"I imagine you know all about my situation," Qing Yanjing said, getting straight to the point.
"The story of a wealthy young lady and a country bumpkin? I've heard a little." Futu Yijing's tone was indifferent.
Qing Yanjing could not help laughing at his description. Mu Feng's cultivation might be low, but calling him a country bumpkin was rather unflattering, wasn't it?
As the ruler of the Mu Domain in the Northern Spiritual Realm, surely he at least counted as a village chief?
"There's something I'd like your help with," Qing Yanjing said seriously.
"My old man isn't as stubborn as he was two hundred years ago. As for your child, the Futu Ancient Clan won't interfere with him or lay a hand on him," Futu Yijing said.
Whatever else happened, he needed to explain Futuo Xuan's current attitude toward Mu Chen to Qing Yanjing, lest his old man end up confronting her as he had in the original story.
Qing Yanjing visibly relaxed at his words.
She believed what Futu Yijing said.
She had originally intended to ask Futu Yijing to intervene if the Futu Ancient Clan moved against Mu Chen. Now that she had heard this, she abandoned that plan.
Since the Grand Elder's stance was clear, and she had already asked for help, she simply took the opportunity to make a different request.
"My son, Mu Chen, is still weak. Though I don't know what circumstances he is in now, I would still like to ask you to protect him if the opportunity arises," Qing Yanjing said.
"What makes you think I'll agree to help you?" Futu Yijing asked in return.
Their conversation might have been fairly cordial, but that did not change the fact that they currently belonged to opposing camps.
"I know of an opportunity that could help you break through to Heavenly Sovereign," Qing Yanjing said.
Futu Yijing's breath caught, but he quickly recovered.
"An opportunity to break through to Heavenly Sovereign-and rather than save it for your son, you want to give it to me?" Futu Yijing looked at Qing Yanjing's gentle face, a trace of disbelief on his own.
"This opportunity carries great danger. Among the people I know, you're the only one who could succeed."
Even with the rose-colored glasses of being Mu Chen's mother, Qing Yanjing did not believe his chances of securing this opportunity were better than Futu Yijing's.
Besides, her child might not even have reached Sovereign yet. An opportunity to break through to Heavenly Sovereign was nowhere near as valuable to him as securing this fellow Futu Yijing's protection.
Though their camps were at odds, they were, in the end, family with the same blood flowing through their veins.
After a moment's thought, Futu Yijing nodded. "All right. I agree."
He had previously considered following Mu Chen's example in the original story: finding a Lower Plane with a plane spirit and refining that spirit to break through to Heavenly Sovereign.
But among the countless Lower Planes of the Great Thousand World, those with plane spirits were exceedingly rare. The odds were worse than winning the lottery.
Even if one existed, he had no precise coordinates with which to enter that Lower Plane.
Hearing Futu Yijing agree to her request, Qing Yanjing did not hesitate. She raised her hand and sent a streak of spiritual light toward him, which flew into the space between his brows.
Information about a location appeared in his mind.
The location lay on a frontier of the Great Thousand World. After receiving Qing Yanjing's information, Futu Yijing turned his gaze toward her.
This woman seems to have been to quite a few places.
"These coordinates mark the place where a Dragon Phoenix fell. You have true dragon blood in you, so I imagine this opportunity would suit you very well."
The Dragon Phoenix was the mightiest super divine beast, one that had once commanded both the Phoenix Clan and the dragon clan. Yet the chances of one being born were so low that there had been no word of one for tens of thousands of years.
Qing Yanjing had actually found the place where a Dragon Phoenix had fallen. Futu Yijing could hardly conceal the shock in his eyes.
The Dragon Phoenix's resting place greatly tempted him.
"I'll do what I promised you. Whatever else may be said, that boy is also a member of our Futu Ancient Clan," Futu Yijing said solemnly.
"I trust you." Qing Yanjing nodded.
Futu Yijing rose from the ground, walked over to the Long Spear planted in the earth, and reached out to grasp its shaft.
A thick surge of bloody energy rushed into his face. At that moment, he sensed the endless fighting spirit within the Long Spear. In that instant, Futu Yijing felt as though he stood before a battlefield, facing countless troops and horses. All their murderous might surged toward him, while on his side, he stood alone.
Merely gripping the shaft, Futu Yijing could feel that earth-shaking murderous force. His ancestor had also fought against the Outer Realm Evil Clan, wielding this very Long Spear. Holding it now, he felt as though he had instantly come to stand beside that ancestor of ancient times.
The vision left Futu Yijing's expression cold and fierce as he pulled the Long Spear from the ground.
The Long Spear was black from end to end, matching Futu Yijing's armor well. Its shaft was engraved with archaic dark-gold patterns, without any other gaudy ornaments.
Demonic energy pervaded the Long Spear. Futu Yijing had fought on the Saint Abyss Continent for two hundred years without his spear becoming wreathed in demonic energy, so this clearly could not have been left by Earthly Sovereign members of the Outer Realm Evil Clan. This spear had slain Demon Emperors-and certainly more than one or two.
Holding the Long Spear, Futu Yijing could distinctly feel its resistance.
Divine artifacts possessed spirits. As a weapon that had once slain several Demon Emperors, it naturally resisted being placed in the hands of an Earthly Sovereign.
But Futu Yijing paid it no heed. He held the Long Spear in one hand, letting it resist without the slightest intention of releasing it.
An immense aura erupted from his body, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed to turn violent along with him.
After his aura erupted, Futu Yijing clearly felt the Long Spear's resistance weaken somewhat.
"In that case, let's push a little harder." Futu Yijing's aura grew stronger, and the Long Spear's resistance weakened further.
The tug-of-war between them was like fishing. When the Long Spear exerted itself, Futu Yijing held his aura steady rather than increasing it. But whenever the Long Spear showed the slightest sign of flagging, he began strengthening his aura again.
After several rounds of this back-and-forth, a faint smile appeared on Futu Yijing's lips. He had succeeded.
The Long Spear in his hand no longer resisted him. Instead, its murderous aura now lent its protection to Futu Yijing.
The moment the Long Spear accepted him as its master, a divine ability appeared in his mind.
Demon-Slaying Spear.
The divine ability had only three forms: the first, Demon Subduing; the second, Demon Annihilation; and the third, Demon Slaying.
The names were simple and clear. This divine ability had plainly been born on the battlefields of the war against the Outer Realm Evil Clan.
Raising the Long Spear, Futu Yijing moved it according to the images of the divine ability in his mind. Every move stirred the violent spiritual energy between heaven and earth, and countless demonic shadows flickered behind his spear-wielding figure.
As he swung the Long Spear, faint demonic shadows roared between heaven and earth, their thunderous cries reverberating through the surroundings.
Black spiritual energy enveloped the Long Spear. Futu Yijing swept it horizontally, and the demonic shadows flickering behind him actually knelt in midair, prostrating themselves toward him.
Demon Subduing!
Before you continue