The map was hand-drawn by Zhang Fei himself. He had a knack for drawing; although it looked simple, the routes and various landmarks were all clearly marked. As long as one followed the indicated paths, it was entirely possible to reach the final destination without deviation.
The value of this map was self-evident.
What it pointed to was an academy—a not just any academy, but potentially a top-tier institution from a past era. If discovered, the benefits would be immense.
"Steward, immediately inform Elder Huang, Master Lu, and the others to convene in the main hall."
Yi Tianxing studied the map intently. It was drawn on beast hide, not an original but a reproduced version. Several key landmarks were specially annotated.
"Yes!"Cao Zhengchun replied swiftly.
Not long after, Lai He brought up a bowl of freshly prepared wontons. Faced with good food, Yi Tianxing set the map aside and focused on breakfast. There was no shortage of wontons this time. Yang Ye, Zhang Fei, Mu Guiying, and others stayed to share the meal. The wontons were so delicious they opened everyone's appetite, bringing them an almost spiritual sense of enjoyment.
During the meal, no one thought of anything else. They simply immersed themselves in the taste, etching every bite deep into their soul and memory.
Yi Tianxing was no exception—he had always treated good food with reverent respect. To him, it was a form of honor.
After the meal, his gourmet cells and Food Cauldron Life Aperture (食鼎命窍) activated, and his physical strength naturally increased by over 800 jin. His body grew even stronger.
With the operation of his five core life apertures, his physical strength had now reached 210,000 jin, and it continued to evolve on its own.
Once finished, the group headed to the main hall, where Elder Huang and the others were already assembled.
Yi Tianxing sat at the head, took out the map, and passed it around. At the same time, Zhang Fei retold his earlier experience. After hearing it, everyone present was shocked and delighted.
"My lord, I believe we must immediately dispatch a force!"Elder Huang (Huang Chengyan) stepped forward firmly."If this academy truly exists—even if only partially—the number of students inside would be significant. If it houses Sage Scriptures capable of repelling beasts and killing foreign races, then it surely holds cultivation methods. If we can rescue them, our Xuanhuang City will gain an invaluable foundation."
He was from the Confucian school; to ignore an academy under siege by monsters when they had the means to help—it was something he couldn't tolerate.
"Indeed. If we gain their allegiance, the city's development will accelerate. It would be a huge boon to our own academy-building efforts,"Master Lu agreed.
"The issue is, according to General Zhang, this occurred a year ago. In that time, anything could have happened—it might no longer exist. And before we deploy troops, we need intelligence: what race is besieging the academy, how many enemies, and their strength. These must be known. We cannot act rashly,"Wu Yong chimed in.
He wasn't against rescuing them, but caution was needed.
"Brother Wu is right. However, time is of the essence. Since my lord possesses a Spatial Gate, even if danger arises, we can retreat easily. I believe we should avoid grand movements and instead send a small elite force. This avoids alerting other races and allows swift action if the academy is still intact,"Jia Xu proposed.
"My lord, I wish to go. I was the one who discovered this academy, and I hope to accompany the rescue party,"Zhang Fei volunteered.
This had been on his mind ever since his escape. He had always felt guilty for fleeing, and now he wanted to make up for that regret.
"I will go personally this time. Elder Huang, Military Adviser, and Yide—you three will accompany me,"Yi Tianxing said.
He looked apologetically toward Cai Yan.
"Husband, go with peace of mind. With Lady Zhao in the city, all will be well,"Cai Yan smiled.
She understood his regret. She wanted to accompany him, to share his trials—but someone had to stay behind. Xuanhuang City was their foundation, and its symbolic stability had to be maintained.
If Yi Tianxing was the pillar, then Cai Yan was the spiritual anchor. With her present, the people's hearts would not waver.
In ancient kingdoms, when an emperor left, the palace was left in the hands of a royal bloodline—be it the empress, crown prince, or prince—to keep the nation steady. Unless one was the founding monarch, this was always the way.
Both Huang Chengyan and Jia Xu nodded inwardly at Cai Yan's conduct, visibly approving.
After the council ended, most left, and only a few remained—Huang Chengyan, Jia Xu, and Zhang Fei.
"Come, I'll take you somewhere,"Yi Tianxing said. With a wave of his hand, a Spatial Gate opened. He stepped through first, and the others followed.
Light flashed—and they stood on a mountain platform.
"Where is this?"Everyone instinctively wondered.
Looking around, they saw that they were on a mountain peak. The platform was knife-flat, and on the far side was a massive cave.
"Screech!!"
A sharp cry rang from the skies. Before anyone could react, a massive golden figure descended—it brought with it a strong wind that nearly swept them off the ground.
"It's the Golden Roc! This must be its nest!"Elder Huang recognized the beast. It was Yi Tianxing's battle pet.
The Golden Roc was massive—its descent darkened the sky.
"No need to worry. This is its home—it won't harm you,"Yi Tianxing said with a smile.
As they watched, the Golden Roc shrank, transforming to human size and gently nuzzling Yi Tianxing.
"Master, are you here on urgent business?"The roc spoke aloud.
"You can speak now?"Yi Tianxing was surprised. This wasn't telepathy—it was actual speech.
"A while ago, when Windwing and I went exploring, we found some strange herbs. After I ate one, my neck itched, and I coughed out a bone. After that, I could talk. I still have two left. You can have them."
The roc darted into the cave and returned with a jade box, one of Yi Tianxing's old ones.
Inside were two purple herbs emitting a gentle purple glow and an ethereal chiming sound like wind chimes.
"If I'm right, your neck bone fused, and this is a legendary herb called Windchime Grass (风铃草)—capable of helping beasts refine their throat bone and speak human language,"Yi Tianxing said, patting the bird's head.
He accepted the Windchime Grass and stored it away—it still contained life essence and could be planted in his Dantian Aperture. It might propagate and prove extremely useful later.
"Screech!!"
Another cry came from above as a swarm of golden clouds rapidly approached—the Golden Roc's offspring.
They had grown significantly. The once-fluffy chicks were now four to five meters wide, their golden wings covered with shimmering scales, bearing strong resemblance to their parent.