Like a gale he approached, and like a storm, he left her in the dust. As Su Yan screeched to a halt near, his eyes were wide in surprise. Though he had expected the effects to be great, what he had experienced, however, just served to highlight his lack of trust in his own abilities.
He wasn't just fast; he was faster than anything he had seen in his life. Back in the Yang Clan, the elders were all at the Qi Condensation Realm, and he had seen some of them spar before. The speed they moved at was considerably lesser than his own. Sure, they weren't charging with a single-minded focus, but that didn't change the fact that he could somewhat mirror their speed.
Xie Lian caught up and looked at him with astonishment on her face. "Wow, that was fast."
Su Yan showed a confident smile, and they pressed deeper.
Crystal Mountains were like layers of a flower blooming outward, but the hills closer to the city were mere jagged slopes. Greenery dominated these parts of the region. It was through the east side of these mountains that Su Yan had made his way from Yang clan territory to Meteorite City.
Now the duo climbed the north of the mountains, their speed faster than a mortal steed.
Finding the ruins was easy enough. Su Yan and Xie Lian sighted a group of three also making their way over and followed along.
"Hey, you're also going for the Elven Ruins?" A young man asked. He wore a bright red armor and carried a golden shafted spear on his back. He had long black hair and brown eyes, complementing his handsome countenance.
Following alongside him were a burly man and a petite woman. They each carried an axe and a sword, respectively.
"Yeah," Su Yan answered. "You too?"
"That's right. You want to tag along?" The man offered an easy smile.
Su Yan considered for a moment, glanced at Xie Lian, and nodded his head.
"Sure."
Two groups joined and rushed through the forest. Su Yan asked the man who identified himself as Wang Yu about the ruins. Aside from knowing about the event, he hadn't even learned the name of the place, so it made sense that Wang Yu would have the answers to his question.
Surprisingly, the man was easier to talk to and didn't consider much before giving away the information.
"Apparently an Elder from the Seven Swords Sect found this place..." Wang Yu explained.
Su Yan listened with rapt attention, surprised at the fact that regions like that could manifest from thin air. Wang Yu had described the concept as a pocket dimension connected with our world suddenly experiencing a deteriorating World Core and popping back into reality.
From his words, Su Yan could tell the man belonged to an influential force. The fact that he even knew how pocket dimensions were formed was proof enough of that.
"Senior brother Wang, isn't it enough already?" The young woman from the side chimed in, a scowl etched on her face.
Wang Yu laughed at that, bringing a blush to the young woman's face. "What are you talking about, Si Yi? Brother Su is quite knowledgeable himself."
Throughout their trek, Su Yan had also revealed a nick of his knowledge from the Informational Wisp he absorbed. Although what he had absorbed was barely a smidgen in comparison to the wisp, it didn't change the fact that he had a thorough base of knowledge regarding diverse facts of cultivation.
Su Yan could tell Wang Yu was an easygoing type of guy, but there was still a sense of pride ingrained into his bones. No matter how nice he tried to act, Wang Yu would only do so thinking as if he were pitying them.
Su Yan didn't like that; his pride as a man didn't like that. So he had exposed a few snippets of his wisdom, and it didn't take long for Wang Yu to catch on to the fact that he wasn't talking to some common fish.
"So, Brother Su, where do you hail from?" Wang Yu asked.
"Some place far away, we are just touring these parts." He answered with a lighthearted tone.
Wang Yu narrowed his eyes and glanced at Xie Lian, who was a graceful and beautiful woman. He seemed to have formulated a guess on where these two might've come from. Judging by their appearance and the faint sense of power he was getting from these two, he wondered if they came from some hidden clan.
"Then it's fate that brought us together." He cupped his hands and offered a nod. "Would you like to explore the ruins together?"
Su Yan raised a brow and shared a look with Xie Lian.
"I appreciate the gesture, but I think exploring alone would be for the best."
Seeing him gently refuse the offer, Wang Yu didn't let anything show on his face and kept up the gentle smile.
"Hmph." Si Yi snorted from the side, frowning but not saying anything.
Su Yan and the company finished the rest of the path and arrived at the clearing. A number of people were gathered there, and the arrival of the party five drew some gazes.
Particularly of interest were four figures wearing cloaks. He could feel their gazes hidden under their cowls, boring holes in him and Xie Lian.
"Those must be from the Seven Swords Sect." Wang Yu stated, glowering. "They must've come to finish the task."
"They already took the meat; now they won't even leave any bones for us." Si Yi spoke through gritted teeth, her voice dripping with vitriol.
Wang Yu shook his head and sighed. "Although the Seven Swords Sect Elder had encountered a great stroke of fortune, they would have been delusional to think they could hog all of it for themselves. Just because the Yu clan lets them walk all over them doesn't mean others won't take advantage of this opportunity."
Su Yan quietly listened from the side, gleaning information that would no doubt prove useful in the future.
"I apologize, Brother Su," Wang Yu said, cupping his hand. "It seems that Seven Swords Sect has concluded your group as a part of us. Are you certain that you wish to explore on your own?"
"Your concern is heartwarming," Su Yan smiled, "but I can take care of myself, and so can my companion."
"If you're confident, then I won't bug you any longer." Pausing, he pulled out an obsidian slate the size of a palm and handed it to Su Yan. "If you ever need my help, please don't hesitate to reach out at anytime."
Su Yan flipped the slate over where it read: Thunder Demon Mountain.