Spirit Realm

A Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix soared through the sky, leaving a trail of blazing fire in the air as it appeared above Emerald Island.

Qin Lie looked down at Emerald Island from that fire phoenix, a clear look of surprise in his eyes as he focused his mind consciousness.

“It’s quite impressive,” he said softly.

The Xing brothers simply exchanged wry glances.

Emerald Island was incredibly vast. It was home to a mountain range that split the island’s enormous valley into five smaller ones. Numerous gigantic holes had been dug into its tall mountains, and martial practitioners could be seen going in and out of them.

War chariots repurposed as mining transports soared through the air in the midst of orders yelled out by Blue Moon Valley martial practitioners.

Multiple Rank Four Silver-armored Giant Alligators, Earth Dragons, and Giant Forest Lizards slowly walked through the valleys between the mountains, carrying loads of heavy crystalline rocks.

Qin Lie could see that they were fire crystal and water spirit jade ore. With just a bit of polishing and tempering, all of them could become valuable spirit materials.

He roughly estimated that there were about seventy ore-carrying spirit beasts. Once all of their cargo was processed, the resulting spirit materials would be worth at least three thousand Earth Grade spirit stones.

The mountains thrived with life and were home to copious amounts of Grade Four spirit plants, such as Immortal Red Crown Flowers, Profound Sage Grass, and Crimson Three-leaf Clovers. Once they matured and were harvested, they would turn yet another hefty profit.

Emerald Island alone had seven mines and more than a dozen fields for spirit plants. The revenue that these ores and spirit plants brought to Blue Moon Valley every year was astonishing.

Five grand palaces stood within each of the enormous valleys that made up the island. About a dozen Flowing Gold Fire Phoenixes and enormous crystalline war chariots sat inside of immense stone plazas within each valley.

“Blue Moon Valley possesses a truly impressive amount of wealth,” Qin Lie said.

“Emerald Island is just Blue Moon Valley’s base of operations. The wealth we’ve seen up to this point is just a quarter of what they possess at best,” Xing Yuyuan explained. “Its other islands hold even more of their resources. They also have many flying spirit artifacts, spirit beasts, and countless experts.”

“It seems like convincing Blue Moon Valley to serve Blood Fiend will be impossible for now,” Qin Lie said, nodding grimly. He rubbed his chin, making some rough calculations. “In fact, they may even become a Silver rank force if the next one hundred years go smoothly for them…”

Profound Heaven Alliance and Eight Extreme Temple of the Scarlet Tide Continent were Copper rank forces, but between the two, they only possessed a single Giant Golden Carriage and a Flowing Gold Firecloud Tent. Both forces only had one flying spirit artifact each.

Gold Sun Island, on the other hand, had three Flowing Gold Fire Phoenixes, and Blue Moon Valley had an assortment of at least a dozen flying spirit artifacts.

All of them were considered Copper rank forces, but Profound Heaven Alliance and Eight Extreme Temple clearly paled in comparison to Gold Sun Island.

—The gap between them and Blue Moon Valley was even larger.

Blue Moon Valley supposedly had a Nirvana Realm expert. If they chose to attack the Scarlet Tide Continent and target Profound Heaven Alliance and Eight Extreme Temple, Qin Lie reckoned that the two forces would only be able to hold out for half a month at best. And that would only be the case if they worked together.

Eight Extreme Temple and Profound Heaven Alliance were extremely weak compared to Blue Moon Valley.

“We’ve arrived!” Xing Yumiao suddenly exclaimed.

As soon as Qin Lie went out to look, he discovered that a series of emerald haloes filled the sky above the island. They formed a dazzling shield of light that enveloped all of the valleys like an enormous dome.

A potent, frigid aura could be seen in the distance, and a fluctuating layer of light that resembled a cold moon and constantly rippled outward.

As Gold Sun Island’s Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix approached the airspace above Blue Moon Valley, shockwaves of energy that seemed to contain the essence of a cold moon pounded against it. The flying spirit artifact creaked and groaned as if it were being battered by turbulent winds of raging waves of water.

Xing Yuyuan smiled bitterly. “It seems like the Miao Family… isn’t being very friendly this time, big brother.”

Whenever they visited Blue Moon Valley in the past, the “Shield of Cold Moon” that protected the valleys had always been disabled long before they approached. This allowed their Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix to land as soon as possible.

Yet this time, even though Blue Moon Valley had clearly seen their Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix, the Shield of Cold Moon continued to ripple with energy and isolate the valleys from the rest of the world. They were purposely making things difficult for Qin Lie and the Xing brothers.

“Valley masters!” Xing Yumiao cried out, his voice booming loud and clear from the fire phoenix. “Gold Sun Island has come to visit!”

Within the Shield of Cold Moon, sitting at the highest point of the tallest palace of Blue Moon Valley, the Miao Family’s five valley masters looked up at the same time.

Second Valley Master Miao Wenfan erupted in a long bout of laughter. After his laughter died down, he said, “So it’s the Xing brothers! I see. Haha, I apologize for the trouble, but we currently don’t have any room in any of the valleys for your Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix to land. Please land outside and then walk in to state your business.”

Qin Lie furrowed his brow.

From their position above the island, they could see that the stone plazas in each of the five valleys had plenty of space for flying spirit artifacts to land.

“They’re deliberately making trouble for us, big brother,” Xing Yuyuan said in a low tone, a furious expression on his face. “This trip probably won’t lead to anything good. If the Miao Family doesn’t want to give us any face, we may as well leave now and spare ourselves from their pettiness!”

“Don’t let your emotions get the better of you.” Xing Yumiao shook his head and motioned to Guo Yanzheng, saying, “Land the fire phoenix in the grasslands outside the valley. Carefully.”

Landing a large-scale flying spirit artifact like a Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix was safest when done in a specialized plaza. Landing in a grassland wasn’t impossible, but the pilot needed to be extremely cautious. Even the slightest mistake could result in an accident.

“Understood,” Guo Yanzheng said as he retreated to the cockpit.

Soon enough, the Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix touched down outside of Blue Moon Valley, glowing with prismatic light.

“All of you stay here,” Xing Yumiao said. “Brother. Qin Lie.The three of us will enter the valley alone.”

“Shouldn’t you bring more people with you, island master? Guo Yanzheng asked, worry filling his voice. “This visit is a bit different from previous ones. I’m afraid that…”

“It’s fine,” Xing Yumiao reassured him. “Considering their relationship with us, they won’t actually harm us. At worst, they’d just try to embarrass us a little.”

“Big brother!” Xing Yuyuan interjected. “Blue Moon Valley and Gold Sun Island used to be vassal forces of Illusory Demon Sect. We used to be on the same side. Even if they wished to harm us, they would have had to worry about Illusory Demon Sect taking action. However, now that we’ve returned to Blood Fiend Sect’s side, we are no longer strictly allies with Blue Moon Valley. I believe we should be a little more wary.”

Xing Yumiao paused for a moment, thinking to himself, then shook his head.

“This is Blue Moon Valley,” he said. “It won’t matter if we bring more people into the valley or not.”

The second these words left his lips, he walked straight toward the valley. He didn’t even bother taking a crystalline war chariot.

Qin Lie followed his lead.

On the way to Blue Moon Valley, no one bothered to welcome them.

Both forces were Copper rank, and two island masters of Gold Sun Island had personally come to visit. Yet not only did Blue Moon Valley not permit them to land within the valley, they didn’t even have anyone receive them. The way they treated them now was leagues apart from how they treated them before.

When they were halfway to the valley, Xing Yumiao suddenly paused and let out a soft sigh.

“Qin Lie…” he said. “Do your best to refrain from speaking.”

Qin Lie nodded silently, and they continued walking.

The Shield of Cold Moon protecting Blue Moon Valley never faded. Only when the three of them arrived within a meter of that shield of light did a Blue Moon Valley martial practitioner appear. He pointed at Qin Lie and yelled, “Who is this person?”

“I am from Blood Fiend Sect,” Qin Lie said with a cold snort.

“I apologize, but Blue Moon Valley has no ties to Blood Fiend Sect. Only the two island masters of Gold Sun Island will be allowed into the valley. As for you… go back where you came from. Blue Moon Valley does not welcome you.” The person sneered, then muttered in a soft voice. “What, does he think we’re a thousand years in the past? A vanquished sect lost the right to order the Miao Family around a long time ago…”

On the other side of the shield of light, numerous Miao Family juniors taunted Qin Lie.

“You and your kind are just cowards that haven’t dared to return to your Blood Cloud

Mountain Range for the past thousand years!”

“You’re the epitome of embarrassment!”

“How dare someone like you even come to see our Miao Family?”

These juniors had been born after the Miao Family relocated to Blue Moon Valley. None of them acknowledged Blood Fiend Sect at all, and even considered the Miao Family’s former service as a vassal force to the vanquished Blood Fiend Sect a shameful part of their history.

Their rejection of Blood Fiend Sect was natural, and they couldn’t be bothered to feel even a hint of good will toward it.

As these juniors laughed and jeered, the Shield of Cold Moon slowly faded to reveal a stone path into the valley.

Around a dozen Miao Family clansmen lined both sides of that stone path. Most of them were in the Manifestation and Netherpassage Realms. Some were in the Fulfillment Realm.

At the very least, they looked at Xing Yumiao and Xing Yuyuan normally. When they turned to Qin Lie, however, their eyes could only be described as cold.

“Please enter the valley, island masters. The five valley masters await your arrival,” one of the clansman, a tall, beautiful woman, said nonchalantly. “As for this member of Blood Fiend Sect… please wait outside.”

This woman was in the middle stage of the Fulfillment Realm and seemed to be twenty seven or twenty eight years old. She wore primitive shoulder armor made from beast hide that had hooks hanging from it. A blackish brown armor that resembled cold steel wrapped around her torso, cupping her firm breasts and wrapping around her hips. Her jade arms and legs, however, were left bare.

This woman wore a calm expression on her face, her eyes glittering with savage light. Her body was shapely and sensual, and she radiated an oppressive aura. She looked like a wild, lively leopard.

Qin Lie only needed a single glance at this woman to know that she was a rose with thorns. Any man who attempted to pick her would most likely find themselves covered in scratches.

“He isn’t just any member of Blood Fiend Sect, Meiyu,” Xing Yuyuan said with a smile. “He alone can represent Blood Fiend Sect!”

Qin Lie glanced at the woman, suddenly recalling what Xing Yuyuan had told him about core figures in the Miao Family.

He immediately remembered that this woman’s name was Miao Meiyu. She was the eldest daughter of Blue Moon Valley’s second valley master, Miao Wenfan. With her Fulfillment Realm strength, she was the most talented martial practitioner of the Miao Family’s second generation and even stronger than Miao Yangxu’s son, Miao Hui.

Although Miao Meiyu was a few years older than Xue Moyan and Song Tingyu, she had managed to reach the middle stage of the Fulfillment Realm, proving that she possessed outstanding ability.

“Regardless of who he is to Blood Fiend Sect, entering Blue Moon Valley isn’t such a simple matter.” Miao Meiyu crossed her arms, accentuating the fullness of her armor-clad breasts. She leaned against a stone pillar with ferocious beasts carved into it and examined Qin Lie with a critical eye, saying, “You may enter if you truly wish to, but you will first have to defeat some of my juniors who are in the same realm as you.”

She pointed at the Miao Family clansmen standing next to the stone path.

The moment she said this, all of the Miao Family clansman began to chuckle strangely and rub their hands together, looking eager to battle.

“Then that makes it easy,” Qin Lie said as he walked past the Xing brothers.

He laughed as he took long strides into battle.