Crossing a vast forest were Shen He and Little Brick.
After processing the corpse, the two began to leave the forest, since the former was injured and the latter had already finished what he had come to do there.
They didn't talk much along the way, but Shen He occasionally cast curious glances at the young man beside him.
'Master, how strong is Brother Brick?' he asked mentally.
But he wasn't talking to himself, and the proof came from the slightly aged voice that answered.
["Xiao He, this young man is using an impressive Qi concealment method, and his fluctuations can't be sensed. That's why I sent out a trace of energy earlier to probe him. Impressively, this young man has already perfected his Foundation Establishment realm."]
The old man's voice echoed in his mind, but besides being shocked at Little Brick's realm, Shen He grew visibly uncomfortable at hearing what his master had done.
'Master! Why are you using your energy like that? Don't use it if you can avoid it!' Distressed, he couldn't help but scold him lightly, worried for his master's well-being.
["Ugh… Xiao He, it was just a trace of energy, it makes no difference at all. Your master isn't that fragile, no need to worry."]
The old man's voice sounded helpless, but he didn't argue with his beloved disciple.
It should be known that during the year they had spent together, they had formed a deep bond, and old Liu, within the necklace, couldn't help but see in Shen He the shadow of his beloved son, whom he had lost so early. Because of this, his care and affection for the boy were no different from those of a father for a son.
In the same way, Shen He wasn't blind to the affection and fatherly love with which his master treated him, and in return, he had grown deeply attached to the old man.
'Haah… master, I know you aren't fragile, but if you can save even just a trace of energy each time, in the end it'll amount to a handful.'
He pleaded in concern, but when no answer came, he understood his master was growing irritated with his constant insistence.
So, helpless, he could only change the subject.
'Okay, I won't mention it anymore. Master, if Brother Brick has already perfected his realm, why hasn't he advanced?' Shen He asked.
This time, his master spoke again after a silent sigh.
["From the firmness of the realm I felt when I superficially probed him, he can advance at any time. Perhaps he's just accumulating to try to obtain a higher quality core, or he doesn't yet have a pill to advance to Golden Core. Know that the aid of a good pill can greatly help in the advancement process."]
The old man replied, instructing his disciple.
'Wow! Brother Brick doesn't look old, but he's already at such a high realm, and still he isn't arrogant like those Foundation Establishments I've heard about. Before, I thought he was just a very strong Qi Refiner. Master, his roots must be extremely powerful, right? Which root did you see?'
Shen He discreetly looked at Little Brick with admiration, who walked along enjoying the nature around him, without a trace of arrogance.
["I only probed his superficial aura, not his body. If you want, I can check."]
Inside the necklace at the youth's neck, the old man stroked his red beard with an interested look. The young man nearby truly was a remarkable talent, to have reached such a level at such a young age, in this barren and poor continent.
'No, master, there's no need. Save your energy, it isn't that important to know Brother Brick's root.' Hearing the old man's offer, Shen He's eyes widened slightly, and he quickly stopped him mentally.
The old man in the necklace merely shrugged, unconcerned, and said nothing more.
Sighing in relief at the silence that showed his stubborn master had accepted his request, Shen He finally turned to Little Brick, who was walking at his side.
"Brother Brick, thank you very much for saving me this time. You truly are very strong," he began, smiling with gratitude and praise.
Little Brick, who had been distractedly looking at the forest, smiled foolishly at the compliment and scratched his neck, a bit embarrassed.
"It was nothing, it was nothing." He waved his other hand humbly, but then looked at him curiously. "But Brother Shen, it was also thanks to your persistence that I managed to arrive in time to save you. That black dog was a First-Level beast that must have just entered the late stage, something like the 7th level of Qi Refinement for us humans, and you managed to survive long enough with your 4th level of Qi Refinement cultivation. That's impressive, considering how strong beasts are."
Little Brick praised him sincerely. It could be shameful to get beaten, but if it was by someone much stronger, it was actually a remarkable feat.
Any other cultivator at the 4th level of Qi Refinement, upon seeing that beast, would have been killed in the blink of an eye, and wouldn't have been able to escape for as long as Shen He did.
"Ugh… Brother Brick, that wasn't a black dog, but rather a shadow wolf. And well, let's not bring up this dark story of mine." Helpless, Shen He sighed, trying to change the subject.
He didn't consider getting beaten something to be proud of, and was a bit embarrassed by the situation.
"It's the same thing, dog or wolf. Anyway, no need to be embarrassed, you're already very strong compared to the others." Little Brick shrugged, without a trace of contempt.
His mind might not be that quick, but he hadn't lost his common sense just because he spent his days among monsters in the sect. He still knew what ordinary reality was like.
Shen He nodded at the compliment, but said nothing more.
Indeed, in the last year he had been with his master, he had managed to advance two levels, which left him very hopeful. Such progress, before being with him, was simply unimaginable. It would have taken more than ten years under normal circumstances.
Under his master's tutelage, he went through various situations during that year, gathered resources, crafted pills, and finally advanced two small levels. Besides, he had learned several methods and techniques that had greatly strengthened him.
In fact, the reason the wolf had been chasing him was that he had stolen a precious medicinal herb for a pill he needed, which the beast was guarding. But in the end, the shadow wolf discovered him, and they fought, with Shen He being defeated and fleeing.
Thinking of that, he looked at Little Brick with worry.
"Brother Brick… were you hunting the shadow wolf because of that?" he asked, pulling the herb from his pouch.
He had been saved by the other party. If the man's goal was that herb, he wouldn't be ungrateful and would hand it over willingly.
But Little Brick only glanced at the herb and immediately lost interest.
"Nah, that's just a Refiner-Tier herb; even the sect's beasts don't eat that. I was hunting the dog because of a sect mission. That beast sometimes leaves the forest to destroy nearby mortal towns and villages, so I came to kill it."
Little Brick explained, shrugging and unconsciously despising the herb, not realizing he had struck Shen He straight in the chest with an arrow called poverty.
In the necklace, old Liu watched the interaction with mild amusement and realized the boy wasn't showing off, just being sincere. His sect's beasts probably really didn't eat that kind of herb.
Still, it impressed him a little. After all, on a desert continent, a sect that fed its beasts only with Founder-Tier herbs was uncommon — in fact, it was extraordinary.
["Interesting. Child, ask which sect he belongs to. It's good for you to know the local forces better; after all, in the coming years you won't be able to roam far from this domain with your cultivation realm."]
The old man ordered, giving some instructions to his disciple.
'I understand, master. I'll ask.' Shen He affirmed mentally.
He then turned to the sturdy youth beside him.
"Brother Brick, which sect do you belong to?" he asked directly, curious.
"Huh? My sect? I'm from the Infinite Dao Sect, the sovereign of this domain, have you heard of it?" Little Brick looked at Shen He innocently, blinking with curiosity, but was puzzled when the boy froze completely upon hearing the answer.
The old man in the necklace was also stunned, and the memory of the blonde girl for whom he felt a strange intimacy flickered back in his mind.
Since seeing her at that recruitment, he had felt extremely sad at his inability to rescue her, and now, hearing that sect's name again, he clenched his fists, his eyes turning slightly red with anger at the thought of the fate that might await her.
'I swear, if you cowards use that girl as a sacrifice to escape this world, whether I become a ghost or a demon, I will hunt every last one of you down.' His rage rose like a flame as he fought to keep it in check.
He didn't know why he cared so much for the girl, but his instincts as a Tribulation Transcendent spoke louder than his rationality.
Knowing he wanted to protect her and despised those fools and their escape methods was enough.
'Master, are you alright?' Shen He, who snapped out of his daze upon sensing his master's slight growl, asked quickly, worried.
He knew old Liu seemed greatly concerned for the beautiful blonde girl he had seen on that occasion, and understood that this must be the reason for the angry growl he'd heard.
Although he didn't understand why his master was so certain the girl was in danger.
'Master, Brother Brick seems like a good person, and his sect even kills beasts that attack ordinary people… could we be mistaken, and they're not really evil? Maybe that girl isn't in danger like you think.' He tried to ease and calm him, sharing some of his thoughts.
Old Liu in the necklace frowned as he considered that. Indeed, that sect didn't show many signs of being demonic or evil. Maybe he was being guided by his own prejudices.
["Maybe that so-called Infinite Dao Sect really isn't involved, and that Soul Formation guardian doesn't belong to them. But there's no doubt the girl is in danger."]
After pondering, he admitted, but that didn't change his conviction that the girl he had seen was not safe.
'Why do you say that, master?' Shen He was very confused by his master's certainty.
["Haah… it's simple. Only the central continent could place a cultivator at Soul Formation as a guard, and the only ones who wouldn't go after that girl with ill intent would be my Liu family, because my grandson is the patriarch. So it must be the other powers. They only didn't send a Void Refiner because that would alert my grandson, who would immediately come to recover the child."]
The old man sighed for a moment, but finally decided to reveal a bit more to his disciple, his expression deadly serious.
His fists clenched as his gaze turned dark.
["Right now, that bunch of cowards must be quietly searching the world for a Silent Cadaver Orchid, trying not to alert my grandson while they do it. But if they manage to get their hands on one…"]
["...the girl's fate will be sealed."]