“I am after a feather.” Aspiration appeared in Gu Yanying’s eyes.
Li Qingshan recalled something. “Back then during the battle against the Corpse King on Burial Mound mountain, you used a feather that made space extremely fragile, which was why I could successfully kill the Corpse King.”
“That was a Space-splitting bird’s feather. It’s extremely rare, but if I really want to get my hands on one, it’s not exactly difficult.”
“Fair enough. With the Guardian Hawk God on your side, what can’t you obtain?”
“As a father, he’s nowhere near as kind as you.”
Gu Yanying smiled. She really had been quite surprised by how tender he was when he picked up Tigress.
“So what if I’m kind to her? Those who are heartless to their children aren’t necessarily true heroes, while treasuring their children doesn’t necessarily make them any less great!” Li Qingshan said.
After all, she was his flesh and blood, so how could he not be attached to her? Since he was attached to her, why did he have to act like he was not?
“Those who are heartless to their children aren’t necessarily true heroes, while treasuring their children doesn’t necessarily make them any less great!” Gu Yanying repeated. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case in the cultivation community. Everyone is weighed down and burdened by their emotions. There are countless people who want to become heartless and emotionless.”
“Such as you?”
“Not me. In the eyes of others, you’re actually very heartless too.”
“Fair enough.”
For a moment, the two of them had nothing more to say. They continued to soar through the sky, traversing over countless clouds.
“We’re almost there,” said Gu Yanying.
“Clouded city?” Li Qingshan gazed into the distance.
“No.”
“Hmm?”
“Look up!” Gu Yanying pointed up.
Li Qingshan looked up, only to see an empty haze at an extremely high altitude, which was rather difficult to make out from the blue background. However, he could clearly sense that the space here was rather strange, yet it was different from being ripped open like demon caverns and Gates of Hungry Ghosts. Instead, it felt more like it had been stirred up into a mess.
As a result, he waved his hand and used the Profound Light Illuminates All, pulling the chaos up close. In that instant, a mysterious power seemed to extend over, and the Spirit Turtle’s Profound Shell twisted and distorted.
However, with just the glance he had caught, Li Qingshan had already discovered that the chaos was far more tremendous than it seemed. It spanned a hundred kilometers across, and its depth was immeasurable.
He could not help but ask, “What is that?”
“Probably around ten years before you were born, a feather flew down from beyond this world and pierced the barrier of this world. That is the trace it has left behind.”
Gu Yanying gazed at the chaotic space almost in reverence.
“A feather!?”
Li Qingshan was surprised. If the world was an egg, then this barrier would be the eggshell. It was so tough that it was almost indestructible. Even with the ox demon’s powers of tremors, he definitely could not directly smash through this shell. On top of that, the atmospheric winds grew sharper the higher he was. He could not even approach it.
Whether it were demon caverns, Gates of Hungry Ghosts, or the blood-red swirl in the Asura Field, the reason why they could create a hole and connect with this world was because the Demon domain, the Hungry Ghost realm, and the Asura realm were countless times more vast. It was equivalent to borrowing the tremendous powers of their worlds, but even with that being the case, it came with great difficulty when they tried to expand.
Even when Demon God Qiongqi wanted to descend here, he had to do so through a demon cavern, and he had to pay a corresponding price. Contending against a world as an individual was something beyond belief, as the power they possessed were on two completely different levels.
That was the exact reason why the sight before him had completely surpassed the limits of his understanding.
“It’s very impressive, isn’t it? Just the fall of a single feather could pierce the wall of the world with ease. It might not have even been intentional, yet even until now, the world has not recovered from what it left behind. It’s just a single feather! Can you imagine what kind of existence its owner is?”
Gu Yanying sighed again and again, which was quite a disparity from her usual composure and elegance. She was like a child describing a toy she absolutely adored but could not obtain.
Li Qingshan thought about it, but it was not completely unimaginable. Brother ox’s powers were probably no less than the owner of the feather’s. Reaching there, a thought suddenly filled his head.
Ten years before I was born?
If he thought about it, that was the exact time when brother ox appeared in his home’s cowshed. Were the two perhaps connected?
“The feather is in Clouded city right now?”
“More precisely, it’s with the Featherfolk King, Bai Chen. Back then, it even led to a battle. All the avian Daemon Kings in the world sensed it. My father personally took part in the struggle too, but Bai Chen ended up obtaining it because he was closer. These matters sure were unpredictable. Perhaps featherfolk also count as a type of avian? Who knows, but if it hadn’t ended up in his hands, then there would be quite a lot of trouble even if my father obtained the feather.”
“You said all avian Daemon Kings sensed it?”
“Yeah. It was like a calling. Father speculated that it contained a legacy. Even if it’s not truly a legacy, the power and knowledge contained within the feather is enough for any avian to step into a whole new domain. Speaking of which, I sure am envious of that foster son of yours. Born as a divine bird, the phoenix, his talent and bloodline are unmatched. Ascension is only a matter of time for him. Even when he moves on to a higher power, he’ll possess an extremely great advantage.”
“As for me, while I do have some advantages in the nine provinces, I have nothing once I ascend. My half-human, half-daemon bloodline might even disadvantage me. Even going to the Human realm or the Daemonic Beast realm has become a rather awkward matter. If I want to make it even further, then I must create an even greater advantage before I lose my advantage. I think I’ve said a bit too much, but you understand what I mean. Or perhaps you don’t understand. After all, the legacy you possess is almost beyond imagination. I hope you can help me with this.”
“Alright. I can understand, and I will do my best to help you. Even without you, I’d like to test out the Featherfolk King.”
Li Qingshan gazed at Gu Yanying who had almost become a little talkative and felt slightly embarrassed. The advantage he possessed was so great that he really was in no place to criticise this daughter of the Hawk God. However, she was also constantly striving and planning arduously to change her fate.
“Thank you!” Gu Yanying nodded and recovered her usual composure. “However, you still don’t understand why I’ve brought you here. It’s exactly to tell you that this matter can’t be resolved through force alone. So many years have passed already. Even if the Featherfolk King is unable to completely refine the feather and accept the legacy, he’s still extremely terrifying as long as he can unleash even a bit of its power. I even suspect him to have become the strongest in the world already.”
“Then how did you plan on dealing with him originally?”
“I didn’t plan on dealing with him. According to the lifespan of featherfolk, he reached his limit a long time ago. He’s basically used up all the methods to extend his life too. I originally planned on waiting him out. Everyone coveting the feather and hidden in the dark will strike at that moment. Clouded city might be powerful, but they’ll definitely descend into chaos, and I’ll strike then!”
Gu Yanying extended her hand and closed her fingers, like a hawk hunting its prey, yet also like the wondrous feather was already in her hands.
Once that moment really arrived, even the Hawk God would become her opponent, and they might even clash quite a few times. She had already made many preparations, and Li Qingshan would be her greatest support.
However, she opened her hand again, and it was empty inside, which made her smile helplessly. She originally hoped the Featherfolk King could last a few more years, which would give her ample time to grow and even greater confidence in success in the future, but who would have expected this to happen? The god of avians that had vanished for all these years had actually appeared in the nine provinces once more.
The exact power that the phoenix possessed was the symbol of eternal life.
The Featherfolk King definitely took Li Fengyuan away to lengthen his own life. If they just let him be, then who knew how much longer he could last. A century? A millennium? Or even longer than that!
“Anyway, our enemy possesses unmatched influence and invincible strength. Having lived for so long, he’s quite clever too. Isn’t he completely flawless then?”
