I Was Forced To Marry The Phoenix Empress-Chapter 186: Arrival
Hearing Gao Zhen’s teasing, a desire to explain why he had been delayed welled up inside him.
However, he soon realised that by doing so, he would actually be making things worse for himself and thus stopped himself from doing so.
In the end, he could only counter the teasing with an awkward smile while scratching the back of his head.
"Well..."
While the two girls chuckled seeing this reaction, an amused expression formed on Gao Zhen’s face when she noticed the conflicted emotions in his eyes.
The next instant, she clapped her hands to attract everyone’s attention and said while getting up from her seat.
"Since everyone is here, let’s go up. We’ll be arriving at our destination shortly."
"Yes, Madam Gao," all three of them responded, and soon followed her upstairs.
The time was half past four in the morning. The sky was still enveloped in darkness as a result.
However, the gentle silver light coming from the full moon ensured that even in this darkness, there was a modicum of light, which gave a sense of relief to one’s heart.
Glancing down at the series of dark clouds they were passing behind seamlessly, the praise Yi Chen carried in his heart for this artefact only increased.
He found the speed much faster than commercial planes.
’No... this must be several times faster than even fighter jets!’ Yi Chen exclaimed in his mind with excitement while taking in the scene.
"We’ll be arriving soon." Gao Zhen, who had been standing at the front, said while staring down at a specific spot several kilometres away.
Her eyes were glowing with a mysterious silver light as she said that.
Hearing those words, a sense of anticipation rose in Yi Chen’s heart. It wasn’t just him, as it was the same with Zhou Lan and Xie Rou.
This was their first time going out of the White Jade Kingdom’s periphery. Thus, along with a subtle worry, a feeling of anticipation was present in all their hearts.
The very next second, Gao Zhen mentally guided the artefact, and it slowly began descending while continuing its movement forward.
Several droplets of water formed on the blue Qi shield around them as the carpet made its way past several walls of clouds.
’My entire robe would be drenched if there were no shield,’ Yi Chen thought while observing.
A few seconds later, they were finally underneath the walls of clouds, and the vast land below became apparent to them.
Dark dense forest stretched for several kilometres, accompanied by towering mountains here and there as they crossed several of them from atop.
Almost a minute later, the flying artefact finally started slowing down and soon came to a halt.
In front of it, an enormous lake was present in the middle of the forest.
"So huge..."
"Gorgeous..."
"Amazing..."
Praise effortlessly left their mouths the moment the scenic beauty of the lake came into view.
Glistening under the gentle moonlight, the entire lake seemed to be filled with shimmering pearls and exuded a beauty beyond compare.
"This is the Purple Carp Lake. It’s the largest lake within a hundred-kilometre range and got its name because of the large number of Purple Carps found in it." Gao Zhen said with a smile while enjoying the three’s expressions.
"Purple Carp? What kind of fish is it?" Yi Chen asked curiously. For an entire lake to be named after one fish, there ought to be something special about it.
"Hm, calling it a fish would be an understatement," Gao Zhen said and continued, "The Purple Carp is actually a Grade 2 Demonic Beast."
"Grade 2?!" Xie Rou couldn’t help but exclaim when she heard this. The very next second, she glanced towards Zhou Lan.
During the Demonic Beast Subjugation, it was because of their sudden encounter with a Grade 2 beast that Zhou Lan had gotten injured. If not for the timely help, then she would have bled to her death.
Sensing Xie Rou’s gaze, Zhou Lan smiled to indicate that she wasn’t afraid. The scene was still vivid in her mind. However, as a cultivator, she wouldn’t let such things bring her down.
It was only then that an expression of relief appeared on Xie Rou’s face.
As for Yi Chen, a trace of confusion appeared on his face when he heard this.
There had been a question that had been bugging him for a while, and feeling that this was a good opportunity to get it addressed, he finally asked.
"Madam Gao, how are the cultivation stages of the Demonic Beast classified? You mentioned grades, but how exactly are they different from that of the classification used by human cultivators?"
Yi Chen paused for a second to rearrange his thoughts and continued.
"Like...from what Madam Gao had said earlier, there are even Grade 9 beasts and their powers are equivalent to Heaven Ascension Stage cultivators...which is something I find difficult to imagine.
We have only five cultivation stages in total, along with several levels in each, so how are these Nine Grades actually divided? Just how does that work?"
The smile on Gao Zhen’s face widened as she saw Yi Chen being as inquisitive as always and began answering his doubts.
"It’s a good question. Although this is something a few young cultivators would already be familiar with, in earnest, all cultivators only start learning about this when they enter a sect, so this is something you have yet to learn. So, for now, I’ll only explain the essentials."
Gao Zhen paused for a second and continued.
"Because of the varying powers of demonic beasts, which didn’t follow the same structure as that of human cultivators, a grading system was developed to classify them.
A Grade 1 beast has powers that fall in the range of a First and Second Qi Absorption Stage. It can be on the lower side or on the upper, depending on the beast’s cultivation progress.
Similarly, a Grade 2 will have its powers in the range of a Third and Fifth Qi Absorption Stage, and a Grade 3 beast will have its powers between a Sixth and Eighth Qi Absorption Stage.
This similar pattern is followed all the way until the Grade 8 beasts, which will have their powers in the range of an Eighth and Ninth Core Building Stage."
With an expression of interest, she further explained.
"As for Grade 9 beasts, they have powers in the range of First and Fifth Heaven Ascension Stage cultivators. All of them mostly stay within the depths of the Valley of Death, so rarely are a few spotted every thousand or so years.
As to how strong they are? Even a Ninth Heaven Ascension Stage cultivator will find it difficult to deal with one alone, and a group of them will at most only succeed in driving it away from a spot.
"Only drive them out?" Yi Chen asked with a hint of shock apparent on his face.
"Indeed." Gao Zhen nodded and explained, "Since all the Demonic Beasts have high bodily defences once they reach Grade 9, their defence becomes close to, if not impenetrable.
In thousands of years, there has been no precedent of a Grade 9 beast being successfully slain by a human cultivator."
"This..."
An expression of worry appeared on Yi Chen’s face when he heard this.
’If there is such a drastic power difference, then wouldn’t the human race become extinct if a group of these Grade 9 beasts suddenly decide to act against us...’
Clearly understanding what was going on in his mind, Gao Zhen answered with an assuring smile, "Luckily, they rarely come out of the valley. In the thousands and thousands of years of our continent’s history, their encounters have been recorded only seven times."
Hearing this, a somewhat relieved expression formed on Yi Chen’s face. He also came to an understanding as to why the three of them were so calm previously when he had mentioned the possibility of being attacked by a flying beast.
’With such low odds, even a paranoid person would feel relaxed...’ he mused to himself.
It was just at that moment that the sun started coming above the horizon as its rays began enveloping the previously dark surroundings.
"Ah, it’s already morning." Gao Zhen said in realization and while looking for a particular spot around the lake’s shore, said, "Let’s go down and set up a camp."
"Camp? Can’t we just stay in the artefact? It would also be much safer." Yi Chen said when he heard this.
A similar doubt also arose in Zhou Lan and Xie Rou’s minds at this moment.
Compared to the comfort of the rooms inside the artefact, living inside a camp was far from desirable.
"Safer? Quite the opposite, actually. We’ll become the focus of everyone’s attention and even attract unwanted attention."
"Ah..." Yi Chen nodded his head in realisation.
However, Xie Rou frowned soon after and asked the next second, "Then can’t we just go above the clouds, Madam Gao? No one will be able to see us there." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
"Miss Rou is indeed right. However, that will make it difficult for us to tell when the Sky Devouring Tomb opens up.
There have been instances where it has only been opened up for a few seconds and, after sucking in all the qualified cultivators, disappeared.
Therefore, it’s better to camp outside the whole time, as even staying inside the artefact while on land might cause the tomb to not sense our presence, which may hamper our mission."
"I understand. Thank you for your explanation, Madam Gao," She bowed in thanks.
"You’re welcome," Gao Zhen smiled, and the next second glanced towards Yi Chen meaningfully with amusement apparent on her face.
’Ah!’ Yi Chen’s eyes furrowed subtly before widening in realisation.
"Thank you for your earlier explanation, Madam Gao," he bowed in thanks.
"Very well then," Gao Zhen chuckled softly and the next second said, "Let’s go down and set up the camp now before we attract an-"
