The light started dwindling in intensity and let Xue Wei return his eyes to it, but the figure that walked out of the light pillar made his face twitch with amusement
Bai Tianyi was in the body of a ten-year-old boy. His hair was long and white, his eyes blue and bright, but these striking features did not change the fact that he seemed to be only ten years old.
"Uh, Tianyi?" Xue Wei called out, mostly to confirm the boy’s identity for his own sake. "You seem a little... short."
"Well, why don't you try creating a body from scratch?" Bai Tianyi snorted. His voice sounded immature, without any rust of age. And his overall appearance, including the vibe he gave off, was very feminine. In fact, it was rather difficult to determine his gender.
"I did not mean to insult you." Xue Wei apologized, but it was hard for him to hide his amusement. "You are able to create a body – this is a great benefit to us. But will you age as you get stronger?"
"I doubt it," Tianyi muttered with slight annoyance in his voice. "I spent all the soul energy I have absorbed up until now to create this body. If I want to create another body, it will require even more energy. But who cares. I may look like a kid for the rest of my life, but this life of mine is eternal, so I have nothing to regret!"
Xue Wei and Hei Gou exchanged glances. They knew Bai Tianyi very well, and understood how much immortality meant to him. It was something he had sought after for many years, even at the cost of his very humanity itself.
Now that he had achieved it, why should he care about the fact that he would look like a child in the future?
A maddened laugh erupted from Bai Tianyi when he examined his body anew for the umpteenth time. He had arms, he had legs, he had a head, and he had everything that made him human.
Except, he was completely naked right now. The realization hit him late, and an embarrassed glance around at the others told him that his audience was witnessing him in his stark naked glory.
"Ahem," he coughed slightly, and then waved his hand. Sword energy sept out from it and suddenly expanded and wrapped itself around the frail, childish body.
When the sword energy settled, it had taken the shape of a white robe with golden embroideries. He also used the sword energy to create a golden crown that held his hair on top of his head in a ponytail, which draped down his back.
Although he looked like a ten-year-old boy, his blue eyes were deep and seemed as if they had experienced the vicissitudes of life. His lips were curled into an arrogant smirk, and his handsome appearance did not in any way resemble a naive and innocent young boy.
"Finally dressed?" Wang Xiaoyun asked as she stood with her back to the young boy. Although he had the body of a child, she was not about to mistakenly underestimate him. She knew that Bai Tianyi’s true form was that of a sword, and she also knew who he was from the tales Xue Wei had shared with her.
"Little lass, you can turn around now," Bai Tianyi said arrogantly, but the picture of a ten-year-old boy arrogantly calling Wang Xiaoyun a 'little lass' almost made Xue Wei burst into laughter.
While Xue Wei could hold his laughter, Hei Gou had a very difficult time doing so. He had turned his back to them, and his shoulders were shaking. He was bending forward, his one arm resting on his leg, the other covering his smirking mouth.
"Is it funny?" Bai Tianyi suddenly asked dangerously. Both Xue Wei and Hei Gou shook their heads like rattle drums, but it was impossible for them to completely conceal the traces of amusement.
"Well, laugh all you want," he finally muttered. "I am alive again, and it feels great even if I am stuck in the body of a child!"
"Anyway, we have something much more important at hand than my childish appearance," Bai Tianyi suddenly said austerely. Xue Wei and Hei Gou quickly turned serious.
"Can you figure out what has been left behind by the supreme expert?" Xue Wei asked with bated breath. Bai Tianyi smirked, clearly enjoying the power that question gave him.
"My dear friends, I was an expert standing at the apex of this world. I was the one they all looked up to. Even if this is a ‘supreme expert’, it’s impossible for him to have managed to surpass me from before my imprisonment."
"Although my strength has greatly suffered after all these years in captivity and my soul is now a sword spirit that was once close to destruction, I still have all my knowledge from back when I was the expert standing above everyone else."
"The expert who created this place was without a doubt a master at formations. I assume this is his final resting place and that he has been looking for his successor, but since his obsession is with formations, he will only let a formation master open his grave. Since he made an age-restricting formation, it is near impossible for a formation master of sufficient skill from the younger generation to enter and open his grave."
"Fortunately, I have some experience with formations, and since I am theoretically no longer a living being, the age restricting formation has no way of limiting me."
"So what you are trying to say is that no one has been able to enter the deceased senior's grave after all these years?" Xue Wei inquired, his eyes filled with excitement.
"That is exactly what I am saying," Bai Tianyi snickered. He was also excited.
"Soul power usually dissipates when someone dies," he continued, "but there is a chance that this expert has locked his soul in a formation so that it stays with his remains. Let us all agree; if the soul is still there, then I get the soul energy."
Xue Wei shrugged his shoulders. "You are our ticket inside. Of course you get to pick first. If you want soul energy, then yours it is," he said casually. Although the soul energy could help him with his spiritual energy, he was eager to see Bai Tianyi grow in strength and thus he did not hesitate to give it up.
Bai Tianyi beamed with excitement when he heard this, and he looked at the plain and simple mountain wall that Xue Wei and company could not figure out.
He then lifted his hand and placed it on the wall. A mixture of sword energy and spiritual energy scattered out through the wall from the contact point.
This energy gave all three a great sense of danger when they felt it. It was sharp like a drawn sword and fierce like a Primordial Beast. The sensation of danger it gave off exceeded what the Ordinary Knights from the Black Iron Fortress gave off.
"Someone is coming," Xue Wei suddenly muttered. "It seems that the pillar of light that appeared when you took on your human shape has attracted some hyenas."
"Let them come!" Wang Xiaoyun was the first to react. She quickly pulled out her fan and gripped its handle with intent to fight.
Hei Gou was also eager to do battle and put on his claws. He looked menacingly in the same direction as Xue Wei.
"There are two groups of five," Xue Wei said, maintaining his spiritual energy sense, but he relaxed after a bit of time. "I think there are only two groups that noticed the light from the transformation."
"Deal with them," Bai Tianyi said ruthlessly. "And do it right here. I will need their Soul Energy to open this treasury."
"Understood." Xue Wei gave a wicked smile.
He held nothing back. The killing intent had been boiling him from the inside since the last fight. He was feeling eager to begin slaughtering, and the atmosphere turned heavy.
Both Wang Xiaoyun and Hei Gou could feel his killing intent, but it was not aimed at them so it did not hinder them in any way. It just left a pressuring atmosphere in the surroundings.
Bai Tianyi looked with surprise at Xue Wei and snickered. "My master is indeed not simple," he muttered to himself before his face turned serious and he focused fully on the task at hand.
While having retained his memories, Bai Tianyi’s strength was nothing special. He could generate power equal to a ninth layer Sky Warrior, so it was a mediocre boost to their team’s overall strength in actual combat.
Still, he was able to use this strength much better than others, as his experience at the higher stages had given him near-perfect energy control.
For now, he had to activate the formation covering the mountain wall.
"They are here," Xue Wei growled. His voice was low and dangerous, and boundless killing intent roiled from it.
Forbidden Rush!
Xue Wei was the first to act as he turned into a shadow and rushed towards the thicket where a low rustling appeared.
An azure gleam could be seen as Xue Wei transformed both arms and legs into the claws and legs of an azure dragon. This was the first time he ever tried transforming his legs, but it was as natural as breathing to him.
"Watch out!" someone yelled out loud when he saw the azure gleam. However, soon after, the azure blur came to a stop and Xue Wei stood in the middle of their group while holding an expert in the grip of an azure claw. There was a wicked grin on his face.
"You should not have come here." Xue Wei snickered. "You will never leave again."
There was so much killing intent in his voice that the pupils of the Primordial Beasts shrunk to the size of needles. Xue Wei’s undisguised aura of brutality was something even they, as beasts, were unfamiliar with.
Even worse, Xue Wei seemed to have partly transformed. Was he some kind of Primordial Beast too? Why would he turn against his comrades?
"Who are you?" the leader of one of the groups asked while retreating slightly. He had never seen such a brutal display before – and he had grown up as a Primordial Beast, a race famed for its brutality.
"Why should I tell you?" Xue Wei started laughing and clenched his hand, squishing the neck of the expert in his grip to mincemeat. The sound of breaking bones filled the area, and the smell of blood slowly wafted out.
"Don't push your luck! If it’s a fight you want, let’s take this to the end! Don't slight us just because you had the first kill. We will gladly make you share our fallen brother's fate!"
"Well then, I welcome you to try!" Xue Wei snickered, before glancing towards Wang Xiaoyun and Hei Gou, who both joined the fray seconds after.
Kick of the Forgotten Kings!
With this kick, the chest of one of the Primordial Beasts caved inwards. He spat out a mouthful of blood, but before he had the chance to retaliate or even steady himself, Hei Gou severed his head from its body with his sharp claws.
Forbidden Rush!
Azure Light Finger!
Beams of azure light shone, and a weaker expert felt a sudden danger emerge in his heart. He retreated as fast as he could and evaded the first one, but a second light beam instantly followed up and pierced through his skull. He lost his life without even knowing what had happened.