Rumble, rumble.
Before reaching Fengming Town, the rain started pouring heavily.
"Such heavy rain in winter is quite unusual."
Hongping looked at the rain outside and noticed that the carriage was gradually slowing down.
"Master, the road gets slippery when it rains, it's hard to go fast."
Liu Shan said helplessly.
"Then we'll go on foot."
Shen Wang frowned, "If we don't get back before dark, we'll be in mortal danger."
"Ah, is it that serious?"
Liu Shan was startled, mistakenly thinking that his wife would attract demons and ghosts, he nervously said, "Master, you make the arrangements, we'll follow your lead."
"Give me the two children, and you two follow me, leave the carriage."
Shen Wang reached out his hand to Hongping.
The latter decisively handed over the child, and Shen Wang held the child in one hand, while with the other hand, he touched his waist and took out a silver talisman.
The talisman lit up, forming a circle of silver barrier. Shen Wang leaped out of the carriage, the barrier opened just in time, forming a spherical circle, blocking the rain outside, like a special umbrella.
Liu Shan and Hongping didn't have this luxury, they could only each pull down a side curtain of the carriage to shield their heads from the wind and rain.
"Master, what about the horse?"
Liu Shan said reluctantly, "This horse cost me ten taels of silver."
"You can ride it directly, be sure to keep up with me."
Shen Wang strode out, one step spanning three meters, seemingly unhurried, yet advancing quickly.
Liu Shan quickly untied the horse, discarded the carriage, and followed with Hongping.
He found that even on horseback, he could barely keep up with Shen Wang, and remarked in the heavy rain, "Master, you're really impressive."
"Enough nonsense, watch the road."
Shen Wang strode forward, at this moment, fog rose in the mountains, the rain gradually turned into hail, making Liu Shan and Hongping complain bitterly.
With the protection of the talisman-formed barrier, Shen Wang had no issues.
In fact, this Silver Radiance Talisman could block knives and swords, using it to shield from rain and hail was somewhat overkill.
"Never thought that a once-worthless ordinary Treasure Talisman could be of such use now."
Shen Wang mused, the Treasure Talisman was the most ordinary level of talisman, only suitable for mortals and those in the Qi Cultivation Stage, barely a threat to Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The runes he drew on yellow paper were the most basic low-grade Treasure Talismans, with limited power, at most dealing with early-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators.
But for mortals like Liu Shan or the trashy spirits on Hongping, these talismans were sufficient.
Checking his storage pouch at his waist, he found only two ordinary Fireball Treasure Talismans, both top grade, three middle-grade Silver Radiance Talismans, and one Red Smoke Talisman for messaging, there were no other talismans.
He remembered these were prepared when he entered the Cultivation Realm, never used up, and didn't expect them to be useful now.
Clutching the Fireball Talisman in his palm, Shen Wang looked at the relentless rain with increasing fog, feeling the same suspicion as Hongping, "This rain is indeed odd, shouldn't be this heavy in winter."
At that moment, a thunderous boom came from the sky, like a falling thunder, deafening.
Neigh!
The horse was frightened, stumbled, throwing Mr. and Mrs. Liu Shan down, eating a lot of mud.
Liu Shan got up with Hongping, cursing, "What the hell is with this weather, thunder in winter?"
But Shen Wang stared solemnly at the distant sky. Among the dark clouds, there was a faint light, he pondered and said, "Enough talk, hurry up and leave here."
"Master, the horse's leg is broken." Liu Shan thought gloomily.
"Run with your own legs."
Shen Wang wasn't giving them any more time to talk, quickly pulling away. Liu Shan and Hongping could only grit their teeth and follow.
There was repeated rumbling above, flashes of light, mortals would think it was just thunder in winter, but only Shen Wang understood, this wasn't an ordinary weather change, it was definitely a Great Power cultivator fighting in the sky.
The kind of battle that could alter the weather; not only he but the entire Shen Family couldn't afford to provoke.
At this moment, Shen Wang's thought was not only to return home before dark but to avoid being caught in the crossfire of these Great Power cultivators.
After running ten li, the hail stopped, the rain became lighter, after several more li, the sky suddenly cleared up, even with the remaining rays of sunset, bringing some warmth.
Liu Shan and Hongping were stunned, it was their first time encountering such strange weather changes.
"Heard there's different weather every ten li in Southern Heaven, how can we have such weather here, must be damn weird."
Liu Shan muttered, he and Hongping, using the carriage curtain as a cover, were pelted by hail all over, only able to keep their upper bodies from getting entirely wet, shivering from the cold.
"Focus your intention on the Dantian, circulate inner strength to resist the cold entering your body, otherwise you'll easily catch a cold."
Shen Wang turned back, eyes on the dark clouds behind them, which hadn't dissipated, indicating an ongoing magical combat.
His barrier had consumed most of its power, starting to dim, yet he remained completely dry.
Upon hearing this, Liu Shan concentrated his intention on resisting the cold, looking better, exhaling a breath of white mist, saying, "Master also understands martial arts, I admire you."
"The Dao is connected, and it's easy for a cultivator to switch to the Martial Dao."
Shen Wang said calmly, due to his damaged Dantian, unable to condense Spiritual Power, he was forced to study the Martial Dao, but found martial arts didn't work either, as the Dantian is fundamental, with his foundation damaged, both paths were hard to pursue.
Now, he's been forced to dual cultivate in the Martial Dao, unable to condense any Martial Arts True Qi, yet mastering various skills and concepts effortlessly.
"Master is a high-tier expert."
Liu Shan complimented.
"High-tier my ass, if I were a true expert, I wouldn't be cooped up here."
Shen Wang said bluntly, allowing Liu Shan and Hongping to catch their breath, as he looked back at the distant dark mountains, the three ranges resembling a phoenix spreading its wings, looking skyward and crying.
Located on the ridge between them, he could see a residence, concealed among the withered yellow forests, which was his ancestral home.
Though visible, with the saying of "running a horse to die looking at a mountain," it was still a good ten li away, and being a mountain path, one wouldn't make it without some stamina.
"It's getting dark."
He glanced at Grave Mountain, where the three mountains converged, a fleeting sense of dread passing through.
Snap.
The Silver Radiance Talisman's power was depleted, shattering along with the talisman.
Looking down, he saw his daughter smiling at him, innocent and naive.
Shen Wang felt his heart's gloom swept away, those Great Power cultivators, those demons and ghosts, were nothing compared to his daughter's smile.
At this moment, Ruo Water was speechless, wondering why her cheap old dad was giggling.
Her intention was to have him change her diaper.
Earlier, awakened by some commotion, she recalled her previous life's wisdom, temporarily lucid. Seeing Shen Wang looking at her, she smiled in response to this cheap dad.
After the smile, seeing that Shen Wang hadn't realized, she could only helplessly observe her surroundings for a while until a wave of fatigue came over, sighing inwardly, "This body is too weak, can't stay conscious for long, have to keep sleeping."
She closed her eyes, only the infant's instinct remained, soon starting to cry, clearly signaling Shen Wang of her discomfort.