STNS: Chapter 547 (Patreon)

 While he did not join the others and instead watched from afar, Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ remained in Azure City. He had no interest in the people there. The dragon clans were of no concern to him. Their lives and death mattered little. However, there was someone in that city who owed him, and he would collect on it.

He found Wu Meiying spending most of her time with the human called Wu Jian. Her lover was a man whom even he felt wary of. Wu Jian was only at the Seeker Realm, but he had seen this human child fight Xie Longshan, a cultivator at the Perfection Realm. Granted, Xie Longshan was still weaker than Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ. Even if they were both Perfection Realm cultivators, their cultivation was incomparable, with him at the ninth subrealm and Longshan only at the first. However, a Perfection Realm cultivator was still a Perfection Realm cultivator and Wu Jian had defeated one despite being an entire two realms weaker.

Those abilities of his are abnormal.

After keeping up his end of the bargain he made and dealing with the Azure Dragon Clan elders, Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ had watched the battle between Xie Longshan and Wu Jian. It had been an impressive battle. The young man had outmaneuvered Xie Longshan at almost every turn, forcing the clan leader to use all of his considerable power, and even then, it was not enough. Xie Longshan had been defeated.

That transformation and those abilities would make him a troublesome foe. While I am certain I could deal with him should it come down to it, the battle would be much closer than I am comfortable with. 

Of course, he had no intention of fighting against this young man, but when someone of his caliber comes along, it was only natural for a person of Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ’s to analyse him.

People like Wu Jian were rare. It was almost impossible to find someone who could compete with and defeat cultivators at a higher realm than themselves. Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ had met a few in his lifetime, and even then, none of them were able to beat someone two entire realms above themselves.

He wondered what this young man’s secret was. What had allowed him to grow so strong? What cultivation method did he use? Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ thought about confronting this young man and demanding to know what secrets he possessed, but it was only a passing thought. Whatever cultivation method he used was not one that was compatible with Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ’s own cultivation.

Everyone had their own unique approach to attaining strength. This was what people knew as a cultivation method. A good way to think of them was different roads leading to the same mountain peak--each person chose a path that suited their personal strengths, personalities, physique, and affinities.

Compatibility was important. If someone’s nature didn’t align with a specific cultivation method, then attempting to use it could actually hurt someone’s progress instead of helping them. The worst thing that could happen was a cultivator might lose focus on their own path and harm their Dao. Successful cultivation required absolute commitment and dedication to a chosen path.

Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ had lived for long enough to understand the truth of this, and thus, he abstained from asking.

The moment finally came where he was able to get Wu Meiying alone. The young woman had said something to Wu Jian and her other companions, then wandered off. Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ followed her, until she stopped and turned to look in his direction.

“You wish me to keep up my end of the bargain, yes?”

Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ appeared within a burst of flames next to the young woman, who appeared neither startled nor surprised. Even as his immense cultivation swept over her like a roaring flame, Wu Meiying was unphased. It was unnerving.

“You knew I was here?”

Wu Meiying raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. “I know you have been watching us this entire time. You could have left and returned at a later date. Are our efforts to rebuild this city that interesting to you?” Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ said nothing. Wu Meiying smiled. “Well, not like it matters. I will tell you what you want to know, but first, I must ask if you truly wish to know?”

Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ flared as he puffed out his chest. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“You can speak with such indignity only because you are wholly ignorant of your own smallness.” Wu Meiying ignored the way Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ bristled and instead looked up at the night sky, crossing her arms as though to protect herself from its coldness. “Beyond this world is a realm far more vast than our own. The cultivators out there are so far beyond us that even the weakest among them could kill you with a slap.” She glanced back at him. “Here, you are unique, a peak existence that few can match, but out there, you will become nothing. Are you sure you want that?”

Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ opened his mouth to say that of course this was what he wanted, but the words he meant to say never came out.

He pondered.

What she said was true. He was a peak existence right now. There were few if any cultivators stronger than him. If he stayed here, he could remain at the top of the food chain.

“Perhaps… if I didn’t know there was a world beyond this one, I would be content remaining as I am,” Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ said at last. “But I know this world is just a single grain of sand in a much larger universe. Knowing there is more out there and being unable to even make the attempt to attain such heights is maddening. Tell me how to leave this world.”

“Very well,” Wu Meiying said at last. “Just know that learning this will bring you no comfort, no peace. Know that leaving this world will not result in achieving what you want. You will regret it.”

“I will be the one to decide whether or not I will regret it,” Yánhuǒ Tiānzhǐ stated confidently.

Wu Meiying smiled sadly, pityingly, like she knew something he didn’t. It was enough to make him bristle. However, it also created a kernel of fear within his heart. Yet his decision had been set, and thus, Wu Meiying gave him the knowledge he sought.

Much later in life, he would come to understand why she had looked at him with such pity.

***

Schuchang had begun to feel restless. They had accomplished their goals. Wu Jian had regained his limbs, Hou Jingshu had been rescued, and all was well that ended well… but he felt no comfort in this. In all the excitement, he hadn’t the time to think about his own problems. Now that he no longer had a clear obstacle to overcome, he had nothing but time to consider his own dilemma.

I need to hurry up and return to save my sister.

He might have been banished from the clan, Huǒ Yujie remained his sister by blood. He needed to save her.

“There you are,” Wu Jian said as he wandered over to him. “I was wondering where you’d gone off… I recognize that look. Thinking about your sister?”

“You got all that from just a look? Are you psychic now?” asked Schuchang with a grin.

“I know you pretty well by now.” Wu Jian shrugged. “Well enough to understand what the expressions on your face mean.”

“Geeze, now you’re making me embarrassed.”

Schuchang rubbed the back of his neck, turning away from Wu Jian, who’s blank stare seemed to pierce right through him. He sighed and looked back at the sky. It was night now. The twinkling stars looked quite vibrant, but he was barely paying attention to them, instead staring into the distance at something only he could see.

“Did I tell you what my father has planned for my sister?” he asked.

Wu Jian tilted his head, then shrugged. “You might have. Remind me what his plans are?”

“He’s planning to force the great phoenix to impregnate Huǒ Yujie, and then he’s going to force his soul into her unborn child using an ancient reincarnation technique,” Schuchang said.

“That’s disgusting,” Wu Jian mumbled.

“It is.”

Huǒ Yujie was an incredible, unique personage within the phoenix clan. No other clansmen had ever been able to accept as much blood from the phoenix as she had. Her powers had skyrocketed as a result. Not only did she have the most powerful blessings the phoenix could give, but she was an extremely talented cultivator.

There was a strong belief among cultivators that when two cultivators produced a child, the child would have even greater potential than the parent. If one parent is strong, the child will inherit that strength, but if both are strong, it’s like obtaining a double dose of strength. The reason this belief is so prevalent among clans especially is due to the existence of unique bloodline traits. Some clans have traits that only members of their clan have called bloodline traits. At some point, the belief changed from bloodline traits getting passed down through the generations to the child of two powerful cultivators having more potential than their parents.

It was not true. The fact that not a single one of his half-siblings was more powerful or had more potential than his father was proof enough. Even Schuchang was proof of this. He lacked the talent that his sister had even though they were born from the same loins.

But what if the child was born from a talented cultivator and a powerful magical beast like the phoenix?

It was entirely possible for a magical beast and a human to produce a child. The magical beast didn’t even need to acquire a human form if they didn’t want to, though that would make things awkward between the beast and their partner. Few humans wanted to have sex with an animal. In either event, his father believed that any child sired by Huǒ Yujie and the phoenix would have incredible potential.

He clenched his left hand and stared at it. “My father is a sick man. He has allowed his lust for power to consume him. He’s become deranged and my sister is in danger. I might not be as strong as she is, but I still have my duties as her brother. I have to protect her.”

Schuchang still remembered the first time he had seen his little sister. She had just been born, and his mother had let him hold her in his arms. He had fallen in love then. The strong, burning love of an older brother had taken hold and refused to let go. He wanted to make sure his little sister was always happy, wanted her to marry a good man and build a joyful family… but his father was threatening to destroy all that.

I can’t allow him to continue hurting her.

His father had never been a warm man. Cold and calculating, he only ever thought about what was best for the clan. The woman who Shuchang recognized as his mother had been an unfortunate victim of their father’s machinations. She had been forced to sire his children, and then she was discarded. Schuchang didn’t even know if she was alive or dead. She had been forced to leave once she served her purpose. Huǒ Yujie was the only family he had left in this world.

He certainly didn’t consider the man who had given birth to them their father.

“Don’t worry,” Wu Jian said. “We won’t let your father’s plans succeed.”

“We?” Schuchang looked up.

“Of course. Did you think I’d leave you out to dry? I’m going to help you rescue Huǒ Yujie,” Wu Jian said as though it was obvious, and in a way, it was.

“Thanks. I appreciate it,” Schuchang said earnestly. There was none of his normal cockiness in his voice. It was full of nothing but gratitude.

“If we’re going to rescue your sister, then we’ll need to be much stronger,” Wu Jian said after a few moments of silence. “Our enemies are great. Not only do we have the enemies chasing after me and Wu Meiying, but now we’re going to take on the entire Phoenix Clan.”

“Yeah.”

Schuchang turned, looking in the direction where he believed the Xaio Continent, and thus, the Xia Dynasty, were located. He didn’t care what it took. He was going to get strong enough to confront his father and save his younger sister from the trauma of being forced to give birth to her own parent.