Chapter 1144 - The Lord of Clouded City
“Fellow, please listen to me. You’ve killed and devoured the Featherfolk King. The featherfolk will never forget about this. You are creating future problems for yourself! You’re dreaming if you think you can become some Featherfolk King.”
The Cloud Shadow Crane King’s words were for sowing discord, yet they also described the actual situation.
Li Fengyuan looked around. Sure enough, none of the featherfolk cultivators tried to hide their hostility. Outsiders struggled to imagine Bai Chen’s status in the hearts of featherfolk.
Between the white towers in Clouded city, the featherfolk raised their heads fearfully. The magnificent phoenix wings were like burning clouds, shining with gorgeous colours.
“Mummy!” A featherfolk child was filled with fear.
“Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid!” The mother embraced her. When she raised her head, her eyes full of worry met the phoenix’s eyes.
Their names appeared in Li Fengyuan’s head, along with their history. Right now, he possessed a sense of familiarity towards all featherfolk like they were his own clansmen. He understood this was the influence from Bai Chen’s spirit and memories. He thought, You wanted me to be a little more attached to them?
He could not help but feel slightly speechless. In the final moment, Bai Chen had chosen to give up everything. Had he been touched by Bai Jie’s great sacrifice, or was it because he realised his efforts of revival were all futile? Perhaps it was a combination of both.
People were not trees and gra.s.s. How could they be devoid of emotion?
They desired survival because of their emotions, but they also threw themselves at death because of their emotions.
However, in comparison to this tiny bit of “emotional burden”, the benefits that Li Fengyuan had received were immeasurable. Because Bai Chen had not put up any resistance at all, allowing him to devour and digest him, he had basically inherited another complete legacy. That included Bai Chen’s seven thousand years of comprehension towards cultivation, as well as all of his powers.
The power and legacy was so tremendous that he struggled to digest it all in a short period of time.
Meanwhile, if they had clashed to the very end, even if he was fortunate enough to defeat Bai Chen and then survive the heavenly tribulation after that, he would be in a state of having just undergone the third heavenly tribulation, and he would be extremely feeble too. The legacy went even more without saying.
It was like the clash between two enemies, the difference between surrendering and fighting until the last man standing. The end results were worlds apart.
Li Fengyuan fell silent, sinking into his thoughts.
Seeing this, the King of Eastern Lu smiled. The wise always adjusted to the circ.u.mstances, let alone the divine bird, the phoenix. His army was pressing over right now. Just who could stop him?
The honoured guests all a.s.sumed a formation at the front with the White Dragon King supporting them from behind. The King of Eastern Lu and the Cloud Shadow Crane King were prepared to launch a decisive strike at any moment. This had already become a war between kingdoms, not a mere clash of abilities.
Li Fengyuan said, “I know how much they like Bai Chen, and I also know how much they hate me…”
“As long as you understand, fellow.”
The Cloud Shadow Crane King breathed a sigh of relief. Unless he had no other choice, he really did not want to oppose a phoenix. Perhaps this was the instinct of all avians.
However, Li Fengyuan added a twist. “However, what does that have to do with me? I’m just doing what I want to do. It’s not something their feelings can change.”
“Alright. I may be reluctant to make an enemy out of you, but all we can do is fight today!”
“All featherfolk, return to the city!”
Under Li Fengyuan’s orders, the featherfolk all looked at one another. Even if they ignored the fact that it was an order from the enemy, the formation of Clouded city was currently without a controller. Would they not just be waiting for their deaths if they returned to the city now?
Li Fengyan said nothing more. He was confident that he could basically take on the entire Cloud province here, and it was not just because of his personal strength. Otherwise, just the Cloud Shadow Crane King would be enough to keep him busy, much less protecting Clouded city.
Bai Chen had left him one other gift, which was Clouded city.
Suddenly, Clouded city surged with white light, flowing down every street like a river and gathering in the central palace. A column of light rushed into the air, merging with Li Fengyuan and dyeing his every single feather pure-white. It was like he had become a white phoenix.
Bai Chen had given him all the authority over the entire formation to him. He had bought some time earlier precisely for the sake of establishing complete control.
The featherfolk cultivators looked at one another. This was the authority that only past Featherfolk Kings possessed, and gaining control over the entire Clouded city basically made him the actual Featherfolk King too. They communicated between themselves.
“What do we do now?”
“If we keep fighting, we’re all going to die here. Should we retreat elsewhere instead?”
“Shut up! If the city stands, the people stand. If the city falls, the people fall! If anyone dares to desert the city, you will be a traitor of featherfolk, condemned by the people and the world!”
“Then let’s return to the city for now. This is for the sake of the featherfolk!”
There were several flashes and over a dozen streaks of light returned to Clouded city. Featherfolk moved so quickly that they almost topped the entire world. No one could stop them in time.
“Oh no!” The King of Eastern Lu’s expression changed drastically. Originally, he wanted to use Clouded city to keep the featherfolk cultivators here before taking them out in one fell swoop, but he never expected them to slip away. He called out, “Listen up! Attack the city at full force!”
He controlled the Cloud Province cauldron and the King of Lu’s Seal, even the sky full of rainbow clouds, sending it all towards Clouded city.
The Cloud Shadow Crane King used the Crane’s Cry Rings Through the Heavens, the White Dragon King roared furiously, and all the great cultivators unleashed their special attacks. Energy surged and flowed like a flood. For a moment, they almost seemed capable of rocking the world.
The barrier of light around Clouded city had already become extremely thin. It definitely could not block the attacks.
Li Fengyuan had been expecting this. Landing in Clouded city, he turned into a handsome young man who called out loudly, “Everything depends on this. Give me your strength!’
Just as the other featherfolk hesitated, the mother who held her child lit up with the first speck of light. Compared to her hatred, she wanted to protect her child more.
Specks of light lit up throughout the city. All of the featherfolk, regardless of their strength, shone with white light. It merged with the roaring river of light, gathering in the main palace.
Boom!
Clouded city shook violently, like a lone boat in a turbulent flood. The towers and palaces collapsed one by one.
Li Fengyuan stood on the palace ceiling and sensed the unprecedented power gathering in him. This was a condensation of all the will and power of the featherfolk. He gazed at the sky sternly. Was this enough to block it or not?
The featherfolk looked at him as well. The flowing white light seemed to unfurl as a pair of pure-white wings. They seemed to see Bai Chen again.
Time moved extremely slowly. Every second was elongated, turning into a form of torture.
If the formation fell, all would go to waste.
However, while the thin barrier of light did shake around, on the verge of destruction, it never shattered. It was far st.u.r.dier than anyone had imagined it to be.
A smile spread across Li Fengyuan’s face. He swung his hand again, and the pillars around the city and in front of the main palace all lit up. The humanoid statues with faces of birds crouching on there suddenly sprang alive, flapping their wings and receiving the King of Eastern Lu’s army. There were almost a hundred of them, and every single one of them was equivalent to a Puppet King.
As soon as the statues left Clouded city, several of them were smashed to pieces by the flow of energy, but they also managed to nullify most of the attack.
The barrier of light stabilised and gradually thickened.
Li Fengyuan controlled the statues, modifying their formations to hold back the King of Eastern Lu’s army as he ordered the featherfolk cultivators, “Don’t just stand there! Go and fight back!”
The featherfolk cultivators were reluctant to follow his orders, but they could only pull together in the face of trouble now. They were never skilled in close combat, so they stood in Clouded city and unleashed their attacks to their fullest extent.
Light whistled through the air as lightning split across the sky, working with the statues to fend off the King of Eastern Lu.
Li Fengyan looked at the sky. The black ma.s.s of tribulation clouds slowly dispersed. The beautiful light from the sun accelerated the recovery of the barrier of light. That was the true source of energy for Clouded city’s main formation. The more time they bought, the stronger the formation would become.
A figure suddenly blotted out the sun. The Cloud Shadow Crane King loomed over the entire place, meeting Li Fengyuan’s eyes and sending sparks flying.
“Give up, phoenix!”
“Rise, Clouded city!”
Li Fengyuan raised his hand, and Clouded city rose up into the air, hurtling towards the Cloud Shadow Crane King.
The Cloud Shadow Crane King extended a foot, standing on Clouded city gently and stopping its rise. He continued to blot out the sun with his colossal wings.
With a phoenix cry, Li Fengyuan rushed into the air and launched a palm strike at the foot through the barrier of light.
“Even if you’re a phoenix, you’ve only just undergone the third heavenly tribulation, so how can you…”
The Cloud Shadow Crane King suddenly sensed an overwhelmingly great power flow out beneath his foot. He was actually unable to contend with it. He glanced inside the city and immediately understood that Li Fengyuan had gathered all the power from the featherfolk. That was something only the Featherfolk King could achieve.
Ripples appeared on the barrier, and the two forces collided violently. Clouded city continued to rise up stubbornly, rising until it reached the atmospheric wind layer.
The higher it climbed, the sharper the atmospheric winds became, whistling as they slashed at the barrier of light. The barrier immediately dimmed slightly, but the atmospheric winds diluted the constant attacks from the King of Eastern Lu as well, greatly diminishing their power.
Through Bai Chen’s memories, Li Fengyuan understood that this had always been the most ordinary way that Clouded city functioned.
The formation possessed the function to fend off the atmospheric winds. If any enemies attacked, they could raise the city into the atmospheric cloud layer, and the enemy would struggle to do anything.
The formation’s defences were limited, so it could not reach too high of an alt.i.tude, but it was enough to ensure that no enemy could climb higher than Clouded city. Otherwise, if any random person could cut off its energy source, would the city not just be a joke?
It is no wonder that even the Great Xia empire is powerless against the featherfolk. This Clouded city is basically made for war, well beyond anything that some White Dragon King or Scarlet Dragon King can compare to. It’s a pity that it’s been weakened far too much by the heavenly tribulation in the beginning, preventing the use of its various attacks, or why would they fear a measly King of Eastern Lu?
A few crane feathers drifted down, but they were all sliced apart by the atmospheric winds before long. Even the Ten Daemon Kings could not reside so high up in the atmospheric wind layer for long. The Cloud Shadow Crane King descended helplessly.
Before the light could even shine on the city properly, there was a great rumble and the Cloud Province cauldron crushed down on the city.
Seeing how they were actually about to slip away, the King of Eastern Lu ran out of patience, unleashing the Cloud Province cauldron at full strength.
The cauldron that gathered the power from the Cloud province’s landscape was extremely heavy. Clouded city began to sink again. The atmospheric winds left marks on the cauldron, but they struggled to cause any actual damage in such a short period of time.
If this continued, Clouded city would fall to the ground before the Cloud Province cauldron was destroyed.
Li Fengyuan made up his mind. He opened the barrier of light, and the Cloud Province cauldron whistled down with the atmospheric winds.
Li Fengyuan rushed straight at it.
Boom!
The palace was reduced to ruins, and Li Fengyuan vanished too.
The featherfolk all paled in fright. Before they knew it, he had already become their backbone. If even he fell in battle, then the featherfolk would be in danger of devastation.
The Cloud Province cauldron weighed down on Clouded city and continued to sink, but a bellow rang out from the ruins below the tripod, “Close!”
The barrier of light closed up again, forcefully swallowing the Cloud Province cauldron.
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Li Fengyuan supported the cauldron with both hands as blood flowed down his face, turning into flames. He called out, “You don’t want this anymore? Then give it to me!”
At that moment, he was a spitting image of Li Qingshan.