Chapter 59: The First Qi Refiner

A frenzy.
These four words alone could capture the state of Feather Deity City at this moment.
Everywhere, wild beasts ran rampant, coming from the south to the north, from east to west.
They slaughtered the winged people with abandon.
Because the torrential rain caused by the Moon-Howling Ancestor’s breakthrough had drenched the feathers the avians so prided themselves on, making it almost impossible for them to take flight, they were forced to fight these beasts on land.
None of the winged people understood what had happened, or why the animals that had always been so docile—and whom they regarded as mere servants—dared now to trample upon them and attack.
“What in the world is going on?!”
Yun Yi, the Lord of Feather Deity City, was filled with alarm. Already uneasy, he now heard faint shouts and cries for blood amidst the curtain of rain, which only added to his dread.
But when he learned from his subordinates that the animals were rioting, his heart leapt with joy.
A riot?
Good, very good—let there be a riot!
Yun Zhao had escaped, and Yun Yi had been at a loss as to how to divert suspicion and clear Feather Deity City of blame. Now, with the beasts in revolt, he could simply claim it was the rampaging animals that had killed the scholars!
With that, his troubles would be over.
Just as Yun Yi was inwardly congratulating himself on this stroke of luck, a figure burst into the city lord’s residence with hurried steps, fixing him with an intense gaze.
Startled by this sudden intrusion, Yun Yi reflexively shouted, “Who goes there?! How dare you trespass in the city lord’s manor—do you not know your place?”
His scolding did not frighten the intruder; instead, the man seemed to find it amusing.
“Hahahaha, so you’re the lord of Feather Deity City?”
The voice was rough and awkward, as if spoken by a child just learning to talk, though Yun Yi could barely make out the words. Yet the tone bore no resemblance to that of an infant.
It was then that Yun Yi realized, to his astonishment, that this man had no wings.
Panic seized him. He shouted, “Who are you? Could you be… that traitor, Quan Xi?!”
Among the history of the winged people, only one person was ever born without wings—Quan Xi.
That was why Yun Yi mistook the intruder for him.
“Quan Xi? What nonsense! I am the Moon-Howling Ancestor!”
Hearing himself mistaken for Quan Xi, the Moon-Howling Ancestor grew irritated. His expression even seemed to morph into that of a wolf as he roared, “Since you’re the lord of Feather Deity City, then it’s time for you to die!”
With a gust of gray astral wind, the Moon-Howling Ancestor struck Yun Yi dead with a single blow, blood streaming from every orifice as his corpse slumped to the ground.
Then, the Moon-Howling Ancestor opened his massive jaws and, with one inhalation, sucked the body of Yun Yi in as if it were nothing but a string of noodles. With a few swift bites, the city lord became nothing more than a meal.
The surrounding avians were stunned by the spectacle. Once they recovered, they seized their weapons and rushed forward to try to slaughter the Moon-Howling Ancestor.
But to such a monstrous being, they posed no threat at all; they merely became an extra course for him.
Screams echoed throughout Feather Deity City. Stripped of their advantage in the sky, these kings of the air were now forced to confront their foes on land, caught off guard and helpless.
This was an ecstatic feast for the animal kind!
A thunderclap suddenly split the sky, and a mighty voice resounded from above:
“All evil, be gone!”
In the midst of the downpour, the sonorous voice swept through, and with its arrival, the rainfall began to lighten!
What…
What was happening?
All the beasts were at a loss, save for the Moon-Howling Ancestor, whose heart sank.
The Feather Shaman had arrived!
Just as he feared.
Feather Shaman Qing unfurled her wings within the rain, the water unable to touch her plumage. She stood in the downpour, eyes cold and merciless, while a surge of spiritual energy flashed around her.
A lotus flower, half-concealed, half-revealed, bloomed behind her. Soon, lotuses blossomed throughout the city—wondrous yet pure, their beauty tinged with an otherworldly charm. Many animals, entranced by the flowers, drew closer.
But as they approached, the lotuses suddenly exploded, sending shockwaves rippling through the city and unleashing a torrent of destruction!
Bang!
Bang, bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The explosions echoed ceaselessly as the animals nearest the lotuses were blasted to pieces, their bodies utterly annihilated.
On the ground, Yun Zhao wielded a massive stone axe, cleaving into the wolf packs—one swing for each wolf, none able to approach him.
Seeing this, the Moon-Howling Ancestor realized he must confront this long-time “neighbor” at last.
This would not only be a duel between two peoples, but a contest to determine who was truly the land’s foremost cultivator!
The Moon-Howling Ancestor believed he could not lose.
In his life, he had never been bested!
Gray demonic energy surged from his arms as he strode through the air like a charging wolf, heading straight for Feather Shaman Qing!
She met his eyes, her face impassive. With a delicate wave of her hand, the lotus behind her shifted, placing itself protectively before her. The gray energy collided with the lotus, erupting in a violent crash.
To Feather Shaman Qing, the lotus was the most important thing in her memory.
It was from the lotus that she had gained her healing powers.
It was also the first flower she saw upon meeting the Feather Deity. In her cultivation, she had always loved the lotus, so much so that her every gesture evoked its grace.
The Moon-Howling Ancestor, despite having absorbed the essence of sun and moon, could not match her command of spiritual energy.
In the very first exchange, he was at a disadvantage.
But to him, so long as it was not the final blow, defeat was not yet decided.
“Feather Shaman! Today, you and I must settle who is the true master of this land!”