Chapter Twenty-Six: The Dragon’s Roar and the Phoenix’s Cry

After Chu Linfeng left the Hundred Flowers Valley having entrusted everything to the others, the group began executing their plan with intense urgency. Tang Ying was left behind to look after the three injured men in the cabin.

As fate would have it, Tang Ying’s sympathy got the better of him the previous night. Fearing the men might die, he fed them a bowl of medicinal soup. By the early hours of the morning, one of the injured men awoke, sent Tang Ying flying with a single palm strike, and fled the scene. Given his cultivation at the Mountain-Shaking Realm, even in his severely wounded state, the frail, elderly, and disabled members of the Hundred Flowers Valley could not stop him.

Consequently, the group, who had originally planned to retreat at sunset, was forced to accelerate their schedule and flee at dawn. Seeing the aggressive contingent from Misty Peak approaching, the members of the Hundred Flowers Valley huddled together in fear, with the wingless Li Gan shielding them like a mother hen. There was no other choice; Li Gan, at the first stage of the Heaven-Reaching Realm, was the highest-cultivated person left in the valley.

Li Gan raised his eyebrows and probed with his spiritual energy, sweat beading on his forehead. Among the fifteen people approaching, ten were at the third or fifth stage of the Heaven-Reaching Realm, three were in the Mountain-Shaking Realm, and one had reached the Void-Ascension Realm! As for the old man leading them, his cultivation could not be sensed at all.

What did it mean when one could not sense a cultivation level? It meant either the person had no cultivation, or their level was at least three major realms higher than one’s own, making them impossible to fathom without divine artifacts. This was why, aside from two disciples, no one in the entire Capital Academy knew that Zhang Zhengdao possessed cultivation, not even Huang Dingkun, who was at the Spiritual Void Realm. It seemed that, apart from the Peak Master and the eldest young master, almost the entire strength of Misty Peak had been deployed.

"Great Elder! They are the ones who wounded the Second Young Master!" The man speaking was the one who had escaped earlier that morning.

"Great Elder?" The members of the Hundred Flowers Valley gasped in horror. Could he be Ye Buqun, the long-famed expert of the Great Vajra Realm from Misty Peak? The half-brother of the Misty Peak Master, Ye Aotian! Ye Buqun was originally surnamed Yue. He had been the favored disciple of the old Peak Master, and due to his exceptional talent and rapid progress, the old master had adopted him and changed his surname to ensure he remained to anchor Misty Peak.

"Who wounded my nephew? Come out and face your death!" The old man’s voice boomed like a bell, causing the valley members to cover their ears in pain.

"Great Elder, the man who severely wounded the Second Young Master claimed to be the fifth-generation master of the Hundred Flowers Valley. He seemed to call himself Chu Lingchong..." As the man whispered, Ye Buqun’s eyelids twitched. What a flashy name! It sounded like it was destined to be his bane.

"Which one is Linghu Chong! Get out here, old man!" The moment these words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze.

Li Xiaoxue, standing to the side and listening to their bizarre conversation, pondered for a moment. Recalling how Mo Youqian had just muffled Tang Ying’s mouth, she couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't that person be called Chu Linfeng?"

"Right, right! I remember now, it’s Chu Linfeng!" The man corrected himself immediately. The Hundred Flowers Valley group was shocked—what deep grudge did this young girl have against their valley master to push him into the fire like this?

"Little girl, who are you?" Ye Buqun glanced at Li Xiaoxue. Her cultivation at the third stage of the Mountain-Shaking Realm was truly stunning for her age.

Li Xiaoxue ignored Ye Buqun, turned to the members of the Hundred Flowers Valley, took out her communication device, and displayed a picture to them. "Is it him?"

The valley members covered their mouths, saying nothing. The man from Misty Peak stepped forward and took a look. "Yes, that’s him! I’d recognize this bastard even if he were burned to ashes!"

"Hahaha! Little girl, you’ve done well! After we finish here, come up the mountain with me. I happen to be lacking a female disciple! I will certainly treat you well!"

Li Xiaoxue still ignored Ye Buqun and turned back to the valley members, asking, "Is he currently your Valley Master?"

They remained silent. Mo Youqian, terrified that the dim-witted Tang Ying would start talking again, held his hand over Tang Ying’s face so tightly that it turned from red to purple, nearly suffocating him.

"Hahaha, good disciple, stop asking. They won't say a word now; let me handle this!" Ye Buqun took two steps forward. "Chu Huchong! You had the guts to commit violence, but no guts to come out? I’ll count to one. If you don't show yourself, I’ll slaughter them all!" Before the echo of his words had faded, he added, "One!"

The members of the Hundred Flowers Valley looked at him with disdain. Could this old man be any more shameless?

"Old man, I was the one who wounded him and severed his leg. If you have the ability, come at me, Li Gan. I’ll pay him back with two of my own legs, and if that’s not enough, I’ll throw in this arm too!" Li Gan gritted his teeth and stepped forward. With such a powerful force from Misty Peak blocking their path, escaping unscathed was unlikely; he hoped his own limbs might be enough to settle the debt.

"You wounded him? What a joke. Ye Chen could end your life with a single finger! Chu Huchong, I’ve finished counting; it’s too late for you to come out now!"

With that, Ye Buqun crossed his fingers into an orchid gesture in front of his chest. Leaves from the surrounding trees rose and swirled around his body. "Misty Leaf Blades!" he roared, and hundreds of leaves transformed into blades, shooting toward the group.

"Old Valley Master! Your servant comes to meet you!" Mo Youqian pushed Li Gan aside and stood tall, intending to block the blades for the others.

*Snap!* Just as the blades were about to hit them, a loud explosion rang out. Li Xiaoxue swung her whip, causing a chasm to erupt in the earth. Mud and stone surged into the air, forming a thick wall that blocked all the flying leaves. Both sides were caught off guard by this display.

"Good disciple, what is the meaning of this?" Ye Buqun asked suspiciously.

"Who is your disciple? You aren't qualified to be my master!" Li Xiaoxue’s retort sent Ye Buqun into a rage. He was a powerhouse of the Vajra Realm and the second-in-command of Misty Peak! Countless women had knelt at his bedside begging to be his disciple, and he had refused them all. To be rebuffed so mercilessly in front of so many elite disciples was an utter humiliation.

Just as Li Xiaoxue finished speaking, a husky came running from afar, tongue lolling. Li Xiaoxue had been so focused on finding people that she had been running at full speed—leaping three hundred meters at a time—and the short-legged husky had been unable to keep up, only managing to track them by scent. The husky reached Li Xiaoxue, rolled on the ground, and whimpered pitifully, "Awoo~"

Ye Buqun, already furious, saw the husky run right into his path. He unleashed a flurry of strikes—left kick, right kick, flowing movements—and hit the dog with a series of rapid-fire blows. "Awoo! Ow... ow..." With a shrill cry, the husky was kicked into the sky, disappearing like a shooting star.

"What are you doing!" Li Xiaoxue’s willow brows furrowed, her eyes blazing with anger as she saw her dog being struck.

Seeing her beautiful, angry expression, Ye Buqun’s rage instantly turned to delight. He assumed the dog was her pet, and he thought it was a marvelous strike that made the owner scream with fury. He gave an evil, charming smile. "Hahaha, little girl, that is the price for angering me. This time it was your dog, next time it will be you!"

Li Xiaoxue raised her whip to strike him. Ye Buqun, though his style was a bit feminine, was not stupid. As a true Vajra Realm expert, he had noticed that Li Xiaoxue had managed to neutralize his attack with a single whip strike, implying the weapon was likely a rare treasure. He had been prepared. As she raised the whip, he grabbed the lash with lightning speed.

"Ah, good disciple, so you like using a whip? I happen to like candles. Once we’re done here and back at Misty Peak, we can go into my room and discuss this properly!"

"You old, perverted degenerate!" Li Xiaoxue gritted her teeth, pulling on the whip, but it wouldn't budge.

"Hmph! A mayfly trying to shake a tree; how overconfident. Today, I will let you witness what a true Great Vajra Realm expert is capable of!" He raised a palm toward her. "Misty Evil-Shattering Palm! Ya—!"

The palm strike erupted with a dark, sinister force. Li Xiaoxue, focused only on reclaiming her whip, had no time to defend. She took the blow head-on, sent flying along with her whip, and crashed into the crowd of the Hundred Flowers Valley.

"Miss! Miss!" Everyone cried out in alarm, rushing to catch her, only to be knocked over by the force of her impact.

Once on the ground, Li Xiaoxue propped herself up with one hand and spat out a mouthful of blood. "Miss, are you alright?" The crowd gathered around her.

Ignoring her own injuries, Li Xiaoxue saw the one-eyed boy whom Mo Youqian had just muffled. She grabbed his arm and shook him. "Sister knows you won't lie to me. Tell me, is that Chu Linfeng really your Valley Master? Where has he gone?"

"Miss! Please, shake him gently. Little Ying isn't right in the head; don't shake his brains out!" Mo Youqian quickly cautioned.

"A woman?" Tang Ying stared at Li Xiaoxue, confused. "Mo Grandpa, I don't think this woman is a bad person!"

Even Tang Ying could tell, and Mo Youqian knew it too. Firstly, her appearance didn't look like a villain’s—no bad person had the divine face of a heroine. Furthermore, in such a critical moment, who else would risk their life to step forward?

"Ah, Miss! I didn't know if you were friend or foe, so I didn't dare tell you. Chu Linfeng came to our valley a few days ago and became our Valley Master..."

Became Valley Master after just a few days? Only Li Xiaoxue would believe such a story, having experienced similar things herself.

"Then where is he now?"

"Miss, we are on our way to rendezvous with him. He is at..."

*Boom!* Before Mo Youqian could finish, Ye Buqun stomped on the ground, creating a massive crater. "Good, good, good! You dare chat in front of me? It makes me so angry! I might as well send you all to the underworld so you can chat on the road!"

Seeing Ye Buqun charge, Li Xiaoxue stood up and shouted, "Everyone, huddle together and start a fire to keep warm, now!"

What? Huddle together and start a fire? What did that mean? Were they missing a plate of melon seeds? Should they also boil tea over the fire? This was a rhythm that would kill the conversation entirely!

*Snap!* Li Xiaoxue lashed out with her whip, pushing back Ye Buqun, and shouted again, "No time to explain! Do it!"

The group didn't ask again. They hurriedly gathered wood, set it on the ground, lit it, and huddled around.

"Mystic Frost of the Nine Heavens!" Once they were ready, Li Xiaoxue roared, her hands flipping as cold energy surged from her palms. Instantly, the sky turned dark, a blizzard swirled, and the earth froze. Nine frost dragons spiraled out from the sky.

The sudden drop in temperature made the disciples of Misty Peak, dressed in light robes, shiver. They tried to move forward to stop her, but the blizzard was so intense they couldn't even stand.

Ye Buqun was shocked by the technique, which could summon such massive power. *This girl has a divine whip and divine skills; she cannot be an ordinary disciple. It’s better to resolve this peacefully!*

"Little girl! I spoke out of turn just now. I don't wish to be your enemy. If you stop protecting these people, I will let bygones be bygones!"

As Ye Buqun spoke, Li Xiaoxue, her spiritual energy drained from the technique, spat another mouthful of blood onto the snow. She wiped the corner of her mouth and said, "You old transvestite! I am protecting them, no matter what!"

Hearing this, Ye Buqun’s scalp felt like it was exploding. In the dozen years since he had entered the Vajra Realm, no junior had ever dared to curse him to his face like that.

"Since you seek your own death, don't blame me! Ya—!" Ye Buqun channeled all his true energy and struck out with both palms again. "Misty Evil-Shattering Palm!"

"Go!" Li Xiaoxue commanded the Nine Frost Dragons, which roared toward Ye Buqun.

The moment the dragons collided with the palm force, heaven and earth seemed to shatter. Everyone behind Ye Buqun, except for the disciple in the Void-Ascension Realm, was blown away by the sheer force of the impact!

"How is this possible!" Ye Buqun gasped in shock. He hadn't expected a technique used by someone in the Mountain-Shaking Realm to withstand a blow from the Vajra Realm, let alone gain the upper hand.

The nine frost dragons coiled around the palm force, devouring it. Within moments, the palm energy was consumed, and the dragons shrank by half. They then charged toward Ye Buqun, who had no time to defend and was knocked down. The roaring dragons, carrying the power of ice, repeatedly crushed him before dissipating into the snow.

"Great Elder!" The disciples of Misty Peak and the Void-Ascension Realm expert rushed forward to check on him.

Ye Buqun’s face was mangled and unrecognizable. "I’m fine!" he said, trying to climb up, only to cough up another mouthful of blood.

"Great Elder, your face!" the others exclaimed. Ye Buqun touched his face, and a piece of blood-soaked flesh fell off, revealing the bone beneath. Everyone in the peak knew how much the Great Elder loved his looks—so much that while others carried sect tokens, he carried a mirror.

"NO!!!" Ye Buqun knelt in the snow and roared toward the sky.

"Great Elder, we’ll avenge you!" The Void-Ascension Realm man drew his sword to charge. Ye Buqun wanted to order a retreat, but he saw Li Xiaoxue, who had just used her technique, swaying and finally collapsing into the snow.

"Kill her! Skin her! Strip her bones!" Ye Buqun roared.

Li Xiaoxue, lying in the snow, gripped her whip tightly and murmured, "Little Phoenix, it's up to you now..." Then, she lost consciousness.

The group huddling by the fire saw Ye Buqun’s face half-destroyed and were about to cheer when they saw Li Xiaoxue collapse into the blood-stained snow. Li Gan rushed forward, and the female disciples of the Hundred Flowers Valley hurriedly shielded her.

*Biu!* With a single finger, the Void-Ascension Realm disciple flicked Li Gan away. He laughed triumphantly, "A bunch of trash, trying to stop me? The Great Elder is injured, so it’s my turn to be the protagonist! This girl is quite the beauty; once I catch her, I’ll do this... and then that!"

Li Gan, lying in the snow and injured by that flick of energy, couldn't move. He could only shout, "Run! Hurry!"

"Run? Today, not one of you will..." Before the man could finish, a phoenix cry that resonated through the heavens pierced the air.

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"