32 Different Beauties in Life
"Will we take the teleportation too?" Cao Fan is the one asking this question.
Of course, everyone know that they cannot take the teleportation before reaching the Soul Core Stage but now the Gods are here, everything seems possible. Otherwise how are they going into the tournament on time.
The tournament will be held on the Feng Kingdom, where the Black Leaf Sect at. Even if Lu Yan is oblivious about that place, he knew that they have to cross the Qiao Country before get to the Feng Kingdom. Even with the fastest horse they have, it cannot be done in less than a year. Surely it will not be a problem for the two Heavenly Lords, but even the patriarchs won't be able to make it in time.
Lu Yan had taste how it is to travel into the heaven in minutes, but his body was not going with him at that moment, so he cannot help but curious about how he is going to travel this time.
They gather at the temple where the Gods stayed. At the East Wing of the temple they found an arch forming a bridge to nowhere. This arch felt like a dock, it just there is no water around it. A dock at the sky, Lu Yan can predict there is going to be a flying ship to travel.
It does not matter how hard they imagined it, when the real thing come up it still shocking for them. Lord Zai pulls a huge ship out of his magical bag. Sure, the bag is large, but by no mean it can hold such a such a ship inside.
The ship is large but flat compared to the real ship in the sea. It doesn't have the bunk, instead there are small cottages at its surface. The cottages are having different sizes, with the biggest one lies right in the center.
With an order from Lord Zai a bridge brought down from the ship, linking it with the sky dock. The wind at the dock is so strong, without a high cultivation base nobody can stand straight, let alone walking at the bridge. Surely enough everyone at this place already at the cultivation base needed.
The four Gods walk into the ship first, followed by the second and third patriarch. There got to be a patriarch at the sect, along with that reason the old patriarch chooses to stay. Three masters quickly move behind, followed the twelve disciples that is going to join the tournament. Aside from them, there are two dozen other disciples to act as the crew and three envoys from the Yin kingdom.
Liu Dao is the grand general and one of the Yin Kingdom's prince come to escort those envoys. He also came to pay respects to the Gods along with his cousin, Liu Zhang which is Liu Fang's father.
"I, Liu Dao came in behalf of the King to pay respect to the Gods. The king is sick so he cannot come to pay respect himself." At the late Qi Absorption Stage, Liu Dao can be considered as the second strongest person in Yin Kingdom's army, only behind the king himself as the Soul Core Protector of the kingdom. Even then, his presence still draws some mockery from Lei Wang. Luckily both the Heavenly Lords do not think the same way.
Needless to say, all the envoys from the Yin Kingdom are at the Qi Absorption Stage, just as everyone else in the ship. It is hard for the kingdom to spare three Qi Absorption Cultivators away, since they do not have very much of them to begin with. They also surely have high position and important part in the army, but they have to respect the Gods and send their best men at least.
When all of them aboard the ship Lord Zai drew the bridge back to the ship. Everyone amazed and wanted to travel all around the ship at once, yet none of them dare to do so. Standing on a huge floating ship is not that relaxing for them, although the ship itself is extremely steady at the sky, even more so than the real ship at the sea.
Another wave of hands from Lord Zai brought up barriers to cover the ship, creating glass dome all over it.
"The wind is going to be massive. Do not stick your body out of the barrier, else it will pierce you through." The barrier while looks like a solid glass, it is actually a dense magical energy. It filtered out some wind and shrapnel's from coming in and out, but not completely blocked. It still let soft wind to flow through in and out and it also let people penetrate through it.
The purpose of the barrier is to protect, so if someone try to run hard through it, they will bump to it like a solid wall. Yet, the shield will let through solid object to come out if it pushed through it slowly and constantly.
The ship control room placed at the main building, along with the place where the Gods lived. Lord Jiang is the one activating the ship and set it course, but he leaves it to the two younger Gods to maintain the control.
When the ship start moving, everyone already put their belonging at their arranged cottage. The ship accelerates into tremendous speed in a short period of time, but people on the ship does not feel it too much. Whether it is because of the steady and huge form of the ship or the magical barrier around them, the ship just so comfortable to be at.
After putting their belongings, everyone starts to do just the same thing. Going to the edge of the ship to sightseeing. It was indeed a wonder to be seen, something that might be happen once in a lifetime. Sometimes every other object felt like they are going backwards and the land looks like map, a really lively map.
Lu Yan try to spot his hometown, it has been so long since he was there. Up there he cannot be sure where it was. Everything is so small there, even if he seen it already, he would not know that. The beautiful sceneries swayed everyone aboard, they forget about times and even the reason they were there.
Lu Yan stop his sightseeing earlier than most people there, but soon another beauty caught up his attention. The only beauty can match the earlier scenery is the girl of his dream, Feng Yanlei.
Unlike those scenery which is the first time for him to see, Lu Yan had seen her before. This last few months he had seen her more, since both of them participate in the tournament. They still not met that much though, since their difference in cultivation level makes their accommodation still quite far.
That certainly did not enough for Lu Yan. Now he finally can get close with her, but deep down he knows it still is not enough. It never will, the closer he got with her only make him wants more and more of her. At this rate Lu Yan completely forget about anything else, not even time. At this rate he cannot escape it on his own, someone need to save him from this captivity.
"Hey, what are you looking at?" A sudden tap on the shoulder brings Lu Yan back into this earth.
Lu Yan turn his head to see another beauty besides him. Liu Fang has changed a lot since the first time Lu Yan saw her at the inn. She still has that feistiness with her, but she also has grown to be more mature and ..sexier.
"Wow, she really is beautiful. Now I know why you put that stupid face just now. What a perfect woman she is, almost like a goddess herself. Let be honest though, you have no chance with her." Liu Fang said that while bringing her face right beside Lu Yan's, trying to determine Lu Yan's view before.
Lu Yan dumbfounded when he turns, his face is blushing. Liu Fang is so close to him right now, her cheeks right in front of him almost touching his nose. He basically just needs to move his lips to kiss her. At this distance he can smell the fragrance of her hair, which is intoxicating. Liu Fang says a few more sentences, but Lu Yan can no longer concentrate to hear what she said.
"Why are you not answer me? Don't tell me you still day dreaming." Lu Yan is one of the few people who always retort her mockery, which is became a rivalry she enjoys since no one dare to talk back to her before.
Lu Yan just get dragged back into the real world once more, he pulled himself back while collecting his senses back as well.
"Well.. it just.. it just, it is not what you think it is." Lu Yan still unable to find the right words at this point.
"It really no fun if you just surrender like this, you know. Just talk about something else then, something you can at least give your opinion at." Liu Fang sighing hard, showing her disappointment right on.
"Well, this ship. This ship is amazing isn't it." Lu Yan not wasting anytime to shift the topic of their conversation. Both of them shared their amazement about the ship and the Gods as well. They just know about them briefly but there is so much to talk about.
Liu Fang finally get to have a two-way conversation with Lu Yan. The ship later moved to the Gods and the tournaments become the topic of their conversation.
"All the other disciples had been asking as why Lord Jiang come here into this world, do you have any idea?" Liu Fang is of a royal blood, with her connection she often hears information not supposed to be heard by other disciples.
"Why not?" Lu Yan is simply not as resourceful as her.
"Heavenly Lords are not supposed to come into our world unless there is a problem. Lord Zai is different, since he is in charge of our sect here in this world. But Lord Jiang is considered the strongest Heavenly Lord of our sect, even in the heaven. There is impossible for them to let him travel here if nothing happened here." This time Liu Fang is seriously concerned, which she rarely did.
"If it is, then it is not a problem that can be handled by us, humans. What can it be?" Lu Yan cannot help but to share the concern. Lu Yan has his own prediction but he cannot say it out loud.
"An evil, I think. Only a devil himself can make the Gods concerned." Liu Fang does hit the spot. An evil or another God that walk to dark path. Wanted in the heaven and escape to this world, just like the one God that Lu Yan met.
"Well, let the Gods deal with it. Now they are here, we do not have to worry about it. We have the tournament to worry about right now. Even it does not matter to them, it is what important for us right now. Maybe when we get to the heaven, we will have to deal with those evil." Lu Yan trying to change the topic since he did not feel comfortable with the possibility of some Gods chasing him out.
"Will you?" Liu Fang suddenly changed, her cheerful face suddenly looks sad.
"Going to heaven I mean. Is that your goal? To explore the beauties outside this world, where this kind of magnificent ship are common. Gods with wings and who knows what else there." Liu Fang sense Lu Yan realizing her sudden change in mood, so she cut in before he response. It just that her next remark sounds even more sorrowful than before.
"Yes, why not? Now you put it like that I want to go there even more. Are you not going? Everyone thinks you will. Talented girl like you have no other place other the heaven, I really think you can get there with your talent." Lu Yan did not know what is wrong with Liu Fang, but intend to cheer her up no matter what. Rhetorical questions with a sprinkle of praise is sure to make a girl feel better.
"I do not think I will. I was not sent here for it, I never even think about it until recently. My great grandfather the king, the sole soul core protector of this kingdom is sick. The next in line was supposed to be my uncle Liu Dao, but he failed to reach the Soul Core Stage once before. Sure, he will try again, but no-one confident he is able to do it. There are other talents as well, but we have to fight against the time. Every time the chance given, we have to let our best talent to try it." Lu Yan never seen Liu Fang talk this seriously about anything.
"So, you are one of the candidates to become this kingdom Soul Core Protector? That is not a bad thing." Soul Core Protector identic with being the ruler of the kingdom, a king or a queen. For sure nobody will refuse such a title.
"I was so proud and eager to became one. I was the eleventh in line when I first join the sect. At that times I only have one aim, to increase my rank and become the prime heir of the throne. With my hard work I climbed the rank one by one.
Along the way I realize how lonely the king is. To outlive most of his spouse and children even some of his grandchildren, as well as live in worry about who is going to succeed him. Then the Gods came, they show me another life I never imagine. Just when I just decided that I longer want to become this kingdom Soul Protector, my uncle Liu Dao brought me the king's decree just now. I was appointed to replace him as the heir of the throne and that the kingdom will provide me with everything, I need to enhance my cultivation the fastest way possible." Liu Fang and Lu Yan usually only discussed about cultivation technique and maybe shared some gossips. This time the topic is heavier, she is talking about her future. The future everyone wished for but her, and so the God give it to her.
Lu Yan might want to console her. Promises her that everything will be alright despite the choices she makes. That she should follow her heart. But he knows, he will be lying if he says so. There is nothing he can do to in this situation. Like it or not, she is bound by bigger thing than both of them.
Life's never fair, the Gods made it that way. They gave humans certain preference in their lives and limits their capabilities to never reach their goals. They gave them skills and perks that is not suitable with their passion.
Gods always want to be praised as generous and kind, yet they make human to struggle at everything they do. To succeed they have to trampled each other, creating wars in every step they take. History of humankind always lingers with wars, crimes and suffering.
Lu Yan always try to live a life outside those "curses", but he found new goal. To make the whole world lives without war. To do that he must to become a God himself.