Yun Shu didn't spend too much time on the square. After leaving Su Lingwen, he headed for the inner part of the Valley of Crime.
It was already getting dark. To face even stronger winds, Yun Shu had to go deeper into the valley before the winds arrived. After all, once they did, it would be too hard for him to move forward.
The valley was massive. It stretched from north to south for more than a thousand miles. As Yun Shu went further inside, the environment kept getting worse.
Most young disciples were gathered in the southern area of the valley within the range of a thousand miles, and they rarely left the area.
In a few stone shelters, some sinful Elders were also confined. However, most of them couldn't leave their residence. In fact, their shelters should be considered their cells.
Therefore, Yun Shu had not run into anyone after he left the southern side. This time, he had gone a hundred miles further, so the winds should be challenging enough.
In the past few days, his understanding of sword intent had improved a notch. Meanwhile, he had also come to a better understanding of how violent and threatening the winds were. He had only decided to challenge himself further because he just made another breakthrough.
When he stopped walking and got ready to face the killing wind, to Yun Shu's surprise, he saw a figure walking staggeringly in the front between the big rocks.
He looked like an old man.
Yun Shu sensed no special Qi from that old man. Besides, he didn't look like an Elder to him at all.
Then why was the old man here?
The killing wind would be arriving soon. Looking at that old figure from behind, Yun Shu started missing his dad.
"Hey, what are you doing here? You need help?" Yun Shu called out to the old man from behind.
The old man was obviously startled. He turned around towards the voice, taking a while to find Yun Shu in the darkness.
"I tried to find some food, but I got lost in the stone forest…" said that old man.
"Getting lost here is extremely dangerous," warned Yun Shu, frowning.
That man hurriedly asked, "What time is it?"
"Almost midnight," answered Yun Shu.
The old man almost burst into tears. "Then… Then the killing wind's coming!"
Yun Shu nodded. "Right."
At this time, the wind started blowing from afar. Both of them could hear the whistling sounds, as if great danger was about to befall them.
Hearing that, the old man started crying, "I'm gonna die here! I'll die! My punishment has almost reached the end, but now, I'm dying here!"
Yun Shu felt that was too cruel to the old man. If he did not have the world behind that stone gate, he would have been suffering the same fate as this pitiful man.
He sighed and said to the old man, "Come and stand behind me. Don't walk away!"
"What do you want to do, little brother? This wind is merciless; we can't fight it! Let's find a place to hide!" The old man trilled, his legs barely supporting himself.
"Do as I say!" Yun Shu pulled the old man's arm and made him stand behind his back. Then he picked up a tree branch from the ground and held it in his hand.
To practice his sword intent, Yun Shu wouldn't use his ugly sword, or it would be too easy.
"Little brother, what's this for?" The old man was stunned.
"I'm gonna cleave the wind," said Yun Shu calmly.
"What?" The old man couldn't believe his ears.
That was crazy!
At this time, the killing wind made its appearance!
"We're gonna die!" The old man squatted on the ground, his arms covering his head.
After a while, he realized that the sharp blows of wind didn't harm him at all. He carefully opened his eyes, wondering where the menacing wind had gone. Holding a wooden stick in his hand, the young man standing in front of him kept hacking and splitting the crazy, roaring wind.
The killing wind was known to be fatal, even for cultivators. However, the young man could cut the wind simply with the stick in his hand!
"Little brother, you're… you're quite something!" The old man almost dropped his chin to the floor. Then the old man hurriedly asked, "Are you one of the Elders who always look young? Why are you so powerful?"
Yun Shu was working hard on cleaving the crazy wind. "I am not!"
"Then how old are you?" The old man continued his barrage of questions.
"Fifteen!" said Yun Shu.
"Fifteen? Oh my! You're an inner sect disciple? Who's your teacher? You must be your teacher's favorite student!" the old man exclaimed.
"None of the above!" Yun Shu started getting a bit impatient.
"Then, where did this sword technique come from? Who taught you?" The old man just couldn't wrap his head around his incomprehensible battle prowess.
"Myself!" Yun Shu answered.
"You're such a genius! What's your name? What can I do for you to make you my protector?" The old man's eyes lit up with joy, as if he had found a safe harbor.
"Yun Shu! Also, can you wait till this is over?!" Yun Shu was slightly pissed.
The killing wind was mighty. Despite what appeared on the surface, it was not easy for him to hold a wooden stick and fight the raging currents. Yet, the old man just kept talking and talking. A few times, he almost missed the wind.
The old man hurriedly covered his mouth with his hands, but his eyes kept staring at Yun Shu. The fight against the killing wind lasted for an entire two hours. Finally, the wind gradually died away, leaving a totally exhausted Yun Shu.
"Little brother, you tired?" the old man started speaking again.
"What do you think?" Yun Shu rolled his eyes.
That old man kept nagging and nagging, which was quite irritating to Yun Shu.
"Little Brother, I was about to ask you: why are you here so late at night? Are you here to meet your girlfriend? But where's she? She didn't show up, right? I gotta tell you this: don't spoil your woman. If you do, she'll take more from you. This time, she's merely late, but next time, she'll cheat on you. I know cultivators should control their desires, but you still have to make sure that your kids are truly yours, right? You won't be able to take it…" The old man babbled on and on.
Yun Shu had finally caught his breath. He turned to glare at the old man and said, "Stop! The killing wind's gone, and you'll have plenty of time to return. Bye then!"
Yun Shu turned around and was ready to leave. He couldn't bear the nagging anymore. It was more troublesome than fighting the wind!
"Little brother, wait! I'm old, and it's really far…" said the old man.
However, before the old man finished his words, Yun Shu used Thunder Move and left the place within a couple of seconds.
The old man didn't move immediately. Instead, he stared at the place where Yun Shu was standing earlier with a meaningful smile on his face.
The next moment, the old man suddenly disappeared.