Morphing Heavens - Chapter 98 - Past Events

Yun Huo took the potion bottle and said lightly, “Oh, you mean this? This was given to me by the elite, Leopard King Mu Xueye from our continent. You really have a similar grace to him.”

Hearing the name Mu Xueye, Tina’s heart skipped a beat, and her gaze gradually dimmed. She kept her eyes fixed on the potion bottle in Yun Huo’s hand, recalling the time eight years ago when Mu Xueye taught her martial arts:

That year, Mu Xueye was traveling alone around the world and happened to arrive at this continent. Due to his poor sense of direction, he ended up lost. While wandering aimlessly, he accidentally stumbled into the territory of the Insect Spirit Clan Alliance, specifically the Empress Butterfly Clan.

Looking up at the towering mountains, with peaks reaching into the clouds, it seemed as if holy spirits resided there. He could distinctly sense several auras comparable to his own strength. Feeling these auras, Mu Xueye couldn’t help but draw a cold breath. Eight years ago, he was just a martial king at the pinnacle of his cultivation, not strong enough to roam freely across the continent. However, his hunger compelled him to approach, hoping to help someone in exchange for directions back to the Basse Continent. Finding a place with smoke rising from it among these countless mountains was more challenging than hunting a demon beast. After eating demon beasts in the woods for half a month, he was quite fed up. He wanted proper food.

Determined, he leaped onto the mountains, racing between them in search of those auras. In reality, Mu Xueye’s current strength was such that if he resorted to violence, he could overthrow an entire medium-sized empire, let alone worry about hunger. However, as an outsider, he did not want to stir up trouble. It would be good enough if he could return to the Basse Continent in peace.

Before long, he spotted a magnificent palace halfway up the mountain, clearly belonging to a wealthy family, possibly even an imperial family. With a desire for assistance, he knocked on the grand gate, calling out, “Is anyone home?”

At that moment, a little girl ran over. She was Tina from eight years ago, who opened the gate and looked at the slightly disheveled man in front of her, asking, “Uncle, who are you looking for?”

“Little girl, is your lord at home?”

“My dad went out for business, my mom is at home.”

“That’s great!”

“What?”

“Nothing. I’m a traveler. I’ve gotten lost. Could you tell me where this is?”

“Where is this? This is my house!”

“How does this child speak? I meant to ask where this place is.”

“Oh, this is the headquarters of the Empress Butterfly Clan. Who are you looking for?”

Upon hearing her mention the word “headquarters,” Mu Xueye thought to himself: Since it’s the headquarters, it must be a powerful and wealthy place. I should have a good talk with them and see if they can lend me some traveling expenses! He then said, “Little girl, may I go inside and have something to eat? I’ve been hungry for two days.”

Tina sized up Mu Xueye’s attire and thought he didn’t look like a bad person. Even if he were, she wouldn’t be afraid. So she said, “Come in! My dad had plenty to drink at lunch, and he left a lot of food. Nobody has touched it; you can eat!” With that, she led Mu Xueye into the grand hall and instructed a servant to bring him some dishes.

As Mu Xueye looked around the room, admiring the decorations-antique calligraphy and paintings, potted plants, ancient-style tables and chairs, jade screens, and gold cutlery-he couldn’t help but exclaim, “What a beautiful decor! I should get something like this when I go back.”

“Hehe, it’s pretty nice, right? I arranged everything according to my preferences. Impressive, huh?” Tina replied proudly.

“What’s impressive about it? Who is my Tina talking to?” A dignified woman, tall and elegantly dressed, walked in. She looked to be in her twenties. Seeing her attire, Mu Xueye quickly stood up and bowed, saying, “I am a traveler passing through here. I got lost and couldn’t find a restaurant, so I knocked on your door. I apologize for the intrusion!”

The woman appraised the snow leopard and perceived him to be extraordinary, not the sort of wandering thief one would fear. She responded, “It’s no trouble at all. Doing good deeds is commendable. Please continue your meal.” With that, she turned and disappeared deeper into the manor.

Mu Xueye nodded and started eating heartily. Tina watched him intently, resting her chin on her hands, her big eyes blinking in curiosity. She asked, “Uncle, where are you from? You seem really impressive!”

“Well? I come from the Basse Continent, and I got lost while passing through here! Why do you think I seem impressive?” Mu Xueye smiled, looking at the little girl who, despite her young age, exuded the aura of an elite. With some time and cultivation, she would surely become formidable.

“I don’t know, it’s just a feeling! Your aura is comparable to my dad’s,” Tina said matter-of-factly.

“Haha, what an interesting little girl!” Mu Xueye said as he continued to enjoy his meal.

Before long, a tall man in a golden coat entered the room. He appeared to be in his thirties, but due to his level of martial power, many masters often seemed younger than their actual age. The man sighed deeply and plopped down into the main seat. Upon noticing Mu Xueye eating heartily, he was startled and asked, “Who is this? I didn’t sense such a person in my home!”

At this, Mu Xueye quickly stood up and bowed again, saying, “I am a traveler from the Basse Continent. I got lost while passing through here! You must be the head of the family, right? I am Mu Xueye!”

The man pondered Mu Xueye’s name for a moment before his eyes widened in recognition. He exclaimed, “Leopard Clan Chieftain! Am I right? I am Makin Sama, the chieftain of the Empress Butterfly Clan. Please, have a seat!”

Upon hearing that Sama recognized him, Mu Xueye felt his worries ease. He took a seat and said, “I noticed you sighed earlier. Is there something troubling you? Is there anything I can help you with?” Having eaten his food, it was only proper to engage in some polite conversation. Besides, now that an elite like him had heard of his name, it seemed more plausible to bring up the topic of borrowing money later on.

At Mu Xueye’s words, Sama’s expression darkened, and he shook his head without responding.

Tina looked at Mu Xueye and said, “You Easterners have such an interesting way of speaking.” With that, she picked up a toy and went out to play in the yard. Sama smiled as he watched the child, then turned back to Mu Xueye and said, “You can see that this child is of mixed blood. I wanted to join the ten seats of power in the Insect Spirit Clan Alliance, so I married a princess from a nearby human empire. Unfortunately, due to our different bloodlines, the first few children we had did not survive. Only this child has made it this far. But enough about that-my power is still not at the necessary level. This morning, I attended a meeting in the alliance. The alliance leader requires me to have a one-on-one duel with Duan Yifeng, and that’s what’s bothering me!”

Hearing this, Mu Xueye nodded, partially understanding. No wonder the little girl seemed a bit restless; it appeared to be a result of being spoiled. However, there was definitely potential in her. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “Who is this Duan Yifeng, and what kind of strength does he have?”

“He is the chieftain of the Sky Mantis Clan and is close to the level of a martial emperor! He won’t be easy to deal with,” Sama replied, his brow furrowing even further.

“Oh, so he’s your rival, and you’re worried you might lose?” Mu Xueye pressed on.

“Yes, if I can secure a place among the ten seats of power, my clan members’ lives will be much more comfortable, and we can even add a few vassal states. There are only three male chieftains in the alliance: aside from me, there’s him and Mishu. Mishu’s strength and status are quite stable within the alliance, so it’s mainly just us two who are somewhat equal, which is why it has come to this!” Sama sighed.

“What about the strength of your alliance leader? Will they come to observe the duel in person?”

“The alliance leader’s personal strength is unknown; we have never met. Typically, commands are sent through envoys, and her reign is held firm mainly due to her army of over ten million soldiers. Why do you ask?” Sama inquired.

Mu Xueye smiled slightly and said, “You’ve taken me in, so I’ll help you. When you duel, I’ll secretly assist you!” With that, he disappeared from his seat. Sama was left astonished, staring at the empty chair. Closing his eyes, he tried to use his mind power to search for him but found nothing. He opened his eyes and said, “A leopard has some impressive tricks, but show yourself! I can’t find you!”

Suddenly, Mu Xueye’s voice came from behind him, saying, “See? I can help you in secret, hahaha!” With that, the two began to drink heartily.

What happened next was quite obvious-Mu Xueye secretly helped Sama defeat Duan Yifeng, prompting Duan Yifeng to angrily withdraw from the Insect Spirit Clan Alliance. As a result, the status of the Empress Butterfly Clan elevated several levels. However, this position, obtained with the help of others, would not last long. Noticing Tina’s talent for martial arts, Mu Xueye took the time to teach her for more than half a year, imparting to her the wind technique from the Weather Control Department he had learned outside. As he was about to leave, he called her over and said, “Tina, if anyone asks about your technique in the future, just say you obtained it by chance. Don’t mention that I’m your master!”

Tina looked confused and asked, “Why not? You taught me so well, and you have such high status. Isn’t it disrespectful not to say it?”

Seeing her insistence, Mu Xueye gently patted her head and said, “Little girl, you don’t understand yet. Just don’t say anything. If I hear you claiming to be my disciple outside, I will come over and take away your abilities! Do you understand?”

Upon hearing this, Tina pouted, nodded, then playfully punched him before sticking out her tongue and running away. After Tina left, Sama slowly emerged from the house. “It’s tough for the leopard; it’s not easy to have cultivated a disciple but not be able to admit it,” he remarked while kneeling on one knee and bowing to Mu Xueye.

“That’s not necessary!” Mu Xueye quickly helped Sama up.

“This is a difficult situation. The last battle raised suspicions. If she isn’t careful with her words, your clan’s current status might just vanish!” Sama replied before suddenly disappearing from the courtyard. He flew into the air and called out, “Thank you for your hospitality these days. The leopard will be heading back now.” With that, he transformed into a hurricane and vanished into the sky.

Tina, hidden at the door, had tears welling in her eyes. She nodded vigorously and murmured to herself, “I will; I will revive our family…”

“Hey, hey, hey! What’s wrong with you?” Yun Huo called out when he saw Tina staring blankly at a potion bottle.

Startled by Yun Huo’s shout, Tina shook her head and waved her hand, saying, “I’m fine, just feeling a bit homesick. You all continue playing; I’m tired and going back to rest!” With that, she picked up her coat and headed for the apartment.

Just then, Yun Huo shouted, “Haha! So, where are you headed next?”

“To the center of the world!” Tina replied.

“I hope we get a chance to meet again. Next time, I won’t lose!” Yun Huo said, placing his foot on a chair.

Tina smiled playfully. “Haha, that’s great! I’m looking forward to that day.” With that, she disappeared into the crowd, while Yun Huo continued to cheer with others.

The joyful atmosphere in the arena was reaching new heights, with drunken revelers wandering everywhere. Performance teams were taking advantage of the excitement to boost their visibility. Although the celebrations had already lasted three days, the crowd’s enthusiasm showed no signs of waning. In stark contrast, a few figures dressed in black cloaks outside the arena were coldly watching the exit. One of them said, “Is this the place?”

The leader nodded and replied, “There’s no mistake; several of our brothers died here!” After finishing that sentence, a hint of killing intent appeared in his eyes.

After the competition concluded, the participants began to exit the arena in order of their recovery from injuries. Yun Huo and his companions were among the luckier ones. Thanks to the “holy potion” gifted by Mu Xueye years ago, they had almost fully recovered by the third day and were now stepping out of the arena.

Driving a carriage slowly out of the gates of Alabastan, they gazed at the vast expanse of sand before them. The endless sea of yellow sand stretched to the horizon, and occasionally, a few birds would soar overhead. The distant horizon seemed to merge seamlessly with the sky, showing no signs of human habitation. Yun Huo stood at the front of the carriage, murmuring to himself, “The new continent! It really is enormous.”

“What are you sighing about, second brother? Where should we go next?” Yun Chi asked as he stood behind him, looking at the endless sea of sand. They certainly couldn’t cross the desert directly.

“No idea-let’s just take it one step at a time. First, let’s turn around!” Yun Huo said lazily while stretching his back comfortably.

He kept his gaze fixed on the direction of the Ancient Temple Continent, a strange glimmer passing through his eyes. One day, I will go back and establish my own power. I don’t care about the demon realm, the Flower Kingdom, or the Beast Clan Alliance. Lost in thought, he continued to ponder. The carriage drove steadily under the warm glow of the setting sun, its golden rays casting a dazzling ripple on the deep blue carriage. Everything felt so peaceful, with the brothers inside the carriage sound asleep, having endured three long days without rest. Only Yun Huo remained at the front, looking toward the distance.

As the carriage changed direction, it gradually made its way into a secluded mountainous area. At this point, the sunlight was being replaced by moonlight, and the brothers started to wake up. They gathered around to have a meal. Yun Shi said he needed to step outside for a moment. He opened the door and walked a few steps away. As he unfastened his pants, he noticed something up ahead that seemed unusual. Squinting, he couldn’t quite make it out. He quickly pulled up his pants, mustering his courage to go take a closer look. Once he did, he was startled and shouted, “Ah! Is this… is this person dead?” He saw a white-clothed woman lying on the ground, barely conscious. Normally fearless, upon encountering a woman in such attire, a peculiar fear welled up inside Yun Shi. Trembling, he cautiously tapped her shoulder and asked, “Hello, are you dead?”

“You idiot! If she was dead, how could she answer you?” A voice came from behind him.

Yun Shi jumped up onto a tree in fright, looking around nervously while shouting, “Who! Who’s there?”

“Don’t you even recognize your second brother? What a coward!” It was Yun Huo, who had heard his shout and come out to see what was happening.

Looking down at the white-clothed woman lying on the ground, Yun Huo reached out to feel her neck and nodded, “Fortunately, she’s not dead. Yun Shi, hurry down and help me carry her into the carriage.” Yun Shi shook his head repeatedly from the tree, too scared to climb down and lift her. With a sigh, Yun Huo threw up his hands and bent down to pick up the white-clothed woman. The moment he held her, a wave of dizziness hit him, as if an unseen aura was pressing down on him. Gritting his teeth against the faintness, Yun Huo managed to carry her back into the carriage.

When the brothers saw Yun Huo bring in an unconscious woman, they immediately paused their meal and helped carry her to Yue Shuang’s bedroom. Once settled, they stepped back to leave her for Yue Shuang to attend to. Yue Shuang looked at the woman on the bed, noticing the bloodstains around her abdomen and shoulder. It was clear that she had been brutally beaten. Having previously treated wounds for Yun Huo and his companions, she had experience in this area. She quickly grabbed some gauze, carefully tore away the blood-soaked clothing, and when she clearly saw the extent of the woman’s injuries, she gasped in shock, “Ah! Can she even survive this?”

Hearing Yue Shuang’s scream, Yun Huo immediately dropped his utensils and rushed to push the door open. Upon seeing the injured woman on the bed, he was horrified to spot a thirty-centimeter-long gash on her abdomen, exposing her organs in a gruesome manner. Her shoulder had completely come off, with her scapula sticking out, appearing as if it had been violently torn apart, but astonishingly, there were no wounds on her face; she looked peaceful and serene.

Yue Shuang stood nearby, her expression one of shock, covering her cheeks as her body trembled violently from fear. Even Yun Huo’s reckless intrusion went unnoticed by her. Yun Chi, standing behind, grabbed Yun Huo and pulled him out, saying, “Second brother, that’s a woman! How can you just barge in? And why didn’t you call for me?”

“You womanizer, you never say anything serious!” Yun De chimed in from the side.

Ignoring their remarks, Yun Huo pushed the door open once more, holding out the potion bottle. “Xiao Yue, apply all of this medicine to her. I believe she can survive!”

Yue Shuang was stunned upon hearing this. This was legendary medicine; why would they use it on an unknown woman? She asked in confusion, “But that’s all the holy potion we have left. If it doesn’t help her, won’t that be a waste?”

“It’s fine; we can give it a try. Saving a life is worth it,” he insisted, placing the potion bottle in Yue Shuang’s hands. He then stepped out of the room, turning back to his brothers with a smile, “Hehe, I used up all the holy potion. Be careful from now on, and don’t get yourself into trouble!”

“Really, I can’t do anything with you as a brother. If that’s the case, carry on with your meal,” Yun Lie said helplessly.

As the brothers attempted to resume their meal, Yue Shuang gradually carried out bowls of bloody water, ruining their appetites. Only Yun Li and Yun Huo continued to eat heartily. Yun Chi leaned against the wall, watching the two, and couldn’t help but think: Their appetites are truly impressive; even with someone vomiting blood nearby, it wouldn’t faze them at all.

The door suddenly swung open, and Yue Shuang rushed out, exclaiming, “Someone come quickly; she just coughed up blood again!”

Yun Chi happily dashed inside. He saw the woman on the bed, now clad in fresh clothing. She appeared to be in her twenties, with an oval face and striking beauty. A string of pearls adorned her neck, and her complexion was incredibly fair, resembling that of a baby. Her eyes were peacefully closed, and her long, flowing hair cascaded behind her. Although she was unconscious, there was a powerful allure that captivated Yun Chi, whose wandering eyes were drawn irresistibly to her. He stared in awe, and without realizing it, blood began to trickle from his nose. Yue Shuang quickly waved her hand to interrupt him and pushed him out of the room.

As Yun Chi was ejected while still trying to stop his nosebleed, Yun De laughed while holding his stomach, “Haha! What were you doing in there, making it more chaotic?”

Yun Chi appeared not to hear his remark, mumbling to himself, “She’s so beautiful; it’s like a fairy has descended to earth! How can this be?”

“Nonsense, just get outside,” Yun Huo said as he patted Yun Chi’s shoulder and stepped back inside. Having learned some methods for treating wounds, he quickly managed to stop the bleeding. However, when he turned her over, he was startled and sat down on the floor, pointing at her back, exclaiming, “What is that? Folded wings? One, two, three… sixteen wings! My goodness!”

Yue Shuang looked at Yun Huo’s astonishment in confusion. After covering the woman with a blanket, she asked, “What’s wrong, second brother? Is she an angel?”

Staring at the woman on the bed, Yun Huo nodded in shock, “Yes! I’ve seen it in books. Angels usually have one or two pairs of wings, but she has eight pairs! Do you know what a sixteen-wing angel is? It’s a high-tier angel with the power of a celestial official. It’s said they can have the strength to stand alongside a martial emperor!”

“What! A martial emperor?” Yun Lie pushed the door open, wide-eyed.

“It’s just a theory; maybe I misread it. After all, she’s a woman, and we shouldn’t examine her too closely.”

“Okay, I’ll ask her when she wakes up. Yue Shuang, you’ve worked hard tonight taking care of her. Brothers, let’s head back to our rooms to sleep.” Yun Lie waved his hand.

Yun Huo yawned as he stepped out, dragging the lovesick Yun Chi toward his carriage.

The next morning, Yun Chi woke up early and rushed to Yue Shuang’s room. He saw her dozing by the bed and asked, “Yue-Jie, how’s she doing? Has she woken up?”

“Ah? Yun Chi! You’re up so early!” Yue Shuang said, startled awake.

“Is she still not awake? What if she never wakes up?” Yun Chi hurriedly asked.

“She should be fine. Her breathing has stabilized a lot. Stay here for a bit while I go prepare some food,” she replied with a yawn as she headed out. Yun Chi nodded excitedly, thinking to himself, Now I can observe this beautiful woman up close! He slowly approached the bed and gazed at her serene face. In a moment of boldness, he gently brushed aside the hair that obstructed her eyes.

Suddenly, the woman awoke. Her eyes, filled with a deadly glare, shot out a red flame that struck Yun Chi in the chest. The unexpected attack sent him flying out of the room with a crash! “Crack!” he smashed through the door and tumbled into the first carriage, landing on the ground, clutching his chest and coughing up a few mouthfuls of blood. “What the hell was that?” he groaned.