Chapter 334 Ascending to Heaven
This was Liu Nanfeng’s first time so close to the Heavenly Gate.
The Heavenly Gate was even larger than he had imagined. Countless streams of spiritual energy, like curtains descending from the heavens, flowed slowly from within. Due to their sheer volume, the spiritual energy, which was originally colorless, appeared milky white.
Taking a deep breath of the abundant spiritual energy did not bestow the feeling of invigoration one might get from consuming an immortal elixir. Instead, it induced a mild, pleasant dizziness, making the mind feel heavy.
This was akin to oxygen intoxication, caused by the extremely high concentration of spiritual energy.
The entire sky, with the spiritual energy flowing downwards, created an effect similar to a giant cinema screen. This was why people standing on land, tens or even hundreds of thousands of miles away, could clearly witness the spectacle of the Heavenly Gate being impacted. Nature, indeed, was wondrous.
Zhan Dundun carefully levitated, observing his surroundings with curiosity. He was not skilled at aerial maneuvering, and floating in mid-air, neither touching the heavens nor the earth, made him feel quite unaccustomed. He drifted slowly around, trying to get used to this sensation.
Liu Nanfeng was different. He casually manipulated a set of information, causing it to float beneath his feet, giving the appearance of riding on clouds. Standing on it felt as solid as being on the ground, without any discomfort.
Seeing that others had not yet arrived, Liu Nanfeng activated the divine light in his eyes and made a series of gestures in the air.
“What are you doing?” Zhan Dundun asked curiously.
“Making some preparations in advance.”
This place contained an immense amount of spiritual energy, which for Liu Nanfeng, represented an inexhaustible supply of resources. With these resources, it became much easier for him to create or replicate information.
As Liu Nanfeng channeled his spiritual power, a dark crimson, wide-sleeved robe enveloped him. This was the “Dragon Robe” that Zhu Yin’e had sewn for him long ago, possessing formidable defensive capabilities.
With Liu Nanfeng’s fingers moving, countless pieces of information attached themselves to the Dragon Robe. For a moment, the robe shimmered with divine light, but it quickly faded.
“Is this useful? Can you give me some too?” Zhan Dundun asked curiously from the side.
“Sure,” Liu Nanfeng replied, casually applying a few to Zhan Dundun.
Zhan Dundun looked closely but felt no unusual sensation.
However, as he lowered his head, the entire Earth came into his view, filling him with countless emotions.
Just then, a divine deer, with hooves treading on a rainbow, galloped towards them. Before them, it transformed into Lu Caiwei, a lady of elegant demeanor.
Both Liu Nanfeng and Zhan Dundun were somewhat surprised, not expecting her to be the first to arrive.
Lu Caiwei was equally surprised. She had thought she would be the first to reach this place, but to her surprise, Liu Nanfeng and Zhan Dundun were already there.
She first looked at Zhan Dundun, then her gaze settled on Liu Nanfeng.
She didn’t believe Zhan Dundun possessed such ability, considering his grandfather and father had both been defeated by him. Thus, the answer was self-evident.
Although Liu Nanfeng was the reincarnation of Feng Zhirun, she was still greatly surprised. This was because Feng Zhirun was not known for his speed; otherwise, their past entanglement would not have lasted for months.
Just then, more people arrived, and as before, they surprised everyone, for the newcomer was Hua Yangliu, who appeared to be only eleven or twelve years old.
She held a giant artifact resembling a dandelion. With a gentle breeze, it propelled her thousands of miles. This item was truly both beautiful and effective. A flash of surprise crossed Liu Nanfeng’s eyes as his gaze fell upon her artifact. In that instant, he saw through its information.
However, due to the immense volume of data, he couldn’t fully analyze it immediately. But he could easily replicate it and create countless such artifacts. He mused that the children would surely love them.
Hua Yangliu was not surprised that Lu Caiwei had arrived before her. However, she was truly astonished that Liu Nanfeng and Zhan Dundun had also reached here ahead of her.
In this race of aerial flight, everyone was subtly competing, also showcasing their strength. The intention was that upon entering the Heavenly Palace, they would have more speaking power. But what she hadn’t expected was…
“Truly, the successors surpass the predecessors,” Hua Yangliu said with emotion.
Her voice was old and hoarse, a stark contrast to her appearance.
As she spoke, the artifact in her hand continuously shrank, eventually transforming into an ornament that settled atop her head. Only then did Liu Nanfeng realize why the artifact had seemed familiar; she had been wearing it all along.
Next to arrive was Liu Xuanzong. Faint, transparent wings were visible on his back. With each flap, his body would flash and disappear, his speed being extremely rapid.
He was also surprised that Liu Nanfeng and Zhan Dundun had arrived before him, but he said nothing, merely floating silently to the side.
Following him was Lu Beihai. He transformed into a gust of black wind, whistling through the sky and obscuring the sun. His presence was imposing, reminiscent of a monster controlling the wind in Journey to the West. Well, he was indeed a monster, so it was fitting.
Upon his arrival, he scanned the others, scratched his head, and displayed a look of annoyance, as if he regretted losing the competition.
At this moment, the Ao siblings arrived simultaneously. They transformed into two giant dragons, accompanied by rumbling thunder, traveling on clouds and riding the rain. Their speed was only slightly slower than Lu Beihai’s.
However, to everyone’s astonishment, Xiong Liren approached, one hand held at his chest, each step accompanied by a blooming lotus, bathed in celestial light. He ascended through the air at an unhurried pace, resembling a divine Buddha, creating a profoundly impactful scene.
And last to arrive were the Zhan father and son, journeying together.
It was unclear whether they were deliberately yielding or if the Zhan family was simply not adept at controlling winds and clouds or at遁形 (dùn xíng - escape/concealment techniques).
The immense commotion in the sky naturally drew attention from the ground.
“Huh? He’s preparing to break through the Heavenly Gate and enter the Heavenly Palace?”
Xu Zhenwu, spotting Liu Nanfeng, was greatly astonished. If the latter went to the Heavenly Palace, would it mean his mission here would fail?
“Don’t worry too much. Going to the Heavenly Palace is precisely what we need,” Bai Xinghe said with a smile from the side.
After all, the Heavenly Gate was opened by the Tidal Phenomenon first, making them the initial group to enter the Heavenly Palace.
“What immense power. Master, who are these people? I’ve never heard of them before,” Wei Xiaoming, a member of Section Nine, asked An Bohou beside him, filled with surprise.
An Bohou sighed upon hearing this, “Because many of them have long since retreated from the world, you naturally wouldn’t recognize them. Even I thought they had perished long ago, but to think they are still alive.”
The great changes in the world recently had thrown Section Nine into disarray. Various supernatural events had left them stretched thin, which was why the upper echelons were preparing to establish another supernatural handling unit.
It wasn't just them who were astonished; many who knew Liu Nanfeng were also greatly surprised.
“I didn’t expect you to be this kind of Liu Nanfeng.”
(End of Chapter)