CHAPTER 44: 044 WUDING ISLAND

A moment later, Geng Peng came to a halt, having found himself in a valley surrounded by a myriad of mountains, stacked upon one another. In the distance, one could vaguely see glaciers, while the basin nearby was as warm as spring. The cold air was completely blocked by the surrounding mountains and couldn’t penetrate a single bit. Here, the grass was green like a rug, and the flowers vied for beauty.

In the center of the basin, there was a lake with a large island in the middle. This island was quite peculiar, unlike other islands that are high in the middle and low around the edges, this one was high around the edges and low in the middle, resembling an upturned bowl.

Geng Peng placed Shi Feiyang on the ground, and then he too collapsed with a loud thud.

It was only then that Shi Feiyang saw that Geng Peng’s wings were riddled with holes—the right wing was particularly badly injured, punctured by flying swords, with slashes from left to right, leaving a large blood-soaked cavity. Additionally, there were large areas of burnt skin on his body, and several red dots on his chest and between his eyebrows.

Shi Feiyang was greatly shocked and hurriedly reverted to his original form, lifting Geng Peng up: "How are you...?"

Geng Peng said, "My compatriot, Han Guang, was incinerated by the Five Poison Heavenly King with Golden Rings. I went to save him but was ambushed by the Demon Fox... This place is Wuding Island in the North Sea."

Shi Feiyang said, "Oh, right, right, the Xiankong Ancestor has many spiritual medicines here."

Geng Peng shook his head: "I’ve been punctured through my Primordial Spirit by the Demon Fox with the Nine Heaven Secret Technique. No spiritual medicine can save me now. The Xiankong Ancestor here has been a dear friend of our brotherhood for a thousand years. By bringing you here, neither the Demon Fox nor the Red Flower will come to assassinate you..."

Shi Feiyang was deeply moved. Geng Peng clearly knew he was about to die, yet he was still determined to use his remaining Primordial Qi to bring him to a safe place.

He said, "Don’t worry, I have with me the ten-thousand-year-old Queen Mother Grass, which can make everything grow and bring the dead back to life."

He was about to release Mo Zhui, but Geng Peng shook his head again: "It’s no use! The ten-thousand-year-old Queen Mother Grass is a good thing, and even in my years of cultivation, I have never seen it. However, it can only save the flesh and not the Primordial Spirit. My Primordial Spirit is damaged... I am about to... my soul is about to scatter..."

"Ah?" It was only then Shi Feiyang realized the gravity of the situation and became anxious. "Is there any way..."

"There’s no way!" With the last of his strength, Geng Peng shook his wings, and thirty-six golden feathers fell. Pointing at them weakly, he said, "These are the golden feathers that I was born with on my wings, forged into a Magical Treasure and nurtured for a thousand years, second to none compared to any flying sword in the world... I’m leaving them to you. You stay here on Wuding Island for now, the Xiankong... my friend will protect you. After some time... you go to Roc Bay’s Iron Flute Entrance in the East Sea to find my elder brother. He is well-known by the name... Geng Kun. Tell him you’re my disciple... Speaking of which, you have never called me master. Call me master."

"Master," Shi Feiyang called out sorrowfully.

"Good! Good! Over the past thousand years, I’ve taken in many... disciples, but none amount to much. I have not taken a disciple for over three hundred years, and you... you are good..." Geng Peng took a moment to collect himself before continuing, "Take my golden feathers and find my brother; he will surely look after you. It’s just... he has a bad temper and is indifferent to disciples. You must not confront him. Just bear with it and learn the Chi You Three Disks Scripture from him, and cultivate it well..."

He grew weaker toward the end of his speech, and Shi Feiyang helplessly said, "In the future, I will kill Bao Xiang and Red Flower to avenge you."

Geng Peng’s gaze started to drift, and he smiled faintly, looking emptily towards the blue sky: "One should avenge their own grievances... Now that things have come to this, I accept my fate..."

After saying these words, he became still, his soul dispersed, and his breath ceased.

Shi Feiyang sighed helplessly. Although he had only spent a short time with Geng Peng, no more than half a day, this man had helped him fend off pursuers from the very moment he appeared, taken him to Han Guang to extract the Bai Mei Needle, and in his last moments of life, brought him to this place, entrusting him with the golden feathers he had cultivated all his life.

He truly felt miserable, for the first time since he had come to this world.

Suddenly, there was a splash from behind, and a sallow-faced youth rose from the water. After getting ashore, he said to him, "My master, the Island Master, sent me to summon you for an audience."

Shi Feiyang turned and asked, "Who might you be?"

"I am called Zheng Yuan Gui."

Shi Feiyang nodded to show he understood. This place was Wuding Island in the North Sea. The Island Master was Xiankong Ancestor, who had two disciples. The senior disciple was Ling Weisou, and the junior was this Zheng Yuan Gui. In the future, Zheng Yuan Gui would betray his master, steal many Spiritual Medicines from Xiankong Ancestor, flee to Central Earth, and take refuge with Five Poison Heavenly King, Lie Baduo.

First, he made sure Geng Peng’s corpse was neatly arranged so it lay peacefully. Then, he gathered the golden feathers scattered on the ground and followed Zheng Yuan Gui onto the island.

The waters surrounding Xiankong Island were teeming with many strange and grotesque monsters, each one ugly and ferocious, baring sharp fangs as they swam.

Upon reaching the island, they proceeded downward to the seabed.

This place was originally an Immortal Mansion left behind by ancient Immortals. Xiankong Ancestor had acquired it hundreds of years ago and had renovated and embellished it several times, making it more solemn and magnificent.

Following Zheng Yuan Gui, he arrived at the grand hall of Frost Palace and met Xiankong Ancestor himself.

Xiankong Ancestor appeared young, almost like a youth, yet with completely white hair that was long and thick, coiled up with much remaining. He was dressed in a white Daoist robe and sat solemnly on a large throne. Upon seeing Shi Feiyang enter, he spoke without any fluctuation in his tone, "Geng Daoist friend and I had been close for many years. His tragic death here, and his entrusting you to me with his dying breath, naturally obligate me not to sit idly by. You may settle down in the Embroidered Qiong Meadow and find a cave dwelling for secluded cultivation. If you need any herbs from the meadow, feel free to pick them, but do not harm or waste them without good reason, nor consume any living creatures from here. My place, far at the North Pole, is surrounded by the Xuanming Realm, which even Immortals and mortals find difficult to traverse for thousands of miles. It is a blessed land to avoid calamities during Cultivation. You can hide from your fated tribulations here, and when you wish to leave, there’s no need to inform me. Simply seek out my disciples, Han Guang and Xuan Yu, and they will guide you out. I have always been isolated from the outside world; once you leave, you are not to return."

Shi Feiyang expressed his gratitude. He tried addressing Xiankong Ancestor as "Elder Master," but Xiankong Ancestor neither accepted nor objected. His speech always as calm as a still well, he laid out his conditions and then had Zheng Yuan Gui escort Shi Feiyang outside.

Back outside, Shi Feiyang gazed upon Geng Peng’s corpse and sighed deeply. Although they shared a master-disciple bond, it had not been very deep...

He found a level and clean spot and carried Geng Peng’s body over, intending to cremate it.

It was a pity that Mo Zhui could only heal the physical body and not the soul. If only he had medicine that could heal the soul... In Shu Mountain, the elixirs that could heal the soul and Primordial Spirit were few and far between, the most famous being the Soul Firming Divine Glue by the two elders of the Great Wilderness; no need to even think about it, as it was definitely unattainable. Besides that, there was also...also... ah?

He suddenly remembered there was another Elixir called the Gathering Essence and Refining Form Pill, left by Guang Chengzi thousands of years ago; it was exactly in the middle compartment of the Heavenly Book Jade Box within his belly!

Thinking this, he immediately got excited. The Gathering Essence and Refining Form Pill, as its name suggested, could gather a dispersed soul and even help a person reform their physical body. As long as he could open the second layer, there might be a chance to revive Geng Peng.

He quickly started casting, gathering Geng Peng’s dissipating resentful soul along with the Seven Spirits about to disperse from within his body, resealing them all back into Geng Peng’s corpse. Then, drawing talisman inscriptions on Geng Peng’s back and chest, and finally summoning clean water, he formed a huge ice chest, sealing Geng Peng inside.