Chapter 42: Qing’s Thoughts

The spiritual energy within her dantian flowed of its own accord. Yu Wuqing quietly exhaled a breath of turbid air; the rotation of the celestial energy nourished her body. She raised her head, gazing at the sky shrouded in dense black clouds, a faint joy stirring in her heart.

The divine bird could truly hear her ritual dance!

Rain had begun to fall, a fine mist descending from the heavens, and as the divine bird within the flames dissipated, it let out a cry before vanishing into the air, leaving behind dazzling sparks.

The surrounding feathered people witnessed this scene, and as the brilliant flames soared skyward, they all bowed in worship.

Yu Wuqing’s ears were filled with the bustling noise of the crowd. Though their voices were clamorous, each carried awe and reverence for the divine.

Barefoot, Yu Wuqing stepped down from the platform, and cheers resounded endlessly around her.

This moment awakened memories of all the experiences the Feather Shaman had once endured.

To hold countless powers in one’s grasp, to be the focus of all eyes.

The intoxicating allure of power.

Yu Wuqing truly relished this feeling, yet she understood that if she became lost in the pursuit of power, her fate would be no different than that of the Feather Shaman before her.

To live long and see far, to unravel the mysteries of life, to become what people call an immortal.

This, above all, was Yu Wuqing’s greatest desire.

More than twenty years of cultivating her breath had given her a new understanding of practice. Now, spiritual energy coursed through her meridians, strengthening every organ and cell. Yu Wuqing could summon fire and water at will, using them as she pleased, just as the former Feather Shaman once could.

Yet the Feather Shaman’s flames were gifts from the Feather God, while hers were the fruits of her own cultivation.

A fundamental difference lay between the two.

Outside the window, rain began to fall, a gentle drizzle pouring from the distant sky.

Yu Wuqing watched the rain beyond the window, a ripple stirring in her heart.

She always felt that another cultivator lurked near the Feather Tribe, hidden from sight.

But twenty years of searching had yielded nothing; the identity of this hidden practitioner remained a mystery.

Still, Yu Wuqing was not anxious.

In her mind, anyone within the Feather Tribe’s territory must be one of their own.

As for why this person refused to reveal themselves, there must be reasons. With the passage of time, they would surely appear before her.

Then, they could exchange insights on cultivation, advancing and improving together.

The path ahead was unknown; to achieve longevity and insight, one must rely on their own exploration.

Previously, Yu Wuqing had planned to select bright and clever children within the tribe—preparing for the next Feather Shaman and teaching them the methods of cultivation. This would allow her to summarize experience from an observer’s perspective.

However, the great drought had delayed these plans. Now that the divine bird had brought rain, she could return to this matter.

Yu Wuqing had already experienced the benefits of cultivation.

If possible, she wished for the entire Feather Tribe to step through the gates of practice.

At that time, who on the continent could rival the Feather Tribe?

The Shark King’s Court? Nothing but a troupe of jesters.

“Feather Shaman, the Elder Council requests your presence.”

A guard bearing a halberd appeared at Yu Wuqing’s side, bowing respectfully. “It seems there are matters from Feather God City they wish to discuss with you.”

The Elder Council.

It was the new power structure formed after Yu Wuqing became the Feather Shaman.

Due to her cultivation, she did not always reside in the ancestral land to manage internal affairs, so power was delegated. Those who received authority became Feather Elders, a title signifying honor and virtue.

As Yu Wuqing grew day by day, the Elder Council grew increasingly uneasy.

After all, the Feather Shaman was the tribe’s true leader; the elders merely exercised authority in her stead. Once she returned, their power would fade like smoke.

Fortunately, Yu Wuqing herself had little interest in power.

Perhaps she felt indebted to the teachings of the Feather Shaman, and to her station.

But Yu Wuqing felt no guilt toward herself.

So long as she stepped forward in critical moments, leading the tribe to victory after victory, she fulfilled her duty as Feather Shaman.

“If it’s nothing urgent, the elders may decide for themselves.”

Yu Wuqing did not look up, but picked up a straw sandal and began to put it on.

The sandal was a creation of Spring Breath.

Although Spring Breath had left the tribe, objects related to them remained vivid in her mind.

“Feather Shaman…”

The halberd-bearing guard hesitated. “There has been some unexplained unrest among the livestock in Feather God City. The Elder Council hopes you…”

“A trifling matter; send some scholars to investigate.”

Yu Wuqing decided instantly.

Influenced by her upbringing, she was accustomed to farming in the ancestral land and understood animal husbandry only in part.

Plowing fields with oxen, raising chickens and ducks in her leisure—such things she grasped.

But the domestication of animals for hunting… Yu Wuqing felt little affinity, considering it something of an oddity.

Thus, she paid no particular attention to it.

“Yes!”

The guard bowed and withdrew.

...

Outside Feather God City, the gray wolf lay hidden beneath a hill, watching the feathered warriors flying across the sky, a green light flickering in its eyes.

It seemed to be calculating the time it would take for the feathered soldiers to quell the outbreak among the animals, while also observing their combat strength.

After a time, the gray wolf drew a conclusion in its heart: “I am not yet their match.”

In twenty years, the gray wolf had grown shrewd.

With proper development of its mind, the essence of the sun and moon it absorbed nightly had begun to strengthen its limbs and body, making it faster and stronger.

It wished to overthrow the so-called Feather Tribe, to lead its kin out of servitude.

Yet, with its current strength, this seemed impossible.

Especially since there was a formidable figure in the Feather Tribe’s ancestral land.

She could even sense its presence!

Fortunately, the feathered people were arrogant and never imagined that a so-called lowly hunting dog could possess thoughts. Otherwise, it would have been exposed long ago.

To hide one’s light and bide one’s time, step by step.

The gray wolf set itself a small goal.

“Awoo~”

Several wolves accompanied the gray wolf, but their expressions differed entirely.

The lifespan of a wolf is not long; after the gray wolf embarked on cultivation, its life far exceeded that of its peers.

Nearly twenty years had passed. Its contemporaries had died or grown feeble and old; the current wolves were of a new generation.

Or rather, dogs.

The older wolves had surrendered to the feathered people, but retained a trace of wildness.

The new generation, raised under the feathered people’s yoke, had lost all wild nature, becoming nothing more than slaves.

The gray wolf wished to change this, and its first task was to defeat the mountain looming overhead—to crush the Feather Tribe completely!

PS: Happy New Year.

Wishing everyone tiger-like fortune in the coming year, health, prosperity, and may all your wishes come true.

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