Translator: AnubisTL
Everyone's gaze turned in one direction, as if they had seen something extraordinary, their pupils slightly constricted.
A melodious sound drifted in and out, like a chorus of larks singing, accompanied by dazzling light that pierced through the mist.
Gu Feng was also seeing this scene for the first time and looked somewhat bewildered as he turned to Chu Youhuan, "What is that thing? It looks close yet feels so distant."
Hearing this, Chu Youhuan's crystal-like eyelids trembled slightly, "It's at least a thousand kilometers away from the swamp area!"
"A... a thousand kilometers!!"
Everyone was shocked, their minds racing: a carriage a thousand kilometers away, its light piercing through the layers of mist in the swamp area—what grade of treasure could this be?
Gu Feng voiced the question on everyone's mind. Chu Youhuan furrowed her delicate brows, pondered for a moment, and then said somewhat uncertainly, "It's likely a mid-grade Mystic Artifact, possibly even a high-grade one!"
Hiss—
Gu Feng couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. In his team, Chu Youhuan and A Fei were the only two cultivators who possessed Superior-grade Spiritual Weapons, but compared to a Mystic Artifact, they were undoubtedly several levels inferior.
Comparing treasures makes you want to throw yours away; comparing people makes you want to die. The gap between the rich and the poor was even more exaggerated than imagined.
"Do you know the person coming?" Gu Feng tilted his head and asked.
"Sort of."
"Friend?"
"No."
"Enemy?"
"Not exactly."
...
A carriage, glowing with a radiant light as if made of colored gold, soared through the sky. Runes flickered on its surface, bursting with dazzling brilliance, making it feel even more radiant than the sun in the sky.
Any soldier who had spent more than two years in the Northern Territory knew this carriage, known as the 'Hundred Birds Glazed Carriage,' and its owner, the son of the Northern Frontier Marshal—Sima Juncong, famously known as the 'Number One Young Master of the Northern Territory'!
The carriage's momentum as it traversed the void was immense, and wherever it passed, people looked up in awe.
"What is he doing? Where is he going?" a general muttered, stroking his chin.
"Judging by the direction, it seems to be heading toward the swamp area."
"The scale of this... it feels grander than any of his previous outings!"
"It's not an illusion. Look at the phantom birds on the carriage—there are fifty-eight of them flying out. In the past, there were only twenty or thirty at most. This shows just how much importance he places on the person he's about to meet."
"I heard that each time the 'Hundred Birds Glazed Carriage' flies, it consumes a fortune in Spirit Stones. I wonder how much it's burning this time."
"Heh, this spectacle isn't just about burning Spirit Stones. From what I can estimate, there must be a large number of cultivators inside the carriage, channeling their Spiritual Power with all their might."
"When others craft carriages, they pursue speed, defense, and attack. But he goes against the grain, discarding all of that, focusing solely on how extravagant it can be!"
"These twisting and turning phantom birds may look chaotic, but in reality, each phantom is formed by dozens of runes, with no room for error. I heard that when the runes were first inscribed, the only Earth-grade Rune Master in the Great Chu Dynasty was invited to participate!"
"It's said that the materials used to craft this carriage could have been used to create an Earth-grade Artifact."
"..."
The exterior of the carriage didn't look particularly large, but the interior was a different world altogether, roughly the size of a three-story pavilion, decorated in a dazzlingly luxurious manner.
On the lower two levels, hundreds of cultivators were seated cross-legged, their bodies radiating the Spiritual Radiance of the Innate Realm. At this moment, their movements were synchronized, their faces flushed as they channeled Spiritual Power into a large Array Formation.
In the center, there was a massive cauldron-like device, into which a dozen cultivators were rapidly tossing Spirit Stones.
If Gu Feng were here, he would surely be heartbroken, as the Spirit Stones they were throwing in were all of medium grade.
"Brothers, put in more effort! I want to activate all the Hundred Birds' Illusions on the carriage's surface before we enter the swamp!" A hearty voice rang out, and the cultivators roared in unison, "Yes!"
However, a hint of helplessness flickered in their brows. Activating the Hundred Birds' Illusions was a Herculean task; even if ten Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators were assigned to it, they would likely be exhausted.
"Young Master, using Innate Realm cultivators to activate the Hundred Birds' Illusions might not be feasible," a servant-like cultivator said to Sima Juncong, who was seated on a jade throne at the highest point.
"Haha, of course, they can't do it alone, but I have a secret weapon. Look, what's this?"
Sima Juncong, dressed in luxurious attire with a short haircut uncommon in this world, exuded an air of nobility. He took out a Storage Ring, from which a brilliant light burst forth.
"This... this is a high-grade Spirit Stone? Where did you get this, Young Master?" The servant cultivator was visibly shocked.
"I stole it from Father. With these ten thousand high-grade Spirit Stones, we should be able to activate all the Hundred Birds' Illusions!" Sima Juncong said with a smug expression.
"High-grade Spirit Stones are essential for the Marshal's cultivation. Losing ten thousand at once will surely be noticed!" The servant cultivator's pupils contracted, showing a look of fear.
"Don't worry, I won't die. He had me late in life, and I'm his only heir. At most, he'll give me a beating, and I'll recover in a few days," Sima Juncong said nonchalantly.
"Young Master, since you're planning to cause trouble for Chu Youhuan, why not bring some Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators? Those Innate Realm cultivators below might not be a match for her," the servant cultivator seemed to understand the Young Master's intentions and expressed some concern.
"Are you trying to say that even Innate Realm cultivators are no match for this woman, and with my Postnatal Realm strength, I stand even less of a chance?" Sima Juncong glanced at the servant.
"I wouldn't dare!"
"Causing trouble for Chu Youhuan is one thing, but who said I need to fight her directly?" Sima Juncong said with a strange expression.
The area he frequented was ten thousand kilometers away from the swamp. If it weren't for Shu Yuheng's letter informing him, he wouldn't have known that Chu Youhuan had come to the northern frontier.
Shu Yuheng's father was the commander of the imperial guards in the capital, a position far inferior to that of the Northern Frontier Marshal.
Although Sima Juncong was a few years younger than Shu Yuheng, back in the capital, Shu Yuheng had followed him around, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him Shu Yuheng's boss.
"He's always had a thing for Chu Youhuan, hasn't he? Ten years have passed, and he still hasn't succeeded. It seems that after leaving the capital, Shu Yuheng hasn't been doing well," Sima Juncong said with a hint of disdain. Back in the capital, he had many followers like Shu Yuheng, and after so many years, some of them had faded from his memory. It was only because of Shu Yuheng's relatively high status that he remembered him.
The letter only briefly mentioned Gu Feng, omitting Chu Youhuan's presence. But who was Sima Juncong? With a little investigation, he quickly found out that Chu Youhuan had also come along.
As for Chu Youhuan, Gu Feng neither hated nor liked her. If he had to choose between the two, it would be more of a sense of aversion.
It was because of his Father that he had to leave the capital and come to live in this harsh border region.
If he hadn't known that Chu Youhuan was coming, he might not have sought trouble with her. But since she had arrived in his territory, he felt it necessary to give her a warning.
He was well aware that Chu Youhuan's cultivation level was far superior to his, and confronting her directly would bring him no benefit. So, he thought of Gu Feng.
"Do you know why Shu Yuheng had a conflict with that Gu Feng?" Sima Juncong asked with a smile.
"Because of Chu Youhuan?"
"Smart! I can't beat Chu Youhuan, but that's fine! I can beat Gu Feng!
He hasn't been in the Postnatal Realm for long. With my strength at the seventh level of the Postnatal Realm, dealing with him will be a piece of cake.
Beating Gu Feng is equivalent to beating Chu Youhuan, and she won't have anything to say about it. After all, I'll be defeating him fair and square, without relying on any external advantages!" Sima Juncong chuckled.
"Work harder, we're almost at the swamp area!"
"Take these high-grade Spirit Stones and throw them all into the swamp when we reach the edge. Activate the illusion of a hundred birds.
Honestly, I'm really looking forward to this. It's the first time I'll be showcasing the magnificent scene of a hundred birds soaring.
It's going to be absolutely eye-catching and utterly awe-inspiring!"
...
Buzz—
With a faint tremble, everyone felt the entire swamp area shake. Strange lights of various colors broke through the mist and scattered down.
The phantom images of divine birds soared and darted across the sky, their radiant colors almost illuminating the entire swamp.
Everyone, including Gu Feng, was stunned. They had never seen such a spectacle before.
Whoosh—
A beam of light shot in from outside the swamp, and hundreds of phantom images of cultivators emerged from the swamp, lining up neatly on both sides of the beam!
"The Young Master has arrived!"
Gu Feng was dumbfounded, staring in disbelief at Chu Youhuan beside him. "Am I seeing things? Are they all in the Innate Realm?"
"Yes, they are all Innate Realm cultivators. You're not mistaken!"
As the announcement echoed, two rows of hundreds of Innate Realm cultivators scattered petals that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Amid the shower of petals, a carriage slowly approached!
"These petals aren't ordinary. Many of them can be used to refine pills!" Yan Xixi stuck out her tongue, also shocked by the extravagant display.
Amid the awe of the crowd, the carriage quickly arrived in front of Gu Feng and the others.
Looking at the carriage made entirely of colored gold, Gu Feng's heart raced, and his eyes gleamed with excitement. How much money must this have cost!
Clatter—
The carriage door opened!
Two Innate Realm cultivators leaped out, their feet landing on the swamp. They lightly tapped their Storage Rings, and a Spirit Artifact the size of a carpet spread out over the swamp.
Gu Feng's eyelids twitched. He could tell that this was actually a top-grade Spirit Artifact.
A top-grade Spirit Artifact used as a footrest? My heavens, this is just too extravagant.
Tap—
Sima Juncong's figure leaped out of the carriage and landed on the carpet. He slowly moved forward, while the two cultivators dragged the carpet along with him.
He covered his nose and frowned. The cultivators beside him immediately understood and took out a top-grade Spirit Artifact shaped like a large umbrella, which floated above Sima Juncong's head. A curtain of light descended, isolating him from the foul stench of the swamp.
Looking at the stunned crowd, Sima Juncong smiled slightly, his eyes filled with pride: "Excellent, the carefully prepared entrance I've been working on for days has finally managed to awe these country bumpkins."
Glancing at Chu Youhuan, he remarked, "What are you doing here? Seems like you're not doing too well!"
(End of the Chapter)
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