After that chaotic night, three days had already passed. Many secret operations were taking place in Celestial City. As for the events that occurred that day, many people were passing various judgments. Although the major clans were powerful and influential, it was impossible for them to keep this under wraps for long.
The Fair family was undoubtedly dejected. Three of their demigods were killed. It was a disastrous loss. Even half of their official residences was razed to the ground. They had completely lost face.
The power of the tiger clan was obvious to all. Although their base was as far as the Middle Earth, the major clans in the South still had no choice but to be careful when associating with them. Other than the Undying Sect and the Solitary clan, almost no other clan could stand up to them.
What’s rare was that, during the event this time, the tiger clan also did not get off lightly. Their millennium long reputation had been harmed.
The news spread all over the South quickly, and people were discussing it spiritedly. The major clans were on the negative side of this news, but there was no way around it. It was impossible to keep this news from spreading.
Xiao Chen’s feat that night, was admittedly the focal point of the discussion, but even more people were discussing the bizarre event brought about by the snow-white little critter. Many people forecasted that ten odd years from now, there would inevitably be huge chaos in the world of immortals.
The origins of the little critter was too extraordinary!
Back in those days, when Buddha and Laozi’s previous generations died, this had also happened. It invited devastating disorder on earth for a lifetime. And perhaps, this time, an even bigger gate of catastrophe would be pried open.
The rumor was spread all over the South.
And for those who knew what was really going on, such as the old masters of the tiger clan and the antiques in the South, they only shook their heads in silence.
When the entirety of the South was abuzz, Xiao Chen’s whereabouts were unknown. Nobody in the Celestial City knew which way he went.
The flowers were brightly colored, the sweet scent of the grass and the smell of the soil made this place even more vivid and real.
Xiao Chen’s eyes were brimming with tears as he fixed his gaze ahead. Looking at his gray-haired parents, looking at that elegant figure he was familiar with, he couldn’t believe all of this was real.
Could it be that he had caused a spatial distortion and really returned to his hometown?
However, when he concentrated his mind and walked over step by step, all of this disappeared. The sky was still blue, the flowers were still fragrant, the scenery was as usual. It truly had a striking resemblance to his hometown. Only that, his gray-haired parents and girlfriend were not there. The village already disappeared for a long time and couldn’t be seen.
“It is a dream in the end…” Xiao Chen heaved a sigh, “But why was it so realistic?”
He took a step forward, this plain was filled with a sea of beautiful flowers as far as the eye could see. Flowers of all colors made mother earth brim with spiritual energy.
There were also many small animals that were not afraid of people as they looked at Xiao Chen with curiosity. The long-eared snow-white rabbit and gorgeous multicolored deer were running all around Xiao Chen.
The dense spiritual energy here was like a thin layer of mist. The flowers and grass in the surroundings looked extremely gorgeous under the illumination of the sun.
“Just where is this place?” Xiao Chen was filled with doubts. This was really like an extraordinarily pure land, without any profane vibes. Even the little animals were not startled by people. This really was a little shocking.
The true realm of immortals might be like this, with spiritual energy adrift, as beautiful as a picture scroll.
Xiao Chen soared into the sky. He wanted to see everything in the surroundings clearly from a higher position. The instant he rose to the sky, he suddenly felt like three more suns appeared. All four directions had a sun respectively, he lost his sense of direction.
Confusion!
This was not an ordinary place. It had a mysterious power that made people lose their sense of direction. Xiao Chen felt that the sky was gorgeous, his surroundings were actually filled with many flowers and plants.
It made him incomparably shocked. The vegetation floating in the sky was similar to the ones on the ground; there were dense spiritual energy lingering on the plants.
Could it be that there was a huge illusion spell shrouding this entire area?
Xiao Chen did not move around recklessly. He slowly descended to the grassland and when he raised his head to look again, there was only one gentle sun hanging in the sky. Everything that he had seen earlier was gone.
This was not a simple place, Xiao Chen lamented as such. After settling on a direction, he walked forward with large strides.
However, after walking for about an hour, he found that he had returned to his original location. There were still traces of when he was lying down unconscious earlier.
“Just what kind of place have I gotten myself into?” Xiao Chen frowned.
After calming down, he carefully probed his surroundings. Just at this moment, a speck of light suddenly blossomed in his body. The rainbow-colored sacred tree was shaking a little in his body.
The sacred tree was actually still within his body, but it was no longer linked to the nine divinized acupoints. Xiao Chen couldn’t borrow the divine power from it any longer.
After thinking for a while, Xiao Chen guided the sacred tree out of his body. The treasured tree shook slightly in his hand, and the dense spiritual energy in the surroundings was all dispersed. It was like a dense fog had been cut open. Everything before Xiao Chen’s eyes became clear, he had once more regained his sense of direction.
No longer hesitating, he held the treasured tree in his hand and flew forward at low altitude.
As such, he advanced like this for no less than five hundred miles. He could already see the forest up ahead. He was finally about to get out of this sea of flowers.
At the border zone of the sea of flowers, there was a towering rocky hill there, with a few big characters carved on it: Maze of Flowers.
The calligraphic touch was forceful. Xiao Chen only recognized these characters after pondering for a while, because those characters were really too old.
“So the pure land behind me is called the Maze of Flowers. What a fitting name.”
The verdant forest ahead didn’t seem like it was barren. On the contrary, it was auspicious and peaceful.
“Did you come out from the Maze of Flowers?” A delicate voice was transmitted from close by with hints of doubt.
Xiao Chen turned his head to look, he only saw an elegant girl with an otherworldly vibe. She was standing quietly in between the flower trees.
The eyes were the windows to a man’s soul. Her beautiful eyes were as pure as limpid autumn waters and she had long eyelashes. She gave people the impression of a lovable and naive little girl. Her beautiful nose was sticking out elegantly, her red lips were moist, and her pearly white teeth were as lustrous as pearls.
The girl’s delicate body was like a soft willow, graceful yet delicate. It was not an exaggeration to say she was a perfect beauty. Her long black hair was bright and reflected the light. It spread out naturally until her waist. She was wearing a white dress. The girl was so beautiful, as if she was a fairy that came out of a painting.
The girl was extremely beautiful and elegant, yet she had an unworldly vibe. It just so happened that she was looking at Xiao Chen in wonder. Her long eyelashes flickered as she blinked her eyes, it was suffused with her sincerity.
She was like a gentle wind that lightly brushed past. The otherworldly girl gave people a breathtaking feeling. She was like the spotlessly white flower atop the faintly discernible mountain of immortals. She was that special.
“Uncle, why are you not saying anything?” The melodious sound carried a hint of doubt.
Uncle? Xiao Chen was shocked. He was left speechless after touching his long snow-white hair.
“Uncle, you have already walked out from the Maze of Flowers, all of these are not illusions.” Speaking until here, the girl retrieved a bottle from the wicker basket hanging on her arm. Then she said, “Uncle, please drink this blest clear water. This way, you can break away from the illusions faster.” As she said this, she tossed the bottle over carefully. One could tell that she was a little precautious and didn’t want to get too close.
Xiao Chen picked up the bottle and twisted off the lid. The fragrance immediately penetrated deeply into the heart. With a “Gulp!” he downed the blest clear water. After the grievous event, he had yet to drink or eat anything in the following three days. He was honestly feeling a little thirsty. After finishing the drink, his entire body felt relaxed. The pores all over his body seemed to have opened up. He realized that the blest clear water was not an ordinary item. It had already washed his fatigue away.
“Uncle, you sure can drink.” The girl had a benevolent glance. She smiled lightly and made people feel as if they had been cleansed by the spring wind. It was a very infectious smile. It was like a clear spring in the desert, like an oasis in the middle of Gobi Desert.
Xiao Chen returned the bottle to the girl and asked with a gentle voice, “Do I really look that old? I shouldn’t be that much older compared to you.”
The elegant girl nodded her head seriously, then she shook her head and said, “Young uncle.”
Xiao Chen smiled bitterly. This unworldly girl was indeed very special. However, it was very easy to generate favorable impression.
After experiencing all kinds of dangerous events in Celestial City. Seeing a spirited girl like this was just like a clear spring that trickled past the dry land.
“Where is this place?”
“This is heaven.” The girl exposed a mischievous smile, two tiny dimples appeared on her cheeks. She was somewhat cute and charming.
“How about you?”
“Naturally, I am an angel in heaven.”
Coming across such a mischievous girl, Xiao Chen also smiled involuntarily as he said, “Tell me quickly, this is very important to me.”
“Oh, alright. This is the Pure Land. Some great-grandpas and grandmas are living here in seclusion. Uncle, how did you find this place?” The girl was blinking her big eyes in a daze, her long eyelashes were quivering. She creased her tender nose and appeared very cute and lively.
“I also have no idea how I got here, how far is this place from Celestial City?”
“So far!” The girl was shocked as she looked at Xiao Chen, and said, “This is five million miles away from the Southern Wasteland. Uncle, how did you run so far?” ⌈1⌋
He kneaded his temples, Xiao Chen felt an indescribable exhaustion. Although the blest clear water had already washed away his exhaustion, he was still feeling tired. He knew his body was slightly ill, but even more so were his spirits.
“Uncle, why don’t you come to our village first, your condition doesn’t seem that good.”
“Thank you.”
Xiao Chen followed the girl in white dress silently as they pushed their way through the beautiful forest.
“Uncle, do you have a load on your mind? If you don’t look at where you’re going, you will bump into that big tree.”
With her warning, Xiao Chen dodged instinctively. It resulted in the gentle laughter of the girl, “Uncle, you are so amusing. I was lying, why you are not paying attention to the road.”
“Uncle is very tired.”
“Young uncle, cheer up. Don’t look that dispirited. Look, isn’t the forest beautiful? Grandpa told me every tree here possess intelligence. One of them was planted personally by the ancestor god Fuxi. If you can find it, you can be relieved from all your worries. It can grant you any wish.”
On the way, the girl was singing and talking cheerfully. She was running all over the place. Even when running into a young deer, she would call out to it in a friendly manner. Inside the wicker basket, other than herbal medicines, it was also filled with various wild flowers.
“Uncle, I seldomly come across people I don’t know, tell me about all the interesting things out there.” The girl was as lively as a fairy. From start to finish, she was very cheerful and was full of vitality.
“Uncle, why are you not talking anymore?”
“Plop!” Xiao Chen blacked out and fell into the flower thickets.
“Gasp! Uncle, are you alright?” The girl circumvent a few ancient trees with agile steps as she ran over to support Xiao Chen. Then she said with astonishment, “Young uncle, your life energy is very weak. It seems like you don’t have much time left.”
The girl lightly waved her slender fingers. A crystal clear radiance spilled down and shrouded Xiao Chen within. After that, she was humming some unknown song with her melodious voice as she walked forward with agile steps. Xiao Chen was floating in the crystal clear radiance as it followed behind the girl’s back.
After advancing for approximately ten miles, the beautiful forest gradually became thinly spread as a small village revealed itself in front of them. There was spiritual energy drifting in the air, and the sunlight filtered through the leaves, it really looked like paradise.
There were pavilions and kiosks in the gardens, small bridges over running water, fragrant flowers and plants. The scenery was incomparably beautiful.
It seemed like there were only a few dozen households in this small village. All of them were small wooden house, each and every one of the house resembled a big mushroom. The roofs were full of rattans. The emerald green leaves and bright-colored flowers were flickering with specks of light.
The young girl ran towards a courtyard with two wooden houses. She pushed open the wooden gate as she called out with a lively yet mischievous voice, “Grandpa, I’m back.”
“Qing Qing, you are back.” A gray-haired old man with child-like face pushed the door of the wooden house open as he walked into the courtyard.
“Un! Grandpa, I picked up an uncle on the way back.”
“……”
The reason why Xiao Chen lost consciousness was because the drainage of his life energy was too excessive. Many organs in his body were aging rapidly. Although it had yet to show on the outside, his qi and blood were clearly very weak. This time, he fainted for no less than half a month. During this time, he vaguely heard the old man’s words.
“If not for the treasured tree that’s hidden in his body, he might be in danger. In addition to that, there are nine bizarre acupuncture points providing hints of life energy to his body. Otherwise, with his remaining lifespan, it would be very hard to keep his organs working normally.”
“The young uncle is so pitiful.”
Another half month passed like this before there were signs of Xiao Chen gradually waking up.
It was already a little more than one month since that nightmare. Just when the Celestial City had calmed down, more news spread like wildfire; that the Fair family and the tiger clan were going to connect by marriage. Although they had yet to make a formal announcement, the rumor was already passed to the outside world. Fairsnow, one of the pearls in the Southern Wasteland, was betrothed to the seventh son of the tiger clan’s master. They were going to complete the marriage during the current year.
This sensational news undoubtedly made secret activities surge up violently in the chaotic Celestial City. Many people could tell how powerful the tiger clan was. Their hands had already reached out from the Middle Earth to the Southern Wasteland. Were they truly trying to expand their power, or were they trying to probe the dragons in the Southern Wasteland? Nobody knew for sure.
During this one month, Xiao Chen was befuddled. He was finally going to regain consciousness.
During this day, beyond the paradise-like village, the roar of a dragon was transmitted over. The thunderous sound tore through the peace and tranquility here.
However, the elders who resided here did not feel angry, they were still as calm as an ancient well. Those who were reading continued to read, those who were taking a stroll continued to stroll, those who were training continued to train.
The young girl who brought Xiao Chen back pushed the fence open in a cheerful mood as she ran towards the outside of the village.
At a distant place, there was a two meters long black dragon. It was flickering with black light that was no different than a black cloud as it ran over quickly. It possessed an Ancestral Dragon head, tiger-like body, Ancestral Dragon tail, and a full body of black scales. It looked extremely warlike.
“Blackie, why are you so late?” Qing Qing lightly stroked the head of the black dragon and happily jumped onto its back.
What’s baffling was that, the proud dragons that normally wouldn’t allow people to ride on them, especially the genuine kings of dragons, was not angry at all. On the contrary, it jumped onto the treetop with the young girl on its back and leapt from one branch to another as if it was flying, leaving behind afterimages in the sky.
Far away, a silly-looking fatty was running over. He was sweating profusely as he waved at the black dragon that was prancing on the tip of branches.
“Brother fatty, how can you take Blackie away for so long and not let it come to see me.”
“We got caught up in a life or death disaster just recently.” The little fatty was gasping for breath in the forest.
“We went to the sacred mountain. I have fused my five beast souls as one. Blackie even seized a strand of dragon qi, as well as the soul of a primal beast king.” The little fatty’s excitement was undisguised.
The young girl, Qing Qing, opened her mouth widely and said with a start, “You guys went to the sacred mountain’s ancient altar? What you can obtain there is the soul of a genuine primal beast! Brother fatty, you are too awesome, you actually fused five souls as one.”
“Just good luck, hehe. Didn’t you notice? Blackie has changed from 1.5 meters to 2 meters. It reaped more benefits than me this time.”
“Oh, that’s right. It was still about one meter long when it left the dragon island with your group. Its improvement is really great this one year.” The young girl nodded before she said, “Oh, by the way, brother fatty, I picked up a strange uncle.”
“Picked… up?” Obviously, the little fatty was bewildered, “Just what kind of person could have charged into the Pure Land?”
“He seemed to have made it through the Maze of Flowers.”
“What, there’s actually someone powerful enough to make it through that scary place?”
“Hehe, I bring you to see him, the young uncle is very handsome.”
After arriving in the wooden house, the little fatty immediately shouted in shock, “Xiao Chen… why is it him?”
“Eh, you know this pitiful uncle?”
“Of course, during the critical moments, if not because of him, our entire group would have died in the hands of the demon.”
Just at this time, Xiao Chen was just about to wake up. He opened his eyes in a daze, and saw a familiar face. A silly-looking fatty was looking at him with a smile.
“Ox…man?”
“It is me! What happened to you, Xiao Chen? Motherf—! Who made you like this, tell me, the great Ox will wipe him out!”
Qing Qing pulled Oxman’s sleeve and said via telepathy, “A lot of his life energy was drained.”
“It’s going to be all right, fear not! I will go to the mysterious sacred mountain. Who knows, we might be able to obtain the soul of an ancestor god. At that time, you will have more than enough life energy for a few generations.” Oxman could see Xiao Chen’s weakened state. He pounded his chest to comfort him.
A coughing sound transmitted from outside. Qing Qing’s grandfather walked in and pulled Oxman’s round face like he was teasing a young child. He was all smiles when he said, “Children’s words carry no harm. Don’t speak nonsense when you don’t understand anything. It wouldn’t be good if you angered the primal beast souls in the sacred mountain.”
1. Silva: WOT?!?!
Fade: He had a good ride hahah, just treat the weapons as horses he’ll be fine