Chapter 223: Chapter 15 Oh, Interesting Humans
 

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The miasma of the Hundred Thousand Mountains would take some more time to completely dissipate.

Therefore, Long Xiaoqi decided to take the group back to the Eastern Emperor Sect’s base first.

After leaving Dali City and continuing their journey by flying swords to the northwest, they soon saw the clouds and mist in the distance turning a blushing red, softer than the colour of a burning sunset yet more captivating and enchanting. It was a sight that dazzled the eyes and mesmerized the mind.

That was the “Peach Blossom Miasma” that blanketed the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Speaking of miasma, Wei Dongliu was reminded of Luo Yan’s original sword “Peach Blossom,” which was said to have been forged by the eldest brother using the miasma from the Southern Border. Sadly, at the bottom of the Five Qi Dynasty Yuan Cave, it was smashed to pieces by the strike of a Ghost Dragon while saving him.

What a pity!

Upon reaching the edge of the miasma, they heard Long Xiaoqi say,

“Stay close to me and don’t wander off; otherwise, it will be hard to save you if you inhale the miasma.”

So the four drew closer to Long Xiaoqi, with Jiang the Witch pressing up right beside Wei Dongliu, and laughed,

“Wei, stick close to me, or it won’t be good if you breathe in the miasma.

“I’ll stick with Xiaoqi,” Wei Dongliu casually moved closer to Long Xiaoqi.

Jiang Liyan: ???

She was somewhat inclined to curse, but being good at managing her emotions, she only showed a look of silent resentment.

Weaving past Jiang the Witch to Long Xiaoqi’s side, Wei saw the girl showing no reaction but murmuring incantations and casting several spells forward, causing the Peach Blossom Miasma to slowly clear and reveal a narrow passageway.

“It can only get this wide at most,” she whispered to everyone.

“I see,” Wen Yang clapped his hands and said, “This is enough for a few to pass through, but to explore the Hundred Thousand Mountains, it’s insufficient.”

“That’s why we have to wait for the miasma to dissipate,” Jiang Liyan agreed.

Wei Dongliu didn’t speak but stared at Long Xiaoqi’s back and asked the Kunlun Mirror,

“Ah Jing, is she…?”

“Yes,” the Kunlun Mirror replied.

“Do you think I have some kind of fate with the Dragon Clan?” Wei Dongliu said curiously. “Ling Yunpo, Qiu Changtian, Luo Yan, and now me, we have all had dealings with the Dragon Clan.”

“The Dragon Clan is indeed the progenitor of all demons,” Qing Ping Sword said. “With the body of a serpent, antlers of deer, ears of ox, whiskers of goat, claws of an eagle and scales of fish, the myriad forms and features of the demons in the world originate from them.”

“You always encounter the Dragon Clan because the identity of each character you assume has already reached a relatively high level in the Cultivation Realm.”

After pondering for a while, Wei Dongliu had to admit it was true.

Qiu Changtian, Ling Yunpo, and Luo Yan corresponded to the Kunlun Taiqing Sect, the Shushan Shangqing Faction, and the Penglai Jade Pure View respectively.

The Three Pure Orthodox Sect – they were the three giants of the Cultivation Realm, and with each character rising rapidly within their Sects, it was not strange to come into contact with the Dragon Clan.

Even the identity of Wei Dongliu had him dealing with many up-and-coming powerhouses of the Demon Cult.

Jiang Liyan, Wen Yang, Gu Lie, which of them were easy to handle in their own Sects?

It turns out I’m just too outstanding! Without seeking them out, the Dragon Clan flocked to me like moths to a flame!

“That’s right,” Kunlun Mirror said with a laugh, “Last time, you were chased by the Dragon Clan all over the place; if I hadn’t helped to teleport away the obstacles, you almost died in that undersea cavern.”

“Shut your mouth, broken mirror!” Wei Dongliu bragged unabashedly, “Fated encounters with enemies are also a type of fate. Why don’t you say that meeting an enemy like the Ghost Dragon is the best proof of my outstanding abilities?”

“Indeed,” Qing Ping Sword laughed as well, “The key is that he really managed to escape with his life from such a foe. No other normal Refining Mansion stage cultivator could have done that.”

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The Kunlun Mirror very much wanted to stress again, “You only escaped with your life thanks to me,” but then it thought better of it, realizing that boasting about its achievements would only earn a few dismissive retorts of “broken mirror.” So, it simply shut its mouth and sulked in silence.

After trekking through the Hundred Thousand Mountains for three days and nights, the group finally reached the Eastern Emperor Path’s station—Yu Long Mountain.

As they approached, the vegetation gradually thinned until it was replaced by a continuous stretch of snowcapped mountains, which for a moment gave Wei Dongliu the déjà vu of returning to the Kunlun Mountain Range.

However, within the Kunlun Mountain Range, there were almost no trees—just snow or bare rocks, with at most some low shrubs.

The climate on Yu Long Mountain was much milder: the high altitudes held snowcapped mountains, which turned into meadows further down, then coniferous forests in the cold zone, and at the foot of the mountain, temperate broadleaf forests. Interspersed among these were numerous ice-eroded and unfrozen lakes—the landscape was distinct in its layers.

Nearing the base of the mountain, as the temperature dropped, the Peach Blossom miasma also faded away.

Without hesitation, everyone flew on their Flying Swords, following Long Xiaoqi up the mountain.

After soaring over several mountain peaks, they saw the magnificent Eastern Emperor Divine Palace, perched on the highest peak of Yu Long Snow Mountain.

In ancient times, the Eastern Emperor Divine Palace was known as the “Demon Suppressing Palace,” a prehistoric relic that was mentioned in the same breath as the “Demon Locking Tower” of Shushan.

According to records, however, the two had different functions: the former served as a military front for fighting against the Demon Race, while the latter was a prison for captive demons.

But as time passed and after the great war between the Intercepting Cult and the Orthodox Sect, with the Intercepting Cult’s defeat and dissolution, the Demon Suppressing Palace nearly fell into ruin and desolation, even suffering from multiple lootings, a shadow of its former glory.

During the heyday of the Beast Taming Path, Demon Cult Cultivators attempted to restore the internal functions of the Demon Suppressing Palace. Yet, for years they faced suppression by Shushan and their influence never extended beyond the Southern Border, lacking both resources and manpower to make any difference.

Later, when the Beast Taming Path suddenly declined, it was replaced by the Eastern Emperor Path. This ancient human relic, known as the “Demon Suppressing Palace,” was unceremoniously converted into the oddly-named “Eastern Emperor Divine Palace,” much to the Cultivation Realm’s lament.

Indeed, considering the rumors that “the Eastern Emperor Path had long been infiltrated by the Demon Race” and factoring in Long Xiaoqi’s identity, delving deeper into these thoughts became somewhat terrifying.

Arriving at the entrance of the Eastern Emperor Divine Palace, the group saw a mythical creature lying lazily in the plaza before the palace gates.

This creature had four legs, a robust body, the head of a goat, the hooves of a wolf, and skin covered in colorful patterns. It was about twelve feet tall and was currently napping with its head buried between its two front legs.

“This is Lord Qilin,” Long Xiaoqi explained matter-of-factly. “It has been lying here since the Beast Taming Sect’s time, never bothering to pay attention to anyone, unresponsive to all calls.”

“Could it be it’s a deep sleep from which it does not wish to be disturbed?” Jiang the Witch asked curiously. She fully understood the desire to sleep undisturbed.

“No,” Long Xiaoqi shook her head. “It’s feigning sleep. It can hear everything we say; it just doesn’t want to bother with us.”

“In the past, when the Beast Taming Sect was attacked to the brink of the Divine Palace, Lord Qilin would awake and move to a place unaffected by the war to continue napping.”

The group: ……

So, this being wasn’t the guardian beast of the Sect but an itinerant creature that had taken up residence and refused to leave?

Observing the Qilin pretending to sleep with closed eyes, Wei Dongliu imperceptibly curled his lips, reminded of the stray cat that used to loiter at his doorstep in a previous life.

Then, the Qilin opened its eyes.

Its eyes were as large as copper bells, amber in color but lacking the majesty and killing intent typical of a superior predator like the dragon. Instead, there was a sense of ageless calm, as if it had seen through the world’s affairs.

“What is your name?” the Qilin asked slowly.

It spoke with the resonance of an evening drum and morning bell, its tone deep and measured with the patience characteristic of the elderly, fixating its gaze on Wei Dongliu, clearly directing the question at him.

The rest fell silent, expressions complex and indescribable. In Wei Dongliu’s mind, the Kunlun Mirror’s exclamation rang out:

“Synchronization Value is rising too quickly! I’m not reporting anymore! You know it in your heart!”

“I am Wei Dongliu,” he hastily collected his thoughts and replied with a bow.

“Oh,” the Qilin leaned forward, seemingly sniffing around him…

“I’ll remember that,” it said in an even tone, then slowly buried its head back between its front limbs and closed its eyes.