Chapter Thirty-Five: Above the Great Lake

Southern Breeze gently instructed Zhou Yu and the others to attach the Wind Rush Talismans to their calves before leading them forward at great speed.

With the talisman in place, Zhou Yu felt himself weightless, as if a single gust could sweep him away. Each step carried him several yards ahead, and he leapt forward with ease. At this moment, Southern Breeze herself abandoned her ceremonial carriage, gliding at the head of the group. Her newly changed robes fluttered about her, ethereal as a fairy.

Dozens of people moved like a flotilla of small boats sailing through a sea of wild grass, breaking the waves beneath the brilliant moon. Zhou Yu, running swiftly, attuned himself to the Wind Rush Talisman; a lively energy flowed ceaselessly from it, spreading through his body and negating his weight.

Soon, Zhou Yu arrived at the lakeshore with the Southern Breeze clan, where he saw, from a distance, hundreds gathered beside the lake. As he stepped closer, he was struck speechless by the frozen surface. It was spring, peach blossoms had already faded, and yet the lake surrounded by lush waist-high grasses was entirely sealed in ice! More astonishing was the vastness of the lake—its boundary barely discernible. To freeze such a massive expanse would require unimaginable power.

“Miss Southern Breeze, please come this way,” called an envoy from the Northern Star clan, beckoning from afar. Over there, envoys from various sects and factions clustered together, seemingly deep in discussion.

Zhou Yu glanced their way, then surreptitiously checked his wristwatch, which glowed faintly.

“How much energy do you have left, Baidu Spirit?” Zhou Yu asked inwardly.

The spirit did not manifest, but her voice sounded in Zhou Yu’s mind, “Two percent remains. The moonlight is bright tonight, and unless there’s a major energy output, the input and absorption should balance.”

Zhou Yu nodded slightly, “Good. Let’s see what they’re discussing.”

He hid his wrist among the waist-high grasses, letting the green light from his watch disperse under their cover.

“The Beast Sect has already entered,” an envoy explained to Southern Breeze.

“But there appears to be unusual danger ahead. We dare not venture in recklessly. Miss Southern Breeze, your clan’s wind-listening technique is renowned. Could you demonstrate your skill?” requested the envoy from Northern Star.

Southern Breeze laughed behind her hand, “You men are just like cats—hungry for fish, yet afraid of the smell.”

The other envoys blushed; one with a stern face replied earnestly, “This concerns all living beings. We implore you to act for the greater good.”

Southern Breeze giggled, waving her hand, “So it’s Sect Six of the Artificers—no wonder you sound so ‘righteous and dignified.’”

Sect Six realized she was mocking him and was about to retort before Southern Breeze interrupted.

Her laughter faded; she grew serious, “All pancakes must be bought with money. What benefit will I receive?”

The Northern Star envoy smiled, “If we witness the Holy Beast with our own eyes, it will be an honor. If—by chance—we gain more... well, that depends on skill and luck. We guarantee nothing, only that we hope to form an alliance and complement each other’s strengths.”

He paused, then continued, “The people of the Spirit Realm should have arrived long ago. The Beast Sect has proceeded as well. If we don’t act soon, we may not even glimpse the Holy Beast. Miss Southern Breeze, do you think acting separately gives us more hope than the Spirit Realm? Only by forming an alliance can we hope for success.”

His persuasion was not masterful, but it struck at the heart. Were they truly here at the lakeshore simply to enjoy the view?

Southern Breeze considered briefly, then agreed. A legendary Holy Beast—even the slightest chance to seize it would tempt anyone.

She closed her lovely eyes, feeling the wind’s message. After a moment, she opened them, a faint fear flickering in her gaze.

Those around her waited anxiously. The Northern Star envoy whispered, “How is it?”

Southern Breeze bit her lip, “We must prepare for the worst. The energy at the lake’s center is overwhelming—the wind cannot penetrate it, so I cannot know. But around the lake…”

She paused, her voice heavy, “There are over twenty corpses, likely members of the Spirit Realm…”

“What?” The envoys exclaimed in shock.

If deaths occurred near the Holy Beast at the lake’s center, it would be expected, given its formidable power. The Spirit Realm would not have sent people without preparation, especially with the Beast Sect experts in sealing beast spirits. It should not have been so perilous.

But in this situation, the Spirit Realm had suffered casualties before even reaching the Holy Beast—over twenty dead. The Spirit Realm’s might was enough to make all sects revere them; twenty disciples together rivaled a medium sect’s strength, yet they died en route!

“Anyone else?” the Northern Star envoy asked. If Spirit Realm members died before reaching the Holy Beast, it wasn’t the beast’s doing, implying something even more sinister.

“I sense no one else—they must have entered the lake’s center. The Beast Sect is also nearing the center, but they are unharmed,” Southern Breeze added.

It seemed those unknown enemies had entered the lake’s center.

“We move out,” said the Soul Sect envoy. “The Spirit Realm is surrounded and attacked. We must aid them—this world cannot lose the Spirit Realm.”

Everyone nodded. The world could survive without the Holy Beast, but not without the Spirit Realm, humanity’s pillar.

The envoys returned to their teams, gathering their forces and advancing toward the lake’s center.

The Southern Breeze disciples gathered in the middle, using their wind-listening technique to sense their surroundings and guard against surprise attacks.

Zhou Yu moved with the crowd, secretly relaying everything he heard to the old man, hoping for analysis.

Unexpectedly, the old man replied blandly, “Even the Sword Sect was annihilated. Is it so strange that Spirit Realm members are being hunted?”

The words were spoken casually, but Zhou Yu took them to heart. A thought flashed through his mind, and he whispered to the old man, “If both the Sword Sect and Spirit Realm are eliminated, who benefits most?”

“Of course the Demon Clan,” the old man answered without hesitation.

“If the Demon Clan could do that, would they have waited until now? I heard this generation of the Sword Sect was the strongest. The Demon Clan couldn't finish them before, so it’s even less likely now,” Zhou Yu reasoned.

“But the fact remains—the Sword Sect was wiped out,” the old man said.

A gleam appeared in Zhou Yu’s eyes. “So there must be something odd here. Remember how Yue Ming said he was hunted by the Xuan Army? Which force do they belong to?”

The old man replaced his flask at his belt, “The Xuan Army is the elite of the Xuanming Kingdom—ten thousand strong, each a seasoned warrior with at least a hundred kills. These fearless, disciplined men, when gathered in tens, even demon generals avoid their blades.”

“If I’m right, Xuanming Kingdom should be the strongest nation in this world, yes?” Zhou Yu asked.

The old man nodded.

“And Xuanming Kingdom’s true strength is not weaker than the Spirit Realm?”

“Perhaps…”

“The current king of Xuanming is a powerful ruler?”

“I’ve heard so.”

“Then that explains it. Xuanming Kingdom is the mastermind. Their strength rivals the Spirit Realm; if the Spirit Realm can withstand the Demon Clan, so can Xuanming. They annihilated the Sword Sect, let the Demon Clan in to exhaust the Spirit Realm and the other sects, then, at the critical moment, Xuanming steps in, repels the demons, subdues all sects, and conquers the human world.” Zhou Yu’s reasoning grew firmer as he spoke.

When he finished, the old man gave him a sideways look, “You show promise as a storyteller.”

Zhou Yu was taken aback, “Is my deduction not logical?”

The old man drank, “It’s not that it’s illogical—it’s just impossible.”

“Why?” Zhou Yu pressed.

“The Sword Sect was loyal to Xuanming Kingdom, and the current Spirit Realm master, Ling Youzi, was once the crown prince of Xuanming. He renounced the throne to cultivate, earning his current strength. And you suggest Xuanming is the culprit?” the old man said.

Zhou Yu was stunned—he hadn’t known any of this. How could he be blamed? He thought and asked, “How do you explain the Xuan Army hunting Liu Yueming?”

The old man was silent for a while. “That is indeed the most inexplicable part. Perhaps the Xuan Army mistook Liu Yueming for the culprit.”

Suddenly, Zhou Yu stepped on a protrusion. Looking down, he found it was a chunk of raised ice. The lake surface was covered in solid ice, and these protrusions troubled him.

As they pressed onward, the protruding ice became more numerous.

Suddenly, the vanguard stopped.

The Northern Star envoy gazed ahead, nervously calling out, “Who’s there?” He wondered why the Southern Breeze disciples’ wind-listening technique hadn’t detected the young man standing before them.

There, on the solid ice not far away, a young man stood alone, his back to the crowd, motionless, like a statue carved from ice.