Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 619 Yaochi
The golden steed was extremely fast. Traveling south from the Western Imperial Mountain of the Cold Wilderness Royal City, it only took two or three days to reach the Kunlun Mountains. Not only did it take very little time, but the travel experience it brought was also far beyond what those weathered wandering knights who had endured hardship and dew could have imagined.

After a drunken night with Shao Hao, Qin Huai (Lu Wu) gazed out the window at the vast blue sky. White clouds danced and chased each other, herons circled overhead, and towering mountains, covered in snow, shimmered with dazzling golden light under the sun. Between the mountains, alpine meadows stretched out like a brocade, countless wildflowers blooming in vibrant colors, vying for attention. White cattle and sheep dotted the landscape, moving slowly at the foot of the mountains, on the grassy slopes, and along the winding riverbanks. A gust of wind swept through, causing the green grass to surge like waves, the magnificent sea of ​​flowers undulating, petals falling like colorful, fragrant breezes dancing across the plateau.

In early summer, the snow-capped mountains and plateaus are vibrant and pure in color. Even the cold wind in the high sky seems exceptionally crisp, cleansing everyone's mind and invigorating their spirits.

Having lived in Tianjin and Anxi for a long time, Qin Huai was used to modern architecture and desert scenery. Such a magnificent plateau scene was something he rarely experienced. At this moment, the scene evoked some unique feelings.

Dick dick~
Suddenly, a series of sharp horn calls echoed from the distant sky, resounding through the clouds.

Upon hearing this loud voice, both Bai Ma Shenying Zhao and Feng Yun Shen Jiang Yi in the carriage changed their expressions slightly. Shao Hao, who had been awakened, also frowned and muttered, "Strange, why are so many Heaven-Splitting Horns ringing out at the same time? Could something have happened on Kunlun Mountain again?"

The Sky-Splitting Horn is the warning signal of the Jin Clan's scouts. The higher and more urgent the sound, the more critical and severe the situation. At this moment, the horn's sound was dense and intense, like a torrential downpour, sending chills down one's spine and filling one's heart with dread, indicating that something far more serious had happened on Kunlun Mountain.

"Among the five tribes of the Great Wilderness, the Gold Tribe and the Water Demons are the most powerful. Even if the entire Western Sea Demons attacked, they would have no chance of conquering Kunlun Mountain. The repeated announcements of this news must indicate that something has happened in the Great Wilderness."

Seeing the change in the expressions of the Jin clan members, Qin Huai offered words of comfort, but he didn't expect that anything unexpected would happen to the sacred Kunlun Mountain of the Jin clan.

Immediately afterwards, a golden cloud suddenly appeared in the northwest sky above the majestic snow-capped mountain and rapidly approached.

Qin Huai gazed intently and saw banners fluttering in the sky, as more than ten giant bird-shaped flying chariots soared through the clouds. Besides the character "金" (gold), the banners also bore the characters "开明" (enlightened).

"So it was Lu Shen who came to escort the Crown Prince back to the palace."

When Bai Ma Shenyingzhao saw the banners, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Highness, this journey to the desolate lands is of great importance. Why have you returned so quickly?"

A burly man in white stepped out of the car with his blond hair, brown eyes, and a full beard, looking extremely imposing.

"Lu Hushen, come in, come in."

Seeing Shao Hao enthusiastically pulling the white-clad giant into the carriage, Qin Huai's expression became somewhat subtle, because the information revealed in that fleeting glance was different from what he had obtained from the soul search by the Cold Wilderness Priest.

As far as Chu Ning knew, Lu Wu, the Nine-Tailed Tiger Immortal, was the number one expert among the Golden Clan's immortal-level figures. His true form, the Enlightened Beast, was a nine-tailed tiger with a human face, ferocious and unstoppable, and his fame spread throughout the world. At that time in the Great Wilderness, in addition to the title of the Ten Gods, there was also the saying of the Six Lesser Gods, which referred to the six strongest immortal-level experts among the five clans as the "Six Lesser Gods of the Great Wilderness," and Lu Wu of the Golden Clan was one of them.

Back then, some enthusiasts compiled a "Great Wilderness Emperor, Goddess, and Immortal Ranking," ranking the top experts of the five races of the Great Wilderness—emperors, goddesses, gods, and immortals—according to their magical power and true energy. Lu Wu was prominently ranked twenty-second. Although this ranking is not entirely reliable, his status as a top expert in the world is beyond doubt.

During this time, as Qin Huai explored on his own, he also roughly figured out the strength level of this fruit. Immortal-level figures like Ying Zhao and Jiang Yi were basically Seven Palace Demon Kings with more than three thousand years of cultivation. The enlightened Lu Wu in front of him was a top-level immortal expert, known as a minor god, and his cultivation was close to three thousand five hundred years, only a step away from the peak of the Seven Palaces.

As for powerful figures like the Old Ancestor of the Western Sea, who are among the Ten Gods of the Great Wilderness, they are naturally at the peak of the Seven Palaces. Adding to that the God Emperor who should be at the Six Divisions level, everything is very much in line with the fruit energy level that Yan Zhaohui calculated.

Unfortunately, the enlightened Luwu that appeared before Qin Huai at this moment was not the Luwu that was hard to find in the entire world, but an enlightened beast.

【Kaiming Luwu】: The Kaiming Beast of Kunlun Mountain, surnamed Lu and named Wu, has cultivated his Taoist practice for 3,480 years and his body's platinum true energy has reached the realm of perfection.

Note 1: The power of the Enlightened Beast is perfectly compatible with the Enlightened Beast! Absorbing the power of the Enlightened Beast will greatly increase the awakening level of the Enlightened Beast's body and allow you to unlock the Enlightened Beast's secret treasure, gaining an inherited divine ability ahead of time!
Note 2: Because the Kaiming Beast's heritage belongs to the Four Seas Divine System of the Great Wilderness, your [Kunlun Hill] can subdue it and use its empowerment to open the Kaiming Beast's secret treasure, obtaining a inherited divine ability ahead of time! (This item is provided by Ace Ninja Land)

Note 3: For the same mythical creature, you can only choose to kill or capture it.

"Hmm, so that means Lu Wu, like Tian Wu, can obtain the Yama's Secret Treasure of species-enhanced beings by subduing extraordinary creatures of different races?"

Looking at the Yanfu prompt in front of him, Qin Huai asked himself a question thoughtfully.

"Yes, when the two seats of the Pride Insects were in Bajiquan, they obtained more than two hundred secret treasures of the Jambudvipa by collecting a large number of bee stingers, which gave them a considerable advantage in their struggle against the proxy Xiang Liu."

After listening to Zero's explanation, Qin Huai nodded slightly and looked up at the enlightened Lu Wu, who had already entered the carriage and was embracing Ying Zhao and Jiang Yi.

"Thanks to the efforts of Senior Taotie, the calamity of the Cold Wasteland has been largely resolved. Not only was the culprit, the Old Ancestor of the Western Sea, executed, but also the sinister minister of the aquatic tribe, the elder of the snake lineage, Erfu. Now that Your Highness has returned to Kunlun, it is precisely to report to the White Emperor and the Queen Mother and devise a way to eliminate the floods in the Cold Wasteland."

"What?! The Old Ancestor of the Western Sea is dead?!"

Lu Hushen's body trembled, almost unable to believe his ears. His gaze swept across the crowd, and when he saw Qin Huai, whose aura was as deep as the ocean, he immediately understood the situation and exclaimed with great joy, "This...this is truly wonderful news! Thank you! Thank you so much for your righteous help, Senior Taotie!"

"You're too kind. It was just a trivial matter. A few days ago, I sensed a change in the Heavenly Dao, which is why I came out of seclusion to set things right. I happened to encounter that Yanzi Erfu, who dared to plot to seize the treasures of my Mishan Mountain, taking advantage of the fact that my Cold Wilderness was deserted. No matter how much I pleaded, he wouldn't listen, so I had no choice but to kill him with my bare hands to deter the water demons and snake descendants. However, the solution to eliminate the floods in the Western Regions still depends on the White Emperor."

Seeing Lu Hu Shen overjoyed and bowing repeatedly in thanks, Qin Huai laughed heartily and gently lifted him up with his Qi.

Afterwards, the group rode their golden steeds directly into the Kunlun Mountains, the most dangerous mountain range in the world.

A vast expanse of blue sky, the morning glow dances, and the snow-capped mountains are bathed in red light.

The shadows of trees swept past, the cliffs lurched, and in an instant, the golden steed galloped across thousands of snow-capped hills, reaching the main peak of Kunlun. Towering snow-capped peaks embraced the vast, shimmering lake. The Jade Pool stretched for dozens of miles, its emerald green waters as clear and transparent as jade in the sunlight, reflecting the surrounding icy peaks, snow-capped cliffs, blue sky, and white clouds, appearing even more pure and pristine. A gentle breeze stirred, calming the still waters, creating ripples that rippled across the beautiful scene. Near the Jade Pool, the surrounding snow-capped peaks were covered in endless green grass, verdant trees like clouds, and vast swathes of vibrant wildflowers bloomed in a riot of color, like a tapestry.

Yaochi Palace sits in the heart of the vast Yaochi Lake, comprised of 136 palaces, pavilions, and terraces, and 300 interconnected corridors and painted paths, all winding and intertwined, forming a breathtakingly beautiful, mirage-like structure. Exotic flowers and rare herbs bloom profusely among the palaces and pavilions, vying for attention in their splendor. The eighteen-mile-long Yaochi Palace, with its crystal windows, exquisitely crafted glass tiles, and golden splendor, is even more magnificent and wondrous against the backdrop of Yaochi Lake, snow-capped mountains, and verdant wildflowers, a scene of poetic beauty.

"I've long heard a saying in the Great Wilderness: the most dangerous place is Kunlun Mountain, the deepest place is the Dragon Palace in the sea, the richest place is Lei Ze Water, and the most majestic place is Chi Yan City. If we're talking about magnificent palaces, perhaps only the underwater crystal palace of the Dragon Clan can compare to this Jade Pool Palace in the heavens?"

Looking out at the magnificent scenery of the mountains, Qin Huai, from a high vantage point, can see the crimson and emerald green landscapes scattered like stars, with jade ribbons winding around, shining brightly, and he cannot ignore the vast and clear Yaochi Pond.

Even in this beautiful and peaceful fairyland, there was an unshakeable atmosphere of tension. Not only were there guards every ten steps and sentries every five steps along the long palaces and corridors, but on the white jade platform of the central octagonal hall, there was also a huge sand table several meters in diameter. Several well-dressed generals were arguing with a shaman elder dressed in gold and silver, creating a very lively scene.

The golden steed slowly landed on the coral platform, and immediately eight beautiful women in palace attire came up to greet Crown Prince Shao Hao. They led Qin Huai and others along the long, winding crystal corridor toward the central main hall.

White clouds drift lazily, a gentle breeze blows softly, and worldly cares are cleansed. Walking along the corridor, every step reveals a beautiful scene, as if stepping into a painting.

"Your Highness, accompanied by the sacred beasts of the Frost Wasteland, Taotie, Lu Hu Shen, Bai Ma Shen, and Feng Yun Shen, we pay our respects!"

Upon hearing a horn sounding outside the hall, the generals and elders surrounding the white jade platform immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to look.

"The Frosty Taotie? Isn't that a stubborn, ferocious beast? How could it be willing to give up its strong beastly body to cultivate a human form? Do they even have the brains for that?"

"A majestic old man with a hawk-like nose and tiger-like eyes, carrying a long-handled gold-plated sword on his back, asked in surprise."

"Be careful what you say! This demon is extremely powerful, even I can't quite see through him. He might be some ancient monster who survived from the primordial era. Don't let your words ruin your impression of our Jin clan."

A towering giant with a human face and tiger claws, covered in white fur, stood up and shouted at someone who had spoken out of turn. The two giant gray-blue dragons that had been lying at his feet also straightened up, seemingly dissatisfied at the sudden loss of their caresses.

"Silence."

Suddenly, a deep, dull voice, like the sound of a great bell, rang out. The generals and elders immediately fell silent, showing great respect to the speaker.

With Qin Huai's extraordinary and keen perception, these whispered words of the Jin clan heroes could not escape his ears. Upon hearing this, he looked at the Jin clan hero who had spoken last.

A towering man stood proudly. His head was as big as a bucket, with thick eyebrows and long eyes. His square face was as if carved from stone, completely expressionless. His hair was as black as ink, and his skin was like bronze. His gray-white robe fluttered in the wind, and his aura was as imposing as a mountain, exuding authority without anger.

"A master, could you be one of the Ten Gods of the Great Wilderness?"

Qin Huai's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately opened [A Glimpse of Beauty].

【Golden God Shi Yi】: With 3,900 years of cultivation, one of the Ten Gods of the Great Wilderness, the number one expert of the Golden Clan. Because the opponent has counter-attack skills, you cannot see the specific details in your fleeting glance.

Note: Legend has it that its true form is a five-colored stone spirit, bestowed with divine favor by heaven and earth since it gained sentience. (This information was provided by Ace Ninja from the Ninja Information Network; its authenticity is debatable.)
【Golden Light God Ru Shou】: With 3,490 years of cultivation, one of the six minor gods of the Great Wilderness, the fourth strongest of the Golden Clan, he is known for his uprightness and integrity, and is in charge of the Golden Clan's punishments, feared by all.

Note: "His divine weapon, the Golden Light Axe, was refined from a comet meteorite from a thousand years ago. Its light is dazzling, its power boundless, and it is considered one of the three great axes of the Great Wilderness, along with Xing Tian's Azure Axe and the Heaven-Opening Axe of the former Jin Clan general, Pan Gu." —From *The Great Wilderness Hundred Weapons Compendium* by Zhan Yuejin.

Note: "Mount You is inhabited by the god Ru Shou. Its summit is rich in jade of the shape of infants, its sunny side abundant in fine jade, and its shady side rich in blue orpiment. This mountain, facing west, is where the sun sets; its energy is round, and it is governed by the god's red light." — *Classic of Mountains and Seas, Western Mountains Classic*

"The Jin clan is truly full of talented people."

After exchanging a glance with Jin Shen Shi Yi, who seemed to sense something, Qin Huai did not linger and followed Shao Hao directly into the Bahe Hall built on Yaochi.

The Bahe Hall, also known as the Palace of Immortals, is the center of the Eighteen-Mile Jade Pool Palace. It was built a hundred years ago when the White Emperor invited the four most renowned craftsmen in the land to redesign the palace ten times, leading six thousand skilled workers to spend three years expanding and renovating it on the basis of the original "Linglong Palace". It is majestic, well-connected, and has a magnificent and varied style, and is known as the number one palace in the world.

The Palace of Immortals consists of eight rows of water palaces, layered and overlapping to form a massive octagonal shape, with a shimmering, floating platform at its center. The eight-sided palace complex is divided into eight major areas: White Gold, Green Wood, Black Water, Crimson Fire, Yellow Earth, Heaven, Eight Desolations, and Four Seas. The main hall, the "Heavenly Palace," is the residence of the God Emperor and where he handles various affairs. The other seven halls are side halls, symbolizing the unity of all spirits and the equality of all races.

Each palace complex is supported by 999 massive jade pillars, suspended above the Jade Pool; pavilions and towers are all present, varying in height and unique in their ingenuity, with no two alike. Some are majestic, some are ornate, some are delicate; the architectural styles of the five ethnic groups blend perfectly together without any sense of incongruity. From afar, they resemble layers of colorful clouds floating above the clear waters of the Jade Pool.

As the distinguished guests arrived, drums and music filled the air. Qin Huai followed Prince Shao Hao as they gracefully walked up the winding corridor to the White Gold Hall, where they saw a man and a woman sitting together on the golden steps.

The person in the central seat wore a white crown and silver belt, dressed in white robes as white as snow, with a face as warm as jade, eyes like bright stars, and a long beard that fluttered in the wind; he was a god-like figure.

The beautiful woman sitting to his side bore a striking resemblance to him. She wore a white robe with leopard spots, held a jade flute shaped like a knife, her black hair flowed freely, her eyebrows were exquisite, her skin was radiant, and her appearance was exceptionally beautiful. However, her face was covered with frost, her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and she exuded a slightly menacing aura, inspiring awe in all who beheld her.

A fleeting glimpse swept over the two, but just like when they investigated Jin Shenshi Yi before, it was like throwing a stone into the sea, and they could not learn any specific details.

"I heard from the young master that you killed the Western Sea Ancestor Yanzi with your bare hands? The sudden death of a true god of the aquatic race is no small matter. Do you have any proof?"

After Qin Huai stood still in the hall, Bai Zhaoju, the Emperor of the Golden Clan, finally spoke.

(End of this chapter)