The Tragic Kun Peng Clan

“We call it the spirit prison,” Long Huixing said. “Once trapped, your spirit body disintegrates instantly, becoming nourishment for the next opportunity to manifest.” He wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead. “In other words, while we vie for a significant opportunity, that same opportunity waits to devour us… I almost overlooked this.”

“You’d do well to remember,” Qin Huai retorted, his gaze falling upon the tragic scene by the lake.

“I indeed forgot,” admitted Long Huixing, a bitter smile playing on his lips. “Truth be told, it’s been a while since I last ventured into the spirit world. The horrors outside are enough to drain me.”

“Isn’t the Great You’s royal family essentially puppet-like?” Qin Huai asked nonchalantly as they followed Bai Shiquan’s trail toward the Golden Spirit Temple.

“Puppets have their work cut out for them too, you know…” Long Huixing chuckled wryly before sharing a few tales of their hardships. To sum it up, he and his companions spent their days being paraded around by the powerful elites, humiliated both publicly and privately. A pitiful plight, indeed.

“So, what about the Golden Spirit Temple Bai Shiquan mentioned?”

“It’s a renowned opportunity within the spirit blood level, a place where dozens of Buddhist Sect sages breathed their last,” explained Long Huixing. “Their souls, unlike the pure white of ordinary people, are pure gold. This golden spiritual energy condenses into tiny pagodas. If you meditate within one, the energy seeks your body and refines your blood and qi. Yet, the real attraction is the chance it offers to cleanse your tendons and marrow, a rebirth of sorts. This allows for the refinement of the legendary invincible vajra blood.”

Long Huixing’s voice filled with awe as he continued, “In the past, warriors with invincible vajra blood had a single drop of blood that was similar to a precious weapon. It was immune to all poisons, and its power was impenetrable.

“Even a natural-born king would have to back down when facing a martial artist with invincible vajra blood. But remember, the Golden Spirit Temple only emerges once every hundred years. If not for Bai Shiquan’s reminder, I might have forgotten about it.”

“If that’s the case, we should take this opportunity at the Golden Spirit Temple,” Qin Huai declared slowly. Although his body was already formidable enough, even Bai Shiquan from the white tiger clan, whom Long Huixing had previously deemed invincible, paled in comparison. Yet, no matter how mighty his essence and body were, no one would turn down a chance for further power. Especially, the prospect of invincible vajra blood seemed like it could potentially counter the blood heart technique’s blood control.

“Aside from Bai Shiquan, is there anyone else we need to be wary of?” Qin Huai asked, enjoying the ambient fragrance permeating the spirit world.

“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have to be very cautious. But, with the Golden Spirit Temple’s appearance,” Long Huixing paused for a moment, “I anticipate that the top experts from the eight royal clans, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism will not miss out. Apart from the Great You’s royal family, the Kun Peng clan from Qingzhou may also be a concern.” As he mentioned this, Long Huixing carefully watched Qin Huai’s expression for any signs of recognition.

“What about the Kun Peng clan?” Qin Huai asked, feigning confusion.

“When the eight royal clans claimed the Great You, the Kun Peng clan chose the remote Qingzhou, an area largely uninfluenced by the three sects. They thought it would be an easy conquest. However, they met with unexpected resistance,” explained Long Huixing, a helpless smile tugging at his lips.

“At first, the other races couldn’t comprehend the Kun Peng clan’s motives, but it has become clear. They probably aim to conserve their strength and wait for the eight royal clans and the three great sects to weaken each other. It’s just that they didn’t anticipate the formidable opposition in Qingzhou.”

“Who could possibly surpass the three sects?” asked Qin Huai, his face a picture of curiosity.

“In the past, a Qingzhou emperor harnessed the spiritual power of Qingzhou as a protective charm for his body, fortifying his spiritual altar with the incense and faith of Qingzhou’s inhabitants. No one in Qingzhou could equal him,” Long Hui said, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

“The eight kings from the eight royal clans were dispatched to challenge him, but each one fell to the emperor’s strength. An army of one hundred thousand was decimated in a single move. You could even call it a miracle!” Long Hui exclaimed.

“And the Kun Peng clan bore the brunt of it all. Their top-notch experts were nearly annihilated, and they lost more than half of their crucial forces.” Long Hui paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, “It was only when the powerless Kun Peng clan took control of this place that they used their longer lifespan to torture the emperor to death.”

“From that moment, the eight royal clans subtly began manipulating the dynastic shifts within the Great You, capitalizing on humanity’s inherent vices.” Long Hui couldn’t help but notice the look of surprise that kept crossing Qin Huai’s face. His heart stirred slightly, suspecting that this monstrous creature was likely from Qingzhou.

“What kind of monster is this…” Qin Huai sighed. The story never failed to astonish him, no matter how many times he heard it. “There’s a secret about the eight royal clans I can share with you,” Long Hui said, rolling up his long sleeves. “Because when the Emperor of Qingzhou was alive, the other seven royal families hadn’t set foot in Qingzhou for ten thousand years. Not even once!”

“As the captain of the guards, you seem to know quite a lot about the eight royal clans.” Qin Huai simply smiled, choosing not to probe further. “By your account, there should be at least nine individuals as formidable as Bai Shiquan among the six clans and three sects.”

“That’s correct!” Long Xing replied, leading the way before halting abruptly.

Meanwhile, Qin Huai spotted a golden light piercing through the trees and flowers ahead. He stepped forward, watching as a spire rose slowly from the ground.

Numerous individuals, each with an extraordinary aura, sat perched on the surrounding treetops, all within close proximity of the Golden Spirit Temple. Qin Huai carefully studied the temple and its surroundings, a radius of about a hundred meters. “So, the spirit prison will materialize within this hundred meters?”

“Yes, until the Golden Spirit Temple is fully formed, its emitted golden light will act as a potent blade,” Long Huixing confirmed, nodding. “Enter the hundred-meter zone, and your body will be disintegrated by the golden light, serving as nourishment for the emergence of the Golden Spirit Temple.”

“In other words, the Golden Spirit Temple won’t appear unless enough lives are lost?” Qin Huai questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the sound of a rushing wind from behind filled the air. A fist, riding the gales and accompanied by the splintering noise of breaking trees, rapidly approached Qin Huai.

A cold glint flashed across his eyes as he retaliated with a swift whip kick. His attacker exploded upon contact, turning into spiritual energy that filled the sky and integrated into Qin Huai’s body.

“This feeling… It’s incredible,” Qin Huai muttered, his gaze sparkling.

At this point, Bai Shiquan’s voice echoed in their ears once more. “Your guard boasts an extraordinary vitality.”

Looking up, Qin Huai and Long Huixing spotted Bai Shiquan atop a tree, less than ten meters away.

“The saying ‘a starved camel is still bigger than a horse’ holds true. The dragon clan may be in dire straits, but they still have such talent in their service,” Bai Shiquan sneered, looking down on Qin Huai.

“But serving the dragon clan has its consequences,” he added, his voice colder than ice. “Just like your journey to the Golden Spirit Temple, you’re doomed to be cannon fodder.”