The Nine Cauldrons

"Sneakily?"

When Teng Qingshan heard the High Priestess’ words, his expression darkened. If it were the Sovereign of the Sword Sect, Li Chao, or the King of Beasts, Wu Hou, they would just respond to the High Priestess’ aggressiveness with a smile. Li Chao and the others knew of the High Priestess’ rude and unreasonable temperament. However, because they had grown up with the High Priestess and viewed her as a sister, they could just pretend as though they never heard what she said.

However, Teng Qingshan was not close enough with the High Priestess to the extent that he could tolerate her furious disparagement and scoldings.

"Teacher," Li Jun said hastily.

"Little Jun, shut up," the High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult chided. Then she raised her chin slightly and shot a glance at Teng Qingshan as she said, "Huhe, you must remember that you are just a Foreign Dignitary of the Heavenly God Palace. You are not a member of the Heavenly God Palace. Therefore, you have no right to read the information.

"High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult, I will leave now." Suppressing his anger, Teng Qingshan cupped his hands together and turned to leave with Little Jun.

"Don’t leave yet," the High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult said with a victorious smile. "Huhe, as Little Jun’s teacher, I just want to give you some advice. You are an outstanding and talented figure. Don’t do such stealthy and sneaky things. Don’t embarrass yourself! You said that Little Jun is sick and refused to let her manage the affairs of the cult. Now, you are making her help you find information. Seriously... until now, I still can’t tell what’s wrong with Little Jun’s health."

Teng Qingshan turned back to glare at the High Priestess, and he humphed coldly.

"High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult, you are the daughter of the Sovereign and the teacher of Li Jun, therefore, I respect you," Teng Qingshan said with a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "However, you are right. I am not a member of the Heavenly God Palace. I am a Foreign Dignitary! Therefore, don’t command me and scold me. I am not your servant."

"Even before the Sovereign, I am a Foreign Dignitary." Teng Qingshan glared sharply as he spoke.

"You—" The High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult was stifled by Teng Qingshan’s words.

All these years, no one had ever dared to talk back to her.

"As for the information... The Heavenly God Palace was the one who asked Little Jun to be the Substitute High Priestess. The Substitute High Priestess naturally has the authority to read the information. I am her husband. Is it wrong for her to tell me about the information?" Teng Qingshan was well aware that... the Heavenly God Palace had appointed Li Jun as the Substitute High Priestess because they wished to bind him with the Heavenly God Palace.

"You... You..." The High Priestess wanted to speak, but she was rendered speechless. After all, Teng Qingshan’s words were reasonable.

"Also," Teng Qingshan said coldly, "We do need to take take care of Little Jun’s health. She is now pregnant, which is why I asked her not to regulate the affairs of the Snowy Lotus Cult. Since Little Jun would know about the information of the cult whenever she regulates the affairs of the Snowy Lotus Cult, there’s nothing I can do even if you are unhappy that she tells me the information she learns... Little Jun is my wife. As I am her husband, she naturally has to tell me."

"In order not to expose the information of the Heavenly God Palace and make things easier for Little Jun, starting from today...

"Little Jun will no longer be the Substitute High Priestess," Teng Qingshan said, cupping his hands together. "High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult... I have said all I can. I won’t trouble you. I will search for the Sovereign myself. Goodbye!"

With this, Teng Qingshan grabbed Li Jun, who was trying to speak, and leaped onto the Six Legged Bladelike Chi.

"Fly!" Teng Qingshan ordered as he pointed northward.

"Roar~~" The Six Legged Bladelike Chi roared and hovered into the air.

"This... This Huhe... Huhe!" The High Priestess was so angry that her face flushed red. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed heavily. "This fellow is too..." For so many years, no one had the audacity to speak to her this way.

"Pregnant? Did he say Little Jun is pregnant? Little Jun’s tummy looks the same.

"If he wants to lie, he should at least find a better excuse."

The High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult froze in anger for a long while. Then when her anger dissipated, she realized something.

The High Priestess looked toward the east and thought, "Did he go east?" Hmph... He’s not a fool. He knows where to find my father. However, I won’t let you meet Father. How dare you, an idle Emptiness Realm Expert, act so arrogantly before me." The High Priestess gritted her teeth in anger.

She had been around her father for such a long time. Thus, she had such high standards. Indeed, the High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult really didn’t care about a mere Emptiness Realm Expert.

At this moment, she still didn’t realize her own arrogance.

"Uncle Chen, let’s go."

The High Priestess leapt onto the Godly Thunderbolt Hawk and pointed eastward. "Yu~~" The Godly Thunderbolt Hawk uttered a shrill piercing cry and rapidly flew eastward.

In the high altitudes:

The Six Legged Bladelike Chi pierced through the air with Teng Qingshan and Li Jun leaning on its back as fierce gusts of wind howled around them.

"Little Jun, I won’t make things difficult for you. If worst comes to worst, I will just try to avoid meeting your teacher, and it will be fine."

Teng Qingshan grinned as he held Li Jun’s hand and said, "To be honest, this teacher of yours really don’t like me, and the feeling is mutual... Your teacher is very old, but she still doesn’t know how to conduct herself. It’s as though she has never bonded with anyone before."

"Teacher is the daughter of the Sovereign. She has always been superior and has never been wronged by anyone," Li Jun guessed.

Teng Qingshan felt helpless.

Although he had only met the High Priestess very few times, he could tell that the High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult was a very straightforward person. If it was someone that she liked, she would show affection. Li Jun was an example. However, she treated even the people she was fond of in a very self-centered way, like reprimanding and admonishing them as she wished.

When she disliked someone, her emotions were shown very clearly on her face... and she spoke with no respect.

Although the High Priestess’ words had embarrassed and angered Teng Qingshan, Teng Qingshan knew that the High Priestess, someone who showed her emotions easily, was just simple and candid person.

"Having a teacher like this is better than having a cunning teacher who is full of schemes," Teng Qingshan thought as he laughed to himself.

"Little Jun, it’s in front," Teng Qingshan said.

"Will the Sovereign be there?" Li Jun asked with uncertainty.

"I am not sure," Teng Qingshan shook his head as he answered, "However, according to the information we read earlier, the three important troops—the Bloody Lotus Guard, Immortal Guard, and the Energy Destroyer—are all gathering here. Therefore, even if the Sovereign Pei San isn’t here, the God of Heaven Su Mengte is definitely here. Su Mengte won’t hold a grudge like the High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult."

Previously, the High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult wouldn’t say where Pei San was.

However, after pondering, Teng Qingshan had an idea of where Pei San might be. Therefore, he came here.

...

This was a huge tightly secured encampment. The Immortal Guards, the Bloody Lotus Guards, and the Energy Destroyer were all stationed here.

When Teng Qingshan and Li Jun dashed down while sitting on the back of the Six Legged Bladelike Chi, the first glimmer of light was already shining in the horizon. The marble white color of the dawn sky could be seen on the edge of the eastern sky.

"Whoosh!"

Teng Qingshan and Li Jun descended into an elegant-looking courtyard.

"Haha, Brother Huhe, what brings you here?" A white-cloaked Pei Hao walked out grinning. In comparison to Pei San, Pei Hao was less prideful. As a matter of fact, Pei Hao appeared more honest and sincere.

"Brother Pei Hao," Teng Qingshan cupped his hands together as he greeted with a smile.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two streams of light appeared in the courtyard and transformed into two figures. It was as though they had just teleported here. One was the great monk Su Mengte, who wore loose yellow monk robes, while the other was the King of Beasts, who wore an azure robe. When these two people appeared, they smiled and cupped their hands toward Teng Qingshan as they greeted, "Brother Huhe."

"Su Mengte, Brother Wu Hou." Teng Qingshan laughed and cupped his hands as well.

"Haha... Huhe, congratulations," Wu Hou shot a glance at Li Jun and said, "It looks like you are about to be a father." The beating of a heart and the aura of a life could be perceived from the embryo in Li Jun’s stomach. Although the heartbeat and aura of life were extremely weak, all the Emptiness Realm Experts here could still sense them.

"Brother Huhe, this is a matter worth celebrating." Pei Hao laughed.

The great monk laughed as well, squinting his eyes as the corners of his mouth curved up.

"Because Little Jun is pregnant, I will be accompanying her during this period of time. However, this time around, I have come because of an urgent matter," Teng Qingshan said. Then he cupped his hands and asked, "Can you three tell me where the Sovereign is? I need to discuss with him about something urgent."

"The Sovereign?" The great monk Su Mengte and Wu Hou exchanged glances. Simultaneously, they looked toward Pei Hao.

Pei Hao smiled and replied, "Huhe, my third brother is now cultivating in seclusion at a very secretive location in Youzhou... As we still have to wait half a month for the 800,000 soldiers to get here for the attack of Yangzhou, and because there’s no need for third brother to do anything during the beginning of the battle, my third brother decided to take this chance and cultivate in seclusion for one month. After all, we will only need his help during the end of the battle. Anyway, during this closed door cultivation, no one is allowed to disturb him. Huhe, it is quite difficult to see the Sovereign now."

"Closed door cultivation?"

Teng Qingshan froze, feeling slightly helpless.

He knew that Emptiness Realm Experts cultivated almost everyday... Even while his wife, Little Jun, was pregnant, he still practiced his fist art. All he did was either cultivate or take care of Little Jun. Indeed, cultivating was already deeply ingrained into their lives!

As for Pei San who was an Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert, he naturally desired to achieve the highest level—the Realm of the Omnipotent Experts!

Throughout the history of the Land of the Nine Prefectures, there had been many Insightful Emptiness Realm Experts. Some Insightful Emptiness Realm Experts might be more famous during a period of several hundred years. However, in several thousand years, the future generations would just praise a few words whenever they recalled a certain Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert. The experts whom people admired the most were Omnipotent Experts!

The four great Omnipotent Experts...

The names of Emperor Yu, Heavenly Emperor of Qin Mountains, Li Taibai, and Martial Ancestor Shiga shone bright like the sun.

Every Insightful Emptiness Realm Experts wished to achieve a breakthrough and enter the realm of the Omnipotent Expert.

"Pei San is in closed door cultivation for a month." Teng Qingshan frowned. He understood why Pei San had done this. If it were Teng Qingshan himself, he wouldn’t just wait and waste his time either. However, he really needed to meet Pei San now. The order to attack Yangzhou had been given by Pei San. Even if Teng Qingshan discussed the matter with the King of Beasts and Pei Hao, neither of them would be able to make a decision.

Teng Qingshan had to find Pei San.

"Where is the Sovereign?" Teng Qingshan asked as he stared at Pei Hao.

"This..." Pei Hao hesitated.

Suddenly, Pei Hao, the King of Beasts Wu Hou, the God of Heaven Su Mengte, and Teng Qingshan looked up at the sky. With a flash of lightning, the Godly Thunderbolt Hawk descended into the courtyard, occupying an entire corner of the courtyard. The elegant-looking High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult then leaped down.

"I knew you would be here," the High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult said as she shot a glance at Teng Qingshan. Then she ran to Pei Hao’s side.

"Fifth Uncle, Huhe wants to see father, right?" The High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult asked. Pei Hao responded with a nod. Then the High Priestess of the Snow Lotus Cult continued, "Father is now in closed door cultivation. You all know that it is forbidden to disturb Father during his closed door cultivation. Therefore, you all mustn’t tell Huhe where Father is."

As the High Priestess spoke, she stared at the God of Heaven, Su Mengte, and the King of Beasts, Wu Hou. The two Emptiness Realm Experts stared at each other and smiled helplessly.

"High Priestess..." Teng Qingshan said with a frown.

"Hmph." Seeing Teng Qingshan in frustration, the High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult felt great. She then responded, "Calling me won’t help you. You even told me that Little Jun is pregnant just now. Do you think I am that easily fooled?" With this, the High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult intentionally shot a few glances at Li Jun’s stomach.

Pei Hao, who was at the side, yanked the High Priestess.

"Eh? Fifth Uncle?" The High Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult turned and asked with bemusement.

With an embarrassed expression, Pei Hao laughed and whispered, "Xuelian, Li Jun really is pregnant. We can all sense the weak aura of life in her tummy."