Chapter 216: Chapter 15 Heading to Beast City
The next morning, Chen Jiuge woke up with a bit of a headache. He sat blankly on the ground until he used his mana to completely expel the alcohol and finally sobered up.
Eh, a note left by Brother Sword Dance? Chen Jiuge looked at the primitive piece of paper with some surprise. Why not leave a Sound Transmission Talisman?
The note read:
Brother Chen, your tolerance for alcohol is indeed commendable, but you still fall short compared to me, haha.
Alright, jokes aside. After seeing you with the two core disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect, I guessed you were one of them. I think after this trip to Heavenly Sword Mountain, Brother Chen, you will be leaving Fengming Immortal City.
From my research in ancient texts, I discovered that the Calamity Immortal Sword wasn’t called that in ancient times, but I couldn’t find its actual name. Maybe that Immortal Sword does more than just devour Luck; it’s something you could pay more attention to.
Lastly, for your travels, as a disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect, it would be best to visit the Beast City in the Desolate World. That place might bring you a different experience.
May you, Fellow Daoist, step onto the Immortal Dao and wander the world at ease soon.
Jian Wuli
Chen Jiuge smiled as he looked at the letter, then promptly destroyed it. "Jian Wuli, Brother Sword Dance, you really went to a lot of trouble," he mused.
Wait... Jian Wuli... Jian Wuli... Li Wujian? Li Wujian! It can’t be, Chen Jiuge thought, a tremor running through him.
The former Sect Master of the Thirty-three Heavens, the strongest force in the Heavenly Realm, was Li Wujian, renowned as the mightiest in the Heavenly Realm.
I’m overthinking it. How could Jian Wuli be Li Wujian? Chen Jiuge thought, almost hysterically.
"Hiss! My head, why is it swollen? Yue Meng, it must have been you!" Da Bai exclaimed, teary-eyed, as he looked at the huge bulge on his head in the mirror.
Jiao Yue said in a dazed manner, "No, it wasn’t. You drank too much and bumped into it yourself. Look, you even dented the wall."
Yue Meng scoffed with disdain, "Idiot."
Da Bai felt utterly ashamed.
Brought back to his senses by the youngsters’ commotion, Chen Jiuge realized he had almost forgotten to tell Zi Jing that her niece had gone to Myriad Swords Mountain.
「Personal Cave Heaven」
Qimi was riding on Ao Li’s head, flying around chaotically, her clear laughter echoing.
Zi Jing, somewhat weary, yelled out, "Qimi, Qimi, stop playing! You’re an Earth Elf!"
"Mommy, just a little longer," Qimi’s soft voice floated over.
"Only a little longer. And I’m not your mommy." At this point, Zi Jing felt that running an inn in Demon City wasn’t so bad; at least it was less exhausting.
"Zi Jing, I need to tell you something," Chen Jiuge said, slightly embarrassed.
"What’s the matter? Huh, Xiao Qi didn’t come in with you?" Zi Jing asked in surprise.
"Well, Xiao Qi has joined Myriad Swords Mountain." Sending someone’s niece off without her aunt’s knowledge felt rather inconsiderate, Chen Jiuge thought.
"Ah, is that so? That’s actually great! If Xiao Qi makes something of herself, that would be wonderful," Zi Jing said, stunned for a moment before smiling.
However, as Chen Jiuge looked at her smile, he sensed something was amiss. He subtly signaled Jiao Yue and Yue Meng with his eyes to stay and look after her, then quietly slipped out.
Zi Jing seemed oblivious, mumbling to herself, "Xiao Qi has joined Myriad Swords Mountain... she’ll make something of herself, she’ll make something of herself..."
Then, her expression suddenly changed. Tears welled in her eyes as she said, "Xiao Qi is so young. What if she gets bullied at such a Major Sect?"
"Zi Jing, it’s fine," Yue Meng consoled her. "Xiao Qi went with Nian Yu. Nian Yu has even become a disciple of a Myriad Swords Mountain Elder. They won’t let Xiao Qi be bullied."
Zi Jing felt a little better upon hearing this, but her face still showed a hint of worry.
Qimi, having finished playing, saw her "mother" looking sad. Puffing up her little cheeks, she declared, "Mommy, who bullied you? I’ll beat them up for you!"
Beneath Qimi’s feet, the ground cracked open, and a stone man several meters tall appeared, swinging its massive fists.
Seeing this, Zi Jing quickly said, "It’s nothing, nothing! Qimi, don’t misuse your powers!"
"Okay, Qimi will listen to Mommy."
Chen Jiuge, once outside, felt a bit remorseful. After some thought, he said, "Da Bai, take this drop of Water of Life to Zi Jing. Consider it a small compensation from me."
Da Bai glanced at Chen Jiuge and let out a soft "oh."
When Yue Meng and Jiao Yue came out again, Zi Jing’s mood had stabilized. Chen Jiuge had also selected their next destination.
"This time, we’re headed to the Beast City in the Desolate World," Chen Jiuge announced. "There’s no guide there; we’ll have to explore everything ourselves. The next Flying Boat leaves in seven days. I’ve already booked our passage through the Fengming Building. Everyone, get ready."
"Alright."
「Seven days later.」
Chen Jiuge and his companions boarded the Flying Boat to the Beast City.
Compared to previous vessels, this Flying Boat was much more rugged. Even the decorations in the best cabins were simple, though the Spiritual Energy inside was very dense.
Under the guidance of a Maid who looked remarkably like a bunny girl, Chen Jiuge made his way to the boat’s dining hall.
The place was filled with Spiritual Beasts—some partially transformed, others in their original forms—all oddly sizing up Chen Jiuge and his party.
During their meal, a fat man plopped down opposite them, grabbed a large chunk of meat, and boomed, "Humans, now that’s rare! How about you treat this grandpa pig to a meal, eh?"
Da Bai couldn’t stand it any longer. Throughout their journey, he hadn’t encountered anyone so brazen as to dare eat his food.
"Die, you fat pig! Take my flying kick!" Da Bai skillfully leaped up and launched a kick.
How could the fat man, merely at the Returning to Void stage, withstand an attack from Da Bai, who was at the Mahayana cultivation realm? The kick sent the fat man sprawling, drool spilling from his mouth, his eyes bulging like a dead fish.
"Heh, since when are humans this arrogant?" a majestic, burly man sneered.
Then, a massive brawl erupted in the dining hall. The men who were clearly the boat’s guards pointedly ignored it.
As more beasts joined the fray, including a few with Mahayana cultivation, Chen Jiuge no longer stood idly by.
The air filled with the CLANG! and CRASH! of shattering cutlery.
Tables and chairs splintered with loud BANGS!
Floorboards cracked with resounding THUDS!
SMACK! WHAP! Da Bai furiously landed blow after blow.
"Damn it! Someone dared to swell up my handsome little face!" Da Bai howled.
"Alright, that’s enough. Let’s go back," Chen Jiuge said, pulling Da Bai away. If they continued, the lion on the floor truly wouldn’t be recognizable even to its own mother.
HUMPH! HUMPH!
Yue Meng put away her Medicine Mortar and said, "So useless."
This time, Da Bai didn’t retort. He had no choice. Yue Meng looked utterly ferocious wielding that Medicine Mortar... I don’t think I can beat her, he thought.
Thanks to a massive foundation of Spirit Stones, Yue Meng’s cultivation was actually higher than Chen Jiuge’s; she had already reached Perfect Mahayana. Chen Jiuge’s Body Refining Cultivation, on the other hand, was only at late-stage Mahayana. Fortunately, his Qi Cultivation had also recently reached late-stage Mahayana, so the gap wasn’t too large.
The journey continued for a month. During this time, Chen Jiuge and his companions spent their days fighting either lions or tigers. These Spiritual Beasts had one defining trait: stubbornness. They would fight even if they knew they couldn’t win.
Da Bai was ambushed many times, being the weakest and easiest target among the three.
Thankfully, after a month, they finally arrived at the Beast City.