He opened his eyes slightly, seeing all that had transpired, and looked at the boy with a touch of pity.
A sense of melancholy filled his heart.
"Those days must have been incredibly painful, enduring it all alone."
With this thought, he felt a sense of shared experience and silently reached out, caressing the boy's cheek.
He sighed softly and then turned, leaving the cave once more.
His figure then dissipated into the gentle breeze.
When he reappeared, he was before a verdant mountain. It was evening, after a rain.
The dim remnants of daylight illuminated him. With a light step, he approached a mountain village. The village was alive with the clamor of people, as if celebrating something.
He lightly waved his fan, and a fierce gust of wind erupted, immediately forcing open the village gates.
The revelry within the village abruptly ceased, and everyone stared blankly towards the entrance.
Liu Xiang, quietly and serenely, moved through the crowd, proceeding directly to the man with the handlebar mustache.
Before the astonished eyes of the villagers, he conjured a leaf from thin air and held it between his fingers. With a swift movement, a drop of blood fell from the tip of the leaf.
The handlebar-mustached man's eyes widened, and he collapsed to the ground, a look of confusion on his face. Liu Xiang, with a hint of disdain, reached out and plucked a few strands of his hair.
He turned to leave. The mountain god, who had been staring blankly for a long time, finally reacted, drawing his sword and striking.
Liu Xiang raised his hand and lightly brushed against it. The sword snapped in response.
The mountain god stood frozen, staring blankly as the red figure receded.
After the figure had gone far, the mountain god collapsed to the ground in terror. The villagers nearby also slumped to the ground, overcome by fear.
After a long while, they slowly regained their senses. The mountain god nervously wiped the cold sweat from his brow and asked with confusion.
"Who was that person? Why did I feel such inexplicable fear and oppression when he approached?"
"M-master, I felt that fear too."
"I... I did as well."
Hearing everyone stammer out their shared fear, he became even more terrified.
"Such immense power. Who could he be?"
...
A cold wind suddenly blew through the cave, chilling the boy's face. In his dream, the boy suddenly felt a chill and let out an involuntary yawn.
He woke up groggily, rubbing his eyes. To his surprise, the person he had called out to appeared before him, and his face lit up with joy.
He immediately jumped down from the stone slab and knelt, kowtowing.
"Master, please accept this disciple."
Liu Xiang was amused by him and smiled faintly.
"You're quite adept at finding people, and persistent too. You wish to become my disciple, but only to avenge your mother.
That person has already been killed by me. These are his hairs."
He opened his palm and handed a few black hairs to the boy.
The boy took them and smelled them. The stench of the grass clinging to the hair was something he could never forget. At this moment, he was certain these were the man's hairs.
However, he was also surprised and asked with confusion.
"Master, you killed him for me?"
Liu Xiang smiled faintly, flicked the few hairs into the air, and they instantly turned into smoke and dissipated.
"I have avenged your mother's death. You may go now, and you need not seek me out again."
With that, Liu Xiang prepared to leave. The boy immediately knelt again, saying with genuine emotion.
"Since I have already recognized you as my master, you are my master. No matter where you go, I will follow you."
Liu Xiang showed a slight smile and, with his back to the boy, made a peculiar request.
"Since you are so insistent, I cannot refuse. If you can find me the next time we meet, I will take you as my disciple."
Without a moment's hesitation, the boy agreed.
"Alright, I will definitely find you, Master."
"That is good..."
His voice faded as he rose with the wind and departed into the distance.
The boy suddenly remembered that he didn't even know his own name, so he shouted into the distance.
"Master! My name is A'Bao! Chen A'Bao!"
Liu Xiang, landing in the distance, looked back at the cave. Hearing the boy's shout, his heart warmed slightly, and he said faintly.
"Chen A'Bao. It sounds like an honest person's name. If I see him again, I must give him a more handsome name."
Then, Liu Xiang looked ahead and said softly.
"It's time to go to that place."
Afterward, he transformed into a gust of clear wind and headed towards the most dreaded place in this world.
"The Hell of Evildoers."
The Hell of Evildoers was located in the void realm beneath the northwestern desert. The void realm resembled a starry night sky, unchanging for thousands of years.
Only those who wandered alone in this endless space saw their colors shift.
And those imprisoned in this void realm were evildoers who had wreaked havoc for the past thousand years. Every thousand years, there was a judgment period.
This period was used to judge whether the imprisoned had repented. If they sincerely repented, they could be released from hell.
However, most chose to live in seclusion, while those who remained unrepentant would spend another thousand years in this dark and sunless place.
The people confined here were unaware of what was about to happen and paced back and forth listlessly.
Their faces bore scars, some more pronounced than others, suggesting they were recent.
It seemed that in their dull existence, only fighting could be their sole entertainment.
Without any warning, a streak of crimson suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.
Before the crowd could react, they assumed it was some kind of trick and continued on their way.
Liu Xiang knew that these people had been here for a long time and rarely saw outsiders, so they likely mistook him for an illusion.
He smiled faintly and suddenly spoke.
"Do any of you wish to leave this place?"
At these words, everyone was stunned. For thousands of years, no one had ever asked such a question. All they could do was wait in misery.
They all turned to look at him with confused expressions.
After a long pause, someone finally reacted, exclaiming in surprise.
"You! You are not from here!"
The crowd then realized and looked closely, all greatly astonished, as they had never seen Liu Xiang before and did not recognize him.
However, the legend that had been passed down from the Snow Mountain Plateau was known to almost everyone.
Looking at him holding the white bone fan and clad in red, it brought to mind the words etched in their minds, appearing at any moment.
Legend had it that in the easternmost Snow Mountain Plateau, there existed an ancient god from time immemorial, named the "God of Zhongshan."
In legends, he wore red, held a white bone fan, and with a gentle wave, could summon a great wind. The world knew him as "Liu Xiang," but no one had ever seen him.
To see him here today, the crowd was even more astonished. Though they were unsure if it was real, they still exclaimed his name in surprise.
"Liu Xiang!!!"
The crowd was shocked, yet overjoyed. To think that in this desolate, unseen place, they could encounter Liu Xiang was truly a blessing.
Those who believed in ancient deities naturally knelt, beginning to pray to him.
Liu Xiang remained impassive, quietly observing the crowd. His cold eyes seemed to carry an ancient divine aura, commanding reverence but forbidding touch.
However, two individuals remained unmoved: Ye Changfeng, the leader of the Four Great Evildoers, and Li Zilai, who stood unrivaled.
From birth, Ye Changfeng had believed in the principle of strength. Among those present, only Li Zilai could match him; no one else was his equal.
The arrival of this person, regardless of whether he was truly Liu Xiang, filled him with excitement.
He smiled slightly, drew his sword, and asked with a hint of arrogance.
"Are you Liu Xiang?"
Liu Xiang looked up, smiled faintly, and nodded.
He was also exceedingly proud and obsessed with swordsmanship, always yearning to fight supreme masters to the death. Although he had met no match for thousands of years, his constant troublemaking had led to his imprisonment in the void realm.
The moment Liu Xiang admitted it, a spark of excitement flashed in his eyes, and he declared.
"You've arrived at a good time. I've been bored here for over a thousand years. Let's have a fight and see who is the strongest!"
At this point, Li Zilai, who had been watching the spectacle, suddenly stood up. He cast a disdainful glance at Ye Changfeng and then at Liu Xiang, speaking with great arrogance.
"The one who will fight him... can only be Li Zilai."
Ye Changfeng turned and sneered.
"You and I have been trapped here for a millennium. We've had countless battles, and they've all ended in a draw. Now, do you have the confidence to defeat the God of Zhongshan?"
Li Zilai retorted with a cold laugh.
"That's still better than you. You merely boast of power borrowed from others."
Ye Changfeng, provoked by his mockery, turned and adopted a fighting stance.
"Then let's spar. I've been contemplating new moves recently and haven't tried them yet. It's a perfect opportunity to test them on you."
"Oh, is that so? Then please, enlighten me."
As they prepared to fight, Liu Xiang's cold eyes held a hint of mockery, and he thought to himself.
"Truly a bunch of brutes."
However, his purpose here was not to watch them fight, nor did he wish to waste time. He spoke.
"Since you both believe yourselves to be capable, why not attack me together? If you defeat me, you can then contend for the title of the strongest."
Hearing Liu Xiang's words, Ye Changfeng considered it and found it quite reasonable. He looked at Li Zilai and said.
"Do you dare to attack me together, and then we can settle our differences?"
"What is there to fear?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he drew a soft sword from his waist and lunged forward.
Ye Changfeng, not to be outdone, tossed aside his sword, drew his own, and attacked.
Liu Xiang swept his fan forward, coiling it around Li Zilai's soft sword. With a quick clamp of his hand, he caught Ye Changfeng's longsword.
Seeing this, Ye Changfeng kicked forward, but Liu Xiang kicked him back.
Li Zilai spun, withdrew his soft sword, and then swung it again, thrusting like a viper.
Liu Xiang exerted a slight force, pulling Ye Changfeng's sword, which fell to the ground. He kicked it, and the blade flew out, entangling with Li Zilai's soft sword.
Ye Changfeng, still unwilling to yield, punched and leaped forward again. Liu Xiang subtly dodged, elegantly spun, and kicked him, sending him flying.
Li Zilai refused to give up, dropped his sword, and lunged with his fists. Liu Xiang leaped slightly, swung a leg, and kicked him far away.
The onlookers watched in stunned silence, never expecting that the person before them could so effortlessly neutralize the moves of both combatants.
The two lay on the ground, clutching their chests. Though in pain, they forced themselves to appear unfazed.
However, at this point, they finally understood the true extent of the person before them's power. They were no match for him and slowly rose, retreating.
Liu Xiang smiled faintly at the crowd and stated his purpose for coming.
"I have not come to fight you, but to save you."
At these words, the crowd looked confused, yet found it amusing. Although he was the God of Zhongshan, no one had ever seen him, nor did they know his capabilities.
Even though he had easily defeated Ye Changfeng and Li Zilai just moments ago, everyone here was a seasoned warrior, a murderer countless times over.
And he had only been here for less than an hour, whether he was thrown in or how he arrived.
To dare speak such boastful words, wasn't he making a fool of himself?
Seeing the doubtful looks on their faces, he inwardly scoffed and muttered a few words.
"Truly a bunch of ungrateful people."
Seeing that they remained unmoved, he continued.
"The world is in turmoil once more, with undercurrents surging. The four cities are unable to maintain order. This is your opportunity to prove yourselves and atone for your sins."
Ye Changfeng stood aside. Although he had lost the spar, he couldn't help but find these words amusing and said mockingly.
"You may seem powerful, but I doubt you can break open this void realm.
Since its creation by gods and demons ten thousand years ago, no one has ever escaped.
Unless a god wields the Voidless Token to open this confinement, there is no way out for us.
Do you, by chance, carry the Voidless Token?"
Before Liu Xiang could reply, a woman in pink, known as the "Hanba Ghost Woman," who was among the crowd, suddenly spoke.
"It is a pity that the gods perished ten thousand years ago, and the Voidless Token's whereabouts are unknown. It seems our fate is to end our days here."
Liu Xiang suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, how ridiculous. I do not need such a thing to save people."
Before the crowd could react, he waved his fan, unleashing a strong wind that surged towards the void. In an instant, it tore open a bright rift.
Liu Xiang then said faintly.
"Those who wish to leave, now is the time."
With that, he flew towards the opening.
Seeing this, the crowd had no time to think and scrambled through the rift, escaping. Only the Four Great Evildoers and Li Zilai remained.
Ye Changfeng calmly cupped his hands to Li Zilai.
"You are a worthy opponent. I truly feel a sense of reluctance to part ways so suddenly. If fate allows, we shall meet again."
Li Zilai returned the gesture.
"You too are a worthy opponent. Then, we shall meet again by fate."
"Until we meet again."
With that, Li Zilai entered the rift before them and escaped.
Ye Changfeng said softly.
"Let's go too."
He then led the other three into the rift, escaping the void realm that had imprisoned them for over a thousand years.
Meanwhile, on the desert, several fierce sandstorms suddenly erupted. The storms were vast and overwhelming, obscuring the path with their yellow haze.
The patrol soldiers of the Western Purple Kingdom, sensing something was amiss, rushed to investigate, but were swept away by the raging sandstorm midway.
As a result, the evildoers escaped without any obstruction.