Chapter 105: A Background of Monumental Proportions

“Leaves fall like those in late autumn, yet flowers bloom in early spring. Waves rise a thousand feet across the river; bamboo stalks lean askew in the wind. Guess the character—little monk... can you figure it out?”

On the Daoist boat, Feng Shang held a wine jug, playfully teasing the little bald-headed boy with a riddle. The two sat cross-legged on the floor, their legs intertwined like close friends.

“How could this be difficult?”

The little bald boy’s cheeks flushed red, slightly drunk and somewhat confused. “It must be the character ‘Qi’ (strange), for the vast universe holds countless wonders. ‘Qi’ creates marvelous scenes and strange phenomena. Am I right? Hehe…”

“Not a chance,” Feng Shang replied, both annoyed and amused. “Here’s a hint: it’s related to my name.”

“No way! It has to be right!” The little bald boy’s voice was childish despite the alcohol. Upon hearing it was wrong, his pale round face furrowed with confusion. Muttering, “It’s obviously ‘Qi’—you just can’t admit defeat and are cheating!”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I never cheat…”

Old Yuan pondered silently.

Xiao Huang, resting her chin in her palms, watched the bickering pair with keen interest. After thinking about Feng Shang’s riddle poem, her mind drew a blank. Knowing her own limitations, she glanced at Qing’er, who was quietly reading nearby.

“Sister Qing’er, what character is Feng Shang’s riddle asking for?”

“In drunkenness, the world is vast,” Qing’er replied with a crescent smile, seeing Feng Shang and the little bald boy still tipsy and ready to quarrel. “Come closer, I’ll tell you quietly.”

Xiao Huang’s eyes brightened. She leaned in smartly to Qing’er’s lips and heard a single character whispered into her ear. Her expression shifted, then blossomed into a smile.

“Young master, Feng Shang’s riddle is indeed not the character ‘Qi.’ I believe it is the character ‘Feng’ (wind),” Old Yuan said with a smile, having quickly guessed after the hint.

“‘Feng’?”

The little bald boy blinked in confusion, then reconsidered the poem and suddenly understood. It did seem to be ‘Feng.’

Feng Shang clicked his tongue, “You can’t even guess something this simple. The old fellows in Star Heaven Tower have given me riddles far more difficult than this.”

The little bald boy immediately protested, “Give me another one. This time I’ll definitely solve it.”

Feng Shang chuckled and recited, “A cage on the river, a dark hole in a well. A yellow dog with white on its body, a white dog with swelling.”

The young man smiled faintly, finding this riddle quite intriguing.

“This one is…” The little bald boy frowned deeply.

Yellow dog? White dog? Black hole?

Old Yuan let out a surprised sound, contemplating this new riddle. Its difficulty far exceeded the previous one.

***

Half a day passed. The little bald boy strained his mind but still couldn’t solve it. He looked to Old Yuan for help, who shook his head apologetically as well.

Feng Shang poured himself another drink, unconcerned.

“You bluffing, huh?” The little bald boy was embarrassed.

The Hurricane World spanned six light-years in diameter. Gazing afar, countless towering divine peaks stood upright like pillars piercing the sky—majestic and vast. Each mountain was separated by vast stretches of starry space, making travel arduous.

Here, the flow of void energy slowed considerably, and gravity intensified a hundredfold or more.

Within certain forbidden lands of the spiritual universe, cultivators’ combat strength weakened drastically, and the power of divine arts and spells was far less effective than elsewhere—an influence of the star domain’s forces.

It was like ice persisting in winter but melting swiftly under a sun star.

This place’s void was chaotic; teleportation was difficult, and venturing recklessly into perilous areas was unthinkable. Many hidden places required cautious exploration.

“These ninety thousand Fallen Mountains are the source of the Hurricane World’s disasters. They dwarf any secular peak, each comparable to a planetary system in size—truly magnificent,” the young man said, standing tall with flowing black hair and an otherworldly aura, gazing intently at the divine peaks.

“Legend says countless passages lead through these mountains, and many secret realms lie within. Any summit might conceal a tyrant-level star fiend, unafraid even of encirclement by Light Realm masters. Once they hide deep in the disaster ruins, they are nearly impossible to find.”

“During this calamity, those star fiends who obtained divine shrines all fled here.”

“Perhaps the one who created the shrines resides in the Hurricane World itself.”

A chilling cosmic wind swept across, sobering Feng Shang’s drunkenness. His luminous blue eyes gleamed sharply as he stared into the distance.

“Just in time, I’m here to convert them all,” the little bald boy said, now sober.

“Little monk, these tyrant-level star fiends wield overwhelming power and cunning. With your meager cultivation, you might not easily convert them,” Feng Shang said dismissively.

“We’ll see about that,” the little bald boy hummed confidently.

Feng Shang was surprised but then realized that since the little monk could produce the World God Talisman and carried a sword sheath that even the Azure Sky Calamity feared, his true power might be unimaginable.

Near the world’s entrance, numerous starships and treasure ships were anchored outside, their radiance brilliant—clearly belonging to noble families from the star realm, members of the Great Dao of the cultivation domain.

“Strange, why are these ships anchored outside?” Xiao Huang asked.

“Rumor has it that a terrifying creature dwells within the Fallen Mountains, able to summon winds and disasters. It detests boats; anyone sailing inside faces increasingly fierce hurricane calamities,” Qing’er explained.

“Such rumors?”

The little bald boy was surprised.

“I thought it was just hearsay, but seeing these ships confirms it might be true.”

“There are many who firmly believe a mysterious spirit hides within the Fallen Mountains. At the very least, the owners of these spirit ships do,” Qing’er said.

“I’ve also heard that the Hurricane World forbids spirit and starships from entering. It seems some unseen force manipulates the disasters, and even star fiends are wary,” Old Yuan added.

“I’m not afraid. Let’s go,” Feng Shang said indifferently, commanding.

At once, the treasured golden ship transformed into a streak of light, carrying them swiftly inside.

***

At the center of the Ensnaring Spirit Annihilation Formation, Xia Baiyi stood solemnly. A piercing light flashed in her bright eyes as she observed Feng Shang and his companions, clearly surprised.

The Yu Chu Sect was involved as well.

“Is this the youth we must kill?” Huozhuo Tongzi watched Feng Shang on the screen and smiled faintly. “Fairy Xia, shouldn’t you tell us his identity now? Which cosmic royal clan does he hail from?”

Daoist Huangha and the Ancient Prime Domain Lord exchanged glances, also intrigued.

Such a formidable lineup, yet all for killing one boy—his background was inevitably curious.

“He is not from any royal clan,” Xia closed her beautiful eyes and said calmly. “His name is Feng Shang, a scion of Nine Stars City.”

“What!”

The three great cultivators turned pale. Even the usually silent and composed Ancient Prime frowned deeply.

This was beyond all their expectations!

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Daoist Huangha was furious, his heart a storm. Had he known sooner, he might never have come here.

“Is there someone they dare not kill, even among assassins of the alliance?” Xia’s beautiful eyes remained closed as she spoke coolly.

“Who is attacking Nine Stars? Rumor has it our alliance has several hidden Assassin Saints, all on friendly terms with Nine Stars publicly!” Daoist Huangha stood angrily, feeling deceived.

He could not be blamed for his outrage, for this young man’s origins were monumental—not merely a noble scion, but entangled with an extraordinary elder and the most terrifying network in the spiritual universe!