Chapter 554 - Divine Race

These books were incredibly precious and rare in the Southern Province. He knew the House of Tea Art must’ve spent a lot of effort to acquire them, so how could he take them?

When he turned around, a stunning young lady stood three meters away. She appeared to be eighteen or nineteen, around the same age as Xu Lingxue. This time, Murong Yi didn’t conceal her face with a veil.

She had changed into an orange-red dress that perfectly outlined her figure before Liu Wuxie. Her eyes shone like bright stars, and her hair draped like a waterfall. Her figure was well-proportioned, and she silently looked at Liu Wuxie.

As for her features, they were so exquisite that words couldn’t describe them. Her cherry lips, slightly raised nose, and willow-shaped eyebrows made her look flawless.

Even Liu Wuxie was momentarily lost in her beauty, but he quickly recovered his composure, much to Murong Yi’s surprise. She had encountered many prodigies over the years, but each would reveal a strong desire for possession when they saw her, and they would also be dazed for quite some time.

Liu Wuxie, on the other hand, was only dazed for a moment before he regained his composure. His eyes were clear, and he had no visible expression.

Murong Yi was inwardly shocked because she had never doubted her beauty. She was confident that there weren’t many in the world who could surpass her in beauty. Thus, she was surprised at Liu Wuxie’s reaction, which was too mature for someone his age.

“Young Master Liu, please take a seat,” Murong Yi said. Her actions were graceful as she gestured for him to sit. She didn’t strengthen the charm in her voice with Blissful Melody Scripture, and they sat facing each other as she poured a drink for Liu Wuxie.

“I believe Young Master Liu must have many questions for me. As long as it doesn’t involve any secrets, I will tell you everything I know,” Murong Yi said, giving Liu Wuxie a toast of wine.

Liu Wuxie wasn’t worried about drinking with the mysterious tree in his desolate world, so he downed the drink in one go. He was soon surprised because the mysterious force in the drink had vanished, and this was an ordinary drink.

“Why has the House of Tea Art helped me so many times?” Liu Wuxie asked, placing his cup down. The question had weighed on him for an entire day. He had never interacted with the House of Tea Art before arriving in Serene Sea City, and the reason behind their assistance remained a mystery to him.

“That’s because I need your help,” Murong Yi replied. She set the cup down and looked at Liu Wuxie with eyes clear as stars. Such a direct gaze would make one uncomfortable if they were in Liu Wuxie’s position.

“You need my help?” Liu Wuxie asked, surprised. He knew that the House of Tea Art was filled with experts, and they even had a True Profound Realm expert. On the contrary, he was only in the Heavenly Phase Realm.

“That’s right, I need your help,” Murong Yi said with a grave expression. She gave Liu Wuxie a pleading look and didn’t appear to be lying.

“I won’t refuse if it’s something within my ability,” Liu Wuxie said. He wouldn’t mind helping if it wasn’t beyond his ability because they had helped him before.

“Not yet,” Murong Yi said with a resigned smile.

This confused Liu Wuxie even more, and he thought of one possibility. He asked tentatively, “Is it because I’m still too weak now?”

Murong Yi nodded. She didn’t say it bluntly because she feared it might affect Liu Wuxie’s confidence.

“Young Master Liu, you don’t have to worry. With us around, we can ensure the rise in your cultivation rapidly,” Murong Yi explained, worried that Liu Wuxie might be upset. It was too hurtful to say that someone’s cultivation was too weak.

However, Liu Wuxie showed no anger and appreciated Murong Yi’s honesty.

“Go on, explain the situation. I have to know what I’m facing if I am to help you,” Liu Wuxie didn’t like owing favors, and he had no intention of using the House of Tea Art’s resources. Once he repaid the favor, there would be no further ties between them.

“Help me save some people!”Murong Yi’s voice was steady, but she could sense that Liu Wuxie was maintaining a careful distance between them. He was only engaging in conversation because the House of Tea Art had helped him repeatedly.

If it had been anyone else in Liu Wuxie’s position, they would have been eager to stay and chat with her, perhaps even mesmerized by her presence. But with Liu Wuxie, there was no sign of attachment or lingering interest.

“Who?” Liu Wuxie frowned. With the House of Tea Art’s strength, they could even barge into the ten major sects and leave without an issue.

“My parents and grandparents,” Murong Yi said with a hint of sorrow in her eyes.

“Where are they being held?” Liu Wuxie asked. He wondered who could be so powerful as to imprison the family of House of Tea Art’s owner.

“The Divine Light Mountain!” Murong Yi said, not hiding anything from Liu Wuxie.

Her words deepened the frown on Liu Wuxie's face. He had memorized the landscapes of the Southern Province, even those he hadn't personally visited, yet he had never heard of Divine Light Mountain.

“And where’s that?” Liu Wuxie asked. He wondered if it was a remote place they hadn’t learned about.

“A forbidden zone in the Western Barren!” Murong Yi explained that the Divine Light Mountain wasn’t in the Southern Province.

“The Western Barren?” Liu Wuxie murmured to himself.

The True Martial Continent was divided into Eastern Domain, Southern Province, Western Barren, Northern City, and Central Plains. Eastern Domain was prosperous because it was close to the Central Plains, and no mountain range blocked the two.

Western Barren was remote and sparsely populated by humans. It was mainly the home to demonic beasts and various other races.

Northern City was enveloped in snow throughout the year, and only experts could live there. The human population was far smaller than in the Southern Province and Eastern Domain.

“That’s right. My parents and grandparents are imprisoned in Western Barren’s Divine Light Mountain,” Murong Yi nodded, her expression growing somber.

Her parents and grandparents were captured shortly after her birth and imprisoned. Since then, she was raised by Madam Li, wandering around the True Martial Continent with the remnant members.

“Why did you come to the Southern Province? Shouldn’t you go to the Western Barren instead? The House of Tea Art should have many experts!” Liu Wuxie was puzzled. He was only in the Heavenly Phase Realm and hadn’t even been out of the Southern Province.

Long-distance travel was nearly impossible without reaching the Astral River Realm, and extended flight periods consumed a vast amount of true essence. The laws on the other continents were also different, making it dangerous to travel there without proper preparation.

“We’ve tried several times, but we suffered heavy losses each time,” Murong Yi admitted, her eyes dimming even further. They had lost many people over the years in their attempts to rescue her family.

“Let’s start with the House of Tea Art’s origin, your family, and why they are imprisoned in the Divine Light Mountain.” Liu Wuxie wished to listen to nothing but the truth and hoped that Murong Yi wouldn’t hide anything from him. If she hid even the slightest information from him, he would refuse to help her.

“It’s a long story; everything started twenty years ago,” Murong Yi raised her head and inhaled deeply. She knew she had to tell Liu Wuxie everything since she wanted his help.

“Thousands of years ago, a clan lived in seclusion in Western Barren, the Murong Clan. Our clan migrated from the Central Plains to avoid disaster because of the low human population. We lived there in peace, and there wasn’t any disturbance in the past thousands of years,” Murong Yi began her story.

Liu Wuxie didn’t expect the Murong Clan to have such a long history. He then nodded in understanding because it was common for clans to reallocate after offending someone powerful.

“But twenty years ago, our disciples began to disappear. My father sent people to investigate, but it resulted in more disappearances instead,” Murong Yi said with a pained expression as she recalled the past. After all, the deceased possessed the Murong Clan’s bloodline.

“Since the Western Barren thrives with profound beasts, is it possible that those beasts killed them?” Liu Wuxie interrupted. The Western Barren was a dangerous place for humans to live in, and the Murong Clan wouldn’t have reallocated there for two millennia if they had a choice.

"We initially suspected it was the work of profound beasts," Murong Yi said, shaking her head to dismiss Liu Wuxie's speculation. "But we found no traces of them. We've lived there for many years, and we know the profound beasts that inhabit the nearby mountain range. If it had been their doing, the Murong Clan wouldn’t have fallen into such decline, forced to wander for years until we finally ended up in the Southern Province."

Liu Wuxie’s curiosity deepened. "What did you discover, then?" he pressed, eager for more information about the True Martial Continent, particularly the Western Barren. Every detail mattered. Whether or not it related to Murong Yi’s situation, he knew that sooner or later, his path would lead him to the Western Barren.

“One night, a shadow infiltrated the Murong Clan, and the mystery was solved then,” Murong Yi gritted her teeth when she mentioned that night—that day also marked the first month of her birth.

“The Murong Clan’s foes?” Liu Wuxie asked. The atmosphere in the room was heavy, with Liu Wuxie’s emotions stirred.

"No. Our enemies are from an evil sect in the Central Plains. We offended an expert, and the Murong Clan was wiped out overnight," Murong Yi explained, her tone heavy with reluctance. It was clear she didn’t want to delve too deeply into the details of that fateful night. "We discussed returning to the Central Plains at some point, but we've since adapted to the Western Barren, living a detached life away from worldly affairs."

“So, who is it?” Liu Wuxie asked, sipping the wine as he looked at Murong Yi.

“The divine race!” Murong Yi said, gritting her teeth as she uttered those words.

"The ancient race, the divine race? Weren't they wiped out?!" Liu Wuxie exclaimed, his face filled with shock as he stood. The divine race had vanished from history for countless years, and hearing their name again in the True Martial Continent was beyond surprising.

Murong Yi was equally taken aback. "You know of the divine race?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief. She had mentioned the divine race to many, yet no one had recognized or understood their origins. But Liu Wuxie had named them without hesitation.

The divine race was shrouded in mystery, their origins stretching back to a time before humanity itself. What made them so terrifying was their secrecy. Born in the earliest epochs, they possessed incredible abilities that surpassed even the most powerful cultivators. It was said that humans carried a trace of the divine race’s bloodline in their bodies, hinting at a shared ancestry.

There were also legends that the human race was a branch of the divine race. However, the truth had long been lost to time, but one thing was for sure—the divine race was too mysterious.

They had powerful physiques and an incredibly long lifespan. An ordinary member of the divine race could live up to five hundred years.

If they reached the Heavenly Phase Realm, their lifespan would increase to a thousand years. Such a race was terrifying, and they could crush the human race with their longevity alone.

“I read about it in an ancient book,” Liu Wuxie brushed it off with an excuse, but he secretly noted the information about the divine race. He vividly remembered how a senior had told him that the world wouldn’t be far from ending if the divine race reappeared.

Tens of thousands of years ago, the Celestial Realm had faced a great catastrophe. The divine race was so close to overthrowing it that the human race had suffered heavy losses. As a result of that battle, the Celestial Realm was even shattered into ten-odd pieces.

The Celestial Realm he came from—the Fleeting Cloud Celestial Realm, was only one of those pieces.