The eyes of the Undying Phoenix, likewise wreathed in flame, fixed upon Teng Qingshan. Beside her, Qingluan fanned its radiant feathers, letting out a couple of cries that seemed brimming with confidence in Teng Qingshan.
“Hum~~”
The moment Teng Qingshan initiated his starting stance, the very earth trembled. He unleashed the Fist of the Earth Element, and streaks of earth-yellow lightning flickered across his body, making him resemble a divine being. With every punch and every kick, the ground vibrated faintly. Within a radius of several dozen zhang, the primal forces of the Earth Element were stirred into turmoil.
Li Jun merely watched, blinking, utterly unable to comprehend what she saw.
Qingluan, however, sensed the profound and inscrutable ‘Dao’ contained within Teng Qingshan’s martial arts. The Undying Phoenix, on the other hand, clearly perceived the anomaly in the movement of the Earth Element’s world-force.
A look of astonishment flashed in the Undying Phoenix’s eyes!
The Heavenly Dao is beyond words!
It is fundamentally impossible to teach the ‘Dao’ to a disciple through mere verbal description. It must be grasped through personal enlightenment! Even the Undying Phoenix, though she had attained enlightenment, found herself unable to instruct her own offspring in what she understood.
Most experts who reached the Void Realm grasped the Dao themselves but were incapable of teaching it to their disciples.
Only a select few, perhaps those who attained the level of ‘Dòng Xū’—beings capable of constructing their own internal worlds—whose understanding of the ‘Dao’ was truly absolute, could convey it to disciples through certain mediums.
Sometimes, this was done through calligraphy imbued with the ‘Dao,’ allowing the disciple to study calligraphy and indirectly perceive the Dao through the brushstrokes.
Li Taibai’s Song of the Azure Lotus Sword was precisely such an instance!
“Yow~~” The Undying Phoenix could not suppress a cry, one filled with sheer delight!
She genuinely had not expected a mere human, one who had not yet stepped into the Void Realm, to be capable of transmitting the ‘Dao’ through a few simple fist techniques. It was incredible!
“Boom!”
After executing the six moves of the Fist of the Earth Element, Teng Qingshan shifted his momentum, transforming into the Fist of the Water Element. The earth-colored lightning on his body receded into his core. Instead, blue lightning crackled across him. The nearby lake surface thrashed in response, and numerous splashes flew toward Teng Qingshan’s twin fists.
“Whoosh~~ Whoosh~~”
His movements flowed, and as his fists swung, a miniature ‘water dragon’ seemed to writhe and swim between them.
The previously astonished Undying Phoenix was now truly shaken to her core!
For these two sets of techniques represented different Daos!
Even the master she had once followed entered the Void Realm by grasping the Way of Water, gradually delving deeper and growing stronger. Yet, this young human before her had simultaneously comprehended different ‘Daos,’ and could express both through his fists. How could this not shock her?
“Hoo!” Teng Qingshan slowly exhaled, his breath sharp as an arrow.
He ceased the movements!
Teng Qingshan reverted from his god-like appearance to his ordinary self. He then strode purposefully toward the adjacent cliff face, and with a sharp “Chii—”, drew the Reincarnation Spear.
“Yow~~ Yow~~~” Qingluan called out to its mother, the ‘Undying Phoenix.’
Li Jun smiled and translated, “Brother Teng, Qingluan is asking its mother what she thinks of your fist techniques.” Teng Qingshan smiled, brimming with confidence in his heart.
“Yow~~” The Undying Phoenix emitted a low, resonating cry that echoed throughout the valley.
Teng Qingshan looked at Li Jun, who returned his gaze with a radiant smile: “The Undying Phoenix has agreed. She also said your martial arts are truly excellent.” Even the most critical observer, having witnessed these two sets of techniques, could not fault Teng Qingshan.
Qingluan’s wings quivered briefly, dissolving into a blur. When its form solidified again, it was already beside Teng Qingshan.
“Yow~~ Yow~~” Qingluan chirped happily in front of him.
“Brother Teng, look over there,” Li Jun suddenly lowered her voice, pointing toward the distance.
Teng Qingshan followed her gaze. Leaning against the cliff face was a large, dark stone. This stone subtly pulsed with a dark red hue, its surface incredibly smooth, except for the very center, where, bizarrely, a single small grass sprout had grown. The sprout had five leaves, faintly encircled by a multi-colored halo shimmering across them.
“Undying Grass!” Teng Qingshan’s heart skipped a beat.
Teng Qingshan and Li Jun exchanged a look, both registering shock in their eyes.
The Undying Grass! A treasure potent enough to drive the entire Nine Provinces Continent into madness.
The Undying Phoenix, having lived for countless years, naturally noticed where Teng Qingshan and Li Jun were looking.
“A pity, it’s not yet mature,” Teng Qingshan sighed internally.
A mature Undying Grass possessed seven leaves, shimmering with seven colors. If one consumed a mature stalk, any injury, no matter how severe, could be healed, and one’s lifespan would increase by two hundred years.
“Yow~~” The Undying Phoenix chirped toward Teng Qingshan repeatedly.
“Brother Teng!” Li Jun said with a mixture of amusement and frustration, “The Undying Phoenix says that grass isn't mature yet, so looking at it is useless.”
Teng Qingshan could only manage a helpless smile.
Li Jun looked back at the Undying Phoenix with dawning realization. The Phoenix was still crying out. Li Jun’s expression broke into sudden rapture as she relayed: “Brother Teng, the Undying Phoenix says that growing this grass is incredibly difficult. In the thousands of years she has lived, she has cultivated only sixteen stalks. She gave three to her benefactor… Um, Brother Teng, listening to her, that benefactor should be the Poet Sword Immortal, Li Taibai.”
“Benefactor?” Teng Qingshan was inwardly astonished.
This Undying Phoenix had a connection with Li Taibai?
“And three others she gave to three different humans when she was in the Nine Provinces Continent back then,” Li Jun continued.
Teng Qingshan was quite surprised.
The Undying Phoenix had been to the Nine Provinces Continent?
“Could it be… that the descriptions in the books regarding ‘Qingluan’ and the Undying Phoenix refer to this very being?” Teng Qingshan speculated.
Li Jun could barely conceal her shock as she went on: “The Undying Phoenix also mentioned that decades ago, a human expert who understood the Beast Language flew here and demanded one stalk of Undying Grass from her.”
“Understood the Beast Language?” Teng Qingshan felt puzzled.
There were many people in the world who understood the Beast Language.
The Celestial Palace surely had some! And the Snow Eagle Sect, which successfully tamed the Snow Eagles across generations, likely had Beast Language experts too! Furthermore, the Sun-Shooting Divine Mountain, capable of breeding Ink Wolf mounts, probably harbored masters of that tongue. However, a supreme expert who knew the Beast Language and had reached the Void Realm—there were far fewer of those!
It was a pity; Teng Qingshan knew too little about the Void Realm experts on the Nine Provinces Continent.
“Little Jun, ask her who that human was! Does she recognize him?” Teng Qingshan inquired.
Li Jun was curious as well and immediately questioned the Undying Phoenix. The Phoenix looked toward Teng Qingshan and provided an answer.
“Brother Teng, the Undying Phoenix says that person was an expert from the Daoist lineage. The Phoenix judged that this person must be among the very top figures on the Nine Provinces Continent.” Li Jun’s expression grew odd as she hypothesized, “Daoist lineage? Could it be our Celestial Palace Master, or perhaps someone from the Ying Clan, or maybe the Yu Emperor Sect?”
The Eight Great Sects all had Void Realm masters guarding them!
However, the Eight Great Sects rarely engaged in large-scale warfare, meaning Void Realm experts rarely showed their hands. The world was largely ignorant of them.
“If he’s from the Daoist lineage, then it wasn’t the Mani Temple,” Teng Qingshan sighed inwardly.
To fly here through the void and successfully demand an Undying Grass from the Undying Phoenix—that strength was formidable. “And since this happened decades ago, that Void Realm expert is very likely still alive.”
“Brother Teng,” Li Jun broke into a smile, “The Undying Phoenix says the Undying Grass is exceptionally precious, and cultivating it is not easy. She only has nine stalks left now, so she won’t just give them to us.”
Teng Qingshan understood this perfectly.
“But she also said…” Li Jun continued, smiling, “If Qingluan leaves with us and can transform into an Undying Phoenix within ten years, she will give us all nine remaining stalks! If Qingluan can transform into a true Phoenix within a hundred years, she’ll give us three stalks! If it takes longer than a hundred years, she’ll still give us one stalk—though… we’ll have to see if we’re still alive by then.”
Teng Qingshan listened and smiled wryly.
“Ten years? This Undying Phoenix is quite greedy.” Yet, Teng Qingshan sensed the immense value the Phoenix placed on her only child.
If Qingluan could transform in ten years, she’d give up nine Undying Grass stalks. Clearly, in the Undying Phoenix’s heart, the Undying Grass was far less precious than her child.
“I am heading to the North Sea Continent now, where the Undying Grass won’t be of much use immediately. Perhaps when I return from the North Sea Continent, Qingluan will have reached the Void Realm. I can claim the Grass then!” Teng Qingshan mused internally, then smiled: “Little Jun, tell the Undying Phoenix I agree to the terms! I will do my best to nurture Qingluan.”
“Splash~~~”
Seawater surged as the Tungwood Ship hoisted its sails and cut through the waves. Now, the ship was accompanied by a divine bird: ‘Qingluan.’
On the deck.
A low square table was set up. Teng Qingshan and Li Jun sat opposite each other, while the Gale Eagle and Qingluan squatted facing each other, eagerly consuming the three large platters of freshly grilled fish. Teng Qingshan and Li Jun shared one platter, while the Gale Eagle and Qingluan each had their own.
“Yow~~ Yow~~~” Qingluan let out excited cries, constantly snatching and devouring the fish.
It was its first time eating grilled fish. It took down an entire fish in one bite. Before Teng Qingshan and Li Jun had finished half their portion, Qingluan had completely emptied its platter.
“Haha, Little Qing eats fast,” Teng Qingshan laughed.
“Mhm. Little Gray has only eaten a little more than half,” Li Jun chuckled.
Qingluan’s eyes were fixed on the Gale Eagle’s platter opposite. The Eagle seemed deliberately to slow down, having eaten only a little over half. Seeing this, the Gale Eagle immediately used its beak to shove the entire basin toward Qingluan, calling out a few times, seemingly saying, “You eat, you eat.”
Qingluan chirped triumphantly and continued eating.
“Brother Teng, have you noticed? Ever since Little Qing joined us, Little Gray has been incredibly happy,” Li Jun teased, glancing at the Gale Eagle, whose eyes were shining as it watched Qingluan. “Brother Teng, do you think Little Gray likes Little Qing?”
“The Gale Eagle likes Qingluan?” Teng Qingshan looked surprised.
Hearing Li Jun’s observation, Teng Qingshan recalled the Gale Eagle’s strange behavior since Qingluan came aboard.
“That makes sense,” Teng Qingshan smiled. “Qingluan is probably one of the most beautiful birds. Little Gray is a bachelor; it’s natural for him to like her. But… he’s too weak. One flap of Qingluan’s wing could send him flying into the sky.”
…
Bringing Qingluan aboard the ship turned out to be a wise decision because Qingluan had actually been to the North Sea Continent before!
Three months later.
Dusk fell. Black clouds covered the sky, and strong winds howled.
Teng Qingshan stood at the bow of the Tungwood Ship, gazing out at a chaotic expanse of sea ahead—a region riddled with whirlpools where the water churned violently.
“Brother Teng, according to what Little Qing said, the stretch of sea ahead is about two to three thousand li long. Once we pass this area, we will reach the near coast of the North Sea Continent. The islands near the coast are inhabited by the people of the North Sea Continent,” Li Jun said excitedly. Teng Qingshan, sporting a thick beard, looked ahead, his heart filled with anticipation.
“Over half a year!” Teng Qingshan’s eyes shone intensely.
“Once we clear this sea area, we reach the North Sea Continent’s coast. In ten to fifteen days, we will arrive at the North Sea Continent!”