Chasing the Sun

Qin Huai exhaled slowly, the terrifying energy coalescing into what seemed like a gentle energy sword. In an instant, it pierced the ground over ten meters away.

Standing up, he flexed his muscles, feeling the vigorous surge of qi and blood within his body. The intensity of this power seemed to amplify with each passing second.

Lowering his gaze, Qin Huai studied his arm. The well-defined muscles pulsed with his thoughts. He gently flapped his wings.

Boom!

He vanished instantly from his original spot, leaving behind a whirlwind. The storm roared, toppling trees in its wake. Qin Huai had inadvertently cut them down with his wings.

“What astonishing speed,” Qin Huai observed, looking at the ground beneath him before glancing back at his previous position. He ran his fingers over the lustrous gray feathers. “This pair of wings is far more resilient and sharp than I imagined. Its prowess surpasses even that of a treasured weapon.”

With extreme speed came extreme offensive power. Flapping his wings, Qin Huai soared into the sky. The earth shrunk beneath him, while the entire Qingzhou City sprawled out before his eyes.

As he refined the Kun Peng seed, his vision too had amplified, allowing him to discern even the smallest details. From several kilometers above, he could see the insects on the ground and even make out the patterns on a seven-spot ladybird.

Overwhelmed by his enhanced eyesight, Qin Huai felt slightly dazed. It was as though he had gained access to a world he couldn’t ordinarily perceive. Once he adjusted to his new vision, he set his sights on Lingkou Pass.

Boom!

With a deafening sound, Qin Huai disappeared once again.

…

At Spirit Gate, Qin Huai found himself standing alongside Gou Jie. “Where is Brother Xiang?” he asked, puzzled.

Xiang Mingfeng had been steadfastly guarding Lingkou Pass, his cultivation efforts relegated to a grass hut nearby. His presence was needed to coordinate operations and mobilize manpower as the vice leader of the Qingzhou Alliance.

Gou Jie had a complicated expression. “That fellow… he went off chasing the sun,” he revealed, leaving Qin Huai taken aback. Gou Jie elaborated further, “That lunatic wants to use the sun as his treasure.”

Qin Huai frowned, finding this audacious idea far-fetched. “Does that guy want to be a god?” Refining the sun into a guardian spirit item seemed an impossible feat, destined to end in disaster.

“Maybe he suffered too much of a blow,” Gou Jie mused.

This stirred Qin Huai’s curiosity. “Something happened at Wuji Mountain?”

Gou Jie explained, “Over the past few months, Kong Binghuang had several encounters with an important figure of the Sacred Heart Sect, but without a clear winner. But half a month ago, Kong Binghuang was lured into the mountains by Zhou Chuanyong of the Sacred Heart Sect, and they fought there…”

Qin Huai tensed at this information. Kong Binghuang was an important combatant on their side and had managed to draw significant attention from the Sacred Heart Sect. If he died, it would increase the pressure on Lingkou Pass and the ten counties of East Qingzhou.

However, Gou Jie’s tale took an unexpected twist. “I didn’t expect that Mountain Chief was actually hiding his strength,” he sighed. “In the previous exchanges, he’d been pretending to be weak, waiting for this opportunity.

“The ensuing battle had been earth-shattering, with a mountain peak decimated in the process. But just as Kong Binghuang was about to win, another person appeared.”

Gou Jie’s voice trembled as he narrated the next part, “That person used just one move to defeat him.”

Qin Huai’s eyes narrowed in shock at this revelation. “One move?!” he echoed, incredulous. Kong Binghuang, one of Qingzhou’s top three figures, defeated in a single move?

“There was no sneak attack, no tricks. He just defeated Mountain Chief in one move,” Gou Jie clarified.

Overcoming his initial shock, Qin Huai steadied his voice and asked, “And then?”

Impressed by Qin Huai’s resilience, Gou Jie shared the rest of the tale. “That person didn’t kill Mountain Chief, but let him go,” he said with a bitter laugh. “The other party didn’t put Mountain Chief in his eyes at all. Instead, he reprimanded Zhou Chuanyong, and the two of them left.”

He went on to explain the aftermath, “Mountain Chief is now in a slump, hiding in Wuji Mountain. Xiang Mingfeng is off chasing the sun, and She Wanshan has taken control of the situation at Wuji Mountain. Fang Huo and Le Ji’an have also started to cultivate, leaving me to guard Lingkou Pass.”

Gou Jie let out a sigh, jesting with a hint of exhaustion, “Hey, Lord Alliance Master, why don’t you just give me the second vice alliance master position on account of my hard work here?”