CG C109: The Truth Behind Shen Yu? (Patreon)

The battlefield around them was still smoking from the battle with the Zhen Lei Shenjiao but Kai stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the black robed figure before him.

I only have one life left; I need to be careful here. Shen Yu is dangerous, and I don't fully understand his motives.

Shen Yu's arrival had been unexpected, and Kai couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease. They may have shared the same master, but Kai knew better than to consider Shen Yu a brother, senior or junior. His previous lives had taught him that the fellow Legacy Disciple was not someone who cared about his wellbeing.

"What do you want?"

Shen Yu didn't answer right away. He looked around the battlefield, taking in the signs of the battle that had just ended. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft but clear.

"I want to talk. You've been trying to corner me for a conversation for weeks. Now seems like a good time, don't you think?"

Kai didn't lower his guard. Yes, I did want to have a chat, he thought. But I wanted it to be on my terms, in a place where I wouldn't end up going mysteriously missing. If he kills me here, it could easily be explained that I was arrogant and got devoured by beasts. After all, such things were common.

"How did you find me?" he asked, trying to buy time to think.

"This is a safe place to speak. No one should be listening here. We can talk freely."

Shen Yu's gaze swept across the battlefield, then settled on a particular spot - a deep crater in the rocky ground. It was where Kai had been smashed to bits by the Zhen Lei Shenjiao's Divine Sky Hammer. For the first time, he saw a genuine smile appear on Shen Yu's face. It was small, just a slight upward curve of his lips, but unmistakable.

"You really can come back to life," Shen Yu said. It wasn't a question.

Kai's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly schooled his expression. He couldn't let Shen Yu know how much that statement had rattled him.

"I don't know what you mean," Kai said, keeping his voice steady. Had he been watched during his battle? The thought made his skin crawl.

Shen Yu didn't respond immediately. Instead, he opened his palm and made a gesture. Kai noticed something come down from the sky and land on Shen Yu's hand. It was a small orb made of lightning qi - a Storm's Eye.

Kai couldn't hide his surprise this time. He could barely use the Storm's Eye technique for surveillance a few hundred meters away from himself, but Shen Yu had to have been at least a mile or more away to be out of Kai's detection range. Worse, Kai couldn't keep relying on his map, it hadn't picked up on the Eye's presence because it wasn't a living being. Unfortunately, his Qi Detection skill had been far too weak to notice such a subtle technique, especially in the heat of battle.

I was completely exposed, Kai thought, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He saw everything.

Before he could come up with an excuse, Shen Yu spoke again. "Don't try to say it was an illusion. The Storm's Eye technique can't be muddled by illusions, especially if you're unaware of its presence."

Kai paused, considering his options. Then he decided to change tactics. He smiled and said, "There’s no use me denying it any longer, it seems like you already knew about it, just like you know other things that you shouldn't."

Shen Yu raised an eyebrow but remained silent, waiting for Kai to continue.

Kai took a deep breath and began to list his observations. "Your cultivation speed could be explained by being a once-in-a-millennium prodigy. But back on the ark, when you broke into the Qi Refining Realm, it was clear you were familiar with cultivation. Your movements were too natural, too instinctive."

Kai paused, gauging Shen Yu's reaction. When the other boy remained impassive, he continued.

"Not to mention your understanding of the Sect Trials. You knew exactly what trials were appearing and how to complete them to gain the number one rank. And don't try to say you have inside information. I've asked around, and no one had heard of Shen Yu before you entered the sect."

Kai stopped, watching Shen Yu carefully. "There's more. Do you want me to continue?"

Shen Yu stayed silent for a moment, then shook his head. "What are you implying?" he asked quietly.

Kai took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. "I think you're either a regressor or a reincarnator," he said finally. "More likely a regressor. Not that you did a good job hiding it."

Shen Yu smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "While time manipulation is possible," he said, "time travel is impossible. The heavens wouldn't allow the existence of a technique that allows a cultivator to move backwards or forwards in time."

Kai stayed silent. He knew that the existence of such an ability was possible - after all, his respawn ability let him rewind time by three seconds and perhaps even more in the future. But he wasn't about to give Shen Yu any more information about himself.

The Legacy Disciple seemed to take Kai's silence as an invitation to continue. "Let me tell you a story," he said, his voice taking on a tone that Kai hadn't heard from him before. It was almost... teacherly.

"Long ago, there was a cultivator named Zhu Tianxing. He was known throughout the realms for his incredible talent and swift advancement through the cultivation ranks. Many believed he would become one of the greatest immortals of his age."

Kai listened carefully, wondering why Shen Yu was telling him this story.

"Zhu Tianxing eventually reached the threshold of immortality," Shen Yu continued. "But when he attempted his Immortal Tribulation, he failed. The backlash was severe, damaging his soul foundation to the point where he could never attempt another breakthrough."

Shen Yu's eyes seemed to look past Kai, as if seeing something in the distance. "Desperate and bitter, Zhu Tianxing began to research a technique that would allow him to go back in time, to before his failed tribulation. He believed that if he could do so, he could prepare better and succeed."

Kai felt a chill run down his spine. He had a feeling he knew where this story was going.

"For years, Zhu Tianxing worked tirelessly. He delved into forbidden arts, made pacts with dark entities, and even sacrificed parts of his own essence in his quest. And finally, after decades of work, he believed he had succeeded."

Shen Yu's voice grew softer, but somehow more intense. "On the night of a full moon, Zhu Tianxing activated his technique. For a moment, it seemed to work. The world around him began to blur and shift. But then..."

Kai found himself leaning forward slightly, caught up in the story despite himself.

"The heavens themselves seemed to tear open," Shen Yu said. "A light brighter than a thousand suns engulfed Zhu Tianxing. When it faded, there was nothing left of him. Not his body, not his soul, not even his descendants were spared, his entire bloodline was eliminated."

Shen Yu's eyes refocused on Kai. "That was the punishment of the heavens. And it served as a lesson to all cultivators who came after. Some rules cannot be broken, some lines cannot be crossed. The flow of time is one of them."

Kai remained silent. The story was likely true - a quick trip to the library would confirm or disprove it, so Shen Yu wouldn't make up such an easily verifiable lie. But something about it felt off. Shen Yu, who rarely spoke more than a few words at a time, had just given a whole monologue. That in itself was suspicious.

Is Shen Yu Zhu Tianxing's reincarnation, or is this a red herring to distract me from my regressor theory?

Before Kai could voice his thoughts, Shen Yu continued speaking. "There's more," he said. "Do you remember the Eye of Veiled Truth during the Trial of Heart?"

Kai nodded slowly. How could he forget? That trial had been one of the most challenging experiences of his life. It had almost made him believe that he had lost access to the system.

"The Eye doesn't just test a cultivator's heart. It also examines their soul. Cultivators who reincarnate cannot change the age of their soul. The Eye can detect this discrepancy.” Shen Yu's eyes bore into Kai's, "There are other signs too. Reincarnated cultivators often have unusual qi patterns, remnants of their previous cultivation methods that linger in their spiritual essence. If I were a reincarnator, it would have exposed me instantly."

That would only be true if Shen Yu was a mortal in his previous life. If he was an immortal... he might have ways to trick even an artifact like the Eye of Veiled Truth.

"Your excuses are no better than my illusion excuse,” Kai replied.

Shen Yu frowned, but before he could say anything, Kai continued. "As you know, you can't kill me, and I get a strong feeling that I would be a fool to try to kill you. There’s no reason for us to fight each other." At least right now, he added silently. "So why don't we keep what we know to ourselves? I don't see any reason why anyone else needs to know."

"Just because you can come back to life, it doesn't mean you cannot die,” Shen Yu murmured. “True immortality is a lie, no matter what the Immortals may preach."

Kai couldn't help but laugh at that. “Don't act like you're here to kill me," he said. "You've been warning me about the Sect Master and whatever else you’re worried about is coming next. Your behavior makes me think you want to team up, but I have to admit you're not doing a good job expressing that."

Shen Yu looked lost in thought for a moment. "Partners," he muttered, almost to himself. Kai noticed something flash in his eyes - was it hurt? Anger? He couldn't tell before the Legacy Disciple’s eyes gained clarity again.

"Yes," Shen Yu whispered. "I guess we can be that."

Kai nodded, relieved, they had finally made some progress.

"Then tell me, what was the warning you mentioned? What is it that I need to prepare for?"