Swallowed Star 2: Land of Origin

Luo Feng glanced at him, "The duration of a retreat naturally varies. Do you still have enough Cosmic Sand on you?"

"Master understands me." said Morosa, smiling generously, "Indeed I'm almost out."

"Use it sparingly." Luo Feng tossed over a Ink Jade Bottle.

Catching the Ink Jade Bottle, Morosa examined the contents and found over a hundred Cosmic Sand and several piles of Primal Chaos Crystals. His smile brightened considerably, "Master is truly benevolent. There is no one more benevolent than Master in the whole Huyang City."

"Alright, alright, no more flattery." Luo Feng smiled.

He had forbidden Morosa from causing trouble, and without any income, Morosa needed some pocket money.

At this moment, Moyu Qingyan also returned, piloting his small Flying Boat. Stowing it away, he flew swiftly to Luo Feng and bowed respectfully, "Master."

"This period must have been quite enjoyable for you as well," Morosa said from the side. "Many forces took the initiative to befriend me, and certainly, forces have done the same with you."

"Yes."

Moyu Qingyan replied respectfully, "During Master's retreat, some powers within Huyang City were unable to visit you, Master, so they came to befriend me. I rejected and ignored many, but I dared not refuse the thirteen major forces, and I accepted the gifts they gave me. The total value adds up to about 300 Cosmic Sand!"

After all, he was just a servant, and the gifts from each power were not too costly, but given Luo Feng's status, those major forces had to give at least 10 Cosmic Sand each.

"Qingyan has gathered so much. You must have received even more, right?" Luo Feng looked at Morosa, "Just now you said you were almost out."

Morosa smiled generously, accepting the gifts, and as for the favors they requested, he pushed them all away cleanly, "You know, Master, living expenses in Huyang City are somewhat considerable."

"Did they give you these gifts under any pretense or for favors?" Luo Feng asked.

"Nothing at all." Morosa said, "I just gave them a transmission token imprint, in case of any issues, they could contact me, and I could report their requests to you, Master."

"I also didn't agree to anything. Just provided a way to send messages." Moyu Qingyan added, "However, Brother Zhu You from the Zhu Clan, an eternal true god, asked me to convey a message. He wishes to host you, Master."

Luo Feng nodded, "The Zhu Clan is indeed the largest indigenous family in Huyang City. It might be worth meeting them."

"Shall I inform Divine Monarch Zhu You?" Moyu Qingyan asked.

"Yes." Luo Feng nodded.

Moyu Qingyan immediately contacted Zhu You with the transmission token, and soon after, said, "Master, Divine Monarch Zhu You has invited you to meet tonight at the Dream Flower Tower."

"I haven't visited the Dream Flower Tower in a while." Luo Feng nodded, "Accept his invitation."

...

While Luo Feng emerged from his retreat, Gaowu Shui went to visit his master 'Moli Xiao' in the Moli Clan.

"How have you been progressing with the 'Three-Sword Sky-Splitting Beast'?" Moli Xiao looked at his favorite young disciple.

"The Three-Sword Sky-Splitting Beast, truly an Eternal Level Mechanical Flow Secret Treasure. I've only just barely managed to perform all the maneuvers of the 'Three-Sword Sky-Splitting Beast' after my studies," Gaowu Shui replied.

Moli Xiao nodded at his reply, "Your will is extraordinary, and you are also adept at formations. Just a short while after becoming an eternal true god, you have completely mastered all the maneuvers of the 'Three-Sword Sky-Splitting Beast.' I indeed did not misjudge you!"

"Master, as a newly-promoted eternal true god, I was appointed as one of the ten commanders of the Huyang Guards. Many eternal true gods are dissatisfied with this," Gaowu Shui said in a low voice.

The ten generals of the Huyang Legion and the ten commanders of the Huyang Guards were all capable of leading a legion-level Mechanical Flow Treasure. Moli Xiao himself led one of the legions.

Thus, there were only nineteen coveted spots available.

Strength represented power, as well as resources. The competition for the nineteen lucrative positions was fierce.

Eternal true gods from the Five Great Families themselves, along with those attached to the Five Great Families, amounted to over a hundred eternal true gods! One can imagine how fierce the competition was. For Gaowu Shui, a newly advanced eternal true god, snagging one spot naturally attracted the dissatisfaction of many eternal true gods.

"Don't bother with those losers," Moli Xiao said indifferently. "A legion-level Mechanical Flow Treasure also depends on who operates it! Like me, leading one legion, I can suppress the collective effort of the other nine legions!"

"At the level of a true god of void space, your spiritual will reached the pinnacle of an eternal true god! And you excel at formations... you're naturally suited to operate Mechanical Flow treasures. Once you've accumulated enough experience, I will find an opportunity for you to command one of the Huyang's Ten Great Legions."

"Command a Huyang Legion?" Gaowu Shui was surprised and felt the pressure.

"Huyang's Ten Great Legions are far more important than the Huyang Guards. The difficulty of controlling Mechanical Flow Treasures is even higher. You must have sufficient experience, and it would be best if your spiritual will could break through to the Primal Chaos Dominator Level. Then the entire city owner's mansion will not object to you leading a legion," Moli Xiao advised.

Gaowu Shui nodded, "I understand."

His spiritual will had reached the level of an eternal true god when he was just a true god of void space. As for the breakthrough to the level of the Primal Chaos Overlord, Gaowu Shui was indeed determined and eager.

"Go on." Moli Xiao nodded.

Out of the many subordinates and disciples he had cultivated, Gaowu Shui was the most suitable for operating Mechanical Flow treasures, which was why Moli Xiao nurtured him extensively.

Gaowu Shui respectfully excused himself.

Walking through a garden in the Moli Clan's cave mansion, where Moli Feiyun and Diaorong Qi had been waiting, they immediately intercepted him.

"Senior Brother Gaowu." Moli Feiyun called out.

Gaowu Shui had no choice but to stop, feeling quite troubled.

Having her trained as an eternal true god, he had yet to dabble in romantic relationships. Due to the bloodline cultivation system in the Land of Origin, most life forms were flesh and blood and could indeed reproduce.

However, on the Land of Origin, life forms generally had very long lifespans, with true gods living for 30,000 epochs, and those of the level of true god of void space and beyond having virtually unlimited lifespans.

They did not need to eat or drink, surviving simply by absorbing the power of heaven and earth! Many cultivators had no plans to seek partners.

Gaowu Shui was just like that!

Cultivation was filled with endless delights. Why need a wife?

"Feiyun," Gaowu Shui could only give a forced smile. He couldn't afford to neglect Moli Feiyun, given the grace his master had shown him in training.

"Today just happens to be the day I've met Senior Brother Gaowu. How about we go out and have some fun together?" Moli Feiyun's mind was all on Gaowu Shui.

"Commander Gaowu, Feiyun almost speaks your name every day," Diaorong Qi said with a laugh on the side. "In my opinion, you might as well move to the Moli Family. That way, you can see each other every day."

"Yes, yes, yes, move to our place. We have more than ten eternal true gods living in our household, plenty of room," Moli Feiyun said.

Just as Gaowu Shui was about to speak, a young member of the Moli Family flew over from a distance, scrutinizing Gaowu Shui: "Commander Gaowu Shui!"

"Young Master Moli Lian," Gaowu Shui said with a smile.

"Moli Lian, what are you here for?" Moli Feiyun asked dissatisfiedly.

Moli Lian scoffed.

The Moli Clan was also quite large, and Moli Lian was a young genius of his generation, personally mentored by Moli Xiao and was regarded as a hopeful to become an eternal true god.

But Gaowu Shui was Moli Xiao's favorite disciple.

Moli Lian had always treated 'Gaowu Shui' as a rival, and now that Gaowu Shui had become an eternal true god first and had been promoted to one of the ten commanders of the Huyang Guards, Moli Lian was naturally envious and jealous.

"Commander Gaowu Shui detests evil as if it were a personal enemy. I do admire that," Moli Lian said with a flip of his hand, tossing a golden pebble. "This Memory Stone records the evidence of the sins of 'Meiwu Qi' from the Meiwu Family. The evil of Meiwu Qi... even those Dark Forces are nowhere near his match. I wonder how Commander Gaowu Shui will deal with this monstrous criminal?"

"Moli Lian!" Moli Feiyun berated, "Meiwu Qi is an eternal true god of the Five Great Families' Meiwu Family. If there is to be a trial, it should be the Five Great Families who conduct it. There's no need for the Huyang Guards to intervene."

"According to the laws of Yu Kingdom, the Huyang Guards are responsible for dealing with illegal activities within Huyang City. I'd like to see if Gaowu Shui really detests evil as much as he claims to," sneered Moli Lian.

Gaowu Shui received the Memory Stone and investigated with his Divine Power. The information he accessed changed his expression slightly.

"Are these accusations true?" Gaowu Shui looked toward Moli Lian, "You're telling me that when the common city 'Fang Jiu City' was breached by a horde of Exotic Beasts, countless citizens died or were injured, and you say billions of true gods were taken into his 'Sinful City'?"

Jiu Jiang Primal Chaos Prefecture had three large cities and one hundred and eighty-nine ordinary cities.

The presence of eternal true gods within ordinary cities was rare, making them much less secure.

"You've only just become an eternal true god. If you were older, you'd slowly come to know," Moli Lian shook his head. "Meiwu Qi, to show off, took many young members of the Five Great Families into his Secret Treasure 'Sinful City.' Quite a few youths from the Five Great Families have seen it with their own eyes!

The billions of true gods from Fang Jiu City… they're just a part of the 'Sinful Citizens' of the Sinful City."

"Of course, most of the citizens captured into the Sinful City have long been tortured and played to death," Moli Lian scoffed. "Such a figure of sin, Commander Gaowu Shui, what do you plan to do?"

Gaowu Shui said nothing and walked away.

"Detests evil like an enemy? I'd like to see how he really faces off against 'Meiwu Qi' of the Meiwu Family!" Moli Lian watched him leave, full of contempt.

"Moli Lian, what exactly are you trying to do?" Moli Feiyun couldn't believe it.

"Don't you see? I'm just stirring the pot, setting Gaowu Shui against Meiwu Qi," Moli Lian stated. "Whether one or the other falls, it would delight me."

"I'm going to tell Father about this," Moli Feiyun said.

"Suit yourself."

Moli Lian turned and walked away.

******

The night fell.

Luo Feng, accompanied by Morosa and Moyu Qingyan, arrived at the Dream Flower Tower.

"Brother Luo He," Zhu You had been waiting for some time.

"Brother Zhu You has arrived quite early," Luo Feng said.

"Haha, having the chance to host Brother Luo He, of course, I should come early. I have arranged everything for the banquet, please," Zhu You said with a laugh. His hair was like little snakes, his face adorned with green Secret Patterns, but his smile was brilliant.

Luo Feng and Zhu You flew together, their servants and attendants following behind.

"The Zhu Clan have been rooted in Huyang City for over a million eras, passing down from generation to generation until now. There are hardly any secrets in Huyang City that our Zhu Clan isn't aware of," Zhu You said with a smile. "In terms of being well-informed, the Flame Wind Pavilion, the city owner's mansion, Shi Kingdom's Forces...

at least within Huyang City, they probably all fall a bit short compared to our Zhu Clan."

Luo Feng nodded, this he actually believed.

The Zhu Clan was too vast, having infiltrated every industry in Huyang City, including high-ranking experts in the Huyang Legion and the Huyang Guards.

"Who within Huyang City doesn't know of the Zhu Clan's reputation?" Luo Feng remarked.

"Lord Luo He, Divine Monarch Zhu You," the Dream Flower Tower Master personally greeted them. She needed to survive in Huyang City, and she couldn't afford to offend either of the two before her.

"Shall I call for some music, Divine Monarch Zhu You?" Zhu You didn't even look at the Dream Flower Tower Master, instead, he smiled at Luo Feng, "As long as Brother Luo He wishes to listen, I believe the Dream Flower Tower Master will definitely oblige."

"It depends on whether Lord Luo He wants to listen or not," the Dream Flower Tower Master said with a light smile.

Zhu You gave an order, and the Dream Flower Tower Master couldn't refuse.

"It's not necessary, just let Araya come," Luo Feng said.

The Dream Flower Tower Master was taken aback for a moment, then smiled, "Lord Luo He truly favors Araya."

"It's because the Tower Master's Illusion Techniques are too powerful, I can't bear them," Luo Feng said with a smile.

"Then hurry and have Araya come over," Zhu You beckoned, leading Luo Feng forward as they continued to fly.

The Dream Flower Tower Master looked on in silence.

Zhu You, though seemingly very friendly to Luo Feng, was responsible for handling many affairs of the Zhu Clan. The city owner's mansion and Shi Kingdom's Forces had to give him some face, and the eighteen Dark Forces wouldn't dare to be enemies with the Zhu Clan.

"Since that last time, Luo He has been unwilling to listen to my Illusionary Melody," the Dream Flower Tower Master felt somewhat disappointed. She longed to influence Luo He more than Shang Tianyan or Sang Shuiyun did.