Chapter 2474: The Hungry Ghost Path’s Power Insignia

Zu An thought her words made sense. He had to find the Six Paths’ power insignias, and he potentially wouldn't have time to return to the ocean till he was done collecting all six. Thus, he accepted the Mermaid Queen’s request to tag along.

The three of them returned to the cave to discuss further plans with the Four Dragon Kings.

“The Firecloud Cave? I've heard of it before,” the South Sea Dragon King said.

Zu An was overjoyed to hear that. He quickly probed for more details.

The South Sea Dragon King gathered his thoughts before replying, “I've only heard rumors. It’s said that the Firecloud Cave is where Human Emperor Shennong dwells. Shennong is rumored to be a highly skilled doctor, and there are legends of him testing a hundred herbs to gauge their medical properties. If anyone in the world can treat the Aurora Poison Dragon’s poison, it would probably be him. But...”

Zu An had also heard of Shennong’s legend on earth. He already knew this world had some connection with his previous world, so he wasn’t surprised by the coincidence. If Shennong truly existed, perhaps he'd be able to cure not just the Ocean races, but even Xiaoxi’s peculiar poison body.

Faced with the South Sea Dragon King’s abrupt pause, Zu An urged him, “But what?”

“The legend of Shennong comes from a long time ago. Even if he once existed, he’s likely dead by now. It’s also doubtful whether he truly was the Human Emperor. Humans often inflate their reputation through exaggeration...” The South Sea Dragon King suddenly remembered the person before him was a human too, and an awkward silence loomed.

“What makes you say that?” Zu An asked.

The South Sea Dragon King could only explain, “It’s said that Shennong has an ox head. He likely resembles those shamans more than a human.”

Zu An was taken aback. He did recall Shennong having horns on his head, and many records stated that he had an ox head and a human body. Looking at it from that angle, Shennong wasn't necessarily a human.

“That being said, it’s all a legend. No one has ever met him,” the South Sea Dragon King said. “Also, much time has passed since, so it’s a huge question mark whether the Firecloud Cave is still around.”

“The Firecloud Cave most definitely exists. I went there as a child,” the Peacock Princess said.

“Then there’s probably a successor to the Firecloud Cave.” The South Sea Dragon King didn't think that the Shennong from the legends was still alive.

“Dragon King, do you know where the Firecloud Cave is?” Zu An asked.

The South Sea Dragon King turned to the Peacock Princess and asked, “Princess, I thought you'd gone there as a child?”

The Peacock Princess’ eyes reddened. “I was still young back then. I've forgotten the exact location.”

Zu An patted the Peacock Princess’ shoulder to console her, knowing she was reminiscing about her kin. He had also suggested asking her clan elder where the Firecloud Cave was, but she'd burst into tears. It turned out that the elder had died on the battlefield while fighting against the monsters.

The same thing had happened many times among the Fiend races. Many chieftains, elders, and others in the upper echelons had lost their lives fighting against the monsters. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had to take on such an important responsibility at such a young age.

Several generations of Fiend races had died fighting against the monsters. Now, it was just each generation filling up the gap left behind by the previous.

Zu An lamented the cruelty of war.

The South Sea Dragon King continued, “What I know about the Firecloud Cave comes from legends, so I don’t know the exact location. However, I have heard that the Firecloud Cave is near the Purple Ganoderma Cliff. Maybe this might be of use to you.”

“Purple Ganoderma Cliff?” the East Dragon King suddenly murmured. “There is a Purple Ganoderma Cliff on the East Sea’s coast. That place is often shrouded by fog, giving rise to rumors about immortals occasionally appearing there. I sent my men to investigate the area, but they failed to find anything. Could that have something to do with the Firecloud Cave?”

Zu An wondered if the fog was the doing of a profound formation. Those whose cultivation was lacking wouldn’t be able to see through the formation even if they were staring right into it. He asked, “May I know where the Purple Ganoderma Cliff is?”

The East Sea Dragon King took out a map. He spent some time studying it before pointing at a peninsula along the coast. “It should be somewhere here.”

The Mermaid Queen’s eyes lit up. “I have been there before. I can lead the way.” This gave her more of a pretext to tag along.

The Four Dragon Kings were counting on the Mermaid Queen to forge close ties with Zu An, so naturally, they wouldn’t stop her from accompanying him. They voiced their approval and offered them all sorts of conveniences. They even gave them a Crystal Boat that normally only Dragon Kings were qualified to ride on.

Zu An thanked them.

Meanwhile, the Peacock Princess ordered the Xuan-Su Guards to return to the Fiend races' side to report on the current situation.

The Xuan-Su Guards couldn’t bear to leave the Peacock Princess, but they knew that she wouldn’t need protecting when she had such an unfathomably powerful companion. Besides, they needed to deliver the report to the royal palace as soon as possible.

Before they left, the Peacock Princess called them over and said, “After we find the antidote in the Firecloud Cave, I’ll be bringing him to the Fiend races's side. I can tell he’s curious about the Saintess, so tell her to make preparations. If we can secure his help, we'll have a much better chance of fending against the monsters.”

The Xuan-Su Guards eyed Zu An with a frown.

Is our princess not enough for you? Why are you coveting our Saintess too? Also, how is our Saintess supposed to prepare for your arrival? Prepare to seduce you?

They dared not read any deeper into it.

In the past, they would have thought it was ridiculous for anyone to marry both their princess and the Saintess, but after witnessing what Zu An was capable of, it somehow didn’t seem that ridiculous anymore.

The Mermaid Queen thought of bringing her maid Peach with her, but the latter had also been poisoned and was currently bedbound. Before leaving, Zu An visited her, fed her medicine to protect her life force, and assured her that he would find the antidote.

Peach was moved to tears.

I must matchmake him and my queen. He will be my one and only master!

...

Zu An’s group left the Dragon Palace, boarded the Dragon Kings’ Crystal Boat, and began speeding toward the Purple Ganoderma Cliff.

The Crystal Boat glistened radiantly under the sunlight. It even concealed itself while traveling. No wonder it was the Dragon Kings’ default choice of vehicle.

The Dragon Kings had wanted to assign some guards and maids to Zu An, but the Ocean races were severely lacking in manpower. Fortunately, the Crystal Boat was an excellent artifact that would automatically navigate toward its destination if supplied with ample ki stones.

Zu An was delighted to learn that its speed was on par with the Wind Fire Wheels, and there were rooms onboard. That meant the three of them could take a good rest en route.

That night, Zu An returned to his room, took out a pendant, and entered Jing Teng’s cave paradise.

Sensing his arrival, Jing Teng stepped out to greet him. Joy radiated from her usual graceful expression. “You’re here.”

Zu An nodded. He got straight to the point and asked her if she knew where the Hungry Ghost Path was and what its power insignia was.

Jing Teng’s expression turned livid. “I don’t know!”

She went back into her house, leaving Zu An outside to be battered by the wind.