Shang Hongyu immediately put up her guard. Her earlier failure to detect the intruder could be attributed to her putting down her vigilance because she was with Zu An, but despite the other party revealing himself, she was still unable to sense his aura.
She was the Mermaid Queen, a renowned expert of the Ocean races. It was utterly astounding that she couldn’t sense a person despite the other party appearing before her.
Zu An frowned. “Hm? You aren’t from this world. How did you get in?”
The Cultivation World was a rare Wonderpoint World in the universe. With him activating the world barrier through the World Law Beacon to guard against the monsters’ invasion, it shouldn’t have been possible for beings from other worlds to slip in.
Did something happen to the barrier? Zu An narrowed his eyes.
Hearing Zu An’s words and sensing his unique aura, the masked man nodded in realization. “Ah, you are the master of this world. Pardon me for intruding. I am a unique entity, which allows me to enter any world. You need not worry about your world barrier. There are only a handful of people in the universe who possess this ability.”
Zu An examined the other party. As the master of this world, he could utilize resources unthinkable to mortals while he was in this world. Looking through his own eyes, he saw that the other party had no physical body. Beneath the scholar's robe was empty air.
And yet, the other party was a living entity, existing in a way that was incomprehensible to him.
“What are you doing in our world?” Zu An asked vigilantly.
“I chanced upon this place while investigating the death of a comrade.” The other party’s attitude was exceptionally respectful upon learning that Zu An was the world’s master.
“Death of a comrade? What’s your comrade’s name? Let me see if I have an impression of him.” Zu An wondered if one of the experts he had killed was the other party’s comrade.
“You need not worry. This has nothing to do with you,” the masked figure replied with a smile.
Zu An frowned. What are you doing here if it has nothing to do with me? He suddenly thought of something and turned to Shang Hongyu.
Shang Hongyu also realized what was going on and asked, “Me?”
The masked figure nodded. “Yes, my comrade died at that lady’s hand.”
“Are you mistaken?” Shang Hongyu was baffled. She couldn’t think of anyone related to this mysterious entity.
The Mermaid race wasn't fond of slaughter, and there was no way she wouldn’t have an impression of such an enigmatic being.
Zu An subtly pulled her behind him as he said, “She couldn’t have killed your comrade.”
But the masked figure confidently replied, “Our race has very few people, so each of our brethren is very important to us. Our bodies have a unique way of imprinting people who kill us, and there’s no way to remove the imprint. I sensed the imprint while passing by this world, so I came in to take a look. I hadn’t expected the murderer to be such a beautiful lady.”
Zu An frowned. There really are all sorts of mysterious skills in the universe. I have to be more careful in the future. “You said a lot, but there’s no way she could have killed your comrade.”
The masked figure assessed Shang Hongyu before nodding. “Indeed, she’s too weak. It doesn’t seem likely that she could have killed my comrade.”
Shang Hongyu was perplexed. She had heard all kinds of evaluations about her—some said she was pretty, others said she lacked decorum, and yet others said she was fierce. This was the first time someone had said she was weak.
But what was even more maddening was that she couldn’t refute those words. The other party was so unfathomably powerful that she was no match for him.
“It’s good that we have cleared the misunderstanding.” Zu An knew next to nothing about the other party, and his race had a unique way of imprinting people. If things went wrong, it could escalate into a full-blown war. He didn’t want to make such troublesome enemies for no reason. “Since you have come from afar, allow me to welcome you as a host.”
He was hoping to gather more information about the other worlds. He had been to quite a few worlds, but they'd been accessed through dungeons. The only other world he had physically been to was the Monster World, but the Monster World was already on the verge of destruction.
Just the thought of the terrifying Annihilation Beast made him tense up. There were too many powerful entities in the universe, and he was lacking information about them.
“You have misunderstood. I said that the current her is weak, but that doesn’t mean the past her was weak too.” The masked figure shook his finger.
Zu An’s face darkened. “Are you joking with me?”
“Our racial culture is inclined toward solemnity. We don’t joke around,” the masked figure earnestly replied. “Let me see. Using your world’s words, you can say that her past incarnation was the one who killed my comrade.”
Zu An’s heart skipped a beat. Shang Hongyu’s past incarnation was Sun Goddess Xihe. Could it be...
Shang Hongyu came to the same conclusion too. She glanced at Zu An with worried eyes.
Zu An squeezed her hand to reassure her before smiling at the masked figure. “Don’t you think it’s too ridiculous to be talking about past incarnations? It’s too far-fetched to use such excuses to accuse her of a crime.”
The masked figure fell silent, as if weighing the risks of confronting Zu An. A while later, he still chose to patiently explain, “Our race’s imprint is a special one. It remains even after the soul has undergone reincarnation, as long as vengeance is not served.”
“Impossible,” Zu An interjected. “Our world observes the law of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Anyone who has undergone reincarnation has their memories wiped, making them a different person from before. How can you still sense your imprint?”
“It is baffling. I can also sense the unique nature of your world. Indeed, I shouldn’t have been able to sense the imprint after an individual entered the Six Paths of Reincarnation.” Even through the mask, Zu An and Shang Hongyu could still sense the other party’s confusion. “If I have to fathom a guess, it must be because she’s someone special. Either she used a secret art or a special exception was made in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, allowing her to retain something from her previous life. It is because of that connection that I can sense that imprint. Yes, that must be the case!” He started uncertain, but his voice grew increasingly certain.
“The Six Paths of Reincarnation is impartial. It is a fundamental law of this world. How can anyone retain anything from their previous life after undergoing the Six Paths of Reincarnation? Aren’t you going too far by pinning a crime on my friend based solely on your conjecture?” Zu An exclaimed, startled.
However, the other party’s conjecture made sense. Xihe, as the Sun Goddess and the Celestial Empress, could have used a special artifact to determine her future reincarnation, not to mention her close ties with him. It was possible for the Six Paths of Reincarnation to have made a special exception for her.
The masked figure scratched his head. “You’re putting me in a tough spot.”
“She’s my woman, which makes her this world’s mistress. You’re welcomed here as a guest, but if you’re looking for a fight, we’ll entertain you too.” Zu An coldly eyed the masked figure as he wondered if he should apprehend the other party to gather more information. However, the other party’s ability to imprint on others was indeed troublesome to deal with.
The masked figure straightened his posture as his disposition turned cold. “You must have had a smooth-sailing life to become this world’s master, but you’re nothing but a minor border world in the universe. You’re a frog in the well if you think you’re invincible.”[1]
1. A frog in the well refers to someone who is stuck in their little world and doesn’t know how big the world outside is. ☜