Lighting Lanterns in the Mountains and Seas

Shi Chun pondered, "You don't need to worry about manpower on this front, I can handle it."

He originally didn't plan to let too many outsiders get involved; it would affect his actions and easily expose his secrets.

After the two finished their long conversation, Shi Chun asked Feng Chi to escort Cui Cai to rest. For now, Cui Cai couldn't be allowed to leave, so they could consult him at any time.

After Feng Chi returned, he saw Shi Chun gazing from the railing on the terrace and asked, "When are we forming a team to go to Yanfu Continent?"

Shi Chun replied, "Let's wait a few days, we'll set off once Xun Gate is constructed."

Feng Chi was surprised, "That soon?"

Shi Chun turned his head and said, "Invite Young Master Nan to come over."

Feng Chi immediately took out the Mother-child Talisman to contact Young Master Nan. These days, there are many places to make money here, and various leisure spots are also starting to emerge, so Young Master Nan spends most of his time here, happily calculating accounts with different people every day.

Upon receiving the summons, Young Master Nan put everything down and rushed over urgently, asking upon meeting, "What are your instructions?"

Shi Chun didn't stand on ceremony, "The Golden-haired Rat Clan has been troubling you for a long time, I plan to relocate them soon, keep the territory reserved for them, they might migrate back."

"It's up to you." Young Master Nan was indifferent, and cheerfully changed the topic, "Once Xun Gate is built, it'll make travel here convenient, saving you from flying back and forth long distances..."

In the Western Ox Continent's Thousand Wu Mountain, there's a desolate brown-red mountain, seemingly ordinary, yet it's a sacred place for the Phoenix Clan, known as the Fire Nest.

Deep in the mountain, there's a spacious cave with a stone platform resembling a bird's nest, built from ancient scattered rocks. Amidst the ashes on the platform, there's a three-feet-long black, egg-like object.

It's not actually an egg; it's the condensation of the Phoenix Clan's corpse after being bathed in fire.

The smell of burnt Death Refusing Incense permeates the cave.

Although there's no visible fire on the platform currently, the residual heat remains, with a group of high-ranking Phoenix Clan members circled around the platform, including the clan leader Feng Xi, each staring gravely at the black egg.

"Why is there no response yet?" Feng Xi glanced around at everyone and asked in doubt, "Is Feng Yin's corpse fully gathered?"

A woman replied, "It's complete. When Niu Qian escorted it here, I checked it personally. Though it was dismembered, it was pieced together completely without errors."

Feng Xi was puzzled, "Then why is there still no response? We've used the Death Refusing Incense three times already."

After Feng Yin died in the Battle of Great Pardon, since he battled on behalf of the Phoenix Clan, his corpse was returned and the Phoenix Clan decided to use the precious Death Refusing Incense to resurrect him.

The first attempt failed; after summarizing the reasons thoroughly, they tried again shortly thereafter, but failed again. After carefully reviewing for a long period, they carried out the current third attempt, but it still didn't work.

This made everyone feel somewhat baffled.

An elder crouched down in the ashes, personally pressing his hand on the egg to examine it before pondering, "The birth sign should be correct; it's indeed complete. Why can't it awaken? The process surely has no issues; it can't be wrong three times in a row. Did something happen when the corpse was delivered?"

Feng Xi shook his head, "Since the birth sign is a complete form, there shouldn't be any issues with the corpse. It's strange that we can't wake it three times consecutively; are there no recorded instances of such bizarre events in the Phoenix Clan's history?"

As everyone pondered, someone tentatively asked, "Now we have little Death Refusing Incense left; should we continue trying?"

Everyone fell silent; if the Death Refusing Incense ran out and something happened, to one of those present for instance, there would truly be no chance of resurrection. However, leaving Feng Yin was not an option; he was lost fighting for the Phoenix Clan.

"Report! Clan leader, great news—another Reversing Soul Tree has appeared on the Divine Mountain..." A Phoenix Clan member dashed in, breathlessly reporting this with excitement.

Upon hearing this, Feng Xi and the others were indeed overjoyed, yet when their eyes fell upon the egg within the ashes, they felt troubled again...

The faint Netherworld remained filled with ominous Yin Qi.

A void gateway tore open, with the figures of Shi Chunhe and Wu Jinliang flashing out one after the other, and after discerning the direction, they flew towards the distant mountains.

With their cultivation at this stage, if it wasn't too far, they were too lazy to take out the Wind Scale.

At this moment, Wu Jinliang finally knew where Shi Chun was going to find a loophole for those billions of miscalculations; he realized that Qilin A San possessed certain abilities of perception, and thinking about freely coming and going to Yanfu Continent made him excited to the point of wanting to bounce with every step.

They found Huang Yingying's secluded cultivation spot amidst the chaotic mountains.

After confirming their identities, Chu Jingtang, who was secretly guarding, emerged to greet them, "Master."

Shi Chun nodded in greeting, raising his chin toward the cave entrance at the foot of the mountain, "Is Huang Yingying alright?"

Chu Jingtang said with admiration, "He won't have any issues; the sorcery he's cultivating now is frightening, he could kill me as easily as squashing an ant. Honestly, I think we don't need to protect him anymore; if a threat that even he can't fend off appears, neither I nor Lao Chang Tai could guard him."

As they discussed protection matters, Shi Chun suddenly recalled something and conjured the 'Boundless Banner' out of thin air, saying, "I have something heavy here, even with my magic I can't move it. See if you can handle it."

Chu Jingtang doubted, "If you can't move it with your cultivation, how could I possibly manage it?"

Shi Chun replied, "It's different; you cultivate the Water Manipulation Technique."

Chu Jingtang was puzzled, "Alright, show me, Master."

Shi Chun shook his head, "I can't release it; if it falls, the ground will collapse and sink, and it'll be troublesome to put it back in. You can check inside with your magic; take it out if you can handle it."

Chu Jingtang, curious, grabbed hold of the Boundless Banner and used his magic to explore inside.

Wu Jinliang was also curious and asked, "What's this mystery all about?"

Shi Chun replied, "It's the magical treasure of that Water Mansion Grandmother's grandson from the Battle of Great Pardon; I took it after killing him. I'm not sure what it is either."

"That thing, huh." Wu Jinliang acknowledged, recognizing it.

When Chu Jingtang explored inside the Boundless Banner and saw the blue misty black pearl, his face turned curious and uncertain. Suddenly hearing the Water Mansion Grandmother's name, he exclaimed, "Mixed Sea Pearl, my god, it's the Mixed Sea Pearl. Master, you've actually obtained the Mixed Sea Pearl..."

Seeing him so excited, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang exchanged glances, with Wu Jinliang curious, asking, "Huzi, is this thing very good?"

Excited, Chu Jingtang closed his eyes, sensing the treasure inside the Boundless Banner while exclaiming, "It might be a burden for you, but for someone who cultivates the Water Manipulation Technique, it's absolutely of supreme treasure class. It has extracted the essence of countless water domains... Let me put it this way, this pearl compresses the equivalent of a vast ocean. If I can refine it for my own use, my assaults would be like heaven collapsing, and my defenses like being isolated by endless waters. Even those in the Heavenly Immortal Realm wouldn't easily harm me. It's truly incredible to think, how could someone with such a protective treasure easily fall to the Master's hand?"