Lin Qian bulleted at his top speed, turning into a burst of motion blur. At this speed, the air around had even crackled when he passed through the area. Within instants, he had already passed the long flights of stairs through the mountains.

Going along the long stairs, he arrived at the peak of the mountain. Standing at the top, the familiar sight of the central premises of Universal Phenomenon Sect met his eyes. Between the contouring mountains, countless bridges and walkways intertwined.

Despite the numerous pathways and roads, Lin Qian expertly manoeuvred through them. Climbing one mountain and cutting around the other. Soon, he arrived at a peak with sparse infrastructure.

Mount Maoqing, this was where he and his teacher lived. It was an exclusive accommodation for just the teacher-student duo.

On the upper regions of the cliff, a large villa sprawled across a vast area. As Lin Qian burst into the courtyard, he ran a beeline to the back yard and into the bedrooms.

As the doors burst open, the two figures within turned and stared at him as he entered.

“Teacher! What happened?” Lin Qian fell to his knees beside the bed, concern and pain flushed his face as he asked the bedridden man.

On the bed, an elderly man with winter white hair laid. As he saw the youngster at his bedside, his time chiselled face lit up warmly with a bright smile. With his wrinkled and crooked fingers, he patted Lin Qian gently, with his voice trembling, “This poison, it has spread deep within my internal organs, even entering partially into my bones. Looks like your teacher might not witness the day you enter Nirvana Stage…”

Despite the grim news, the white-haired leader’s voice remained calm, even indifferent. With the bright smile, he seemed resigned and accepting of his imminent death.

This man, he was none other than Lin Qian’s teacher, Universal Phenomenon Sect’s Battle Emperor, Wei Wushuang!

In the past, the Universal Phenomenon Duo were renowned prodigies in the Linhai Province. At the tender age of eighteen, the duo left home. When they returned thirty years later, they swept through the region like a storm, dominating all the other powers in the area.

Two years after they usurped the top spot, an unusual event occurred. One day, Wei Wushuang left the Universal Phenomenon Sect and vanished into thin air. After five years, he returned along with Lin Qian.

At that time the others were unaware of this fact, The Battle Emperor was already at Death’s Doors, one foot into his coffin.

“Junior Brother, from now on, I have to ask for your help to assist Lin Qian.” as Wei Wushuang sat on his bed, he spoke falteringly to the man on his side.

This man was clad in a pure white robe, with a little moustache topping of his sharp features. His eyes were brazen, emanating the authority of a ruler. However, his brazen aura mellowed as he faced Wei Wushuang with respect and admiration.

This man is the other half of the renowned Universal Phenomenon Duo of the past, Qin Wushuang. He’s the current Sect Leader of Universal Phenomenon Sect, the Junior Brother of Wei Wushuang.

The brothers shared a bond that ran deeper than blood. Every day, he did all he could to prolong Wei Wushuang’s life, pumping in his own Soul Energy, even if it was at the expense of his cultivation.

“Brother! We had changed our names as a symbol to our sworn brotherhood. I will never let you die, not like this!” Looking at Wei Wushuang’s life slipping slowly out of his body, Qin Wushuang’s heart experienced a piercing pain, as his brows furrowed.

“Hmm, what a stubborn fella.” On his bed, Wei Wushuang knew better than anyone the temperament of his brother. Resigned, he shook his head, “As the Sect Leader, you just have a lot to settle. Go on, there’s Lin Qian here, it will be fine.”

Looking at his brother’s gaze, Qin Wushuang could only nod silently. Before he left, he got an affirmative pat on Lin Qian’s shoulders, “Take good care of your teacher.”

After Qin Wushuang left, Wei Wushuang looked wistfully at his disciple,” Has it been four years since we met on that Prison Island?”

Hearing those words, Lin Qian silently nodded, clasping Wei Wushuang’s hands into his own, gently brushing Soul Energy onto the other’s palms.

Seeing his disciple’s action, he could only recognise how fruitless it was to persuade him against it and smile.

“I lost all my Soul Energy due to the toxins within me acting up. The captors seized that chance and used me as a scapegoat. Little rascal, the same had happened to you, being captured and swapped in as a scapegoat. Can only say that we are so destined to me…”

The hostage-scapegoat event Wei Wushuang spoke of was the exact reason to why Lin Qian disappeared for many years.

To the North of Mt Ba City, there was a megacity under Universal Phenomenon Sect’s charge. There, a young master of the City’s families broke one of the governing laws.

At that time, Lin Qian had left Mt Ba City with the intention of taking a refresher by admiring Mt Ba from a distance. Who knew, that would be his last time seeing Mt Ba for years to come. Owing to their similar stature to the guilty Young Master, he was kidnapped and used as a decoy to swap for the real culprit, being locked up in his place.

On this island in the middle of a giant lake, he was locked behind bars, wholly isolated from society.

On the island, rules were non-existent. The prison keeper only had to ensure that the prisoners were tightly locked and prevent their escape.

Many times, there was a shortage of food on the prison island. Driven by their hunger, many cruel and maniacal prisoners even resorted to cannibalism.

When he was first introduced to his fellow inmates, Lin Qian was only twelve. At this age, he was simply a tender fat lamb, waiting to be slaughtered and eaten.

It was at that moment, the other victim of the hostage-scapegoat scam, Wei Wushuang, protected him.

Indeed, due to his toxins within his body, Wei Wushuang lost all his Soul Energy, and his four limbs were jelly-weak. But, this did not change the fact that he was the Battle Emperor. He may not be able to defeat the prison guards, who were Soul Practitioners. However, against a few measly criminals, he had nothing to fear.

After some time, the repair of the Huaxia Empire progressed sufficiently to restore Heaven’s Slit’s connection with Lin Qian. Not only did this allow Lin Qian to cultivate, but it also opened the seemingly infinite supply of HP and EXP Pots for use. The presence of the Potions was life-changing for the duo, restoring some battle power to Wei Wushuang. A year later, that escaped.

When Lin Qian was reborn into this world, life was smooth-sailing and perfect. In the Ye Mansion, his parents sheltered him all through his childhood from dangers and harm. When they left, his loving future father-in-law dotted and cared for him in their place. Additionally, his childhood love and fiance never left his side.

His childhood days were simply perfect. It was calm, peaceful and blissful up till the disaster, the hostage-scapegoat situation occurred to him. Here, he suffered for a crime he did not commit, he almost got eaten as food and even witnessed horrific cannibalism with his own eyes.

It was then, a realisation dawned on him. In this dog eat dog world, only the strongest survive.

Subsequently, Lin Qian had learned that his own teacher had long left his hometown, Linhai Province, at a young age, training and pushing himself to the limits in the vast, tumultuous world.

He was forced to return home due to this poison. Unfortunately, it burst out of control, leaving an opportunity for the captors to catch him in his sorry state, throwing him into prison.

With the help of Lin Qian’s Antidote Potions and his Junior Brother’s Soul Energy, he managed to get another year out of the hands of the Grim Reaper.

Now, he could no longer cheat any more time from the Gates of Death.

“Being able to have an accomplished disciple like you before I die, it is my privilege and good fortune…” Looking at Lin Qian’s lowered head, he smiled warmly at the long-silent youngster. “This is a teacher’s fate, do not be sad or guilty.”

Lin Qian slowly raised his head and looked at his teacher. His expression left Wei Wushuang shocked. There was not a tint of sadness; instead, Lin Qian was indifferent facing this walking dead man.

Wei Wushuang was clearer than anyone else. His disciple was a person who valued bonds and emotions much. How could he be so nonchalant when his teacher was about to die?

“Teacher, I’m going out for a bit.” Withdrawing his Soul Energy from Wei Wushuang, Lin Qian stepped out immediately after his notice.

Looking at his disciples disappearing back, Wei Wushuang scolded laughingly, “Rascal, I’m already dying, and you don’t want to spend more time with me?”

Having said his share, Wei Wushuang laid back down, staring at his room’s ceiling perhaps for the last time, “Dying like this, really makes me feel a tad unsatisfied…”

After he left the room, Lin Qian stood in the courtyard. In front of him, the options menus which only he could see appeared in front of him. After a few taps, the upper body of Zhuge Ming appeared, as if he was on was a webcam chat as they called it in his previous life.

“Your Majesty, the royal teacher’s treatment proposal is ready for your viewing…” from Huaxia Empire, within Zhuge Ming’s office within the Tianggong Ministry, the Battle Mirror behind him condensed Soul Energy and reflected it as an image.

At this moment, if anyone noticed Lin Qian nodding to himself, they would think he was a lunatic.

After all, they could not see Zhuge Ming explaining the solution to Wei Wushang’s poisoning to Lin Qian.

Peng!

The dozing Wei Wushuang was rudely awoken by the door bursting loudly open.

Immediately, he sat up straight, staring at the violently opened door. His puzzlement was deepened as he saw his disciple rushing in, hugging a massive load of transparent bottles. Within them, multi-coloured solutions swayed as he ran in.

“Teacher! Get up! It’s time to take some medication!”