Chapter 30: Joyous Attainment of the Nine Heavens Steel Blade (Part One)

"Thank you, Master. However, if I reveal myself to the world with the divine beast by my side, I fear it may invite some trouble. What is your opinion on this?"

The Old Man of Destiny pondered for a moment before replying, "Right now, you're just an unknown brat. Let me teach you an incantation: recite it, and your divine beast will shrink to the size of a small bird. No one will think it odd if Young Master Jiang keeps a bird as a pet. Recite it again, and the divine beast will return to its normal size. The divine beast is intelligent—never entrust it to others for safekeeping. Remember, never forget this."

Jiang Feng shot the Old Man of Destiny an exasperated look. This treasure is dear to me—I could never part with it so lightly. What a joke. He then followed his master in learning the incantation.

"Pineapple Ashu Mi, shrink..." True to the old man's words, the divine beast shrank to the size of a bird. Jiang Feng cupped it in his hand, delighted.

"Enough, stop playing. We've more pressing matters—we must build a raft and set out to sea. Years ago, I had a raft, but it's long since fallen into disrepair. The sea is fraught with danger. I'm afraid you won't even make it out before some monster gobbles you up. The land route is even more treacherous. You must be careful."

Jiang Feng thought the Old Man of Destiny was being overly cautious. With his current mastery of necromancy and the Profound Soul Art, he could handle demons and spirits with ease—it was almost second nature to him now. This made him somewhat arrogant, a trait the old man saw through at once, causing him to shake his head repeatedly.

For several days, the two of them and the divine beast began building the raft by the sea. Jiang Feng, shirking work whenever he could, spent his spare time practicing his soul arts and necromancy, always feeling he had untapped power within him.

The sky hung heavy and gray, as though some great calamity were about to descend. The Old Man of Destiny glanced at the gloomy heavens, then at the foolish youth beside him, and sighed, "What must come will come."

Jiang Feng didn't understand what should or should not come; all he cared about was returning to the Jiang family and advancing his cultivation.

The raft was finished in just a few days. To call it a boat would be generous—it was little more than an ordinary raft, albeit sturdier and modified, with a platform for Jiang Feng to sleep on. He was quite fond of it. Who knew how many days at sea awaited him—having a place to sleep was a rare comfort.

"Jiang Feng, prepare yourself and the divine beast. Tomorrow, we set sail."

"But Master, the weather seems ill-suited for a voyage..." Jiang Feng couldn't understand why the old man insisted on setting out under such ominous skies. The Old Man of Destiny was always inscrutable, and though Jiang Feng was strong, he dared not challenge the forces of nature. This left him feeling somewhat troubled.

"No more discussion. We depart tomorrow…" With that, the old man ignored Jiang Feng and returned to his small cabin, leaving Jiang Feng full of doubts. He puzzled over it all night, but could make no sense of it.

The next morning, before dawn, the Old Man of Destiny woke Jiang Feng, urging him to pack and hurry to the shore. The old man's unusual attentiveness struck Jiang Feng as odd, as though he were burdened with some secret worry. Yet the old man hid it so well that Jiang Feng could not guess at its nature.

The Old Man of Destiny watched as Jiang Feng boarded the raft, then used his soul art to send the raft hundreds of meters out to sea before turning away resolutely, as if preparing for an imminent great battle.

Lying on the raft, Jiang Feng felt increasingly uneasy. "Divine beast, do you know what’s going on with the old man?"

The divine beast shook its head, equally at a loss.

"I think he’s in danger."

The divine beast nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, Jiang Feng realized the old man must indeed be in danger. Otherwise, why would he have driven him from the island so hastily, especially with such poor weather for sailing? Focusing his spirit through his soul art, Jiang Feng quickly turned back toward the island with the divine beast.

The sight that greeted him nearly made him sick. The once-lush forest was now devoid of life, as if a force of death had strangled all vitality. At the island's edge lay the corpses of countless birds and fish, not from natural causes, but as though slain by some overwhelming terror or power.

"This is bad—the Old Man of Destiny is in trouble," Jiang Feng thought, and, with the divine beast, hurried to the old man’s cabin. Yet, no matter how far they walked, the cabin never came into view—as if they were wandering in circles. After more than an hour, Jiang Feng realized something was wrong. Glancing at the divine beast, he thought, "Damn, Master must have set up a barrier. He’s definitely in trouble."

Jiang Feng performed his Twenty-Five Forms, hacking wildly at the sky. A faint crack appeared above, but it was slight—the one who set this barrier was no ordinary practitioner of necromancy or soul art. A creeping fear, greater than any he had known, gripped Jiang Feng.

Finding the Twenty-Five Forms insufficient, Jiang Feng switched to the Profound Soul Art his master had taught him. The combined force made the crack widen. The divine beast fluttered its wings, carrying Jiang Feng up through the clouds, finally breaking the barrier.

Without pause, Jiang Feng rushed to his master’s cabin. It was empty, save for a trace of blood at the door—Jiang Feng instantly recognized it as the old man’s. His anxiety mounting, he and the divine beast searched frantically for the old man. Suddenly, the divine beast, as if catching a scent, tugged Jiang Feng’s sleeve and raced toward the cave where Jiang Feng had once stayed.

As they entered, a violent aura swept over them. Were it not for his soul art, Jiang Feng would have been thrown back meters. Holding fast to the divine beast, he forced his way inside. The sounds of battle grew louder.

"Old man of Destiny, this time you’re done for! I have now mastered the tenth level of necromancy and transcended the three realms. If you want to live, teach me the ultimate cultivation method of the Profound Soul Art. With it, I’ll be invincible, and none shall stand in my way..."

"Ha ha ha ha! Dream on! If you want the Profound Soul Art, you’ll have to kill me first!"

The taunting ceased, leaving only the sounds of a fierce struggle. From the clamor within, it was clear the two combatants had exchanged hundreds of blows, and the old man's voice grew weaker—his strength was fading.

Jiang Feng didn’t hesitate. The old man had once saved his life; to abandon him now would be ungrateful, a thing Jiang Feng could never stomach. He braved the raging energies and joined the fray.

His sudden arrival made both combatants pause. Jiang Feng rushed to his master's side and helped him up. "Master, are you all right?"

The old man’s face was grave, almost ferocious. "Didn’t I tell you to leave? Why are you still here? With your meager soul art, you’ll only get yourself killed. Go—now!"

But even if the old man wanted him gone, Jiang Feng would not abandon him. Judging by the fight, ten moves would decide the victor, and then the old man would surely perish.

Jiang Feng stepped in front of his master. "You white-haired fiend, if you want something, come at me! If you seek the Profound Soul Art, you’ll get nothing from me."

The enemy, startled to see Jiang Feng, regarded him with curiosity but said nothing more. Yet from Jiang Feng, he sensed the same Profound Soul Art as the old man—and something else, a different power. If he could seize this strength, his cultivation would improve greatly.

"So this is the brat the old man found? Today, I’ll use you as a sacrifice for my Nine Heavens Steel Blade!"