Chapter 199: Conspiracies Abound!
Chapter 199: Conspiracies Abound!
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
In the Grand Celestial World, the major powers had tried to eradicate the influence of Buddhism in it for 20 years. After destroying the Great Thunderclap Temple, the realm of human cultivators underwent major changes. The balance of power between the three major forces no longer existed.
As of now, the Great Zhou Empire, which had initiated the destruction of Buddhism, slowly took over the role played by the former Great Thunderclap Temple. The Great Zhou Empire was founded by the strongmen Liang Pan and Zhu Hongwu. Its power grew by the day.
The Great Qin Empire had never been weaker than the Great Zhou Empire until recently. Due to the internal squabbles between the four major families and the imperial family in the Great Qin Empire, in addition to the proliferation of sects on its territory, the Great Qin Empire gradually lost its position of power to the Great Zhou Empire.
This was not something that the Mount Shu Sword Sect wished to see. While the Mount Shu Sword Sect joined the Nine Heavenly Sword Alliance to destroy Buddhism earlier on, it did not wish to see the Great Thunderclap Temple replaced by an equally powerful successor.
In the past 20 years, the major powers increased their competition and struggle, weakening the fragile peace that held together the human realm.
With an already messy situation, the Mount Shu Sword Sect did not want any more factor to further complicate it, especially without knowing how to deal with Lin Feng and company.
Kong Chang said calmly, "Let's not discuss too much with the Pavilion of Heavenly Trade. All I wanted to know is the general direction where Lin Feng was headed."
"The Pavilion of Heavenly Trade has sold information for money before. Quote me a price, and I will definitely pay it without bargaining."
Two people stood within the concealed spot in space, one of them was one of the three major executives of the Pavilion of Heavenly Trade, Song Fu. At that moment, he arched his eyebrow slightly and asked, "Your opinion, Elder Tan?"
Next to Song Fu stood an old man who was staring intently into space.
He was another executive of the Pavilion of Heavenly Trade. As the most senior, he ranked above Song Fu.
"Business will always be business. Private dealings are too done in the name of business," the Elder Tan sighed as he projected his voice across space to Kong Chang, "This master of the Celestial Sect of Wonders is mysterious. Even my Pavilion of Heavenly Trade could not provide much information about him."
"He appeared suddenly in Shazhou before mysteriously disappearing. I don't know where was he headed to, but I can tell Master Kong something of value. When he was dealing business in Shazou, he once showed a magical rock that hailed from the Kunlun Mountains."
Kong Chang nodded, "That's enough."
He gnashed his teeth, "One of my Aurous Core stage disciple, Liu Yang, got into a bit of a scuffle with him. Then, he disappeared in the Kunlun Mountains. It appears that he has something to do with that."
The Flying Fire Grandmaster frowned and said, "The Kunlun Mountains stretched for thousands of miles. Without a specific target, how would you find him?"
Kong Chang was silent for a bit, before saying, "Let's find the leader there first."
The Azure Clouds Grandmaster said quietly, "Do you mean the Aeolus Sect?" Saying that he waved his robes and endless amount of azure clouds spilt out from within. He was gone in an instant.
The Flying Fire Grandmaster gave a resounding laugh, and in a blaze of fire, disappeared too.
Kong Chang turned his head to the direction of the Kunlun Mountains and said, "Let's hope this trip is worth something."
...
In the southern side of the Kunlun Mountains, a tall mountain spiralled straight into the clouds. The sea of clouds reached no higher than its halfway mark.
The peak of this mountain was situated in the midst of heaven-encompassing squalls. On its peak stood a giant palace, and as squalls circled it endlessly it was difficult to see.
Going through the belt of squalls, one would see a majestic palace appear.
In its main pavilion, three guests took their seats. One of them smiled and said, "The Holy Wind Mountain of the Aeolus Sect is indeed impressive."
The person wore a full set of white robes, and on the robes were cursive Chinese calligraphy written all over it. However, instead of projecting an untidy feeling, it emanated a mythical feel.
His appearance was refined and elegant while appearing uninhibited. People could not really tell the difference.
In the master's dais sat a youth in azure robes. Upon hearing that, he smiled and said, "You are too kind, Mr Zhang."
The youth appeared to no more than 13 to 14 in age. He was young and his hair hung freely. His expression was like jade and he looked quietly elegant. He had a bookish feel about him and was more like a scholar than Mr Zhang.
However, the youth in azure robes was actually a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. His title was originally the Cyclone Grandmaster, but as his physical body reached its limit he transferred his soul into another body to remain immortal.
During his soul transfer, as he was protected by a strange treasure his level of mastery was not affected. Also, he managed to preserve all his memories from the previous life.
"The Holy Wind Mountain is indeed a blessed spot. You are too humble, Master Cyclone," said the guest sitting opposite Mr Zhang. He was Yu Wanfeng, a grandmaster in his Nascent Soul stage from the Yu Family whom Lin Feng had met earlier in Shazhou.
Mr Zhang, whose full name was Zhang Hai, was the Household Manager of the residence of the Great Zhou Empire's Marquis of Xuanji, Zhu Hongwu.
Everyone knew that Zhu Hongwu, Marquis of Xuanji, had three main Household Manager. However, in the eyes of the strong, Mr Huang San and Mr Tao Er were nothing.
They only had respect for Mr Zhang Hai, who is the strongest amongst them.
Zhang Hai was second only to the Marquis of Xuanji himself, as he had personally killed two Nascent Soul stage cultivators during the destruction of the Great Thunderclap Temple.
While Yu Wanfeng and Master Cyclone were both Nascent Soul stage cultivators, they still showed Zhang Hai due respect.
Zhang Hai laughed, "I wonder if I am able to meet your honourable sect's leader?"
Master Cyclone shook his head and said, "Actually, it's really quite unfortunate. My senior is meditating alone right now and is unable to receive Mr Zhang."
"It's alright, I don't actually have much to say except with respect to Lin Feng from the Celestial Sect. He dared to pull stunts right under your sect's eyelids, but your leader decided to cultivate alone rather than to settle him. It seems to me that the unworthy benefitted this time round." While saying that, Zhang Hai appeared to be scribbling something on the tea table next to him.
Master Cyclone frowned slightly, before saying, "He resides in the northern foot of the Kunlun Mountains. No matter what he does, as long as he doesn't come down south my sect is fine with it."
"If he dares to cross the border, who cares if my leader is cultivating or not? I'll settle him myself."
Zhang Hai and Yu Wanfeng looked at each other in the eye, smiling.
While Master Cyclone's tone was light, how could anyone sleep at ease when their beds were tilted. As the closest sect to the Celestial Sect of Wonders geographically, the Aeolus Sect was probably the most alert and the most sensitive to Lin Feng's movements.
As Lin Feng and the Celestial Sect of Wonders grew in influence over the northern foot of the Kunlun Mountains, the Aeolus Sect would be lying if they said that they were not concerned.
Who knew? Maybe Lin Feng wished to unify the Kunlun Mountains?
What Master Cyclone said to Zhang Hai and Yu Wanfeng was simply hinting to them that he was unwilling to be a tool of theirs.
With the rise in Lin Feng's fame, the Aeolus Sect had long known about the death of Mr Tao Er at his hand as well as the death of Yu Tian from the main lineage of the Yu Family. Also, they knew about the skirmish between Yu Wanfeng and Lin Feng during the Spiritual Conference of Hanhai earlier on.
As Master Cyclone reposed himself calmly, he knew that the two people before him were more panicky than him.
Zhang Hai and Yu Wanfeng too were clear about Master's Cyclone intentions. However, as they actually needed his Aeolus Sect's support, they did not mind helping him out with this issue.
Yu Wanfeng began by saying, "Earlier on in Shazhou City, I was careless. I did not realize that he was the person who killed my disciple. If not, he wouldn't have left Shazhou alive."
He paused for a while before continuing, "I have already sent word of it back home. My Fifth Brother would be coming any day soon to the Kunlun Mountains to make Lin Feng pay for what he did."
Master Cyclone's shone, "Could it be Yu Qianshan? Your relative, who was killed by Lin Feng, was the son or grandson of Yu Qianshan?"
"Correct, he was my Fifth Brother's grandson," said Yu Wanfeng as he nodded his head. He did not add that the emphasis the Yu Family placed on this issue was partially due to Xiao Budian too.
Yu Wanfeng thought, "I can't believe that little b*stard is still alive. I must kill him this time round."
Zhang Hai too said, "This person killed the Household Manager of the Marquis of Xuanji's household. Unforgivable! I travelled so long and so far to get to the Kunlun Mountains just for him."
He laughed softly, "Also, he had taken away one of the Marquis' sons. If he were to inculcate some harmful values or even encourage him to commit patricide, well, while the Marquis isn't exactly scared it will still be a major loss of face for him. I came to bring him home too."
Yu Wanfeng and Zhang Hai were clear in their intents. Instantly, Master Cyclone smiled, "Since this person behaves in such an unforgivable manner and offended so many people, my Aeolus Sect would help the cultivators of the Kunlun Mountains to get rid of him."
"I am deeply grateful for the assistance the two of you promised."
Yu Wanfeng asked, "However, in the depths of the Kunlun Mountains, where exactly is this Celestial Sect of Wonders?"
Zhang Hai too turned his head. He was concerned about this too.
"I'm not sure now as this Lin Feng had never been still. But I do believe that he will appear sooner or later," Master Cyclone said with a hint of a smile. "In the past months, someone had met with him in the Kunlun Mountains. I had instructed my disciples to bring that person back here to the Holy Wind Mountain."
"Thinking about it, this person has probably been caught by now."
...
On top of Mount Yujing, Lin Feng carefully fanned the power of the Grand Sun Primordial Flame within the kindling of the primordial flame. An eye-piercing golden primordial flame began to burn as he slowly fed it Xihe Grass.
Other objects that touched the Grand Sun Primordial Flame would be reduced to ashes in an instant. The Grand Sun Primordial Flame would not be nourished by them though, and its power would not increase because of that.
Only the Xihe Grass, upon being burnt by the Grand Sun Primordial Flame, would be able to convert its spiritual aura into firepower.
Lin Feng paid attention to changes in the Grand Sun Primordial Flame. With the help of the Xihe Grass, its firepower grew exponentially.
"It's almost there," Lin Feng thought. Indeed, in the next moment, the primordial flame began to slow as if it had hit a bottleneck.
Lin Feng did not blindly try to increase the flame's intensity by feeding it more Xihe Grass. Instead, he took this chance to communicate ceaselessly with the Grand Sun Primordial Flame. In the whole process, he could feel his consciousness being seized by the Grand Sun Primordial Flame.
Before that, using the Abhijna Analytic Device he was able to understand the workings behind the Heavenly Stings of the Sun. Through further analysis and experimenting, he was able to increase his understanding of the Grand Sun Primordial Flame before him.
Not only did Lin Feng want to recreate the real Grand Sun Primordial Flame, but he wanted to take this chance to understand the true power of the spells behind it.