Chapter 350: Stolen Effort
Feiyun has finally left his cultivation session. He didn’t make it to the lake just yet before two more half-step Giants took action to kill him at the last moment.
These were two old corpses dressed in purple with talismans floating above their heads. They had a battle potential comparable to ordinary half-step Giants and launched their strongest attacks before Feiyun could reach the tablet.
The other Giant from the temple took action as well with his crescent moon.
The power of three Giants crushed the vegetation and stones nearby to a pulp. The ground was lit with a raging fire.
However, all three were stopped! The figure wrapped in flames fought against the three half-step Giants. Their battle took them all the way above the clouds.
Feiyun knew time was of the essence. His body slightly shifted and disappeared from the peak before emerging again by the tablet. At the same time, the tablet lit up. The words “Nalan Hongtao” became blindingly dazzling and turned into a majestic and towering figure.
Everyone was entirely absorbed by this scene. Although many didn’t hope for his victory, there was still a sliver of expectation inside them. After all, everyone wanted to witness a piece of history in person.
Feiyun stood on the lake with his mind as calm as ever and a sharpness in his eyes, not to mention the highest level of self-confidence. However, he wasn’t in a hurry to attack and channeled his energy while boosting his battle intent.
He must reach his peak condition before fighting against someone like Nalan Hongtao. The smallest mistake would result in his defeat and death.
“Boom!” Feiyun finally took action. There was no fancy prelude, only all of his strongest means at once. The flood of energy encompassed the entire lake.
Nalan Hongtao’s avatar also unleashed its strongest blow.
The battle instantly became intense since there was no need to gauge each other. All they wanted was to win.
Even though the battle between half-step Giants in the sky was much more terrifying and magnificent, everyone here was focused on the center of the lake.
The water itself had been frozen then boiled until it evaporated.
“Will Feng Feiyun be able to defeat Nalan Hongtao at the same level?” No one dared to blink since they might miss this wondrous battle.
Feng Feiyun roared: “Break!”
“Crack!” A tearing power erupted with a white brilliance that nearly blinded all the spectators.
Nalan Hongtao’s body finally shattered like a statue being knocked down. It split and dispersed into smoke.
The powerful name on the tablet gradually turned faint and blurry before disappearing completely.
“Feng… Feng… Feng Feiyun has defeated Nalan Hongtao, a legendary character at the same level…” Although many had a hunch that this would happen, they were still shaking when it became reality.
After all, the significance behind this was too great. This type of shock was no lesser than seeing a god being taken down.
“Feng Feiyun just needs to carve his name on the tablet and it will grant him its providence, allowing him to become a supreme hero in this generation, the main character without peers.”
***
The tablet was thirty-three meters high like a hill with a layer of protective light. If one couldn’t defeat the mark of the wise sages, they would never be able to break this layer even if they were Giants.
Feiyun was contemplating while standing in front of the tablet. However, it wasn’t about carving his name. He cared more about the runes at the top of the monument and their connection to the ancient altar on Mount Banda.
The runes were too high and protected by the barrier. Only entering would allow one to find some more clues.
“Rumble!” A gap on the barrier widened like a tiny door and was about to close shortly after.
One must enter before the gap closes!
Feiyun was going to enter, but a sharp windbreak came from behind him with unreasonable speed. Despite using his Swift Samsara, he was still almost run over.
“Boom!” A golden ray flashed by Feng Feiyun and blew him a dozen meters away.
It was a carriage! The imperial dragon carriage!
“Feng Feiyun, you think I would be so kind as to help you? I was only using you. So what if you can defeat Nalan Hongtao? All you have done is make my wedding dress.” [1]
The princess controlled the carriage and initiated the eight dragon souls. She instantly arrived inside the protective light.
Only this carriage would command this type of speed; it was able to cross the entire Jin Dynasty in just one day. Even a Giant would have no chance of catching up to it. Because of this, she was able to seize the opportunity and rush in when the gap appeared.
“Damn you, woman! You still haven’t married yet you dare to wear my wedding dress?!” Feng Feiyun’s demonic blood was boiling with anger as his body flashed. He recklessly rushed into the barrier a second before it closed.
Both the imperial carriage and Feng Feiyun disappeared without a trace after entering the barrier.
“Princess Luofu is quite wily. She used the carriage to enter the moment the barrier was opened. Not just Feng Feiyun, she used everyone else here.”
“She wants the providence from the tablet in order to justify her reign as an empress in the future.”
“What a shame, Feiyun risked it all to beat Nalan Hongtao only to have someone else take his harvest.”
***
All the cultivators standing by the shore stared at the tablet, waiting for the result. Both Feiyun and the princess have entered the barrier. Which of them will be able to leave their name? The princess went in first and she was stronger than Feiyun, so it seemed that her chances were much more optimistic.
After entering, Feiyun found that the tablet ahead was very different from the view outside.
This was an independent realm belonging to the tablet alone.
The already-towering tablet was even more magnificent and taller than the highest peak. It emitted a natural and awe-inspiring aura. Others couldn’t help but prostrate in worship.
So its real form was a gigantic white peak!
Figures were suspended at the different heights of this peak. Each of them had a white glow. They stood there, unmoving, in a solemn and sacred manner. These were the guardians.
At three feet up the base, a cute boy was hovering among some rocks. He looked like a young immortal apprentice in pictures with an ethereal body. However, he stared at the peak with a pious look.
Fengyun’s mood sank while staring at the boy. He remembered that this was the guardian of early Spirit realm, Ji Saleng.
The boy left his name at such an early level. He used to be a supreme prodigy of a generation. Alas, his face didn’t have the same arrogance his avatar portrayed earlier. He seemed to be suppressed by some power and looked very humble.
He continued upward. Not long after, he saw the intermediate Spirit realm guardian. This was a little girl even younger than Little Demoness named Hua Qingyao.
Her expression was the same as Ji Saleng. Both of them were humbly looking at the top of the mountain as if they were on a pilgrimage.
He continued up the path and saw the guardians at the peak Spirit realm, early, intermediate, and peak Immortal Foundation, and early and intermediate God Base. All of them were extremely famous characters written down in history with their names carved on the tablet.
However, Feiyun didn’t see a glimmer of spirit in them. On the contrary, it was a docile temperament of a slave. This astounded him in addition to instilling fear in his heart.
‘No, no way. They are the greatest at their own level, so they should be arrogant and proud of their talents. No one can force them to submit.’ Feiyun thought that all of this was an illusion.
He finally saw the guardian of peak God Base near a cliff — Long Jiangling. This was the only empress of the Jin Dynasty in its long course. She was invincible during her era and her prestige forced everyone to kneel.
Such a character wouldn’t appear again for several more thousand years.
Feiyun noticed that her ethereal body standing by the cliff didn’t have the traces of an imposing and royal aura.
The imperial carriage stopped right there. Princess Luofu was stunned while standing next to the empress, unable to accept this reality.
Feiyun felt the same way. This historic empress was also piously staring at the top of the peak. It looked as if she could kneel at any second.
Both of them felt cheated and couldn’t accept this.
“Haha!” The princess bitterly smiled: “You liar…”
Feiyun spoke from his lower position: “One must pay a great price to gain the tablet’s providence. Pies don’t fall from the sky.”
“What do you mean?” A golden veil was covering the princess’s face. Her eyes were dignified and inspiring. She had a beautiful golden robe, elegant and poised just like her. She was only nineteen, yet she exuded a seasoned aura.
“You must leave behind a strand of your soul in order to carve your name on this tablet.” Feiyun’s eyes turned serious.
1. It means that spending a lot of effort only for someone else to take the benefits.