Blue Phoenix

by Tinalynge

  "I am a friend of Xiao Ning." Hui Yue quickly introduced himself while holding in his surprise from the build of these two tall men. Although he had often met up with Xiao Ning, the former usually came to his mansion, and if Hui Yue needed him, he would send servants. This was the first time he visited the Xiao family’s home.

  "Go tell Xiao Ning that Hui Yue is here." He continued with a nod of his head, and as soon as the two tall men heard the name Hui Yue, both of them looked at him completely differently; a look of reverence and disbelief had appeared.

  One of the men quickly composed himself and bowed deeply to the smaller man in front of him then rushed into the mansion to find the patriarch.

  Xiao Ning was busy cultivating within the mansion and had ordered not to be disturbed, so when he found that one of the guards still entered, he felt slightly annoyed; however, when he heard that Hui Yue was standing outside his gates, his face filled with a warm smile.

  "Quickly! Invite him in! Take him to my private library!" Xiao Ning called out before he quickly went to change clothes and afterwards head to the library.

  Hui Yue was lead into the mansion, and as soon as he entered, he felt how fluctuations in the air were everywhere as the family members were cultivating and training in the courtyards. Everywhere he looked around the courtyards massive men were walking by. It seemed that everyone in the Xiao family was much larger than Hui Yue. Even their youth were tall and bulky.

  Many of these men were looking at Hui Yue with curiosity. They were the family of Xiao Ning and obviously they knew who this white-haired young man was. He caused their hearts to fill with both reverence and curiosity.

  Although everywhere he looked he saw muscular, built men, he soon noticed that there weren't all that many; it was just that all of them were so d*mn large. It was impossible to hold in a chuckle upon realizing this. Although Hui Yue was confident in his strength, even he was not as muscular as these men. 'I seriously hope you will not become this big.' Lan Feng's dry voice sounded in his mind.

  'I would seriously be too embarrassed to keep sharing a body with you.' He continued, and once more caused Hui Yue to laugh.

  'On a serious note, you already trained your strength. Looking at these men they might seem very strong, but even if all of them were together, they would never be able to touch the hem of your clothes. Compared to you, even the buffest looking man here is lacking when it comes to raw strength.'

  Lan Feng was arguing quite strongly for why Hui Yue should never try to look like these men, and his arguments constantly left Hui Yue laughing internally. Laughing out loud would easily be seen as an insult to these hard working men, and he kept a straight face on the outside.

  Walking past them, they reached the main building and entered. In complete contrast to the outside, there was no one inside at all. The light inside was dim, and the air seemed stifled as though the inside of the mansion were only used rarely.

  Walking through the mansion, they finally reached a library and seating within was Xiao Ning. He had clearly been training as his entire body was taut and his skin glistened from the energy which roamed beneath it.

  "Yue!" He called out excitedly when he saw Hui Yue enter and instantly almost lifted the smaller man towards a chair where he placed him. It was obvious that he was full of pride. To be visited by Hui Yue was not something he had expected.

  Seeing his friends excitement, Hui Yue could not help but feel slightly guilty for never having visited before, but he quickly dismissed these guilty feelings.

  "Sorry to interrupt your training." He started casually, but Xiao Ning shook his head. "Friends are more important than cultivating, for you to be here, I can only imagine that something important has happened, or that something important is going to happen." He said, and Hui Yue nodded his head. Although Xiao Ning was a cultivator who focused on physical strength, he was in no way dumb. Seeing Hui Yue, how could he not guess that something was going to happen?

  "Although I haven't visited you before I am doing so this time because I have some information I need to tell you."

  "I am going to be leaving Muchuan City. I have something I need to do which cannot be pushed back any longer." Hui Yue sighed. "Unfortunately, on this trip, I can’t bring you or the other three; I need you four here in Muchuan City for various reasons. First, I would like the four of you to keep supporting the princess. If she loses her support because I leave, we will be in a bad position when I return home."

  "How long will you be gone?" Xiao Ning asked with a frown on his face, and Hui Yue shook his head with a wry smile. "I am not sure." He said honestly. "It could take anywhere from months to years. I really don't know how long I will be gone, but while I am gone, I know that I can leave everything here to you guys."

  Looking a bit thoughtful Xiao Ning nodded his head. "What do a few years mean to us Saints?" He asked smilingly after a little bit. "Although you will be gone for some time, what does that mean to brothers like us? Don't worry, I will make sure that while you are gone Muchuan City will not change."

  Nodding his head, Hui Yue felt grateful; his heart turned warm, and he could not help but feel grateful to this friend of his.

  Seated in Ning Xiao's home, Hui Yue felt welcome and the two ended up talking for almost the remainder of the day. As the sun settled in the sky, Hui Yue finally left shocked to see how much time he had already spent talking.

  Rushing he went to visit both Ye Ling, Zhu Jun, and Lao Qiang telling them the same thing he told Xiao Ning, and all three guaranteed to do their best to ensure that nothing happened with Muchuan City while he was gone. They even went as far as to promise to look after his friends.

  It was late by the time he returned home, yet the moment he set foot inside the mansion, he found that it was filled with light and all his friends were gathered inside the dining hall. The Rong twins were there, Ma Kong was present, and Gao Yan was at the banquet table eating food, but turned to laugh when he saw a stunned Hui Yue standing in the doorway.

  Looking at Hui Yue's confused expression, all of them could not help but laugh as Rong Xing stepped forward and placed a hand on Hui Yue's shoulder.

  "Although we cannot come with you this time, we can't let you go without a proper farewell! You were so busy today that you did not have time to say goodbye to us before tomorrow, but how can we let you leave just like that? Who knows how long we will be apart this time, and were it not for our own tasks then we would join you!"

  Rong Xing's eyes were slightly red as tears welled up within. Hui Yue had given them so much. He was willing to sacrifice anything for his friends and had always treated them well. Knowing that they would not see him for a long time made them all sad, but to hide this sadness, wine and beer poured into everyone's glasses and his final night within Muchuan City was spent drinking with his friends.

  The first person to fall asleep was Cai Jie, closely followed by Lao. Sha Yun lasted an hour longer than those two, falling asleep on Wang Ju Long's lap. Rong Xing and Rong Ming fell at the same time, and Gao Yan quickly followed. Eventually, Ma Kong could not hold on anymore either, and Hui Yue, who had expected to last the longest also passed out.

  Only Deng Wu, Jo, and Wang Ju Long were left, and soon Wang Ju Long fell on top of the sleeping snake-woman, leaving Deng Wu and Jo.

  Both looked at each other with drunk faces and big smiles. They kept on drinking with each other, but neither was willing to give in. Both lasted until the sun rose after which they too fell one after another with Jo lasting a minute longer than Deng Wu.

  The group of friends sleeping long into the day and none of them woke before noon. As they woke many of them found that they had splitting headaches, yet no one regretted the night they had spent together.

  "I have hired a carriage." Hui Yue said as he had awoken and washed alongside changing his clothes. Everyone was gathered, and although some of them were not going to join him on his adventure, they were still very curious about what would happen.

  "The car
riage will take us to the Sunset Mountains and from there we will move on our own towards the Central Palace. Officially we are going to the Sunset Mountains to hunt magical beasts and no one should know our actual destination. I don't want a rumor to spread. No one knows where An He's General is located, and if he is in Muchuan City and hears that we are going to Central Palace, I can only imagine that he will come running. Meeting a God is the same as dying for us, so we have no other options than to be secretive."

  Everyone nodded their heads; no one wished for this to go the wrong way and thus no one would mention where they were going, not even to their closest friends or family.

  It did not take long before the hired carriage arrived, and as it did, Hui Yue, Cai Jie, Wang Ju Long, Sha Yun, Deng Wu, Jo and Lao all got ready to leave. Xu Piao, although he had originally planned on going with them, they decided he would stay. When they brought the Formation of Life back with them, it would be possible for him to become a God by then. Looking at Xu Piao and the friends who were staying behind with hesitation, Hui Yue sent them all a smile. "We will definitely return." He promised, and the other four nodded their heads. Rong Xing's eyes were slightly moist again, but this time she was not looking at Hui Yue, but surprisingly Deng Wu. Feeling her gaze, Deng Wu looked at Rong Xing and with a few large strides he reached her side and dragged her into a warm embrace.

  "You heard what Yue said." He said with a muffled voice as his head was buried in Rong Xing's hair. "We will definitely return. Wait for me." He continued and Rong Xing, unexpected by all, slowly nodded her crimson head.

  Chapter 443 - Sunset Mountains

  * * *

  Chapter 443: Sunset Mountains

  Seated in the carriage, Hui Yue looked at his family around him. Although Cai Jie and Deng Wu were not really a part of the Hui’s family, these two men were brothers to him. Although he was officially not married to Sha Yun and Wang Ju Long, the two women were clearly his wives.

  The carriage they were seated in was built from wood and metal; it had two couches, one on each side, and some large cushions at the front. The whole interior was made from soft fabric making it comfortable to sit on. Their trip was in no way going to be uncomfortable. The carriage he hired was one of the ones with the highest price but also the one providing the best comfort.

  The walls were thick, and the driver was seated outside, incapable of hearing what was being said inside. As soon as they started traveling, Hui Yue gathered all his friends around him.

  "The mission we are going to undertake this time will be quite difficult and most likely also much more dangerous than anything we have ever encountered before." Hui Yue said seriously, but although he was serious, it was impossible to hide the excitement from within as a small smile crept onto his face.

  "We will reach the Sunset Mountains in a month’s time and from there we will move towards the Central Palace without letting anyone see us. On the way there, we will have to rely on Deng Wu, Wang Ju Long, and Sha Yun. The three of you have been there once before while leaving the Dungeons of the Divine and even I do not know the location as accurately." Hui Yue said.

  Hearing their names called out, the three friends all nodded their heads and seriously looked at one another. They had indeed been there before, so to return was not a big problem for the three of them.

  "We don't know what we will encounter at the Central Palace. So everyone is on the same page, tell us what you noticed about the place the last time you were there." Hui Yue requested while looking at his three friends.

  "The Central Palace, although it sounds like a place filled with people, when we exited the Dungeons of the Divine, nothing could be seen. We never directly entered the palace itself, but from the surroundings where we surfaced there were no living beings." Deng Wu started while shuddering. Thinking back on that sight made him feel strange and uncomfortable.

  "Although there are no people the palace is indeed the largest palace I have ever seen. It is built on the very top of a large mountain. It oversees the four mountain chains which separate the four kingdoms from one another." Sha Yun joined in while thinking deeply about those events many years prior when she had exited the Dungeons of the Divine. So much had happened since then, but she still seemed to remember it all extra vividly.

  "We rushed away from the palace as soon as we could." Wang Ju Long said while shaking her head, looking apologetically at Hui Yue.

  "We did not know if the Dragon Corps or anyone else were guarding the area. Sticking around seemed to be the most dangerous option of all since we were escorting the laws, therefore, we rushed away. Although we left quickly, every time I look at the palace I could not help but feel rather terrified. It had a dark and domineering aura, and the palace itself rose on the top of that enormous mountain peak, overseeing the entire world. It was quite scary and intimidating, so we fled immediately."

  The other two nodded their heads. "Were it not for the allure of the Formation of Life, then I would have long ago backed out of this whole ordeal." Deng Wu admitted rather sheepishly while scratching his head with a silly smile on his face. "The Central Palace is not easy to enter. Even the routes from the Dungeons of the Divine do not enter the actual premise of the Central Palace, they all skirt around it. You would not know since you forced your way out through one of the entrances to the Vermilion Bird Dungeon."

  "It seems this might be even more terrifying than what I had expected." Hui Yue said with a slight smile on his face, but even though he understood what these friends of his said, Hui Yue was not even slightly frightened. If he were frightened already how would he be able to lead them through this dreadful and dark Central Palace?

  'Originally the Central Palace was the home of the four divine beasts.' Lan Feng's voice sounded in Hui Yue's mind. 'It was a place filled with life, laughter, and happiness when I was younger. I know the entire way around the palace, and I also know the general way to reach the Formation of Life.'

  Hearing this, Hui Yue was shocked. Lan Feng had never before said anything about the Formation of Life so to hear about it from the phoenix; he was stunned but also excited. If Lan Feng knew anything about it, then it would make things much simpler.

  'Don't expect too much, though.' Lan Feng sighed. 'My father never told me about the Formation of Life, and neither did any of the other experts. However, one day I was exploring the large Central Palace and found a door I had never seen before. After trying to enter it, my father instantly arrived and scolded me. He told me not to enter, and that if I did, I had to be willing to suffer the consequences of my actions.'

  'My father told me that if I choose to enter this door, I would most likely die. He never told me that I could gain Godhood, had he done so then I would have entered long ago.' Lan Feng's voice had a tint of regret and disappointment within, but hearing his words, Hui Yue was not disappointed, instead, he was excited.

  'After An He took over the Central Palace, he should have become the master of the formation.' Lan Feng continued, and the moment he spoke his words caused Hui Yue to sigh. Lan Feng was correct. As the formation’s master, he should be able to move it with him, but since he left the world and we still have the essence of the heavens and the earth, it should have been left behind.'

  'If he did not move it at all, then we are in luck, but if he did move it then my help is worth nothing.' Lan Feng continued with a sigh. Both he and Hui Yue became silent as they considered this. In fact, they were unaware of what to do; the formation could be anywhere from the Central Palace to the moon.

  'The Frozen General seemed certain that the Formation of Life was within the Central Palace. Let us trust him and go through the whole palace if we have to.' Hui Yue finally said to Lan Feng, and the phoenix nodded its head. Zhong Fai had seemed completely certain that the Formation was within the Central Palace and Hui Yue felt he had a reason for his assumption.

  "Do you think An He became a God because of the formation?" Deng Wu asked curiously, and Hui Yue nodded his head. "I am quite
sure it was because of this formation he became a God. As far as I know training to become a God is almost impossible, but apparently, he is already a Crowned Sovereign. It should have taken him more than four thousand years to reach this rank from the rank of Emperor which he had when he tricked Lan Feng and the others."

  The others turned excited upon hearing Hui Yue's words. All of them were thinking about the benefits they could gain from the Formation of Life. To become a God ranked cultivator was simply too tempting.

  The trip to the Sunset Mountains was long, and they only paused when they needed to stretch their legs or during the night when the beasts needed rest. Usually, they would stop in small villages or cities to checking into a hotel and rest during the night. Though a few nights, they had no other option than to camp outside.

  During the day while the magical Kirins that pulled the carriage were filled with energy, everyone would sit inside and cultivate. Even the slightest improvement in strength was needed for this mission they were on, and they had nothing else to spend their time on.