CHAPTER 549: CHAPTER 542: PALM PRINT_1

Once inside the ancient castle, Qin Feiyang gently laid down the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace beside the Wolf King, and energy from the Flame of Life immediately began to surge into his body.

"Where is this?" Looking at this unfamiliar place, the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace could not help but ask. However, before Qin Feiyang could respond, he closed his eyes and passed out.

The significant commotion had already awakened Lu Hong and the others from their cultivation.

Seeing this, Lu Hong frowned and asked, "Is this really a good idea?"

Before Qin Feiyang could answer, the Mountain Beast interjected, "It’s not good. This is like nurturing a tiger only to invite future disaster."

Lin Yiyi also said, "Brother Feiyang, you really need to think this through."

Lo Qianxue, however, said nothing and remained silent.

Qin Feiyang looked at them and laughed, "Even if I have to fight him again in the future, it doesn’t matter as long as I have a clear conscience."

The group exchanged glances but said nothing more, respecting Qin Feiyang’s decision.

Qin Feiyang then ceased circulating the War Technique. The redness in his long hair and eyes quickly receded.

At the same time, a feeling of weakness and excruciating, heart-wrenching pain washed over him like a tide, threatening to submerge him. His consciousness immediately plunged into darkness.

The injuries he sustained this time were incredibly severe. Without the support of the War Technique, he would have collapsed long ago.

But it wasn’t time to rest yet. He bit his tongue hard and vigorously shook his head, his consciousness gradually clearing.

Then, he swallowed a healing pill and obtained a drop of blood from the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace’s wound.

Soon after, Qin Feiyang left the ancient castle, opened a teleportation gate, and returned to Alchemy Room No. 1.

If he waited for the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace to awaken, the Hall Master would surely try to stop him. Therefore, he had to obtain the Elixir Flame before the Hall Master woke up.

Upon returning to the alchemy room, Qin Feiyang went straight into the alchemy chamber and stood before the secret door. Without any hesitation, he waved his hand, and the drop of blood fell onto the secret door.

BOOM!

The next moment, accompanied by a low rumbling sound, a fissure appeared in the once seamless wall, then gradually widened. A wave of intense heat gushed forth.

Once the secret door was fully open, a palm-sized purple flame came into Qin Feiyang’s view.

Looking at the flame, Qin Feiyang was filled with a myriad of emotions. Obtaining this Elixir Flame was truly not easy at all!

WHOOSH. Letting out a long breath, Qin Feiyang entered the secret room, reached out, grabbed the Elixir Flame, and directly stored it in the ancient castle.

"What happened?"

"Why did the Elixir Flame suddenly go out?"

The disappearance of the Elixir Flame sent the Elixir Fire Palace into an uproar.

Stone doors opened one after another, and alchemists streamed out of their respective rooms.

"Is the Elixir Flame in your alchemy room still there?"

"It was there before, but it suddenly vanished. Is yours gone too?"

"Yeah, what’s going on?"

Everyone’s face was etched with confusion.

BOOM!

Just then, the stone door of Alchemy Room No. 1 opened. Qin Feiyang strode out. He had changed into a clean set of clothes, and all traces of blood were washed away, but his face was extremely pale.

Everyone immediately turned their attention to Qin Feiyang.

Qin Feiyang said calmly, "Everyone, don’t panic. The Hall Master is using the Elixir Flame for alchemy. It will be back soon." He said this to avoid causing a commotion.

"The Hall Master is performing alchemy?"

"What kind of pill is the Hall Master concocting that would require the entire Elixir Flame cluster?"

The crowd was astonished and puzzled.

"Didn’t you see me get kicked out? If you want to know, go see for yourselves," Qin Feiyang replied expressionlessly.

The crowd recoiled and didn’t ask further questions. They turned and returned to their respective alchemy rooms.

"Xia Hai, why is your face so pale?" the nine people from the tenth floor asked, looking at Qin Feiyang in confusion.

"Is that any of your concern?" Qin Feiyang casually glanced at the nine people, then opened a teleportation gate, appearing in a dense forest outside the city.

WHOOSH!

Then, he entered the ancient castle and carefully checked the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace’s injuries. His shattered Sea of Consciousness hadn’t even recovered by a tenth; it would likely take a very long time to heal fully.

He pondered for a moment, took out the Image Crystal Stone, and poured his Battle Intent into it. Soon, a phantasmal image manifested—it was Fatty.

Qin Feiyang asked, "How’s it going?"

Fatty shook his head, looking somewhat dejected. "I found no clues. What about you? Is everything going smoothly?"

Qin Feiyang said, "I’ve already gotten the Elixir Flame."

"So soon?" Fatty was stunned.

"How can anything get done without a bit of efficiency?" Qin Feiyang gave a faint smile. "Give me your coordinates; I’ll come find you."

Fatty said, "I’m currently at a tavern called the Wind Tower."

Qin Feiyang was taken aback. "You still have time for drinks? Seems like you’re not in much of a hurry!"

"You’re overthinking it!" Fatty rolled his eyes at him. "Master Fatty came to this tavern to gather information about the Xia Family and the other two families."

"So that’s how it is." Qin Feiyang nodded in understanding and asked, "Have you found out what you needed to?"

"More or less," Fatty nodded.

Qin Feiyang said, "Then come and meet up with me first." He had originally planned to probe the Xia Family himself, but now it seemed unnecessary.

Soon, Fatty materialized in front of Qin Feiyang.

Qin Feiyang asked, "Where are you planning to search next?"

Fatty shook his head. "Yun State is vast. Finding someone living in anonymity is harder than ascending to the heavens. I just don’t know." He looked very dejected.

Qin Feiyang frowned, pondered for a short while, and asked, "Where were your parents killed back then?"

Fatty thought hard for a moment, then said, "Falling Phoenix Mountain."

Qin Feiyang asked, "Do you know its location?"

"Yes," Fatty nodded, then asked, "Why do you ask?"

Qin Feiyang said, "When the steward returned to collect your parents’ bodies, the first place he would have gone is definitely Falling Phoenix Mountain."

"Of course!" Fatty’s eyes brightened, and he muttered, "How could I not have thought of something so simple?"

"There’s a saying: ’Those involved are often muddled, while onlookers see clearly.’ You’re in that situation right now."

Qin Feiyang chuckled. "Now that we have a target, let’s try to think from his perspective. If we were the steward, what would we do?"

"What would we do?" Fatty asked directly. His mind was a jumbled mess right now, and he didn’t want to waste time pondering such questions.

"If I were the steward, even if I didn’t hold out much hope for you, I would still leave a clue on Falling Phoenix Mountain," Qin Feiyang said. "Because even if you weren’t capable of seeking revenge, you would still come back to pay respects to your parents and kinsmen.

"And the steward, who dared to return alone to collect your parents’ bodies while facing so many powerful enemies, clearly has intelligence and courage. He couldn’t possibly have overlooked this."

"Makes sense," Fatty nodded.

Qin Feiyang laughed. "Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!"

Although this was only his conjecture, it was worth a trip.

The two of them transformed into a streak of light and sped through the night sky like lightning, aiming for the southern side of the mountain range.

「The horizon gradually turned white. The morning sun rose steadily.」

Finally, Fatty stopped above a mountain ridge. It undulated for countless miles, covered in lush vegetation, with fierce beasts roaming freely.

Fatty scanned the ridge below, his brows furrowing gradually.

Qin Feiyang asked, "Is this the place?"

"I was young back then; I only vaguely remember the general location," Fatty said. "Besides, when my father and the others fought Xia Changfeng and his two companions, they destroyed Falling Phoenix Mountain.

"Now, more than a decade later, it’s completely unrecognizable. I can’t pinpoint the exact spot."

"That makes things difficult." Qin Feiyang also frowned and asked, "But the general location should be correct, right?"

Fatty meticulously scrutinized the ridge below and said, "The general location should be correct, I think."

’Should be’? Qin Feiyang was momentarily speechless; it seemed Fatty wasn’t very confident either.

After all these years, any traces left behind would have long vanished. They might not notice them even if they were right in front of their eyes, unless there was some very distinct, eye-catching landmark to narrow down the search area.

Qin Feiyang asked, "Are there any recognizable landmarks or anything of that sort?"

"Landmarks?" Fatty began to ponder. After about a hundred breaths, he frowned and said, "I remember there were two swallows on Falling Phoenix Mountain at the time."

"Eh!" Qin Feiyang was taken aback. Could this even be considered a landmark? Swallows aren’t stupid; they would surely have moved after such a brutal battle. They might have even been killed by Hunters by now. Trying to find them now is simply wishful thinking.

"Doesn’t it count?" Fatty muttered. "Then let me think again." He fell into contemplation once more.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"I’ve got it!" Fatty exclaimed. "My father mastered a War Technique called the Buddha’s Handprint.

"During the battle with Xia Changfeng and the others, he shattered mountains and rivers with a single palm strike, leaving a very large, deep handprint in the earth.

"As long as we can find that handprint, we can determine the exact location!"

"That certainly counts as a landmark," Qin Feiyang nodded.

Everything in the world changes over time. Rivers dry up; plants wither. Of course, terrain changes too, but that’s a very slow process. Barring human intervention or natural disasters like earthquakes, it would take at least thousands, even tens of thousands, of years. So, if none of those factors have occurred in the last dozen or so years, the handprint Fatty’s father left on the earth must still exist.

But it’s not without problems. Over a dozen years have passed; vegetation would have grown over it. Even if the handprint is still there, it’s long been covered. Still, it seems there’s no other option right now but to follow this clue.

Qin Feiyang said, "Let’s split up and search!"

"Alright." Fatty nodded.

The two split up, Qin Feiyang heading east and Fatty west, flying along as they searched meticulously. If the handprint was large enough, it wouldn’t be completely without a trace.

Time ticked by. An hour passed, and Qin Feiyang had searched for over ten miles, but he hadn’t found anything.

So this is the ’approximate location’? Qin Feiyang felt utterly helpless; the deviation was far too great. He stopped searching to the east and turned south instead.

Less than an hour later, while moving through the mountains, he discovered a lake. It was about five to six hundred zhang across—perhaps five to six thousand feet. The water was crystal clear, with lush aquatic plants growing inside. He also noticed traces of Water Beasts in the lake.

Qin Feiyang observed it carefully for a while, then looked away and continued his search ahead.

However, after flying a short distance, he retraced his path, once again arriving above the lake. He surveyed it, a hint of puzzlement in his eyes.

The lakeshore was covered with dense wild grass and shrubs, but looking at its outline, it really did seem to resemble a palm.