Chapter 2085: Chapter 2122: A Fallen Phoenix Is Worse Than a Chicken

Under the leadership of the Second Elder, the members of the Wu Family and Skeleton Sect had already fled more than four thousand miles. The Second Elder selected steeds known for their endurance, but even so, many horses had died from exhaustion.

As dusk approached, Ding Fan finally woke up. Wu Qingxia had given him quite a few High Level Healing Medicines during their journey, and the bone pendant around his neck continued to glow. This pendant was thrown to Wu Qingxia by Xia Mengqing before her body burned, instructing her to give it to Ding Fan. Wu Qingxia was afraid of losing it, so she put it on the unconscious Ding Fan.

She was unaware that the bone pendant had miraculous effects. Normally, not everyone could fully absorb the High Level Healing Medicines she gave Ding Fan, but with the pendant’s magical influence, the effects were absorbed to their fullest extent.

Due to the dual effects of the healing medicines and the bone pendant, Ding Fan’s injuries were recovering at an alarming rate. His damaged organs were rapidly healing, and the bones broken by Liew Hong were mending at an unbelievable pace.

Slowly opening his eyes, Ding Fan looked at the car roof, his eyes gradually gaining vigor. Sensing others in the vehicle, he turned to see Wu Qingxia had fallen into a deep sleep due to exhaustion, with Sirius curled up beside her also sleeping soundly.

Ding Fan didn’t wake them up. He closed his eyes again, recollecting all the events from that day, his face showing signs of worry and pain.

"Xia Mengqing!"

An inexplicable pain gripped his heart as he remembered Xia Mengqing’s charred appearance. The feeling tore at his soul as he recalled her being taken away, causing Ding Fan’s heart to ache even more.

At some point, Xia Mengqing’s image became deeply etched in Ding Fan’s heart, perhaps beginning with their encounter at the hot springs.

When the battle began, Ding Fan, as the commander, was the first to charge towards the battlefield at the rear—also for Xia Mengqing’s sake. At that moment, it seemed no one else mattered to him; he only wanted to save Xia Mengqing, hoping she wouldn’t get hurt.

"Puh!"

Overwhelmed by emotion, Ding Fan triggered the release of built-up blood clots inside him, spurting them out in anger, startling Wu Qingxia awake.

"Brother Ding, you’re awake. How do you feel? Do you need anything to eat?"

Seeing Ding Fan covered in blood, his expression filled with pain, his chest rising and falling violently, Wu Qingxia hurriedly asked him.

"Whimper~"

Sirius awoke too, softly whining towards Ding Fan, his adorably expressive eyes filled with worry as he gently licked Ding Fan’s hand.

Ding Fan took several deep breaths, calming himself down, then slowly opened his eyes, his gaze flickering slightly. He asked Wu Qingxia, "Who were the people that took Xia Mengqing? Where might they have taken her?"

"The woman who took Sister Mengqing is the Silver Condor Goddess. She’s with the Tongzhou Jade Roc Palace. I believe they’ve returned to the palace. Brother Ding, you don’t need to worry too much. The Jade Roc Palace is formidable, and most families wouldn’t dare provoke them. They’re all women, so Sister Mengqing will be safe with them."

"How far is Tongzhou from here? If I leave now, how long will it take to get there?"

Ignoring Wu Qingxia’s reassurances, Ding Fan asked her directly.

Upon hearing Ding Fan’s question, Wu Qingxia realized he intended to go to Tongzhou to find Xia Mengqing. She shook her head and said, "Brother Ding, you shouldn’t think about going to Tongzhou, at least not for now. Tongzhou is at the northwest edge of the Northern Wastelands, with the Illusionary Demon Desert in between. And before reaching Tongzhou, you still have to cross the Illusionary Demon Sea. Without a Super Battle Car or a flying ship, or even a Teleportation Array, you wouldn’t reach it in a lifetime. Perhaps when your cultivation reaches Divine Realm standards, you’ll be able to go."

After Wu Qingxia spoke, Ding Fan fell silent. After a long pause, he opened his eyes again, looking towards the northwest as if he could see it, murmuring to himself, "Mengqing, I will reach Divine Realm soon, then come to rescue you. You must wait for me, please wait for me to come!"

Since arriving in the Divine Realm, Ding Fan had been constantly fighting, never having someone genuinely care for him. But after encountering Xia Mengqing at the hot springs, she unknowingly plucked the sensitive strings of his heart, especially since she sacrificed herself to save him, igniting the Ghost Flame of Hell. This devotion firmly etched her into his heart, setting his resolve to achieve Divine Realm standards swiftly and bring Xia Mengqing back.

At this moment, Ding Fan swore he must find Xia Mengqing, he must become powerful enough to protect her for life, ensuring she never suffers even the slightest grievance, preventing her from shedding tears over anything. He must bring her happiness.

Seeing Ding Fan’s determination, Wu Qingxia wanted to persuade him further but chose silence. Cultivation in the Divine Realm had nine levels, each with three stages. Ding Fan was currently at Divine Realm Level 1 Third Stage. To rescue Xia Mengqing, he’d need to advance swiftly to the Fourth Level to fly across the Illusionary Demon Sea independently. Many Martial Artists spend their entire lives unable to reach Divine Realm Level 3. Can Ding Fan achieve a breakthrough so quickly?

Even if he managed it, would reaching the Jade Roc Palace ensure Xia Mengqing’s rescue?

The Jade Roc Palace was a supreme power in Tongzhou, a formidable force in White City. It was teeming with experts, and terrifying Inheritance Warriors resided there, easily crushing others with Divine Realm Level 5 Power Expansion!

Wu Qingxia stopped speaking, and Ding Fan also stopped speaking at this point. The atmosphere in the car became very heavy, and Sirius also sensed this atmosphere. After seeing that Ding Fan was alright, it found a corner and went back to sleep.

An hour passed. Ding Fan opened his eyes and asked Wu Qingxia, "Where are we going now?"

He had been thinking about other things, and he knew he had been in the car all along. Only now did he remember to ask where they were heading.

Wu Qingxia poured Ding Fan a glass of water, helped him sit up, and fed him before saying, "We’ve already left Great Python Mountain and are heading to Tianmu Sea!"

Hearing Wu Qingxia’s words, Ding Fan felt a bit puzzled. He didn’t understand why they were going to Tianmu Sea, so he asked Wu Qingxia, "What kind of place is Tianmu Sea? Why are we going there?"

"If we don’t go to Tianmu Sea, we’ll all die, maybe only by going there can we save our lives."

Then she recounted to Ding Fan what had happened in the days he had been unconscious. Although Ding Fan understood the current situation, he still couldn’t figure out why they were going to Tianmu Sea. So he asked Wu Qingxia, "Does going to Tianmu Sea mean leaving this Northern Desolation of the Divine Realm? Is it outside the Zhong Family’s sphere of influence? If we can’t leave the Northern Wastelands, wouldn’t we still be doomed when the Zhong Family people come?"

"Tianmu Sea is indeed still in the Northern Wastelands, but not just the Zhong Family, even the major royal clans in the Divine Realm dare not send people there. There’s a rule in Tianmu Sea: no external family is allowed to set foot there, all who try will be killed without exception!"

Wu Qingxia said to Ding Fan with a somber expression. The Wu Family was gone, and now she might not even be as well off as an ordinary member of the Skeleton Sect, while Ding Fan had an aloof status that surpassed hers.

Hearing Wu Qingxia’s words, Ding Fan was a bit surprised. He didn’t understand and asked Wu Qingxia, "Is there really such a rule in Tianmu Sea? Who set it that even the royal clans have to obey?"

Then Wu Qingxia explained to Ding Fan in detail about the situation in Tianmu Sea, and Ding Fan finally understood why the Second Elder wanted to take everyone to Tianmu Sea.

Tianmu Sea is located in the middle of the Northern Wastelands, right at the junction of the four kingdoms of the Divine Realm, at the intersection of Shenwu Country, Divine Heaven Country, Divine Country, and Thousand Gods Country. It’s not actually a sea but a vast body of water, surrounded by countless islands of various sizes.

Due to its unique geographical position, it became a no-man’s land, previously a paradise for wanderers. But three thousand years ago, when a man named Master Daozhen entered there, everything changed. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The terrain in the Northern Wastelands is very large, with countless counties and towns, and innumerable sects, along with countless families. The rule of the strong prevails here, so battles like those between the Wu Family and the Liew Family happen every day, with countless families being destroyed and martial artists being hunted. Those from fallen families had nowhere to go and eventually all fled to Tianmu Sea.

That’s because Tianmu Sea is absolutely safe. The rules there are similar to the outside, but the great families of the four kingdoms dare not enter there.

That’s because Master Daozhen set a rule that anyone who enters the realm of Tianmu Sea is not allowed to be pursued, and if the rules are not followed, Master Daozhen will personally destroy that family.

Countless martial artists who committed crimes fled into Tianmu Sea and survived. Tianmu Sea grew stronger and, especially in recent years, has shown the potential to become the fifth major power in the Northern Wastelands.

The four great kingdoms do not want to let Tianmu Sea grow like this. Several times, their strong have attacked Tianmu Sea, even joining forces to invade, but in the end, all failed, each of them retreating in shame.

This is all because there is an elder in Tianmu Sea, an elder with incredible power, a Master Daozhen who has survived for over three thousand years!

No one has ever known just how powerful this old undying is, but what everyone knows is that the fourth on the Northern Wastelands power ranking was once defeated by Master Daozhen, while the leaders of the four great royal clans rank below fourth.

And so, Tianmu Sea became a paradise for criminals, an adventurer’s paradise, and the home for homeless martial artists, turning into the most feared place in the Northern Wastelands.

Zhong Wushang will never let the Wu Family and Skeleton Sect get away with it. Even if the remaining people all went to other countries, it wouldn’t matter. This is a matter of family honor; he cannot spare the Wu Family and Skeleton Sect!

Given the Wu Family’s current strength, Zhong Wushang could easily send an expert to wipe out these Skeleton Sect people, but if they escape into Tianmu Sea, even the powerful Zhong Family would be helpless.

"The Second Elder said he knows an Island Master at Tianmu Lake. If we go, we won’t be without a place to stay. We’ll first find a place to hide and take things one step at a time after that."

Even as Wu Qingxia continued to explain to Ding Fan, her expression remained low. In the area of Great Python Mountain, the Wu Family once held a dominant position. Now, they were like fallen dogs, and she didn’t know what kind of fate awaited them ahead.

The Wu Family and the Skeleton Sect once had four Third Level experts in the Divine Realm, and Wu Tongtian was a Fourth Level expert who, once healed, could reach the Fifth Level at any time. The Great Elder Wu Ji was also about to break through to the Fourth Level.

But that was before. Now they are like a featherless Phoenix, worse off than a chicken.