Blue Phoenix

by Tinalynge

  Hearing about the Lords of the Forest, Hui Yue frowned and asked Lan Feng. Though the phoenix was just as uncertain as the human and both of them started to discuss the best way to gain more information.

  Being in the valley it was possible for Hui Yue to see the sky for the first time this year. The sky was vast and blue a refreshing sight to see. A longing was within his heart as he looked out at the sky, a longing for his friends who were waiting for him at the capital. At the same time, he felt excitement growing within because he knew that he was within Shenyuan. This was possibly the only place where he could get information about the Great Sin and the Dark Age.

  Hui Yue was given a house to stay in, and outside his door was a multitude of different magical beast children. All of them were looking at the door, waiting for Hui Yue to exit so that they could see him once more.

  As soon as the young man stepped outside he was met by ten sets of big black eyes. All of them looked at him with veneration. The small beasts were so adorable that Hui Yue could not help but smile and pet them on their heads. This caused all of the beast children to smile and play around.

  Walking past them, Hui Yue’s face no longer looked carefree and gentle, but instead was filled with authority as he asked a passing beast man, “Where is the village chief?”

  The beast man was taken back by the question and he stood stuttering on the spot for a moment before he finally managed to point towards a house which was slightly bigger than the others.

  Looking at the village, and its layout, Hui Yue was reminded of his old home. As he walked towards the village elder’s house he could not help but think about his mother, father, and younger brother back at the outskirts of the magical forest.

  Pushing the melancholic thoughts from his mind, Hui Yue headed towards the house with steady steps as he decided to get some more information about these Lords of the Forest.

  Chapter 200 - Lords of the Forest

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  Chapter 200: Lords of the Forest

  Arriving at the village chief’s home, Hui Yue was taken aback as he saw how many demon beasts were working hard on preparing a banquet. One after another was bustling and rushing about, either setting the table, collecting food, or in any other way ensuring that the gathering they were preparing would be perfect.

  Everyone was so busy that none of them noticed the white-haired young man who was leaning against the chilled walls in the shadow of one of the village houses. A smile was on his face as he observed everyone.

  Although Hui Yue was in a rush to get information about the Lords of the Forest, he had no intention of interrupting them while they were busy preparing a celebration for him. It had been a long time since he had last interacted with any other person and the friendliness he encountered here was enough to touch his heart.

  Although the bustling villagers had not noticed Hui Yue straight away, it did not take too long before he was noticed. When he was the preparations came to a halt and they all bowed deeply towards the young man; fear and veneration were both present within their eyes.

  Seeing the fear, the young white-haired man could not help but sigh. Having been noticed he straightened up and headed towards the village chief who welcomed him earlier. He gestured towards the village chief’s home and the chief instantly understood as he led the way; his hands were slightly trembling and his throat suddenly went dry.

  Knowing that he was intimidating the village chief, Hui Yue quickly wanted to get the facts straightened up. He quickly entered the house where he was shown towards the living room with a few wooden chairs.

  Taking a seat, Hui Yue gestured for the village chief to do the same. As he did the two were now seated across from each other.

  “Lord, have mercy,” The village chief instantly said as his trembling increasing, “No matter what we have done to offend you, master, please take out your anger on this humble servant!”

  Hearing his words, Hui Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and he quickly placed a hand on the chief’s shoulder, a calming hand.

  “Don’t worry I am not unhappy,” He said quickly. Some of the man’s trembling stopped as the chief lifted his head in surprise. His eyes were round and full of disbelief as they met Hui Yue’s big blue, honest ones.

  “You’re not unhappy?” A meek voice sounded out and Hui Yue nodded his head with a gentle smile on his face.

  “I think there has been a major misunderstanding,” Hui Yue said with a sigh, “I am not one of these lords you speak about. I am a newcomer to this entire area,” He continued, “I was born within the Taiyang Kingdom, and I grew up and used to live there. Some things happened which caused me to enter Shenyuan, but I am very new to this area.”

  “You are not a Lord of the Forest?” The chief was now completely stunned. His eyes were unable to widen any more than they already had; his face filled with disbelief.

  “That is correct, but perhaps you could tell me about them?” Hui Yue asked politely and the stunned and confused village chief nodded his head.

  Although Hui Yue was not a Lord of the Forest as they had at first assumed, he was still a Saint ranked expert. A saint ranked beast capable of taking complete human form meant that he was incredibly strong. The village chief had no wish, whatsoever, to anger the man.

  “Shenyuan is split into sixty-four prefectures and each are controlled by a Lord of the Forest. The entire Shenyuan is one large jungle with a few clearings, valleys, gulches, and so on here and there. The lord of this Thousand Fang’s Ravine is Lord Yen Zhiquang. He is a Black Breathed Razor Wyrm, one of the strongest beasts we have within the forest. I’ve heard that once he even defeated a divine beast!”

  Having started speaking about him it was almost impossible for the village chief to stop. His eyes shone with pride as he mentioned the lord of this prefecture. Taking a quick breath, the elderly man continued his explanation of the place in which Hui Yue had arrived.

  “The Lords of the Forest are the strongest Saint ranked beasts within Shenyuan. Anyone who feels confident can challenge these lords, however, it is really rare for a Lord of the Forest to lose such a duel. Most of these lords have sat on their thrones for eons already.”

  “Although these areas are prefectures, there is one person whom even the lords have to respect. Within the deepest parts of the jungle is a prefecture which is controlled by a woman whom everyone respects. She is known as the strongest of all. She is a Single-Horned Jasmine Eagle and she has devoured many men throughout the years, both men and beasts alike. Her name is Wan Qiao.”

  As soon as the name was spoken, Hui Yue felt a change in Lan Feng’s soul; his emotions turned into a mixture of panic and dread. These unexpected emotions affected Hui Yue causing the young man’s face to turn unsightly in front of the village chief.

  ‘Explain it later,’ Hui Yue told Lan Feng before he steeled himself causing a smile to reappeared on his face.

  “I’ve been traveling by the side of this ravine, did you call it the Thousand Fang’s Ravine? I’ve spent a very long time traversing it now. How is it possible for me to exit Shenyuan and return to my own home back in the Taiyang Kingdom?”

  Hearing his question the man was quiet for some time before he finally spoke, “Entering into Shenyuan is hard,” He started, “However, even though it is hard to enter, it is even harder to leave. Only the Lords of the Forest are allowed to leave Shenyuan’s borders, and only if Lady Wan Qiao is in a good mood. Usually, anyone who enters Shenyuan will stay here for the rest of their lives.”

  Pausing slightly, the man pondered for a moment before he continued, “I think it is possible to leave if Wan Qiao says yes and helps you, even if you are not a Lord of the Forest. But who has any connection with such an exalted creature such as lady Wan Qiao.”

  Having heard the words, Hui Yue quickly thanked the village chief before he went back to the house which had been lent to him. As he arrived the children once more came to look at him, however, this time Hui Yue had no time to play a
round with them and he quickly passed by them into the house. He sat down with his legs crossed and his consciousness slowly entered the dantian cave where he saw a shocked and horrified Lan Feng seated.

  ‘I take it that you know this Wan Qiao?’ Hui Yue asked. In spite of being a question, it was much more a statement but Lan Feng still nodded his head.

  ‘I never expected that old hag to still be alive,’ He murmured. His face currently devoid of all colors, and his feathers were disheveled as though he had rustled them but not managed to make them lay as they should afterwards.

  ‘Who is she?’ Hui Yue asked after waiting for a moment. He wondered how any woman could bring the usually loud and arrogant phoenix to such a terrified state.

  ‘Who she is? Who is she? You want to know who she is? She is a monster. I know no one stronger than her apart from my father and the other gods. She is undefeated and her methods to get things done are rough, to say the least.’ A high-pitched voice escaped Lan Feng as his eyes were filled with dread.

  ‘I understand, but who is she to you?’ Hui Yue pressed further curious to know exactly what could cause this kind of reaction from the bird within him. To be honest, Hui Yue already looked upon the woman with veneration. It was the first time ever that Lan Feng had seemed terrified.

  ‘She was my nanny!’ Lan Feng almost screamed in desperation. ‘When I was small, father did not have the time to look after me so he found a strong woman who he knew could handle a small chick easily. It turned out she was not suited to look after children at all.’

  Hearing his words, Hui Yue was deeply astonished to see the shocked bird who had been traumatized by this woman.

  Although Lan Feng was traumatized, Hui Yue did not know any of the memories which were currently haunting the bird, instead, he found the whole thing rather amusing.

  Having thought about it for some time, Hui Yue understood that although it might have been traumatizing for the bird, it was definitely certain that both Lan Feng and this Wan Qiao had a relationship which was exactly what he needed right now.

  A smile spread across his face as he came to a conclusion about what to do. Although Lan Feng was still reminiscing about bad memories, he instantly became aware of Hui Yue and the white-haired young man’s plan.

  “No, no, no, no, no!” Lan Feng continued saying but Hui Yue just smiled in reply. He had decided that the two of them were to go to this inner area of the Shenyuan jungle, somewhere where he could meet Wan Qiao. Hopefully, he could manage to escape this jungle with her help.

  ‘Blame yourself,’ Hui Yue said with a shrug, ‘If you were stronger and were able to fly then we could have left long ago, but even if we use my Wu Wei wings and the Wu Wei you have refined we will most likely not be able to exit the mountain range. The distance is simply far too vast.’

  ‘It’s not that I don’t acknowledge that there is a relationship between me and her,’ Lan Feng started frantically, ‘But she would not be very keen on seeing me again, her and I have had quite a bad past. I am quite certain that she would never help us!’ Lan Feng continued, but Hui Yue more or less ignored him.

  ‘She is our only hope. If she won’t help you for old times sake then we’ll have to challenge one of these Lords of the Forest.’

  ‘Let us just challenge a lord first,’ Lan Feng said, completely confident in his own ability to fight other Saint ranked beasts, but Hui Yue just shook his head. ‘Imagine if we won then we would have to return to this place time after time.’ Hui Yue pointed out, ‘If someone challenges us then we will have to fight them; win or die.’

  Frowning slightly Lan Feng in the end had no other option than to accept the decision which Hui Yue made. He sighed deeply as he feared a reunion with his nanny, the only woman within this world whom Lan Feng truly feared.

  Having agreed on visiting the inner regions of the forests, Hui Yue sat down and started cultivating until he heard someone knocking on his door. Standing up and opening it he found that all the children from earlier were standing outside in their finest garments. Their small faces were beaming with smiles towards the human in front of them.

  “Come with us!” One of the bigger children said and Hui Yue chuckled as he followed behind the children towards the village chief’s house; a house filled with the entire village. They were at a long table where they were waiting for Hui Yue to come sit at the seat of honor.

  Hogs were spit roasted and many kinds of fruits and berries were placed on the table alongside cooked stews, vegetables, and roast meat. Although these creatures were magical beasts, they all lived their lives very similarly to that of humans and Hui Yue felt the same atmosphere that his home had.

  Letting go of his worries of the future, Hui Yue decided to spend the night partying with the villagers which had gone to such lengths to make him feel welcome, something which he could not help but feel very flattered about.

  Chapter 201 - Back to Basics

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  Chapter 201: Back to Basics

  Having celebrated his arrival with the villagers all night, Hui Yue was ready to set off as soon as the sun broke through the sky With a last respectful bow towards the villagers, Hui Yue turned around and started to walk towards the forest once more. This time, he was no longer looking for a way out of the ravine, but instead moving towards the innermost areas of the forest; the areas controlled by One-Horned Jasmine Eagle.

  Although Lan Feng was still feeling hesitant about the fact that he once more needed to see his old nanny, he also understood that it was their only option to get away from this place. Having accepted that it was the only way he warned Hui Yue that it was very unlikely that the nanny would help them when she saw them. However, it was also very unlikely that she would kill him as she should still have some affection towards Lan Feng’s father.

  Although the sun broke through the dark sky within the valley where the village was located it still had yet to heat up the forest. When Hui Yue entered he felt how cool it was as no heat had entered yet. Dew was still visible on the grass and small plants in front of him.

  Seeing that it was chilled within the forest, Hui Yue started moving forward at his highest speed and ensured that he made no sounds while moving. His aura was retracted so that only a few magical beasts were capable of detecting him, and those who did were all so far away that given his speed, Hui Yue was easily capable of outrunning them.

  Traveling through the forest, Hui Yue was glad that he had Lan Feng together with him one reason was that two pairs of eyes and two souls were better at recognition than only one person. Also without Lan Feng’s strength and guidance, Hui Yue likely would have succumbed long ago to their enemies.

  After having fought a Lava Collared Chimera who ambushed him and caused a long wound to appear on the young man’s chest, Hui Yue sighed deeply and turned around to leave the way he had come.

  ‘You’re finally giving up?’ Lan Feng asked, his voice slightly mocking because he had long since told Hui Yue that he needed to increase his strength. He needed to increase it through real combat rather than just running forward, pushing through, and losing almost any battle he encountered. As he had been doing for a while now having to rely on Lan Feng’s aura to finally shoo them away, something which caused Hui Yue’s ego to suffer greatly.

  Thinking about it, Hui Yue grit his teeth as he realised that the bird was right. Although Hui Yue spent a long time cultivating and he had a deep cultivation base, his combat abilities were indeed lacking.

  When it came to a hard battle or a battle where Hui Yue knew he had even the slightest disadvantage, he would use his red mist or Lan Feng’s strength, and none of these were truly his own strength. As he realised this, the young man’s eyes grew determined. He flicked his hand and a black dagger appeared. He was twirling it around playing with it unconsciously while his eyes sharpened and all his focus was paid his surroundings. Finally he noticed movement from the corner of his eye and he slowly turned around to see that in front of him was a small hog-like
creature.

  Although this creature was small, it was no less ferocious than the largest beasts Hui Yue had seen before. This hog moved much faster than any other beasts he had ever seen, and its agility was astonishing.

  Its mouth was filled with sharp fangs and two tusks which seemed much sharper than those of bigger magical beasts.

  The hog had long since seen Hui Yue and the white-haired boy, in contrast, activated Velocity Flow, knowing that he would need all his speed to compete against this hog.

  Fortunately, he went back to an area where all the beasts were roughly the same strength as himself. The two, man and beast, were looking at one another; neither had an advantage neither had a disadvantage before the first strike was made.

  Knowing this, Hui Yue was not one to wait on the offense, and pushing Velocity Flow to its limits he shot forward so swiftly that he turned blurry to the naked eye. In his hand, the dagger was no longer swirling around but held with a firm grip.