"God damn it, that's gotta be the most dangerous situation I've ever been in..." Mo Yangling Muttered as his burly arm held onto his bleeding stump.
For a moment, he worried about being able to heal it, but at the same time, he felt that it was possible.
'Those stronger beasts... They all seemed to be able to heal their injuries. That 'Many Eyes' beast is a given, but it was the same for that Caterpillar.
I am sure I injured it quite a bit with my punch, it didn't even dare to come close to me afterwards...'
The monk had direct confirmation that Origin Energy was something which could be used universally to heal wounds.
So, without further ado, he took a deep breath in, his mouth turning into a vortex that absorbed as much Origin Energy from the air around him as possible.
As soon as he did so, he could slightly feel his reserves recovering, but the strangest feeling was when he directed that energy towards his missing arm.
He immediately felt a burning sensation, looking down he could see a bone poking out of his stump, growing further and further and expanding into an arm.
That bone quickly became covered in muscles and veins, before eventually being covered in skin.
The Monk blinked a few times, before falling to one knee.
"Fuck sake that took a lot more than I expected..."
He had almost completely diminished whatever reserves he had left by regrowing his arm.
'But it seems to have worked just fine...' The monk immediately started rolling his shoulder, and flexing his new arm.
It was identical to the one he had lost, just as filled with muscle, his palm was just as tough too.
The monk sighed as he disrobed the upper half of his body, letting his torso breathe a bit.
Most of his shirt was torn and ripped apart at the torso area anyway, so there was no real point in wearing it.
The Monk sighed when seeing the new scar that now adorned his body.
Healed cuts and bruises had faded quickly, but the wound left by the Spiky Beast was bound to remain on his body for a while.
Still, despite having received so many injuries, he felt confident at that moment.
He had not only survived but had fought the powerful Beasts tooth and nail, essentially turning the Stampede around in the process.
'Amithaba... I still have a long way to go.
This small encounter makes me wonder how strong Brother Ren is. After all, he rules over those beasts.'
The Monk couldn't help but smirk when remembering the Forest King's temperament and sense of humour.
Even if he was supposed to be some fearsome beast. The Dragon of the Valley would still forever remain the Monk's first friend in that world.
Their meeting was short, but one that Mo Yangling was going to remember for the rest of his life.
The first being that was friendly to him in that world... One that also had the strength to kill him, but chose to show compassion even after being disrespected.
One that allowed him to learn more about the world he was about to step into...
The monk turned around to look at the great forest behind him with a smile. He immediately brought his palms together in prayer and recited a short mantra.
"Amithaba, The jewel is in the lotus. Even if fate does not demand it, we shall meet again."
An ode of kindness and understanding, a promise of reunion not meant to be heard or upheld by anyone other than the monk.
Birds chirped on the branches nearby, and the trees swayed in the wind as the Monk gave one last smile towards the forest before turning around, and walking into open fields.
"The Capital shouldn't be that far off now..."
Mo Yangling muttered as he somewhat recognized the hill he was climbing. He could also see an exceedingly large paved road in the distance, one where carriages were coming and going, pulled by horses.
'Right, this world is at best at a medieval level when it comes to technological advancements. Any advancements they have are tied to Cultivation...'
The monk smiled as he continued walking through that field, not bothering to take the paved road as he stepped over a hill and finally saw it in the distance.
A pristine white stone wall spanning as far as the eye could see protected the outer layer of the city, grand buildings were contained within wall after wall each much grander than the last.
'Holy shit... This is much bigger than any city in my past life.'
In the very centre of it all stood a place much grander than any governmental building that the monk had ever seen.
Even from a distance, it looked much larger than a castle would have any right to be, all built from stone and adorned with flags and jewels.
The Guozhi Kingdom's flag was one showcasing the head of a deer in green, on a red background.
All of its walls had that sigil flapping in the wind, as was customary.
"Haah~" The monk inhaled a breath of fresh air whilst taking another step forward.
It had been quite a while since he had seen it, but the capital was even grander from afar.
'Really, just seeing it in someone else's memories can't possibly compare...'
The monk could even see the compounds of the Martial Families within the innermost walls of the Capital, right before the Castle.
They were all large compounds spanning dozens of kilometres each. Among them was also the Mo Family, the place that Mo Yangling planned to pay a visit as well.
'If I remember correctly, you need identification to enter the Capital. I lost mine in the forest, don't even have that knife anymore... Bah, what's the worst that can happen? I'll enter anyway.'
The monk walked forward towards the walls without much issue. No one stopped him or interacted with him as he reached the wide and expansive gates of the city.
Of course, the city had more than one entrance, the monk just walked over to the closest one.
There was a line of people and a line of carriages waiting at gates of varying sizes.
Mo Yangling could only sigh as he walked and stood in line behind the other people, who seemed to be giving him weird looks.
'I should find a shirt or something whenever I manage to get in...' Mo Yangling sighed as he slowly scratched the back of his head, his wild hair swaying from side to side.
'Maybe I should cut this off too...' As he was contemplating that, he felt someone tapping him on the lower back.
"Oh my, what a handsome young man!" It was just an old lady waiting in line behind him. She was dressed in rags, the most inexpensive clothes one could find.
She also seemed to be a bit aloof, likely senile, but the Monk was not one to judge. He turned around and smiled warmly.
But before he could even speak, a younger brown-haired man, looking to be her grandson, grabbed her and pulled her away.
There was fear in his voice as he whispered to her. "Grandmother, be careful, that man is a cultivator! We can't afford to offend him..."
The monk blinked a few times, before finally sighing.
'I guess cultivators are always more temperamental towards others... I should be more mindful of this from now on.'
Still, the monk decided to reassure the young man and the now slightly scared old woman.
"There is no need to be uneasy young man. All lives are equally as precious under the light of the heavens." The monk took a slight bow, his wild hair swaying in the wind as his palms were brought together in prayer.
The Young Man seemed perplexed, he looked at Mo Yangling a few times but didn't even have the time to respond as the guard at the gates shouted.
"Next!"
The Monk smiled, nodded and turned around, walking towards the Guard.
He was a bearded middle-aged man dressed in armour, both metal and leather, from head to toe. Only his face and hands were uncovered.
"Name and identification." The guard, dressed in armour from head to toe with only his face exposed, spoke with an authoritative and impatient tone.
Cultivators were treated better in every city, but from how tattered the Monk's attire was, other cultivators would automatically assume that he was just some third-rate.
Even the guards were at least Martial Apprentices trained within the military, surpassing most Third Rate cultivators.
'No one influential uses this small gate anyway...'
"Amith-" The Monk bowed slightly, stopping himself before greeting the guard using that phrase.
"Greetings good sir, my name is Mo Yangling. I have lost my identification, but I am a resident of the capital... Used to be, anyway."
The Middle-Aged Guard raised an eyebrow, studying the monk for a few seconds.
"There are quite a few going by that name in the capital. Can you clarify the names of your parents?"
The Guard's eyes shifted uncomfortably as he eyed the muscular monk.
'He... Can't be that Mo Yangling, right? He does somewhat resemble the Mo Clan Leader...'
"My father's name is Mo Weisheng, and my mother is named Mo Meixiu.
It has been quite some time since I have seen the two of them. I have been travelling for a while now, as you can probably tell."
The Guard's grip on his polearm seemed to tighten, and the Monk raised an eyebrow.
"You..." The Middle-aged man studied the Mo Yangling for a few seconds, his eyes judging the monk and his physique before finally making a decision.
"I will make an exception and let you in. If you do not appear at the Mo Compound within three hours then we will instigate a city-wide manhunt to apprehend you."
The Monk blinked a few times, unsure why the Guard had become so serious all of a sudden.
'I guess this could technically turn into a case of identity theft...'
"I intended to head there regardless." The Monk nodded, his wild hair swaying slightly.
"Take this token, they won't let you pass the innermost gates without it. You can leave it with the guards there." The Guard handed the monk a strange token and waved him off.
Mo Yangling nodded once more, giving the guard a quick martial salute before walking off.
Looking at his muscle-filled back, the Guard's gaze was still filled with suspicion.
'The son of the Mo family who was opposed to cultivation seems to have changed quite a bit in a year... If it's truly him that is.
The Mo family can decide that later, they asked for anyone with that name to be sent to their gates anyway.'
And so, the Guard continued his work, whilst the Monk went deeper and deeper into the city.
'Well, I still have a few hours to look around. I have an errand to run before the family reunion after all...'