the dreaded place. The Dead Plains are a scar on the land from which nothing can grow. That has been the rule for millennia.

So why is there a field of flowers before them?

“I thought this place was supposed to be an inhospitable wasteland?” Big Nose Li asks. His gaze switches between the people inside the wagon and the field of pink flowers. There are even petals floating in the wind.

“It was,” Liu Jin says, feeling as confused as everyone else. The land around the temple has been transformed beyond recognition. If Liu Jin weren’t seeing it with his own eyes, he’d have a hard time believing it.

Big Sister Bai sighs and shakes her head.

“That fool. He should have told us of this,” she says.

The Flame-Wheeled Wagons land without issue. Seconds later, so does Soaring Feather. The eagle’s size, already larger than the wagons, causes visible nervousness among the disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan waiting for them.

“Welcome!” a man greets them, bowing deeply. “It does this one good to see you.”

Tall and dark-haired with an owl-like gaze that is a little too unnerving for him to ever be called handsome. He is a Core Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan whose cultivation is already on the mid-levels of the Heaven Realm. Despite that, there is nothing oppressive about his aura. On the contrary, the air around is overwhelmingly calm, so much so that it invites anyone around him to relax. Paradoxically, that is more likely to make a high-level cultivator nervous.

“Senior Brother Lotus,” Liu Jin says. “It has been a long time.”

He had been Senior Brother Mud when Liu Jin first met him, a Core Disciple under the command of Elder Xun. He was a reliable ally during Liu Jin’s time in the Eternal Flame Clan, who even saved his life. He had been far beyond him back then.

He is far beyond him still.

Though Liu Jin has already reached the Heaven Realm, he cannot imagine a scenario in which he can defeat the man in front of him. One merely needs to look around to understand the fullness of his power.

“This field of flowers,” Liu Jin says, allowing his eyes to wander. The temple has become so unlike the Dead Plains he knows. Even the air smells sweet. “Am I correct in assuming you are responsible for it?”

Senior Brother Lotus smiles.

“We all wish to bloom,” he says. “I merely lent some aid.”

Liu Jin resists the urge to scoff in disbelief. He is not the only one. He can literally feel the incredulity radiating from Big Sister Bai. To make something bloom here is nothing short of an amazing feat. Senior Brother Lotus is truly understating things.

But what if he is not?

What if, for him, this really is as simple as giving his surroundings a little nudge?

“Shall we go inside?”

~~~

The field of flowers is not the only change to the temple. The ancient rooms and corridors have been thoroughly cleaned, and floating white flames have been scattered throughout the building to give it proper illumination. There is even new furniture in every room, all of it brought straight from the Eternal Flame Clan.

The large table in the room that Senior Brother Lotus leads them to is not a new addition. Its surface is smooth like polished obsidian, and several small seats of the same material surround it.

“As I understand, you are looking for two Renegades,” Senior Brother Lotus says as they all sit down.

“Correct,” Liu Jin says. “We are looking for Senior Brother Xiao Nan and the Duke who helped us when we were in the Dead Plains.”

“Ah, the succession crisis.” Senior Brother Lotus shakes his head softly. “It feels like only yesterday.”

He waves a hand, and the table glows with energy. An instant later, a large projection appears over it. It is a map showing the entirety of the known continent, including the Dead Plains.

“Amazing,” Bai Wen says, carefully looking at the map. She tilts her head in Senior Brother Lotus’s direction. “Is it to scale?”

Senior Brother Lotus nods.

“As far as we know, this is the most accurate map of the known continent,” he replies. “When the temple awakened, it seems to have scried its surroundings for countless miles. Alas, the areas on the other side remain a mystery to us.”

“It’s so big,” Big Nose Li says, looking at the map with an awed look. He points to a desert area. “That’s Pure Oasis Country. It’s small compared to the Crimson Cloud Empire or the Storm Dragon Empire, but it’s still a country, and yet…”

And yet, it cannot compare to the size of the Dead Plains. Looking at the map makes it clear that the Dead Plains are equal in size to the rest of the known continent. If the other side of the Dead Plains is not inferior to it and each of the three powers controls one-third of it, it means they are nations unto themselves.

“Good. You can see the inherent problem,” Senior Brother Lotus says. He points to a section of the map. “These are the True Dead Plains, an area devoid of any ambient Qi through which no one can pass. However, even if you exclude it, the remaining area is still larger than any known country. Trying to locate two people across such a vast area is a daunting proposition.”

“So you are telling us there is no point in trying?” Su Daji asks. She has her elbows on the table.

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“Were you looking for any other two Renegades, that would be my answer,” Senior Brother Lotus replies. “However, these two are known to travel together and often engage in fights, which are quite easy to sense. Seeing as neither has died yet, we are forced to conclude that these are sparring matches.”

“You can sense them fighting regardless of where in the Dead Plains they are?” Liu Jin asks.

“We can all sense them,” Senior Brother Lotus says. “Renegades are notoriously unrestrained. I had no idea how true that statement was until I began living here. This one has been forced to rethink previously held assumptions about the true strength of Emperor Realm cultivators.”

Liu Jin’s eyebrows rise. Coming from someone as capable as Senior Brother Lotus, that is quite a statement.

“This was their last known location,” Senior Brother Lotus says, pointing to a spot far away from the temple. By Liu Jin’s estimates, the distance is more or less equal to the diameter of the Storm Dragon Empire. “Of course, that was weeks ago, and Renegades are prone to wandering. Regardless, I’d advise that you begin your search there.”

“What is the longest and the shortest time that transpired between their battles?” Big Sister Bai asks. “I would also like to know their current level of cultivation.”

“The shortest would be about two weeks. The longest…seven months,” Senior Brother Lotus replies. “As for their level, it is hard to make it out from such a large distance, but this one believes them to be in the upper levels of the Renegade Realm.”

“So in the worst-case scenario, it could take over half a year for them to make themselves known,” Su Daji says before perking up. “On the bright side, it means they can start fighting at any moment!”