Death… and me

Meng Chao Ran turned his head away from the unbearably ugly sight.

Chu Yang scratched his head and asked with wonder, "Why are you shocked?"

"Stop your nonsense, and look at me. Haven't I become handsome?" Tan Tan 'shockingly' said.

"Yes! Yes, you look very handsome!" Chu Yang agreed. He then said confidently, "I believe that Tan Tan is the best-looking person in the world! The most handsome!"

Tan Tan felt satisfied. He laughed and looked overjoyed. However, his facial expression turned from that barely worth-seeing 'shocked' expression into his usual hideous one as he laughed. However, he was radiant with delight as he said, "I look more handsome than you, right?"

"Of course, you do!" Chu Yang let out a deep sigh and said, "You are far more handsome than me!"

"Wa ha ha ha…" Tan Tan was self-satisfied as he laughed and said, "Chu Yang, right? Master would never answer this question whenever I would ask…"

Meng Chao Ran looked at the two buffoons, and feebly sighed.

[I understand.]

[I completely understand now.]

[I understand where this character of Tan Tan comes from. It is because Chu Yang has spoiled him!]

Meng Chao Ran felt wronged in his heart as he looked at Tan Tan's satisfied and joyful look. [I thought that Chu Yang will be honest when Tan Tan would demand affirmation. But, how did I not imagine this?]

[However… I'd have to supress my conscience to tell him that he's handsome. It can't come out of my mouth. In fact, I will have to first let go of my conscience if I have to say that he's handsome…]

Tan Tan was grinning while being cocky. Then, he suddenly cried out in alarm, "Why am I not burning?"

He grabbed Chu Yang's hand. Then, he repeatedly asked, "Does it feel burning hot? Does it feel burning hot to you?"

Chu Yang smiled, "No. it doesn't feel hot."

"Hurray…" Tan Tan danced in joy. "I'm not burning. I'm not burning anymore. There won't be any problem in the bridal room anymore… I was so anxious that my bride would get roasted if I went burning hot in the bridal room… But, I'm not burning anymore… So, I don't need to make ice-cold armor for her now…"

A dark line formed on Meng Chao Ran's forehead as he shouted, "Shut up!"

Tan Tan became quiet out of fear when he heard that.

Chu Yang carefully sized up Tan Tan. And, he suddenly realized that his junior martial brother looked somewhat different.

His face still looked the same, but the tips of his eyebrows had turned faintly golden. Moreover, a tiny triangular mark had appeared in the centre of his forehead… This mark looked like a fragment of a disk, and was only soybean-sized.

It looked like a small scar that had been formed over a minor injury at first glance.

His chest also appeared to have undergone some change. But, it could only be seen a little.

"Take off your clothes," Chu Yang said.

"What?" Tan Tan grabbed his lapel in horror. Then, he cowered up with a shiver, "What do you want to do?"

Meng Chao Ran had also discovered the anomalies on Tan Tan. So, he shouted, "Take off your clothes!"

Tan Tan felt aggrieved. He desperately looked at his master and senior martial brother. Then, he exposed a solemn and tragic look in his eyes, and lowered his head. He then said with quivering lips, "Alright… I, I… I will sacrifice this once… just this once…"

Then, he took off his clothes with a 'brushing' sound. Tan Tan's actions were extremely fast. He then closed his eyes, and did it again. He had taken off all of his clothes… including his trousers, and became completely naked!

He looked like a new-born baby as he confidently revealed himself in front of both of them.

He had closed his eyes. However, his eyelashes were still trembling, "You both do it quickly… But, be gentle with me… boohoo… I'm doing this for the first time…"

Meng Chao Ran's face turned purple like an eggplant.

Chu Yang also stared at him with his tongue tied. He looked at his doo-hickey swaying down there. And, he couldn't help but feel like throwing up.

"Wear your pants! Who asked you to remove all of your clothes? You rascal! You're such an evil creature!" Meng Chao Ran's face became dark as he loudly scolded.

Chu Yang had never seen his master so angry, and was stunned by the sight of it. He only felt that the world was turn upside-down. [Isn't the Master always indifferent, aloof, and at ease? When did he ever talk in such a loud voice…?]

Tan Tan was also startled. He opened his eyes. It looked as if he was about to cry. He raised his pants, and brought it up to his waist. Then, he very carefully asked, "You… you're not going to…"

"Going to, my ass!" Meng Chao Ran was so angry that he wanted to beat him up. So, he maliciously smacked Tan Tan on his head!

"So, you don't want that, oh! I was scared to death," Tan Tan felt relieved. He felt somewhat embarrassed while putting on his pants. "I thought that you two haven't vented out for a long time, and couldn't hold back anymore… so…"

Shu!

Meng Chao Ran and Chu Yang unleashed their kicks. Tan Tan screamed and flew out. But, his body got pasted on the wall of the cave, and a mark of his outline got imprinted on the wall.

"Don't move!" Chu Yang and Meng Chao Ran grabbed him.

Both of them had noticed that there had seemingly been a flash of light from Tan Tan's chest a moment ago. They couldn't prevent themselves from being startled by the sight of it, and moved closer to him to examine…

They then saw that an incomplete triangular mark had appeared in the centre of Tan Tan's chest. Moreover, this mark was faintly issuing a golden light.

Chu Yang touched it. It felt hard, and didn't feel like flesh. But, he couldn't make out anything of it. So, he said, "Master, you touch it too!"

Therefore, Meng Chao Ran also touched it. He then spoke-up puzzled, "That's strange." Both of them had a good understand of Tan Tan's body. So, they knew that there was no such thing on his body before. But, how did such a thing appear on his body now?

Tan Tan remained stuck against the stone wall of the cave. He saw Chu Yang and his master moving closer to him, and not being able to take their eyes off of him. He then looked-on as they touched his body. His whole body turned numb as a result. In fact, he felt as if his whole body was turning cold. He then squeezed his butt-cheeks tightly, and started to scream uncontrollably, "Help… I'm being raped…"

…

Master and the other two were walking in the heavy snow. Meng Chao Ran was in the forefront. Chu Yang was in the second place, and Tan Tan was behind him. However, Tan Tan looked like a beaten-up stuffed bun.

This guy's mention of 'rape' had stirred-up the anger of his master and his senior martial brother. So, they had beaten him up! In fact, he had nearly died of the beating…

Chu Yang and Meng Chao Ran were somewhat equally depressed at this time. Tan Tan's physique seemed to have changed. In fact, they had realized that this guy didn't even feel pain when they were beating him up. So, they had increased their strength, and had even used up to seventy to eighty percent of their strength later. But, Tan Tan had remained calm… as if nothing had happened!

His body had turned black-and-blue. In fact, it was too horrible to look at his body. But, this had no effect on his bones and internal organs.

They had both gasped for breath after they had beaten him up. Then, they looked at Tan Tan and became indescribably surprised. [How did this bastard not die after receiving so much beating?]

Then, Tan Tan put on his clothes, and the three of them set out their journey. Chu Yang, Meng Chao Ran, and even Tan Tan himself didn't pay any attention to that the incomplete triangle on his forehead even though it was flashing and issuing faint lights. The tips of his eyebrows were also glowing. His chest was covered with clothes, but that triangle on his chest was also glowing endlessly under his clothes…

Then… the bruises on Tan Tan's body also slowly disappeared. They slowly vanished into nothing… they hadn't even walked to several kilometres by the time it happened. He was still tragically screaming in pain, but there weren't any scars on his body anymore…

Chu Yang and Meng Chao Ran were left to click their tongues in wonder after they discovered this!

However, Chu Yang suddenly had a strange feeling when he looked at the face of that narcissistic and naughty Tan Tan, [My junior martial brother seems to be no ordinary person…]

The Sword Spirit also came out to examine him after he listened to his screams. However, it seemed that he wasn't familiar with the situation either, "I have never seen such a body; I've never seen such an ugly person."

Therefore, Chu Yang had no better option but to give up. Consequently, he gave up on investigating Tan Tan's situation.

The Sword Spirit had also been very sullen since his spiritual power had recovered. After all, he had promptly requested Chu Yang to head into the direction from where the sword-light had emerged. But, he had gotten coerced and ordered by Chu Yang to make a complete version of the Nine Tribulations Pill. So, the Sword Spirit had no other option but to pinch his nose and comply.

Regarding the explanation as to how Meng Chao Ran's martial power got promoted by an incomplete version of the Nine Tribulations Pill — Sword Spirit merely snorted disdainfully.

"Isn't it obvious? Your master's meridians had become frigid after he was hit by Melting Meridian Hand. And, it was supposed to be like that for forever. But, your master didn't give up, and continued to try hard for all those years! He kept on cultivating! So, his body contained too much of spirit energy. But, his meridians couldn't hold the spirit energy. So, he couldn't change it into spiritual power.

"However, he later cultivated with the help of the Divine Chi Gathering Fish. This phenomenon makes it more obvious. The incomplete version of the Nine Tribulations Pill not only healed his injuries, but also had an impact on the effect of the Melting Meridian Hand. So, parts of its effects have already been washed away. The pill is surely for healing injuries, and isn't meant for increasing the spiritual power. But, it opened the meridians that had been blocked for so many years. So, why wouldn't the accumulated spiritual power well up once this had happened? Why should the promotion of cultivation in such situation be any surprising?"

The Sword Spirit then concluded his speech with a few words by counter-attacking Chu Yang's coercing attempts, "You're a typical country bumpkin. You haven't seen the world. You don't know that this matter isn't unusual."

[Dammit!] Chu Yang rubbed his nose. He forced a smile and endured the insult.

They walked for two days. They then finally saw a sky-piercing ice-capped mountain; it was only faintly visible amidst the mist and snow! But, the Sword Spirit became very excited, [It's exactly the place!]

Chu Yang got excited and rushed forwards.

Suddenly…

"Be careful!" the Sword Spirit warned in Chu Yang's mind.

They then heard an angry howl coming through from faraway! This howl had seemingly shaken up the whole area.

"There's a ninth grade spirit beast!" the Sword Spirit said.

The voice hadn't even faded when a red light soared to the sky; several screeches were also heard from faraway.

Then, a red shadow came out flying from a distance.

"It is a ninth grade spirit beast. Fire Thunder Tiger!" the Sword Spirit warned, "Don't mess with it. This fellow is very bad-tempered…"

Chu Yang informed about this to Meng Chao Ran and Tan Tan. And, they sought for a corner to hide.

They had barely hidden when they saw that a big and flaming silhouette was fiercely rushing over from several thousand feet away. It was madly rushing at the altitude of more than a hundred feet.

"Such overwhelming power!" Meng Chao Ran praised.

The voice hadn't fallen yet when the silhouette of a flying sword was seen approaching from a not-too-far place. Its rumbling sound was similar to the sound of thunderclap. In fact, there was a man joined with the sword as well. They had together turned into a white light, and he was heading straight towards the Fire Thunder Tiger!

"It's an Emperor Level Expert!" the bodies of the master and the disciples shook. And, they became extremely puzzled!

[An Emperor Level Expert can't match the Fire Thunder Tiger! So, why would he overestimate his capability and intercept this angry-looking Fire Thunder Tiger? And, he's even alone? Isn't it akin to throwing away one's life?!]

Then, Chu Yang and Meng Cha Ran were soon overwhelmed with shock… [It's obvious that this Emperor Level Expert has blended three types of energies of his whole body into this sword-blow along with his soul! Moreover, he's burning his vitality too!]

[Why?]

[Has he enjoyed enough days of high status and great wealth? Is this why he has come to the Northern Wilderness to get himself killed?]

A big and a small silhouette clashed in the mid-air in the blink of an eye.

That Emperor Level Expert let out a loud scream with the sound of an explosion. And, his body was ferociously sent flying backwards. It flew up to several hundred feet and split up into pieces; his entire body had changed into chunks of flesh in the blink of an eye!

Chu Yang was in a daze. His body trembled in shock. [Crap! He genuinely threw his life away?]

Tan Tan opened his eyes wide and sighed, "This man's way of committing suicide is very unique… but also very alluring…"

Meng Chao Ran shouted at him, "Shut up!"

…