Chapter 619 - 615: Peacock King

Chapter 619: Chapter 615: Peacock King

’What is this?’

Hong Yu stared at the motionless peacock before him. Suddenly, the nine hundred-odd Peacock Maps he had seen along the way flashed through his mind.

Those peacock reliefs had all transformed into lifelike peacocks.

Every single one of them was strolling and dancing in the void.

Some of the peacocks fanned their massive tail feathers, brilliant power erupting from their bodies. This was their most primordial form, incomparably sacred and dignified.

Others stood mid-air, striking out with a claw.

These claws seemed unremarkable, yet they could shatter a mountain peak.

Still others beat their wings like divine birds, capable of rivaling even a Divine Phoenix.

’Daoist Principles! This is the power of Daoist Principles! What an uncanny method, to be able to display the peacock’s Daoist Principles in their most primordial form. The senior who carved this Thousand Peacocks Map must have been a supreme master!’ Hong Yu was incredibly excited.

He immediately sat down cross-legged on the ground.

He continuously recalled the Peacock Maps as countless peacocks spun through his mind.

At first, he could only see the peacocks.

But he faintly sensed traces of Daoist Principles within them.

So, Hong Yu activated his Shadow Martial Space. Inside, a shadow that had already turned golden began to imitate these peacocks.

Fanning its tail, hunting its prey, taking flight...

As the golden shadow mimicked them, Hong Yu’s understanding of the Daoist Principles depicted in the Thousand Peacocks Map grew clearer. The once-blurry traces gradually sharpened into focus.

The feeling was addicting.

Hong Yu was completely immersed in his comprehension within the Shadow Martial Space. He felt a thrill of excitement, especially when one peacock suddenly lashed out with its talons and shattered a mountain peak.

That single claw strike seemed to be in perfect harmony with the Celestial Dao.

’So a Claw Technique can be this profound! An attack like this... it’s so powerful!’ Hong Yu felt an inexplicable tremor in his heart.

The Shadow Martial Space operated continuously.

It was draining his Spiritual Power, but Hong Yu wasn’t the least bit worried. He had complete confidence in his Spiritual Power reserves.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The golden figure rushed forward, its hand shaped like a talon, and swiped fiercely.

A faint shimmer of light lingered around its five fingertips.

The shimmer carried with it streaks of energy as his hand shot forward. With a SWISH, the space before him trembled.

’No, that’s not right. When a peacock catches its prey, it follows a natural trajectory with almost no resistance, like a boat sailing with the current. But my claw strike is like a boat sailing against it, meeting immense resistance.’

Inside his mind, Hong Yu continuously eliminated the flawed claw attacks.

Time and again, he refined the essence of his claw attack.

This was only possible within the Shadow Martial Space. If he had tried to practice these Claw Skills in reality, his palm would have given out.

BOOM!

The golden shadow swiped with its claw, but unable to withstand the immense resistance, it instantly exploded.

’Damn it, re-form!’

A fanatical gleam flashed in Hong Yu’s eyes.

He had become obsessed, completely lost in his practice.

This was a profound state of comprehension, a deep analysis of the Claw Skill. If he succeeded, he would surely grasp a formidable Claw Technique.

It might even surpass a Celestial-Level Martial Skill.

’That’s it, Daoist Principles! This is about Daoist Principles. Claws have their own Daoist Principles, and fists have theirs. If I try to use a Claw Technique with the Daoist Principles of a Fist Technique, of course I’ll meet resistance! But...’

Hong Yu’s eyes were filled with confusion and doubt. ’What are the Daoist Principles of the claw? Ferocity? Unpredictability? Or maybe...’

Time and again, Hong Yu rejected his own understanding.

Time and again, he tried new concepts.

He had no idea how many times he had failed in his pursuit of comprehension. Then, at a certain moment, the golden figure in the Shadow Martial Space suddenly stood perfectly still.

It slowly raised its arm.

At this moment, the golden figure was like a peacock, motionless, sizing up its prey.

All of a sudden, the golden figure moved.

With a shift of its legs, it dove forward, as swift as a hunting peacock, yet it held back its strike.

It waited until its Momentum peaked at a critical instant, then it suddenly struck.

The speed of the attack was incredible.

BANG!

Five claw marks nearly tore through the void. The attack was clean and decisive, instantly shattering the entire Shadow Martial Space.

BOOM!

Hong Yu was ejected from the Shadow Martial Space.

A sharp glint appeared in his eyes. He stared ahead, motionless, like a peacock.

Suddenly, Hong Yu lashed out with his claw.

SWISH!

The strike was incredibly clean and decisive, hitting the empty space before him in an instant. With a BOOM, a terrifying wave of Spiritual Qi exploded, blasting outwards in all directions with immense power.

The power of this one claw strike was even greater than Hong Yu’s all-out Great Destruction Fist.

’Aided by my Venerable Golden Bone, my claw strike is this powerful? Haha, with this move, I’m confident I can severely injure an Early-stage War Emperor!’ Hong Yu was ecstatic.

An Early-stage War Emperor.

That was equivalent to an expert at the Early-stage Yin Yang Realm.

He was currently a genius of the Sixth Heaven Realm, and with his cultivation at the Peak of the Primordial Embryo Realm, he could at most fight on even terms with an Early-stage War Emperor, but would find it difficult to actually injure one.

But...

After comprehending this claw technique, his strength had grown even greater.

Even when facing an Early-stage War Emperor, he could now inflict serious injuries with a single claw strike, or perhaps even kill them!

’Since I comprehended this claw from a peacock, should I call it Peacock Claw? No... peacocks were once known as the Great Ming King. And my technique is motionless like a Wisdom King, but strikes to slay a powerful foe. In that case, I’ll call it the Wisdom King Movement!’ Hong Yu muttered to himself.

He looked down at his right hand, which was shimmering with light.

His blood was pumping with excitement.

With this new comprehension, his combat power would rise to another level.

"Young man, to think you could comprehend such a fierce claw strike from the Thousand Peacocks Map. Truly impressive!" A calm voice suddenly came from behind him.

Hong Yu’s entire body trembled.

His Spiritual Power and Perception were already incredibly strong, yet someone had appeared behind him without him noticing at all.

One could only imagine how powerful this newcomer was!

Fortunately, the person didn’t seem to have any malicious intent. Otherwise, if they had launched a sneak attack just now, he would have certainly died.

He turned around and finally got a clear look at the person.

He was wearing a Cloud Robe, and a golden feather was marked between his brows. The aura radiating from him was even more powerful than the Xishang King’s.

Yin Yang Power swirled around his body, and Daoist Principles condensed into chains that were almost tangible.

This was a War Emperor.

And an exceptionally powerful one at that.

Hong Yu understood the man’s identity and said respectfully, "This junior, Beichen, greets Your Majesty, the Peacock King!"

"Young man, I actually noticed you the moment you entered Peacock Mountain. Heh, thank you for saving my young daughter," the Peacock King said mildly.

His features were remarkably handsome.

Although it was impossible to know how many years he had lived, he still had the appearance of a middle-aged man and exuded an incredibly strong personal charisma.

The Peacock King glanced around and said, "Ordinary people who enter here cannot see these Peacock Maps."

"Hm?"

Hong Yu was stunned for a moment, then understood the man’s meaning. He immediately said, "Thank you for your guidance, Peacock King!"

"Heh heh, consider it a thank-you gift for saving my daughter."

The Peacock King smiled. "I sense the Xishang King’s aura on you. Moreover, yesterday, I detected a powerful energy fluctuation emerging from the Xishang Tribe. I was planning to come out of seclusion today to investigate, but you came here first. It seems the Dao Heart Demon Curse on the Xishang King has been lifted, hasn’t it?"

"Your Majesty is Insightful. This junior is impressed. This is what the Xishang King asked me to bring to you. He said you would understand once you saw it."

Hong Yu handed the jade bottle containing the Demon Heart Curse Seal to the Peacock King.

The Peacock King stared intently at the jade bottle.

After a long moment, he sighed. "It really was him..."

"Him?"

Hong Yu was taken aback.

But the Peacock King didn’t elaborate, changing the subject instead. "Young man, I am aware of the situation now. You may go back. As for the other matters, I will coordinate with the Xishang King to resolve them."

"This junior will take his leave!"

Hong Yu nodded.

His goal was merely to obtain the title of Hundred Victory War God and get the Cyan Lotus Earth Heart Fruit from the prize pool.

Once he had the Cyan Lotus Earth Heart Fruit, he would leave Nanshan Collection immediately.

Naturally, he had no intention of getting involved in the power struggles within Nanshan Collection.

The Peacock King nodded. With a wave of his hand, Hong Yu’s vision blurred. When he came to his senses, he was already back on the mountainside of Peacock Mountain.

Xishang Ling and Elder Huo were waiting for him there.

Elder Huo was holding a Jade Scroll, studying it with rapt attention, while Xishang Ling sat bored to one side, looking at the flowers and grass.

Seeing Hong Yu suddenly appear, Elder Huo rushed over with a fawning smile. "Master, you’re finally back! This disciple has a question for you..."

Hong Yu glanced at Elder Huo’s beaming face and felt a headache coming on.

The man was a complete Alchemy Fool. For a moment, Hong Yu wasn’t sure if accepting him as a disciple was the right decision. After a slight hesitation, he said, "The Alchemy Dao is vast and profound. You are destined to encounter many problems in the future. If you come asking me about every little thing, how will you ever grow? When will you be able to break through to the true Pill King realm?"

"Ah, Master’s lesson is absolutely right! I’ll go back and study hard right away. If I truly can’t figure it out, then I’ll come seek Master’s guidance!" Elder Huo’s eyes lit up as he nodded repeatedly.

Hong Yu was a little stunned.

’I was just trying to brush him off so he wouldn’t bother me. I didn’t expect the old fellow to take it so seriously!’

’Still, this is good too.’

Hong Yu nodded. "You may leave first. I will be at the Xishang Tribe. If you truly have a problem, you can come and ask me."

"Alright, Master, take care!"

The old man wasn’t picky. He plopped right back down on the ground and continued his research.

A true Alchemy Fool.

Hong Yu shook his head helplessly and gestured for Xishang Ling to return with him.

The journey back was peaceful until they were about to reach the Xishang Tribe. Hong Yu’s brow furrowed slightly and he said, "Xishang Ling, you go back first. I’ll come in a bit!"

"Ah? Oh!"

Although Xishang Ling was confused, she didn’t ask any questions.

Hong Yu got out of the Chariot, waited in place for a moment, then turned into a dark alley.

He stopped, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and said lightly...

"You’ve been following me this whole time. Why don’t you show yourself so we can talk?"