Mingyin continued to float forward as the crane flapped its wings and cried out.
Birk! Birk! Birk!
Snapping its beak, it leapt toward him, yet could only float in the air.
"Damn it… I can't fly. I can only float."
Mingyin sent his clone away, watching it vanish into thin air.
"Stupid crane. Go away. You're annoying. I have far better things to do."
The crane only shook its head.
"Stupid fool. I am here to follow you, as a crane should."
Mingyin turned around. His eyes widened as blood seeped from his lips due to sheer anger. He wiped it away.
"You should be happy I don't see living beings as nothing more than something important."
The little crane yelled, "Stupid crane!"
Mingyin looked at it in confusion.
"You are clearly stupid yourselves. You lack knowledge—and even wisdom."
The crane laughed simply as it floated after Mingyin.
"Ahahaha! What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom, fool?
Knowledge is collecting facts, while wisdom is connecting hard puzzles.
You are the dumb crane here!"
Mingyin gave the crane a dead stare.
"You've said some smart-sounding words, but you lack both of the things you just mentioned."
"The difference between humans and cranes is that we dominated the world. You are lower than us humans in everything."
The crane puffed up proudly.
"I am not even an animal, human."
Mingyin sighed as more blood dripped from his lips.
"Ouch…"
He wiped his mouth with his hand.
The crane laughed again.
"Ahahaha! You're bleeding because of me."
It floated closer to Mingyin.
"Little human, what do you think about us animals?"
Magman froze.
"Hey, didn't you say you're not an animal?"
"Ah, shut up, human!"
The crane yelled while staring at Mingyin.
Mingyin stopped.
"I do think humans are the most superior beings… yet we are also the ones who bring the most harm to ourselves."
"Knowledge is power, yet it is dangerous for humans to wield."
"Animals lack knowledge and do stupid things, but they cause far less death to their own species."
"Unlike you, we eat animals to improve ourselves and survive. But you eat food because that is the only thing on your mind."
"Eat, survive. That's it."
"There is nothing like paying rent."
"You have your own life, and nobody can decide that."
"Unlike us humans."
"We dominate people and force them to work for us."
The crane froze as Mingyin looked away.
"Oh? What did you say again, human?"
Mingyin spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to one knee.
"Who can actually anger me to death…?"
He calmed himself.
"This animal is clearly stupid."
Mingyin walked toward the crane and spoke aloud.
"Whatever. There's no point talking with you."
"May I ask where we are now?"
The crane hesitated.
"Hey, human. Come over to my house. I can explain where we are right now—but I want to ea—"
Mingyin suddenly grabbed the crane by the neck.
"If you dare trick me and make me bleed even more—"
The crane froze and nodded quickly.
"Oh, human, calm down."
Mingyin nodded and released it.
In truth, Mingyin wasn't angry. He was acting so the crane would lower its guard.
If someone saw Mingyin arguing with a crane—angry yet lecturing—it would seem strange.
This guy isn't that cool. He's too nice and polite.
So Mingyin used force and pretended to be angry, ensuring the crane wouldn't act rashly.
Mingyin and Magman followed after the crane as they moved toward the flying disk.
"Wait… wasn't the disk before—"
The metal-like disk, covered in fossilized matter, slowly began to stop spinning. Mingyin froze.
"This… it's quite large."
The disk was almost as big as a house. The crane floated forward and sat on top of it, pointing its beak downward.
"Dad, give me some grain tea."
Mingyin and Magman landed on the disk.
Mingyin looked around.
"This disk seems rather creepy. Why is it covered in fossils?"
He suddenly froze.
"Yes, my son. Wait—let those roots of mine give you some."
Mingyin's eyes widened as the roots began to curl upward.
"This disk… is it—Dad?!"
Mingyin shouted, then stopped as he dug deeper into his memory.
He remembered being in a large sect.
Countless disciples were training.
He had been one of them.
"Hey, what is that?" one of the disciples asked.
Someone with a high status who was training them spoke calmly.
"This is a land spirit. It can produce a large amount of soul energy inside a tea that grants immortal-level strength. Sadly, it only offers this gift to animals."
Mingyin, who had just finished training, wiped himself with a towel.
"Whoa… that looks cool," he muttered to himself.
Present
Mingyin looked at the disk as he sat down.
"This disk seems to be very important."
Large roots suddenly formed, shaping a massive teacup made of intertwined roots and surrounded by leaves.
A large amount of grain fell from above.
The crane picked it up with its beak and carefully placed it inside the cup.
Then it dug in, eating a huge amount of grain.
"Hey, human. Do you want some?"
Mingyin shook his head. He clenched his hand as sweat poured down his face, wiping it carefully.
The crane, while eating, noticed Mingyin's hair was soaked with sweat. Among the dark strands, there were a few white hairs.
This human thinks too much and never rests… but why?
Mingyin calmed himself.
It seems I was the only one who entered the mountain. That means the other immortals who were with me are confused.
They must be wondering how I was the only one who got here.
If I find the world tribulation and obtain many artifacts, even if I try to run away—and I don't really care about them—they will hunt me down and kill me.
Mingyin sighed inwardly.
If I find a way to survive this mountain and leave…
They will hunt me.
Even if I give up the artifacts, future overlords will convince them that I am evil.
The next time I meet them, we will surely be enemies.
Mingyin grabbed his head, stressing himself.
"Ah… my head hurts from thinking too much."
He fell backward, breathing heavily.
Magman walked over.
"Hey, Mingyin… can we rest for a bit?"
Mingyin wanted to rebuke him, but when he saw the crane eating peacefully, he stopped.
He nodded.
Magman walked toward the crane.
"Hey, I want some too."
The crane shook its head.
"I have no good food to give, Kyle. Go and get—"
"Ahhhhh!"
Magman kicked the crane off the disk and grabbed the grain.
The crane froze midair.
"Hey! Give me my grain!"
Magman spat the grain into the air.
"This is so dry."
The crane froze as it saw a large amount of saliva fall into the tree-made cup.
The liquid inside suddenly shifted and crawled.
Magman froze and ducked.
The tree cup tipped over.
The crane lunged toward Magman.
"Hey, I do—"
"Ahhhhh!"
Bam!
Mingyin was sent hurtling forward, but he paid no attention to the two of them.
It seemed he needed to escape this realm and move on to the next, passing through many others. The final realm would be far more dangerous than the Five Combined.
"I can't survive here as a mortal… it's impossible."
I need to find a way to survive. I can use Magman, but he isn't that smart.
And the crane… is a fool.
"Ah…"
Mingyin wiped the blood from his scalp and floated back toward the disk.
"What happened here? Why are you two—"
He froze.
Magman was struggling against the crane, which had pinned him down.
"I'm sorry, Mingyin…" Magman said weakly.
The crane moved swiftly, and in an instant, Magman disappeared from sight. Mingyin's eyes widened in shock.
"Magman!"
The crane turned toward him, clearly pleased with itself.
"Ahahaha! Mingyin, I'll teach you a lesson for sending me such a brat!"
Mingyin acted quickly, sending out clones to protect himself.
He moved forward as the crane aimed at one of the clones, and a bright shock sent Mingyin tumbling.
He released more clones, trying to confuse the crane.
"Mingyin!"
He clutched his chest, guilt weighing heavily on him.
I couldn't protect Magman… my own companion…
"I'm sorry, Magman. You had another chance to live, and I failed you."
Behind him, the crane hovered, its beak sharp and eyes focused.
It lunged at Mingyin, forcing him to react, but he dodged and countered, keeping himself safe.
Mingyin gritted his teeth.
.
The crane hovered above, its tongue bloody, its gaze filled with hunger and joy.
It seized Mingyin's body with its beak, stabbing deep into his back, tearing toward his neck.
Mingyin screamed.
He grabbed the crane's head and forced his hand inside as blood poured down.
The crane froze.
This is only a mortal… yet he can wound me—
Mingyin pulled out a knife and drove it straight into the crane's eye.
He slashed it out.
"I fail… again… and again… and again…"
"Again… again…"
"Ahhhhh!"
Everything stopped.
Mingyin suddenly found himself floating in outer space.
He looked around.
As he saw the same crane looking very happily
The crane had returned to calmly eating grain, and Magman was nearby, unharmed but observing everything silently.
Mingyin grabbed his chest.
"It seems… I'm trapped in a loop."
If an immortal had seen this, they would have been shocked.
A loop was a place where the same events repeated endlessly, never advancing.
And Mingyin realized clearly now—
He was inside one.
"I've been in far worse places… ahhh why do I have to Hmp!
Minginy held his forehead because he felt large amount of headache ."
Mingyin stood up and saw Magman asking a question.
"Hey, can I have some of that land grain too?"
The crane shook its head.
"No."
Magman tried to stretch his legs.
Suddenly—
Mingyin rushed over, sweat forming on the crane's forehead from his sudden movement.
Don't tell me… he figured out he's inside a loop. This is bad.
"Magman, stop! I—"
Before Mingyin could finish, Magman accidentally kicked him.
"Ahhh! Mingyin, I didn't mean—!"
Mingyin was hurled backward, feeling his bones crack from the impact.
Stupid Magman… and his foolish mistake.
He floated helplessly in the air as Magman swam toward him.
The crane looked on in confusion.
How is Mingyin aware of this loop?
The crane thought to itself.
If word gets out, the Mountain Spirit will kill me and my father.
The crane flew toward Mingyin.
"Oh, Mingyin, are you alright?"
Mingyin nodded at the crane.
The crane hesitated.
"Hey, Mingyin… you don't have to be—"
Slap!
Magman fell to the ground, crying like a child as he held his cheek.
Mingyin bowed toward the crane.
"I apologize for my stupid friend's behavior. He should not have done such a thing."
The crane nodded.
"Yes, indeed. Do you understand how I feel now?"
Mingyin shot Magman a dead stare. Magman turned away, trying to avoid his gaze.
But Mingyin thought to himself:
How did Magman die? Isn't he stronger than the crane? How was I even able to damage it?
I need to die and regress again… this is the only way to understand what happened to Magman.
I fear pain, I don't want to survive—but if I don't learn, I won't survive this trial.
He looked at Magman.
How foolish of me to try stopping him from kicking the crane again… what a mistake I made.
Mingyin sighed.
The crane continued eating grain calmly.
"No worries, human. Everything is alright."
Mingyin nodded.
"No worries. I will escape this place and make sure you won't have to deal with another human again."
The crane thought to itself:
Humans are dangerous creatures, but this one… he is kind and smart.
Kind people never succeed in life.
You won't survive if you fail, human… but perhaps you might.
Some time later, Mingyin sat on the disk as the crane rested for a few minutes.
Magman, still shaken from Mingyin's scolding, had fallen asleep nearby.
Mingyin held his chin and turned his gaze to the crane, which had also looked back at him.
I could have naturally killed Mingyin and damaged his soul… but then he would have realized that I am the one controlling this loop, the crane thought.
He would have warned Magman, who is far stronger than me.
I was only able to act because he lacked intelligence and was like a child.
If I hadn't come from behind and pierced his chest, I would have died. But he was an idiot and didn't know how to control himself against pain.
I could have survived being killed by Mingyin in the first regression as well…
But I allowed myself to die brutally so his soul would weaken.
"Ahahaha… each time I kill him, his soul grows weaker and weaker. Weak souls are easy for the mountain to control… No, I shouldn't even think about it!"
The crane shook its head, lowering its gaze.
Mingyin stood up.
"Hey, crane… could you explain where we really are, and why we are in this endless void?"
The crane nodded, looking up thoughtfully.
"I know… that is what we are here for."