Chapter 2522: Celestial Heaven, Houtu

Startled, Zu An and the Saintess made their way to the deck and saw a tall, muscular man flying not too far away. He wore a tigerskin cloth covering only half of his upper body, along with a pair of shorts. His thighs and arms bulged impressively. Despite his muscular stature, he didn’t seem heavy. Rather, his muscles seemed to be pulsating with explosive prowess.

Such a physique would win the reverence of the gym rats in my previous world.

Zu An quickly pulled himself together and apologized, “I’m sorry, but we're rushing to Kunlun Mountain. I’m afraid we can’t take you along.”

Had it been any other occasion, he would likely have invited the other party onto the Crystal Boat. This was a rare opportunity to interact with a native and gather intelligence. However, they were in a rush to rescue Bao Jiang, so they dared not lose any time.

Unexpectedly, the man laughed. “What a coincidence! I’m heading to Kunlun Mountain too. We’re going in the same direction, so I won’t hinder you.”

Zu An was conflicted.

The Saintess glanced at the man’s bow before sending a telepathic message to Zu An. “This man is strong and skilled at archery. If we offend him with our rejection, we might run the risk of him secretly sniping us with his arrow.”

Zu An nodded. “Since it’s convenient, please come aboard.”

As long as it didn’t hinder their journey, it didn’t matter whether they had an additional person or not. Anyway, this was a chance to interact and learn about this world. So, Zu An released the Crystal Boat’s defensive formation and allowed the man on.

The man flew onto the deck. “Thank you!” He examined the boat and remarked in awe, “This flying boat is exquisite. I sense a dragon’s aura. Are you two descendants of the Dragon race?”

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Zu An was amazed by his keen discernment. “We aren’t from the Dragon race, though this boat is a gift from a dragon friend.”

He dared not reveal it was from the East Sea Dragon King, as he didn’t know if this world had the concept of the Four Dragon Kings or not.

The man nodded. “You must be an extraordinary person to receive such a valuable gift from the Ancient Dragon race.”

Zu An was stunned.

Ancient Dragon race? And he appears to harbor great respect for the Dragon race too.

Such a remark would have been understandable if it happened in the future when the Dragon race was at the peak of its power. But it was hard to believe that the Dragon race still enjoyed such an exalted standing in this world filled with deities.

“How should I address you?” the Saintess suddenly asked.

The man clasped his fist and replied, “I am Yi from the Shaman races. How can I address the two of you?”

The Saintess and Zu An froze up.

Yi?

In Zu An’s previous life, this man's legend was extremely famous. The last time he came to this world, Zu An himself had simulated the other party’s heroic journey.

Could this be the legendary man who shot down the nine suns?

“You can call me Necropolis. She is my girlfriend, Yumen,” Zu An introduced themselves.

“Girlfriend?” The man was initially confused, but he quickly picked up on the air of intimacy between them. “Ah, I get it. She’s your woman.”

The Saintess was speechless.

Seeing that the man had a candid personality, Zu An asked, “I see you're carrying a huge bow, so you must be proficient at archery, no?”

“I have learned it before,” the man replied with a smile in an unexpected show of humility.

Just as Zu An was wondering how he could verify the other party’s identity, the Saintess suddenly asked, “If I could ask, what do you intend to do at Kunlun?”

The man’s face reddened. “I am heading there to propose to a woman.”

“Propose to a woman?” Zu An and the Saintess exchanged looks. They hadn’t expected such an answer.

The man had no notable possession other than his bow. Even his clothes were tattered. It would be much more credible if he said he was heading to Kunlun to hunt instead.

Seeing the doubt in their eyes, the man laughed awkwardly. “I encountered a bunch of detestable fiends along the way and fought them. My comrades lost their lives, and the betrothal gifts I brought were destroyed in battle. Of course, the fiends didn’t have it any better. We massacred them all despite being outnumbered.”

Killing intent flared from the man as he recalled the situation back then.

“Fiends?” Zu An’s heart skipped a beat.

This fellow seems stronger than I thought.

The man snapped out of his recollection and quickly reined in his aura. “It’s the bunch you mortals refer to as celestials.”

“Celestials!” Zu An was shocked. He hadn’t expected the celestials to be fiends. Did this mean the Celestial Court was filled with fiends too?

No wonder Mi Li mentioned the Celestial Court’s Fiend races! And this fellow just massacred a bunch of celestials?

He had no idea how strong those celestials were compared to Er Fu, but he had clearly underestimated the man’s strength.

“What sparked the fight?” the Saintess asked. As she assessed the man before her, she stayed a step behind Zu An.

“What other reason is there? We fought because we saw each other as an eyesore,” the man casually replied.

The Saintess seemed to understand that, but Zu An was shocked. “Is that it?”

“Of course.” The man was surprised by Zu An’s reaction. “The Shaman races and the Fiend races have fought for so many years that there is a deep-seated grudge between both sides. The relationship has become so convoluted that no one can untangle it anymore. So, we just come to blows whenever we see each other.”

“The war between the shamans and the fiends...” Zu An murmured. “Does the Celestial Emperor not intervene in this battle?”

“The Celestial Emperor is merely the Fiend races’ Celestial Emperor. He has no power over us.” The man harrumphed. “We shamans worship Lady Houtu. We formed a pact in the past, stating that one would govern the heavens, and the other would govern the earth. That reduced the conflict between our races, but if both sides encounter each other, a fight is still inevitable.”

Zu An was taken aback. He was starting to get a grip on this world’s power balance. It was fortunate that he'd met this fellow on the way. The latter had provided him with too much useful information, especially concerning Houtu. He'd had an idea of how powerful Houtu was, but he hadn't thought that it would be to the extent of opposing the Celestial Emperor.

I hope I haven’t offended her in any way.

“May I know which lady is fortunate enough to be your lover?” the Saintess suddenly asked.

The man’s face reddened in shyness. He raised his head toward the sky as his eyes gleamed expectantly. “She’s the Chang clan’s Saintess, as well as their most beautiful woman.”

Zu An gasped. “Is that Saintess Chang'e?”