It took a while for the kid to calm down but he kept on shaking. Even after a few minutes, that did not stop and Jin simply lost patience. He never had much to begin with and his situation was not the best right now. He hurriedly asked: "When are we?"

The kid's answer was not the one he needed: "Please don't eat me!"

Johnny regretted a lot coming to inspect the weird thing that fell from the sky. It was no opportunity for him, it was simply a horrible trap leading to his death.

Jin frowned and decided to change his approach: "Ok, kid, answer my questions and I'll let you go, deal?"

The kid nodded fervently in a hurry. He did not want to die. Jin did not like to act like this with an innocent kid but he was really pressed for time. He asked him once more: "What's today's date?"

The answer he received made him sigh. It confirmed his suspicions but it was still hard to believe. Just like that, years had gone by with him sealed and drifting in the void... According to the date, he was supposedly now 32 years old.

Peak of the 9th stage at 32 years old... It was horrible.

Aside from the talentless, you would only find those that were too poor to talk about stuck at this level at his age. He sighed but did not despair. The many treasures that Sarina promised him would be enough to bridge the gap in due time.

As long as he was alive, there was a way forward.

He looked back to the kid and asked him to point him towards the closest village. The kid hurried to give him directions to the best of his abilities and with great details. If it had been another human and not a monster, he might have warned him about his physical state. Jin did look worse than a beggar after all... But he would not warn a monster.

With directions and the date, he had all he needed. Jin hit the kid on the forehead just enough to knock him out and turned back towards the hole. He wondered whether to leave the crystal here or take him along. In the end, he decided to leave it. He did not have any ways to hide his traces anyways. Whether the crystal stayed here or not wouldn't change much. His odor was certainly all over the place already... and there were many other ways to find what happened here and where he went to.

Speaking of that, he probably needed a good shower...But later. He needed to leave this place quickly.

He hurriedly left at full speed in the direction indicated by the kid.

...

Inside a magnificent palace hall filled with many delicacies and beautiful women was a single man enjoying himself. Cao Lei was sipping some Frone when he felt the link call to him.

He got up from his seat instantly, pushing violently aside everything and everyone. Then, he hurried out, dressing back up as he ran. He reached the throne room in mere moments and called for his second-in-command: "Rasper, how many of our ghosts are available right now?"

The ghosts were the cultivators affiliated to the secret special unit directly under Cao Lei. They were all powerful masters at the 49th stage, highly capable and filled with loyalty like fanatics.

Rasper answered humbly: "Seventeen, Master"

Cao Lei did not hesitate before he stated: "Have them all here right now"

Rasper bowed and left. A minute or so later, seventeen figures shrouded in darkness appeared in front of the throne. Cao Lei asked them: "Do you all remember my sword and gourd? I need you guys to retrieve them. They are on the Berdiklom Continent, here are the coordinates"

He sent a spiritual message containing the exact coordinates he received from the link. It had only been for an instant but there was no way he would have missed it. That young man was rather careful though. To think he would hide right away... Some weaker minded men would have probably kept them openly and made use of them. Of course, such men would have died gruesome and early deaths.

After sending the coordinates, he told them: "Act together and do not come back without the weapons. As for the one wielding them, do whatever you see fit. Go"

The ghosts disappeared like they appeared, silently and stealthily.

Cao Lei snickered. It was a shame that he ended up in a different continent or he would have gone there himself. Unfortunately, he couldn't leave his territory right now as he might be attacked by rivals. The centurial trial was finished and everyone was now back at each other's throats. If he left the kingdom he built, they would destroy it right away. He was placed in quite the nasty position because his enemy Hae-Hyuk won the trial...

Still, with his trusted aides going in his stead, it was only a matter of time until he recovered the precious weapons. He was willing to wait. No one but him knew of the location and the craze died down slightly after these few years. Even if they knew that Jin was alive, what could they do? They could only search all over the world but he knew his location!

Everything would be settled soon.

...

Jin arrived at the end of the forest and could see the village from within his hiding spot. It was a mortal town. If he entered like this, it would create quite the commotion. Heck, they might not even let him in from the start. He could always force his way in since they were mortals but they likely had cultivators backing them up. Not a single place was truly devoid of cultivators or links to them. Not in this world.

He had to first do something about his appearance and smell.

There were no streams around unfortunately but he had something much better. He had control over something that could absorb just about everything. And he had many living beings he could take some energy from to cover the expenses...

Jin walked back a few hundred meters inside the forest and placed his corrupted hand over the closest tree.