The Steward Demonic Emperor

Chapter 970: The Fifth Sacred Beast

Proofreader: Papatonks

In a lush and verdant mountain forest, a thin man carrying an eight-year-old child was walking through the roaring spiritual beasts of all levels, with none willing to take a single step closer.

Zhuo Fan carried Gu Santong one step at a time through the familiar woods, towards Vaulting Kunpeng’s lair.

Unlike every other time, there was no Three-headed Crow to give him a lift. The spiritual beasts looked to be under strict orders to stand aside while jeering at this conceited man coming to their master to admit his mistake.

With all the spiritual beasts showing up as he walked, none would lead Zhuo Fan, letting him walk under their mockery through their kingdom. 

Zhuo Fan finally gazed upon a peak and the familiar cave of Vaulting Kunpeng.

“Ha-ha-ha, what wind has brought the high and mighty sir Zhuo to my humble abode?”

A big and muscled man came out of the cave.

Vaulting Kunpeng snickered, “What has happened to young Sanzi? Why isn’t he even greeting me? Is it possible that he’s hurt to be held on another’s back? Ha-ha-ha, no, that can’t be. Young Sanzi’s father, the great Zhuo Fan, had last left with a loud mouth and absolute confidence that he can protect his child. So why then after only two years the same bubbly child looks to be dying and coming before me? Could he be wanting me to give a burial?”

“Senior Kunpeng!”

Zhuo Fan sighed, “I have been rude and disrespectful to senior and for that I apologize. Young Sanzi’s heavy state is due to my negligence. I proved to be incapable and have come to senior for aid, hoping senior remembers of the five great sacred beasts and would lend your help. I would be ever grateful.”

Kunpeng mocked, “Zhuo Fan, you took the old dragon’s Dragon Breath Pill and looked quite smug. Now that you came to me for help, have you seen your shortcomings? Then go down on your knees and I may just consider it…” 

“Senior, I have come to you asking for help, but you shouldn’t push it!”

Zhuo Fan had a cold smile, “I heard people say that when being asked for help, one shouldn’t insult the other but ask for a price. I have apologized to senior but only out of courtesy. If senior still takes it seriously, then I’m afraid I’ll be put on the spot. Ha-ha-ha, I only care about saving young Sanzi, not for me, but for a fellow sacred beast. I do recall you needing to set up some array that needs the power of all five great sacred beast to face Heavenly Sovereign, right?”

Kunpeng’s face twitched and muttered, “Curses, still showing off even when asking for help like I’m owing you. This punk’s attitude hasn’t changed one bit!

“Fine, bring the kid over. Humph, we just had to work together!” 

Kunpeng waved and shouted annoyedly before stepping into his cave.

Grinning, Zhuo Fan flew inside and placed young Sanzi on a bed.

Kunpeng placed two fingers on the child’s wrist and then shouted, “Why is his Qilin Shield sporting a gap?”

“Qilin Shield?”

“Yes.”

Kunpeng spoke heavily, “Qilin Shield is a Qiling’s innate protection made of his body, mind and soul that makes up the whole of a Qilin’s power. A damaged Qilin Shield means he can’t gather his strength and will be weakened. That’s why he has been unconscious for all this time.” 

Zhuo Fan’s brow shook, “Qilin Shield has such a use? But when I refined my Qilin arm I also had the Qilin Shield. It only seemed to offer some protection and that was it.”

“That’s because you’re a human. Qilin Shield isn’t for you, so of course it isn’t the core of your being. While not as strong, getting it damaged won’t be an issue as it’s easy to restore. But to a Qilin, a damaged Qilin Shield means having your very core hurt…” 

Kunpeng frowned heavily, “The kid’s wound is baffling. A normal damaged Qilin Shield would recover even with the core being heavily weakened. But his Qilin Shield’s damage is like his whole body is broken. Unable to bring itself together, his energy is constantly sapped and always weak and unconscious. One day, it may even take his life.”

Zhuo Fan panicked inside, “How do we heal it?”

“Before that, why don’t you tell me how he got this wound?” Kunpeng asked gravely.

Zhuo Fan sighed, “Soaring Sword.”

“Soaring Sword?”

“Precisely!”

Zhuo Fan nodded, “The mortal domain has five great sacred weapons made by the Heavenly Sovereign and Sword Sovereign to deal with the sacred beasts, even named after the very sacred beast they target. I didn’t realize this at first, only coming to this conclusion after being hurt by two sacred weapons. These sacred weapons are designed to restrain specific sacred beast. I was once hurt by the Vaulting Sword in the Double Dragon Manor and healed in the end, albeit slowly. But getting hurt by the Soaring Sword proved harder to heal. Maybe because I’m a human that some special pills finally healed me. But young Sanzi…”

Kunpeng squinted, “Kid, do you have a sacred weapon?”

“I have the Vaulting Sword, but I had changed it. Its sword spirit is my blood spirit…”

“It’s fine. The spirit might change, but the sword energy and its skill won’t. Take it out and try it on me!” Kunpeng insisted, “Maybe I can glean into what is happening.”

Zhuo Fan did as he was told and shot the demonic sword at Kunpeng.

Its form now was much weaker than usual, but Kunpeng didn’t care as he tried to block it with his palm, releasing his azure flame into a wall.

The instant the demonic sword touched the wall, it shook a bit and the sword released a sudden light before passing right through and going for Kunpeng.

Kunpeng shook, taken off-guard by the Vaulting Sword’s power, able to bypass his azure flame’s defenses. Though it didn’t matter since he barely showed any of his power. 

So this time he added more strength and repelled the demonic sword, sending it back in Zhuo Fan’s body.

Zhuo Fan shuddered and coughed blood, then he cursed, “Senior Kunpeng, wasn’t this a test? Why so serious?”

“I had no choice, because the sacred weapons and us mutually suppress each other.”

Kunpeng’s brow shook and sighed, “Now I know why the child is so hurt. These swords are deadly to us.”

Zhuo Fan started, “What do you mean?”

“Kid, you know that the world is made of endless forms of yin and yang, that everything in this world has a counter. But this is mutual suppression that only the five elements can have.” 

Kunpeng grew grave, “Water and fire repel each other. More water destroys fire and more fire pulverizes water. They can’t coexist. This is how we, the sacred beasts, and the five sacred weapons are.  Meeting, survival is only based on who is the strongest in this mutual conflict. It’s either the sacred beast or the sacred weapon that survives. Young Sanzi’s state is because of that. The other used an art that is his bane, causing heavy damage, even deadly.” 

“Yeah, he trained in the Soaring Sword Art!” Zhuo Fan’s eyes shook as he sighed.

Kunpeng was equally helpless, “Yin-yang can only break from yin-yang. When two opposite forces clash, nothing can help. If the child was stronger, he could’ve defended himself. But he’s still young. However, I’m fortunate that I never left the Allbeast Mountain Range or the sacred weapon absorbing the sacred stones’ power and without the barrier here, I would be sure to suffer from it. The Heavenly Sovereign and the Sword Sovereign sure are cruel to leave five ruthless weapons in the mortal domain to deal with us.” 

“Is there no other way? Senior Kunpeng, not even you can do anything?”

“I told you already, the powers are mutually exclusive and only each other can solve, with no one able to interfere. Unless…”

Kunpeng sighed then muttered, “Forget it, that old geezer must be lazing around somewhere and can’t find him fast enough…”

Zhuo Fan grasped the slim hope as he asked, “Who are you talking about, senior? Can he save young Sanzi?”

“Yeah, one of the five great sacred beasts, the Heaven Sealing Sea Ao, wielding the world’s innate sealing arts.” 

(StarReader: the World Turtle in many mythologies, including Chinese.)

Kunpeng’s eyes flashed, “The old guy’s sealing is so strong it can seal the world, so the elements are a cinch for him. Even in the times of the ten Sovereigns, all feared his seals, panicked about having their power bound and never again able to break it. Also, he was the only one able to give Heavenly Sovereign a hard time, even if he broke out of the seal after a time. This only shows how terrible he is. With young Sanzi’s damaged Qilin Shield, he just has to place a barrier between the two opposite forces and let it heal itself.”