Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds

The Hundred Flowers Honey and Hundred Flowers Brew were truly worthy of being White Spirit Mountain specialties. The honey was clear, sweet, and refreshing, while the brew was mellow and fragrant. Best of all, Spiritual Qi was perfectly integrated within them. A single sip sent Spiritual Qi coursing through the body, bringing about Heart and Mind Penetration and making one feel utterly blissful, as if ascending to immortality.

"Excellent brew!" Taoist Yan Song exclaimed in praise.

Although its alcohol content wasn’t high, it was refreshing and fragrant, with Spiritual Qi perfectly integrated within. Among fruit-based brews, it was absolutely in a class of its own.

"This is delicious!" Bai Ke exclaimed, also clutching a bottle and chugging the honey.

The Hundred Flowers Honey was even purer than the Hundred Flowers Brew—fresh and natural. While it may not have offered the diverse flavors of modern, mass-produced beverages, it was actually far more soothing to drink.

The other fruit and vegetable dishes were not bad either. Though prepared with only a few simple techniques like steaming, boiling, roasting, and smoking, the unique spices lent them a distinctive flavor, making them a style all their own.

...

After the welcome banquet, Bai Fei had Li Qingshuang lead the mountain’s disciples in entertaining Zhuo Qingyan and the others. She then personally led Gu Zhao to a side hall to give him a brief overview of Feihong Ancestor’s history and character.

"Yuanzhou is in Wanling Jiangbei. It borders Jiangzhou and Shanzhou to the south, connects to Pingzhou in the west, faces Wangzhou in the east, and to the north lies the Central Plains’ largest and most prosperous province, the Central Province."

"Feihong Ancestor is over eight hundred years old, making him one of the longest-lived people in the world. Unfortunately, his Dao Practice never reached the absolute peak. With no hope of Ascension in this lifetime, he is now nearing the end of his days."

"Feihong Ancestor has great seniority and a high level of Dao Practice. He also loves to socialize and mentor the younger generation, so he has a vast network of connections. Everyone is willing to show him some respect."

"For his 800th birthday banquet, friends from all the surrounding provinces will come to wish him well. There will also be people from the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court," Bai Fei reminded him. "Not all of them will be good people."

Gu Zhao chuckled. "I’m not about to start a fight at Feihong Ancestor’s birthday banquet."

Bai Fei nodded and continued her warning. "Daluo Palace may have annihilated the Nether Fire Sect and slain the Ink Flood Dragon, but that all happened in Jiangnan. And since it was so recent, not everyone in Jiangbei has necessarily heard of it."

Gu Zhao understood. "I’ll be mindful. You can rest assured, Sister Fei."

Bai Fei gave a radiant smile. "You’re anything but cautious. I can’t possibly rest assured."

The Nether Fire Sect was one thing, but the Ink Flood Dragon not only possessed profound Dao Practice but had also become a Fallen Demon. Bai Fei had told Gu Zhao long ago to ask for her help, yet he had taken all the Daluo Palace Elders and charged in to face it head-on.

Of course, the outcome had been good, and it had also shown Bai Fei the incredible speed of progress of both Gu Zhao and the Daoists of Daluo Palace.

Daluo Palace’s true strength was now on par with White Spirit Mountain’s. Even across the entire world, it deserved to be a renowned power. It was simply that its rise had been so meteoric that its reputation couldn’t keep pace with its growing strength.

That was why Snow God Mountain, located south of Yazhou, had never even heard of Daluo Palace.

And that was why Bai Fei was reminding Gu Zhao that not everyone was as familiar with Daluo Palace as she was.

In truth, Bai Fei misunderstood Gu Zhao. As a model citizen from a modern world, Gu Zhao actually cherished his life dearly. He would never make a move unless he was absolutely certain of victory. Even when he did act, he always made sure he had a guaranteed escape route.

...

For the next few days, the group stayed on White Spirit Mountain, enjoying the scenery and taking leisurely tours. They even visited Jiangyang Prefecture City to go shopping.

The day of Feihong Ancestor’s great birthday celebration arrived...

Just as the sun peeked over the horizon, Gu Zhao finished his preparations and led Taoist Yan Song and Taoist Ming Yu outside his residence. Bai Fei was already waiting at the door with two other women.

One of the women wore purple and had an enchanting, curvaceous figure with a mature grace. The other, dressed in red, had a much slender build and a charming, cute air about her.

The one in purple was a Purple Cloud Crane spirit named Yun Qian, and the one in red was a Red-eyed Sparrow spirit named Yan Yan. Both possessed several hundred years of Dao Practice and were counted among White Spirit Mountain’s top masters.

Bai Fei hadn’t brought Li Qingshuang, leaving her behind on White Spirit Mountain to continue sightseeing with Zhuo Qingyan and the Silk Embroideress.

"Shall we?"

"Let’s go!"

The words had barely been spoken when six streaks of light shot up from White Spirit Mountain, heading straight north toward Rainbow Mountain.

The six of them quickly flew out of Jiangyang Prefecture, crossed over Fengyuan Prefecture, left Jiangzhou behind, and entered Yuanzhou. Just then, four streaks of light shot toward them from the east.

"Mountain Master Bai!"

"Sect Leader Ye!"

Gu Zhao turned to see a party of four. Leading them were a young boy and girl. They wore brocade robes with jade belts and carried themselves with a vibrant air. Though they looked no older than ten, their eyes shone like the stars in the Milky Way, and their entire demeanor was magnificent.

Following behind them was a middle-aged man and woman, also dressed in flowing white robes, their expressions proud.

If he had met them in the mortal world, Gu Zhao would have assumed it was a middle-aged couple with their son and daughter. But now, from their formation to the way they spoke, Gu Zhao knew the young boy and girl were the ones in charge, while the middle-aged couple were merely their attendants.

"This is Sect Leader Ye of the Wangzhou Holy Union Sect, and this is Madam Ye," Bai Fei first explained to Gu Zhao.

Ye Yunsheng’s eyebrow twitched. He looked at Gu Zhao with a hint of surprise, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

’I am a ghost who attained godhood. I founded the Holy Union Sect, absorbed the power of Incense to temper my Divine Soul, and in a few hundred years, I’ve amassed a Dao Practice equivalent to several millennia. My power is legendary in Wangzhou, and my name is known across the land.’

’And yet, this White Spirit Mountain Master introduced me to *him* first. I’ve never seen this young man before. Just what is his background?’

"This is Palace Master Gu of Daluo Palace in Jiangzhou." Bai Fei turned to Ye Yunsheng, her expression serious as she continued, "He is the one who annihilated the Nether Fire Sect and slew the Ink Flood Dragon. A vanquisher of evil and a protector of his people."

A flicker of understanding crossed Ye Yunsheng’s eyes. Wangzhou was north of Yongzhou, bordering its Jiangbei prefectures. It was still separated from the Nether Fire Sect’s territory by the Wanling River.

Not much time had passed since the Nether Fire Sect’s fall. Besides, with everyone having such long lifespans, the pace of news traveled slowly. So, while word of the sect’s annihilation had spread throughout Jiangnan, it had yet to reach Jiangbei. At least, Ye Yunsheng had not yet heard of it.

’As for the Ink Flood Dragon, I only knew it had a tyrannical nature and that the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits was its adoptive father. I didn’t know much else, but it was clearly a Great Demon with profound Dao Practice. To think it also died at the hands of this Daluo Palace Master.’

"Greetings, Palace Master Gu!" Sect Leader Ye said with a wide grin, his little face looking utterly adorable.

"Greetings, Sect Leader Ye," Gu Zhao replied, clasping his hands in a salute.

This Ye Yunsheng and the madam beside him had pure auras, completely devoid of Evil Qi. Although the man and woman behind them both carried some Evil Qi, it was just a faint trace and nothing significant.

Since this was their first meeting, they didn’t converse much after the initial greetings. Their two groups simply merged and continued on toward Rainbow Mountain together.

They flew at incredible speed. White clouds swept past them, and the mountains and rivers below became a blur. In the distance, a tall mountain came into view. At the same time, a seven-colored rainbow arched from the mountain’s western side to its eastern side, hanging in the air just behind it and grazing its peak.

"There are valleys on both sides of Rainbow Mountain, and the air is rich with moisture. Rainbows appear here all year long, which is how it got the name Rainbow Mountain," Bai Fei explained to Gu Zhao.

Gu Zhao nodded. He then saw three streaks of light in the distance approaching Rainbow Mountain. A beam of rainbow light shot out from the mountain, guiding the three streaks into the mountain.

Gu Zhao’s eyebrow twitched. ’That technique is similar to my Rainbow Transformation Skill.’

By the time he refocused, their group had also neared Rainbow Mountain. An identical rainbow beam shot out, guiding them in.

WHOOSH—

After flying to Rainbow Mountain and landing on a large platform halfway up its slope, two Child Attendants came forward and bowed. "We greet the White Spirit Mountain Master and the Holy Union Sect Leader!"

Bai Fei gently pulled Gu Zhao forward. "This is my friend, the Daluo Palace Master. He has come specifically to offer his congratulations."

"We greet the Daluo Palace Master!"

After bowing, the two Child Attendants led the group toward a large hall nearby.

Sensing the powerful auras inside the hall, rising and falling as they vied for dominance, Gu Zhao narrowed his eyes.

’There are a lot of masters in here, and quite a few of them carry Evil Qi. The Evil Qi from one of them is so strong it’s practically bursting through the roof. What manner of demon or ghost is that?’