Chapter 104: Two Flowers Bloom

Feng Ke’er and Bodhi Zi headed straight for the main peak of the Azure Cloud Sect—Sacred Mist Peak. The once-imposing main hall had vanished, and amidst the lush, verdant peaks, not a trace of the past remained. Nothing had been left behind, as if the “Azure Cloud Sect” had never existed at all.

“What on earth happened here?” Feng Ke’er could no longer hold back her curiosity and said, “Bodhi Zi, your skills in divination are remarkable. Why not try divining what happened to the Azure Cloud Sect? The sect wasn’t small, but neither was it insignificant. With an ascended founder watching over it, how could it have been wiped out so completely?” Most of all, she wanted to know the fate of Qin Hanyan and her son Qin Jun.

Bodhi Zi nodded in agreement, closed his eyes slightly, and quickly began his divination, his right hand moving deftly.

Standing by, Feng Ke’er watched in silent astonishment. She had been in this world for over three centuries and had seen countless demon cultivators and not a few human ones as well. Yet, this was the first time she had encountered someone like Bodhi Zi, who, with a mere calculation, could know the secrets of heaven and earth, of past and future. Who was his master to have taught him such skills? Truly extraordinary.

But this time, things did not go as smoothly as before. Bodhi Zi’s brows furrowed deeply, beads of sweat the size of soybeans forming on his forehead.

Though Feng Ke’er didn’t understand the art, she could see that something was wrong.

Sure enough, Bodhi Zi’s eyes suddenly snapped open, his handsome face flushed red. After several heavy breaths, he finally calmed down.

So, even fortune-telling carried its risks. Feng Ke’er offered him a clean handkerchief and asked worriedly, “So, what did you find?”

Taking the cloth and wiping his brow, Bodhi Zi explained, “The Azure Cloud Sect has been annihilated. I tried to divine who did it, but their power far exceeds mine—I couldn’t see through it.”

Feng Ke’er’s eyes widened in surprise. “It depends on the other party’s strength too?” She had thought Bodhi Zi was like an immortal from the movies, able to see five hundred years before and after, to know everything under heaven and earth.

“Well, my cultivation is too shallow,” Bodhi Zi admitted with a self-conscious smile. His gaze drifted over the mountain range as he changed the subject. “Shall we check out a few more peaks? Maybe we’ll find some clues.”

In the cultivation world, each sect’s techniques were closely guarded secrets. To inquire about them was considered extremely rude. Realizing her earlier slip, Feng Ke’er quickly agreed to his suggestion. “Why don’t we go take a look at the outer sect? I’ll show you a particularly interesting place.”

“Sounds good,” Bodhi Zi replied with anticipation.

She led him to the old outer sect bathhouse.

Fortunately, the bathhouse had been built atop natural hot springs. Time had erased any trace of human presence, but the springs and natural pools remained.

From a distance, Bodhi Zi saw the steamy pool nestled among green trees and red flowers. With a few nimble leaps, he landed on a boulder by the pool and called out cheerfully, “So this is the interesting place you meant, Sister Ke’er. I remember coming here once myself…” Turning around, he saw Feng Ke’er standing about ten feet behind, gazing toward a grove across the way, her lips curved in a faint smile, her eyes dreamy.

“Sister Ke’er?” He approached and waved his hand before her face. “What are you thinking about?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Snapped from her reverie, Feng Ke’er smiled awkwardly and started chatting about the duels between male and female outer disciples that had once taken place here. She omitted the causes of those events, and the matter of Feng Jiu. The thought of him made her heart clench unexpectedly: that troublesome bird… She wondered how he was now.

Bodhi Zi listened, his eyes shining with interest. “It must have been quite something back then.”

Afterward, they visited the old “New Character” courtyard. Like everywhere else, it had become a patch of tangled woods.

Feng Ke’er scanned the area with her spiritual sight: not so much as a fragment of brick or tile remained on the ground or within a meter below. The soil beneath showed no sign of burning.

With her background in archaeology, she frowned and sighed. “Who did the Azure Cloud Sect offend, to end up not just destroyed, but erased so cleanly?” The depth of the grudge must have been immense. She feared that Qin Hanyan and her companions had met a grim fate.

Bodhi Zi replied quietly, “Perhaps everything was burned to ashes.”

Feng Ke’er began to argue that it didn’t look like a fire had occurred, but caught herself and simply nodded in agreement.

They searched the inner sect for half a day more, but found nothing. As the sun set, the two kindled a campfire and reminisced about old times in the Azure Cloud Sect. After a while, Bodhi Zi mentioned missing his clan and wanting to return to Great Azure Mountain.

Feng Ke’er told him that the Feng clan had long since migrated east and had now become one of the most respected cultivation families in the lower realm. The lower cultivation world had formed an alliance, and his grand-uncle Li Hentian was the first leader.

Bodhi Zi, his longing for home now even stronger, could hardly wait to set out. Hearing that Feng Ke’er had spent years training in the Sea of Barriers and hadn’t returned home, he urged her to come along.

Compared to the Feng clan, Feng Ke’er was more concerned about Qin Hanyan and her family, who had truly cared for her. Besides, she was alone, with no sign of advancement on the horizon, so her desire to learn their fate was even stronger. She used the excuse of needing to visit Happy Valley first, promising to visit the clan afterward.

Bodhi Zi smiled and did not press the matter, instead asking curiously about Happy Valley. He had spent his life cultivating and knew little of it.

Feng Ke’er herself had never been there, but had heard stories in the big market on the edge of the Sea of Barriers. Three centuries ago, Happy Valley was just an obscure mountain valley. Now, it was the most well-informed place in the entire cultivation world. As long as one had enough spirit stones, there was no secret that couldn’t be uncovered there. For someone like Feng Ke’er, a stranger in this world with no roots, it was the only place she could hope to learn the truth behind the Azure Cloud Sect’s destruction and the fate of Qin Hanyan’s family.

Happy Valley was also the most famous den of pleasure and largest market in the lower realm. Its master, Lord Hu the Third, was both capable and mysterious. He had founded Happy Valley himself, and in over three hundred years, it had become universally known in the cultivation world—yet no one had ever seen his true face.

Feng Ke’er’s hearsay account only piqued Bodhi Zi’s interest further. After getting the location, he said that after visiting his clan, he would go see it for himself, and asked Feng Ke’er to be his guide.

Cultivators seldom spoke plainly. Feng Ke’er clapped her hands and laughed, readily agreeing.

The next day, the two bid each other farewell and went their separate ways—Bodhi Zi to the Feng clan, Feng Ke’er to Happy Valley.

At the foot of Kunlun Mountain.

“Master…” Feng Fuxi stood before the cave dwelling, cradling a newborn beast whose eyes had yet to open, wearing a broad smile.

“A qilin cub?” True Dragon Immortal Lord stared in disbelief at the little creature, barely larger than a puppy, his single eye bulging. “Where did you get this?” A qilin—an auspicious beast famed even in the Divine Realm—was not something the lower world produced, and the passage to the upper realms had been closed for over three hundred years. Yet this cub looked barely a month old. It was unbelievable.

Something was definitely off. No wonder the boy had been so furtive in his message.

Feng Fuxi immediately pulled a long face and confessed, “Master, after leaving the Sea of Barriers, I met someone who called himself Vermilion Bird and addressed me as ‘Young Lord.’ Then, for no apparent reason, he gave me this cub as a spirit pet.”

True Dragon Immortal Lord took a sharp breath. “He gave you a qilin as a gift? That’s quite the favor. Where is this Vermilion Bird now?”

“He left,” Feng Fuxi replied, looking down and stroking the cub’s soft fur. The little creature, clearly enjoying it, closed its eyes and hummed contentedly.

“He left?” True Dragon Immortal Lord raised an eyebrow.

Feng Fuxi answered honestly, “Yes. He moved too fast for me to catch him.”

True Dragon Immortal Lord tried a guess, “He called you ‘Young Lord’—could he be from A-tian’s side?”

Feng Fuxi shook his head. “I sent my foster father a message. He said he hadn’t sent anyone to find me. But he is very interested in the qilin cub and asked me to bring it to you for inspection. If there’s no problem, he wants me to bring it to the clan when I have time. He’d like to see it.”

True Dragon Immortal Lord stretched out his hand. “Let me have a look.”

Feng Fuxi promptly handed it over with both hands.

True Dragon Immortal Lord held the cub up by its forepaws, inspecting it from every angle. Apparently uncomfortable, the little creature kicked its hind legs in protest, making unhappy noises much like a kitten not yet weaned.

Seeing this, Feng Fuxi’s eyes filled with concern. “Master, is it really a qilin cub?”

By then, True Dragon Immortal Lord had finished his examination and tossed the cub back, grunting, “If I couldn’t recognize a qilin, I’d be unworthy of my station. It’s fine. Qilins are auspicious beasts native to the Divine Realm—males are called ‘qi,’ females ‘lin.’ The lower world has none, so it’s normal A-tian hasn’t seen one. This is a young ‘qi,’ only a few days old. Since fate has brought it to you, raise it well. But it’s still small, and without its mother’s milk, it’ll need careful tending. Find a spirit beast that’s just given birth to nurse it for now. Once it’s weaned, you can show it off as much as you like.”

He was permitting him to keep it. Feng Fuxi’s face lit up with joy. “Yes, Master. I will.”

True Dragon Immortal Lord continued, “I’m leaving for a few days on my master’s orders. I’ve already reported your situation to her. She instructed me to bring you up the mountain when I return. Until then, stay at the foot of the mountain—don’t disturb her cultivation. Remember this!”

“Will Her Excellency really see me?” Feng Fuxi’s eyes shone with excitement.

“Just stay put.” As he thought of another twist of fate, True Dragon Immortal Lord’s face darkened. He left at once, his sleeves billowing.

“Disciple respectfully sees Master off.” Feng Fuxi bowed deeply, cradling the cub, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. (To be continued.)

Tongtian Codex, Chapter 104: Two Flowers Blooming—End of update!