Chapter 443: Sunset Mountains
Seated in the carriage, Hui Yue looked at his family around him. Although Cai Jie and Deng Wu were not really a part of the Hui’s family, these two men were brothers to him. Although he was officially not married to Sha Yun and Wang Ju Long, the two women were clearly his wives.
The carriage they were seated in was built from wood and metal; it had two couches, one on each side, and some large cushions at the front. The whole interior was made from soft fabric making it comfortable to sit on. Their trip was in no way going to be uncomfortable. The carriage he hired was one of the ones with the highest price but also the one providing the best comfort.
The walls were thick, and the driver was seated outside, incapable of hearing what was being said inside. As soon as they started traveling, Hui Yue gathered all his friends around him.
"The mission we are going to undertake this time will be quite difficult and most likely also much more dangerous than anything we have ever encountered before." Hui Yue said seriously, but although he was serious, it was impossible to hide the excitement from within as a small smile crept onto his face.
"We will reach the Sunset Mountains in a month’s time and from there we will move towards the Central Palace without letting anyone see us. On the way there, we will have to rely on Deng Wu, Wang Ju Long, and Sha Yun. The three of you have been there once before while leaving the Dungeons of the Divine and even I do not know the location as accurately." Hui Yue said.
Hearing their names called out, the three friends all nodded their heads and seriously looked at one another. They had indeed been there before, so to return was not a big problem for the three of them.
"We don't know what we will encounter at the Central Palace. So everyone is on the same page, tell us what you noticed about the place the last time you were there." Hui Yue requested while looking at his three friends.
"The Central Palace, although it sounds like a place filled with people, when we exited the Dungeons of the Divine, nothing could be seen. We never directly entered the palace itself, but from the surroundings where we surfaced there were no living beings." Deng Wu started while shuddering. Thinking back on that sight made him feel strange and uncomfortable.
"Although there are no people the palace is indeed the largest palace I have ever seen. It is built on the very top of a large mountain. It oversees the four mountain chains which separate the four kingdoms from one another." Sha Yun joined in while thinking deeply about those events many years prior when she had exited the Dungeons of the Divine. So much had happened since then, but she still seemed to remember it all extra vividly.
"We rushed away from the palace as soon as we could." Wang Ju Long said while shaking her head, looking apologetically at Hui Yue.
"We did not know if the Dragon Corps or anyone else were guarding the area. Sticking around seemed to be the most dangerous option of all since we were escorting the laws, therefore, we rushed away. Although we left quickly, every time I look at the palace I could not help but feel rather terrified. It had a dark and domineering aura, and the palace itself rose on the top of that enormous mountain peak, overseeing the entire world. It was quite scary and intimidating, so we fled immediately."
The other two nodded their heads. "Were it not for the allure of the Formation of Life, then I would have long ago backed out of this whole ordeal." Deng Wu admitted rather sheepishly while scratching his head with a silly smile on his face. "The Central Palace is not easy to enter. Even the routes from the Dungeons of the Divine do not enter the actual premise of the Central Palace, they all skirt around it. You would not know since you forced your way out through one of the entrances to the Vermilion Bird Dungeon."
"It seems this might be even more terrifying than what I had expected." Hui Yue said with a slight smile on his face, but even though he understood what these friends of his said, Hui Yue was not even slightly frightened. If he were frightened already how would he be able to lead them through this dreadful and dark Central Palace?
'Originally the Central Palace was the home of the four divine beasts.' Lan Feng's voice sounded in Hui Yue's mind. 'It was a place filled with life, laughter, and happiness when I was younger. I know the entire way around the palace, and I also know the general way to reach the Formation of Life.'
Hearing this, Hui Yue was shocked. Lan Feng had never before said anything about the Formation of Life so to hear about it from the phoenix; he was stunned but also excited. If Lan Feng knew anything about it, then it would make things much simpler.
'Don't expect too much, though.' Lan Feng sighed. 'My father never told me about the Formation of Life, and neither did any of the other experts. However, one day I was exploring the large Central Palace and found a door I had never seen before. After trying to enter it, my father instantly arrived and scolded me. He told me not to enter, and that if I did, I had to be willing to suffer the consequences of my actions.'
'My father told me that if I choose to enter this door, I would most likely die. He never told me that I could gain Godhood, had he done so then I would have entered long ago.' Lan Feng's voice had a tint of regret and disappointment within, but hearing his words, Hui Yue was not disappointed, instead, he was excited.
'After An He took over the Central Palace, he should have become the master of the formation.' Lan Feng continued, and the moment he spoke his words caused Hui Yue to sigh. Lan Feng was correct. As the formation’s master, he should be able to move it with him, but since he left the world and we still have the essence of the heavens and the earth, it should have been left behind.'
'If he did not move it at all, then we are in luck, but if he did move it then my help is worth nothing.' Lan Feng continued with a sigh. Both he and Hui Yue became silent as they considered this. In fact, they were unaware of what to do; the formation could be anywhere from the Central Palace to the moon.
'The Frozen General seemed certain that the Formation of Life was within the Central Palace. Let us trust him and go through the whole palace if we have to.' Hui Yue finally said to Lan Feng, and the phoenix nodded its head. Zhong Fai had seemed completely certain that the Formation was within the Central Palace and Hui Yue felt he had a reason for his assumption.
"Do you think An He became a God because of the formation?" Deng Wu asked curiously, and Hui Yue nodded his head. "I am quite sure it was because of this formation he became a God. As far as I know training to become a God is almost impossible, but apparently, he is already a Crowned Sovereign. It should have taken him more than four thousand years to reach this rank from the rank of Emperor which he had when he tricked Lan Feng and the others."
The others turned excited upon hearing Hui Yue's words. All of them were thinking about the benefits they could gain from the Formation of Life. To become a God ranked cultivator was simply too tempting.
The trip to the Sunset Mountains was long, and they only paused when they needed to stretch their legs or during the night when the beasts needed rest. Usually, they would stop in small villages or cities to checking into a hotel and rest during the night. Though a few nights, they had no other option than to camp outside.
During the day while the magical Kirins that pulled the carriage were filled with energy, everyone would sit inside and cultivate. Even the slightest improvement in strength was needed for this mission they were on, and they had nothing else to spend their time on.
Soon a month had gone by, and they reached the Sunset Mountains.
"Milord, do you wish for me to wait for your return, or return to Muchuan City without you?" The carriage driver asked politely, but Hui Yue shook his head and handed over a purse filled with gold coins. "We don't know how long we will be gone." He said honestly as he paid the driver. "Therefore asking you to stay would without a doubt be a waste of your time." Accepting the money, the driver nodded his head. Afterwards, he led the carriage and the Kirins away.
"We will walk back on our own, or rent another carriage." Hui Yue said to his friends, and they nodded their heads. None of them seemed to really mind too much about when they would head back. It was simply something so far away from them that it was not something they could think about. They were solely focused on the trip in front of them, and Hui Yue smiled wryly. He too could not focus on anything other than the mission they were about to undertake.
"Well then, I know you are all eager, but it is late in the afternoon now so let’s stay in this city for the remainder of the night. Tomorrow we can start moving when the last of our fatigue has vanished." He said, and as soon as he had spoken, everyone nodded their heads. Because they had been cultivating during their journey, it had caused them to be fatigued.
"Well first, let us go find an inn." He said, and together with his friends and family, the seven cultivators entered the small city.
Cities like this one were all over the border of the Sunset Mountains, and their main occupants were adventurers, mercenaries, and merchants who came to profit. Many of them were here for the vast amount of materials which could be found within the Sunset Mountains. These people were used to rough lives where they were in constant life and death struggles against beasts and other experts.
Entering this city, Hui Yue and his group caused quite a stir as everyone looked their way. All of them were outstanding, not only their appearances but also their auras as well. Even the two small children had auras which left many of the adventurers and mercenaries struggling to form sentences.
As cityfolk noticed the sudden commotion, more and more came to see what was going on, and seeing this Hui Yue could not help but feeling helpless. Entering the city might not have been the best idea, but the decision had already been made and with a straight back, he lead his friends and families towards the best inn in town.
The inn was a three story building and entering inside Hui Yue ordered seven rooms, one for each of them. This was something which caused the innkeeper to smile gleefully. Teams would usually room together, but here everyone had a room of their own, and obviously this, in turn, meant more money for him, therefore he was incredibly excited.
"Rest." Hui Yue said calmly. "We are going to rest for the next four hours, afterwards let us go and see what this city has to offer."
His words instantly made everyone excited and nodded their heads after which they headed to their rooms to either rest or cultivate.