Spirit Vessel

Warm sunlight appeared at the rise of dawn.

Golden birds were pulling a heavy carriage a hundred meters above the ground on the southeastern canopy. Faint clouds were wafting around them. The birds shook their feathers that reflected a golden brilliance under the sun.

Feng Feiyun had finally returned. He ran very quickly last night, but he made little progress since he had no less than twenty injuries all over his body. Blood was still dripping from some open wounds all over his shoes. It must have left many footprints during his journey.

"For whom the beauty smiles as youth is passing by? In this mundane realm, the heart will not age, but without you, the world is a waste. Don't climb all alone till gray hair flutters on the steep pavilion. With no time remaining, who will draw her eyebrows in the end?" A beautiful song accompanied by a melodious zither came from the carriage. It echoed across the rosy clouds, causing all the finches nearby to tweet, creating a perfect tune. [1. Okay, this poem took 30 minutes. It looks like the author took several big elements from literature and came up with the rest by himself. It is about a girl waiting for the right person, but it also says not to wait too long or time will catch up. As for the eyebrows part, it is a tradition for the husband/lover to draw his wife/lover’s eyebrows. It is a symbol of love.]

It was a wondrous sound that gave others a profound peace of mind; this tune allowed others to forget about the troubles of the world.

Feng Feiyun smiled and landed on the carriage. While slightly trembling, Nangong Hongyan’s fingers immediately stopped flicking the strings. Her pretty and damp eyes were glancing around.

The song might have stopped, but the mystical hymn remained. With tearful eyes, she rushed towards Feng Feiyun and hugged him tightly while quietly weeping: “You are finally back. I was all alone and scared so I could only sing, but I became even more afraid. My mind was empty like the rootless duckweed always flowing down streams.”

“Sorry, I left in a rush.” He gently stroked her hair and closed his eyes to take a deep breath. Having someone in this world to worry about you was a wonderful thing.

“I know, I don’t blame you at all, only myself for being anxious and not helpful. I could only think about you and pray to the merciful Bodhisattva to grant you a safe return.” Her tears constantly dripped down while her long eyelashes gently quivered. She kept on muttering and revealing her worries and self-blame.

He asked: “You really prayed to the Bodhisattva for my sake?”

“Really.” She replied seriously.

“Then what did the Bodhisattva say?” He teased.

“She said… how do I know what she said? She is too busy to have the time to listen to a girl’s nagging.” She glanced at him and gently pinched his arm to express her dissatisfaction.

He screamed: “Oww!”

She suddenly panicked and hastily asked: “Did I hurt you?”

“Right on my wound!” He responded.

“Sorry, really sorry, I didn’t mean to, it's all my fault…” She blamed herself while stomping on the carriage before biting her lips then quickly checking his wound in clear distress.

He noticed her anxious appearance like a hen losing their flock of children. Her pretty eyes were confused and spinning from being nervous.

“Why are you staring at me like this?” She didn’t dare to look straight into his fiery eyes and quickly lowered her head while feeling shy.

He smilingly said: “Very pretty!”

“So it doesn’t hurt?” Her voice was as quiet and gentle as a buzzing mosquito.

“It really doesn’t.” He shook his head.

“Really?” She lifted her head. A pair of eyes even more beautiful than the stars stared at Feng Feiyun. She looked at his eyes and his wounds with an indescribable hint of worry. How could he not be in pain when there were so many wounds?

He said: “If you can sing that song earlier for me, I think it truly won’t hurt anymore.”

She sat down again and showcased her beautiful and enchanting figure while holding her zither. Her slender jade-like fingers gently touched the strings. At this time, she was as ethereal as smoke and as calm as water. It was an extraordinarily transcendent image.

She was no longer a delicate girl for she has turned into a magnificent immortal playing an instrument.

"For whom the beauty smiles as youth is passing by? In this mundane realm, the heart will not age, but without you, the world is a waste. Don't climb all alone till gray hair flutters on the steep pavilion. With no time remaining, who will draw her eyebrows in the end..."

Feng Feiyun was intoxicated by the music. The spirit energy in his body began to surge to heal his wounds as he sat next to her. It wrapped around his body and pulsed about his skin.

The zither sounded like a spring lingering by his ears. Meanwhile, the carriage started flying towards the horizon.

“Someone handed me a ring and told me to give this to you.” The moment the song was over, she took out a black ring and carefully gave it to Feng Feiyun.

He accepted the Infinite Spirit Ring and happily said: “Was it a young man with a dark complexion?”

“That’s right.” She gently nodded.

He asked: “Did he trouble you at all?”

She recalled Bi Ningshuai’s words: “He said you passed five trials, so he gave the ring back to you. It looks like he is someone who keeps his promises.”

“Is he really someone who keeps his promise?” Feng Feiyun didn’t think that the number one swindler of the pagoda was a man true to his word. He definitely wouldn’t take the initiative to give back something he stole.

A thief naturally wouldn’t give back the evidence voluntarily.

She explained: “He was a bit reluctant to hand it back.”

“Then why did he give it to you in the end?” Feng Feiyun inquired.

“I played him a song. He was probably moved and gained a guilty conscience so he gave it back.” She spoke while blinking.

“Makes sense, your songs can truly affect people.” Feng Feiyun replied: “Then where did he go afterward?”

She replied: “One of his hands was broken, so he limped off somewhere.”

This surprised Feng Feiyun: “Huh? Why was his hand broken, and his leg too?”

“He was really too careless and fell from the carriage into a ravine below, so his hand broke. His leg was probably broken too, so he eventually left while leaning on a wooden stick.” She hesitated here for a moment before sighing: “Is he your friend? He said… he said that…”

“What rubbish did he say to you?” He suddenly became nervous. This bastard Bi Ningshuai better not say anything stupid in front of her!

“That you wanted to marry the princess and that I’m only a lowly girl in the mundane world, an eyesore.” She lowered her head. Feng Feiyun could see that her eyes were starting to turn red.

“I…” He wanted to explain.

“But I didn’t believe him at all!” She quickly replied while looking straight into his eyes with a tender-hearted gaze as if waiting for words of comfort.

He slowly responded: “You shouldn’t have believed anything from him anyway.”

Her eyes slightly curved like a crescent moon as she almost laughed out loud. This appearance of hers was truly beautiful.

Soon afterward, the carriage stopped outside of the Martial Tower. Feng Feiyun’s injuries had healed about seventy to eighty percent. After jumping down the carriage with Nangong Hongyan, they entered the tower.

Along the way, they saw many disciples from the Martial Tower. All of them were instantly attracted by her kingdom-toppling features. Her transcendent and pure aura was so irresistible that it was as if they were looking at a goddess visiting the lower world. Everyone cast sidelong glances in astonishment and awe.

“That’s Feng Feiyun, the Divine King’s successor. Next to him should be the number one beauty of the world, Nangong Hongyan. My god… wow, I’m actually looking at the world’s top beauty…”

This news spread very quickly. In just one night, the entire Wanxiang Pagoda knew about it. Many disciples learned that the top beauty has become Feng Feiyun’s confidante. In order to see her style, many disciples from the other towers and sacred grounds specifically came and waited outside the Martial Tower.

Among them were a few geniuses from the Hundred’s List. They watched from the distance while being extremely shaken. How could a woman be that beautiful? Even though she had a veil on, many people still swooned all the same. She was definitely peerless in this generation as she charmed all the talented disciples and geniuses alike.

However, no one dared to come close. They knew better than to trifle with Feng Feiyun. This guy could be said to be reigning over the younger generation.

He was the Divine King’s successor as well as the little brother of the current Martial Tower Lord, thus he had an exceedingly high position in this place. He could come and go as he wished. Naturally, he could bring anyone with him into the tower as well.

This day passed by in tranquility. After the battle last night, Feng Feiyun felt his cultivation had reached a bottleneck. Only by breaking through it could he be a hidden dragon soaring through the heavens or a young phoenix spreading its wings to truly be part of the young kings.

He sat cross-legged on the 72nd floor of the tower for his isolated cultivation while facing a wall made of green jade. Various runic patterns were carved on it. Each of them represented a different saber technique. They were extremely profound and couldn’t be comprehended without the accumulation of time.

These were the first five saber techniques from the Dragon King’s Saber Art. Feng Feiyun had yet to fully learn the first slash. It was truly too abstruse since it contained a heavenly dao. He must use his heart to sense its rhythm.

“Crash!” Suddenly, the black Blood Seal Bracelet on his wrist rotated. A crimson pattern on the bracelet began to move due to someone activating it.

His expression quickly changed as he felt all of his spirit blood energy being suppressed by this seal; it was as if his meridians and blood vessels were completely blocked. It was extremely uncomfortable since he couldn’t use even ten percent of his cultivation.

“Break for me!” Feng Feiyun tried to use the Infinite Spirit Ring to destroy this suppression and escape the control of the mysterious master.

A majestic wave rushed out of the bracelet and struck his arm. It shook his spirit energy around his body so he could no longer utilize his Spirit Treasure. This was the power of the mysterious master surging through the bracelet, a power that could shatter someone’s body.

The mysterious master was close by at the Martial Tower. How bold! Was he not afraid of being detected by the Divine King or Zhang Badao and be beaten to death?

He didn’t even have time to stand up before a group of crimson flames suddenly appeared inside the stone room. It floated above Feng Feiyun with a scorching heat that could burn one’s skin.

“Feng Feiyun, you really want to break the bracelet and escape from my control?” While wrapped in flames, the mysterious master spoke with a hoarse voice accompanied by a bleak aura. A layer of frost condensed in the stone room, resulting in a bone-piercing chill.