After being speechless for a while Zai Mushen sat down next to the fainted Shu Qing as he sent his spirit out of the cave. The first thing he saw was a land scorched black by the lightening with a swath of smoke billowing around apart from that the sky was blue but there were still some lingering dark clouds.
" This worlds elemental qi is only so so, I guess there won't be any powerful cultivator here " thought Zai Mushen
As the spirit moved upward its preception increased as it saw mountains filled with herbs and beasts, with a bit more it saw a city with tall buildings with people living in it, people moving around in metal boxes, flying metal boxes and so on. As he had thought he could not find any powerful cultivator even if he increased his preception and could only sense some at the connate spirit level.
The cultivation levels included body refining as the lowest phase after that came bone refining, Qi refining, Golden core, spirit pagoda stage, connate spirit stage, true spirit stage which were called as the lower level of cultivation realms after that came middle level of cultivation which consisted of spirit lord stage, false spirit king stage, true spirit king stage, sacred spirit king stage, quasi-spirit emperor stage, spirit emperor stage, sacred emperor stage lastly came highest level of cultivation known till date quasi-immortal spirit stage, immortal spirit stage, quasi-deity stage, true-deity stage, demigod stage, true-god stage, god-king stage, supreme god stage, and ancient god. The stages are further divided into early-stage, initial-stage, mid-stage, late-stage and peak-stage.
Although Zai Mushen's cultivation had dropped to sacred spirit king mid-stage he would not be facing any bottleneck, only requiring him a large amount of elemental qi as he had already stepped into the ancient god stage before.
After checking the surroundings a bit more Zai Mushen recalled his spirit back into his body.
Opening his eyes he looks at Shu Qing who is beside him stiff all over and breathing hurriedly. Shaking his head he asks " Little lady I know you are awake already whats with all this act "
The tiny head of Shu Qing slowly turns towards Zai Mushen as she sits cross-legged beside him
taking a sneaky once in awhile.
After some awkward moment of silence, Shu Qing points at the Pavillion where a jade coffin used to be and asked " Were you the one that was sealed in the coffin?"
Zai mushen just acted as if he hadn't heard the question but takes outs a bangle with nine pearls from his ring and gives it to Shu Qing but she doesn't saying " No No how could I, I don't even know you and wouldn't you erase my memory " After all the one who needed to be sealed surely cannot be some weakass.
Hearing her say that he smiles and puts the bangle on her dainty arm saying "since the fate has brought us together take this as a gift, it has nine pearl beads which means it can be used only nine times whether it attacking, defending or saving some life and the bangle itself also has a qi gathering formation which will benefit your cultivation"
The eyes of Shu Qing couldn't help but sparkle upon hearing the benefits of the bangle but more so the bangle was really exquisite and beautiful. " will others be able to steal it" she couldn't help but ask as she loved it very much.
" Just drop your blood and the spirit inside will recognize you as its master unless you want to take it off no one will be able to take it " said Zai Mushen as he saw the girl looking at the bangle as if a child had found a new toy to play with.
Upon hearing what Zai Mushen said she hurriedly dropped some blood from her fingertips. After that, she could feel that there was a connection between her and the bangle as the elemental qi around slowly began to flow into her body.
Zai Mushen stood up and said " the forest outside is burning so you won't be able to leave yourself so, I will send you to your home before I go on my way "
Hearing of going home Shu Qing hurriedly stood up as she couldn't help but pout angrily and recounted how she was chased by someone and had stumbled here.
When Zai Mushen heard her complain to him while pouting he couldn't help but pat on her head as she was only a child in her early teens but when was in his early teens he could only grit his teeth and train harder to enact his revenge. Thinking of it he couldn't help but remember his parents, grandparents, clan members who had made a safe path for him to escape with their life and the attendants who went through thick and thin with him.
" Ok little lady I know you suffered very much so why don't I send you home so that your parents can be at ease " said Zai Mushen when he found that this girl was not stopping her grumbling at all giving him a headache.
The little lady nodded her head but suddenly she lowered her it and said "I don't like being called little lady. My name is Shu Qing and my parents call me Qing'er why don't you call me that and I will call you big brother Zai, OK?"
As for Zai Mushen he was silent as he too had cousin sister's but none were alive, tears couldn't help but flow from the pretty eyes of Shu Qing as she felt that she had been denied. On the other hand, Zai Mushen became flustered as he saw the girl dropping her tears off as if she suffered great grievances. So he couldn't help but surrender " aaaii girls really are made of water, ok I will call you Qing'er and you can call me brother Zai"
Getting what she wanted Shu Qing hurriedly wiped her tears and smiled " Big brother Zai is the best, but how are we going go since the forest is burning"
Smiling wryly upon seeing how the girl changed her mood so fast, he could only answer " you don't have to worry about that, just think of your home in your mind and i will know where it is"
" Really " questioned Shu Qing while looking at him with squinted eyes to which Zai Mushen could only helplessly nod his head. He who was an ancient god was being questioned of his abilities for goodness sake.
" Ok " with that Shu Qing closed her eyes and thought of her house gate. " Ok hold my hand and close your eyes and don't open unless I say so " said Zai Mushen as he got the location of her house.
" Ok big brother Zai" with that she held his hand tightly
As for Zai Mushen he just opened a spatial gate and led Shu Qing into it. " open your eyes and see if this is the one" asked Zai Mushen
Slowly opening her eyes Shu Qing couldn't help but feel dumbfounded as it really was her house. But it was three days far from The Dark forest and it took only some seconds to reach here.
"Ok Qing'er its time for me to go and hope that we will meet again" said Zai Mushen as he gently patted her tiny head and he really loved patting on her.
Getting patted Shu Qing squinted her eyes like the cats expressing her happiness and asked " Can't you came inside with me big brother Zai?"
To which he could only answer " No, I can't. so be a good girl and take care of your self" But before Shu Qing could answer Zai Mushen had already vanished in thin air. Shu Qing could only look at the sky while rubbing the bangle on her wrist before going inside the gate.