"To awaken the slumbering gods," the boy said.

Yun Ling's brows furrowed as he carefully mulled over his words before responding smoothly, "While I would love to go with you, unfortunately, we have something to do. We are searching for someone so forgive me if I refuse."

He chose his words very carefully just so he wouldn't accidentally offend the boy in front of him if he continued acting the way he usually did. He didn't know how powerful the boy in front of him was but he had a feeling that he wasn't someone he could take on, that was why Yun Ling was being cautious.

Though he was very arrogant, the reason why Yun Ling lived this long despite having lots of enemies was that he choose his enemies well.

If he was facing someone he had no chance of beating, Yun Ling would drop down his arrogant attitude and adopt a somewhat humble behavior towards them. If he was facing those weaker than him, he wouldn't put them in his eyes at all and just step on them like ants if they displeased him. If he was facing those he considered his equals or worthy, then he would have a somewhat friendly relation or rivalry with them.

The boy looked at him and nodded.

"There's no need to apologize for refusing," the boy said.

Yun Ling heaved a sigh of relief.

"Nevertheless, you're still coming with me."

Just as soon as he was relieved, he was alarmed when he and Snow Fang had been grabbed by a mysterious force and brought towards the boy.

"What is this? I can't move!" Yun Ling said as he tried to move his body. He felt like there was a giant hand invisible hand that was grabbing him and Snow Fang.

"Young Master... this guy's power shouldn't be lesser than an immortal," Snow Fang said. "I say this because not even Sacred Kings or a Heavenly Rebirth Realm expert can suppress me like this."

"I know that," Yun Ling said. His eyes suddenly changed as purple armor appeared on his body. He then tried escaping from the mysterious force that was binding his body but it was futile.

In a split second, his armor broke as he lost all strength in his body.

"Stop resisting. I assure you that I mean you no harm," the boy said. "But I want you to come with me and help me with what I am about to do."

The boy continued walking ahead while Yun Ling and Snow Fang floated in the air just behind him.

...

"Young Master, I don't trust him," Snow Fang said telepathically as they floated and followed after the boy... unwillingly.

Yun Ling smiled wryly.

"I don't either," Yun Ling responded through his Divine Sense since he didn't want the boy hearing what they were talking about.

He had a feeling though that what they were doing was futile. Even so, he still wanted to put up his guard. He would rather do that and find out it was useless than not do anything at all and then regret not putting up his guard.

"But I don't think he really means us harm. He is more powerful than us. If he wanted to, he could've just knocked us unconscious or kill us both. It would've taken him less work compared to suppressing us like this, but he didn't. Even so, we mustn't let our guard down since I might be wrong," Yun Ling added.

"Being cautious is good, but I really don't mean you harm," the boy suddenly said, surprising Yun Ling and Snow Fang for a second.

Yun Ling's eyes twitched. Even though he was conversing with Snow Fang telepathically, the boy was still able to hear them.

"Just where are you bringing us exactly?" Yun Ling asked.

"You'll know soon enough," the boy said. "Truthfully, I was about to find some people to help me but I met you two instead. One, a Divine Being, the other, a Snow Wolf Deity."

Snow Fang glowered at him when he mentioned the name of his race. That was a sensitive topic for him since he was the only one alive among his kind.

"You sure know a lot of things."

"I am a teacher. I know a lot of things," the boy kindly said. "We are here."

Yun Ling and Snow Fang were surprised. They felt like they hadn't traveled much at all but actually, they were already deep inside the Thousand Mountain Valley. Yun Ling wasn't familiar with his surroundings but Snow Fang did. As a former resident in the Thousand Mountain Valley, he knew that they were in the inner part of the Thousand Mountain Valley.

Just a few minutes ago, they were still at the outer part but now...

They were now standing beside a huge lake in the innermost part of the Thousand Mountain Valley.

The boy picked up a small rock from the ground and threw it on the lake.

After that, he picked up another one and threw it again.

Yun Ling and Snow Fang were originally interested in what he was doing but now, they were a bit confused. The boy had been picking up small rocks around the place and threw them all over the lake for the two hundredth time already yet they still didn't understand what he was doing.

If one didn't know any better, they would've thought that he was just playing around with rocks. They didn't think of that though. The boy must have had his own reasons.

More minutes had passed, the boy had thrown his nine hundredth and ninety-ninth rock.

The ground rumbled as a temple suddenly emerged from the middle of the lake to the surface.

"It's here," the boy whispered softly. "We're going inside."

Yun Ling looked at him.

"Is this a god's temple?" he asked.

"It is," the boy responded. "We are going to awaken the god that is sleeping in this temple."