Chapter 74 - 73: Cai Du's Estate
The avian cry drew many gazes to the bright sky. Before the eyes of the citizens of the Cai Du Estate, a large white bird with golden eyes, beak, and tail soared into view. It elegantly flapped its wings as it regarded those below.
Atop Bai Lin, Su Mei and Ming Li were observing the estate. Su Mei frowned, "there’s a Qi Array laid down here." While this was to be expected, Su Mei hadn’t expected its quality to be so high.
Qi Arrays were formations established using materials of the heaven and earth alongside control-based spiritual formations. They drew energy from the natural environment or pre-placed materials, such as Scarlet Qi Stones.
Depending on their size, the quality of material, Qi Arrays can have various forms of strengths and capabilities. The Scarlet Solaris Sect’s Scarlet War God Qi Array drew upon strength of the Scarlet Mountain’s Quintessence and gathered it into the body of a single individual.
This gave them an almost endless supply of Scarlet Qi at their fingertips. Without much personal cost, they could launch incredibly consuming Qi Arts and rapidly at that. It was terrifying to come against, and the stronger the one who used the Qi Array, the greater its effects.
Ming Li bit her lips, unease in her heart. "It’s called the Waterfall Torrent Array. It gathers the ambient water energies and underwater lake beneath the estate to produce endless Water Qi." She had done her research and knew how terrifying the array was. This was why she didn’t have any idea to attack head-first.
But when she thought about Wei Wuyin, an alleged Godlord, then her heart somewhat calmed down. She rubbed the white misty bracelet on her arm. If he was truly a Godlord, then this matter was truly settled as soon as he spoke. As long as they threw out his name, wouldn’t the entire issue be worked out?
Kree!
Unfortunately for Ming Li, Bai Lin had no intention of this being handled like that. She didn’t understand the full story as to why she was sent here, but she did know they were to establish dominance. Recalling Wei Wuyin’s demeanor and action against the Jade Lotus Sect, her hot-blood burned with battle spirit.
She wanted to fight!
Her bright, resplendent golden eyes were beautiful as they were lit ablaze by fiery flames. Her bloodline started to circulate faster as her body became engulfed in ash-white flame.
"What?!" Both Su Mei and Ming Li were startled as they became wrapped around by white flames, their eyes flashed with shock and fear. To be abruptly engulfed by flames, who could keep their cool?! In fact, Ming Li was about to jump from Bai Lin’s back, but stopped herself when she realized they were hundreds of feet high. If she fell from this height, death was a certainty.
Only after a few seconds did they realize the flames didn’t burn, but felt warm and comforting to the touch.
"Is this your power?" Su Mei was still a little shook as she flipped her palms to see the ash-white flame calmly roam around her entirety. She felt a type of lifeforce energy within the flames that slowly poured itself into her body.
Wei Wuyin had once said that Bai Lin’s change was caused by a fruit, and this fruit blessed her with unique powers. She had already witnessed that fiery beam scorch a Mortal God with ease. Soon, she regained her heart and said, "Ming Li, it’s fine."
"It’s fine?!" Ming Li was on the verge of becoming hysterical. Even though she realized that these flames were painless, it was still too much to think she would calm down while completely covered in it.
Kree!
Bai Lin’s eyes swept the surface of the Cai Du Estate until she located a grand gate that had grand sculptured and an artistic beauty. Without hesitation, her two eyes release two dense beams of golden fiery light.
Shroom!
The people below saw two beams penetrate the air and blazingly descend. For many, they couldn’t register events quickly enough as they stared in awe. Those who could had gawked and shouted, "We’re under attack!"
Boom!!
The beams smashed into the gate. Instead of merely penetration, a fiery explosion was produced that became a maelstrom of blazing golden flames that engulfed a hundred feet of area. Those in the vicinity who were engulfed by those flames couldn’t even cry as they died soundless and swift deaths.
"Bai Lin!!" Su Mei was fiercely taken aback. Bai Lin had just launched a powerful attack that took at least a dozen lives indiscriminately. Her eyes bulged as her usual cool and collected self started to tremble.
"Holy shit!" Ming Li’s reaction was similarly tense as Bai Lin’s assault had devastated a wide area, devouring quite a few lives alongside it. This bird crane was that strong? Unknowingly, Ming Li was lucky as her younger sister wasn’t amongst the recently incinerated.
"WE’RE UNDER ATTACK! WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!" Qi-infused shouts exploded about everywhere as several surviving guards exerted their all. They used transmission crystals to send all sorts of alarms. Before long, various lights around the estate lit up like towers that pierced into the sky.
They were numerous. If one counted, they’d noticed ninety-six towers of light of cyan color erupt at key locations.
"Spiritual formation!" Su Mei’s eyes narrowed. In truth, she expected to use a direct negotiation with Wei Wuyin’s name to quietly handle this matter. After all, this was merely saving one person. There was no need to push it further, but Bai Lin had struck with lethal force.
Bai Lin let loose a hearty cry as her eyes blazed with an even greater battle intent. The spiritual formation that activated started to exert a spiritual aura that could pressure unprotected spirits. Unfortunately, she was a beast.
Her spirit was her will and her heart, so she wasn’t affected by this. However, Su Mei and Ming Li instantly felt the effects. A torrential outflow of spiritual strength pressured their spirits, making their ability to control their qi difficult.
"Damn it! Unless one cultivated a certain spiritual method, they’d be affected by the Crushing Sea Spiritual Formation!" Ming Li cursed. She felt that if her attention was drawn away from her spirit for one second, she would instantly undergo Qi Deviation.
Su Mei furrowed her brows, but her cultivation was somewhat better so she didn’t feel like her qi was about to detonate.
Qi Arrays and Spiritual Formations were the key protections that large territories and forces had. It was due to these well-prepared means that they could stabilize their territorial control and destiny. Without these, they would be open to massive assaults of full armies.
However, the cost to activate them was massive as well. So, unless the force was truly threatened, they wouldn’t resort to using these large-scaled means.
Bai Lin didn’t care about these means they had. Her blood burned fiercely as her powers started to rise. From her fiery eyes, she seemed about to launch another attack.
"Wait! Bai Lin, stop!" Su Mei hurriedly sent Bai Lin a spiritual message, fearful that she would attack without care. But Bai Lin had already charged her attack, a feeling of needing release had already built up. It was too late. And, Su Mei was not Wei Wuyin.
She focused her senses on the incoming squadrons of flying mounts. They were numbered in the dozens as they flew in formations. Their riders carried vigilant expressions and grasped all sorts of qi weapons within their hands. They seemed intent on battle, trained for years in reacting to a situation like this. Now, they deployed at insane speeds as they raced to face the threat.
Su Mei could sense Bai Lin’s fiery golden light hadn’t reduced its intensity in the slightest. In fact, it increased. She realized she wouldn’t listen to her, her expression turned somewhat helpless. This beast was far, far stronger than her, and seemed to contain a trace of Lord Wei’s arrogance.
Shroom!
Bai Lin’s two eyes released a wide-spread ray of fiery light unlike the concentrated beam like before. The incoming riders were startled, attempting to talk to their beasts to avoid the ray, but the beam blanketed the entire sky. Their eyes widened as the rays swept them and their mounts almost instantly.
These riders and their mounts could barely face Third Phase experts. Trying to dodge or react to an attack that even a Mortal God couldn’t see was wishful thinking. They were engulfed whole and their figures slowly disintegrated within the golden light until not even a piece of cloth or feather remained.
"!" All those below had eyes suffused with endless shock and boundless fear. Before long, all sorts of commotions occurred for two miles as they ran away from the white bird of golden death.
Ming Li’s mouth was agape, her jaw nearly touching Bai Lin’s back as she witnessed these fearsome sky riders vanish without a trace. As for Su Mei, her helpless expression was thrown away for a calm expression.
This was the cruelty of the cultivation world. Sometimes, you die for reasons of association and not fault. It was unfair that their arrival brought about the deaths of so many, but to wallow in their deaths was pointless. Her goal was to save one person. That was it.
She could only try to prevent more deaths by focusing her qi and shouted as best she could, "God Cai! I demand an audience!" Her voice carried a tinge of arrogance and chill as she tried to mimic Wei Wuyin. However, she didn’t have that arrogant demeanor that was attached to the bones and blood, so it came off a little colder and murderous than haughty and arrogant.
In the Cai Du Estate, atop a throne, Cai Du was still seated on his throne as his spiritual sense inspected the situation. His expression was dark and dignified. That crane was immensely powerful. Those beams of light were threatening even to himself. Even with the Qi Array behind him, he didn’t think he would be its match.
He was thinking about what to do, contemplating his options. Then, Su Mei’s murderous words echoed. This nearly caused his heart to jump out of his chest. Who had such a powerful beast? Who did he offend?
No matter how much he pondered, he never offended a Mortal God Beast Tamer or high-level Alchemist. In fact, he likely never offended an expert at the Fifth Stage of Qi Condensation before.
"Father! Father!" Cai Jin arrived alongside his guards and a few family members. His expression was filled with uncertainty and concern. For a single unit to arrive and face their entire estate, they were either fools or incredibly powerful. Seeing how they were worthy of deploying the sky riders and Crushing Sea Spiritual Formation, he knew they weren’t fools.
Cai Du contemplating expression with a hint of fear vanished upon his son’s arrival as he replaced it with a calm that seemed as if he had grasped the situation perfectly. He stood up from his throne as he said, "It’s not a big issue. I’ll handle this misunderstanding." Was his words as he walked out, his back strong and reliable in his son’s eyes.
In the depths of his mind, however, he felt an unease.
Bai Lin felt her blood boiling more. She wanted to fight more. She wanted an opponent. Unfortunately for her, unless a powerful peak-Mortal God or Godlord arrived, she would remain unmatched today. Her Nirvana Flames were simply too incredible, capable of incinerating things upon contact.
Before long, a large eagle-like beast with a black beak and a size comparable to Bai Lin arrived. Atop its back, a handsome man stood straight, his qi aura was subdued but the dense vitality, illusory images, and strong presence alluded to his identity as a Mortal God.
Mortal God Cai Du, the Waterfall Savage God.
Su Mei and Ming Li felt the unconscious pressure emitted by Cai Du. They were already suppressed by the Crushing Spirit Spiritual Formation, and with the natural aura of God Cai, they felt an unfathomable amount of pressure. Due to Bai Lin’s inability to use her spiritual strength, she couldn’t help them repel that aura, so they were forced to withstand it in their current state.
Hm? Cai Du frowned when she realized that the two arrivals were a young woman and a young girl whose cultivation was pathetic when compared to his own. Only the beast had a physical aura that could shake his heart. He knew he could kill the other two without an issue.
He frowned, his heart a little enraged. "You have your audience." His words were calm yet carried a trace of irrefutable dignity of a Mortal God.
Ming Li rubbed her misty white bracelet subconsciously. She felt the immense pressure and unconscious fear swell in her heart. The Waterfall Savage God was a brutal Mortal God, known for truly horrifying accomplishments. The word ’savage’ wasn’t decided by him, but given to him.
Su Mei didn’t show any weakness. She had seen Bai Lin execute a Mortal God due to two words, and saw them fawn over Wei Wuyin like dogs praying they can appease their master. Her original heart that contained an image of Mortal Gods had deteriorated until it became only a slight appreciation of their talent and strength.
"We’re here on orders of Godlord Wei. This is Ming Li, and we’re here to bring her sister away." While she didn’t have fear or reverence in her heart, she didn’t want to have the situation escalate. Without hesitation, she threw out Wei Wuyin’s name.
Godlord Wei?
Cai Du frowned, a trace of uncertainty in his mind. When had there ever been a Godlord surnamed Wei in Wu Country? Furthermore, what sister?
Wait...
...Godlord Wei?
The name started to hit his mind a little. A rumor? Oh! Oh!! The Jade Lotus Sect’s Lei Family descent! Almost immediately, he recalled the name that he had merely heard once, seen as a rumor. According to the rumor, the Lei Clan and their Clan Leader had fallen due to a random person. It was said to have been due to a woman held captive.
There were a few names fluttering about in the rumor mill, but Godlord Wei was one of them.
His eyes shrunk into needles.
Well, shit.