by <unknown>
"I have to return to the Great Wilderness to see if the Swords Gate is still alright. You should stay here and cultivate. Treat your injuries in peace while I return to Swords Gate," said Zhong Yue.
Then, he walked out of the palace as he thought, I have completed the trade with old man Bai Zhenbei. I wonder how everything is going for Swords Gate. Will we be able to fend them off if the Zhong Li Celestial Race invades the Great Wilderness…?
As he was on his way out of the Frozen Ancient Capital, he came across an arena with ice pillars standing around the arena while a few of the Bai Zhe Clan's disciples were competing with each other in a friendly match. These disciples sat on the ice pillars without moving an inch at all as they fought each other with their inner cores while Bai Zhenhuang and the other magnate Qi Practitioners observed their battle.
Among the disciples, there was a young lady that was particularly striking. Her inner core shone with prismatic rays like a rainbow as various skills were unleashed through her inner core. Her moves were so meticulously planned that each time she struck, her moves connected together in a seamless chain that barely left anytime for her opponent to react.
Unconsciously, Zhong Yue stopped walking and started to spectate the battle among the Bai Zhe Clan's disciple.
Finally, the young lady defeated her opponent, and before she summoned her Yuan Shen back, she swallowed her inner core and got up as she paid her respects to everyone.
"Hahahaha, Mr. Zhong!"
Bai Zhenhuang laughed happily, and he said as he waved at Zhong Yue, "Mr. Zhong, how are the disciples of our Bai Zhe Clan? Come, Shuyue, this is Zhong Yue of the Zhong Shan Clan! If you are satisfied with him, then we can arrange the marriage today!"
Chapter 404: Gods In The Ancestral Star |
Zhong Yue's head blanked out, and he lamented bitterly in his heart, This Bai Zhe Clan, they really took Xin Huo's words seriously!
The Bai Zhe Clan lady stared at Zhong Yue, and her eyes slowly began to light up. Even though Zhong Yue was a human, he possessed a unique air about him that was only present in the elders – it was strong, firm, and unflustered, like an unmoving stone in the middle of the ocean.
Bai Shuyue looked at him and greeted, "Zhong Yue of the Zhong Shan Clan? Are you the senior martial brother who killed Demon Saint?"
Zhong Yue looked back at the lady. Bai Shuyue was dressed in a white and elegant gown, and her face was round and chubby, appearing incredibly distinctive.
She had an aura that was very unlike that of others. If Qiu Jin'er were to be described as tender, Chi Xue mischievous, Tian Mo Concubine crafty, Jun Sixie magnanimous, and Saint Concubine aloof, then this Bai Zhe Clan lady was serene. She possessed a uniquely calm temperament and always seemed to carry a gentle smile on her face.
Zhong Yue returned the greeting and responded, "Senior Martial Sister Shuyue, it was only something I said out of jest. Please do not take it to mind."
Bai Shuyue smiled and answered, "I know it is a joke. You and I are from two different races, and how can one ever ask for marriage without even knowing the other party's age and
appearance?"
Zhong Yue heaved a breath of relief and replied with a smile, "Senior martial sister is quite understanding."
Bai Shuyue then looked at Bai Zhenhuang and the others before saying, "Senior Martial Brother Zhong has no such intentions, so I plead the clan master and the elders not to mention this again."
Bai Zhenhuang quickly said, "Little Brother Zhong is the Sun Innate Spirit Body of the human race – the strongest of all the innate spirit bodies. It is not a bad thing to marry him. It's just
that…"
He hesitated for a second and said, "... he is a little wrong in the head. But this is only a small issue. His condition is way better than Feng Xiaozhong's as he's only had one episode in all the time we were with him. No big deal."
Zhong Yue was speechless, he thought, They heard the argument I had with Xin Huo and thought that I'm like Feng Xiaozhong.
Bai Shuyue shook her head gently and answered, "Even if Senior Martial Brother Zhong did mean it, I wouldn't marry him either. Clan master, there is no need to speak of this anymore."
Bai Zhenhuang then quickly transmitted to her, "You don't understand this, but this young man's prowess is absurd. He is just an Inner Core Qi Practitioner, and yet, he's fought against two Martial Heavenly Masters and an Imminent Deity magnate. We've all seen it, it is true! He has achieved Bai Zhenbei's dream, to become all-knowing and omnipotent. If you marry him, we might just be able to get our hands on such knowledge…."
Bai Shuyue then also replied, "Clan master, you have been blinded by your thirst for knowledge. Have you ever thought that if I marry him, then the Bai Zhe Clan will be inextricably tied to the human race? Although they are weak and feeble now, the talents that have been appearing in every generation means that they are fated to rise. And one day, a war will come for them before they can ascend to the peak of the world
. By then, the Bai Zhe Clan, who has always vowed to avoid the affairs of the other races, will have no choice but to side with the human race. Have you ever thought about it? How many battles can we afford to fight? How many clansmen can we afford to sacrifice? Our whole Bai Zhe Clan has only fewer than a 100,000 people…"
Bai Zhenhuang then seemed to wake up from his illusions as the truth of her words dawned on him. After that, he never broached the topic of marriage again.
Bai Shuyue then continued, "Then this Zhong Shan Clan boy can be brought in as a friendly force but not through marriage. When he comes to the North Barren, we will treat him as a respected guest. We bring him closer to us as an ally, and we make him our friend. With this, regardless of the rise or fall of the human race, the Bai Zhe Clan will remain safe."
Bai Zhenhuang nodded and thought, Shuyue is really good, she has taken every aspect into consideration. After I'm done, the clan master's responsibility can be safely placed on her shoulders.
Bai Shuyue then turned at Zhong Yue and said, "Senior Martial Brother Zhong, are you planning to leave now? Although, I do suggest you stay for some time here. Our intelligence has told us that the Swords Gate Grand Elder, Shui Zian, has invited the many experts with his tokens to the Great Wilderness. Swords Gate Headmaster Jun has also put in place an array formation with the Four Symbol Banners to barricade the Zhong Li Celestial Race army outside of the Great Wilderness.
"Also, the dragon race's Ao Fenglou has brought the Divine Wing Saber to Swords Gate. The Zhong Li Celestial Race has been at war for a few days with your Swords Gate, and both sides have suffered certain damages. Clan Master Xia saw no chance of winning the war, and thus, the Zhong Li Celestial Race has retreated to the South Barren."
Zhong Yue heaved a breath of relief. He was still worried that Clan Master Xia was consumed by rage to fight Swords Gate until the bitter end. If that ever happened, Swords Gate would face extreme casualties that could threaten their future, with the worst-case scenario being total destruction.
But now, it seemed like even Clan Master Xia was still concerned for the whole Zhong Li Celestial Race, and still took into considerations the other celestial races that would invade the South Barren if the Zhong Li Celestial Race were to suffer from the war with the humans.
For him to be selected as the Xia Clan's clan master, he was, of course, not an idiot. Knowing that he would not be able to gain anything from the war against the human race, he decided to stand down and wait for a better opportunity to seek revenge.
"Shuyue was told that Headmaster Jun's Four Symbol Banners are the result of Senior Martial Brother Zhong's stratagem, and also that you invited Ao Fenglou with the Coiling Dragon Sword from the Eastern Sea."
Bai Shuyue gazed at him deeply and smiled, "Although Senior Martial Brother Zhong is not in Swords Gate, you are still the one who made the Zhong Li Celestial Race stand down."
Zhong Yue shook his head, his voice was deep and pained as he said, "My people are the ones fighting and dying
in the frontlines. I'm merely a messenger who is lucky enough to able to bring these pieces together. I deserve no credit at all."
Bai Shuyue led the way and brought him around the icy city. Her voice was soft and tender, "The human race is growing, your ancestors have left you with only one divine sword and a godly spirit. I must say, you humans were weak and fragile back then in those days. However, ever since your appearance, the Swords Gate now holds seven divine weapons, six of which are more or less related to you. In addition to the Divine Wing Saber, the number would then total in eight.
"Moreover, the Four Symbol Banners are just marginally weaker than the saint weapon when formed into the array formation. They are more than enough to secure your Swords Gate's safety for as long as they exist. For now, the human race has grown from a helpless child to an adult. Although the Great Wilderness has 'Great,' in its name, it is actually just a small piece of land several times smaller than the other barrens. At this rate, you humans are bound to expand your territories."
Zhong Yue was amazed. This lady was incredibly astute. She had never stepped out of the North Barren before, and yet, she could see things as clear as if they were happening before her eyes. She even knew that the human race was planning for an expansion of force!
In fact, the expansion had already started from back when Fang Jiange brought the two human tribes back from the West Barren.
In his psyche ocean, Xin Huo was sulking in the corner before suddenly saying, "Brat, this little girl is brilliant, she is one of a kind. She would make the perfect advisor. You must bring her home! If you can marry her and bring her back to Swords Gate, the human race will be able to step into a new world sooner than you think! Such a smart girl, your child should also be smart!"
Zhong Yue laughed and asked, "Xin Huo, are you not angry anymore?"
"Marry her and I will not be angry anymore." Xin Huo sneered and continued, "If you don't, then get out of my sight!"
Zhong Yue shook his head and ignored him. He then answered Bai Shuyue, "The Great Wilderness is too small, if the humans are to survive, we will have to walk out of the mountains. But that's not because we are ambitious, but because our people are still suffering out there in the other barrens. The humans of the Swords Gate will step out to save them from their subjugation."
Bai Shuyue replied, "There are still way too many mysteries in the Ancestral Star. If your Swords Gate decides to walk this path, there will be gods that stand in your way."
Zhong Yue's heart skipped a beat, he thought of the experience he had in the demon race and the existence of a demon god that nearly killed him. Clearly, there were some other gods that still lived in this world!
"Senior Martial Sister Shuyue, just how many gods are there in the Ancestral Star?" Zhong Yue beseeched.
“The gods can live way longer than the magnates, thousands of years at the least and tens of thousands at the most.”
Bai Shuyue stopped, and she looked at the frozen waterfall while saying softly, "Lord Xia left the Lang Ya Board 50,000 years ago. In all this time, there are about 3000 Qi Practitioners in the Godlike Board. Let's just guess that if among these three thousand, half were to die in their journey to become gods, then that would leave us with a 1500 hundred Qi Practitioners. Taking a myriad of other factors into account as well, then there would at most probably be no fewer than 200 gods that are still living in this world."
Zhong Yue was shocked, and he exclaimed, "Two hundred gods?"
Bai Shuyue nodded and replied, "Perhaps even more, but most of them have gone to the other planets outside of the Ancestral Star. The dragon race returned to the Lei Zhe Clan, the celestials went to Kunlun, and some others went to the Zi Wei Divine Court. Even so, there would be over 20 to 30 gods living in the Ancestral Star. Although the exact number is not something I can find out, I know that there is one in our Bai Zhe Clan, I've felt his aura before."
Zhong Yue stared at the frozen waterfall in silence. Over 20 to 30 gods, none of which was human. It was apparent that humanity's rise would be a journey fraught with trials and tribulations.
Bai Shuyue did not say anything. She only smiled and said, "I heard that Senior Martial Brother Zhong can even contend against three magnates. Thus, Shuyue has a request to ask of you."
Zhong Yue raised his brows and appeared puzzled.
Bai Shuyue glanced around, she then lowered her voice and said, "In our Bai Zhe Clan's Frozen Ancient Capital, our grand ancestor Lord Bai has left an ice palace, which according to ancient lore, contains the consummate heritage of the Bai Zhe Clan. However, the seals and traps are way too many and complex, countless ancestors and seniors have tried, but none have succeeded, hence…"
Zhong Yue frowned, he said, “You want me to break the seals and bring you in? But I’m an outsider…”
Bai Shuyue then said, "There is a great heritage in it, but it's the same as being useless if we can't get to it. If Senior Martial Brother Zhong can break through the seals, it is if you learn the heritage as well. Furthermore, I can repay you with an alliance with Swords Gate in the future when I became the clan master."
Zhong Yue's heart pounded hard, if he could bring the support of the Bai Zhe Clan to Swords Gate, the human race's power would significantly increase! Immediately, Zhong Yue asked Xin Huo for help, and the little flame then sneered coldly, "Marry her, or get lost."
Zhong Yue eyes flashed with a mischievous light, and he said with a smile, "Xin Huo, I will marry a girl someday, but what if the child is a Bai Zhe?"
“Then make more of them children.”
The little flame jumped up and down in his psyche ocean and rebutted, "Make a house full of babies, some of them will surely be the humans!"
Zhong Yue was speechless, and he said, "It's not that good to do so, is it? Furthermore, she doesn't want to either…"
"Then make her do it, knock her unconscious and finish the deed before she realizes," Xin Huo explained. "She will cry and make a fuss after she realized everything, but in the end, the rice will have already been cooked. You just have to comfort her and swear that you will treat her nicely in the future, that'll work. I've done it many times. I know what to do, you can count on me to guide you!"
Zhong Yue was in between laughter and tears. Moments later, he said, "Xin Huo, don't you worry too much, I will have many children in the future, but the human race is still weak now, this is not the time yet. Furthermore, getting a pure-blood Fuxi from reproducing is just too low a possibility, I don't think it'll be that easy. The Fuxi can only be the humans because of the bloodline seals. As long as we can break those seals, every human will become a Fuxi!"
Xin Huo gave it a thought and answered dispiritedly, "You are right. But the Fuxi blood in you is higher, the possibility of getting one little pure-blood Fuxi is higher. You must have many many children in the future, one of them might just be a pureblood…"
Zhong Yue laughed and shook his head, he then raised his head up and said with a smile, “Senior Martial Sister Shuyue, please lead the way…”
Chapter 405: Scroll of the Flowers of Snow |
Moment later. Bai Shuyue and Zhong Yue reached the front of an ice palace. The surroundings grew colder as they walked through a few doors. Zhong Yue glanced around and found that all of the buildings were made from pure ice. They seemed cold and frigid, but yet, stronger than the typically-constructed buildings. Within the ice were also the abstruse and obscure totem patterns.
These totem patterns were very profound, left behind by the gods of the Bai Zhe Clan. Furtively, Zhong Yue slashed the Golden Peng Sword at the wall, but only a little piece crumbled away from the wall before new ice formed over the damage to return it to its original state.
“Going further, it will be the core of the ice palace. We need to be careful when we reach there.”
Bai Shuyue led the way, and suddenly, Zhong Yue exclaimed in shock. They had walked for more than fifteen minutes, but with their speed, they had already traveled for more than a hundred miles, and
the end of the corridor was still nowhere to be seen!
“This ice palace is not that huge, we can literally move through the whole palace in just one step if we want to, but why is this corridor so long?”
The two of them continued moving forward, and the surroundings slowly turned wider. Soon, they were inside a world of ice and snow.
Snow fluttered down from the sky, and the breeze was still cold like it could freeze their bones.
Bai Shuyue and Zhong Yue trekked across the snow, and all of a sudden, a nearly imperceptible sound rang in their eyes. A thin, narrow line of blood then appeared on Zhong Yue's cheek – a falling snowflake had cut the side of his face.
Zhong Yue locked his brows, and he cast out the divine third eye and stared into the falling snowflakes.
All of a sudden, he raised his hand and gripped a snowflake in between his fingers. Contrary to his expectations, the snowflake didn't melt upon touching his hand and was still emanating the same frigid air.
Zhong Yue then looked at the snowflake and found that it seemed identical to the ordinary ones, but in his divine third eye, it appeared totally different.
It looked ordinary but was made of abstruse and profound totem patterns. The myriad totem patterns formed an intricate fractal network that went on to create the snowflake's shape and surface!
“This is … a skill?”
Zhong Yue startled, he raised and looked at the falling snow. These snowflakes have been mixed with the ordinary snowflakes, making them difficult to distinguish fr
om the latter!
Fortunately, these special snowflakes were few in number. Otherwise, the two youngsters would be in great danger.
"This is a skill of the Bai Zhe Clan. We call it the Flowers of Snow."
Bai Shuyue exhaled a breath of air, and her inner core flew out of her mouth, turning into the crystal-white Bai Zhe beast. Then, snowflakes of the same skill started flowing out from the Bai Zhe beast to counteract the incoming snowflakes. "We are now at the outer rim of the ice palace. The first layer of seals is the Flowers of Snow. The further we venture, the stronger the snowflakes would be. Senior Martial Brother Zhong, do you have any way to defend against it?"
