Chapter 915: A Chance Encounter
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
A smile seemingly surfaced on the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage's obscured face. "Not long ago, didn't we hope that the Great Void Sect would fight the Celestial Sect of Wonders to the death too?"
Long Ye said, "When the War of the Two Worlds actually begins, the Celestial Sect would probably be caught in the action, and we'll inevitably have to face them eventually. As the Celestial Sect grows stronger every day, so does the corresponding mastery level of their human cultivators."
The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage nodded, "That's why time is of the essence for us and all other demon tribes. The speed at which the Celestial Sect rose to prominence was beyond anyone's imagination and threw the power dynamics into disarray. Both us demons and the Great Void Sect missed the golden opportunity to eradicate the Celestial Sect. Another attempt now would only leave us open to be taken advantage of."
Long Ye furrowed her eyebrows. "But Master, if we leave them be, the Celestial Sect would only grow stronger."
The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage maintained her slow and calm tone. "You're right, that's why we need a suitable opportunity, and the Golden Cicada Master is one such opportunity. But it's a shame that the Ten Thousand Mantra Ape and the Golden Cicada Master are not on the same page, or else everyone wouldn't be so troubled if he simply opposed the Celestial Sect's Master outright. Just like how the Great Void Sect decided not to cut off all diplomacy with the Celestial Sect when the Mount Shu Sect battled the Celestial Sect Master. Both Lin Feng and the Monkey understand each other."
Long Ye smiled, "The Golden Cicada Master offended the Celestial Sect Master really badly this time. But even if the Celestial Sect Master pursues him to the ends of the earth, the Golden Cicada Master is still a great demon at the Vipralopa Stage with incredible strength. He even roped in the White Tiger and Xiangliu to support him. It wouldn’t be too easy to take the Golden Cicada Master down."
The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage laughed, "It's not just the Golden Cicada Master. The Dragon Tribe has to turn against the Celestial Sect Master too. After the Emperor of Extremity and the Hades Emperor both fell from grace, they naturally did not give a care about anything other than the Emperor-slaying Supreme Heavenly Emperor."
"That's why I still like the Dragon Tribe sometimes." Long Ye giggled, "What a shame that the Golden Roc Grand Sage is so demure and has never angered the Dragon Tribe, or else the treasure in his possession could also be used up."
The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage said, "Lei Yuan might be arrogant but he still has a clear mind and a precise understanding of the world around him. That's why he can reach where he is today without being misled by distractions or falsities. He keeps a low profile solely because he's conserving energy."
Long Ye gazed towards the distant horizon and commented casually, "It's a pity that he has E Chi and the Qiongqi Tribe under his wing. There was certainly some unhappiness between E Chi and the Celestial Sect Master back then."
"Of course, otherwise why would E Chi hide himself for so long except for that time at the Three Mountains of the Ying Sea? It's only to avoid courting trouble with the Celestial Sect Master," The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage commented.
Long Ye replied, "I'm sure the Celestial Sect Master can't handle both the Earth Dragon King and Golden Cicada Master at once easily. And it's a shame that it's the Earth Dragon King and not the Origins Dragon King, otherwise it would be really interesting. With both the Earth Dragon King and the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage returning together, the defences around Mount Taihua would have completely dissolved. Even so, seeing how the Great Void Sect rushed back so quickly, and with the Celestial Sect Master caught in such a heated battle with the Golden Cicada Master, things are still evolving quite unexpectedly."
The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage looked at Long Ye and smiled, "No worries about that. Even though the Tai Yi Holy Man and the others may have returned earlier than expected, but in order to withstand the initial attack, Wu Mengqi from the Great Void Sect would have to unleash his full arsenal. Hence, their original goal has already been achieved when Mount Taihua got decimated into a wasteland thanks to its former residents. The Great Void Sect can only occupy the regions around Mount Taihua as the hand which they used to pry into the Barren Expanses has been ravaged to the bone. One of the reasons why the Earth Dragon King and the Heavenly Grandmaster were previously reluctant to leave was because they wanted to take the chance to attempt striking down a few powerhouses from the Great Void Sect."
Long Ye chuckled, "The Tai Yi Holy Man also mentioned that the Feiyi Grand Sage was stamping with rage."
The Feiyi has the shape of a peculiar snake, with a head, two bodies, six legs, and four wings. Whenever it appeared, it would bring about devastating droughts, parching the lands for thousands of miles.
The current Tribe Master of the Feiyi Tribe, the Feiyi Grand Sage, is a great demon that has already attained the Syncretic Star Soul, and devoted himself under the command of the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage not long ago. Mount Taihua was the Feiyi Tribe's ancestral ground which was taken over by the Great Void Sect during the War of the Two Worlds 4600 years ago. The Feiyi Tribe brooded over the issue for a long time, unable to claim their land back. Hence, the Feiyi Grand Sage must have been the happiest one when hordes of demons attacked Mount Taihua this time round.
In the end, Mount Taihua was not only impenetrable, but also wasted to ruins. Why wouldn't the Feiyi Grand Sage be so despondent?
The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage couldn't help but crack a smile. "The Feiyi himself already knew the likely outcome but chose to cling onto an ounce of hope. This was clearly something inevitable and well within expectations. We can only compensate him in other ways next time."
Long Ye stuck her tongue out and snickered, "Someone's going to be in trouble."
The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage gazed into the distance and laughed in her deep, rapsy voice. "The Earth Dragon King and Golden Cicada Master, don't disappoint us."
Lin Feng was still amidst the skies above the Nine Netherworld Peak. He already deduced what the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage, the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage and the Golden Roc Grand Sage were plotting. But since he already decided to track down the Golden Cicada Master, he could not waver.
Offering up the Golden Bowl Cicada Wings again, Lin Feng began conjuring his spell. The Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage stood quietly amidst the faraway skies, his massive and terrifying figure as silent as a statue.
Lin Feng shot him a glance and continued conjuring his spell while trying to fathom the flowing light that he intercepted when the Golden Cicada Master previously summoned the Nine Netherworld Ten-sided Dual Garbhadhātu to escape.
This move eluded everyone's eyes. Not even the Golden Cicada Master himself or the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage beside him managed to notice it.
Lin Feng carefully studied the light and other memories suddenly began surfacing in his mind. "This feels somewhat familiar, just like ... Oh, by the looks of it, these two things may have originated from the same source."
"I can finally explain this using this train of thought." Lin Feng pondered hard as the corners of his mouth curved up into a faint smile.
The Golden Bowl Cicada Wings dissolved into golden light, dancing and swirling in midair before creating a gigantic and complicated pattern. With the pattern as the source, a path of golden light extended forth, meandering through the heavens and lands.
The Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage observed the path of golden light quietly, his blood-red irises shimmering faintly. He has gained a more intuitive grasp of Lin Feng's true strength after watching his battle with the Ten Thousand Mantra Ape.
His return to Mount Lingyuan meant that the Great Void Sect had brought the Supreme Heavenly Mirror along. As long as the Supreme Heavenly Mirror was unsuccessful, he would not be defeated so easily. But if he were to battle Lin Feng to the death, he would merely be taken advantage of regardless of his chances of victory. Otherwise, the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage would have seized the chance to sweep up the clues needed to locate the Golden Cicada Master without a second thought.
Both Lin Feng and the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage remained quiet, silently watching the path extending out endlessly across the void. As for the Nine Netherworld Grand Sage, the former ruler of the Nine Netherworld Peak, the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage was even more disappointed in him, not sparing him a single glance ever since he appeared.
This could not be any worse for the Nine Netherworld Grand Sage. Even if the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage does not punish him brutally, he would definitely be enduring painful days ahead.
From the beginning, his Nine Netherworld Ghost Monkey Tribe and the Crimson Gorilla Ape Demon Tribe never saw eye to eye. While his mastery could not compare against that of the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage, he was still one of the few powerhouses of the Ape Tribes, well-favored by the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage. But in the end, due to a moment of greed and folly, he took a wrong step. If the Golden Cicada Master succeeded in his mission, nothing would have gone wrong. The Nine Netherworld Grand Sage could have cleaned up the mess afterwards, not leaving any loose ends for the Golden Cicada Master to exploit, and the Golden Cicada Master would still be on good terms with the entire Ape Tribe.
Unfortunately, he crashed into a wall while catching the thief. He did not weasel his way out, and ended up losing everything he had. He could not possibly side with the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage and humiliate himself, so no one can imagine what sort of ill fate awaits him under the Heavenly Grandmaster's command.
The path of light stretched out endlessly through the void. Lin Feng did not wait longer and with a wave of his hand, he picked up Wang Lin and the rest then stepped forward, advancing along the path.
The Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage kept silent and proceeded onto the path as well, walking alongside Lin Feng.
Lin Feng strolled on and suddenly thought of something. He scanned his surroundings quickly with his Supernatural Awareness and broke out into a laugh. "How interesting that I have the chance to meet you here. Even though I have serious matters to attend to now, I can still lend you a helping hand."
As he withdrew and released his mana at intervals, Shi Tianhao, Wang Lin, Yang Qing, Li Yuanfang, Ge Qingwu, Tun Tun and Chu Yang landed beside him. Lin Feng looked at them and said, "There will be a fortuitous encounter when you visit the Northwest this time. Do seize this opportunity well."
Wang Lin and the rest glanced at each other. They were all humans except for Tun Tun, and were hence still considered hostile figures in the Barren Expanses, especially since Lin Feng certainly did not maintain a low profile during this visit even though he did not trumpet his arrival.
Even though the demons of the Barren Expanses feared Lin Feng's strength, there were still some of his disciples who chose to risk walking a tightrope, and their lone acts were not always foolproof either. Nonetheless, both Wang Lin or Shi Tianhao were no strangers to risks, and their master was also someone who would forgo any precautionary measures despite knowing the dangers. Hence, Wang Lin and Shi Tianhao quickly nodded, "Yes, Master."
Yang Qing, Li Yuanfang and Ge Qingwu were not afraid either, and promptly answered, "Yes, Master."
Chu Yang pointed at his own nose with a pinch of doubt. "Master, I ..."
Lin Feng waved his hand without a care. "Just run along with them."
Tun Tun did not scramble to respond, but after looking around, she suddenly rejoiced. "This ... this place seems very near to the Xuanming Tribe's territory!"
Everyone's expressions turned awkward, and even Lin Feng laughed as he shook his head. With a point of his finger, Tun Tun's face contorted as she involuntarily regurgitated a little flask from her mouth, with the words "I love a matchstick" written on it.
Tun Tun panicked, "You can't take this away!"
Lin Feng pointed at the flask and it instantly eroded to nothingness. Even the spiritual elixirs contained within the vial vanished. He smiled as he patted Tun Tun's little head. "I won't stop you from visiting the Xuanming Tribe's territory, but there must still be a limit to your acts of mischief."
With that, Lin Feng turned to Wang Lin and Shi Tianhao. "Alright, be on your way. The purpose of this journey can be summarized in one word: Magnetism. Seize this chance well."