Chapter 661: Teleportation Failed?

“Commander, wh-what do we do?”

A War King Powerhouse asked, his face contorted in misery.

Every one of them was in a sorry state, looking more like a troupe of pathetic comedians.

Although their physiques were still burly, not a single feather remained on the wings on their backs, leaving only raw, pink, fleshy stubs.

Ma Qi shot him a vicious glare and raged, “What else can we do? Hong Yu sealed our cultivation, and this place is protected by a Grand Array. We can’t get out. Besides, showing ourselves like this would be nothing but a disgrace. We can only stay here and cultivate for a while. Once the Prohibitions in the core area fail, Grandpa and the others will naturally send people to rescue us.”

“Sigh. I guess that’s our only option.”

“That bastard Hong Yu! He actually plucked all our feathers…”

The group of War King Powerhouses was seething with rage.

Ma Qi snorted, a frigid killing intent glinting in his eyes. “I’ve never suffered such a huge loss in my entire life. Hong Yu, is it? You just wait. You’ll fall into my hands eventually. When that time comes, I, your Commander, will personally tear your bones apart piece by piece! Nothing less will quell the hatred in my heart!”

The War Kings all nodded in agreement.

「Meanwhile.」

Hong Yu was flying swiftly toward Nanshan Collection.

He had his own plans. Now that he had the Teleportation Talisman, he saw no need to go looking for trouble with other teams from the core area.

「The next morning.」

Hong Yu returned to Nanshan Collection. He entrusted Zhu Ling’Er to Zhao Feng’Er’s care and went to find the Peacock King.

「Atop Peacock Mountain.」

The Peacock King looked at Hong Yu with a smile. “I heard you went to stir up some trouble with the Centaur Race?”

“I paid them a visit.”

Hong Yu nodded.

The Peacock King chuckled. “Ma Tengtian’s strength is no less than my second brother’s. How did you manage to rescue your friend?”

“Er…”

Hong Yu scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed, and changed the subject. “Let’s not talk about that. Elder Peacock King, this junior has a matter I’d like to ask for your help with!”

“Speak!”

The Peacock King nodded, not pressing the issue of the Centaur Race any further.

Hong Yu took out the Teleportation Talisman and said, “This junior obtained a Teleportation Talisman and wishes to use it to enter the core area. However, its destination is set to the Celestial Horse Race’s main camp. It requires the Void Power to modify, so I was hoping you could lend me a hand, Elder!”

“A Teleportation Talisman from the Celestial Horse Race? How did this end up in your hands?” the Peacock King asked, puzzled.

Hong Yu grinned. “Just got lucky. I snatched it from some idiot!”

“Then your luck is truly heaven-defying!”

The Peacock King exclaimed with emotion.

He then took the Teleportation Talisman. A dazzling glow of energy bloomed in his palm—the Void Power that only a Yin Yang Realm Level powerhouse could control.

Under the Peacock King’s manipulation, the Teleportation Talisman’s destination was quickly modified.

The Peacock King returned it to Hong Yu. “It’s done. However, I am not too familiar with the geography of the core area. I can’t guarantee exactly where you’ll end up, but I can promise it won’t be within the territory of the Eight Great Battle Clans or the Four Great Divine Cities!”

“Haha, that’s more than enough!”

Hong Yu nodded.

He excitedly took the Teleportation Talisman back from the Peacock King.

‘Now all I need to do is find the Ten Thousand Year-old Polygonum multiflorum, and I can start Refining the Nine Orifice Breaking God Pill. After that, breaking through to the Primordial Spirit Realm will be as easy as reaching into my pocket to grab something.’

‘Once I reach the Primordial Spirit Realm Level, my combat power will rise to a whole new level.’

‘This is a matter of utmost urgency!’

The Peacock King gazed at Hong Yu. “If you’re heading to the core area, I have a Treasure I can give you.”

“Hm?”

Hong Yu started, looking at the Peacock King in confusion.

A bronze mask appeared in the Peacock King’s hand. He smiled. “This mask is a Treasure I obtained from a secret realm during my travels long ago. Its name is ‘Han Yuqianyan.’ As long as you wear it, it will merge with your face. It has a thousand different transformations to help you disguise yourself. No powerhouse below the God King Level will be able to recognize you!”

“The Han Yuqianyan? Such a Treasure actually exists?”

Hong Yu’s eyes lit up.

‘I’m about to head to the core area, which is the territory of the Eight Great Battle Clans and the Four Great Divine Cities. If I expose my identity, I’ll be met with thunderous retaliation and hunted down relentlessly.’

‘I was just wondering how I was going to hide my identity.’

Now, with this Han Yuqianyan mask, it was like adding wings to a tiger. He took the mask and said respectfully, “Thank you, Elder. If there’s ever anything this junior can do for you in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask!”

“Mm. If I need your help, I will certainly find you.”

The Peacock King smiled warmly.

With that, Hong Yu took his leave.

Watching Hong Yu’s departing figure, the Peacock King let out a soft sigh. “Jie’Er, you can come out now.”

“Father, is he gone?”

Peacock Princess Kong Jie walked out. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying.

The Peacock King lovingly stroked Kong Jie’s head and sighed. “Silly girl. If you like him, why don’t you tell him? Instead, you give him the Han Yuqianyan that I gave you, and you even forbid me from telling him it was from you.”

Kong Jie shook her head, lightly biting her lip. Her voice was like the music of the heavens. “Father, you once said that loving someone doesn’t mean you have to tie them to your side. Brother Hong Yu is a True Dragon among men. The True Dragon Battlefield is not destined to be his final stage. He will leave this place sooner or later. Rather than have him feel the guilt and pain of separation later on by knowing of my love, it’s better that I bear it all alone!”

“Silly girl, is it worth it?”

The Peacock King sighed.

Kong Jie revealed a city-toppling smile, like an epiphyllum blooming in the night. “When you love someone, is there such a thing as ‘worth it’?”

“Sigh…”

The Peacock King sighed softly.

…

Hong Yu, who had already returned to the Xishang Tribe, had no idea that a certain girl was so deeply in love with him.

He summoned Xishang Ling and instructed him to take good care of Zhu Ling’Er. Afterward, Hong Yu left Nanshan Collection and headed for the outer region.

‘I’m about to go to the core area. I need to get some things in order first. More importantly, these successive battles have allowed me to obtain many High-level Primordial Weapons and Soul Stones. I even bought thirty Soul Crystal Cannons from Xishang Ling.’

The power of these Soul Crystal Cannons was comparable to an attack from a cultivator at the Peak of Primordial Spirit Realm.

While they wouldn’t do much damage against top-tier experts, they possessed immense destructive power and were an extremely strong deterrent against ordinary powerhouses.

This was evident from the fact that the ten Soul Crystal Cannons at the City of Dawn were enough to deter even Divine General powerhouses.

The Realm Prohibition in the outer region was very weak. Hong Yu’s strength was sufficient to penetrate the Prohibition and appear there.

He returned to the City of Dawn at top speed.

He was wearing the Han Yuqianyan mask, so when he first arrived at the City of Dawn, he was stopped by the Hong Alliance’s powerhouses. Ten Soul Crystal Cannons were aimed squarely at him in unison.

Hong Yu gave a wry smile inwardly but didn’t get angry. He sent a voice transmission to Feng Xue Xin.

A moment later, Xuantian arrived at the city gate. He clearly knew Hong Yu’s identity but didn’t announce it, simply saying coolly, “This is a friend of our City of Dawn. Let him in!”

“Yes, Vice Alliance Leader!”

The Hong Alliance powerhouses nodded and let Hong Yu pass.

「Inside the City Lord’s Mansion.」

Feng Xue Xin, Young Master Yeban, Xu Wudi, Landy, and his other old friends were already waiting there, all looking excited and anxious.

“Junior Brother Hong!”

“Brother Hong!”

“Brother Hong Yu!”

When the group saw Hong Yu, they couldn’t hide their excitement. Their joy was written all over their faces.

Hong Yu laughed heartily as he chatted with everyone.

He learned some news.

For example, Venerable Xiahuang and Xiahuang Shang had both come out of seclusion, their strength greatly increased.

When Venerable Xiahuang learned of Bai Luoxue’s and Long Qingfeng’s deaths, he stormed the City of Dawn in a rage. But at the critical moment, Xiahuang Shang appeared.

These two powerhouses, ranked first and second among the Unparalleled Geniuses, engaged in a world-shaking battle.

The fight destroyed a mountain range stretching for thirty thousand li and completely evaporated a lake that was tens of thousands of square kilometers in size. Their methods and power were simply heaven-defying. In the end, the two fought to a draw, with neither able to gain the upper hand.

“Venerable Xiahuang? That bastard! I’ll wipe out his Divine Venerable City…” Hong Yu gritted his teeth.

If Xiahuang Shang hadn’t intervened, the members of the Hong Alliance would have likely been killed long ago.

Feng Xue Xin smiled. “No need to go. Shortly after Venerable Xiahuang appeared, we joined forces with the City of Sorrow and launched a full-scale attack. The Divine Venerable City has already been annihilated. Of course, that’s also because Venerable Xiahuang had already left the outer region. No one knows where he went.”

“Oh?”

Hong Yu was taken aback. He narrowed his eyes and murmured, “He probably went to the core area. After all, the Xiahuang Family is filled with powerhouses. It’s said that the Great City Lord of Xiakang Divine City, one of the Four Great Divine Cities, is a powerhouse from the Xiahuang Family. I just don’t know if Xiakang Divine City is closer to Venerable Xiahuang or if it offers more Shelter to Xiahuang Shang.”

Hong Yu looked at Feng Xue Xin. “Is there any news about the others?”

“Xiahuang Shang has also left the outer region. Currently, the outer region is jointly ruled by our Hong Alliance and the City of Sorrow. As for the others…”

Feng Xue Xin thought for a moment before continuing, “Yao Yueye appeared and challenged Venerable Xiahuang; it’s said they were evenly matched. Ling Aotian also appeared. His sword light shot to the heavens as he slew an Unparalleled Genius from the Divine Venerable City. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy for us to destroy them. Besides that, it’s rumored that a mysterious person attacked Xiahuang Shang. In the end, Xiahuang Shang barely won but was heavily injured as a result.”

“Oh? I wonder who that mysterious person was.”

Hong Yu frowned in thought.

Xuantian said, “If I’m not mistaken, it should be the powerhouse from the Blood Killing Tower, the one ranked fourth among the Unparalleled Geniuses. His combat power is actually immense, but he focuses more on sneak attacks and assassinations, which is why he’s ranked fourth.” After a pause, Xuantian added, “I’ve received news that he seems to be looking for you.”

“Heh, someone from the Blood Killing Tower? I see.”

Hong Yu nodded.

Images of powerhouses like Ling Aotian and Yao Yueye flashed through his mind.

‘I have a one-year agreement with Yao Yueye. I’m afraid I’ll have to wait until I’m in the core area, or perhaps until the True Dragon Ancient Hall appears, before I can fulfill that promise.’

The thought of that Demon Fiend, Yao Yueye, made Hong Yu’s blood pump with excitement, and he looked forward to their battle.

“Besides them, many other Celestial Pride Sons who were once unknown have risen like comets, shining with incredible brilliance. Their combat power is terrifying. If you run into them in the future, you must be careful!” Xu Wudi reminded him.

Her eyes were fixed on Hong Yu from beginning to end, never leaving him.

Hong Yu felt a headache coming on.

‘I only have Beichen Celestial Frost in my heart. I don’t want to get involved with other women.’

After some more pleasantries,

Hong Yu left behind the Soul Crystal Cannons and some Primordial Weapons, Pills, and Cultivation Techniques before getting up to leave.

“Take care!”

“We look forward to seeing you shake the True Dragon Battlefield!”

“Leave the Hong Alliance to me. I will forge it into a powerful asset for you!”

Hong Yu cupped his fists in farewell to the crowd, crushed the Teleportation Talisman, and stepped into the spatial passage.

BOOM!

The passage vanished.

Hong Yu’s vision went black. The next moment, he found himself in the core area. However, when he saw his surroundings, the color drained from his face…

“What the hell is this damn place? Did the teleportation fail?”