Chapter 2617: Trailing
Cheng Feng appeared calm as he listened to Ling Mu's words, but a flicker of greed flashed through his eyes. Who would not want Sage Hua’s seat? However, was Cheng Feng truly able to obtain such a reward? His cultivation talent was rather mediocre, which would normally mean that he could never become a peak powerhouse. However, the Cyclic Universe was an exception to that rule. In that universe, one could be bestowed the strength of a peak powerhouse.
"Of course, catching such a spy benefits all of humanity. I’ll use all of my connections to help search for Tu Shuangshuang. As for the position of Sage Hua’s seat, I’ll leave that matter to fate," Cheng Feng declared.
Ling Mu laughed. "If Sage Stone's seat could be bestowed to a stranger that no one knows, why can't Sage Hua’s seat be given to you? Seize this opportunity, and you could become the next Sage Hua."
The woman then left, as she had only stopped by to deliver that message
Of Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s disciples, Ling Mu had the closest relationship with Cheng Feng. If Cheng Feng could become the next Sage Hua, then she would also benefit from his rise, though she knew that she would never be able to take the position for herself.
While the seats of the Three Sovereigns and Nine Sages seemed open to everyone, only people from the Cyclic Universe understood that there were actually certain hidden criteria that the inheritor needed to possess.
After Ling Mu left, Cheng Feng's eyes blazed with excitement. He had a real chance to obtain Sage Hua’s seat! With just his own abilities, it was a miniscule possibility, but if he could get that person's help, then Cheng Feng felt confident that he would succeed, even if he needed to compete against Void Morphoras.
It was time to contact that person.
After turning around, he entered the village, where he received a warm welcome. Everyone approached and greeted him.
"Little Feng is back!"
"Are you done practicing your song? You're back rather early today."
Cheng Feng nodded with a smile. "I did finish practicing for the day, Uncle. I'll help you water the plants later, as you must be tired.
"Auntie, your clothes are so tattered, you should really get new ones."
"I know, Little Feng. You go on ahead."
"Good child."
Cheng Feng did not need to walk far, but he still took ten minutes to return. All the while, he was surrounded by the warmth and care of the villagers. The comforting sight of smoke twirling upwards from kitchen fires indicated that people were in the middle of cooking their next meal.
Cheng Feng lived alone in a wooden cabin at the easternmost edge of the village. He had no servants, and no one disturbed him in his home. He kindled a fire and cooked his meals as naturally as any ordinary human would.
"The rumors aren’t wrong. You really do live in harmony with nature," a cold voice spoke from a corner of the cabin.
Cheng Feng’s movements froze for a moment. "Please leave. No one is welcome to visit this place."
"Not even me?" A woman stepped out of the shadows filling the corner. She was Tu Shuangshuang.
Cheng Feng looked up, surprised. "Tu Shuangshuang?"
Tu Shuangshuang raised her head high. "It’s been a long time, Cheng Feng."
Cheng Feng's eyes became glacial. "Traitor! How dare you show yourself here! I will capture you and avenge Sage Hua! All spies must be eliminated!"
Tu Shuangshuang scoffed. "You're on the same side as me, so why keep up the act?"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Cheng Feng retorted.
Tu Shuangshuang stared at the man through cold eyes. "The entire Voidforce Universe is searching for me, but I can escape whenever I wish. However, if I leave, you'll never be able to accomplish certain things, so I want to make a deal with you."
"I will not negotiate with spies!" Cheng Feng spat.
Tu Shuangshuang sneered. "I already said to just drop the act. I already know who you are. Do you want Sage Hua’s seat?”
Cheng Feng's pupils shrank. "What did you just say? What are you talking about? What do you mean, ‘you know who I am?’"
"I'm not here to waste time. I’ll teach you the Harmonious Heavens Technique, which will help you surpass your competition. In return, I need you to speak well of me to my master and ask him to spare me this time," Tu Shuangshuang offered.
Cheng Feng frowned. "Nonsense! Senior Sage Hua fell in battle. How could I help you? More importantly, I would never help a traitor like you!"
"I'm referring to Cheng Kong, so just drop the act. Don't you want Sage Hua’s seat?" Tu Shuangshuang asked impatiently.
Cheng Feng's eyes flickered as he stared at Tu Shuangshuang.
The woman met his gaze as silence blanketed the cabin.
After a while, Cheng Feng sighed. "I can't meet Cheng Kong."
"Just deliver a message to Aeternus," Tu Shuangshuang replied, "Tell them that I helped you take Sage Hua’s seat and that I helped Aeternus. My master will learn of it."
Cheng Feng’s eyes narrowed. "How can I trust you?"
"I can stay here until you’ve made some progress with the Harmonious Heavens Technique. No one will disturb you here anyways, as no one would dare to defy Sovereign Ninth Lotus's orders," Tu Shuangshuang suggested.
Cheng Feng had met Sovereign Ninth Lotus on three different occasions, and each time, he had been allowed to make a request. His first request had been for Sovereign Ninth Lotus to protect the villagers and allow them to live long lives. His second request had been for no one to set foot on the snowy mountain, which would allow him to practice his singing there in peace. His third request had been that no one would enter the village, as it was his whole world.
These three requests had been granted, and Cheng Feng had also received Sovereign Ninth Lotus's favor. He had become adored and respected by countless people.
With Sovereign Ninth Lotus's pronouncement, no one dared to step a single foot on the snowy mountain or inside the village. Few people even visited Broken Cliff at all, for fear of offending Cheng Feng.
Not many had the courage to enter that place.
"Alright," Cheng Feng agreed.
Tu Shuangshuang sighed in relief. "I can teach you Harmonious Heavens Technique now."
Cheng Feng replied, "There’s no rush. I'll cook some food first."
Even as he spoke, he pulled out some firewood and tossed it into the oven.
Tu Shuangshuang was taken aback. Cook? That was something that cultivators seldom even thought of.
Suddenly, lotus flowers blossomed beneath Cheng Feng’s feet as he whirled around. "You’re a fool to think that you can capture me, Tu Shuangshuang! You can’t escape!"
His stern voice echoed across Broken Cliff and beyond into outer space.
While Cheng Feng's talent for cultivating was average at best, he had used countless resources over the years, as well as the benefits of Sovereign Ninth Lotus's favor, to become a Void Brillium.
As for Tu Shuangshuang, she was a Proximiter, which meant that the two possessed very similar levels of strength.
Cheng Feng used Sovereign Ninth Lotus's techniques and successfully caught Tu Shuangshuang off guard, instantly wounding her. Her body was flung back, and Cheng Feng hurried after her in pursuit.
Tu Shuangshuang had not expected Cheng Feng to treat her in such a way, and she immediately fled.
Many people who were near Broken Cliff looked over. "Tu Shuangshuang? Why is Tu Shuangshuang here?"
"Not good! Tu Shuangshuang wants to capture Cheng Feng!"
"Go!"
...
Cheng Feng raised a hand, and a Lotus Artifact enveloped Tu Shuangshuang. Cheng Feng’s eyes blazed with excitement, as all he needed to do was capture this woman. He could still hear Ling Mu's words echoing in his ears.
So what if he mastered the Harmonious Heavens Technique? Xuan Qi's cultivation talent was unprecedented, and even he had failed to obtain Sage Stone’s seat.
On the other hand, if Cheng Feng managed to capture Tu Shuangshuang, Sovereign Ninth Lotus would definitely help him in the competition for Sage Hua's seat. This was a much more reliable path than making a deal with Tu Shuangshuang.
Everyone witnessed the moment that Cheng Feng captured Tu Shuangshuang with the Lotus Artifact. Even if she tried to expose him as a spy, he had no reason to be scared of Cheng Kong’s involvement, as Cheng Kong could not afford to offend Cheng Feng’s backers.
To Cheng Feng, Tu Shuangshuang was nothing more than an opportunity.
"Cheng Feng, you've lost your mind!" As the Lotus Artifact fell upon her, Tu Shuangshuang clearly saw the madness that filled Cheng Feng's eyes.
"Tu Shuangshuang, I will avenge Sage Hua!" Cheng Feng bellowed in rage.
People started to appear in the sky above them.
With so many eyes fixed on her, Tu Shuangshuang was left helpless. Of course, people were not actually looking at Tu Shuangshuang, but rather Lu Yin in disguise. He had been hoping to expose Cheng Feng, but unfortunately, Cheng Feng had proven to be not only cautious, but also very intelligent. After seeing the frenzied excitement in Cheng Feng's gaze, Lu Yin had immediately considered the possibility that Cheng Feng was hoping to accomplish something by capturing Tu Shuangshuang.
Lu Yin could have never guessed that Ling Mu would visit Cheng Feng right before his own, or that she had shifted Cheng Feng's thoughts and fanned his ambitions. Without that visit, Lu Yin’s move might have resulted in a very different outcome.
As the Lotus Artifact descended, Lu Yin was left with no choice but to leave.
Cheng Feng believed that Tu Shuangshuang was trapped, but as the Lotus Artifact closed upon her, the woman vanished.
He took a few steps forward, staring into the Lotus Artifact. Where was Tu Shuangshuang?
At that moment, a few other figures flew down. "Eh? Where's Tu Shuangshuang?"
"Where's Tu Shuangshuang?"
"Cheng Feng, are you alright? Where's Tu Shuangshuang?"
Everyone wanted to know where Tu Shuangshuang had gone, but nobody had been able to clearly see what had happened.
Cheng Feng's face turned pale. Tu Shuangshuang left?
Far from Broken Cliff, Lu Yin suddenly appeared. He looked back, feeling a bit surprised by the turn of events. Still, failure was something that he had considered. Some of Aeternus’s spies were overly cautious, which was certainly not surprising. However, Lu Yin had determined one new bit of information: Cheng Feng had no connection to Cheng Kong. If he had, Cheng Feng would have never spoken to Tu Shuangshuang in such a manner. It was clear that he was completely certain that Tu Shuangshuang did not know that he was also a spy.
Lu Yin knew that he would just need to find another way. Right as he was about to return to the Bureau, he caught a glimpse of something. His eyes flickered, and he immediately disappeared.
In the next blink of an eye, a figure appeared, only to vanish once again.
Someone was tailing him!
Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed, and disbelief covered his face. He had left with his innate gift of spatial control, so who could possibly track him? This person was also clearly not a Progenitor-level powerhouse, as he would have sensed danger from them. However, who else but a Progenitor could follow Lu Yin through space?
He chose to not return to the Bureau’s headquarters, and instead, he maintained his disguise as Tu Shuangshuang while he continued to travel through outer space.
The person following Lu Yin was just as astounded as he was. It was clear that they were not following Tu Shuangshuang, as they had escaped through skillful utilization of the power of space. When had such a genius appeared in the younger generation? Could this be due to an innate gift?
The two figures continued to flicker through the void as they both raced along.
Lu Yin realized that his pursuer had a control over space that was at least equal to his own, and his pursuer was equally stunned by Lu Yin's mastery of space.
***
Back at Broken Cliff, Cheng Feng and the others continued to search for Tu Shuangshuang.
Jiang Xiaodao and Little Lian soon arrived as well. They had also left the Sixverse Academy, and Little Lian had wanted to hear Cheng Feng sing. Jiang Xiaodao had shamelessly decided to tag along, much to Little Lian’s dismay.
However, the moment they arrived, they learned that Tu Shuangshuang had tried to capture Cheng Feng.
Little Lian immediately became concerned. "Brother Cheng Feng, are you alright?"
Cheng Feng's face still looked a bit pale, but he managed to force out a smile nonetheless. "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Little Lian."
Jiang Xiaodao rolled his eyes.
"Why did Tu Shuangshuang come here? She's terrible, plotting to capture Brother Cheng Feng!" Little Lian angrily complained.
Ling Mu also soon arrived, and she was surprised to see Little Lian. "Junior sister, what brings you here?"
"Senior Sister Ling Mu!" Little Lian's eyes lit up as she immediately grabbed Ling Mu's hand. "Senior Sister, you must capture Tu Shuangshuang! That wicked woman is trying to capture Brother Cheng Feng!"
Ling Mu turned to face Cheng Feng, and her voice dropped low and became much more somber. "What happened?"
Cheng Feng shared everything, except for the conditions that Tu Shuangshuang had offered him. Instead, he merely stated that Tu Shuangshuang had tried to capture him and take control of him with the use of Bubble Fantasy.
As soon as she heard that, Ling Mu quickly asked, "Where is she now? Didn't you capture her?"
Cheng Feng sighed heavily. "I wasn’t able to."
"Didn't you use Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s power vessel?" Ling Mu asked, feeling a bit panicked. This was just too much of a coincidence; one moment they had been talking about how Cheng Feng should capture Tu Shuangshuang, and the next moment she had appeared. It seemed like fate was toying with them.
Cheng Feng gave a helpless shrug. "I activated it, but Tu Shuangshuang just disappeared. No one has any idea where she went."
"Sovereign Ninth Lotus's power vessel wasn’t able to trap her? That's impossible!" Ling Mu's immediate reaction was pure disbelief.
Little Lian also reacted strongly, "Master's power vessel couldn’t trap Tu Shuangshuang?"
Jiang Xiaodao and the others were also stunned, as this was simply too difficult to believe. However, many people had witnessed the matter with their own eyes; Tu Shuangshuang had simply vanished.
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