Chapter 1212: Meeting Up

The Nine-Headed Bird was in a dire state. Despite having nine lives, eight of them had been instantly extinguished, leaving it with only one. This ability was its race's greatest reliance, yet it had been completely crippled.

"Boom!"

Just then, an unparalleled aura emanated from the distant sky. A colossal crimson fierce bird appeared, its eyes like twin suns, casting a blood-red glow over the heavens. Its body was so immense, entirely red, that it seemed to fill the entire southern sky, its massive form and surging vital energy visible everywhere. Undoubtedly, though it was countless miles away, this was a manifestation—a projection of its true self!

"Ancestor!" the Nine-Headed Bird immediately cried out, filled with both excitement and shame. He was on the verge of being killed and finally saw his ancestor's projection in the void.

At the same time, a silver elder dragon appeared, flapping its immense wings, its gaze cold and terrifying as it projected its formidable presence onto the scene. For a moment, lightning flashed and thunder roared, as if an apocalyptic tribulation was descending. If these beams of light were to truly fall, all cultivators at the Golden Body level would perish. This silver elder dragon's body was equally massive, filling the eastern sky with countless, gleaming, and intimidating scales, as dragon energy surged and engulfed the firmament.

At this critical moment, a large, furry hand extended downwards, blocking all lightning and isolating the energy that the crimson fierce bird and the silver elder dragon were about to unleash.

"Don't be sore losers. Your descendants are inferior in skill; you have no one else to blame," a Golden-winged Great Peng said as it appeared. It was immeasurably vast, its back like Mount Tai, its wings like clouds descending from the sky, covering the heavens and radiating immense power.

"Hmph!" the crimson fierce bird in the sky snorted coldly and vanished swiftly.

The elder dragon's face was grim, its pupils chillingly cold as it stared at the remains of the Twelve-Winged Silver Dragon on the ground. After a long pause, it too faded away and disappeared.

With the departure of these few elders, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. Had it not been for the ancestors of the Six-Eared Macaque and Peng races manifesting, most people would have collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably, or even exploded into a bloody mist.

The ancestors vanished! However, Divine Kings arrived, each with a different expression.

"Haha, well done!" A domineering voice, full of swagger, came from a very handsome young man. This was Mi Hong, the elder brother of the Monkey and Mi Qing, and a Divine King! Chu Feng had met him before and even confronted him at the Beast Fighting Arena, where he and Old Gu had audaciously summoned seventy to eighty Divine Kings from the dark domain to challenge Mi Hong. This was why the Monkey had always claimed that those of the "De" generation were no good, as he felt his elder brother had been bullied by Ji Dade.

"Xiao Tian, Xiao Qing, you both did well," Mi Hong said with unconcealed praise. He paid no attention to the cold, blade-like gaze of a Silver Dragon expert nearby. Additionally, there was a red-haired young man, seemingly young but actually having lived for many years—he was a Divine King of the Nine-Headed Race.

"Brother!" the Nine-Headed Bird cried out weakly, feeling profoundly ashamed. He had always been conceited, but today he had disgraced his family. They hailed from a forbidden area, yet he had been beaten, losing eight heads, with the ninth nearly gone.

"Let's go!" his brother, the Divine King, spoke with a somber face. He opened his mouth and spat out a crimson glow, sweeping up the Nine-Headed Bird, then collecting Uncle Lan and Sixth Uncle from the ground. He then transformed into a completely crimson fierce bird and soared into the sky.

"Don't go!" the Monkey called out, still relentless.

"Forget it. Their race's ancestor manifested, and Divine Kings appeared. We must show them some respect," Mi Hong said. Then, he turned with a cold smile to the Silver Dragon and the other grim-faced Divine Kings who had flown over. "Everyone, please leave. Bullying is not tolerated here."

Finally, the Silver Dragon snorted, then vanished in a flash, taking with it the large piles of dragon scales and broken bones on the ground. It did not pursue the matter or demand accountability. Before leaving, everyone glanced at Chu Feng, finding the young man incredibly unsettling; his combat power was absurdly strong, capable of single-handedly challenging and killing a group of people. Moreover, they all knew that Cao De was the main force behind defeating the Sub-Saint!

"Excellent! I look forward to your rapid growth!" Mi Hong smiled handsomely, showing goodwill towards Chu Feng and encouraging him. He added, "Being of the 'De' generation, you are much more pleasing to the eye than some others, making one feel good about you!"

Nearby, many hearts trembled. This was Mi Hong, a top expert among Divine Kings, showing such high regard and closeness to Cao De. However, Chu Feng himself was speechless, wishing he could say that there was only one person in the "De" generation—him, him, and always him! He pondered what expression the Monkey's elder brother would have when the truth was revealed.

Mi Hong patted Chu Feng's shoulder, very affectionately, saying, "Very good. I look forward to you standing beside me in the future. Oh, and spar more with my little sister; she's excellent too." The handsome Six-Eared Macaque Divine King Mi Hong truly thought highly of Chu Feng, even willing to let him get closer to his sister. The Monkey scratched his ears and cheeks, wanting very much to object!

Mi Qing, with her bright eyes and pearly teeth, smiled charmingly. She greeted Mi Hong, swaying his arm, her ethereal aura instantly transforming into sweetness.

A group of Divine Kings departed, leaving behind a ground covered in blood.

"Monkey, are you sure you're from the same mother? Look at your elder brother, and your sister—their skin is like jade, crystal clear. Then look at you, covered in fur."

"Go to hell!" the Monkey roared in anger.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Nearby, all the Golden Body level cultivators were profoundly shocked that such a major incident had simply concluded. Cao De's killing of top figures in the Golden Body domain, and gravely injuring the First Saint, Kun Long, was destined to make his name famous throughout these encampments, attracting attention from all sides. The combination of Cao De, Monkey, Peng Wanli, Mi Qing, and Xiao Yao had also formed a cohesive force, deterring experts from all quarters. People had witnessed how united and fiercely they fought, crushing the Nine-Headed Bird and the Twelve-Winged Silver Dragon.

"Everyone, quickly go rest. The Dao Integration Gathering is in two days!" An old servant of the Six-Eared Macaque race appeared and informed them of this. Chu Feng nodded, turned, and went into seclusion. He needed to adjust himself to optimal condition, preparing to compete with Divine Kings and Saints for opportunities and good fortune. There was only one Dao Integration Grass; everyone would sit around it, and it was still unknown who would benefit the most. Theoretically, Divine Kings would gain the most, but this wasn't an unchangeable truth.

For instance, some individuals carried special artifacts within them, like the small furnace inside the Monkey, obtained from a forbidden area, which could help him purify essence and refine Dao fruits of order. Similarly, Peng Wanli had a lamp within him, excavated from an unknown ancient tomb, whose flames could purify various substances. Such artifacts were semi-energetic, existing between reality and void. In fact, Chu Feng also possessed one: the small millstone. It was originally black and white, but ever since he journeyed through reincarnation, the mysterious substance within him had been successfully refined on the reincarnation path, yielding a mysterious and novel material that integrated into the small millstone, turning it dull grey. To this day, Chu Feng had not yet tested its power. However, one thing about it was astonishing: it could obscure heavenly secrets, making it undetectable by outsiders.

While Chu Feng was in seclusion, the Monkey, with a face full of smiles, paid his respects to an old monkey, saying, "Thank you, Ancestor, for your intervention!" The old monkey, with a solemn and majestic appearance, was covered in golden fur, had a prominent snout, and golden pupils, much like Mi Tian. He sat cross-legged in a large tent. However, the old monkey was very quiet, not scratching himself, and appeared extremely composed.

"Sigh, do you truly think I wanted to intervene? If you hadn't made a blood oath, and there was truly no other way, would I have broken ties and fought them to the death?" The old monkey admonished Mi Tian, informing him that this time he had expended many favors. Upon hearing this, the Monkey's expression immediately changed. "Ancestor, if I hadn't made a blood oath, would you really have abandoned Cao De?"

"What do you think?" the old monkey glanced at him without directly answering.

"This... I don't believe it! How could we act like that?!"

"Sit down!" the old monkey rebuked. "In your eyes, is there only black and white, no grey area? Cao De is a promising talent, but when several powerful ancestors are making trouble, if it's possible, I wouldn't have torn ties to protect him!"

The Monkey immediately became unhappy.

"Enough, why am I saying so much to you? It's better for you to remain pure for now. Young people should be full of passion and fighting spirit; just maintain this state. Otherwise, by the time you reach my age, your heart will have become corrupt, shining with darkness!" the old monkey sighed. He, too, had been like the Monkey in his youth—sincere, unrestrained, passionate, and intolerant of injustice—but gradually changed. He felt that he should not over-indoctrinate the Monkey now; otherwise, once the Monkey reached his age, his heart would surely be dark, perhaps even losing his true self.

Upon hearing this, the Monkey was instantly speechless. The old monkey became impatient. "Alright, stop dazing. People always change. Do what's appropriate for your age. Don't be like that Nine-Headed Bird, who is so self-righteous and thinks that playing small tricks can control everything, when in fact he has lost his ambition. As I said before, I now allow you to make mistakes; just be yourself. Whatever happens, I'll cover for you!"

On the same day, an elder from the Red-Scaled Crane race arrived, seeking justice for Chi Lingkong, causing trouble for the Nine-Headed and Silver Dragon races across the world, wanting to initiate a life-and-death battle. Ultimately, he was dissuaded, and someone promised him certain conditions.

Two days later, Chu Feng, Monkey, Peng Wanli, Mi Qing, and others emerged from seclusion to attend the Dao Integration Gathering. This was a pure land, a small secret realm nestled within the mountains surrounded by the Divine King encampments, where clouds steamed and mists glowed, and the Dao Integration Grass was placed. Chu Feng and his companions arrived, seeing many people along the way: those at the Divine and Saint levels, top Divine Kings, and even familiar faces like Li Jiuxiao. Chu Feng had once humiliated Divine King Li Jiuxiao with a "rain" that lasted a whole season. At the same time, he also saw Ji Caixuan. These two had actually joined the same faction, even though their families had previously been somewhat antagonistic. However, Li Jiuxiao had been pursuing Ji Caixuan. These two Divine Kings were renowned in this domain, consistently ranking within the top ten. Moreover, if the rankings were to change, their positions would advance significantly!

The area was incredibly sacred, with orchids and herbs blooming everywhere, purple qi steaming, and immortal energy permeating.

"Brother Long is here too! His injuries actually healed!" the Monkey nudged Chu Feng, signaling him to look at Kun Long ahead. However, Chu Feng didn't pay attention to him; he was drawn to another figure. His heart jumped as he saw a woman who seemed to be Qin Luoyin. She had also arrived.