Chapter 229: Versatile and Extraordinary!
Black Mountain Palace.
"The Heaven Phoenix Bone Wings…"
Tian Huo Zun zhe gazed at the white jade like skeletal wings floating amidst the blue flames before Lu Bu, muttering to himself in awe.
This kid really had a collection of treasures!
Tian Huo Zun zhe couldn't help but feel envious to the point of his gums aching. Back when he was at his peak strength, even as a Dou Zun, he didn't have a guardian puppet of four star Dou Zun level, let alone flying combat skills crafted from Heaven Phoenix Bone Wings.
But Lu Bu, merely at the Dou Huang stage, possessed treasures that even made someone like him, a former Dou Zun, salivate with jealousy. How could anyone not envy him?
Lu Bu paid no mind to Tian Huo Zun zhe's envious look, focusing intently on refining the bone wings further. Amidst the flames of the Green Lotus Core Flame, the bone wings, previously as large as a grown person, had shrunk to a length of only about ten feet.
The wings were now covered in delicate silver patterns that flickered with a silver glow. A faint azure aura surrounded them, accompanied by the sound of wind whistling faintly.
The Heaven Phoenix Clan was famed not only for its myriad bloodline abilities but also for its unparalleled mastery of wind and thunder. This granted them extraordinary speed second only to the Void Ancient Dragon, which could traverse space directly.
Even the ancient clans couldn't rival the Heaven Phoenix Clan in speed.
Under the scorching flames of the Green Lotus Core Flame, the ten foot long Heaven Phoenix Bone Wings gradually shrank further, eventually becoming no larger than the size of a palm.
Lu Bu let out a light laugh, pricking his fingertip and letting a drop of blood fall onto the bone wings.
Immediately, the bone wings burst into radiant blue and silver light, beginning to melt and slowly integrate into Lu Bu's palm.
Misty Cloud Marsh, Soul Hall.
Xiu Tuo Zun Lao recounted all the intelligence he had gathered about Xiao Yan to Soul Ya. Surprisingly, Soul Ya didn't interrupt, instead listening quietly, occasionally furrowing his brows but often displaying a mocking smile.
"Heh, so that's why this broken Xiao Clan managed to produce a Dou Wang. Turns out Yao Chen was meddling behind the scenes!" Soul Ya sneered, clearly finding the revelation amusing. His trip to the Northwestern Continent wasn't in vain after all.
Not only was the "key" seemingly within reach, but the legendary Medicine Master himself had been exposed as well. It was a pity that Soul Huai hadn't come along this missed opportunity might be his biggest regret.
"Where is Xiao Yan now?" Soul Ya asked impatiently.
"In the Jia Ma Empire!" Xiu Tuo Zun Lao replied solemnly. "Previously, I had all my spies focused on Jia Nan Academy, but unexpectedly, Xiao Yan suddenly returned to the Jia Ma Empire, catching us completely off guard."
"Heh…" Soul Ya chuckled lightly, not appearing upset. The Jia Ma Empire wasn't just any place it was under frequent observation by the Gu Clan. It was understandable that the Soul Hall had difficulty collecting intelligence there.
"The Jia Ma Empire, huh… looks like I'll have to take a subtler approach." Soul Ya rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Drawing the Gu Clan's attention would be a disaster.
"Xiu Tuo, tell me about Xiao Yan's social connections," Soul Ya said with a smirk. "It's been a while since I've had some fun. Let's make this interesting."
"Social connections?" Xiu Tuo Zun Lao's eyes lit up. Finally, an opportunity to contribute something useful!
"Envoy, we've gathered plenty of information about Xiao Yan during his time at Jia Nan Academy," Xiu Tuo Zun Lao explained. "He has three significant relationships. First, there's Xiao Xun'er, a member of the Gu Clan "
"Skip her. No need to elaborate." Soul Ya waved dismissively. He was already aware of Xiao Xun'er's identity. She was the Gu Clan's top prodigy, the first in a thousand years to bear such a pure bloodline. Her strength was formidable, far surpassing his own.
"The next person is Nalan Yanran, a disciple of Yun Yun, the leader of the Yun Lan Sect. She once had an engagement with Xiao Yan but annulled it, resulting in a 'three year agreement.' Interestingly, they ended up together again "
"Ugh, such a dull love story," Soul Ya interrupted, his face full of disdain. "You mentioned three important people. Who's the third?"
"Another of Yun Yun's disciples, named Lu Bu," Xiu Tuo Zun Lao replied.
"A man?" Soul Ya's eyes brightened with interest.
"Uh… yes…" Xiu Tuo Zun Lao hesitated, unsure of what Soul Ya intended.
"Do you have a portrait?" Soul Ya pressed.
"…Yes," Xiu Tuo Zun Lao said reluctantly, rummaging through his spatial ring for the image. He dared not question the envoy's motives.
Before long, a scroll appeared in Xiu Tuo Zun Lao's hands.
Soul Ya unfolded it, revealing the image of a handsome, sunny faced young man. His eyes gleamed as he studied the portrait. "Not bad. Not bad at all!"
Xiu Tuo Zun Lao's lips twitched. He knew the young man was attractive, but… could this envoy possibly have some unsavory hobbies?
What happened next shocked Xiu Tuo Zun Lao. Soul Ya raised his left hand and wiped it across his face. A strange glow rippled over his features, and in the blink of an eye, his once sinister and harsh visage transformed into the sunny, handsome face from the portrait.
"How does it look?"
"Lu Bu" smiled faintly.
Xiu Tuo Zun Lao glanced between the portrait and the person before him, stunned speechless. After a long pause, he finally muttered, "Flawless…"
"Heh… Well then, Zun Lao, tell me everything you know about this man!" Soul Ya said with a sly grin. "Capturing Xiao Yan and Yao Chen can't rely solely on brute force it requires strategy!"
Soul Ya had traveled extensively, evading countless dangers and eliminating many Black Abyss soldiers, all thanks to his mastery of disguise and infiltration.
"Understood!" Xiu Tuo Zun Lao snapped out of his daze and began recounting all the information he had on Lu Bu.
"This person is one of Xiao Yan's closest friends. Their bond runs deep, and they share an unbreakable loyalty. Proceed with extreme caution…"
Jia Ma Empire, Black Mountain Fortress.
Inside a secret chamber, Lu Bu admired the pristine white bone wings on his back, chuckling softly. The unparalleled speed granted by these wings, combined with his formidable soul power, meant that no one below a Dou Zun could keep up with him.
"When will you launch your attack on the Soul Hall?" Tian Huo Zun zhe asked, watching Lu Bu revel in his achievement.
"No rush. There are still a few preparations to complete," Lu Bu replied with a smile, striding out of the chamber.
In another room, Yun Yun, Xiao Yi Xian, and Zi Yan were seated cross legged, cultivating together. In the center of the trio floated the Falling Heart Flame, its intense energy surging gently into their bodies, tempering their Dou Qi.
Zi Yan's small face was taut with focus as purple light swirled around her, her aura steadily growing stronger.
Leaning against the doorway, Lu Bu nodded in approval. The little girl would likely break through to the two star Dou Huang stage in just a few more days.
What surprised him even more, though, was Yun Yun's progress she had already reached the nine star Dou Huang stage. He still had a few Breaking Sect Pills on hand, which he could use to help her.
Perhaps sensing his presence, the three women emerged from their cultivation state in less than a quarter of an hour.
"Lu Bu, why are you here?" Zi Yan's large eyes lit up the moment she saw him. She immediately dashed over, wrapping her arms around his waist and tilting her head up to look at him.
Jia Ma Empire, Black Mountain Fortress.
Yun Yun and Xiao Yi Xian sat quietly where they were, lightly pressing their lips together, unlike Zi Yan, who had run over to Lu Bu with excitement.
Patting Zi Yan's small head, Lu Bu smiled warmly and said, "I'm here to bring you something."
As he spoke, he flipped his palm, revealing a jade bottle containing four drops of vibrant blue and red blood essence.
The moment the jade bottle appeared, Zi Yan's large eyes sparkled with excitement. Unable to hold back, she asked, "What's that? It looks delicious!"
"It's the essence blood of a magical beast," Lu Bu explained with a smile. "It can enhance cultivation and strengthen your physical body."
With a flick of his finger, three drops of the essence blood floated out, landing in front of the three women.
Zi Yan let out a delighted "Awooo!" before swallowing her share in a single gulp. Her black eyes narrowed in bliss as she exclaimed, "This is so good! It's better than anything I've ever eaten before!"
She smacked her lips with satisfaction, but before she could savor the taste further, her body began to radiate alternating blue and red light, and her aura rapidly climbed.
Startled, Zi Yan crossed her short legs and quickly sat down to regulate her energy.
Xiao Yi Xian stared at the essence blood in front of her, frowning slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she didn't move to consume it.
"What's wrong?" Lu Bu asked, puzzled.
"The Woeful Poison Body won't benefit from this," Xiao Yi Xian replied with a hint of helplessness. "The body thrives on toxins but is also limited by them. While I can absorb heavenly treasures and medicinal pills, this essence blood wouldn't have much effect. The absorption rate would be less than half, and forcing it would only waste it."
She paused, then added softly, "Besides… you only have four drops."
"The Woeful Poison Body… has such limitations?" Lu Bu frowned slightly.
"Yes…" Xiao Yi Xian replied with a trace of resignation. "The enhancement of my physical body can only come through poison, no other method works."
Reluctantly, Lu Bu retracted the essence blood, intending to save it for Medusa.
On the other side, Yun Yun looked at the essence blood before her, her brows furrowing slightly. "Lu Bu, are you preparing for action again?"
The essence blood clearly had more suitable applications, such as being used in alchemy, yet Lu Bu had decided to bring it out directly. This puzzled her.
"...Yes," Lu Bu admitted with a nod, slightly taken aback that Yun Yun had noticed.
"This time, the enemy consists of spirit entities. I'll need your Falling Heart Flame to help me deal with them."
"Ah, so that's it…" Yun Yun nodded in understanding.
"Take it. I'll help you refine it," Lu Bu said, moving behind her. Placing a hand gently on her back, his palm began to glow faintly with purple light, and a layer of fine, dark golden scales quietly emerged on his arm.
Yun Yun's heart skipped a beat as she felt an overwhelming pressure emanating from behind her. The majestic aura of the dragon made her feel uneasy. Instinctively, she parted her lips and swallowed the floating blue and red essence blood in front of her.
Misty Cloud Marsh, Soul Hall Subdivision.
"Disciple of Yun Yun, the leader of the Yun Lan Sect. A fourth tier alchemist. Easily defeated Xiao Yan in single combat. Leader of the Saint Gate faction within Jia Nan Academy…"
Soul Ya scanned the information on the scroll in his hand while listening to Xiu Tuo Zun Lao's report, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
This wasn't quite what he had imagined. It seemed that this Lu Bu wasn't as close a friend to Xiao Yan as he had initially thought. Instead, they shared a somewhat competitive, albeit cordial, relationship.
It made sense, though. Someone like Xiao Yan, who had brought Soul Hall elders to their knees, couldn't possibly be content playing second fiddle. And this Lu Bu seemed to surpass Xiao Yan in ability by a small margin.
Without relying on Yao Chen's soul form, Xiao Yan likely wouldn't be able to outshine him.
This… was problematic.
Soul Ya pondered for a moment. The information indicated that Xiao Yan harbored both animosity and caution toward this Lu Bu, meaning he couldn't completely let his guard down, unlike with Xiao Xun'er.
Not only Xiao Yan, but Yao Chen was likely also well acquainted with Lu Bu. If Soul Ya wanted to disguise himself as Lu Bu and approach Xiao Yan and Yao Chen without arousing suspicion, it would not be a simple task.
And capturing them wasn't even the hardest part. The real challenge lay in extracting them from the Jia Ma Empire without alarming local powers or drawing the attention of the Gu Clan.
Soul Ya knew full well how closely the Gu Clan monitored Xiao Yan. There was no way Xiao Xun'er hadn't left spies and guards around him.
If this operation were in the Central Plains, even if they were discovered, the Soul Clan could swiftly dispatch reinforcements and extract Xiao Yan into the Soul Realm.
But in the Northwestern Continent, things were different. Any mishap could lead to a prolonged battle.
If a Dou Sheng level expert got involved and disrupted their plans, Soul Ya's head would be on the chopping block.
"Tsk… all this restraint is infuriating!" Soul Ya's face darkened with frustration as a wave of violent, bloodthirsty energy suddenly surged from his body, filling the hall with a chilling, oppressive aura.
The sudden outburst of murderous intent made Xiu Tuo Zun Lao tense up. This envoy, who had seemed so polite and composed moments ago, was unexpectedly terrifying.
After a moment, Soul Ya took a deep breath, forcing down his anger. He knew such emotions were useless.
"Who else has a close relationship with Xiao Yan? Any relatives? Anyone outside the Jia Ma Empire?" Soul Ya asked. He couldn't do much about those within the empire. Yao Chen's heavenly level soul would make any attempt at substitution impossible.
As a member of the Soul Clan, Soul Ya understood all too well the fearsome nature of a heavenly level soul.
"Hmm… at Jia Nan Academy, he has a cousin named Xiao Yu," Xiu Tuo Zun Lao quickly replied.
"Jia Nan Academy… but sending word there will take days…" Soul Ya shook his head, refocusing his attention on Lu Bu's information.
"Envoy, what are you planning…?" Xiu Tuo Zun Lao asked cautiously.
"I need to study this person. Don't disturb me for the next few days," Soul Ya said. To perfectly mimic Lu Bu, he needed to understand how the man interacted with Xiao Yan and ensure there were no slip ups.
"Understood!"
"Also, locate this person for me. If possible, capture him I have a use for him."
"Yes, Envoy!" Xiu Tuo Zun Lao bowed and swiftly left to make the arrangements.
Southern Northwestern Continent.
A squad of about ten Black Abyss soldiers suddenly halted, their brows furrowing in confusion as they glanced around in different directions.
Swoosh!
A flash of light darted by, and a veiled Xiao Xun'er appeared at the front of the group. "What happened?"
"Uh… Great Commander, Soul Ya's aura has split into ten separate trails, each heading in a different direction…" one of the soldiers reported hastily.
"Let me handle this."
Before the soldier could react, Yang Hao, the Third Commander clad in the same blue uniform as Xiao Xun'er, stepped forward with a confident smile.
Without waiting for a response, Yang Hao crouched down and placed his palms lightly on the ground. A faint mist began to emanate from his hands, spreading outward in all directions.
In just moments, a streak of black light sliced through the mist like a swift wind, heading north.
"Third Commander, since when did you master this ground listening technique?" the soldier exclaimed in shock.
"Heh… just picked it up here and there," Yang Hao replied with a modest smile. His versatility was what set him apart he wasn't just a skilled fighter but also excelled in reconnaissance.
It was thanks to this unique skill set that Yang Hao had risen to the rank of Third Commander, outpacing competitors like Gu Luan and Lin Qiu.
"Let's move. Soul Ya is cunning stay vigilant," Xiao Xun'er said calmly as she led the group northward.
(End of Chapter)