*Whoosh!*
Xia Fei met up with Chu Jingfeng, who had picked up his disciple Xu Luanbu along the way, and the three of them made their way toward God’s Eden together.
“What good luck. To think my master would actually be willing to bring you to God’s Eden. I begged him for many many years, and he only acquiesced to bring me there just once,” Xu Luanbu said to Xia Fei with a smile. Meanwhile, Chu Jingfeng was constantly keeping his eye on the status of the Grand Silken White Rain Lotus, making a record once every fifteen minute, just like a doctor treating a patient.
Xia Fei thought nothing of it. “So what. This time when he’s headed to God’s Eden, your master first thought to call you along.”
Xu Luanbu waved his hand and said awkwardly, “That’s because he’s afraid he can’t handle it by himself, and he needs me to lend a hand. You might not know this, but my master values God’s Eden more than his own life, and him bringing you there is not only because of that Grand Silken White Rain Lotus you have, but also because he trusts you.”
That was when Chu Jingfeng came over to Xia Fei’s side after he was done recording. His eyes were stern.
“How’s the situation?” Xia Fei asked.
“It’s really terrible. The Furnace Citadel has extreme heatwaves and is full of dirt and sand. Furthermore, the humidity was too far off; those are fatal conditions to the delicate Grand Silken White Lotus! Right now, I only hope it can hang in there until we reach God’s Eden!” Chu Jingfeng sighed.
Changing the topic, Chu Jingfeng began talking about Xia Fei.
“There’s still two days to go on our trip, will there be any problem with Xiu Zetian?”
Xia Fei replied, “I’m just a malingerer in the 29th Place. Aside from matters associated with the Fiends, Xiu Zetian doesn’t let me participate in anything else. It’s like he had me join them all solely for the sake of solving the mystery behind the Fiends. This time I’ve asked for a week of leave, and he approved it without even batting an eye.”
Chu Jingfeng nodded, “Xiu Zetian’s wife died while he was investigating the Fiend’s ruins, which is why the Fiends are a matter really close to his heart. He always held the belief that there were people afraid of him uncovering the secret behind the Fiends, which was why they had her killed.
“But it was because of that that he became even more determined to investigate the Fiends, all for the sake of drawing out those people to deal with him again. This way, he will be able to learn just who it was all those years back that hunted him and his wife down. You’re an important pawn in the eyes of Xiu Zetian.”
Xia Fei said nothing. Xiu Zetian using him to investigate the Fiends was an evident fact, but it was not too detrimental to him, either, so he was not too bothered by it.
“Follow me.”
Chu Jingfeng brought Xia Fei to the cultivation chamber on board the warship. Chu Jingfeng’s warship was very well-equipped, and the cultivation chamber was only second to what the 29th Place had. It made Xia Fei’s eyes shine.
“It’s still early, so you can use this room to absorb your Purple Soul Brahma,” Chu Jingfeng told him.
Xia Fei wrinkled his brow and looked around, “This room is a little small. I need a lot of space when cultivating my Law of Speed.”
Chu Jingfeng was unamused. “It’s your fault for learning the Law of Speed. It’ll be too late by the time we reach Eden, so I will teach you how to absorb the Purple Soul Brahma now. Every one of them contains a complete soul, so you’ll need a bit of technique.”
Xia Fei was taken aback, but quickly agreed.
…
Two days later, in some foreign location in the endless expanse of stars…
Xia Fei had not taken a step out of the cultivation chamber in the last two days. He knew very well that Chu Jingfeng was sincerely intending to teach him how to absorb the Purple Soul Brahma. On top of that, he did not want Xia Fei to learn just where God’s Eden was located.
God’s Eden was a magical garden that the Four Great Sky Devils had constructed. There were all kinds of fauna and flora there, along with precious and rare plants. It was said that many of them could be used to improve a warrior’s capabilities.
Ever since ancient times, there had been many who would drool over God’s Eden, wanting to get their hands on the miraculous fruits found there. That was why Chu Jingfeng was so cautious about the existence of the place. Even if Xia Fei was of the Fiend’s bloodline, Chu Jingfeng had no desire to tell him everything about God’s Eden.
There was some powder in front of Xia Fei. It was what was left behind after he was done with the Purple Soul Brahmas. After the energy inside the crystal had all been absorbed, what remained was nothing more than waste.
Xia Fei had followed Chu Jingfeng’s instructions and absorbed a total of eight Purple Soul Brahmas over two days.
*Whoosh!*
The doors to the cultivation chamber swung open, and Chu Jingfeng entered quickly. “We’re here!”
Xia Fei hurriedly got up and made his way to the command deck with Chu Jingfeng.
When Chu Jingfeng saw the pile of powdered remains of the Purple Soul Brahmas on the ground, he gasped, “How many did you absorb?!”
“Eight,” Xia Fei answered calmly.
Chu Jingfeng went pale. He quickly examined Xia Fei’s body, who could hear the panic in his voice, “Eight?! EIGHT ENTIRE PURPLE SOUL BRAHMAS! Just what did you do?! Do you feel your body heating up? Like you’re about to explode or something?!”
Xia Fei pondered his question and answered, “I do feel a little hot, but it’s within levels I can tolerate.”
Chu Jingfeng was absolutely shocked. Purple Soul Brahmas were a type of life energy that had a consciousness of its own. To store it like Xia Fei was, without using it, was incredibly dangerous!
Even Chu Jingfeng himself would only absorb about five of them in one go. Any more and the energy would become conflicted, and would damage his brain region. But Xia Fei could absorb eight Purple Soul Brahmas in one sitting, an outrageous amount!
“Let’s not talk about this first. Quick follow me!” Chu Jingfeng said after he came back to his senses.
—
A short time ago, the warship had arrived at a brand-new planet, with lovely white clouds floating in the sky and ruined walls and rubble strewn on the ground. These were visible indications that this had once been a very prominent location!
There were collapsed buildings all around the area, the angular buildings clearly construction that had originated from the Fiend race. Upon closer examination, Xia Fei noticed that there were images of amazing plants and animals carved upon them, showing just how many years had been spent building this garden.
This garden covered a large area, and Xia Fei could not even see its boundaries. The many cobblestone paths extended away from him, while the many buildings were exquisite in construction, with bridges and lakes that made for picturesque views.
“The one who took charge of the construction of God’s Eden was Medicinal Cauldron Prince, the only one who was a cultured scholar among the Four Great Sky Devils. That is why the garden had been so tastefully built, but it is too bad that it was destroyed in the end,” Xu Luanbu said with some regret.
Chu Jingfeng retorted earnestly, “Look at the situation we’re in, how could you still be in the mood to chat?! Land the warship, we’re going to hurry and send the Grand Silken White Rain Lotus to the final Pool of Life!”
“Understood, master!” Xu Luanbu quipped lightly, yet he guided the ship very dexterously with his hands, piloting the warship to land by a hill just outside of the garden.
“Why aren’t you landing it right in the garden? That would save us some time!” Xia Fei pointed out inquisitively.
“This is God’s Eden we’re talking about!” Chu Jingfeng brayed, somewhat angrily. “Even if it is an abandoned garden now, it is still the most precious legacy that the Lord Sky Devil left to the world! Not even a bit of damage to the garden is allowed!”
Xia Fei stuck his tongue out. There was no room for amity when talking about this garden in Chu Jingfeng’s eyes.
“See, that’s my old stubborn master,” Xu Luanbu pouted.
…
“Whoosh!*
The warship was parked, and Chu Jingfeng sprinted out after grabbing the botanical preservation canister, forcing Xia Fei and Xu Luanbu to hurry to catch up.
Though he was not a speedster, Chu Jingfeng had a very decent cultivation. He was very familiar with the paths here, and as he raced through the overgrown garden, he kept calling for Xia Fei and Xu Luanbu to keep pace with him.
In no time at all, the three men arrived at an artificial pool. While the other pools around had all dried up, this one still had water in it.
Chu Jingfeng jumped into the pool with a splash, not concerned with the silt or weeds around him as he made his way to the center and gingerly set the botanical preservation canister down.
“This is the last pool of Lifewater. In several years’ time, the water here will dry up, and when that time comes, God’s Eden will completely lose all its lifeforce,” Xu Luanbu explained to Xia Fei.
This last bit of water did not look remarkable, but Chu Jingfeng cherished it greatly. Xia Fei simply could not understand what was so magical about the Lifewater.
Chu Jingfeng opened up the canister. This time, the Grand Silken White Rain Lotus did not rapidly wilt as it had last time. It looked like the garden’s environment was quite suitable for its growth.
Placing the lotus in the water, Chu Jingfeng and Xu Luanbu proceeded to shut their eyes in unison, activating some art.
The little white flower floated on the water, unmoving. Gradually, the surface of the water began to glow, like a group of fireflies were being born on the water’s surface. Bits of light gathered around the Grand Silken White Rain Lotus, and the small flower immediately regained its luster.
As time passed, the lotus began to grow out its roots, which were as thin as bean sprouts.
Chu Jingfeng wiped away his sweat, elated. “It’s a good thing that we came here in time, and managed to save this Grand Silken White Rain Lotus. However, we can’t let down our guard just yet. We’ll need to wait until its root system is completely developed and subsequently transplant it to some moist soil near the water. Only then will it be able to grow healthily.”
Lifting his head up, he looked around at the abandoned garden and sighed, “The once illustrious God’s Eden now doesn’t even have a single sacred plant left. I’m sure my grandfather would faint from the heartache if he ever witnessed such a scene.”
Xia Fei could also feel the sorrow as he asked, “Did God’s Eden die off on its own, or was its ruin caused artificially?”
Chu Jingfeng replied, “When the Four Great Sky Devils departed, God’s Eden began to languish, so there was no need for anyone to do anything to it. Honestly speaking, the people of the Annihilation Universe wish God’s Eden was perfectly fine, as they would then be able to get their hands on its miraculous fruits and plants for themselves. Ruining it would not be beneficial to anyone.”
In order to ensure that Grand Silken White Rain Lotus could survive, Xia Fei and the others needed to stay on God’s Eden for several days.
Xia Fei took advantage of this time to cultivate his Law of Speed.
Chu Jingfeng was very strict, only allowing Xia Fei to be active outside of God’s Eden. Given that there were plenty of hills surrounding the garden which acted as natural protection for God’s Eden, Chu Jingfeng brought Xia Fei past them. The scene nearly caused Xia Fei to gasp out in surprise.
It turned out that God’s Eden was not built on a planet, but an endless expanse of space! There was a long and narrow corridor that surrounded the garden, much like a running track as might be found in a stadium. Standing atop it allowed him to see a magnificent view of the stars.
“You never would have guessed this, right?” Chu Jingfeng smiled.
Xia Fei nodded, “Indeed, I never would have guessed it. To think that God’s Eden would actually be completely man-made! And here I was thinking that I was on a planet.”
Chu Jingfeng thought nothing of it. “People who have not been here would never realize it. There’s a legend in Annihilation, stating that God’s Eden was built atop a large turtle’s back, and that this turtle would wander across the sea of stars with the garden on its back, which is why no one has ever been able to find God’s Eden.”
Xia Fei chuckled, “The person who came up with that story must have had quite the vivid imagination.”
Chu Jingfeng sighed, “Sapient beings have been fascinated with God’s Eden for a long time, which is why there are all sorts of legends and folktales out there. There are few and far who could really make their way here. You may begin sprinting, but please remember that the Purple Soul Brahmas’ energy needs to be used all in one go for it to be most effective.”
