2 A Predicament Occurs

Yun Bai truly felt that he was a fool, although cultivation would result in increasing his lifespan, would he truly want to live forever? What's the point of amassing so much knowledge, if one doesn't share said knowledge to others in the first place?

After clearing his thoughts, as if a heavy boulder that was weighing him down was suddenly lifted, making him feel truly free without any sort of worries, akin to the drifting clouds he'd seen for the last ten thousand years.

"I haven't been in contact with the outside world for so long, perhaps they may have forgotten about me, as I can only become a name written in history books..."

With a goal in mind, he devised a set of plans in order to gain a disciple. He pondered what type of student he should search for, how to impart his knowledge and so on.

"If someone were to be my disciple they would first have to be loyal to me, I don't need anyone with heaven-defying talents, but in fact a will that defies heaven and strives to better themselves. Following this thought, I should find someone that has these qualities that are worth to be nurtured, most likely I'll find these within the lower standings of the realm."

"Even a waste can become a phoenix, as I accept them I'll treat them as my family making sure they have heartfelt gratitude towards me and therefore won't have thoughts to betray me..."

Constructing the general outline of the plan, Yun Bai felt it was sufficient enough and soon prepared to head out to the outside world once more.

"Hopefully after ten thousand years, there won't be a lot of changes since the last time I left it behind. I suppose starting from a city near Celestial Retribution Mountain wouldn't be a bad place to start..."

As he organized his plan once more to make sure, Yun Bai had an ominous feeling that triggered him to move before thinking. He quickly withdrew backward from where he was standing which was inside his house and retreated to the courtyard.

Soon, an explosion triggered where he was standing a few moments ago. The house which was fortified with various formations of the highest caliber were quickly destroyed with that explosion. Ten thousand years of history with the house were gone in an instant.

As the dust and smoke settled Yun Bai got a look at the other party, and after he saw them he felt dumbfounded. Opposite to him were thousands of cultivators, some he could recognize due to their emblems and attire that gave away their background, whilst others were new faces he had never seen before, especially the man in front of the pack.

He had pale skin and had a man bun, the man was dressed in a seamless emerald robe. Yun Bai soon sensed the man's power and was soon shocked to find that the strength of the other party was equal to his own, never he imagined someone would reach to where he was at.

Looking closer, he found an emblem made from an ancient type of wood near the man's shoulder. It had the symbol of a tree carved on it, seeing it made him certain of the other party's background.

With a slight grin, he greeted the man. "Well if it isn't Patriarch Ling, though I don't remember you being young, are you not Ling Wei I presume?"

Aggravated by Yun Bai's word led the man into a rage as he retorted back."Don't play dumb with me Yun Bai, you know damn well the injuries you caused to my father! I, Ling Lei have taken the mantle of the Ling Clan's Patriarch!"

The Ling Clan, within the Ling Realm, were akin to gods. From the birth of the realm, the Ling Clan have long become the top powerhouse from the beginning, without other factions that could contend against them, they soon became the number one of the realm.

If you ever crossed paths with a Ling Clan member within the Ling Realm, you could only break one of your limbs and hope that they didn't punish you heavily.

Yun Bai truly felt disinterested when it came towards the Ling Clan, the feud even all started with the same person in front of him now. After besting Ling Lei in a martial art showcase, Ling Lei caused trouble for Yun Bai in various ways, fully using his status as the young master of the Ling Clan.

Oppressed by the Ling Clan, he decided that it was time for a change in the Ling Realm, and thus declared to correct the Ling Clan due to their evil deeds on trampling the weak for so long.

Although he lived in a world where the strong were more favored more, without those at the bottom then society wouldn't function, he'd concluded that everyone was a part of a puzzle where if gathered together would only then work. That was the reason he was vehement against the Ling Clan.

The climax of the battle was before Yun Bai's refuge to Celestial Retribution Mountain where he clashed against the previous Ling Clan's Patriarch, Ling Wei. Suffice to say, Yun Bai won and lived to tell the tale of defeating the Ling Clan singlehandedly. With a hint of sarcasm, he responded to Ling Lei.

"Oh, if it isn't Little Lei, I never knew you'd turn out to be such a figure, you have my congratulations, Patriarch Ling."

After not capable of taking it anymore, Ling Lei shouted at Yun Bai due to his behavior towards himself.

"Cut the pleasantries you bastard! My father now is on his deathbed because of you, to think I spared you the first time we crossed paths, as the new Patriarch of the Ling Clan, my first order as Patriarch is to kill you!"

Hearing his reason confronting him, Yun Bai felt tense due to the fact an expert around his level was present within the Ling Realm. He was taught from a very young age to always do good deeds to those in need, although he never understood the reason but nonetheless he did it.

Only until he was searching for ways of breaking through he recalled an ancient text he uncovered far back during his early days on cultivation. It spoke that there was a mystical type of force that was passed on through a person's previous lives, that their deeds dictated what happened in their lives. Using said text would allow one to break the shackles of mortality, becoming closer to a God, but only to those who are deemed worthy by fate.

After thinking about all the actions he'd done on his road so far, Yun Bai decided to give it a shot and started reciting the ancient text numerous times. It was a chore to do, he knew he recited the text well past a million times already and was nowhere close to feeling the mystical force.

Unknowingly, Yun Bai found himself to be in a trance, where the world seemed to be only the text and nothing else. Days passed, soon months followed, years were like a breeze as empires and dynasties fell before Yun Bai went out of the trance. Finally, as he was close to reciting it a billion times, he felt the force and only dared to guide it through the paths in his body that were described in the text.

Relieving a breath, he finally reached a breakthrough, successfully becoming the strongest in the Ling Realm. With how long it took for Yun Bai to achieve this, he truly never expected Ling Lei to achieve what he has done.

As Yun Bai was in remembrance of his breakthrough, a black hooded person appeared next to Ling Lei, judging by how Ling Lei didn't tell the person to get lost, the person seemed to be a close accomplice. He couldn't even tell the gender of the person.

Yun Bai was shocked once again as he couldn't feel the power coming from the black hooded person, this meant he didn't have any at all, or the other possibility of him being stronger than Yun Bai, resulting him not capable of reading the black hooded person's power.

"Patriarch Ling, I hope you don't forget our little promise, especially when we already gave some payment up front."

Hearing the persons words made Ling Lei grin. "Don't worry, as long as I can exact my vengeance... I'll gladly comply with your demands, Karsin."

"It's fine as long as you don't forget Patriarch Ling. I'll now go back to my spot, if you need my assistance then just send a signal."

With that, he leaped backward to where he was before and just stood there as if he was watching a play before him with Ling Lei and Yun Bai. For the first time in a long while, Yun Bai felt there was no easy way out of this predicament.