Gah~!
"Hey Luo Zehn, did you forget that you're still carrying an injured person here?!" I exclaimed in surprise but to no avail as the howling winds drowned my voice.
"Don't worry, you've healed enough! You won't die from being shaken up!"
A few minutes earlier, after Liu Zhi and his party agreed to Luo Zehn's visit request, the four of them started sprinting. When it comes to cultivators, sprinting is not something as exhausting compared to a normal person. But needless to say, it still drains the Qi energy. If someone was traveling long distances, it would be advisable to conserve their Qi energy just in case they get surrounded by a horde and they need to escape.
But right now, all four of them had a set destination so there was no conserving whatsoever involved.
And as prideful cultivators, it would be hard to avoid the urge to compete with one another.
Before I knew it, the four of them were sprinting at their full speeds. And since I was slumped on Luo Zehn's shoulders, the up and down motion caused by his sprint was making me a bit seasick.
Blade easily took the lead since he was of the assassin class. As for Luo Zehn, he could easily keep up with Lui Zhi and Wu Yan because of his insane strength and physical capabilities.
Ahh, this kid still hasn't changed.
But that doesn't mean you could just shake my head off like that! Unforgivable, Luo Zehn! What are you doing to your Master?!
Once my complaining was half over, we reached a fortress-like place with its massive walls painted in crimson red. It was obvious why the shelter was named the Red Sea Shelter. In the middle of nowhere, it looks like a sea of hope which was paved with blood.
Now that I said it... it just sounded more ominous than I imagined.
"We're here." Liu Zhi let out a huge breath. From the looks of it, all of them weren't even out of breath even after sprinting half an hour straight.
Just what you'd expect from an Immortal Realm cultivator!
As soon as we stepped foot in front of the entrance of the Red Sea Shelter, the entranceway to it slowly slid open, just like the parting of the red sea. It was an intense sight since the Red Sea Shelter was actually bigger on the inside compared to being viewed from the outside. Because of its crimson red color, it looked way smaller than its actual size.
When the gates opened halfway a man dressed in black robes stepped forward, releasing an aura that seemed to petrify the heaven and the earth. His long red hair and beard flowed in the rhythm of the wind, making him seem more like a sage rather than an esteemed person. Somehow, although his powerful aura was leaking from his body, there was tranquility encompassing it, just like the gentle blow of the wind or the rhythmic waves that hit the shore.
This man! He's powerful! Probably more powerful than me back when I was at my peak!
"Shelter Leader Shen Rong! We have arrived." Liu Zhi cupped his hands and bowed, followed by Blade and Wu Yan.
Of course, I'm not stupid enough to offend someone stronger than me. Even though I was not used to bowing down to others, I hesitantly swallowed my pride, cupped my hands, and bowed in greeting.
"I greet the elder Shen Rong." I continued.
"Luo Zehn from the Tang Shelter greets Shen Rong."
Shen Rong quietly took our greetings as he just stood there like a towering figure. It wasn't just me but Luo Zehn could also feel the pressure coming from this master as well. After a few seconds, it was already taking all my strength just to keep on standing.
"Liu Zhi, who's that young man with you?" Shen Rong finally spoke,
"He's Yong Rui, the newest addition to our party." Liu Zhi announced. "I deeply apologize for not being able to inform you about this, Shelter Leader. We didn't have the means to contact you."
"How did you do it?" Shen Rong asked.
Wait, what? What is he talking about? How did Liu Zhi do what?
"I'm sorry, Shelter Leader?" Liu Zhi asked. Just like me, he also couldn't understand what Shen Rong was asking.
"I mean, how did you recruit a genius to your party?" Shen Rong asked. "Good job. With his abilities and potential, our Shelter will greatly increase in strength."
I could tell that Shen Rong was jumping the gun a little bit too early here so I decided to cut him off. But first, I had to kneel in front of him just so I wouldn't sound too imposing. "Shelter Leader, I am so sorry but I only joined Liu Zhi and his party temporarily, I'm already tied to Tang Shelter, and thus I cannot join your Shelter."
Shen Rong looked at me with a hint of disdain in his eyes for a split second, before catching himself once again and regaining his composure. "I'm sorry. I badly wanted to recruit you as part of the Red Sea Shelter, is it really not negotiable? When it comes to cultivating resources, we have an abundance of it."
"I'm sorry, esteemed Shelter Leader, but I'm already tied to the Tang Shelter. I can't change my mind. Had you been a little bit early in inviting me, I would've had joined this shelter in a flash."
Tip. Tap.
A guard, stationed as one of the lookouts for the shelter, suddenly walked towards Shen Rong, cupped his hands, and whispered something to him. Because of my keen sense of hearing, I managed to overhear everything that the guard relayed to their Shelter Leader.
"Sir, we can't let him and Wu Yan in. Wu Yan has a bite on her leg and that guy has multiple bites all over his body. All of them probably have bite marks and such, we should keep our guard up and ban them from entering."
"Is this true?" Shen Rong confirmed to the guards.
"Yes, sir. I've confirmed with the other guards. They are carefully watching Wu Yan and the new guy. Hopefully, they don't turn before we eliminate them."
"I see." Shen Rong closed his eyes and pondered.