Chapter Ninety-Four: Mistakenly Entering the Thunder Division

The colleagues around us should withdraw as well, Taibai Jinxing suddenly boomed.

What... there are others too?

Judging by Feipeng's composed expression, he must have known long ago. Yet I had only noticed Taibai Jinxing. Why was the gap between our souls so vast?

Yuan Wuji looked tired. What had happened today had dealt him a blow far too heavy to bear.

"So those fellows have finally left," Taibai Jinxing said with a genial smile to Feipeng and Yuan Wuji.

"Would the two generals care to tell this old man what happened?"

"It was nothing much, merely a bit of sparring with the Divine Ape General. I never expected it would draw so many immortals from all over."

Feipeng waved it off as if it had truly been nothing more than a friendly contest.

Yuan Wuji had no mind to answer Taibai Jinxing's questions, so Feipeng did most of the speaking.

"Divine Ape General, this old man has recently recruited from the lower realms a monkey king no weaker than you. You should go and test yourself against him instead. After all, General Feipeng must guard the Southern Heavenly Gate; this is no matter for jest. Otherwise, you will certainly incur the Jade Emperor's punishment."

Taibai Jinxing spoke as though he were sincerely considering Yuan Wuji's welfare.

But Yuan Wuji's thoughts were elsewhere. He gave a careless reply and, without waiting for Feipeng, left the Southern Heavenly Gate first.

His own primordial spirit could not possibly be so weak that even Taibai Jinxing could sense it while he could not. There was no reason for that.

Absentmindedly, Yuan Wuji cast the Earth-Leaping Golden Light Art and flew on, having no idea where he had gone. He only knew he was heading in the direction of the Eight Divisions of the Celestial Court.

Thunder cracked.

A bolt of lightning, terrifying in its might, came down upon Yuan Wuji. The fierce sense of danger snapped him instantly back to awareness.

"Hm?"

"Who dares strike me?"

He narrowly avoided the blow, though he could not help but bear the scorch marks it left behind. Both his golden-yellow and blood-red monkey fur showed clear signs of singeing.

"This is the Thunder Division's restricted ground. All unrelated people, keep away. Otherwise, it won't end as lightly as before."

From within the thunderclouds emerged two strange creatures, half-man and half-bird, clad in battle armor.

Yuan Wuji's name was known throughout the Eight Divisions of the Celestial Court, but mainly in the Battle Division. In the other seven divisions, people had only heard of him, never seen him, and all they knew was that he was the third disciple of Holy Mother Golden Spirit.

"You bird-brained things, where I go is none of your business!"

He had been attacked out of nowhere, and Yuan Wuji was naturally furious. If that blow had landed, he would at the very least have suffered grave injuries. As for whatever nonsense the two bird-men were shouting, he did not listen to a single word.

"You're courting death!"

"I think you're the ones courting death!"

Since they wanted to fight, Yuan Wuji naturally would not hold back. The severed-head staff in his hand swept out with the might of Geng-metal.

The two bird-men were only at the Heavenly Immortal realm; how could they possibly withstand Yuan Wuji's attack, especially one infused with Geng-metal qi? It was almost a single strike to kill.

"Bad, retreat!"

The force of the staff had already terrified the two bird-men, and they tried to flap their wings and flee.

"Too late. You can't escape."

The severed-head staff was simply too fast. The two bird-men had no chance to run, and could only watch helplessly as it came straight at them.

Just as they thought they were about to die, a massive figure stepped in front of them.

Bang.

"Armor One, Armor Two, what happened?"

For the two bird-men, the sound they least wished to hear on ordinary days sounded at this moment like a heavenly reprieve.

The one who appeared was also a bird-man, though both his build and wings were a full size larger than the two behind him.

"Anyone who blocks me dies!"

Already in a foul mood, Yuan Wuji saw his attack being stopped and his fury only rose. His strikes grew even fiercer.

"You two, step back."

After ordering the two bird-men behind him, the huge bird-man immediately moved to meet Yuan Wuji's assault.

Yuan Wuji still could not see through this giant bird-man's cultivation, but it was certainly not much higher than his own.

He refused to believe that some bird-man could possess power on par with Feipeng's.

The giant bird-man charged at him with the might of lightning, and Geng-metal qi met thunder head-on.

Geng-metal split the lightning apart and struck the giant bird-man in the chest, opening a huge gash. Purple blood began to pour down along the wound.

"Geng-metal qi?"

"Not bad, you know a thing or two."

Yuan Wuji pressed the advantage. Geng-metal qi could effortlessly break the bird-man's lightning, but under the bird-man's control, although the wound made by the Geng-metal qi could not heal, the bleeding was at least contained.

The bird-man also seemed to have realized something. His attacks gradually turned into defense, and even when Yuan Wuji revealed an opening, he did not counterattack.

"Why have you broken into the Thunder Division? What is your purpose?"

Seizing a gap, the giant bird-man instantly withdrew and asked the question that had been on his mind. He even wondered whether Yuan Wuji had come under someone's orders, only for Armor One and Armor Two to have offended him and caused the present situation.

By then, Yuan Wuji had vented most of his anger on the giant bird-man. Hearing the question, he could only feel a little stunned.

This was the Thunder Division. How had he ended up here?

But of course he could not admit that he had merely taken the wrong road. He would just make up some excuse and brush it off. After all, the chief of the Thunder Division would never come looking for trouble with him.

"Go ask those two bird-brains yourself!"

Leaving behind that cryptic remark, Yuan Wuji turned and departed. Sometimes, compared with a carefully reasoned excuse, a vague, unfinished statement worked even better.

"So it really was those two useless fools."

The giant bird-man's face darkened as well, and he immediately turned to find the two bird-men who had left earlier.

If it really was as he suspected, would that lord...?

At the thought of certain possibilities, the giant bird-man could not help shivering.

After leaving the Thunder Division, Yuan Wuji flew toward the Battle Division, his course pointing straight for the Palace of the Mother of Battle.

"No, I have to get to the bottom of this."

Yuan Wuji could not accept why Feipeng had become so much stronger than he was. Even accounting for the difference in cultivation, Yuan Wuji's primordial spirit had already reached the Great Ethereal Golden Immortal level. There was no way the gap between them could be so absurdly large.

At that thought, Yuan Wuji frantically unleashed the Earth-Leaping Golden Light Art, driving his speed to the limit as he shot toward the Palace of the Mother of Battle.

Huff.

Arriving at the palace, Yuan Wuji drew a deep breath and walked step by step inside.

"Master."

Looking at the familiar figure upon the high dais, Yuan Wuji spoke.

"Why have you come to your master today?" Holy Mother Golden Spirit asked.

"Today, this disciple saw Feipeng."

At Yuan Wuji's words, Holy Mother Golden Spirit's gaze shifted slightly, and she fixed her eyes on him.

"What is it? Are you wondering why there is such a difference between you?"

She had struck at the heart of the matter in a single sentence, as if she already knew Yuan Wuji's purpose.

"Yes."

"It is simple. He has cultivated a primordial spirit method. You have not. In fact, most immortals in the Celestial Court have cultivated such methods."

"Then, Master..."

Holy Mother Golden Spirit cut him off before he could finish.

"How many revolutions has your Nine Revolutions Mystical Art reached?"

"Only barely the second revolution."

Yuan Wuji did not know what she meant, but he answered very seriously.

"Wait until you have reached the third revolution, then come back to seek your master. You are not suited for this yet."

It was a veiled refusal, but Yuan Wuji believed Holy Mother Golden Spirit was thinking of him, so he could only accept it passively.