Wang Feng sat in front of Su Yan with narrowed eyes, digesting the information she had provided him.
'So, it wasn't just me who was unlucky, ' he chuckled inwardly, 'It's the entire secret realm that has increased activity.... It's almost as if the world itself has just woken up and has started to recover itself.'
He thought, his finger tapping the table in rythemic motion.
He also got to know what they all had experienced, including the event of the Tier 5 monsters. 'A tiger, An ape, A goat, A snake, and the upcoming tortoise...', he thought with shining eyes.
'The Tiger from the White Tiger Race, The Ape from Tyrant Monkey Race, The Goat from Baize Race, The Snake from Leviathan Race and the Tortoise from Black Tortoise Race... It's all matching up!'
His face flushed slightly with excitement, 'all that's left are the Bird from the Vermilion Bird, Fish from the Kun Peng, Ox or a Unicorn from Qilin Race.'.
From his knowledge, the most apparent among the Divine Beasts in Ancient Times— excluding the Dragon and Phoenix Races— were these 8 races, all 10 collectively regarded as the leaders of the Divine Beasts.
'If it really is like that... That means this place isn't just an inheritance ground of the Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress!', a grin formed on his face while thinking of this— a grin that he quickly dissolved because of Su Yan's presence.
He sighed and looked at her, "If that's the case... Then the next Beast that appears would be stronger than this one."
Su Yan nodded with a calm look, "most probably...", she spoke before she said in a cold voice, "Shouldn't you know this. After all, I remember someone say 'I know everything about the opportunity.', right."
Wang Feng's eyes and lips twitched— noticing the disdain in Su Yan's words. "Ugh No need to be so harsh... And I had said that I know 'nearly' everything about this place. At the start, I had forgotten about the displacement."
Su Yan simply snorted at his response before she turned her head and saw how all the desciples have now healed and were looking towards them in curiousity.
She gave Wang Feng a stare before standing up— Wang Feng following her, also stood up— and she looked back at the desciples, "Since everyone is healed, let's go."
The desciples nodded and followed after her and Wang Feng as they walked away.
Along the way, many desciples— even those who followed Xie Hong Chen— came and thanked Wang Feng for the Meat and tried to butter up to him— admiring his strength.
Wang Feng just smiled and dismissed them with kind words.
Xie Hong Chen looked on with gushing teeth, 'It should have been me! These good for nothing leaches! It was ME who fed you and now you're running to that B*stard! Just you wait, All of You!'
It was positive to say, Xie Hong Chen was having a hard time keeping his temper under control from all the disregard from not only Su Yan, but also the sect's desciple who always played submissive in front of him. All that was holding him back, was the strength Wang Feng had exploded with previously— which he knew was leagues above his own.
....
Nearly a day has passed since the group of High Heaven Pavilion desciples had set out. After walking for an hour, Wang Feng and Su Yan both talked amongest each other and came to a conclusion that it wasn't productive for anyone like this.
So, the entire camp of High Heaven Pavilion was divided into 3 parts:
One led by Su Yan. One led by Wang Feng and One led by Xie Hong Chen, since these three were the only ones with the power to hold off a powerful enemy till the other groups reached for reinforcements.
Most of the desciples obviously didn't have any problem with this.
After that, Wang Feng had taken his group consisting of 18 desciples, which included Fu Shen and had three Core Disciples with cultivation of Low Separation and Reunion.
At first the Core Disciples were unwilling to heed his command, with one even trying to order him around. But that was just a minor problem for Wang Feng, which could be resolved with a single beating.
That is what he exactly did.
He simply started beating up the guy— who wasn't able to retaliate even once. As expected, after that, none of the three spoke arrogantly to him. While the lower ranking desciples looked at him with even more respect.
During their search, they all found small opportunities like a few herbs or materials in a cave, but that was all. Since those things weren't of any use to Wang Feng, he chose to divide them among the desciples in his group.
At night, the three groups came back together from where they had separated and set up a camp there.
Su Yan, Xie Hong Chen and Wang Feng stood together and honestly told about their finds.
"We found a large Cave which had the aura of a Tier 5 beast...", Su Yan informed lightly, making Xie Hong Chen's eyes to flash and Wang Feng's eyes to narrow, 'so the Tortoise is also here...'
"Did it not attack you?", Xie Hong Chen asked inquiringly. From his experience in the past few days, these Tier 5 monsters would start attacking anyone who enters their areas, even going as far as to chase after them.
There was also a case where a beast suddenly found them and started chasing them restlessly, as if committed to destroy them.
Su Yan shook her head, her face cold, "No, it remained in place.", the three remained quite for a moment before Wang Feng asked, "It might have not recovered yet, or there is something it is protecting that doesn't allow it to leave."
Su Yan's eyes narrowed while Xie Hong Chen's eyes turned wide, this thoughts excited, 'this might be my chance!', he thought and spoke, "then, we can go and see it for ourselves tomorrow. Considering, it might eventually come after us."
Wang Feng looked at Xie Hong Chen, suspicion buried in his eyes. While Su Yan was thinking if they should follow along with Xie Hong Chen's suggestion.
"I say we should.", She turned her head and looked questioningly at Wang Feng. Wang Feng shrugged and gave her a look, "we have to deal with whatever is in that cave eventually, better finish it quickly."
Su Yan's eyes narrowed, getting the meaning of his look, 'he means that it is nessesary to get rid of that Tier 5 Monster.... Or all the Tier 5 Monster Beasts in this secret realm.', she thought while nodding.
Xie Hong Chen was internally laughing, 'Yes! You fool, once we get to that cave, I will have my chance to isolate and kill you!', he thought. Oblivious to the fact that Wang Feng was glancing at him with narrowed eyes, already suspicious of his objective.
After the decision was made, the three announced it to the other desciples— who looked nonchalant, as if what they were being told was child play— Wang Feng sighed seeing this, 'these idiots...'
Wang Feng understood that his earlier display of killing the snake with a single attack had made them not take the danger of Tier 5 Monster Beast seriously. But, he can't do anything about it right now, so he just silently walked to the side while Su Yan too went towards an isolated area and started cultivating.
Wang Feng sat against a tree and started cultivating lightly.
It was a few hours later that he heard light footsteps approaching him— making him snap out of his cultivation.
He looked at who was approaching him and raised an eyebrow upon seeing who it was.
Fu Shen saw that Wang Feng was looking at him now, making him stop just a few steps away from him. Fu Shen looked at the guy who used to be his Junior Brother just a few months ago— now, a strong man who could rival the sect's 1st desciple, Su Yan, a 5th Stage True Element Realm, in terms of strength with the cultivation of only 5th Stage Qi Transformation (the aura that others could feel from Wang Feng.)
Fu Shen didn't feel jealousy nor envy. All he felt was happiness for his friend, bitterness at his own weakness and a great hunger for strength, for growth.
He looked at Wang Feng with fiery eyes that reflected his determination. Wang Feng in turn studied him for a few seconds before he slowly lowered his head and chuckled lightly.
He didn't need Fu Shen to say anything. He already knew why he came here.
He would recognize those eyes anywhere.
Those eyes full of persuit, full of longing for strength...
After all... He had seen those eyes everyday in the mirror.
He looked back at Fu Shen with a smile and asked, "what can I help you with, Fu Shen?"
Wang Feng's demeanor changed, turning stronger, murderous heavy as a mountain as he held Fu Shen's gaze.
Fu Shen suddenly felt as if he was being stared at by a beast— one that could destroy him with a thought— making him tremble. He grinded his teeth and cliched his fists— his nails digging into his hand— trying to force him to stay calm.
"I..I..want...to grow.... Br...Senior Brother Feng.", Fu Shen spoke in a shaky voice because of his trembling body, which slowly started to slow it's shaking— his determination holding him firm.
Wang Feng froze for a second, his aura— which he had locked onto Fu Shen— desipated. He blinked his eyes a few times before he laughted.
"Se..senior.. hah you don't have to call me that. Just Wang Feng is fine.", Wang Feng weezed out before straightening himself and speaking with a smirk.
Then, his demeanor turned serious again— though noticably relaxed from before— he looked into Fu Shen's eyes, "And... What makes you think I can help you?"
Fu Shen's body had stopped shaking by now, making him inwardly sigh in relief. He heard Wang Feng's words and doubt rose in his heart, 'yeah, why did I assume that he will help me? Is it because of our previous friendship?'
He thought and looked at Wang Feng sitting relaxed in front of him. He eventually spoke softly, "I.. I don't know... You suddenly grew so strong... That...that I thought...", Fu Shen looked conflicted and tried to find words to finish his thoughts.
Wang Feng smiled internally while looking at him, 'I hadn't thought that the first to reach out would be you— while the rest just lay their worries on other's shoulders, you chose to be the one who carries your own weight yourself.'
Wang Feng hummed, catching Fu Shen's attention. Wang Feng spoke, "I may be able to help you....but.", Fu Shen looked surprised before joy took over his face.
Wang Feng held his hand up to stop whatever Fu Shen was about to speak and said, "but, it will be too difficult for you and you should know...", Wang Feng said in a firm voice.
"... There is no free meal in the world.", Wang Feng finished with a dead serious look.
Fu Shen trembled once, before he took a deep breath and spoke with conviction, "however difficult it is. Whatever I have to do. I want to grow. I want to be powerful. I want to help...", Wang Feng looked at Fu Shen with narrowed eyes for a few silent seconds.
Before he uttered, "even if you lose all your cultivation?"
Fu Shen was startled and looked at him with wide eyes, "losing all my cultivation...", he muttered under his breath— under the studying gaze of Wang Feng.
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Sorry guys, got my exams, again. The next chapters will be on 18th July