Chapter 161: with translation of chapter title

Yuan Feng smiled faintly, no longer speaking; what he should say has been said, the rest depends on whether Shi Qilin agrees or not.

Among the three, a dead silence fell, and no one was willing to leave first.

Such an atmosphere persisted for a thousand years before showing any change; the dragon clan's navy led by Qiu Niu gained a victory, conquering the Islet Water, the second-largest water system of the Nan Fang Continent.

Within the water's domain, birds vanished without trace; the habitat of the Great Peng was utterly destroyed, and the vast majority of Great Peng failed to escape, suffering the calamity of extermination.

The Innate Divine Sage of the Great Peng clan, the beast god Tianpeng hailed as one of the supreme speeds of heaven and earth, also could not escape his clutches.

Tianpeng, in order to preserve a sliver of hope for his clan, forcibly delayed the dragon clan's advance, and under the encirclement of the dragon clan's great formation, he lost his life on the spot.

Moreover, his clansmen whom he saw as hope also failed to escape the subsequent pursuit, and the Phoenix clan that went to reinforce and rescue was even ambushed by his design, suffering heavy losses.

Nan Fang Continent.

Within the dragon clan's great camp, spiritual fruits and fine wine abounded everywhere; the victory brought by war filled them with excitement and satisfaction.

The banquet had already lasted seven days, with soldiers rotating daily, until everyone obtained this brief time of rest and enjoyment.

Qiu Niu, in his tent, pondered what to do next; for now, the Islet Water had been taken over by the dragon clan.

Although the victory of war is enough to excite people, it is not yet a true victory; how to respond to the Phoenix clan's counterattack is the current problem.

"Elder brother, why not go and enjoy some merriment with the clansmen to comfort the warriors wounded in war?"

"Chao Feng approached carrying a pot of wine, the flush on his face showing he had drunk quite a bit."

"At this time, Chao Feng had been drinking continuously for days; too many soldiers needed comfort, and after prolonged pressure, a sudden release made him also somewhat unrestrained."

"Third brother, you all go ahead; I'm not good at drinking, and besides, now that you're resting, camp affairs also need someone to manage, I'm afraid I won't have free time."

"Qiu Niu's voice was gentle, as if the prolonged war and slaughter had not affected him at all, but only he himself knows what the situation truly is."

"Chao Feng then laughed and said, 'Elder brother, there's no need to pressure yourself so; now we, bearing the might of our great victory, what is there about the Innate Divine Sage Tianpeng, the supreme speed of heaven and earth, that hasn't fallen at our hands?'"

"Even if the Phoenix clan joins forces with the Great Peng, what are ten or so Great Luo Golden Immortals? Under the might of our dragon clan, they are nothing but chickens and dogs."

"If you ask me, those Phoenix clan members are too well protected; how could they be like our dragon clan's youths, all of whom are true warriors."

Qiu Niu interrupted Chao Feng's words, his expression solemn, saying:

"Do not underestimate the heroes of the world; do not forget that we too have suffered great losses, for even within the great formation, that Tianpeng fiercely slew two of our dragon clan's Great Luo."

"Had rescue not been timely, you and I would probably also find it hard to escape serious injury; Innate Divine Sages are ultimately favored by heaven, those who can achieve the status of Luo Tianzun God are fundamentally different from you and me."

"Second brother's side faces enormous pressure; his forces are even only a fifth of ours, yet he must face the entire Kirin clan."

"Our current advantage was bought with Second Brother's life; how can you be so lax?"

"Seeing Qiu Niu serious, Chao Feng hurriedly apologized, 'Elder brother, I know I was wrong; it's not that I'm lax, I just don't want you to toil so; you haven't touched your qin for several yuanhui.'"

"Second brother has been remarkable in his methods since childhood, and having received instruction from Uncle Ying Long, their father would entrust him with such heavy responsibility, surely out of confidence in him."

"Look, hasn't Second Brother ever taken the initiative to seek help? I don't fail to understand him; I merely trust Second Brother."

"Qiu Niu frowned tightly, driving Chao Feng out. After Chao Feng left, he alone sat in the tent, pondering for a long time before murmuring, 'Second Brother has never been close to us; several younger brothers are too afraid of him, and also jealous that Uncle Ying Long only personally taught him.'"

"Second Brother has always been arrogant, his grudges and grievances too clear-cut, relying on his military achievements, lacking tolerance; if this continues, it will surely breed disaster."

"Qiu Niu worried deeply, both because of the battlefield and because he feared the dragon clan's future, dreading that the brothers would go their separate ways."

"But he also knew that he himself actually harbored envy toward Ya Nie, after all, among the brothers, Uncle Ying Long only chose to teach him."

"However, he also understood that perhaps only Ya Nie could withstand Ying Long's training, and he also lived up to Ying Long's instruction."

"Even now, he has no confidence that he could withstand Ya Nie's hand for long."

"Although their reputations in the outside world are hardly different, in terms of strength, Ya Nie is truly the foremost among the dragon clan besides the several elders."

"Meanwhile, Ya Nie was still rushing toward the East Sea; losing his weapon greatly affected him, for most of his strength lies when he is armed."

"His innate inadequacy is insufficient to support him becoming like Ying Long, able to achieve Luo Tianzun God and develop in all aspects."

"Under Ying Long's suggestion, he chose his current path, learning swordsmanship from Ying Long and innovating, reaching combat power comparable to Luo Tianzun God."

"But the drawback is just as it is now: without a weapon, his difference from an ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortal is small, at most slightly stronger."

"In Chaos."

"The changing situation forced the three that someone must leave; Zu Long and Yuan Feng both had to depart, otherwise the subsequent changes could not be grasped."

"Zu Long needed to consider the attitudes of all the Innate Divine Sages, after all, Tianpeng counts as the second Innate Divine Sage to have died."

"Although the fame of the three clans is growing now, the Innate Divine Sages are the true masters of this heaven and earth; he worries that the dragon clan will become like the ancient feral beasts, provoking the gods to rise up and attack."

"He needs to understand the gods' attitudes, even though he himself is one of the gods."

"And Yuan Feng is even more so; the Phoenix clan's performance on the battlefield is truly poor, which will cause the already restless birds to develop internal strife again, tipping the war's balance completely toward the other two clans."

"Two fellow Daoists, it seems we must indeed part for a while; I will go first; we will meet again."

"Having said that, Yuan Feng vanished from within Chaos."

"Seeing Yuan Feng already gone, Zu Long swept his divine sense over the surrounding Chaos currents, confirming he had not returned, and then felt at ease bidding farewell to Shi Qilin."

"After Zu Long left, a hundred years later Shi Qilin finally spoke:"

"Fellow Daoist Yuan Feng, Zu Long has already left; you need not remain hidden any longer, I just don't know why you sought me."

"Moments later, a figure emerged from the distant Chaos; it was Yuan Feng."

"Fellow Daoist Shi Qilin, why put on such airs? If you don't know what I want, why wait, and even go so far as to remind me?"

"Shi Qilin gave a cold snort and said, 'How would I know what you're thinking? I'm just waiting here to see who can't hold their patience.'"

"Yuan Feng smiled and said nothing."

"(End of Chapter)"