Chapter 738: The Most Substantial Factor
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
If the Great Void Sect participated in this epic battle of the Ying Sea, then Yan Mingyue’s position would still be unclear. However, if she chose not to interfere, then it would be clear that Yan Mingyue was siding with the Great Zhou Empire.
There was not much rapport between the Great Zhou Empire and the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
Yan Mingyue herself was on friendly terms with everybody inside the Celestial Sect of wonders. She was there with Lin Daohan are the Spiritual Conference of Mount Kunlun as well. From the outsider’s perspective, Yan Mingyue, an outstanding disciple of the Great Void Sect, favored the Celestial Sect of Wonders a lot.
However, both Lin Feng and Yan Mingyue knew that the people supporting her were trying a new path that differed from the current tracks of the Conservative and Radical Factions. The third path was to lean towards the Great Zhou Empire, and Yan Mingyue was not about to change her stance and side with the Celestial Sect of Wonders over the Great Zhou Empire.
Over three years ago, after the battle of Xiling City, Lin Feng and Yan Mingyue had a brief light-hearted discussion about this issue of switching sides. Still, they were both crystal clear that all this was just banter, and would not become reality.
It was not because of the amount of blood and sweat she had injected into the Great Zhou Empire. If Yan Mingyue felt that the Great Zhou Empire was no longer aligned with her own path, she was decisive enough to give up all the effort she had put in over the years and start again.
Yet, even if she were to start again, she would not choose the Celestial Sect of Wonders either as they were not aligned with her interests.
The reason was not because Lin Feng and the Celestial Sect of Wonders were too weak. On the contrary, it was because Yan Mingyue could see the frightening potential of the disciples of the Celestial Sect of Wonders. This was the true reason why both parties could never truly cooperate.
Even so, this did not affect the way she treated Lin Feng and the Celestial Sect of Wonders. They could meet again in conflict, but before that they would be able to associate with each other happily and peacefully with a limited degree of cooperation while building on private friendships and relationships.
Public matters were not the same as private ones. Lin Feng, Yan Mingyue, and even Lin Daohan and Liang Pan were very clear about the meaning of this.
Many people who had insider information were perplexed and confused. The Great Zhou Empire and the Great Qin Empire were frequently at odds with one another, but the Zhou Emperor Liang Pan and the Qin Emperor Shi Yu were actually more than just acquainted. They admired each other, and even exchanged messages with one another at times. It was naturally a private discussion about mantras and whatnot rather than about official matters of sovereignty.
Yan Mingyue twirled the hair beside her ears as she watched Xiao Yan and company and said, "There are a lot of other exotic and rare treasures inside the Ying Sea other than the three mystical mountains. Since I’m already here, I’ll try my best not to return empty-handed."
"My next move is to venture deeper into the Ying Sea. I am happy to do it with all of you if you guys are willing to travel together. If that’s not to be, then we shall say our farewells till we meet again. The reappearance of the three mystical mountains means that there will surely be a chance for us to cross paths once more."
"However, when we meet again at the three mystical mountains, the main players will be Lin Feng and the other giants of the era. The few of us will only have to sit back and relax."
Xiao Yan laughed heartily at her remarks. "You’re too kind. If that’s the case, then we shall go our separate ways till we meet again."
Yan Mingyue was clear about the message she was trying to convey. She was here for the young monk and not for Xiao Yan and the others. There was no need for her to deceive or mask her true intentions. She helped Yang Qing extract the remainder of the Shaoyang Mystical Water and swept everybody up with her mana and everybody vanished into the cloudy mist above the Ying Sea.
Yan Mingyue watched Xiao Yan as he departed with his company and shook her head. "It’s not just Lin Feng who is mysterious and unpredictable. His disciples have already far exceeded our original estimations and expectations. Xiao Yan is as such, so this can only mean that the other disciples of the Celestial Sect of Wonders cannot be gauged by our original estimations anymore."
The green-robed lady placed her hands behind her back as she cast her vision over the sprawling Ying Sea. She sighed and muttered under her breath, "The Celestial Sect of Wonders is really full of surprises."
"Where is Lin Feng now, I wonder? He’s still the most substantial factor in the reappearance of the three mountains."
She was determined to reach the end of her own path. However, she could faintly feel that the greatest source of hindrance towards her success would not be from her own sect or from some other random influential power.
What could stop her in her tracks could very well be the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
With another faint sigh, Yan Mingyue disappeared into the void as well.
A handsome and good-looking young monk was sauntering along the Ying Sea, at a place far away from the previous battlefield. He was unkempt and dressed in a tattered grey monk robe as his naked feet rippled the surface of the ocean beneath him.
Every step he took was stable. It was as if he was not moving along rolling ocean water but was strolling over solid ground instead.
Walking over water was nothing much, but to saunter along the illusory and sinister Ying Sea as if it were solid ground was something else altogether. The fact that he was able to walk through the various frightening illusions and traps as if they were nothing was extraordinary.
The powerful illusions inside the Ying Sea drew upon the fates and destinies of the world, and even third-level Immortal Soul Stage would have to take special care when handling them. If not, they ran the risk of getting trapped forever.
However, this young grey-cloaked monk was like taking a walk in the park and treated the myriad of dangers in the Ying Sea as if they were nothing.
The young monk suddenly stopped in his tracks and tilted his head towards the side. Buddhist light flickered within the void and the monk with the form of the Ratnasambhava came out from within with a bright smile on his face as he gave his greetings.
The grey-clothed monk returned the greeting and asked, "Ratnasambhava, did something happen to the person under your guidance?"
The Ratnasambhava monk chuckled and answered, "Life is empty, death is empty – the cycle of life and death goes round and round. The last of our strings have been tied. Even though it’s a little early, but still not a bad thing nonetheless."
"I’ll leave it to you then." The grey-clothed monk smiled faintly again. "Just don’t bring back a tail like this."
Before his voice dropped, the thick cloudy mist on the other side of the sky separated with streaks of flickering light.
The Ratnasambhava Monk laughed and remarked, "Sorry, I couldn’t do anything about it. I’m only in the second level of the Golden Form. The fact that I managed to escape before they encircled me is already a blessing from the Buddha."
The grey-clothed monk smiled. "Then shouldn’t you be on your way?"
The Ratnasambhava monk chuckled as his body transformed into a light shadow and integrated himself into the body of the grey-clothed monk, before the young monk simply resumed his original activity and kept strolling along.
However, he vanished after the very first step.
"金蝉大师, we have known each other for such a long time. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" A thick voice resounded across the skies.
Only the laughter of the young monk was left as his body was nowhere to be seen. "Fate will bring us together eventually. Why do you have to be so stubborn? The Three Mystical Mountains have reappeared once again, so everybody should focus their attentions on them."
The thick voice rang out once again. "Since you are here for the Three Mystical Mountains as well, then it won’t be long till the day we meet again."
The arrival party’s attitude was not particularly aggressive or hostile. If the 金蝉大师 refused to leave, then perhaps they would have a little scuffle, but if all the 金蝉大师 wanted to do was to get out of here then he was not about to chase after him.
The Three Mountains of the Ying Sea were back, and every powerful and influential party wanted a piece of it. Everybody else would gain, for free, from a bloody battle between two such parties at this point in time.
The 金蝉大师 was gone, and the dense lights in the sky gradually dissipated as well.
"I wonder what the leader of the Celestial Sect of Wonders is doing right now? His original body isn’t here, and he left his avatar in the East Sea and has yet to proceed into the Ying Sea."
Lin Feng, the man that everybody was thinking about, was still inside the East Sea on the Divine Lands.
He was following behind Luo Yao and Mu Yu in secret the whole time and watched them return to the Luofo Mystical Island.
As the person with his eyes on the ground, Mu Yu was clear that the thunderous and violent tsunamis from the entrance to the Ying Sea was due to the return of the Three Mystical Mountains.
Their reappearance was earlier than expected, and coupled with the demons that were seeking them out for revenge, he was unable to deliver the Nine Spirals Golden Pill to his master even though it had already been forged.
This made him uncomfortable and anxious. He was aware that his junior’s situation was a lot worse. Xiao Yan brought away the Spiritual Sea Horse King, and the reappearance of the three mountains meant that he no longer had any time to find another replacement Spiritual Sea Horse. The forging of the Mystical Pill of Clouds and Smoke had not even begun.
He was anxious and jumpy but he still felt a wave of warmth when he looked at Luo Yao. Lin Feng helped him retrieve the Nine Spirals Golden Pill that entered Luo Yao’s body by accident, so he no longer had to concern himself with what his master could do to Luo Yao to achieve the same end.
He watched Luo Yao grow up ever since Luo Yao was a kid. Even though his talents and everything were mostly average, Mu Yu admired his determination and his personality. He had already decided to take him in as his direct disciple.
Cao Zhendong and Yun Jinxi had to pull some strings to become his disciple. However, Mu Yu handpicked Luo Yao. He kept pushing Luo Yao into the outside world in order to grind and train him.
Mu Yu had always been following Luo Yao’s progress in cultivation, and he had been guiding every step that he took in secret.
Luo Yao did not have much resources for cultivation. Therefore, his speed of progress paled in comparison to Cao Zhendong, Yun Jinxi and the others. However, every milestone that he reached was built upon solid foundations. Mu Yu had a plan for him, to nurture him to the point where his potential would be completely maximized. From his point of view, Luo Yao was eventually bound to rise in level a lot faster than Cao Zhendong and the rest.
There were two other things that bugged him still. One was the fact that the number of demons in the East Sea were receding as most of them were moving towards the Ying Sea, but there were still quite a few left in the East Sea.
One such race was the Dragon Race, and the dragons were here for revenge and vengeance.
Even though Lin Feng had already chased away two demonic lord stage dragons, there were still others that were hot on their tails.
The second thing was Lu Ning. He caught a glimpse of the cold-looking lady. She was a messenger sent forth by the Marquis of Jinghuan. During the furor inside the Ying Sea, she took a Nine Spirals Golden Pill from Mu Yu and seemed like she wanted to split paths and go back to the Ying Sea to meet the Marquis of Jinghuan.
However, she remained in the end and was still travelling together with Mu Yu and company.
Mu Yu’s guess was that she was under a separate set of orders from the Marquis of Jinghuan, but he was not quite sure what happened exactly.
The fact that she was still with the company meant that their battle prowess was a lot stronger than otherwise. He felt a lot safer from the demons in hot pursuit, but made him feel a little hollow somewhat.
There was nothing much he could say or do besides hurry along their current trajectory and return to the Luofu Mystical Island before anything else.
Lin Feng was watching them from the void as he thought to himself, "I wonder if my guesses are correct?"