Xia Fei was startled. This young man was saying that his grandfather had died in battle at Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation, but before this, Xia Guanghai and the others had said that Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation was a barren land with a strange eye pictogram. While it was very far away, there were no monsters of any sort there.
“Died in battle? Why did your grandfather die in battle at Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation?” asked Xia Fie curiously. Everyone else scooted over so that they could hear the answer, too.
“Don’t be afraid; tell everyone about your family.” Oro’s eyes had a hint of praise as he spoke. He turned to Xia Fei and said, “I was in such a rush to bring over this kid precisely because it’s so strange.”
Xia Fei nodded. Oro was truly a good brother, always thinking of him.
The young man swallowed and spoke in a trembling voice. “Sirs, you may not have heard about our Lionheart priest, but in our clan, we were once given the important duty of prayers and rituals to the gods. Alas, after the Lionhearts joined the Law Realm, everyone gradually stopped believing in gods, so our clan priests gradually declined.
“Still, the people of our clan have always held the power to treat and heal, so even if we are no priests, we can make a living as apothecaries. Besides that, we’re also decent purifiers with formidable mental energy.
“My grandfather went to Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation to search for some natural treasures that he required as an apothecary, but that constellation was extremely barren, and my grandfather couldn’t find any useful herbs. He did discover a powerful mental energy existence, though.
“My grandfather returned home several times, but he’d only grab a few things before hurrying back to Heaven’s Eye Mountain. He said that that power could make his mental energy stronger, perhap even revive the priest lineage, so he went there to cultivate.
“Afterward, my grandfather died. Because we are descendants of priests and have stronger mental energy than most, before dying, my grandfather was able to send a stream of mental origin power back home.
“Unfortunately, our clan’s mental transmission method isn’t perfect. By the time my grandfather’s message arrived at the clan, even my father was already dead. As the present head of the clan, the message naturally landed in my mind.”
Xia Fei was taken aback. Every race had priests or something like that. However, as technology advanced and law warriors rose in power, priests had gradually declined as a profession, with some people even accusing them of being fake sorcerers. Still, the smart ones knew that anyone who could be a priest possessed mental energy far above the norm. It was not impossible for this youth’s clan to have a way of transmitting messages over vast distances using mental energy.
“What did your grandfather say?” Xia Fei asked anxiously.
“A war. My grandfather said that he had inadvertently gotten caught up in a war while at Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation. Every combatant there possessed powerful mental energy, and as they fought against one another, many bizarre events took place. My grandfather was inferior to them and could only flee for his life. He did not dare to face those godly figures.
“My grandfather also said that this universe really does have gods and that he had seen one of those terrifying war gods himself. He wanted us to steel our faith and reestablish the priest lineage, in hopes that, one day, those gods living in Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation would establish a connection with our clan; he wanted us to revere those gods and offer them our prayers as well.”
The youth performed a prayer used in ancient times by the priests, leaving everyone feeling stunned. After all, the priest profession had long gone extinct, so no one present had expected to encounter a surviving priest.
“Enough. Go down and wait for me,” Oro waved his hand and said.
Even when the youth was gone, Xia Fei and the others remained speechless. Xia Guanghai was the first to speak after some time, grumbling, “Oro, that’s the informant you found? If that guy wasn’t part of your Lionheart Clan, I would slap him to death!
“His grandfather witnessed a war of the gods at Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation? Is he trying to fool children?! There’s no such thing as gods in this universe!”
Oro glared. Never one to take an insult lying down, he instantly scowled.
“Our Lionheart Clan may not be smart, but we at least don’t lie like you humans!”
*Thump thump thump!*
Oro slapped his chest several times. “What the Lionhearts value the most is reputation and sincerity! If you suspect my people of lying, you’re challenging my Lionheart Clan!”
“Hmph!” Xia Guanghai snorted.
The Skywings were famous for being unreasonable, and Xia Guanghai was particularly unreasonable. As such, neither side was willing to back down.
“Enough. What’s there to argue about? I believe that youth’s recount. He blinked thirty-seven times while talking, and his pupils were constantly contracting. This isn’t how someone who’s lying acts at all,” Xia Fei indifferently said.
Everyone immediately rolled their eyes. Xia Fei’s observation abilities were truly impressive. He could even keep count of how many times someone blinked. What could be said against that?
After a pause, Xia Fei went on. “There are two conclusions we can draw from this story. First, there are some places in Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation that have powerful mental energy, making them suitable for mental energy cultivation. Second, Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation might be linked to other locations, and many people with powerful mental energy choose that place to engage in intense training. When there are a lot of people, conflict is inevitable. I’m guessing that this youth’s grandfather got dragged into another person’s battle and ended up dying.”
Fuchen and Ulan nodded, agreeing with Xia Fei’s conclusions.
Xia Guanghai still didn’t get it. Shaking his head, he said, “I’ve been to Heaven’s Eye Mountain before, as have many other people in the clan. What powerful mental energy? If there was, why didn’t we notice anything?”
Xia Fei smiled. “Don’t forget that the Skywing, which is a speed inheritor, isn’t some kind of priest clan with a forte on mental energy. As a simple example, I am currently a Spiritualist and can sense a lot of stuff that you can’t.”
“Mm… I suppose it makes sense.” Xia Guanghai stroked his chin and nodded.
The distant Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation seemed more mysterious. In truth, mental energy, like soul power, was also a form of dark energy. Both shared many similarities, which was precisely what Spiritualists specialized in.
Xia Fei discussed the issue with Fuchen and Ulan; they eventually agreed to head over to Heaven’s Eye Mountain immediately. Xia Fei’s sole worry was time. This was a long journey, and getting back to the Alpha Universe and taking part in the opening of the Collapsed Expanse of Founders left them with very little extra time.
“Let me say this first: We can only stay at Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation for three days. Once three days are up, then we must leave regardless if we find anything or not,” Xia Fei said after some thought.
Ulan said unhappily, “You really care that much about the Collapsed Expanse of Founders? To tell the truth, that’s a very weird place; not going there may not be bad for you. Also, the Dark Spiritualist lineage clearly said that the opening of the Collapsed Expanse of Founders is gonna cause trouble. What’s the point in getting involved in that mess?”
Xia Fei smiled and countered, “Have you been there before?”
Ulan shook his head awkwardly. “I’m a genius! A genius Spiritualist of Botany. I don’t need to go there to test my luck.”
Xia Fei’s eyes flashed. “You’ve never been there before, so you don’t know what’s there. I read the files; almost all the most formidable Spiritualists of every generation have been to the Collapsed Expanse of Founders, haven’t they?”
…
As they were about to leave, Xia Fei felt like he was letting Avril down. Not long ago, he had been making a big fuss about marrying her, yet he could barely spend a few days with her.
At noon, Xia Fei put aside all other matters and took Avril with him on a trip back to Earth.
They whispered sweet nothings to each other on this trip; he also did not forget to have a bowl of his favorite fried bean paste noodles.
Patting his stomach, Xia Fei lit a cigarette in satisfaction and took a drag.
Avril stared at Xia Fei, her head propped on her hand. She always felt very happy when he chowed down. Her focused expression was the same as the one Xia Fei had when he was at work.
“I’ve just discovered that you Earthlings are obsessed with your home. Let’s take you as an example; you’ve been to so many places and have eaten so many things, but in the end, you still love these black noodles and like smoking those cheap cigarettes.
“You’re not the only one. Your brothers from Quantum Holdings are the same. Wu Long is the president of Earth, but he still always wants pancakes and bacon. On one of the last Earth holidays, he even gifted me a Jinhua ham. Meanwhile, Andre and Charlie are both fans of escargot; I always feel uncomfortable whenever they eat those shelled invertebrates. Right, Andre smokes cigarettes of a higher quality compared to yours. They smell pretty good and don’t offend the nose,” Avril squinted as she listed off the favorite foods of their various Earthling friends.
Xia Fei chuckled and scratched his head in embarrassment. “Those are called cigars. Their family has money, so they can live very luxurious lives. I’ve grown used to smoking cheap tobacco and can no longer tolerate expensive ones; also, this kind that suits me more.
“As for food and drink, that’s easy to understand. Earth was a closed planet in the past, so everyone could only patronize the produce of their hometown. After enough time has passed, all developed sentimental feelings toward such delicacies, and there’s no changing that habit. It’s not as if those planets belonging to the Panhuman Alliance could eat things from all corners of the universe back then. While they have a rich variety of food, there’s no sense of belonging. In truth, life is very simple for me. With cigarettes, fried bean paste noodles, and you, I have enough.”
Avril was taken aback. Xia Fei normally did not speak very seriously, but he had put her together with his cigarettes andfried bean paste noodles. Still, for some reason, she did not feel offended at all. There was nothing to be done. His innocent face was hard to get angry at. It was simply too deceptive of a face.
After a brief pause, Xia Fei said firmly. “I’ll be honest with you. I’m leaving again tonight, to a place very far away. Once that matter is done, I’ll have to head off to the Alpha Universe immediately.”
“I know,” Avril said softly.
“So…”
“I know. I just need to keep waiting.” Avril smiled.
Xia Fei suddenly felt very helpless. If Avril were a mother tiger, then he could easily convince himself to get three or four mistresses on the outside, but she was simply too good at understanding others. He always felt like he was doing her a disservice, that he was being far too much of a good-for-nothing.
When he had to leave, he had to leave, and Xia Fei was never one to be tempted by a beautiful woman. Even Avril would not be able to stop his wanderlust. This was probably how he differed from other men.
That night, the Silver Specter quietly set off for Heaven’s Eye Mountain Constellation.
