Chapter Sixty-Three: The Three Demons of the War Axe

Hua Feng vaguely remembered that the last time he met Dan Qiusheng, the leader of the Yi Qi Dao Alliance, was when they parted ways in Shanghai. In the blink of an eye, more than a year had passed, and he himself had made rapid progress, advancing to the Realm of the Primordial Emperor.

Time truly is a wondrous thing. Sometimes, even if you don’t wish it, it always manages to change you, making you more complete, or perhaps even stronger.

Upon hearing Hua Feng and his companion call out his name, Dan Qiusheng noticed the two who had just entered from the doorway.

“What brings you here as well?” Dan Qiusheng responded. “Miss Yun Meng is here too—please, sit down and rest a while. This restaurant’s dishes are quite unique; they’re all classic, old-style recipes. Waiter, bring me the same menu I had yesterday.”

“You are too kind, Alliance Leader. The younger generation came out this time to gain some experience. We heard that the Yi Qi Dao Alliance and the Chinese Daoist Association have merged and are now short-handed. We’d like to offer what little help we can—would you welcome us?” Hua Feng pulled out a chair for Yun Meng and then sat down beside her.

“That would be excellent. We are indeed short of capable hands, especially experts of your calibre, Brother Hua Feng. I truly did not expect, after just over a year, that you would reach a level it takes others decades of hard work to attain.

I wonder if you have encountered something extraordinary. As far as I know of the Nong Family, even if they exhausted all their resources, they couldn’t raise someone’s cultivation to your current level in such a short time.” From the moment Hua Feng entered, Dan Qiusheng had already noticed that he was no longer at the peak of the Primordial King stage. The aura about him, fierce as a tiger lurking nearby, was unmistakably the oppressive force that only a Primordial Emperor could possess.

He sighed inwardly, unaware that the bitter cultivation Hua Feng had undergone over the past year far surpassed the efforts of others over several decades. The spiritual training within the Flame Emperor’s mark, and the nurturing of heavenly treasures, had all enabled Hua Feng to grow at an astonishing speed.

“I have only been fortunate; you need not dwell on it, Senior. Besides, have you noticed that recently, the spiritual energy available for cultivation in the world has increased severalfold? What’s more, the sources of these energies are quite varied, as if summoned by some mysterious force to gather together—much like the evolution of a galaxy. But that is not the reason for my visit today. I am here for something even more urgent.” As Dan Qiusheng spoke, he placed the newly served dishes on the table: a plate of Xinjiang-style chicken, then after some appetizers, Ants Climbing a Tree, West Lake beef soup, Sichuan boiled beef, marinated pig’s trotters, and a dessert to finish.

“Brother Hua Feng, please start eating. I’ll explain the details to you in a moment.”

After they were well fed and satisfied at Dragon Gate Inn, Dan Qiusheng continued to explain his sudden appearance in the border town.

“You know I don’t usually take on missions lightly. After all, I’m the one responsible for the organization’s ongoing operations; if anything were to happen, I’d be accountable. The reason I chose to come here at this time is because we have new intelligence regarding the largest gang in Country E, the Battleaxe Group, whom you once encountered. It’s said that the three leaders of Battleaxe have had their bodies taken over by monsters exiled from the demon realm. Now, without anyone realizing it, they are scouring the land for sources of energy—they’ve even been tracking your movements, your cultivation routines, and have set their sights on the places where you once investigated energy samples.”

“Three monsters?” Hua Feng looked at Dan Qiusheng with a baffled expression, waiting for his explanation.

(Too tired to continue, I’ll pick this up tomorrow.)