Rise of Humanity

by <unknown>

  Moreover, for such congested commercial city with heavy traffic of merchants and Qi Practitioners from different races and forces, Zhong Yue and Qiu Jin'er were surprised to notice the lack of conflicts occurring in the Fiery Capital.

  One had to know that in the East Barren, there would be countless duels staged in the cities; the monsters would fight with one another at any time for anything, battles were one of the most popular forms of entertainment in their otherwise mundane lives. The Fiery Capital, as the nexus point that saw a congregation of countless Qi Practitioners and a complex political landscape with myriad forces participating in it ... How could such a calm and peaceful atmosphere be maintained?

  Could this also be related to the Lesser Void World?, Zhong Yue grew more interested in the Lesser Void World.

  We are new here; it's quite difficult for us to gather some useful intelligence about the Lesser Void World.

  Just as he was thinking about it, an old man walked out from a majestically built edifice at the side of the street. He smiled and asked, "My great master instructed the humble one to come out and ask the two masters a question, are you Master Zhong Yue?"

  Zhong Yue replied in puzzlement, "I am, and your master is?"

  “My great master, Master Ao Fenglou of the Eastern Sea.”

  The old man smiled from ear to ear, he raised his hand and said, "This way please, my master has requested Master Zhong to have tea together."

  Zhong Yue was surprised. He lifted his head to cast his gaze over only to be met with a majestically built edifice; it was engraved with the dragon totem patterns that surrounded the whole building like a dragon. The dragon's front claws pressed on the top of the building and it looked like as if it was preparing to soar into the high heavens, it was utterly fantastical view; there was a plaque above the massive door with the words ‘Dragon Palace Pavilion' written on it.

  Ao Fenglou's property! What a wealthy clan this Ao Clan is!

  Zhong Yue thought in his heart. He then walked into the Dragon Palace Pavilion along with Qiu Jin'er; Ao Fenglou and a few other Ao Clan's young talents stepped down from the stairs to greet and welcome their guests. They smiled and said, "A lone man with a lone sword that had fought his way out from the West Barren back to the Great Wilderness, an undefeatable legend in the Awakening realm — the one of the Zhong Shan Clan! Junior Martial Brother Zhong, you and I meet again!"

  Zhong Yue and Qiu Jin'er returned the formality, Zhong Yue then smiled in reply, "Ao Fenglou of the Eastern Sea, seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times, what a marvelous man, indeed worthy as a provincial governor of the Eastern Sea."

  The two of them exchanged looks and laughed out loud together.

  The Ao Clan disciples greeted them, and among them, a dragon girl winked her pretty eyes as she stared at Zhong Yue. She then burst into laughter and said, "Isn't the famous Zhong Shan Clan member who had the title of "Sword To The West" an eighty feet tall, eighty feet wide giant with eight heads, eight legs, and eight hands? So the rumor is a fake, the real Zhong Shan Clan member is a handsome young man!"

  Sword To The West?

  Qiu Jin’er was shocked, she thought in her heart, Senior martial brother’s name is so famous that even the dragons know about him?!

  Zhong Yue blushed a little in shame; he didn't realize that the rumor was still making the rounds.

  Ao Fenglou raised his hand and gestured to invite them to a private room upstairs, and they sat down accordingly. Musicians were playing ancient musical instruments to concoct beautiful melodies; some female dancers showcased their lithe bodies as they were dancing gracefully in the middle; a female vocalist sang with a sweet voice, and some maidservants served them from the side. They had never enjoyed such luxurious treatment before.

  Ao Fenglou smiled and said, "I hear that Junior Martial Brother Zhong has just come out from closed-door training and has broken through to the Atman Body level? Congratulations on that. But your Swords Gate doesn't look peaceful as of late; One of the five innate spirit bodies, Lei Hong, has betrayed humanity and died a tragic death. After which, Swords Gate is now in another round of trials and tribulations, and the old Sword God is running out of time. Junior Martial Brother Zhong, do you need help? The dragon race is more than happy to be your ally and settle the pests in Swords Gate for you. We can even push you to be the new headmaster!"

  Zhong Yue's heart stiffened up, but he maintained his placid expression and smiled in reply, "I thank Brother Fenglou for the offer, but the matters of Swords Gate will best be handled by the humans. After all, this is our affair; there is no need to trouble the dragon race."

  Ao Fenglou laughed out loud, “The humans’ Swords Gate, might not be able to make it over this calamity.”

  He clapped his hands, everyone else including the Ao Clan disciples all left; Zhong Yue turned his head and looked at Qiu Jin’er, she immediately understood his meaning and walked out of the private room along with the others, waiting patiently for him on the outside.

  Ao Fenglou then said insouciantly, "Someone in your Swords Gate has invited the dragon race to launch an attack at Swords Gate once the old Sword God dies; they have invited us to join them in attacking the Seal Suppression Hall and release one of our senior dragon sealed in it. I have to say that this invitation had piqued the interest of quite a number of elders in the dragon race, they deemed it as a golden opportunity. But that said senior dragon was sealed away six thousand years ago. He would be dead a long time ago. So, it's apparent that saving the senior dragon was just an excuse, the true intentions of the elders in the dragon race. We know it very well ourselves, don't we?"

  Zhong Yue nodded, “Eliminate Swords Gate, devour Great Wilderness.”

  Ao Fenglou smiled and said, "They can't be blamed for being tempted, this is indeed a golden opportunity. As far as I know, the Martial Heavenly Master of the Xia family from the South Barren has been persuaded. He will galvanize into action once the old Sword God dies. The demon race also has their eyes on Swords Gate, and along with the West Barren, your Swords Gate is now like a fish swimming in a cooking pot, an imminent peril is approaching."

  Zhong Yue nodded again.

  Ao Fenglou was still with his gentle smile as if he was the king that had everything under control, he said, "Then why do you decline my offer to help? With the dragon race's help, the Swords Gate will be saved, and you can be the next headmaster, sitting on the throne and hold an incredible power in your hands!"

  Zhong Yue smiled and said, "Brother Fenglou, you and I know each other well enough, I'll skip the courtesies and be blunt. If I ever give the dragon race a chance to intervene in the internal affairs of the human race, you will never leave as easily as you come. Even if you've pushed me to be the next headmaster, the humans will not be convinced, and the fact that I'll never be able to control the power in my hands will be because it will be you, the dragon race, that will be making the decisions. I'm nothing but a puppet with the dragon race holding the strings."

  Ao Fenglou's eyes flashed as he continued with his persuasion, "This is still better than the Swords Gate's destruction no? The dragon race has no ill intent toward the human race. You humans in the Great Wilderness will live as you do now, and I promise you, the dragon race will never treat you like the other races."

  Zhong Yue drank a cup of wine, and he answered indifferently, "Brother Fenglou shouldn't overthink it. The Swords Gate will surely overcome this calamity. If the dragon race decides to stand on the opposite side, you will end up with nothing but losses. If you are willing to listen to my advice, then the dragon race should just stand aside and watch.To do so otherwise, you might get one of your hands cut off."

  "Cut off?"

  Ao Fenglou squinted his eyes, he gazed at Zhong Yue carefully and pondered for a few moments before saying, "I trust you, but the dragon elders wouldn't, they will not listen to you nor me, and the dragon race will surely intervene. This is not something I can decide on alone."

  Zhong Yue s
ighed and said, "Then, they will have to lose some hands, my only wish is that they wouldn't have to pay too great a price. The wild ambitions in their hearts are too consuming. Not even the Swords Gate can fill their hunger for power. Actually, Brother Fenglou need not intervene too much. I'll still uphold my promise and give away forty-percent of my territory to you. It is sufficient for the dragon race to establish a base on the land if you've managed it properly."

  Ao Fenglou was shocked at his words, and he felt a cold chill seeping traveling down his spine.

  Zhong Yue laughed and said, "Brother Fenglou, what a rare occasion where we can meet by chance. We shouldn't talk about such disheartening matters. I've just arrived at the South Barren and know only a little about it. There are many things I'd like to ask Brother Fenglou. First of all, exactly what is this Lesser Void World?"

  Ao Fenglou was still contemplating at the deeper meanings behind Zhong Yue's words when he heard the question. He promptly answered, "The Lesser Void World? It was created by Lord Xia of the Xia family. It is a counterfeit of the Void World. No matter what races you are from, you can enter it to train and to battle; as this isn't the real Void World, so it's called the Lesser Void World."

  He then explained it in detail; the Void World belonged to the gods, it was the place where the spirits of the gods resided to enjoy the worshippings and remain undying. The Lesser Void World was a counterfeit of the Void World, and it had a similar function – to experience the worshippings and remain undying.

  The Qi Practitioners can challenge the experts in the Lesser Void World, they wouldn't die even if they were slain dead, they wouldn't have to worry much, and it was incredibly marvelous.

  “There is the Lang Ya Board in the Lesser Void World, write down your name with your soul energy on the Lang Ya Board and your life will be secured.”

  Ao Fenglou smiled and said, "That Lord Xia had forged the Lesser Void World, it was incredibly impressive, he is an existence at the same level as the dragon race's Ancestral Dragon! Junior Martial Brother Zhong, are you also planning to enter the Lesser Void World?"

  Chapter 270: Godly Mortal Body |

  Zhong Yue nodded, “I’d like to enter the Lesser Void World and meet with the Martial Masters of the South Barren. How can I not do so when I’m already here in the South Barren? It’ll definitely be a valuable experience to learn and compare our insights with one another!”

  “Learn and compare the insights with the Martial Masters?”

  Ao Fenglou shook his head, he said insouciantly, “The Martial Masters and Qi Practitioners each have different fortes, they rely more on their mortal bodies and focus on the close-quarter combats, which in turn, made them a perfect target in long range battles. The Martial MAsters infused their atman into their mortal body so that they could attain an incredible result with their mortal body while casting the skills aside. Junior Martial Brother Zhong, you will not be able to learn much from the Martial Masters as we the Qi Practitioners doesn’t infuse our atman and mortal body together, granting us a greater flexibility, there is no need to deliberately learn from the Martial Masters.”

  However, Zhong Yue held a different opinion to his words.

  Zhong Yue was proficient in the physique refining arts himself, even creating one of his own, the【Sun Moon Prodigious Emanation Art】, his mortal body physique was incredibly strong. Furthermore, he has been studying the Immortal Body totem patterns on the Kui Long’s cowhide, attaining some insights from there and thereafter, refine his physique stronger. The Immortal Body was an abstruse art that imbued the ways to refine both the physique and psyche, Zhong Yue and Qiu Jin’er couldn’t fully understand it yet.

  While Ao Fenglou was a dragon, his mortal body was strong from birth and his arcane energy was abundant; and yet, even he said that the Martial Masters were undefeatable in the close-quarter combats, one could clearly infer how strong was the physique refining arts of the Martial Masters; or otherwise, the Zhong Li Celestial Race wouldn’t be able to stand a firm ground in the South Barren for so many years, even snatching over many islands near the coast of the Southern Sea from the dragon race.

  As the undefeatable legends in the ways of mortal body, the Martial Masters’ arts could be used to be cross-referenced with the Immortal Body, by doing so, Zhong Yue could attain more knowledge and insights about the Immortal Body and refine his mortal body to a higher caliber — this was his true intention of meeting with the Martial Masters.

  The Martial Masters were the closest living representation to the physique refining arts, they have turned mortal bodies into huge seals so that they could contain their psyche, arcane energy and spirit in their bodies, sealing every single strand of strengths in their bodies without a single leak — all to preserve their mortal bodies at their highest peak form!

  The mortal bodies were their soul weapons, whether if it was the strengths, power or defensive capabilities, they were appallingly strong!

  “You are a famous man now, as long as you’ve voiced it out that the Sword To The West Zhong Shan Clan member is going to challenge the world in the Lesser Void World, there would be countless experts swarming over to challenge you!”

  Ao Fenglou said smilingly, “All of the races are allowed to enter the Lesser Void World, but there will be a cost as naturally — the Qi Practitioners that intend to enter the Lesser Void World will have to exchange their medicinal pellets with a token. The Qi Practitioners will have to bring the token along in the Lesser Void Token, the time duration is counted based on the medicinal pellets; there are lower-level dimensions and higher-level dimensions, spending time in the higher-level dimensions will consume more medicinal pellets and if the medicinal pellets in the token are used up, you’ll be teleported out from the Lesser Void World.”

  In the Barrens, the golds and silvers were the trading units for the ordinaries, but to the Qi Practitioners, they trades with medicinal pellets; after all, every Qi Practitioners would have to consume the medicinal pellets to aid in their cultivation progress.

  Hence, in the South Barren, everything was traded using the medicinal pellets; even the local delicacies bought by Qiu Jin’er was also traded with medicinal pellets.

  The common medicinal pellets used in trading in the South Barren was the Five Elemental Pellet, a type of medicinal pellets that were commonly used by the Rebirth and Awakening Qi Practitioners, as majority of the Qi Practitioners were Rebirth and Awakening Qi Practitioners, the Five Elemental Pellet became very demanding and could be used as a trading currency.

  Zhong Yue was stunned, he asked, “Determine the number of medicinal pellets in the token? Can the Lesser Void World do such thing? How did it do it?”

  Ao Fenglou answered, “The ancestor of the South Barren, Lord Xia, was a courtier in a divine court of a sovereign god, his prowess and power, arts and skills, were all beyond the imagination of the Qi Practitioners like us.”

  Zhong Yue nodded, the skills of the ordinary gods were already incredibly strong in his eyes, let alone a god that served as a courtier under a sovereign god and one who bore the title of a lord, his prowess would surely be beyond imagination.

  Ao Fenglou took out two tokens and he said laughingly, “I’ve entered the Lesser Void World before, saw countless incredible sights, befriended numerous experts from different races, and plundered some tokens from the others. But as the passage of time, I’ve came here less and less often, I have a few tokens left with me. It is no doubt that we of the dragon race have treated you unfairly during the Ancestral Dragon Ritual in Eastern Sea, I’m embarrassed for what my elders have done. Please, take this two tokens as a small recuperations, there are some Five Elemental Pellets in them, sufficient enough for the two of you to spend a considerable amount of time in the Lesser Void World.”

  Zhong Yue tilted his head and said, “Brother Fenglou, you are being overly polite, but what if I reject your good will?”

  Ao Fenglou laughed out loud, “Then I’ll have no choice but to take you down. For you
to reject the offer, it would simply mean that you’ve held grudges toward the dragon race, and you will seek justice for yourself once you’ve grown strong enough; which is why, I’ll have to kill you before you turn into a bigger issue in the future.”

  Zhong Yue then nodded and accepted the two tokens.

  Ao Fenglou summoned a dragon girl and gave his order, “Ao Shanshan, you will bring Junior Martial Brother Zhong safely to the Lesser Void World. Junior Martial Brother Zhong, I hope you can excuse me for not being able to accompany you to your destination, I’ll await for your good news!”

  Zhong Yue clasped his hands together and thanked him, then walked out of the Dragon Palace Pavilion with Qiu Jin’er along with the dragon girl leading the way.

  Ao Shanshan was the same dragon girl that commented on Zhong Yue’s appearance, she was a bright and vivacious girl, she gazed at Zhong Yue curiously, then turned to Qiu Jin’er and was puzzled at why did the young human girl kept eating snacks.

  The trio was chatting while they walked toward their destination, Zhong Yue asked more about the Lesser Void World as he still didn’t know much about it.

  Ao Shanshan answered smilingly, “If the Lesser Void World would only act as an arena for the cultivators to duel, it wouldn’t be worthy as the creation of the South Barren Lord Xia at all. Other than acting as an arena, the Lesser Void World also have many treasures hidden in it; not only that, but it was said to contain a bigger secret, one that was related to the galaxy of where our Ancestral Star is in. There was a rumor, it was said that someone once saw the divine court, the imperial palace of the Heavenly Monarch and also the specters of the gods; they said that it was the residence of the Heavenly Monarch in the Ancestral Star during his old age.”

  “The Heavenly Monarch’s residence when he was old?”