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“Feng Huang?”
Qi Lin was already very close to the Thunder Swamp, no more than a day’s journey away. The three of them. The three rested in the nearest city north of the Thunder Swamp, to recuperate their strength. All of a sudden, a rumor spread throughout the city that Feng Huang’er was coming to the Thunder Swamp, making countless cultivators very excitedly spread the news.
“Are even you unaware of who she is?” Xian Zhen’s gaze looked at Qi Lin like he was a caveman.
“Is she a Divine Name?” If she was, Qi Lin honestly had no impression of her.
To be a bit more precise, Feng Huang’er was not a Divine Name, but she was like one. Primordial World had the famous Four Dukes. Some busybodies ended up choosing four national beauties, and these beauties were geniuses ever since they were little, talents that stood above all the rest in Primordial World. Their sword arts were particularly perfect, reaching the pinnacle of the human realm, so they were called the Four Immortal Swords.
However, ever since “Outer Void Immortal Sword” Gong Xuesha of the Four Immortal Swords was exposed as being a “Divine Name,” the reputation of the Four Immortal Swords had already deteriorated significantly, and many people harbored suspicions that there may be Divine Names concealed inside the bodies of these talented girls. Add on that Primordial World’s Divine Names were all outstanding beauties themselves, the reputation of the Four Immortal Swords was not as formidable as the Four Dukes.
Feng Huang’er was the beloved heiress of the Feng Clan, one of the Northern Continent’s Three Great Noble Houses. It was said that when she was born, the Star Beast Di Nü Heavenly Phoenix1 was drawn over and perched atop the building.
This was but an auspicious sign, and a legend was passed down in the Feng Clan that they were the blood of the Fenghuang, that once every thousand years, their successor would appear. Their surname Feng2 was derived from Fenghuang, so she was named Feng Huang’er.3
This Feng Huang’er did not fail their expectations. At seven years of age, she had already mastered the Feng Clan’s “Phoenix Sword.” The moment she began, she was one with the sword, defeating many of the clan’s talents and rising stars. Later, she cultivated the “Ten Thousand Phoenixes Divine Mirror” and the “Great Wind Seal.” These two were both top-notch abilities, and ever since that moment, she stood above all others in the Northern Continent; no peer of hers was a match for her.
Afterward, Feng Huang’er went to Jixia Academy to cultivate the “Great Way.” Information pertaining to her was scant, but in the Jixia Academy where Divine Names coexisted, she was also a preeminent existence.
Now, rumor had it she was to appear at the Thunder Swamp. This left Xian Zhen a bit worried.
“Is she here for the Daydream?” Qi Lin thought.
“The Daydream has been forbidden from others by the Daoxing Tianzun via a kill order. Can it be that Feng Huang’er is bold enough to dare offend the Tianzun?” Xian Zhen was not very convinced.
“No matter what she’s thinking, let’s be careful.” Qi Lin recalled the Four Immortal Swords’ Outer Void Immortal Sword Gong Xuesha, the girl that he once witnessed the Moonlight Bright Treasure with. He wondered how she was right now.
Several hours alter, a large mountain appeared before them.
This mountain range was long and majestic, undulating like a series of fish scales, reaching into a deep sea of clouds. This was Old Mount Kun.
Beyond Old Mount Kun was the Thunder Swamp, one of Primordial World’s Twelve Savage Regions.
With the sun and moon phenomenon less than five days away, Qi Lin could not miss this opportunity, and he promptly used the Escaping Heavenly Shuttle to enter Old Mount Kun. The ancient forest in the mountain was lush, a dense canopy of branches and leaves. Although it was named “old,” it was unable to compare to the Northern Primordial’s Eight Desolates.
By nightfall, Qi Lin had successfully entered Old Mount Kun. An immense marsh appeared beyond the mountain.
The marsh spanned a thousand li, with thick forests and an atmosphere of miasma.
A powerful electric current filled the air, exploding with sparks of lightning from time to time.
The Primal Chaos Heavenly Court’s Donghuang Taiyi partitioned Primordial World, splitting it into the Four Continents of East, West, South, and North alongside the twelve most dangerous regions. Twelve Demon Marquis were invested to govern the Twelve Savage Regions. Back then, she had also consulted with the Ten Thousand Beasts Marquis of the Ten Thousand Beasts Unbounded on raising the Four Perils Taowu.4
The Twelve Demon Regions were associated with the “Thunder God,” whose True Name was unknown. It was only known that she cultivated the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder from the genesis of Primordial World to a realm of perfection. This pond was formed from the Divine Thunder, and as it was presided over by a Thunder God, it was named the Thunder Swamp.
Hidden in the Thunder Swamp were multiple Thunder Ponds, of which return was impossible if one fell in. Even a Middle Ancient Realm Divine Name would be destroyed. This was an extremely terrifying rumor in Primordial World.
Qi Lin had only just set foot in the Thunder Swamp when he immediately sensed an electric shock. The electric current in the air was concentrated, almost like there was an electrical leak. The higher the altitude, the greater the electric current in the Thunder Swamp’s air. Although it was said that these electric current would never be very fatal, it would continuously drain a cultivator’s magical energy, causing people to be very upset.
“The Thunder Swamp is so big, where should we go?” Nezha asked.
“The Thunder Swamp has three distinct regions split into Outer, Inner, and Center. According to the simultaneous appearance of the sun and moon…” Qi Lin calculated. The Earlier Heaven Qi was certain to only appear at the Center Region.
It would likely take another three days to reach the Center. In terms of time, this would be no problem.
After entering the Thunder Swamp, they hurried along.
“There are also Strange Beasts here.” Nezha clicked her tongue. In the enormous swamp, she occasionally saw several monstrous beasts, including hares and deer.
“You must be especially wary of the Strange Beasts in the Thunder Swamp. They are more formidable compared to those in the Eight Desolates.”
The Thunder Swamp nurtured “Heavenly Thunder.” To an ordinary cultivator, Divine Thunder was an existence that cleansed the muscles and marrows, to induce body reconstruction. Furthermore, the Thunder Swamp’s Strange Beasts cultivated in Divine Thunder year round, which would terrify the Strange Beasts of the EIght Desolates.
“I just so happen to need the Demon Cores of some Strange Beasts.” Qi Lin’s eyes were agleam. His Ten Thousand Beasts Unbounded Banners were already infused with Demon Cores the Heyu, Fuzhu, Yayu, Zhuyan, Qin Bug, and other Strange Beasts, Divine Beasts, and Fierce Beasts. Eight of the Banners were already forged, with only four left unrefined. Once the Twelve Banners were completely forged, it would be an Earlier Heaven-level existence.
If he had this treasure, it could be a helping hand even against an Antiquity Divine Realm.
“The Thunder Swamp has the Immemorial Strange Beast known as the ‘Kui.’ It was the mount of one of the Thunder God’s subordinate Divine Generals and was able to emit thunder through the Nine Firmaments, across thousands of li, to attack first. It is very powerful, and it is said to now seclude itself in the Thunder Swamp. Do you want to capture it?” Xian Zhen asked.
“I’ll see after I forge the Divine Cauldron.” Qi Lin did not want side issues for the time being. The most important thing was to complete the Ninth Cauldron.
“En.”
The group flew around the Divine Swamp and hunted some Strange Beasts hindering them.
At this time, Qi Lin suddenly commanded the Escaping Heavenly Shuttle to descend and flew into dense shrub, hinting to the girls to be quiet.
Very quickly, a group of people flew over from the horizon.
These people wore gray clothes and headscarfs. They flew high up in the air. Upon careful inspection, there were seven people, and their Realms were surprisingly Void Return Five Elements Realm.
“Hm? I thought I just saw someone’s shadow. Why can I not see them all of a sudden?” A youth among the seven curiously scanned the surroundings.
“Were you mistaken.”
“Impossible.”
“We flew over from a hundred li away, he could not have possibly noticed us unless his Realm far exceeds ours or…” The group said nothing more. Everyone was crystal clear on the other possibility.
Divine Name.
A lone Divine Name that was unfathomable.
“Never mind, we are on orders from Master Venerable to hunt the Great Sage Equal Of Heaven. Do not create side issues.” The man in the lead said as he slowly scanned the marsh and woods.
“Let us first meet with the other sects and discuss a plan to deal with Sun Wukong.”
When Qi Qi heard this, her eyes immediately overflowed with evil qi. Qi Lin grabbed her shoulder and continued to listen to that group.
“The Daoxing Tianzun wants to use use to get rid of Sun Wukong. Although a petal of the Daydream is beneficial, she has turned us into cannon fodder.”
“Yes, they say this monkey wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Court back then. Now that her Divine Name has been born, she also has an Emissary that is insufferably arrogant. He accrued a multitude of achievements in the Northern Primordial, and even a Divine King submitted to him. How can we possibly kill her.”
The leader sneered: “Can it be that we must heed the Daoxing Tianzun’s commands?”
“Senior Brother Zhi Yuan’s meaning is?”
“The simultaneous appearance of the sun and moon is a once in a thousand year phenomenon of the Thunder Swamp. They say that the mount of the late Thunder God Marquis, the ‘Kui’ will also be born. We can seize this chance to slay it.”
“That Senior Brother has an alternative plan is merely out of fear of the Daoxing Tianzun?”
“Hmph, she wants to collect the Daydream yet is also worried about Sun Wukong. As if she has time to care about us. On what grounds should the Three Great Noble Houses and the Five Great Sects be ordered about by her. It is the Invested Deity Era. The fortunes of the gods are in this tribulation, and they can hardly protect themselves.”
“Ha, ha, Senior Brother Zhi Yuan is right.”
“Let us hurry and go meet with the others.”
“Hee, hee, I heard the Feng Clan’s princess, Feng Huang’er, will also come to the Thunder Swamp. I wonder whether or not I can witness Feng Huang’er’s beauty.”
“To be able to even glimpse her, I can die without regrets.”
Everyone chatted and laughed, departing on the wind.
Qi Lin walked out of the shrubbery and pondered upon what they said just now.
“That was the ‘Universe Origin Sword Sect’ just now, one of the Northern Continent’s Five Sects. They wield significant power, and their ‘Universe Origin One Qi Sword’ is very formidable, comparable to a Destiny.” Xian Zhen recognized their identities.
“The Three Great Noble Houses and the Five Great Sects seem to have all been issued orders to kill us by the Tianzun.” Qi Lin was pensive.
“It is simply unlikely for a Void Return cultivator to kill a High Ancient Divine Name.” Xian Zhen shook her head.
“Perhaps the Daoxing Tianzun i merely using this as an opportunity to get rid of some influential elites of the Northern Continent while also wasting Qi Qi and my strength.”
Xian Zhen nodded. This actually was very possible.
“It appears this Thunder Swamp is truly very complicated. The Daoxing Tianzun’s large movements have preparations behind them, and that you previously offended the Heavenly Decree Palace may bring even greater danger, This General fears.” Xian Zhen was worried.
Qi Lin smiled: “The Daoxing Tianzun si about to pick her Daydream while I am here to forge the Ninth Cauldron. If we each mind our own business, we won’t come into conflict. As for the sects and noble families she called over, it seems now even they have their own plans. Their prepared to go slay the Immemorial Strange Beast ‘Kui.’ Each group has their own goals.”
The analysis from this perspective was logical.
“But how did the Daoxing Tianzun know that Qi Qi would come to the Thunder Pond? We clearly were very careful.” Nezha was especially confused.
“Yes, I also felt this was very strange. Maybe someone leaked our whereabouts.” Qi Lin meaningfully asked Xian Zhen: “If I may venture to ask, has General Xian Zhen informed anyone of our location?”
The woman calmly answered: “This General travels together with you. Your safety is This General’s safety. Do you think that This General revealed our plans so that the Heavenly Decree Palace can come kill you? Is this beneficial to This General?”
“So the General has no recollection of anyone else who might know?” Qi Lin asked.
“King Yu, Hou Ji, and Bo Yi all know that you have come to the Thunder Swamp, and they should not have leaked anything either. However, it is difficult to say the same for Chiyou and Xuanyuan.” Xian Zhen was deeply aware of their incredible intelligence-gathering abilities. “Chiyou has the ‘Specters,’ a group of four people that can hear the rustle of wind on the grass and trace the tiniest of clues. There is nothing that can hide from them. Xuanyuanshi’s subordinates include many Divine Names, and it is only because of Yu Shiqie that she knows about Bai Ze. This General does not dare make any guarantees.”
“When Heaven is about to place great responsibility upon someone, it must first test their will, tire their muscles and bones, starve their flesh, deprive their bodies, and thwart their endeavors…” Qi Lin heaved a long sigh: “My only desire is to control the floods and fix the fortune of the Northern Primordial, to lift the burden on Wenming, but it is preordained to be precarious.”
“Wow, how do you even know Master Mencius’ words, can it be you studied at the Jixia Academy?” Nezha asked in astonishment. She had even thought that Qi Lin was illiterate.
Qi Lin smiled.
“Some truths can always enter human will without need of learning in order to be passed down. What say you? General Xian Zhen.”
The woman was taken aback and slowly nodded.
“This General shall support this precarious path.” She demonstrated her might as a general.
Qi Lin laughed: “Little Sister Xian Zhen, no need to be so serious. A man should bear all the hardship, how can we let a woman do so. Forget the Three Houses, Five Sects, and the Heavenly Decree Palace. Even if a sage comes, I will forge this Divine Cauldron!!” Each word was resonant and powerful, incomparably determined.
Xian Zhen felt her whole body go numb, and she felt surprisingly powerless.
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Too bad we all know nobody will leave Qi Lin alone.
Trouble seems to always follow him no matter where he goes 😛