Chapter Eleven: The Third Little Black Bear

Before the words had even faded, Wu Yun shot into the sky like a kite, his entire body wrapped in fine silken threads, set loose and carried away! As he departed, he shouted a few words, then vanished into the clouds.

Jiao Ying was about to attempt a rescue, but the limping old man flung out a large piece of cloth that instantly stretched and transformed—a world of birdsong and fragrant blossoms appeared, a secret paradise like the fabled Peach Blossom Spring, and within this unique space, Jiao Ying was trapped.

"Release my sect's sacred beast!" Liu Ruyan cried out anxiously, and engaged the limping old man in ferocious combat, the two equally matched.

For a long time, neither Moonfall Hua nor Xiao Qi dared venture out to attempt a rescue; instead, the wedding ceremony continued as if nothing had happened. Wu Yun, before being taken away, had actually insisted that the ceremony go on!

It was he who had acted as their matchmaker, he who had brought them together. Without him, there would have been no union. Thus, even if his life was at stake, he was determined that the wedding should be perfect.

High above, Wu Yun looked at the fine threads piercing his entire body and managed a bitter smile. These were millennia-old glacial silkworm threads—not easily burned without the true fire of the three essences.

As for cutting them with a blade, this thread was of treasure-grade quality, possessing extraordinary toughness. Without a Dao artifact, any attempt to sever it would result in the threads snapping back and leaving one's body mangled beyond recognition!

A snap sounded.

By the time Wu Yun's feet touched solid ground, he was already inside a treasure-ship, its formation stones aglow and propelling it rapidly forward.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!"

A burly, dark-faced man fixed his gaze on Wu Yun and pointed to eight ears hanging from iron hooks within the ship. In a low voice, he said, "The ears of the Eight Peaks' Masters—except for Sacred Peak, which is missing one!"

The silken thread swiftly slid out, moving toward Wu Yun's left ear. In the next instant, Wu Yun cried, "You've made a mistake, you've made a mistake! Moonfall Hua is the master of Sacred Peak, and also the sect leader! I have a feud with Shengba as well, and even tricked and killed him!"

The dark-faced man paused, a glint of murderous intent in his eyes, but Wu Yun quickly added, "But whatever you need, just say the word—there's no illness that the Divine Physician Wu Yun cannot cure. Look, Shengba once turned me into a monstrous cloud, and here I am, restored once again!"

The cold murderous air vanished instantly, replaced by a burning gaze so intense that it seemed to scorch Wu Yun's clothes—and even the silken threads themselves were incinerated with precision.

"Yours is so small, you must be lying!"

Murderous intent flared once more, but Wu Yun realized something at once, focused his cultivation, reversed the flow of his blood, and in a heartbeat, said smugly, "Is it bigger now?"

The dark-faced man nodded in satisfaction. "They say Shengba kept a monster cloud as a pet, but it turns out to be his peerless handiwork. A man may become a beast, and a beast may become a man. Watching you, I see you are neither fully man nor beast, but both."

Wu Yun did not comment on those last words, instead urging the dark-faced man to give him some clothes. Once he was wrapped in a silken robe and seated comfortably in a tiger-fur chair, the man asked, "Do you know why I am here?"

"I do. Thirteen thousand years ago, a clan of black bears lived on the Northern Sacred Mountain of the Luo Bing Star. Ah, the Bears of Thunder, who could draw the energies of heaven and earth. You must be one of the three heroes!"

No sooner had Wu Yun finished, than the dark-faced man grew solemn, staring at him for a long while. "You really are a spirit-made cloud. I saw you once when I was young—you could change form, drifting freely on the wind. But back then, I did not know how to fly."

"Little Black, if you have something to say, just say it," Wu Yun replied with a smile. Seeing the man's murderous look, he quickly added, "We've known each other for over ten thousand years, after all. There is a bond, and I will help you resolve this matter."

"Truly?" The man kept his stern face, but once he was sure, he broke into a comfortable smile.

Wu Yun pointed at the eight ears. "Leave those to me. I'll help the Eight Peaks' Masters reattach them—missing ears are such an eyesore!"

"No need. The Eight Peaks' Masters have already been captured by the overlord of Luohe Planet, South Heaven. The remaining elders and inner disciples have been seized by other factions, all seeking to unearth every secret Shengba left behind. As for you and Black Forest Town, that will be divided between me and the Star Battle King of Luo Bamboo Planet."

Wu Yun's face fell. When he had been turned into a monster cloud, it was those Eight Peaks elders and inner disciples who had passed the time telling him stories. How could he have known it would end like this?

"Shengba did all this so his existence would be erased from memory. Those elders and inner disciples are innocent. If you kill them, you will fall right into Shengba's trap!" Wu Yun pleaded, but South Heaven was unmoved. "Heal me, and I'll owe you a favor."

"Can you also heal the Battle King's leg?" the dark-faced man asked hopefully. Wu Yun, as if bitten by a snake, leapt up in anger. "Even if you tore me apart, I could never save that leg!"

"Well then, Little Black, as long as you agree to one thing for me, I'll heal you at once!"

"My name is Bear Third!"

"Right, Little Black Bear Third, just go back and try to persuade the cripple for me!"

...

When Wu Yun returned, Black Forest Town was shrouded in chaos and gloom, with no sense of direction or order, as if the end of the world had come. After Bear Third roared and drove away the scavenging demons and phantoms, the crippled Battle King emerged.

"I have reached an agreement with Senior Wu Yun. If he heals me, I will withdraw from this feud!"

The Battle King, delighted, formed a Tai Chi circle with his hands, releasing a spell as forceful as a true dragon's emergence. With sheer might, he fended off the persistent Liu Ruyan and shouted, "Little Black Bear, you're an utter scoundrel! I want to renegotiate our spoils. I want Wu Yun—you can have Black Forest Town!"

Bear Third's forehead bulged with veins; he shook his head vigorously. "You're both mistaken. The Wu Yun Shengba left behind is the true treasure. Our Northern Sacred Mountain of Luo Bing Star is destined to rise again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Battle King abandoned Liu Ruyan, withdrew his formation, merged with his staff, and charged toward Bear Third!

Bear Third, having done all he needed, made a rapid escape. One after another, they left the planet's protective astral shield and vanished without a trace.

Watching from below, where the wedding of Xiao Qi and Moonfall Hua was still underway, Liu Ruyan felt thoroughly uneasy. She had come for vengeance, only to see the sacred beast she had guarded so diligently switch sides!

She dearly wished to destroy the entire Black Forest Town, but at this moment, if she persisted, Wu Yun would surely vanish without a trace. What she longed to know most was the true relationship between the sect's sacred beast and Wu Yun.

This was a matter of life and death for the entire sect!

So she summoned Jiao Ying, and with a single sweep of his wings, he outpaced even the crippled elder's man-and-cane fusion technique!

...

"Are we safe now?"

After a long while, Bronze Furnace, still stroking his chest in a failed attempt to calm his nerves, ventured a question—just as, from beyond Black Forest Town, a rough voice rang out: "Black Forest Town belongs to these three lords! But outside its borders, I, Steward Zhang of Luo Yang Star, have reserved the whole place for myself!"

The threat was unmistakable—if Moonfall Hua and the other inner disciples of Sword Mountain Sect dared step outside...

"Master, perhaps I should give up my Elder title and be demoted to outer disciple instead!" Bronze Furnace wailed. On this day of supposed great joy, Moonfall Hua and Xiao Qi showed no hint of emotion as they stepped into their bridal chamber.