Chapter 34: The Celestial Phoenix Fairy

Tong Jin and Su Tan watched the lanky man, their expressions turning grave in unison. A dangerous aura emanated from him, causing the Corpse-Severing Poison Ants and the Thunder-Sound Golden Cicadas hidden within their clothes to tremble.

"Big brother, I am Su Tan of the Divine Respite Palace, and this is Tong Jin, an honored guest of ours. We have come to pay a visit to Palace Master Bai Xuan," Su Tan explained.

"I only ask: was it you two who injured my brother?" The man ignored everything else, speaking each word with deliberate weight.

Seeing the man’s unreasonableness, Tong Jin’s expression darkened. He stepped forward and said, "If that soft-hearted fool who was looking for trouble earlier is your brother, then yes, it was me."

"Good brat, you’re courting death!" The man roared in a fit of rage. In a blink, he lunged forward, appearing directly before Tong Jin and throwing a heavy punch toward his chest.

Tong Jin sidestepped the incoming blow, countering with a palm strike to the man’s waist and a kick aimed at his face.

The man’s reactions were remarkably swift. Seeing his punch miss, he immediately withdrew, using his retracted arm to block the kick while leaning backward to evade the palm’s force.

Su Tan hesitated, unsure whether to intervene, when a sudden blast of air hit them. The lanky man had condensed his internal energy into his fists, leaping up and unleashing a flurry of over a hundred punches from above. Tong Jin dodged frantically, using both palms to parry the heavy, relentless blows. However, the strikes were infused with a domineering energy; every time Tong Jin’s palms met the man’s fists, that destructive energy surged into his arms.

When the shower of punches ceased, the man landed with a graceful flip, looking slightly surprised. "No wonder you dared to act so insolently; you are at the Minor Success stage of the Gas Refinement Realm."

Tong Jin’s arms hung slightly limp. The domineering energy contained in the dozen or so blows he had parried left his arms aching and numb, making it difficult to even lift his hands. Yet, Tong Jin refused to yield, thinking to himself, "Hmph, you are also merely at the Minor Success stage of the Gas Refinement Realm, relying solely on the advantages of your cultivation techniques. If I didn't have urgent business to attend to, I’d fight you to the death, and the outcome would be far from certain." He glanced down at his chest, ultimately abandoning the idea of using the Corpse-Severing Poison Ants.

Seeing Tong Jin suffer a hidden loss, Su Tan let out a cold snort and prepared to rush forward, but Tong Jin stepped in front of him and shook his head.

The man in the tiger-skin jacket, who had been beaten earlier, panted as he ran over, standing behind the lanky man and complaining, "Brother Tian Ying, it was that fellow in the grey robe who did it."

The man called Tian Ying narrowed his eyes slightly. "Tian Hu, step back and go find Sister Tian Feng."

As Tian Hu trotted away, gasping for air, a figure wafted over, trailing a delicate fragrance. "Tian Ying, what is the rush in calling for me?" As she landed, a face of near-flawless beauty was revealed. Her eyes were exaggeratedly large, as if they could speak, and her curvaceous figure was highlighted by her hair, which was tied up and draped over her shoulder, spreading across her full chest.

The woman turned to look at the two men confronting Tian Ying. "Oh? Isn't this little junior brother Su Tan from the Divine Respite Palace? Giggles, what brings you to our Imperial Palace today?" The woman clearly knew Su Tan, her smile as bright as a blossom.

Seeing her arrival, Su Tan sighed with relief, knowing the situation had been diffused. He stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Senior Sister Tian Feng. I am here at the behest of my master to accompany my brother here for a special visit to Palace Master Bai Xuan."

The woman looked at Tong Jin and covered her mouth, giggling. "What a handsome little brother."

Tong Jin blushed at her words, looking up and scratching his head. The woman smiled warmly. "Since Palace Master Shen Nong has entrusted you with bringing this little brother, then follow me." With that, she turned, patted Tian Ying on the shoulder, and led the way toward the dwellings.

Tian Ying said nothing more, casting a cold look at the pair before turning to leave.

Su Tan shrugged at Tong Jin. "I don't know that man, but Senior Sister Tian Feng is the First Disciple of the Imperial Lord. Within this Sacred Capital, the reputation of Fairy Tian Feng is quite formidable. Don’t be fooled by her appearance, Brother Tong; I’ve heard she has already broken through to the Great Perfection stage of the Gas Refinement Realm." He stuck his tongue out.

Tong Jin gasped. The woman looked gentle and beautiful, yet her strength was terrifying. He felt fortunate that Su Tan knew her, or they would surely have been the ones to suffer had they fought. With that thought, he followed Su Tan, hurrying to catch up with Fairy Tian Feng.

Before long, they arrived in front of a dwelling. The wooden structure was elevated half a yard off the ground by thick pillars, requiring a four- or five-step wooden staircase to enter. The wood used for the house was not like anything Tong Jin had ever seen; it possessed a reddish, lustrous sheen. The building was uncarved and plain, exuding a sense of natural spiritual energy and weight.

Tian Feng remained silent, but a creaking sound came from inside the house. "Feng'er, do we have guests?" A deep, gentle voice echoed.

Tian Feng replied, "Since you’ve already heard them, Master, why are you still dragging your feet to greet us?" She laughed playfully.

Tong Jin felt embarrassed, thinking how bold it was for a disciple to speak to her master like that, especially when that master was the esteemed Palace Master of the Imperial Palace.

A lean, sturdy figure appeared at the wooden door. He wasn't particularly bulky, but his well-proportioned frame emanated a sense of explosive power. When Tong Jin saw his face, he froze as if turned to stone.

"Su Tan pays his respects to the Palace Master."

Bai Xuan looked at the three people at the bottom of the steps with a warm smile. Hearing Su Tan’s greeting, he nodded slowly. "Indeed, it has been a year, Tan'er. You’ve grown taller and stronger." He laughed heartily, then turned his gaze toward the stunned Tong Jin.

Tong Jin stared fixedly at Bai Xuan until Su Tan nudged his arm, bringing him back to reality. "Tong Jin pays his respects to Senior Bai Xuan."

Bai Xuan raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "Haha, what an interesting little fellow. Do you know me?"

Hearing Bai Xuan’s question, Tian Feng also turned to look at Tong Jin, who was lost in thought.

"This junior has never met Senior Bai, but you look almost exactly like a relative of mine," Tong Jin answered honestly. The reason he had been stunned was that Bai Xuan’s face bore a ninety-percent resemblance to the Ghost Doctor, Bai Yunbian. The only difference was their build; the Ghost Doctor possessed an ethereal, immortal grace, while Bai Xuan was lean and sturdy.

"Oh? Hahaha, and who might this person be?" Bai Xuan asked with interest.

Tong Jin reached into his clothes, pulled out a small cloth bundle, and slowly opened it in front of them. When the small jade-green bottle appeared, it suddenly flew out of his hand, landing gently in Bai Xuan’s palm.