Chapter 784 - 705: Reaching the Peak 104
That’s right, Bai Sheng, who always maintained a cool demeanor and saw himself as a senior, had only just reached adulthood. In human years, he was merely an eighteen-year-old youth.
Ever since Fei Hu learned of his true age, he refused to treat Bai Sheng as an elder, and instead called him "Brother Bai Sheng" every time. Bai Sheng initially resisted, but couldn’t withstand Fei Hu’s persistence, so he eventually accepted being called "Brother Bai Sheng" by him.
Seeing Fei Hu’s confusion at this moment, Bai Sheng couldn’t help but pat Fei Hu’s head and sighed, saying, "This isn’t any sort of talent. It’s a skill that magic beasts in the mountains must learn to survive. You’ve been raised in a safe world since you were young, pampered by your mother, and haven’t experienced the hardships of life in the mountains, so naturally, you don’t know how to find a safe place to settle down there."
Fei Hu was momentarily stunned, then he turned his head and nudged Shuangshuang’s leg with his furry head, happily saying, "Mother is the best, spoils me the most, I love Mother the most."
Shuangshuang stroked Fei Hu’s head fur and fondly thought about how this little furball was getting more and more prone to acting spoiled. But behind them, Tan Feiyu couldn’t help but resentfully say, "You little ingrate, only remembering how good your mother is to you. Is your uncle not good to you? Who gave you tasty treats since you were young?"
Hearing Tan Feiyu’s sulky tone, Fei Hu immediately turned to placate him, sweet-talking, "Uncle is also the best, Fei Hu also likes Uncle."
Lu Tianyi bypassed the playful Fei Hu and Tan Feiyu, walked to Shuangshuang’s side, looked down, and pointed to an entrance on a cliff face, saying, "Sister Shuangshuang, look over there, it seems like a natural cave. Should we go check it out? If it’s big enough, it could save us the time of carving out our own cave for a retreat."
Shuangshuang looked over. The cave entrance was neither too large nor too small, with a platform out front. It indeed looked quite nice, so she nodded, "Alright, let’s go have a look then." With that, she piloted the Flying Heaven Palace towards the cave entrance.
The group was in luck; the interior of this cave was clean and spacious, with a twisting and narrow passage deep inside that led to a rather considerable stone cave.
The most wonderful part was the top of the small stone cave was open rather than sealed. From inside, one could see the blue sky and white clouds above, and the sunlight pouring in illuminated the cave brightly. Around the small cave grew some spirit flowers and herbs that weren’t too rare, and in the center, there was a clear spring.
They blocked off the twisting path leading in with stones, making it hard for anyone outside to see what lay inside. To be safe, Shuangshuang released the Flying Heaven Palace, though much smaller, and everyone settled inside, activated the protective shield, chose spots they liked, sat cross-legged, and began their ascension.
The half-year of cultivation in the Blood Mist Desert had greatly benefited everyone, and as the most diligent, Shuangshuang had unquestionably made the most progress. She directly broke through to Martial Venerate and then advanced four small stages, reaching Martial Venerate Fourth Rank all at once.
Shuangshuang was the first to complete her ascension. Afterward, she automatically began protecting the others, though she didn’t think anyone could come to this place and disturb their advancement.
Second to finish was Bai Sheng, whose original cultivation was of the Martial Sect First Rank. This time, he advanced six small stages, reaching Martial Sect Seventh Rank. Third was Tan Feiyu; his progress wasn’t as rapid as Bai Sheng’s or Shuangshuang’s, advancing only five small stages, reaching Martial General Fifth Rank.
Then it was Fei Hu’s turn. Although Shuangshuang pampered him, she never relaxed the standards for his cultivation, and Fei Hu, who could endure hardships, cultivated impressively, advancing directly to Martial King Sixth Rank.
This achievement delighted Shuangshuang so much that she kissed Fei Hu’s furry head, promising him a feast with no limits once everyone had completed their ascension, which left Fei Hu absolutely thrilled.
Fei Hu had previously overeaten and accidentally upset his stomach, causing several bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. As a result, Shuangshuang had restricted his indulging for a few days, allowing him only meat porridge and nutritional pills to care for his digestive system.
The last to finish was Lu Tianyi. His cultivation talent couldn’t match the others, and he often had his mind on other trivial matters, leading to his distractedness. Therefore, his ascension was the smallest, advancing only from Half-step Martial General to Martial General Third Rank.
Despite the substantial advancements during this ascension, thanks to the prior rigorous training in the Blood Mist Desert, there was no threat of unstable foundations for anyone.
Nevertheless, for the sake of balance and to prevent mental and physical fatigue from excessive cultivation, even the cultivation fanatic Shuangshuang planned to give everyone a break. They decided to find a scenic spot to relax for a couple of days, enjoy the sights, and savor some delicacies.
Speaking of enjoying sights, coincidentally, on their way to Phoenix Feather Country, they would pass by a nation renowned for its stunning scenery—Huazhi Country. Huazhi Country is small and has a pleasant climate, with perpetual spring and flowers blooming year round, giving the country its name.
Huazhi Country, though small, has been well-managed by successive kings who maintain good relations with neighboring countries. Most importantly, it is said to host a dozen Martial Venerates, which, though not remarkable in countries like Baiyue, is formidable enough to deter casual bullying by its foes.
Martial Venerates are known for their high attack power, capable of causing landslides with a mere motion. If such individuals were to disrupt another country and escape without being caught, it would be a major deterrent against undermining Huazhi Country.
Huazhi Country is unmistakably marked by its pervasive flowers. Even from a distance, before reaching it, one can see clusters of beautiful flowers, vibrant as clouds, stretching far and wide.
Huazhi Country is a travel destination, with nine out of ten visitors coming to appreciate its floral splendor. The consumption by these visitors significantly boosts Huazhi Country’s economy.
The group disembarked from the Flying Heaven Palace and arrived at the entrance of the frontier city of Huazhi Country. Unlike other nations’ border towns, this one exudes a gentle vibe, fittingly named Flower City.
Every day, numerous people wish to enter Huazhi Country. Everyone tacitly queues at the city gate to pay the entry fee. Shuangshuang packed away the Flying Heaven Palace and stood in line with the group, waiting to enter Huazhi Country.
The border inspection was simple; one just had to walk through an Array designed to detect evil cultivators. Such Arrays are common at every nation’s border towns, as evil cultivators are as detested as demon cultivators.
It was naturally easy for Shuangshuang and her group to pass through. As they neared Huazhi Country, the air was filled with floral fragrances, whether faint or intense, all very elegant. However, as they entered Flower City, before they could savor the floral scent, they were hit by a strange, delicious aroma!